Peter turned the doorknob, finding that it wasn't locked. He then softly tapped the door with his hand to make his presence known. Although the sun was streaming in the window, the apartment's occupant was still asleep and unaware that he had a visitor.
As Peter walked around the apartment he was amazed at it now that he could really see it in the light of day. There was a complete kitchen that was arranged neatly even though there were some dirty dishes sitting around. The living room around had a nice but comfy looking couch and a chair. There was a big screen television directly across from the couch. He let out a low whistle while moving further into the interior of the apartment. That little noise was enough to wake up Clark. Clark groggily got up and saw that there was somebody in his apartment.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"Oh," Peter said while turning around slightly startled. "Hi. I'm Peter Parker and I just came by to see if you were doing alright."
Clark had a look of complete bewilderment on his face as he responded, "I'm fine. Do I know you? I mean I don't think I have ever met you before."
"Oh, we've met." Peter replied slightly sarcastic. "You nearly killed me last night."
At that last remark, Clark's face went from bewilderment to utter horror. As Peter said that a single image came to the forefront of his mind with such force that he had to sit down quickly as he saw himself trying to strangle someone. The image cleared up and he could see that he was fighting Spiderman. Clark rubbed the sides of his head as if to try and force away the memory.
"Hey, are you Ok?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, I just remembered something" Clark continued "The only person that I remember fighting was Spiderman. So, I don't see how that relates to you."
"Yeah, like I said. You nearly killed me last night." Peter quipped.
Enlightenment dawned on Clark's face as he said, "You're Spiderman," more as a question than a statement.
"Woah, you're Spiderman." Clark said incredulously as he got up and backed away slightly. He can't be Spiderman, he just doesn't look like it. Well, you don't look different and look at what you can do. Clark still wasn't convinced.
"Prove it." Clark said with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What?" Peter exclaimed as his eyes went wide.
"Prove it. How do I know that you are telling the truth and not trying to trick me," Clark stated.
"You mean after what I saw you do last night, you nearly killing me, then I save your hide. You want me to prove myself to you?!" Peter yelled at him. "This is unbelievable. Fine."
Clark's level of panic was now definitely raised when Peter said that he had seen Clark do something. He tried to not let it show, he still couldn't remember anything that happened last night.
Peter looked around the apartment and saw a glass sitting out on the kitchen counter. "Okay, you see that glass?" Clark nodded acknowledgingly.
"Well," Peter said as he shot out some webbing and pulled it to him, "it needs washing."
"Peter I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I've just had to be careful about who I talk to," Clark said apologetically with his eyes downcast.
"So, why was I fighting you last night?" Clark asked as both of them sat down.
"Well, I saw you robbing some ATM machines last night. I thought this was going to be easy and I would leave a gift-wrapped present for the police. You had a different idea." Peter then recounted the previous night in detail while Clark sat there looking shell shocked.
Peter finished the story and just sat there for a moment before speaking again. When he finally spoke, he said, "Would you care to explain any of this?"
Clark sat there completely stunned. He didn't know what to say. "Uh, um. Can you give me a minute?" Clark said as he got up and wearily walked back into his bedroom and closed the door. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were shaking. He could now remember everything in sickening detail: his parents, the baby, Chloe, Lana. Then the icing on the horrible cake was his actions. He could remember putting on the ring and every hideous thing he had done afterwards. He wanted to run away from himself, but that was what had gotten him in trouble in the first place. He decided to take a shower and try to clear his head.
After a while, he came out of his bedroom and saw Peter sitting on the couch flipping channels on the T.V.
"Okay, I'll tell you, but I want to ask you something first. Why did you help me? I had just tried to kill you," Clark asked humbly.
"The look in your eye when you asked for help. It was a mixture of sadness and fear. I know that look all too well," Peter replied.
"So, what do you want to know first?" Clark asked.
"Well, I guess my first question would be what is the deal with the ring you were wearing?"
Clark sighed, "Do you remember hearing about a meteor shower hitting Kansas in 1989?"
Peter nodded, "Yes, I did a science report on it and how some people seem to think that it affects people."
Clark felt slightly uncomfortable about that last remark and shifted in his seat. "Well, the stone in the ring is a red meteor rock, that is the reason that I was acting the way that I was."
Clark looked at Peter curiously, "Have you always lived in New York City."
"Yes, why do you ask?" Peter replied.
"Oh, I was just curious if you were affected by the meteor rocks and if that was how you can do what you do. What all can you do?" Clark asked.
"I can do the same things a spider can do. I can also sense danger, but only a few seconds before it happens. Be careful when you go to the Science Museum," Peter joked. "My class went there on a field trip and one of the spiders that they had been experimenting with got loose and bit me."
"You didn't notice there was a spider near you?" Clark asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"No, I was taking pictures of someone for the newspaper," Peter snapped back.
Clark could tell by his response that the "someone" was a girl. "So, what's her name?"
This time Peter's eyes got big and slightly blushed, "What? .... How? .... Her name is Mary Jane."
Clark smiled. He knew that was the same kind of thing he would do.
Peter was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going and shifted the subject by asking, "So how long have you been so strong and fast. Were you affected by the meteor shower?"
Clark's smile faded, "I guess you could say that I am affected by the meteors. I have just always been really strong and fast." He looked away as he said it. He hated lying especially after what Peter had just told him, but he still didn't know if he could tell him the whole truth. Just how do you tell somebody that you're an alien? Shifting the conversation away form himself, he asked "So does anybody else know about what you can do?"
Peter's eyes looked sad as he answered, "One person found out, a friend of mine, Harry Osborne. At least I think he is still my friend. I haven't told Aunt Mae or MJ. I can't risk anyone else getting hurt."
That certainly sounded familiar to Clark. It was the reason that he had left in the first place.
"So is your Aunt all your family? If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?" Clark asked cautiously.
"Yeah, she's all the family that I have. My parents died when I was young and she and my Uncle Ben raised me," he replied. "So, what about your family?" Peter queried.
Clark felt a pang of guilt when he thought of his parents. "I'm adopted. My parents are great they know about my abilities. They have been a great help." Clark smiled in spite of himself and then continued, "I have one friend who knows. He accidentally found out. He took it hard to start with, but now he is cool with it.
"So, what did you mean about not wanting to hurt anybody else?" Clark asked.
"Well, the reason that I became Spiderman was because of my Uncle Ben." Peter took a deep breath and had unshed tears in his eyes as he began to tell the horrible story. "I was trying to get money to buy a car to impress MJ. So, I saw this ad in the newspaper about getting money for wrestling. I told Uncle Ben I needed to go to the library, so of course he offered to take me and wait in the car.
"I had just gotten these abilities and hadn't really thought about what having these abilities really meant. So, I didn't think anything about using them to my own advantage." Peter sighed and then continued on, "I went to a wrestling match and I won, but the manager didn't want to pay me what he was supposed to. I started to walk off and then this guy came up and stole money from the manager. He yelled out for me to stop the thief. I was angry for being cheated out of my money, so I just stepped out of the way and let the man pass. I could have easily stopped him, but didn't," Peter said as he shook his head.
"Well, when I got back to the car, there were police cars all around. I panicked and then I saw Uncle Ben. Someone had tried to carjack Uncle Ben and he had resisted. He had been shot. Peter looked up with pain evident in his eyes. I held him as he died. He said brokenly. Then I heard the police say they knew where the criminal was, I was so angry I wanted to get my revenge. I found the person, alright. It was the same person that I had let pass at the wrestling match. That is why I do what I do."
Clark saw the pain and hurt in Peter's eyes. It mirrored what he had felt himself.
Peter felt like he was about to suffocate, he had never told anyone what had really happened that night. He had to get out of there.
"Um, I have got to go," Peter said as he quickly got up and left.
"Okay." Clark could tell he needed some air.
After Peter left, Clark decided he too needed some time to think. Clark sat in a chair on the roof of the building looking out onto the city. He had never really noticed the city's beauty or intricate nature. He could see why it was called the city that never sleeps, it had an energy and a feel all its own. The feel was completely opposite of that of Smallville. Smallville had a certain feel too. It had a feeling of familiarity, safety, security and home. Home. The place that he had run away from. But, you really can't run away from your home because it will always be a part of you no matter how much time or distance separates you from it. Even if you are far away from it sometimes a sound or a scent will come across your senses and bring you right back to your home.
Clark pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it. He thought about calling his parents, he knew he should. He knew that they were probably worried about him, but what would he say. He didn't even know how to begin. He just couldn't deal with that right now and he put the phone back in his pocket and turned his thoughts back to the intriguing view in front of him.
And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry