What Tangled Webs We Weave

Part One

"It was just amazing." Gwen Stacy said to Harry Osborn as they stood outside the devastated school. Only an hour had passed since the battle between Sandman and Spider-Man ravaged the grounds but already an armada of reporters and policemen had descended on the building. "He almost died!" She exclaimed. The flashing lights from the police cars illuminated the night.

Harry nodded slowly, "I heard there was an explosion."

She shrugged, "Something happened." Gwen gazed at the side of the building where black scorch marks indicated that a fire had raged there. "It looks like it came from Dr. Connors class." She remarked.

"Whatever it was, it was big." Harry noted. The mass horde of students crowded around the scene anxious to see what the police discovered inside. Harry turned around and raised his eyes, "Peter!"

A rather tired and weary looking Peter Parker appeared out of the crowd holding a camera. "Hey." He said sheepishly, "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine." Harry replied, "Did you see what happened?"

"No, I got pulled out with the crowd." Peter said.

Gwen interjected eagerly, "It was Spider-Man. He showed up and gave up that monster a fight!" She laughed shakily, "I thought for a moment he was going to die, but he managed to pull through in the end."

"Oh." Peter said unable to hide his smile. He still remembered her kiss and how sweet it had felt against his lips.

Harry frowned, "What?"

"Nothing." Peter replied. He held up the camera in his hands, "I had better get some pictures from the Bugle."

"Right." Harry said, "Come on Gwen, I think I saw Liz by the ambulance."

Peter took a deep breath as they vanished back into the crowd and took several steps towards the building. He had pulled his camera and ID from the Bugle out from his locker inside the school when he switched back into street clothes.

He walked up towards the yellow police tape that formed a protective barrier between the public and the damage high school. One police officer got in his way, "Sorry kid, you need to keep away."

"I'm a photographer from the Daily Bugle." Peter replied and gestured towards his camera, "I just want a couple of external shots."

"Fine but don't get too close. We think there's some structural damage." The cop walked away from Peter and towards a pack of his fellow officers who were discussing their search plan outside the front door.

Peter raised the camera and managed to get some decent snap shots but he knew that the real carnage was inside, partially, because he had caused some of it himself.

"Hey, tiger." Mary Jane said slowly walking to his side, "How are you handling all of this?" She looked a little shaken but it seemed that her resolve was getting her through this.

"Pretty good." Peter said, managing to not wince at the stinging pain that bothered him so around his ribs. "You?"

She laughed, "I've been around disaster scenes before, this is no worse." MJ looked at Gwen talking to Harry, "Your date seems really head over heels about this Spider-Man guy."

Peter nodded, "Who wouldn't be? I hear he's insanely handsome." He took another shot of the school, unable to wonder whom Gwen was really attracted to: the mask or the man. "How about you?"

"What do I think of Spider-Man?" MJ clicked her tongue. "I don't know. All of the girls seem to be in love with him."

Peter laughed, "That's understandable." He lowered his camera, "But not you."

"No." MJ shrugged, "I've been with enough guys to know people are never what they seem like on the surface." She raised her eyes, "Take you for example."

"Me?" Peter rocked his head back, "How do I come off?"

She brushed away some of her red hair and her tone became almost loving, "You're a quiet guy. Very repressed. You let people walk all over you, even though I think if you wanted you could be as bad as people like Flash." MJ placed her hand against Peter's face, "You care about people and I think that's what attracts people to you. Despite how badly you get shafted by the world, you never give up hope."

"What about you?" Peter inquired intently.

"Me?" MJ lowered her eyes; "I think the world sees an airhead at times. People think I just shrug life's blows off, live every moment for a thrill, maybe even that I'll sleep around with guys just for the hell of it."

Peter's face widened, "I've never thought that about you." He leaned in and grabbed her arm, "Never."

She shrugged, "Tell that to the football team." MJ said bitterly, "Some nights, I wish I could just run away, from home…from myself. Peter, I need to say something to you, and I'm afraid of what you'll answer with. When I saw you with Gwen tonight, I realized something about myself. I lo-."

"Hey!" A man called from behind Peter, "You!"

"What?" He said turning around to face the man. Peter's face widened upon seeing the imposing figure. He was a tall, large man, with blond hair and a face that screamed athlete.

The figure snapped his fingers, "What are you doing? I've got this job."

Peter frowned, "And you are?"

"Eddie Brock." The large man responded angrily, "I don't care if you were on these sight first, I've got this one!"

"Sorry, but it seems you were a bit late." Peter defiantly responded, "I've already got the shots."

Eddie frowned, "You're that Parker kid, right? I don't care if you do get shots of Spider-Man, I lost twenty bucks on cab fare just getting here." He took a step towards Peter, "This one is mine."

"You're welcome to take shots, but I already spoke to Mr. Jameson over the phone and I've got it." Peter answered back unwilling to back down, "Take it up with him."

"Why you little snot-nosed kid." Brock clenched his fist, "Are you looking for a beating or something. Because last I checked, you're smaller than me!"

Peter closed his eyes, "Good thing size doesn't equal strength."

"You want to test that?" Brock inquired.

A police officer approached them, "You're going to have to get back; we found some people and are going to start pulling them out soon."

"Did you find Dr. Connors?" Peter inquired.

The cop shook his head, "No, we didn't find anybody in his lab, we think it the explosion have been something he left on."

"Certainly." Brock said just before snatching the camera from Peter's hands, "We were just leaving." He flung Peter's camera into the crowd, and the sound of it smashing on the asphalt, "Isn't that right, Parker?"

Peter grimaced and watched Eddie step aside so that the police could begin moving people out of the school. There was a tense moment between the two that was only broken by the line of cops that came between them.

He turned around, "MJ?" It was then that Peter realized she was gone. He remembered what she had said, the passion in her voice, and couldn't help but feel a great swell of sadness in his heart.

Stepping through the front door of his home, Peter braced himself for what would prove to be one of the most difficult confrontations he had ever been put through.

Once he was inside, he closed the door and walked into the living room, where Ben Parker was eagerly awaiting his nephew's arrival. "Hey, Pete." He said quietly. "Care to explain?" He pointed towards the television where an artist's rendition of Spider-Man played across the screen.

"I had no choice." Peter replied.

"Sure you did." Ben stood up and took a step towards the younger Parker, "You said you wouldn't go back into costume ever again. You made a promise to me. A vow and you lied." He looked quietly into Peter's face, "You lied to me."

Peter sighed, "I know. It wasn't right but I had no choice, I had to stop Flint Marko before he destroyed the entire school."

Ben shook his head, "You did have a choice."

"Should I have let him killed everyone?" Peter demanded, "I had to stop him before it was too late. Remember great power and responsibility?"

The old man grabbed Peter's shoulder, "I'm not saying you shouldn't have helped those people. I'm proud of that. What I am angry with is that you did it as Spider-Man, I'm upset that you lied to me."

"Why?" Peter asked, his eyes full of desperation, "Why are you so afraid of that costume?"

"Because I don't want to lose you to it!" Ben barked angrily. "You can be whatever you have to be without that thing, you have to remember who you are."

Peter shook his head, "I'm Spider-Man."

"You're Peter Parker. That costume, that identity is just a façade."

"No." He replied passionately, "You have to realize that there is more to me than just your nephew."

Ben bit his lip, "I know that and I know what you can be. What you have to understand is that no matter what you can give it up, there's nothing stopping you from just throwing the costume away."

"Yes there is." Peter replied, his eyes full of tears, "You have no idea what I've done."

The old man's face widened, "What? What have you done?"

Peter closed his eyes sorrowfully, "I wish I could tell you, uncle Ben. My sins too great, I know you couldn't face me if you knew. Sometimes, I can't even bear myself knowing what happened."

Whatever mental wounds Peter had suffered because of his role in May's death were torn open. Seeing Ben like this, ripped into the very core of his being.

"Is it that bad?" Ben asked fearful of what his nephew had done.

Peter clenched his teeth and for a moment hesitated. "Worse than you could ever imagine." He lowered his head ashamed of the truth, "Maybe, in a way that mask is the only escape I have, it's the only way I have of avoiding what I've done."

Ben could barely keep from crying, "What can I do? In the name of God, what can I do?"

"Nothing." Peter grimly said, "This is my cross too carry and nobody else's."

His loving uncle sighed deeply, "I'm here for you Pete. No matter what."

Peter smiled sadly, "You always were."

"And I always will." Ben hugged Peter, "We'll get through this, I promise."