Chapter Nine
***
Walking in the cool damp weather after the rain soaked the streets, Peter Parker was dressed in street clothes with his shoulder bag on his shoulder and a camera hanging off of his neck. While walking in the middle of a vacant street, he felt a surge of fear with the help of his 'Spider- sense' and turned around immediately and saw a cloaked figure walking down the same vacant street toward him as he called out in a enigmatic voice:
"Peter. Come to me."
Peter was saturated with fear as he watched the cloaked figure getting closer to him. He felt paralyzed, unable to move. Suddenly, a figure appeared swinging from the skyscrapers to the ground while Peter and the cloaked figured watched. It was Spider-man.
Peter frowned and quizzically looked at the mask figure, but Spider- man broke Peter's train of thought. "Peter, come with me if you want to live."
Peter grimaced and nodded his head cautiously as he put his bag and camera down on the ground. Both Peter and Spider-man flicked their wrists, using their webs to get them to safety. As they reached the top of a skyscraper, Peter found Mary Jane in her pajamas with her face red and full of tears. She ran up to him.
"Peter! You're okay." she said as she hugged him. "I was so worried."
Peter hugged her, feeling absolute joy and happiness. He gently pulled away from her and smiled, "I'm here, MJ. I won't leave. I won't."
As Peter hugged Mary Jane again, he felt another surge of fear and turned around quickly. He saw Spider-man standing side-by-side with the cloaked figure. Spider-man shook his head.
"I'm so sorry Peter. It wasn't in my power to stop it."
Peter looked at the figure with terror as the cloaked figure pulled out his hands and simulated a 'choking motion' with his hands. At that moment, Peter felt the sensation that someone was choking him. Before collapsing on the ground, he pleated with the cloaked figure to stop.
Mary Jane leaned over at the dying Peter Parker. Tears ran down her cheeks freely as she cried out.
"Peter! No! Peter- you- promised to be always with me! Peter!" she wiped the tears off of her face roughly. "Peter!" she cried out wailing as she saw the lifeless Peter, "You promised Peter! You--"
***
"-promised!" J. Jonah Jameson said as he barged into Peter's hospital room waking Peter from his dream. The nurse stomped into the room with a scorn upon her face.
"No." said the nurse with controlled anger, "There was no promise sir. I would remember." The nurse caught a glance of May Parker with a shocked look upon her face, standing near Peter's bedside.
"No. YOU'RE mistaken!" Jameson said as he scrutinized Peter in his hospital bed. "Gee-oh-whiz, he looks like-"
"You don't want to tell me that I'm wrong!" the nurse said interrupting with a burst of emotion thrusting her pencil in Jameson's direction. "No one says that to Melba Jackson! No one!"
"Why is it so loud in here?" Peter asked as he tried to open his eyes. May started to fluff his hair, speaking affectionately to her nephew to calm and ease him. Peter finally opened his eyes, smiled at his aunt May, looked at the nurse with a quick smile and then rolled his eyes when he saw Jameson.
"Oh, I am so sorry Mr. Parker!" the nurse said with remorse in her voice. "Do you want anything? Do you want this man in here or should I haul his behind out?"
Peter looked at Jameson and frowned slightly, "Let him stay please." Peter first looked at Jameson who nodded at the decision and then to Aunt May.
"Aunt May, can I have something to eat please?"
May smiled and nodded, "Of course, dear. I'll be back soon."
"Thank you."
The nurse smiled at Peter and scowled at Jameson while she walked out of the room with May. As soon as the nurse shut the door, Jameson looked at Peter with severity.
"Parker! What in the name of The Rock's bald head are you doing here!? Playing hopscotch?"
Peter rubbed his temples trying to control his temper and looked up with a guise of exhaustion, "Did the nurse tell you?"
Jameson gave him a ruthless look, "Well, Parker, if I did know, I wouldn't be asking you now, would I?" He paced for a few seconds and then glared intensely at Peter, "Did you have any idea how behind we are at the paper because of you? Do you? I had to resort to accepting garage for the front-cover photo for the past two days!"
Peter stiffly and slowly pulled himself up from his bed, reveling his lack of strength, his thinning torso, his cow-licked hair and drossiness.
"I realize that. But I've been working to an exhausted condition. I collapsed sir. I collapsed! What does that mean?" Peter asked as he pulled himself even further up from his relaxed position.
"Are you blaming me Parker? Is that it? Are you punishing me from not giving you more money for your cheesy photos? Huh?" he asked furiously as he paced back and forth.
"No, sir."
Jameson just looked at him and started to head out the door. He stopped and turned around.
"I'll get a sub for you. I'll give you a week to get back up to your feet. Understand?" Peter nodded and managed to smile a faint smile, 'Thank you, sir."
Jameson nodded as he ushered his way out of the room passing the nurse, ignoring her. The nurse frowned at Jameson as he hurriedly moved out of the doorway into the hallway. The nurse smiled at him sweetly and genuinely.
"Hello Mr. Parker! Do you want anything?"
"Uh, yes." Peter said as he noticed his aunt May coming into the room and put some food and apple juice on the table near his bed. "Can I just have some time alone?"
The nurse and May acquiesced and smiled, "Of course. No more visitors today!" Aunt May hugged and smiled at Peter before heading into the hallway, shortly followed by the nurse that eventually closed the door.
Peter, now alone, just sat in his bed and sighed. He lowered himself further in his bed and groaned, waiting for the darkness to overcome him.
***
Walking in the cool damp weather after the rain soaked the streets, Peter Parker was dressed in street clothes with his shoulder bag on his shoulder and a camera hanging off of his neck. While walking in the middle of a vacant street, he felt a surge of fear with the help of his 'Spider- sense' and turned around immediately and saw a cloaked figure walking down the same vacant street toward him as he called out in a enigmatic voice:
"Peter. Come to me."
Peter was saturated with fear as he watched the cloaked figure getting closer to him. He felt paralyzed, unable to move. Suddenly, a figure appeared swinging from the skyscrapers to the ground while Peter and the cloaked figured watched. It was Spider-man.
Peter frowned and quizzically looked at the mask figure, but Spider- man broke Peter's train of thought. "Peter, come with me if you want to live."
Peter grimaced and nodded his head cautiously as he put his bag and camera down on the ground. Both Peter and Spider-man flicked their wrists, using their webs to get them to safety. As they reached the top of a skyscraper, Peter found Mary Jane in her pajamas with her face red and full of tears. She ran up to him.
"Peter! You're okay." she said as she hugged him. "I was so worried."
Peter hugged her, feeling absolute joy and happiness. He gently pulled away from her and smiled, "I'm here, MJ. I won't leave. I won't."
As Peter hugged Mary Jane again, he felt another surge of fear and turned around quickly. He saw Spider-man standing side-by-side with the cloaked figure. Spider-man shook his head.
"I'm so sorry Peter. It wasn't in my power to stop it."
Peter looked at the figure with terror as the cloaked figure pulled out his hands and simulated a 'choking motion' with his hands. At that moment, Peter felt the sensation that someone was choking him. Before collapsing on the ground, he pleated with the cloaked figure to stop.
Mary Jane leaned over at the dying Peter Parker. Tears ran down her cheeks freely as she cried out.
"Peter! No! Peter- you- promised to be always with me! Peter!" she wiped the tears off of her face roughly. "Peter!" she cried out wailing as she saw the lifeless Peter, "You promised Peter! You--"
***
"-promised!" J. Jonah Jameson said as he barged into Peter's hospital room waking Peter from his dream. The nurse stomped into the room with a scorn upon her face.
"No." said the nurse with controlled anger, "There was no promise sir. I would remember." The nurse caught a glance of May Parker with a shocked look upon her face, standing near Peter's bedside.
"No. YOU'RE mistaken!" Jameson said as he scrutinized Peter in his hospital bed. "Gee-oh-whiz, he looks like-"
"You don't want to tell me that I'm wrong!" the nurse said interrupting with a burst of emotion thrusting her pencil in Jameson's direction. "No one says that to Melba Jackson! No one!"
"Why is it so loud in here?" Peter asked as he tried to open his eyes. May started to fluff his hair, speaking affectionately to her nephew to calm and ease him. Peter finally opened his eyes, smiled at his aunt May, looked at the nurse with a quick smile and then rolled his eyes when he saw Jameson.
"Oh, I am so sorry Mr. Parker!" the nurse said with remorse in her voice. "Do you want anything? Do you want this man in here or should I haul his behind out?"
Peter looked at Jameson and frowned slightly, "Let him stay please." Peter first looked at Jameson who nodded at the decision and then to Aunt May.
"Aunt May, can I have something to eat please?"
May smiled and nodded, "Of course, dear. I'll be back soon."
"Thank you."
The nurse smiled at Peter and scowled at Jameson while she walked out of the room with May. As soon as the nurse shut the door, Jameson looked at Peter with severity.
"Parker! What in the name of The Rock's bald head are you doing here!? Playing hopscotch?"
Peter rubbed his temples trying to control his temper and looked up with a guise of exhaustion, "Did the nurse tell you?"
Jameson gave him a ruthless look, "Well, Parker, if I did know, I wouldn't be asking you now, would I?" He paced for a few seconds and then glared intensely at Peter, "Did you have any idea how behind we are at the paper because of you? Do you? I had to resort to accepting garage for the front-cover photo for the past two days!"
Peter stiffly and slowly pulled himself up from his bed, reveling his lack of strength, his thinning torso, his cow-licked hair and drossiness.
"I realize that. But I've been working to an exhausted condition. I collapsed sir. I collapsed! What does that mean?" Peter asked as he pulled himself even further up from his relaxed position.
"Are you blaming me Parker? Is that it? Are you punishing me from not giving you more money for your cheesy photos? Huh?" he asked furiously as he paced back and forth.
"No, sir."
Jameson just looked at him and started to head out the door. He stopped and turned around.
"I'll get a sub for you. I'll give you a week to get back up to your feet. Understand?" Peter nodded and managed to smile a faint smile, 'Thank you, sir."
Jameson nodded as he ushered his way out of the room passing the nurse, ignoring her. The nurse frowned at Jameson as he hurriedly moved out of the doorway into the hallway. The nurse smiled at him sweetly and genuinely.
"Hello Mr. Parker! Do you want anything?"
"Uh, yes." Peter said as he noticed his aunt May coming into the room and put some food and apple juice on the table near his bed. "Can I just have some time alone?"
The nurse and May acquiesced and smiled, "Of course. No more visitors today!" Aunt May hugged and smiled at Peter before heading into the hallway, shortly followed by the nurse that eventually closed the door.
Peter, now alone, just sat in his bed and sighed. He lowered himself further in his bed and groaned, waiting for the darkness to overcome him.