Author's notes: I was on a 10 hour flight this past June, and luckily the airline had the rights to the 2002 Spider-Man movie. I got inspiration to write this tidbit while watching it. Enjoy!

Summary: [Raimi universe] The final moments of Uncle Ben's life between sermonizing Peter and his murder. One shot.

Disclaimer: RubinaLadybug does not own Spider-Man trilogy or any of its characters. Spider-Man characters and plot belong to Stan Lee (R.I.P.), Steve Ditko (R.I.P.), Sony, and Marvel.

A Call for Duty

"I don't mean to lecture, and I don't mean to preach. And I know I'm not your father—"

"Then stop pretending to be!"

An uncle and his nephew had parked opposite of the city's downtown library. They had landed in an argument regarding responsibility. It seemed they had reached an impasse. There was no sense in prolonging the moralism.

Silently, Peter stepped out of the yellow car. He bitterly watched as his uncle, the man who had raised him, drive away. He briefly weighed his options. Rather than go and apologize for his outburst, Peter raced in the opposite direction. He carried his paper bag closely. He had an idea to implement. Sometimes there was no stopping a boy who was following his headstrong game plan. He decided to use his newly acquired great power for a great reward.

Ben Parker drove off. While he arranged for himself to pick up his nephew at the library at a later time, he didn't go home. He instead went somewhere else. He needed to park and think. He had already admitted to his wife May about Peter and his strange developments. Ben was a man who always stood his ground. However, this situation was different. The boy was set to graduate high school soon. He would then be setting his own foot into the world. Ben had reasons to not fear change. The marble called Earth rotating within the massive universe was in a constant state of metamorphosis. Ben wasn't invincible. He made plenty of mistakes growing up, and he learned from them to become the man he currently was. What he feared was the strong possibility of losing someone close to him. Again.

There was another reason he hesitated in asking Peter about his personal life and his peculiar behavior. His wife always mentioned how Peter had much of his uncle in him. He was proud of that. But he saw someone else. He saw someone he had known all his life. He saw his younger brother: Richard Parker.

Richard was a brilliant man. Ben encouraged him to attend college. Richard enjoyed learning, and he was always interested in science. He loved to observe. He loved to ask questions. He loved to seek answers. His rich, brown hair and warm smile made him a charming man. When he was around eleven, he would occasionally tag along with Ben as he courted May. He developed an odd quirk in joking whenever he became nervous. But he often kept to himself. Perhaps that was a common trait among geniuses. They enjoy solitude. Though Richard rarely spoke about his studies, he graduated college and quickly found employment. Ben was the older brother. He had the responsibility to be one of the first to guide his younger brother on the right path. He had to admit that his brother had remolded himself for the better when he met the right gal: Mary Fitzpatrick.

Proudly, Richard introduced her as his co-worker and girlfriend to the Parker family. They soon married and had a son: Peter Benjamin Parker. Ben was honored that his younger brother wanted to give his name to the newborn. He and May were always delighted to see their nephew. They treated him like he was their own. They saw how he was like his father, curious. Ben predicted his nephew would earn high marks in school just like Richard. He believed Peter was destined for a good education and earn a great career path.

Then, one day, Richard and Mary asked for him and May to look after their little boy. May questioned the sudden need for a long-term sitter. Richard was hesitant in giving a response outside them leaving the country for a few days. Ben quickly hushed May. He had strongly believed that if his brother wanted them to know what their situation was Richard would've told them. Perhaps that was a mistake. Perhaps he should've asked the right questions. He was left broken hearted. His brother and his wife were dead. Secrets poured out after their death. They were double agents. They were working under Algeria.

After the death of Richard and Mary, Ben and May agreed to take their nephew in. They dealt with the paperwork. They dealt with the intrusive government of Child Protective Services to ensure the young child would be taken care of. They dealt with the exorbitant fees. It was all worth it. They converted the nursery to be his bedroom. Money became tighter with someone new under his roof. Someone to clothe, and to bathe, and to feed, and to teach. There were no regrets. Ben and May had always wanted children. But they were never able to have one of their own.

Ben rarely mentioned the unpleasant death to May. Knowing that her brother-in-law was a criminal was too heartbreaking for her to handle. (She did preserve newspaper clippings hidden in boxes stored in the attic.) Ben decided they would never tell Peter the truth. He wanted the shame and the sorrow to be buries with the deceased parents. And so the deceased couple were in a grave side by side. That hasty averment was on the outside. The inside, though torn, he believed his younger brother was innocent. He didn't know why. He didn't know how to prove it. It all seemed unlikely. Yet he did. He could only see the best in his younger brother. Others would have labeled it as denial. He, however, couldn't let go of his hope.

Ben knew he wasn't Peter's father. He tried to raise the boy the best he could. He thought he was leading him in the right direction. Peter earned good grades and stayed out of trouble (save for his recent fight against the school's quarterback). He formed an innocent crush on their redheaded neighbor. He made friends with a rich boy, one who'd look like he'd give his life for him. But something seemed to have changed Peter. Ben assumed it was puberty. He questioned how much generations have changed between his and Peter's. At times it seemed the world was going mad.

He could only hope his lesson would stick: With great power comes great responsibility.

He didn't have much money to pass down. His car had so many mileages left, and his house required more maintenance than it was worth. He could only give nephew his wisdom. There were some riches not obtain through cash or credit. And he hoped that would be enough.

His thoughts were soon interrupted. Someone banged on his car's window. The man carried a gun. Ben looked into his fierce yet distraught eyes. He had a habit of trying to heal lost souls. He didn't hesitate when the call rang. Calmly, he opened the car door and stepped out.

The End

Richard Parker and Mary Parker-Fitzpatrick, see Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, 1968.