Peter woke up to find that he was laying on a hard metal surface. He was not tied to it, but he felt weak and exhausted, which made him doubt that he could easily stand up.
All around him, all he could see was darkness. His mask had been torn, and pieces of it were covering his eyes, preventing him from observing his surroundings. He found this somewhat funny. His mask had been great at concealing his privacy from the rest of the world, but now, it had managed to conceal the rest of the world from him.
He tried to smell the air around him, but he found that his sense of smell had severely weakened. In fact, all he could smell was his own blood, and there was a lot of it covering his nose. He groaned to check to see if his ears were working. They were, thankfully.
Was the mask the reason he couldn't see, or had Peter's sense of vision gone out too? He wanted to make sure.
Peter attempted to lift his arms and move the dangling pieces of the mask away from the view of his eyes, so he could see where he was. But this turned out futile, for neither his arms nor legs could move at all. He felt completely paralyzed.
It had to be blood loss. Peter had felt the cold air of the place he was at against the hot blood coming out of various cuts and bruises he had received.
But how had he gotten them?
How did he get here?
He tried to search through his memories, but he seemed to have no recent recollections. His last few conscious hours were a blur.
"Where am I?" he muttered weakly to anyone who might be listening.
"You're safe, Mr. Parker," a voice responded. It sounded familiar and sinister. Peter speculated that it had to be one of his enemies. He was about to blurt out the name of who was speaking to him, when suddenly, he felt something hard and metallic touch his bloody forehead.
"You," Peter gasped, and the metal arms of Doctor Octavius removed the shredded shards of Peter's mask off of his head.
Doc Ock, floating in midair due to the support of some of his arms, smiled and said, "I'm glad to see you're alive and well. We're still in Queens and you're safely hidden away at a warehouse."
Peter felt like he was going to cry. Once again, one of his worst enemies had re-entered his life. "They were supposed to keep you locked up," Peter said to Doc Ock, in both a sad and angry tone. "Nick Fury – he said he was going to – you're supposed to be at the Triskelion. This – this can't be happening again."
"Quiet, boy," Doc Ock ordered. "We can't stay here for long. It'll find us eventually, if Norman doesn't destroy it."
"What are you talking –" Peter started to say, but then noticed that two of Doc Ock's arms were tying cloth and bandages around the areas of Peter's legs where he was bleeding the most.
Peter was left with an astonished look on his face. He didn't know what to say, or what was going on. One of his most lethal enemies was healing him.
Nothing made sense to Peter right now.
Aunt May sat on the couch of her living room, bursting frantically with tears. Mary Jane sat next to her, and put her arm around her in comfort.
"He could still be out there," Mary Jane said in hopes of comforting her.
Unfortunately, this made Aunt May cry even louder. In between her tears, she managed to blurt out, "How could he be?! You saw what the news said! The Ultimates – they practically killed him!"
Mary Jane sighed. She began to think that it might not have been a great idea to tell Aunt May that Peter was Spider-Man, but how else could she have explained his disappearance. He had been gone for several days, and May had began to grow suspicious, until finally, she confronted M.J. about it, and Mary inadvertently gave up the truth.
Mary Jane herself had gone through many sets of tears, and her face, now red and tired, had lost much of its beauty. It had been the darkest few days of her life.
She stared at the news report.
"The immediate repairs on the Triskelion are now underway," the news reporter said. "News is coming in that the Ultimates have successfully cornered the Hulk in southern Georgia after his escape yesterday, and the X-Men have launched their pursuit of Magneto. Other prisoners, including the infamous Doctor Octopus, have yet to be tracked down, but since Kraven The Hunter's capture four hours ago, Nick Fury is optimistic that all the released prisoners will be brought to justice."
The television flashed with footage of yesterday's explosions at the site of the Triskelion, where the containment cells of many of the prisoners there were opened up. It had all seemed like Pandora's Box was opened up, and many of the world's evil were returning after a temporary rest.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has been busy at work trying to identify the culprits of the plot to release the super villains into freedom," the news reporter continued, "but so far, only several have been identified, including Elektra Natchios, The Punisher, the Vision, a mutant-like lizard, Daredevil, a criminal that goes by the name of the Shocker, several members of the Brotherhood of Mutants…"
Right before it reached the point that Mary Jane dreaded, she quickly grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
"Tell me," Peter demanded. "What's going on?!"
"Don't you remember?" Doc Ock growled, seeming very irritated. His arms had now moved on towards putting bandages on the wounds of Peter's upper body. "That creature…it's chasing us."
"What creature?" Peter asked out of curiosity and fear. But after the lack of an instant response, raised his voice out of fury. "Tell me, what the hell is going on?!"
Doc Ock eyed Peter with a look of surprise and concern. After a brief moment of silence, he said, "Damn…it must have done quite a number on you. Have you seriously forgotten everything that's happened?"
"YES!" Peter cried out. "And the thing I'm most suspicious and wondering about is why the hell I'm associating with you!"
Doc Ock chucked. "Well, kid, I don't know quite how to say this, since it looks like you can't remember…but you're the one that helped bust us out of the Triskelion."
"WHAT?!" Peter roared in disbelief. "Why would I do something like that?!"
Someone who was watching the conversation between Doc Ock and Peter as it happened suddenly realized that he hit a block in his plans.
"Peter can't know," he decided. "He can't find out…and I have just the right way to disrupt it."
Doc Ock opened his mouth to answer Peter, when suddenly, a voice came from outside.
"OCTAVIUS!" a contorted voice outside of the building roared. "PARKER! I know you two are in there! IT'S ME!"
"What was that?" Peter whispered to Doc Ock, with eyes full of fear.
"It has found us…" Doc Ock said, staring the dirty windows of the warehouse they were in, trying to see what was out there. "Norman failed…"
Two of Doc Ock's arms, picked Peter up into the air. "What're you do-" Peter started say, but was cut off by Octavius.
"Listen, Parker," Octavius warned quietly, "we're about to go out there. I'm going to battle the creature, but you – you get the hell out of here. I know you're weak right now, but just do your best to get to safety. Understood?"
Peter showed no reaction.
"Good," Doc Ock said, and he rammed his arms at the large warehouse door, busting it down. Still carrying Peter, he made his way outside.
What they were in now, Peter saw, was a desolate parking. It was late afternoon and Peter could hear the sounds of helicopters and sirens off into the distance.
"They're looking for us…aren't they?" Peter mumbled, but Doc Ock, who stood to Peter's right side, gave to reply.
"THERE YOU TWO ARE!" they heard the strange voice say. Doc Ock and Peter looked to their left and saw it. The one creature Peter never hoped to see again.
"Eddie," Peter muttered, staring at the strange purple/black creature that stood thirty feet away from them on all fours.
Doc Ock turned to Peter. "Get to safety," was all he said before he used his two arms that were carrying Peter to throw him away.
Peter screamed as the two arms gave him a huge thrust into the air, and sent him flying a large distance at an uncomfortably fast speed.
He made his best attempt to land on his legs as he hit the hard pavement of a sidewalk. But it was no good. Peter hit the ground face first.
The pain that had followed was enough to make even the most courageous and strong men scream, but Peter tried to remain quiet and he grinded his teeth together in reaction to the hard blow.
Peter groaned and turned around onto his back. He looked around at where he was now, and it appeared to be on a sidewalk, with a small convenience store right across an empty street. Peter recognized it.
"I'm in Queens…" he mumbled. But he knew that it wasn't a good thing. To bring this kind of attention and danger towards his hometown was bad for both his identity and for the safety of his loved ones.
He thought back to what Octavius told him. Peter had broken into the Triskelion and released his worst enemies from imprisonment? Unbelievable, he thought. Why would he do that?
It then suddenly struck him. This meant that he was an enemy of the law. A fugitive.
Peter listened to the sounds of the helicopters and sirens. S.H.I.E.L.D. The Ultimates. They're coming for him.
He thought back to the appearance of Eddie, and how he had just confronted Doc Ock. How was he involved in this? Eddie was never kept prisoner in the Triskelion.
Or was he, Peter wondered.
But when he had seen Eddie a moment ago, something hadn't seen right. The suit appeared different than it was before. Not color wise, but somehow, it's shaped had changed since the last time Peter had seen Eddie wearing it.
There seemed to have been horns sticking out of its back, and its head had somewhat of a lumpy shape it as well.
Peter hoped that he would never find out why. He began focusing his efforts on standing up.
Doc Ock started at the creature dead in its huge, white eyes.
"You look different," Doc Ock said to it.
"Well…" the creature snarled. "I'm a different person."
Suddenly, the face of the monster was changing. Falling apart. Melting.
What was left in its place was something of equal fear and menacing proportions. A face of a green monster.
"Norman, you didn't…" Doc Ock said in disbelief.
The face of the Green Goblin laughed and said, "That's right. After killing the Brock boy, I figured I'd make use of this little suit of his."
"Idiot," Octavius said. "You, as a man of science, should know better than to aloofly pick up a strange creation without knowing anything about it. Haven't you considered the fact that there might be side effects to wearing it?"
"I'm not too afraid," Norman said. "After all, I won't be its host for much longer. I need somebody else to be the guinea pig, and I've found the perfect specimen."
Doc Ock stepped back in fear and pleaded, "No, Norman, you can't use me…with my arms already on me, who knows what could happen…?"
"They've survived worse," Norman snarled, proceeding forwards. "If lava can't destroy it, then this suit certainly can't. And if it ends up killing your or your arms, I'll just force Parker to carry it for a while."
Octavius began walking backwards quickly in fear. "You can't do, this Norman. I refuse to take part of it!"
"YOU WILL WEAR IT!" Norman roared, as he lunged forward at Doc Ock.
Suddenly, a circular metal object came out of nowhere, and hit Norman right on the head. Before he finished jumping all the way at Octavius, he fell and hit the ground.
Octavius, happy to be alive, but curious about who did this, began looking around, when suddenly he noticed several loud helicopters nearby.
It was then that Doc Ock spotted the hard object that had hit Osborn. It was a shield.
Captain America's shield.
Octavius looked into the sky and saw several choppers lowering down towards the parking lot where he stood.
Alongside the helicopters, Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow were dropping down.
"You've got to be kidding me," Doc Ock muttered, as justice began arriving from the sky.
His temporary freedom, as usual, had ended.
It was painful to be walking. Especially when you didn't know what your destination was. Nevertheless, Peter kept on walking further and further away from the site of the suit's appearance.
He couldn't deal with that now. It was all in his past life. He was a fugitive now.
"Spider-Man…no more…" he muttered, ripping off the last shreds of his costume and shoving them into nearby bushes.
He continued walking, and continued to think about the life he would have to carry from now on. He couldn't just stop being Spider-Man, he had to give up his life as Peter Parker as well, for there were too many people looking for him that knew the connection between the two identities.
Even though he knew he should be focusing on other things, he wondered what fake name he should go by now, if anyone were to ask.
Ben, he decided, in honor of his uncle. But not Ben Parker. That surname was no longer safe.
So Peter took Aunt May's maiden name. It would be safe, and yet honorable at the same time.
"Ben Reilly…" Peter declared silently. "That's who I am now…"
Peter suddenly tripped over something soft on the ground. He looked down and saw it was an old, torn, leather jacket with a hood. He picked it up and put it on.
He covered his head with the hood. It was a good disguise, at least for now.
Breathing heavily and trying to suppress the screaming that his pain was enforcing upon him, Peter continued down the street until he turned a corner and realized where he was.
His own neighborhood.
He wanted to do it, and he wasn't thinking logically enough to know that it wasn't a safe idea, but he did it anyway.
Aunt May.
Mary Jane.
He had to see them.
Without any hesitation, Peter made his way to the street he lived in.
He had to see them.
One last time.
With pain sill throbbing, Peter walked down the street towards his house. It was now a minute away.
One last time.
Just to say good-bye.
Peter was now half a minute away from the house. Nobody else was on the street.
One last good-bye…
One last time…
Peter now stood in front driveway of the Parker home, staring intently at the door.
He was home.
He was tired, almost dying, and feeling nauseated, but he was home.
Before he took his first step towards the door, something hit Peter on the back.
The impact wasn't hard, but Peter felt that whatever had hit him was still stuck onto his back. It even pierced his skin.
Everything started to get blurry.
No, Peter thought, not now. Not when he was so close.
"Aunt May…Mary…," he called out weakly, but even he did not hear his own voice.
He fell to his knees.
Not now, he kept thinking, I need to see them, one last time…
One last time…
One last time…
Peter's body slammed onto the ground. He remembered no more.
The gossip had spread like wildfire through Queens that night.
Peter Parker was Spider-Man.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had arrived in the normally quiet neighborhood, with the knowledge that Spider-Man had taken part in criminal activity at the Triskelion the previous evening. The Ultimates member Hawkeye arrives and had fired an arrow at Parker in hopes of tranquilizing him, but had inadvertently done much more than that.
Peter Parker was dead.
"Any word on other captures?" Nick Fury asked Hawkeye. The two of them were gathered outside of the Parker home, where there were many police cars, ambulances, and S.H.I.E.L.D. vans.
"Well, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have been hunted down and taken in," Hawkeye said. He looked down towards the ground and shook his head. "Who'd have ever thought that those two were secretly feeding information to our enemies…?"
"At least we have somebody to blame," Fury said, staring off into the distance of the night sky. "The whole world is in jeopardy now. Since we've captured only a small percentage of the escaped convicts, we have plenty of psychos running around ready to wreak havoc."
"You can be a little more optimistic that that, Nick," Hawkeye said. "Our allies are gathering. We've got the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, among others, offering to help out. We can overcome this."
"I sure hope so…" Fury said, sighing. He then turned to Hawkeye with an important question. "How the hell did Parker get involved with this break-in anyway?"
"I just learned about it on the radio about five minutes ago," Hawkeye answered. "Apparently, Eddie Brock found Parker and had somehow convinced him that he had broken out of the Triskelion, where other people Peter knew were being held."
"Well, obviously there were," Fury interrupted. "I mean, you've got Osborn, Octavius…"
"Not enemies," Hawkeye explained. "But loved ones. Brock made Parker believe that their parents were being held prisoner at the Triskelion because they knew certain things that S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't risk them telling the rest of the world about."
"Are you serious?" Fury asked in disbelief. "That's the story he told Parker? And Parker believed it?"
Hawkeye nodded.
"Anyway…" Hawkeye started to say, staring at the Parker home, "how are the aunt and girlfriend doing?"
"Horrible," Fury replied bluntly. "They're in an avalanche of tears. I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Hell, I wouldn't go in there if I was me, and I'm not even the one who killed the kid…"
Fury walked away before Hawkeye could say anything.
Inside the Parker home, Aunt May and Mary Jane were bursting with tears, and M.J.'s mother did the best to try and comfort them.
The very few brief instances that May wasn't crying, she was heard making openly accusative statements, such as, "They were taken from me…all of them…everyone I loved…"
After hours and hours of nothing but tears, May quickly stood up and bolted out of the door.
Mary Jane, who had overcome her tears a short while ago, disobeyed her mother's orders and followed May through the hallway of the second floor house.
She saw May enter hear bedroom and leave her door open.
Mary Jane peeked in and what she saw filled her with fear and horror.
"NO, MAY!" Mary Jane screamed. "PUT IT DOWN!"
May Parker started back and Mary Jane.
May had a gun pointed to her head.
"DON'T DO IT!" Mary Jane shrieked
"They were all taken away from me," Aunt May said softly. Her eyes were red and worn out. If there was ever a look of grief and sadness, this was it. "I'm sorry…I can't go on like this. Good-bye, Mary Jane."
"NOOOOOOOO!"
Bang.
May fell to the floor.
Dead.
Mary Jane had very little recollection of how she got home that night and into her bed. But once she got there, the day's events poured into her all over again.
Peter.
Dead.
May.
Dead.
Mary Jane couldn't believe it. It wasn't fair that some of the greatest people she knew had deserved this fate.
Nobody deserved this fate.
She thought back to some of the blurry events that had happened since she saw May kill herself. Mary Jane remembered hearing somebody, maybe a neighbor, say something about this being the end of the Parker lineage.
Whoever said it was wrong, and Mary Jane was the only one who knew this for a fact so far.
She rubbed her stomach softly. In about 9 months, the Parker line would be reborn again.
Peter woke up in darkness.
Somehow, he was back to full strength, and in his Spider-Man costume.
He reached into the insides of his mask and felt his face. All of the cuts and bruises were gone.
He felt the ground was sitting on. It was very loose and soft. Almost as if it was…paper.
He had to make sure. Peter punched the ground, and almost without effort, his hand went through it, and you could hear a tearing noise. It was paper indeed.
"Where the hell am I?" he said aloud.
Almost an instant after he said it, he heard a voice nearby answer, "The place where all the characters that nobody wanted dead go…" It was a female voice.
"Who said that?!" Peter burst out.
Suddenly, Peter felt the ground move, and light was pouring in from above.
The light revealed three people standing in front of Peter, and he was shocked to see who they were.
One of them was Uncle Ben. But it was not the same happy uncle that Peter once knew. His face appeared sad, worn out, and lonely. "Heya, Pete," he said.
The next person was one of the X-Men. Beast. The one who had died recently.
The last person, and the one who had spoken a moment ago was none other than Gwen Stacy.
"This can't be…" Peter said, backing away in fear and uncertainty. "You're all supposed to be dead…what is this place?"
"His table drawers," Gwen said in a lifeless voice. "This is where all the people he kills go."
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked. "Who killed us?"
Beast pointed to the light that was shining far up ahead of them. "Him."
Peter looked up and saw a giant man standing down and looking at them. Peter felt like he was the size of an action figure.
In fact…he quickly looked down below and around him.
He was in a drawer.
And he was the size of an action figure.
And he was standing on paper.
But what the paper read confused Peter. In huge letters was written "Ultimate Spider-Man," and it had a picture of Spider-Man under the text.
"What the hell is going on here…?" Peter asked the others, freaked out beyond reason.
"He did this to sell more copies," Uncle Ben said. "My death, apparently, was necessary, but everything after that…it shouldn't have happened."
"Are you talking about that giant guy who's looking at us right now?" Peter quickly said, continually filling with fear.
Beast nodded. "Brian Michael Bendis. He killed us all."
Peter looked up at the giant, and summoning up the last of his courage, yelled out "YOU! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"
"Like they said," Bendis replied with a loud, booming voice, "to sell more copies. I have 74 other monthly titles I need to focus on writing right now, so I had to end USM with a bang." Peter had no idea in hell what this all meant, but Bendis began laughing madly. "It's over for you, Parker! The fans will be upset, sure, but think of all the copies that issue will sell! 'Ultimate Spider-Man: The End.'"
"No…no…it can't be," Peter gasped, stepping back away from Bendis, neither believing nor comprehending what he was hearing. "NOOOO!" THIS CAN'T BE!"
"It's over, Peter," Uncle Ben said, resting his hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"NO…!" Peter continued to yell, but the noise of Bendis's laughter was far louder.
Suddenly, Aunt May appeared, lying unconscious at Peter's feet.
"NO!!!" Peter yelled louder, not believing what was happening.
Bendis continued to laugh loudly and madly, full of confidence and hope in the decision he had made.
Six months later, all the characters that currently resided in Bendis's drawer were brought back to life.
END.