The Rise and fall of Gods

Part One

"Come on Ben, we're going to be late if we don't leave now." The elderly Aunt May warned. She stood near the doorway leading out in her best dress. "Hurry up." She urged gently.

Ben Parker walked down the stairwell fixing his belt and with a panicked look in his eye, "I'm coming." He said with a smile across his face, "Don't worry we won't miss the Mass."

May nodded, "I hope not." She gazed up the stairwell and frowned, "You're not coming, Peter?"

"Not today." He responded from within the seclusion of his bedroom, "I'm not feeling too good."

Ben shrugged and walked out the door towards his car parked across the street.

May nodded, "I'll pray for you to get better."

"Thanks." Peter responded simply.

The old woman walked out of the door and locked the door with her keys as she always did. May began to walk across the street towards Ben and the car when she noticed a large man standing along the street staring at her home.

She frowned suddenly, "Can I help you?"

The man was a big imposing figure. He raised an eye suddenly, "No, I'm just looking around."

"Looking for what?" May suspiciously asked, "If I may ask."

The man turned an angry eye towards her and smirked, "Nothing much. I found it anyway. See you around." He turned around and walked away from May and her home.

"Come on." An oblivious Ben called as he started the engine up.

"Amazing." Peter commented as he gazed at a sample of his blood through the microscope uncle Ben had brought him for last Christmas. "My cells have been…redesigned." He shook his head in surprise and continued his analysis with great interest.

Ever since the incident with Flash he had been eager for some good time alone to see what had happened to him.

"The cell wall's become sturdier and at the same time more elastic." He commented eagerly. Peter scratched his wounded hand and took a moment to gaze at it.

Already a scab was forming and the pain fading over a wound that would have taken a month to completely go away. Uncle Ben and Aunt May hadn't noticed it due to the rate at which it was healing. Peter was quite surprised at this new development.

He decided it was time now that he was alone. Peter opened the door to his room and ran down the stair well into the basement. Down there, Ben kept some weightlifting equipment for exercise. Peter had never used it before at least seriously for he had been too weak.

Upon entering the basement Peter turned the light on and gazed at the heavy weights with a cautious eye. "Let's see what happens."

Peter reached for one of the mid-range weights and grabbed it nervously. He was surprised to find that he picked it up with ease. "Whoa." He turned his heard towards another weight, even heavier and picked it up with the same simplicity that he had the last one.

"To think they used to call me puny Parker in the eighth grade." Peter remarked in delight at his accomplishment. He gazed at each of his arms and found that their muscles were relaxed. "I'm not even breaking a sweat."

He bent down and picked up another weight more confident than before. "This is too much." He did the same with another and another until he ran out of arm. "I wonder if the football team could use another hand." Peter remarked with devilish glee.

"This might be a little dangerous." Peter noted as he gazed at the tree that stood proudly in their tiny and cramp backyard. Feeling quite impulsive he shrugged off his fears, "No guts no glory, right?"

Peter began a sprint towards the tree and once he felt he was in sufficient proximity leaped into the air. He grabbed on one of the tree's thicker branches and used his momentum to flip around the branch and land back on his feet.

A great grin spread across Peter's face and he could hold in the excitement he was feeling at these superhuman feats, "Yahoo!" He performed a sort of dance across the lawn cheering every step of the way.

Suddenly, he turned a sly eye towards the tree, "I wonder." He stepped to the side of the tree and wrapped his arms around the thick base. Peter began to lift and immediately the tree's roots were pulled out.

"Oh man." He commented in amazement before gently placing the tree back in its place, "This can't be happening."

Harry dialed the phone number again and was met with the same failure, "Come on, man." He sighed and put the phone back on the wall with a feeling of defeat running through him.

"What are you doing?" Norman asked suddenly appearing in the doorway that led to Harry's dull and lifeless room.

"Oh, I was trying to call Peter." Harry responded nervously finding himself startled by his father's appearance.

Norman frowned, "Who?"

"A friend at school." Harry answered.

"Oh." Norman was about to turn around but stopped suddenly, "Harry, I know you don't think I'm ever here for you."

"That's not true." His son responded.

Norman Osborn turned around and looked Harry in the eye, "I just wanted you to know…that I…"

"What dad?" Harry asked.

"Never mind." Norman tapped the side of the wall longingly, "Its not important." His tone suddenly became cold again. "I'll be at the office all day, if you need me."

Harry nodded, "Doing what?"

The tips of Norman's lips twisted into a smirk, "Working."

Ben and May Parker returned to their home shortly after the mass concluded. Once they opened the door, May called out for her nephew. "Peter, are you feeling any better?"

"I guess he was." Commented Ben as he noticed a slip of paper on the desk near the entrance, "He left a message saying he was heading to Mary Jane Watson's home."

"Damn it, Ben. I want him to at least ask us before going to the girl's house, and when am I going to meet her?" She commented putting her purse on a counter in the kitchen.

Ben shrugged and walked out into the backyard to take in some of the sun and fresh air. He gazed at the tree and scratched his chin. "Hey, May."
"Yes, Ben?" She asked from inside the house.

"Has this tree always been slanted?"

Peter Parker walked up the familiar block that led to Mary Jane's house. He could see some of the debris still scattered across the street from Flash's demolished car. Seeing the pieces lying on the ground brought Peter some satisfaction.

He had decided to show Mary Jane everything. He couldn't wait to see her stunned by his brute strength and agility. Hell, Peter was stunned at it.

Peter was still trying to figure it all out but for some reason that didn't seem all that important to him anymore. He was already thinking to the future, there were a number of ways he could use his powers. Peter had already considered show business, but decided against it because he never handled crowds well.

Just as he was about a dozen feet from MJ's house he could hear screaming and arguing. The door suddenly opened and Mary Jane came barging out. Peter frowned suddenly, "What's going on?"

MJ tried to cover her face as she left the screams and yells that were typical of her family. She suddenly saw Peter standing a few feet away and sighed, "Go away." She begged.

"MJ, what's wrong?" Peter asked as he approached her giving a nervous glance to her home that had now taken on an imposing feel. "Are you alright?"

"Go away, Peter." She said again with a firmer tone. MJ closed her eyes and waved an angry hand at him, "You wouldn't understand. I just need some space."

Peter lowered his eyes for a moment, "Do you need to talk about it?"

"Talk?" MJ asked angrily and obviously flustered, "What would you know about it! You've never had to live with people like that! You wouldn't know the first thing to say to me!" Her voice began to crack slightly under the pressure, "Leave me alone!" MJ began a desperate and aimless run down the street away from the young student.

A startled Peter frowned and then gazed towards the dreary house with very little to say. He wanted to run after her and try and talk some sense into her but realized she was right. He had no idea of what to say to comfort her, he could only tell her that things would be fine from now on and he was doubtful of even that.

"How can you help somebody when you haven't the first clue what its like?" Peter asked himself grimly. He shook his and shrugged his shoulders admitting defeat and began a long and arduous trek back home.

Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson had figured she finally had enough distance between her and that hellish den called a home. She finally came to a stop and leaned against a tree.

Her father's accusations, the claims and insults were all too much for her to handle. She didn't think she could take another moment of it. And that's when she realized what she'd done to Peter. "Oh no." She said with a mournful tone and tears streaming down her face.