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Maximum Vengeance - Chapter 2
It was after seven. Before Peter Parker, the Excelsior Hotel reared up into the Chicago Sky, one of the most posh places he'd ever seen. He entered the lobby and then the gold elevator. The platform rose. A ding later, he was walking through a hallway, looking for the right room number. Finally, he found it, and knocked.
The door immediately opened to reveal a dressed, ready-to-go, and very serious Ben Reilly.
"Come on, Peter," he said. "Let's go. I'll walk you back to your hotel."
Later, the two were on the sidewalks, moving among the people. So far, both had been silent.
"So, how did your case go?" Ben asked.
"It's over on my end," Peter said. "Now it's up to Matt to tie up the loose ends in New York."
More silence. They jogged across a street crossing together and reached the other side. Ahead, Peter Parker's own, far more drab hotel sat, an ugly sight. It wasn't until they entered the elevator that Peter talked again. This time, he was to the point.
"So, what happened?" Peter asked. "You leave, I find you in Chicago. You're dressing in Armani suits now with silk ties. What gives?"
Ben sighed. "Listen, Pete- Well, I guess I'll start where I should. I'm sorry I ran out on you in New York. I'm sorry I ran out on everyone. You, Desiree- Everyone at the Daily Grind. Everyone. But I had to do it. I realized Peter, for the final time, something obvious: We can't coexist in the same city."
"That's not true, Ben. We've been over that and-"
"I keep hurting you, Peter."
"We haven't had a problem since-!"
"Not that you've known about," Ben said slowly.
"What?" Ding. The elevator stopped. Peter stepped out, but Ben remained inside.
Ben took a deep breath. "Peter, it's- about Mary Jane."
"Mary Jane? What about Mary Jane?"
"Remember that night you were in the sewer?" Ben asked.
Peter gave a grin. "Which night of my life are we referring to?"
"Peter! Please! No jokes. Not right now. I'm talking about your being in the sewers literally. When that new super-maniac, 'Legerdemain', broke out into Central Park with some big robot. Remember, Peter?" Ben asked.
He continued: "Well, you were gone all night, and- Mary Jane was worrying about you again, big time. So was I. From what the news cameras showed, it looked like you'd just been totally pulped. I was even thinking it might've been the end. But MJ- I don't like to see MJ worry, Peter. I know how much she means to you. Heck- She means a lot to me. So I tried to stop it."
"Huh?"
"I washed the dye out of my hair and went over pretending to be you."
Peter's eyes widened. "You did what?"
Ben's eyes hardened. "I just meant to be there for an hour or so. But something happened. Peter- She was so glad to see you. She- I don't even clearly remember. Most of the night- it's a blur. But the next morning-" He closed his eyes. "I woke up in your bed. With her beside me."
"W-What?" Peter said. "Are you- Ben, are you telling me you slept with- my wife?"
Ben hung his head. "I'm sorry, Peter-"
"Sorry?! Sorry?! You're-! That's the best you can do?" Peter shouted. His fists clenched. In a blur, Peter was on him-! "You sleep with my wife and then run away-!"
"Peter- Ngh!" The blow knocked Ben Reilly fully back into the elevator. Peter might have continued after that. But then, just when it seemed there might truly be a beating, a loud click was heard. Peter turned to see the large form of Jimmy, Ben Reilly's new partner, holding a shotgun.
"Don't try," the big man said. "I'm good."
"Ben!" Peter growled, but Ben Reilly was standing again, even as Jimmy joined him inside the elevator. The two men stood together, as Ben reached out to hit the button for the lobby.
"Now you understand, Peter," Ben said, rubbing his jaw. "I just thought- that it would be best for all of us. I didn't want to cause any more harm. I was hoping you wouldn't find me so that I wouldn't have to tell, but when I saw you this afternoon, that overwhelming sense of responsibility hit me over the head. You know the one. I'm sorry, Peter."
The elevator doors began to close. Ben straightened his new, silk tie. "I truly am sorry. I won't be bothering you anymore. I have a new life now, here in Chicago, with Jimmy. I'm an Enforcer. And I'm no longer your worry. But I do hope- Someday, you might forgive me. Goodbye, Pete. Thanks for the memories. Literally."
Ding. The elevator closed and descended. Peter stood alone. Tomorrow morning, he would be leaving for New York City, with a whole new load on his mind.
New York City, the next morning.
At the courthouse, a hearing was coming to a close. The court stood as the Judge read a sentencing in the case of Liz Osborn.
"After hearing all of the testimony," the judge said, "I have decided that Miss Osborn no longer presents a threat to Society. The actions she undertook, it is this court's opinion, were not taken in a rational state of mind. Liz Osborn's child was in danger. Now that her son is returned to her, I trust that Liz Osborn will continue her exemplary record as an upstanding citizen. I am commuting her sentence to time served. Miss Osborn- you are free to go."
A bang of the gavel meant Freedom. A teary-eyed Liz Osborn jumped for joy. She hugged Franklin Nelson, her boyfriend and lawyer, then her cousin. Last but certainly not least, she turned to the miniature version of her deceased husband running down the aisle.
"Mommy!" her son Normie said. Liz scooped him up. Her words to him were as comforting to her as they could ever be to her son.
"Everything's good now, Pum'kin," she said. "Everything's fine. We can go home."
Maximum Vengeance - Chapter 2
It was after seven. Before Peter Parker, the Excelsior Hotel reared up into the Chicago Sky, one of the most posh places he'd ever seen. He entered the lobby and then the gold elevator. The platform rose. A ding later, he was walking through a hallway, looking for the right room number. Finally, he found it, and knocked.
The door immediately opened to reveal a dressed, ready-to-go, and very serious Ben Reilly.
"Come on, Peter," he said. "Let's go. I'll walk you back to your hotel."
Later, the two were on the sidewalks, moving among the people. So far, both had been silent.
"So, how did your case go?" Ben asked.
"It's over on my end," Peter said. "Now it's up to Matt to tie up the loose ends in New York."
More silence. They jogged across a street crossing together and reached the other side. Ahead, Peter Parker's own, far more drab hotel sat, an ugly sight. It wasn't until they entered the elevator that Peter talked again. This time, he was to the point.
"So, what happened?" Peter asked. "You leave, I find you in Chicago. You're dressing in Armani suits now with silk ties. What gives?"
Ben sighed. "Listen, Pete- Well, I guess I'll start where I should. I'm sorry I ran out on you in New York. I'm sorry I ran out on everyone. You, Desiree- Everyone at the Daily Grind. Everyone. But I had to do it. I realized Peter, for the final time, something obvious: We can't coexist in the same city."
"That's not true, Ben. We've been over that and-"
"I keep hurting you, Peter."
"We haven't had a problem since-!"
"Not that you've known about," Ben said slowly.
"What?" Ding. The elevator stopped. Peter stepped out, but Ben remained inside.
Ben took a deep breath. "Peter, it's- about Mary Jane."
"Mary Jane? What about Mary Jane?"
"Remember that night you were in the sewer?" Ben asked.
Peter gave a grin. "Which night of my life are we referring to?"
"Peter! Please! No jokes. Not right now. I'm talking about your being in the sewers literally. When that new super-maniac, 'Legerdemain', broke out into Central Park with some big robot. Remember, Peter?" Ben asked.
He continued: "Well, you were gone all night, and- Mary Jane was worrying about you again, big time. So was I. From what the news cameras showed, it looked like you'd just been totally pulped. I was even thinking it might've been the end. But MJ- I don't like to see MJ worry, Peter. I know how much she means to you. Heck- She means a lot to me. So I tried to stop it."
"Huh?"
"I washed the dye out of my hair and went over pretending to be you."
Peter's eyes widened. "You did what?"
Ben's eyes hardened. "I just meant to be there for an hour or so. But something happened. Peter- She was so glad to see you. She- I don't even clearly remember. Most of the night- it's a blur. But the next morning-" He closed his eyes. "I woke up in your bed. With her beside me."
"W-What?" Peter said. "Are you- Ben, are you telling me you slept with- my wife?"
Ben hung his head. "I'm sorry, Peter-"
"Sorry?! Sorry?! You're-! That's the best you can do?" Peter shouted. His fists clenched. In a blur, Peter was on him-! "You sleep with my wife and then run away-!"
"Peter- Ngh!" The blow knocked Ben Reilly fully back into the elevator. Peter might have continued after that. But then, just when it seemed there might truly be a beating, a loud click was heard. Peter turned to see the large form of Jimmy, Ben Reilly's new partner, holding a shotgun.
"Don't try," the big man said. "I'm good."
"Ben!" Peter growled, but Ben Reilly was standing again, even as Jimmy joined him inside the elevator. The two men stood together, as Ben reached out to hit the button for the lobby.
"Now you understand, Peter," Ben said, rubbing his jaw. "I just thought- that it would be best for all of us. I didn't want to cause any more harm. I was hoping you wouldn't find me so that I wouldn't have to tell, but when I saw you this afternoon, that overwhelming sense of responsibility hit me over the head. You know the one. I'm sorry, Peter."
The elevator doors began to close. Ben straightened his new, silk tie. "I truly am sorry. I won't be bothering you anymore. I have a new life now, here in Chicago, with Jimmy. I'm an Enforcer. And I'm no longer your worry. But I do hope- Someday, you might forgive me. Goodbye, Pete. Thanks for the memories. Literally."
Ding. The elevator closed and descended. Peter stood alone. Tomorrow morning, he would be leaving for New York City, with a whole new load on his mind.
New York City, the next morning.
At the courthouse, a hearing was coming to a close. The court stood as the Judge read a sentencing in the case of Liz Osborn.
"After hearing all of the testimony," the judge said, "I have decided that Miss Osborn no longer presents a threat to Society. The actions she undertook, it is this court's opinion, were not taken in a rational state of mind. Liz Osborn's child was in danger. Now that her son is returned to her, I trust that Liz Osborn will continue her exemplary record as an upstanding citizen. I am commuting her sentence to time served. Miss Osborn- you are free to go."
A bang of the gavel meant Freedom. A teary-eyed Liz Osborn jumped for joy. She hugged Franklin Nelson, her boyfriend and lawyer, then her cousin. Last but certainly not least, she turned to the miniature version of her deceased husband running down the aisle.
"Mommy!" her son Normie said. Liz scooped him up. Her words to him were as comforting to her as they could ever be to her son.
"Everything's good now, Pum'kin," she said. "Everything's fine. We can go home."