Author's Note: I apologize for having to put this story on hold. Unfortunately it was kind of necessary. However, I am now picking it back up again for a little while, and working on it more. Please be sure to review if you read this chapter and let me know what you think, and now, to respond to some of your reviews from the last chapter.
Agent Silver: wow, you are enthusiastic aren't you? Sorry this one took so long. I hope you're still reading.
Morph: If you've got a thing for the Green Goblin I'm sure you'll like this story. He'll be playing a major part in the next few chapters. And thanks for the compliment on Mike, and don't worry, I can honestly say he won't be getting metallic arms.
Krussk: Thanks for reading, and thanks double for the advice. I'll try not to make it seem too unrealistic.
Chapter 5: Matches, Talks, and Battles"And now the moment you've all been waiting for. The Incredible Beorn goes up against amateurs in ten-minute cage matches. The one to defeat him wins 10,000 dollars!" The announcer paused as the live crowd roared in response. "And first up we have a younger contestant, a fan of masks, a man by the name of… Ricochet!"
Mike hung his head. "He had to use one of those stupid comic book names." He muttered from the back stage exit where he was watching.
Ben got up into the ring as the bars came down and were locked tight by the stage attendants. For the next ten minutes he was stuck here with this fellow, a very large fellow. He gulped beneath his mask as he looked at this guy; he was at least six and a half feet tall. And unlike some wrestlers not an ounce of him was fat, but he was all muscle. Maybe this was more than he bargained for.
With a glance back to Mike the bell rung and Beorn rushed at him. "Oh Crap!" Ben panicked. This wasn't exactly what he had expected. Quite suddenly Beorn's fist met with his face, and knocked him hard against the bars. The crowd cheered.
Slowly he got up and shook it off that was definitely going to leave a mark, possibly a black eye. Beorn charged again but this time something snapped Ben out of it, a slight odd sensation, almost like he had felt the day before. Time seemed to slow almost, and he took advantage of it. He ran towards him and slid under him, taking Beorn's legs out from under him as he came up behind him. Sending the large man face flat onto the mat.
The crowd booed. "Oh come on!" Ben yelled at them, and waved his arms as Beorn got up slowly behind him. He was trying to get the crowd to cheer and it seemed to be working, but wait a second, they weren't cheering for him. That odd sensation came again and suddenly he flipped backwards, placing his hands on Beorn's shoulders as he did so. He landed on his feet and launched Beorn against the bars in the opposite direction that he had been running. The direction that Ben's back had been facing just moments before.
"When did he learn how to do that?" Mike asked himself. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe that Ben was being this stupid.
Beorn got up slowly and shook it off. "You're dead." He muttered as he spit onto the floor. An attendant handed a chair through the bars into his waiting hands, and he came at Ben again.
Again Ben leapt up into the air, but this time Beorn had a surprise for him, his other fist came at him from behind, caught him, and slammed him against the mat. Again that buzzing feeling hit him, but not in time, Beorn's counter still had him on the ground. Raising the chair above his head Beorn struck it against the mat trying to hit Ben, but he rolled out of the way just in time.
He rolled to one side, and then the other, and then rolled back a bit onto his hands, and launched forward, feet first, into Beorn's face, knocking him down and landing Ben on his feet. "Whoa." Ben said shaking his head as in disbelief.
"Yeah!" Mike found himself cheering for Ben. He didn't quite understand it, every fiber of his being was against Mike's participation in this it was wrong, but he still couldn't help but feel good when Ben seemed to win.
Beorn however didn't get up again; blood came from the front of his face, his nose to be particular. The bell rung and the cage walls lifted. Medics came onto the stage to help Beorn off, and the ref held up Ben's hand. He had won the match in six minutes and some odd seconds.
"You did it." Mike said shaking his head as Ben came back stage. "I don't know how, but you actually managed to do it." He said with a smile.
Ben smiled under his mask and took it off. "Thanks." Ben said with a nod as he shook his head a bit and stashed the mask in his pocket.
"Whoa." Mike said looking at Ben. "He gave you a nice shiner with that first hit. You're going to have to keep that mask on if you don't want your parents finding out."
"I'll think of something to tell them." Ben said with a nod. "Don't worry. Now where do we go to collect the money?"
"Better put your mask back on if you want them to pay you." Mike said as they headed towards the backstage office.
Ben paused at the door, slid the mask back on, and opened it, walking in.
"Congrats man, you're one of the best fighters I've seen in here in a long time." An elderly man said from behind a desk. "Would you like cash or check?"
"Can I get cash?" Ben asked glancing to Mike behind him.
"Sure. You and your son can go somewhere and spend it right now if you want." The man said with a nod. He obviously thought that Mike was Ben's son, but for what reason Ben didn't know.
"Sounds good." Ben said as he came a little forward.
The man counted out the money and set it on the table in a bag for him. "You know, if you're interested, you could take a contract, and get twice this much in a week." The man said looking up at Ben.
"That's okay, we're not interested." Mike said cutting in.
Ben turned and glared at him for a second before turning back to the man. "I'll get back to you. I'll have to check with the Misses after all."
"Sure, sure, just don't wait too long." The man said with a nod.
"Sure thing." Ben said as he took the bag and left, leading Mike with his arm out of the office. Once they were in the elevator Ben took off his mask, took off his jacket, put his shirt back on, and put his jacket on again. "What the hell did you tell him we weren't interested for?" Ben asked angrily.
"You can't be serious. You've got a huge shiner there, you're not going to be able to hide your wrestling career from your parents." Mike said shaking his head. "And besides that, it's wrong. Morally wrong. It's not a fair fight, you've got abilities that put you over the top."
Ben was silent for a second. "Yeah…" He paused. "You're kinda right I guess. But I mean come on! Twenty grand a week?"
"Don't get greedy. You've got ten grand there, enjoy it." Mike argued.
"Fine." Ben said as they left the building. "I guess you're right."
"Do you see your moms car anywhere?" Mike asked scanning the curb. "You've still got time for your date if you hurry."
"Yeah, there it is." Ben said pointing before he and Mike made it to the car. Both of them got in the back seat. "Hey mom."
"Sorry kid, it's me." Peter said looking back into the backseat. "Felicity called, she can't go to the movies today, so after we take Mike home you and I are going to have that talk, alright?"
Ben made a face but Mike leaned over. "Remember what you said last night? Just ask him, don't quip, don't argue, don't fight, just ask him." He whispered.
Ben's faced lightened a bit. "Fine." He said to his dad. "I guess I'll see you Monday Mike." He said looking over to Mike.
Mike nodded. "Yeah, sure, walk to school and head to the Bugle?"
"Sounds like a plan." Ben said with a smile.
The car ride to Mike's house didn't last that long and eventually Mike left the car and Ben braced himself for the inevitable. But his father didn't speak; his dad just drove the car. "Hey, this isn't the way home."
"No, we're going somewhere special to talk." Peter said with a smile. "Don't worry, you'll like it."
"Doubt it." Ben quipped. He didn't mean to, but he had already started. He couldn't control it even if he wanted to.
"Trust me." Peter said as he drove.
"Fine." Ben said again.
Eventually the car pulled up to the side, they were at Central Park. "Care to join me for a walk?" Peter asked politely as he got out of the car.
"Guess I don't have a choice." Ben said as he got out of the car.
After roughly a minute of silently walking Peter spoke again. "Ben, I don't know if you know all of this, so I'm going to tell you some things that you might not want to hear, and some things that you might find impossible to believe." He started.
Ben didn't say anything in response. He just nodded. Apparently his father wanted a response. "Uh huh." He said finally.
"When I was really little my parents died in a plane crash, you know that, my Aunt May and Uncle Ben, your namesake, took me in, you know that too. Right before I graduated Highschool, my Uncle Ben died; he was murdered outside the public library. Do you know why he died?"
"You just said he was murdered. Mom told me it was a carjacking." Ben answered.
"Well it was, but the real reason he died is that I lied to him, I didn't take up my responsibility to him and others. I had recently been given this gift, but I used it the wrong way. I used it to try and make some money. And because I lied, and because I failed in my responsibilities, someone I loved died." Peter explained. "All my life I have lived up to my responsibility to others, to everyone, but you. I haven't been a very good father, I haven't even been a very good Uncle, but I've never even told you what I have been all these years." He paused.
"And that would be?" Ben asked.
"When I was eighteen, just before I graduated Highschool, I was bitten on the hand by a genetically altered spider. That spider gave me abilities far beyond the realm of my imagination. I could leap like a spider, crawl walls like a spider, I could even shoot webbing like a spider." Peter spoke quickly. "And so Uncle Ben told me, that with great power, comes great responsibility. But I ignored him, and I paid for it. At his death I decided to fulfill my responsibilities, and I became Spider-Man." He looked to Ben.
Ben had a look that Peter didn't expect. Peter had expected to be mocked, treated like a crazy person, but Ben wasn't doing any of that he was just standing there with a look of utter realization on his face. "Show me." He said in an almost whisper like voice. "Show me."
Peter glanced around, they were alone, and so he did what his son asked him. He leapt backwards in a flip and landed on the tree, sprawled so that he stuck to it. He climbed upside down along the branch and then dropped back where he was in front of Ben. "We didn't tell you sooner because I didn't want to risk you telling anyone else, but we decided that with everything that's been happening lately, it was time for you to know, and that you were old enough to handle it without running around and telling everyone."
Ben's eyes were tearing almost as he looked up. "We?"
"You're mother and I." Peter answered.
"You and Mom have been lying to me for sixteen years?" Ben almost yelled. "All these years you haven't been able to catch a cab, or make it to my game, it's not because you're too busy, or out there playing it up, you're just swinging around the city in your underwear helping people?"
"Well…" Peter paused nervously. "Yes."
"That would explain it." Ben muttered.
"What?" Peter asked.
"Nothing." Ben answered. "It just makes sense is all."
"Well, I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but you can see why I wasn't honest with you from the beginning." Peter answered.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want one of those, 'My dad is cooler than your dad' arguments to turn ugly on you." Ben quipped. "I guess I sort of knew something was up, but I mean… Spider-Man? I guess that explains legs."
"What?" Peter asked slightly confused.
"Legs, remember? My pet spider? You bought him for me for Christmas last year… Ringing any bells?" Ben asked.
"Oh." Peter smiled. "That was actually your mother's idea. I've been working up the courage to tell you since then." He said as they began walking again.
"Who else knows?" Ben asked looking over to his father.
"Not too many people." Peter said shaking his head. "Norman's father knew, but he died, a few of the X-Men still know, the Fantastic Four knew the original ones, You're mother of course, and Mr. Octavius."
"Mike's dad knows?" Ben asked. "Does Mike?"
"His dad does, but Mike doesn't, neither does Rosie." Peter answered honestly. "Otto promised he wouldn't tell them."
Ben shrugged. "This is nuts." Ben said shaking his head.
"I know it doesn't all make sense, I know its all kind of hard to believe, but it's all true." Peter said with a nod.
"I know it is, but being true makes it even harder to take." Ben said shaking his head. "I mean you guys lied to me for sixteen years. You had a good reason, but you lied to me. Do you even have a real job?"
"Yes." Peter said. "I'm a secret agent with the CIA." He laughed. "No, I'm a forensic scientist with the NYPD, just like you've always known."
"Well at least my existence isn't a total lie." Ben said shaking his head.
"Come on Benny, let's go home." Peter said as he and Ben came up to the car.
"Dad?" Ben said looking over to his father.
"Yeah?" Peter asked looking at him for a touching moment.
"Don't ever call me Benny." Ben said shaking his head.
Peter laughed as the two got into the car.
The drive home was as quiet as the drive there, and it didn't seem to take too long to be surprised. But when they got home both faces were filled with horror. Police lights came flashing from the cars parked on their front lawn, and an ambulance stood parked out front with a gurney. Blood was all over the street and the front of the house, and whoever or whatever was on the gurney was covered with a sheet.
"Mom…" Ben whispered.
Peter rushed from the car as soon as he parked it. "What's going on?" He screamed at an officer.
"Peter, you live here?" A policeman who recognized him asked.
"What's going on?" He asked again almost desperately.
"Well I'm afraid we don't quite know." The officer said shaking his head. "The inside apparently suffered an explosion, but the victim was dragged out here before she was killed. Quite violently according to witnesses."
"M.J." Peter whispered.
"I'm sorry Parker, but some sick and twisted copycat killed her outright." The officer said shaking his head as Parker hung his.
"Copycat?" Ben asked, now standing next to his father, tears in his eyes.
"The murderer is apparently copying the acts of a 'Green Goblin' that was around roughly twenty years ago, attacked this very same house." The officer answered. "According to witnesses he flew in on a glider, dragged Miss Parker outside, killed her, and then threw a bomb into the house."
"My God…" Ben said closing his eyes, he was trying not to cry, but his father already was. "When?"
"Not half an hour ago." The officer answered. It had been while Ben and Peter were in the Park. Peter turned to see his father but his father wasn't there.
His mother was dead, and his father was gone. What was he now? Gone out swinging? That was the final straw. Something snapped. Ben screamed and ran off down the street, pulling on the ski mask as he went. Suddenly he did what his father had done for years. Within a few minutes he was web swinging through the city, with no idea of what to do, or where he was going.
END
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