Author's notes: Whelp. It seems my page breaks don't work. And that's how we learn.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Spider man, and I'm still not making any money. Regards Mr. Author.

Chapter 2:

"Trial and Error"

2014

Blinding light is not the most pleasant thing to wake up to. Definitely. Peter groaned as the muffled voices of people came from all around him.

He opened his eyes groggily.

"Aunt May? Is that you?" He asked. His head felt like it was going to split open. Instead of his aunt, he saw a man in a police uniform. That woke him right up.

"Captain Stacy!" The cop yelled up the stairs. "He's awake!"

From the top of the steps a middle aged man with platinum blonde hair and weary blue eyes could be seen, silhouetted by the blaring glaze of a dozen flashlights.

Peter sat up and held his head as it throbbed in pain. Captain Stacy kneeled so that he was eye level with Peter and then hugged him close to his chest.

"I'm sorry for your loss, son..." he said.

Peter's eyes widened and he leapt up the steps. He saw a crowd of policemen near the kitchen door, they were huddled around something. Two broken mugs lay on the kitchen floor. Gwen was sitting on a sofa in the living room where two paramedics were doting about her.

"Your Uncle came home earlier today where he surprised a burglar..." Captain Stacy ran a hand through his hair. "It was over quickly. Nothing was taken. A neighbor heard shots fired and we dispatched a squad car."

Peter leaned against the wall behind him. His eyes wide with shock. It felt like he couldn't hold himself upright.

It's a dream it's all a bad dream. He thought as tears bit at his eyes. He wiped furiously at his cheeks and ran from the house. Not bothered by where he was going, Peter ran and ran.

This is wrong! So wrong! Peter skidded to a halt when he saw that he was all the way across the street. A woman watched on in frightened awe at the boy that almost crashed through her window.

What the hell?! You just ran three blocks in less than a minute?! Say something cool...

"Uh… Hi."

Smooth.

Peter turned and ran.

"We've got more than enough evidence here Captain Stacy. Bullet residue, fingerprints, shoe marks. You name it, sir. This guy was clumsy."

Captain Stacy walked over to where Aunt May was sobbing on the couch. He grimaced, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mrs. Parker, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to bring the man who did this to justice."

He sat down next to her on the couch. "I give you my word."

She looked up, here eyes red with tears. "Where's Peter?"

"Hi Aunt May.." Peter said from the door. Aunt May jumped up and hugged him as if she could never let go. And in a way, she never would.

"Mrs. Parker, I don't want you to sleep in this house alone tonight. We have more than enough room. Why don't you come and stay with us for a while?" Captain Stacy stood behind them, softly putting a hand on Aunt May's shoulder.

"A generous offer, Captain, but we wouldn't want to impose..." Aunt May started, but Captain Stacy cut her off.

"My wife could use the company. And call me George, please." He smiled and guided them both to his car.

From the backseat Peter watched as Captain Stacy walked inside the house and a few minutes later both he and Gwen walked out. Gwen got in the back with Peter. As they drove off into the city, Peter watched his uncle's body covered in a black bag and moved into a van.

Peter woke up and took a moment to realise where he was. He was in Gwen's brother's bed. It wasn't a dream. Uncle Ben really was dead. Gwen walked up to the door and saw he was awake.

She sat down on the foot of the bed and fumbled with her hands. "Dad said I should stay home... to keep you company you know."

Peter fell back on the pillow. His eyes were sore and his head pounded. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to be alive. Nothing could possibly get him out of bed.

"I made coffee... I didn't think you'd want to get out of bed, so I made you a cup..." She put a red cup on his dresser. She paused for a moment, then fighting some internal struggle, she hugged him. Peter stiffened for a moment. Then he broke. All of his resilience faded and he cried. He sobbed and sobbed into Gwen's shoulder. His body shook as it was racked with agony unlike anything Peter thought possible.

Peter stood in front of the mirror in what had become his room. He was dressed in his best clothes. A suit and black bow tie. He loved wearing this suit, because it belonged to his dad, when he was that age. It made him feel sharp.

It never felt more wrong.

Aunt May came into the room and looked him up and down.

"You look so sharp..." her eyes were red and puffy. She hugged Peter close for a moment. "We have to get going."

Peter picked up his mp4 player and his used up earphones. Through the car ride to the cemetery and the service he listened to music. He didn't hear a single word.

When they moved outside, he finally removed the earphones and paused his music. The sound of silence. It just seemed appropriate. A man in a black suit walked up and started speaking.

"Ben Parker was a good man. The best man I ever knew. The world would deal him a hand that any other would scorn and get aggravated by, but not Ben. He would smile, and fold. Ben was the type of man who would never turn his back on anyone. He wouldn't tolerate any injustice. He was the man you called when you needed anything. He was the friend who stood by you. Ben Parker-"

Peter shut him out at that point.

Peter got in the back of Captain Stacy's car. Gwen sat next to Peter in the back and Aunt May sat in front with Captain Stacy.

Peter had his earphones in again. The buildings swept past. It was strange how dead he felt inside. Gwen was gazing at him sadly. She reached out and took his hand in hers. He looked up at her and she smiled softly at him in reply.

One week later

Gym Period was Peter's least favourite part of school. He put down his book bag and got his Gym clothes from his locker. A high roof with a skylight was what counted as ventilation in this room, but it definitely disappointed. As Peter was tying his shoelaces Flash Thompson and Kenny Kong came in.

"Hey Kong! Look who decided to show up for school again!" Flash sneered.

Not this please. Not now. Peter thought and tried to put his things in the locker as fast as he could. He moved to grab his Science handbook when it was snagged away.

"Nah uh uh, Puny Parker. This is Gym class. No reading." Flash sneered as Kenny laughed. "You want the book Puny Parker?"

Flash made an evil grin and threw the book up through the open skylight.

"Fetch." Flash pushed Peter hard, but Peter didn't even flinch.

Flash's eyebrows leapt up with surprise, but he just said: "Freak!", and threw his water out on Peter, drenching him. Kenny and Flash laughed and walked out of the room.

Peter wiped the water out of his eyes and looked at the skylight. He groaned and looked around the room. He decided that the easiest thing to do would be to climb on the locker and then try to reach from there. He easily climbed up the locker and saw that his book was in easy grasping range. Only a few meters up.

Never easy, is it? Peter groaned and reached as much as he could, but he couldn't reach.

Maybe if I jump...

Peter readied himself, and bent his legs and leapt. A lot higher than he thought. Peter shot through the skylight like a cannonball. Flying through the air. Peter landed on the roof of the school building with a crunch of gravel. On the football field his class looked up at him, pointing. And cheering. Peter stood in shock, and walked over to the side of the roof. Using the fire escape he climbed to the field.

"All right people." Coach Allen said, making a note on his clipboard. "We're done with the curriculum, so I thought we might as well play a mock game."

"Football coach?" Flash asked excitedly.

"Yeah football, but not your Yankee pigskin football, we're going to be playing the beautiful game!" Coach Allen held up a soccer ball and span it around on his finger.

"Thompson, Rand you're captains. Pick your teams." Coach said.

Randy looked at Peter a moment then said:

"I choose Parker."

"WHAT?!" Flash asked incredulously. "Puny Parker?! You actually want him on your team?!"

"Yeah. You see that jump? I did. I want to see what he's got besides book smarts." Randy smiled.

"He can't even climb a rope!" Flash said.

"That's enough Thompson! Pick your team get to it.

Peter dribbled the ball, bobbing and weaving easily through the other players. He kicked the ball and scored yet another goal for his team.

Coach Allen blew a whistle and paused the video he had been watching through the whole match.

"That's it. Time's up. Get dressed and get to class." He said walking off.

"Whoah Parker! That was radical man!" Rand said giving Peter a fistbump. "If you were born a Brit, you'd be playing league for sure!"

"Puny Parker couldn't play a league if it bit him in the ass!" Flash yelled and threw his water bottle directly at Peter's head.

Peter felt a strange buzzing in the back of his head and felt the need to reach behind him. He caught the water bottle easily.

Flash's Jaw dropped. Peter smiled and walked up to Flash.

"Flash. Word of advice." Peter leaned in so that only Flash could hear. "Puny parker died with his uncle. Don't mess with me."

Peter shoved the water bottle in Flash's chest. A bit too hard. There was a sharp snap and Flash cried out in pain. He looked at Peter with fear.

"You broke something!" He screamed.

Peter stood in shock as everyone ran over.

"Jesus Parker..." Kenny said as he helped Flash up.

"I didn't mean-" Peter started, but swallowed his words. He turned around and ran.

"Peter wait!" Gwen tried to shout after him, but he was already gone.

Peter sat on a jumbotron in Times Square. He can jump two stories with little to no effort, break ribs with ease, and, apparently, stick to walls.

Aunt May is going to freak out. I didn't mean to hurt Flash…it just sort off… wait. This is a good thing!

Peter stood up.

I can play football! Show Flash and his goon squad the real Peter Parker! No... That could give me away. I need something to do. Someone to take my anger out on amazing.

Across the street an alarm rang and two thieves ran out of a Jewellery store.

I could always... nah. I would make a terrible thief.

Peter leapt off the building landing on the ground without a flinch. He walked into a dim alleyway where he saw a flier patched to a wall:

"Anger issues? Suppressed rage? Join MMA cage fighting today! If you're good enough to make league, you could win thousands!"

Money is a good starting point. Peter smirked.