Chapter 17
Peter and Aunt May were on her front porch on the swinging bench. Night had fallen, and Peters bruises were almost unnoticeable. He had to explain to Aunt May that he found himself in a scuffle while working for the Bugle in getting photographs. That relieve her enough to drop the subject. Earlier in the day, they left the city and came back to Aunt May's house. It was a new house from where Peter had grown up. The very house that Peter grew up in was destroyed by the Green Goblin.
"You want some lemonade, Peter?" Aunt May asked, already in process of standing to her feet.
"Sounds great," Peter replied with a smile.
She stood up and slowly entered the house, leaving Peter alone on the swinging bench. He wasn't alone for long when Mary Jane came walking down the sidewalk waving towards Peter. Peter shot up to his feet and stood there until Mary Jane stepped up onto the pourch. "Hey, Tiger."
Aunt May had two glasses of Lemonade in her hands and was ready to walk back out to the front porch, but then she saw Mary Jane walking up to the front porch from the window. She smiled and turned around back towards the kitchen, so that the two of them could have time alone.
Mary Jane and Peter sat on the swinging bench together, staring out at the full moon that was shining down their way. It was a beautiful sight. "It's such a beautiful night tonight," Mary Jane commented staring out into the stars.
"Yea," Peter agreed. He looked down to see Eddie Brock walking down the sidewalk. "Unfortunatly, it just got ruined. Stay here, MJ." Peter stood up and walked out to meet Brock before he got any closer to the house. "How did you find me? What is it you want?"
Eddie Brock grinned. "Do I always have to repeat my intentions? I'm here to speak with your little Aunt May."
"You stay away from her! You stay away from this house or I'll…"
"What? Hit me?" Eddie grinned. "Remember, lay a finger on me, and I will slap you with a lawsuit. Even your Aunt will be evicted by such a lawsuit."
"Just leave. I will not let you speak to her or my girlfriend!" Peter growled.
"Oh, I will talk to your aunt. I will not leave here until I do, and the only way you are going to stop me is to hit me with your best shot!" Eddie Brock brushed him aside to clear a path towards the front door.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Before Peter knew it, he grabbed Brock by the arm, pulled him back in front of him and delivered a powerful punch across the face. Eddie went flying back a few feet and landed on his rear. The sunglasses he was wearing were broken and when he took them off and found that to be so, he threw it to the side as he stood up. "I have to admit, I have underestimated your strength. Someone as scrawny as you should not have so much strength. That only proves that you have something to hide, and I'm going to find out what." Eddie brushed himself off and turned around and walked off. He turned around once to grin towards Peter. "Oh, by the way, you can expect to hear from my lawyer in about two or three weeks. I would take this time to start helping your little aunt pack her bags, seeing that she will lose her house as well."
Eddie Brock walked off leaving Peter standing there in his fury. As soon as he was out of sight, Peter spun around to find Mary Jane standing on the porch in alarm. Peter slowly walked back to the porch slowly, thinking about what had just happened, what he should do, and what he should tell Mary Jane. When he stepped up onto the porch, Mary Jane put a hand on his shoulder. "I have never seen you loose your temper like that. I think we need to have that talk right now."
Peter nodded as he walked past Mary Jane and sat on the swinging bench. Mary Jane sat down next to him and crossed her legs, getting comfortable for the talk. Peter took a deep breath as he began to catch her up on what has been happening. "Mary Jane, I have to apologize to you for the way I just acted and for keeping what I'm about to tell you away from you. My life is in ruins, Mary Jane. I am failing every single class in college. I am almost ready to be kicked out of the college."
"I had a feeling that your classes were suffering, but I had no idea it was this bad," Mary Jane replied with a deep concern evident in her face and voice. "There has to be more than just that on your mind."
"I'm afraid that is the very least of what's been going on. I lost my job a few days ago."
"What? Why? What did you do?"
Peter sighed. "Well at first, it was my lack of performance. I have been so bogged down that I couldn't handle it all, but the decision game when that man who you just saw, Eddie Brock, framed me of wrong doing."
"Why would he do such a thing? What could you have possibly done to him to get him so mad at you?"
"Mr. Jameson gave me his full time job a few years ago. For some reason, He has become so obsessed with me, he has strived to ruin my life, and he has done it. My life is over. As we speak, he's about to hire a lawyer to sue me for punching him right now. He has been taunting me for quite a while, slowly trying to make me loose everything I hold dear, and he has won. That lawsuit will cause me to loose not only my apartment, but it will take selling this house to pay the lawsuit and court costs, forcing Aunt May and myself to live out onto the streets."
"Oh Peter!" She held him tightly in his arms for a minute before Peter sat back up straight, tears in both of their eyes. "What are you going to do now?"
Peter was afraid she was going to ask that question, and he has been franticly trying to think of something that could be done in his mind while explaining this to Mary Jane. "There is only one thing I can think of doing. I am going to leave New York forever, and leave Peter Parker behind."
"What are you talking about?" This hit Mary Jane like a ton of bricks. "You're just going to run away without a fight?"
"Brock is too intelligent. If I stay here as Peter Parker, things are going to get worse. I'm afraid that this mess will kill Aunt May and put you in danger of a similar fate than ours. I can't live with that. The only way I can think of saving Aunt May is leaving New York, change my name, and work twice has hard to anonymously send Aunt May Money to find a new home to live in. Besides, I'm sure another city is in great need of Spider-man's assistance."
"What about me, Peter!" Mary Jane's eyes swelled up as tears formed in her eyes.
Peter's heart was broken as he looked up at her tear drenched face. "For your sake, it is better that we end this now and go our separate ways. Maybe, Brock won't hound you."
Mary Jane looked down weeping. Before Peter could say anymore, his spider-senses went wild. His eyes widen in horror, knowing full well what was about to happen. "JUMP!" Peter screamed as he grabbed Mary Jane by the shoulder and leaped off the porch, pulling her off the bench as well. They had just made the leap as the Lizard came crashing into the swinging bench, causing it to collapse. The lizard's tale crashed through the front window shattering it.
Aunt May approached the front window hearing a commotion going on outside. Just as she reached the window, the glass shattered. She screamed as she looked away and stumbled backwards. Luckily, she had looked away from the window just in time to avoid sustaining injury from the glass.
Peter looked up at the Lizard in horror. It was clear, the mindless predator had control of the body at this time. "It recognizes my scent. It knows I'm Spider-man!" Peter thought to himself.
Mary Jane fell in front of the bushes while Peter fell on the other side of the walkway leading to the stairs up to the porch. Mary Jane shook her head, coming to her senses. She looked up at the porch and saw the Lizard standing there hunching towards Peter with drooling fangs. She let out a scream of terror, something that almost did not seem natural to her.
Her screaming caught the Lizard's attention. It hunched towards her with all his fangs revealed. It started it's way towards Mary Jane, causing her to crawl backwards screaming.
Peter jumped to his feet and fired a web line from his right wrist. The web line attached itself to the side of the Lizard's head and Peter tugged on the web line, causing the Lizard to look towards him. "Hey, it's me you want! Remember?"
The lizard growled as he changed his course back towards Peter. Peter walked backwards as the Lizard matched each step he made backs with a step closer. Soon, it was off the porch completely. "MJ, get inside and protect Aunt May!"
"Right!" Mary Jane nodded. She cautiously stood up and slowly back away several steps, not taking her eyes off the creature. When she felt comfortable enough, she turned and ran for the back door.
Letting out a giant growl, the Lizard leaped for Peter. Peter rolled onto his back, and used his feet to catapult the Lizard into the tree, back first
upside down.
Mary Jane ran into the living room to find Aunt May standing in the middle of the room. She turned to see Mary Jane come in. "What's going on out there?"
"Stay away from the windows, Aunt May. That lizard creature is out there!"
"Where's Peter?" Aunt May asked franticly.
"That creature attacked us while we were talking. He's still out there, but Spider-man has come to the rescue. He's fighting to save Peter right now."
"Spider-man?" Aunt May said in disbelief.
The lizard swung his tail, slapping Peter across the chest, sending him flying into the tree that he had sent the Lizard into just moments ago. In a matter of moments, the Lizard had gain the upper hand over Peter and was quickly building up momentum. Peter stunned by that attack shook his head. Before he could react, the Lizard swiped his long claws across Peter's chess. Peter screamed in agony, as his chest was instantly covered by his own blood. Peter collapsed to his knees, fighting to stay conscious.
The Lizard leaned over Peter and opened it's mouth as it's jaws expanded like a snake as it's mouth approached Peter's skull, ready to engulf his entire head. Suddenly it's eyes began to roll for a few seconds before returning back to normal. The Lizard backed away and looked down at Peter confusingly. "My sssssences hasssss failed me for sssssssome reassssson. Thissssss isssss not Ssssspider-man! I musssssst find Sssssspider-man! Thissss abomination isssss asssss good asssss dead." The Lizard leaped off and disappeared from sight.
The front door to Aunt May's house cracked open and peeking out of the crack was Mary Jane. She looked around to see if the Lizard was still in sight. Once she was convinced it was gone, she threw the door open and ran to Peter. "Oh my god, Peter!" She knelt down besides him and saw his bloody chest. "Can you walk?"
Peter didn't reply, he was barely coherent. Mary Jane helped him up and helped him back inside the house. "Peter!" Aunt May screamed in horror. Peter, loosing his strength, collapsed onto the floor and involuntarily rolled onto his back.
"I'll call 911!" Aunt May cried.
"Wait!" Mary Jane looked up to her. She jumped to her purse on the couch and pulled out a business card. "After you call 911, call this doctor at CMU Hospital. He needs to be the one to treat Peter. He's the only one who can."
"I don't understand why, but okay!" Aunt May replied as she rushed off to the kitchen.
On the floor, Peter eyes began to flutter while Mary Jane grabbed her sweater. "Peter? Hold on Peter! PETER!" She screamed. She used her sweater to soak up the blood and apply pressure to his chest. The fluttering ceased as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Peter and Aunt May were on her front porch on the swinging bench. Night had fallen, and Peters bruises were almost unnoticeable. He had to explain to Aunt May that he found himself in a scuffle while working for the Bugle in getting photographs. That relieve her enough to drop the subject. Earlier in the day, they left the city and came back to Aunt May's house. It was a new house from where Peter had grown up. The very house that Peter grew up in was destroyed by the Green Goblin.
"You want some lemonade, Peter?" Aunt May asked, already in process of standing to her feet.
"Sounds great," Peter replied with a smile.
She stood up and slowly entered the house, leaving Peter alone on the swinging bench. He wasn't alone for long when Mary Jane came walking down the sidewalk waving towards Peter. Peter shot up to his feet and stood there until Mary Jane stepped up onto the pourch. "Hey, Tiger."
Aunt May had two glasses of Lemonade in her hands and was ready to walk back out to the front porch, but then she saw Mary Jane walking up to the front porch from the window. She smiled and turned around back towards the kitchen, so that the two of them could have time alone.
Mary Jane and Peter sat on the swinging bench together, staring out at the full moon that was shining down their way. It was a beautiful sight. "It's such a beautiful night tonight," Mary Jane commented staring out into the stars.
"Yea," Peter agreed. He looked down to see Eddie Brock walking down the sidewalk. "Unfortunatly, it just got ruined. Stay here, MJ." Peter stood up and walked out to meet Brock before he got any closer to the house. "How did you find me? What is it you want?"
Eddie Brock grinned. "Do I always have to repeat my intentions? I'm here to speak with your little Aunt May."
"You stay away from her! You stay away from this house or I'll…"
"What? Hit me?" Eddie grinned. "Remember, lay a finger on me, and I will slap you with a lawsuit. Even your Aunt will be evicted by such a lawsuit."
"Just leave. I will not let you speak to her or my girlfriend!" Peter growled.
"Oh, I will talk to your aunt. I will not leave here until I do, and the only way you are going to stop me is to hit me with your best shot!" Eddie Brock brushed him aside to clear a path towards the front door.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Before Peter knew it, he grabbed Brock by the arm, pulled him back in front of him and delivered a powerful punch across the face. Eddie went flying back a few feet and landed on his rear. The sunglasses he was wearing were broken and when he took them off and found that to be so, he threw it to the side as he stood up. "I have to admit, I have underestimated your strength. Someone as scrawny as you should not have so much strength. That only proves that you have something to hide, and I'm going to find out what." Eddie brushed himself off and turned around and walked off. He turned around once to grin towards Peter. "Oh, by the way, you can expect to hear from my lawyer in about two or three weeks. I would take this time to start helping your little aunt pack her bags, seeing that she will lose her house as well."
Eddie Brock walked off leaving Peter standing there in his fury. As soon as he was out of sight, Peter spun around to find Mary Jane standing on the porch in alarm. Peter slowly walked back to the porch slowly, thinking about what had just happened, what he should do, and what he should tell Mary Jane. When he stepped up onto the porch, Mary Jane put a hand on his shoulder. "I have never seen you loose your temper like that. I think we need to have that talk right now."
Peter nodded as he walked past Mary Jane and sat on the swinging bench. Mary Jane sat down next to him and crossed her legs, getting comfortable for the talk. Peter took a deep breath as he began to catch her up on what has been happening. "Mary Jane, I have to apologize to you for the way I just acted and for keeping what I'm about to tell you away from you. My life is in ruins, Mary Jane. I am failing every single class in college. I am almost ready to be kicked out of the college."
"I had a feeling that your classes were suffering, but I had no idea it was this bad," Mary Jane replied with a deep concern evident in her face and voice. "There has to be more than just that on your mind."
"I'm afraid that is the very least of what's been going on. I lost my job a few days ago."
"What? Why? What did you do?"
Peter sighed. "Well at first, it was my lack of performance. I have been so bogged down that I couldn't handle it all, but the decision game when that man who you just saw, Eddie Brock, framed me of wrong doing."
"Why would he do such a thing? What could you have possibly done to him to get him so mad at you?"
"Mr. Jameson gave me his full time job a few years ago. For some reason, He has become so obsessed with me, he has strived to ruin my life, and he has done it. My life is over. As we speak, he's about to hire a lawyer to sue me for punching him right now. He has been taunting me for quite a while, slowly trying to make me loose everything I hold dear, and he has won. That lawsuit will cause me to loose not only my apartment, but it will take selling this house to pay the lawsuit and court costs, forcing Aunt May and myself to live out onto the streets."
"Oh Peter!" She held him tightly in his arms for a minute before Peter sat back up straight, tears in both of their eyes. "What are you going to do now?"
Peter was afraid she was going to ask that question, and he has been franticly trying to think of something that could be done in his mind while explaining this to Mary Jane. "There is only one thing I can think of doing. I am going to leave New York forever, and leave Peter Parker behind."
"What are you talking about?" This hit Mary Jane like a ton of bricks. "You're just going to run away without a fight?"
"Brock is too intelligent. If I stay here as Peter Parker, things are going to get worse. I'm afraid that this mess will kill Aunt May and put you in danger of a similar fate than ours. I can't live with that. The only way I can think of saving Aunt May is leaving New York, change my name, and work twice has hard to anonymously send Aunt May Money to find a new home to live in. Besides, I'm sure another city is in great need of Spider-man's assistance."
"What about me, Peter!" Mary Jane's eyes swelled up as tears formed in her eyes.
Peter's heart was broken as he looked up at her tear drenched face. "For your sake, it is better that we end this now and go our separate ways. Maybe, Brock won't hound you."
Mary Jane looked down weeping. Before Peter could say anymore, his spider-senses went wild. His eyes widen in horror, knowing full well what was about to happen. "JUMP!" Peter screamed as he grabbed Mary Jane by the shoulder and leaped off the porch, pulling her off the bench as well. They had just made the leap as the Lizard came crashing into the swinging bench, causing it to collapse. The lizard's tale crashed through the front window shattering it.
Aunt May approached the front window hearing a commotion going on outside. Just as she reached the window, the glass shattered. She screamed as she looked away and stumbled backwards. Luckily, she had looked away from the window just in time to avoid sustaining injury from the glass.
Peter looked up at the Lizard in horror. It was clear, the mindless predator had control of the body at this time. "It recognizes my scent. It knows I'm Spider-man!" Peter thought to himself.
Mary Jane fell in front of the bushes while Peter fell on the other side of the walkway leading to the stairs up to the porch. Mary Jane shook her head, coming to her senses. She looked up at the porch and saw the Lizard standing there hunching towards Peter with drooling fangs. She let out a scream of terror, something that almost did not seem natural to her.
Her screaming caught the Lizard's attention. It hunched towards her with all his fangs revealed. It started it's way towards Mary Jane, causing her to crawl backwards screaming.
Peter jumped to his feet and fired a web line from his right wrist. The web line attached itself to the side of the Lizard's head and Peter tugged on the web line, causing the Lizard to look towards him. "Hey, it's me you want! Remember?"
The lizard growled as he changed his course back towards Peter. Peter walked backwards as the Lizard matched each step he made backs with a step closer. Soon, it was off the porch completely. "MJ, get inside and protect Aunt May!"
"Right!" Mary Jane nodded. She cautiously stood up and slowly back away several steps, not taking her eyes off the creature. When she felt comfortable enough, she turned and ran for the back door.
Letting out a giant growl, the Lizard leaped for Peter. Peter rolled onto his back, and used his feet to catapult the Lizard into the tree, back first
upside down.
Mary Jane ran into the living room to find Aunt May standing in the middle of the room. She turned to see Mary Jane come in. "What's going on out there?"
"Stay away from the windows, Aunt May. That lizard creature is out there!"
"Where's Peter?" Aunt May asked franticly.
"That creature attacked us while we were talking. He's still out there, but Spider-man has come to the rescue. He's fighting to save Peter right now."
"Spider-man?" Aunt May said in disbelief.
The lizard swung his tail, slapping Peter across the chest, sending him flying into the tree that he had sent the Lizard into just moments ago. In a matter of moments, the Lizard had gain the upper hand over Peter and was quickly building up momentum. Peter stunned by that attack shook his head. Before he could react, the Lizard swiped his long claws across Peter's chess. Peter screamed in agony, as his chest was instantly covered by his own blood. Peter collapsed to his knees, fighting to stay conscious.
The Lizard leaned over Peter and opened it's mouth as it's jaws expanded like a snake as it's mouth approached Peter's skull, ready to engulf his entire head. Suddenly it's eyes began to roll for a few seconds before returning back to normal. The Lizard backed away and looked down at Peter confusingly. "My sssssences hasssss failed me for sssssssome reassssson. Thissssss isssss not Ssssspider-man! I musssssst find Sssssspider-man! Thissss abomination isssss asssss good asssss dead." The Lizard leaped off and disappeared from sight.
The front door to Aunt May's house cracked open and peeking out of the crack was Mary Jane. She looked around to see if the Lizard was still in sight. Once she was convinced it was gone, she threw the door open and ran to Peter. "Oh my god, Peter!" She knelt down besides him and saw his bloody chest. "Can you walk?"
Peter didn't reply, he was barely coherent. Mary Jane helped him up and helped him back inside the house. "Peter!" Aunt May screamed in horror. Peter, loosing his strength, collapsed onto the floor and involuntarily rolled onto his back.
"I'll call 911!" Aunt May cried.
"Wait!" Mary Jane looked up to her. She jumped to her purse on the couch and pulled out a business card. "After you call 911, call this doctor at CMU Hospital. He needs to be the one to treat Peter. He's the only one who can."
"I don't understand why, but okay!" Aunt May replied as she rushed off to the kitchen.
On the floor, Peter eyes began to flutter while Mary Jane grabbed her sweater. "Peter? Hold on Peter! PETER!" She screamed. She used her sweater to soak up the blood and apply pressure to his chest. The fluttering ceased as he slipped into unconsciousness.