Chapter 1
"Alright class. Time for your favourite part of my sociology lessons. Coming to the front and presenting your views…you certainly have plenty of those. But first the register. Bradley Bellum?"
"Yo."
"Flash Thompson Jr?"
"Yeah."
"Bartholomew?"
"Man Miss MacKay, it isn't Bartholomew! Its Buzz!"
"Stacy white?"
"Here Miss."
"Jenny Penny?"
"Here miss."
"May Parker?"
"Here miss." The 16 year old high school girl with big hazel eyes from her father, a slightly muscular but curvy and trim frame, a short bob of auburn hair (as her dad had brown hair and her mom had red), blue baggy jeans, a red tank top with a Japanese style bunny eating a carrot on it, white and navy wrist bands and her books over spilling from her bag onto her desk, still stared out the window. She was 16 exactly today and knew all too well that it would be another month before she would be able to celebrate it. Her mom was a famous supermodel who worked all around the world. And her dad was the owner of the Daily bugle publicly, but also a part time crime fighter known as Spiderman. So her mom was in Figi for the next three weeks and she would be lucky if her dad even remembered it was her birthday without her mom nagging him about it. Only her friends seemed to have time for her these days.
"Is that everyone? Alright. Firstly, Miss White will talk of something she can present and has chosen herself. God help us…" May looked back to see what she called a 'plastic girl' smile perfectly before sashaying all the way to the front of the class. Plastics were girls with 6 layers of makeup caked to their faces, their hair perfectly straight with no kinky, no flicks or any frizz, pink lips, pretty fluffy pencils and could pass off as a dead ringer for Barbie. Stacy was what you could also call, a snobby posh cow. Her father owned All the local buildings, the universities and was a major contractor of most of New York. So anything his precious little Stacy wanted, precious little Stacy got.
What a brat.
"Well Miss Mackay, nice hair by the way." Oh boy that was a lie. Kiss ass. May thought to herself.
Miss Mackay had frizzy grey hair, librarian clothes and glasses, hippy style of jewellery always wore her favourite, thick red lipstick. Err "I chose the subject of animal testing. I feel that animal testing is wrong because animals have a right to, well rights, just like we do. We should do more to look after animals before they become endangered, extinct, or diseased and mutated from chemicals and abuse." Her speech is perfect. She will get full marks for it. Stacy looked back to the notes in her hand and beamed at the class. "God created humans as stewards of the earth and all his creations. We have to look over the planet, and all living creatures in the way God wanted us to. It is out duty to do anything we can to protect our planet and animals from harm." Yeah, she will get full marks alright. May chucked to herself and returned to looking out the window. Because I wrote it for her. Outside the window was the school field with the football (or rugby for all the English people like myself out there lol) stands and pitch. But closer than that was the school gates, freedom and the final steps towards her weekend. "So to conclude Miss Mackay." May had lost all interest in her own work as she did when every one else in that class did, clock watch.
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"Bring Bring!" the bell went and the classroom flooded out. Even May was eager to leave. If she hurried, she could catch her dad before he changed his uniform, for his 'uniform'. If she was lucky, he might surprise her and remember her birthday. A few more minuets of dodging certain individuals and she would be free. But alas it was too good to be true.
"Hold it right there Parker!" A large hand grabbed May by the scruff of her neck and hoisted her out of the main stream of people, and round a corner. Her back came up against a wall of green steel lockers and wasn't all that pleasant. Her hazel eyes already knew who would be stood in front of her before they opened, but she looked anyway. Flash Thompson Jr. He was the school Jock, walking shag machine, jerk, and school bully all wrapping into one pretty boy package. He had short blonde hair, blue eyes, a footballer's body and a smug face. How she hated him. "My my my Parker. How are you?" he smirked as he chewed his gum and leaned on one arm above her head. His other hand rested on his side.
"I'm fine Flash. How was your Chem paper?"
"I got an A, thanks. Now my dad will let me go on that Madrid trip next semester. All thanks to you of course." He sniggered and leaned closer.
"What do you want Flash? Another paper?"
"No. you have done all the papers I need for the next three weeks, remember?"
"Then…why did you pull me over here?" she gulped as his blue eyes twinkled evilly.
"I just wanted to have a little fun with you. Go on Parker, take a walk." She stifled a groan and kept her eyes tight shut. This was not going to be pleasant. May turned and slowly began to walk away. She got five steps away from him before. "Hole!" his boot connected with her backside and sent her flying over the hall. She landed in a heap and her books went everywhere. Tears stung her cheeks as she rapidly collected her things and tried to stuff them in her bag. Other jocks sniggered and cheered him on, saying how 'totally sweet' that was and how she resembled a pin ball. May sniffled until a pair of brown leather shoes came into her eye view of the floor. She knew those shoes. Oh no…
Peter was livid! He had had a crappy day as it was. first he still couldn't pin the Murdock case on Fisk with the help of Dare devil after all these years, then he had to deal with a family of people, complaining that their paper had been cancelled, only to find out that their papers had been cancelled on purpose as they weren't paying for them anymore, to get a last second call from his wife in only God knows where, telling him that it was his own daughter's birthday, today, and run out to get her. so when he turned the corner and saw his daughter take a walk of shame and get belted across the room until she was crying and scrambling around, did not make his day. He knew just how she felt. He was bullied by the same brute that spawned this pretty boy creature before him now. Someone was going to pay for this!
"How DARE you!" Peter's eyes sparked menacingly ad he advanced on Flash.
"Wow mister Parker, it wasn't what it looked like!" Flash pleaded, praying to every god in existence that this mad man wasn't going to kill him. He remembered his dad telling him about what a dork this guy was, until they got older and Mr Parker just broke his hand, for no reason what so ever! He wasn't getting tangled into a 'web' with this guy! "We were just playing around!"
"Does THIS class as fun to you!" Peter clenched his fists, his radioactive spider tainted blood boiling and his enhanced adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He felt like he was actually going to literally tear this kid's head from his puny neck! Until May got in his way.
"Dad no!" she sniffled and held her back pack to her chest. All it took was one look into her watery hazel eyes to stop his rampage.
"But."
"Please dad…please no…" May and her father simply stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before May buried her face into his chest. "I just want to go home dad."
"Ok, we will." Peter stroked his daughter's back, while staring bloody murder at the Flash kid. "But if he ever touches you again." He let the threat linger. "Like father like son." Peter spat and walked his daughter out of the school grounds (after putting a rather nasty dint in Flashes car bonnet with his fist). "How long has he bullied you?" May looked to the ground and Peter had to lift her chin to make her look at him. "I just want to know. You know you can tell me anything." Peter walked the corner and hooked arms with her. She leaned into her father as they walked together.
"Since I started school…" Peter stopped dead. How could it have been going on for so long, and without his noticing? He finally walked on and May continued. "But it isn't as bad as you would think. He is quite nice to me actually."
"Don't tell me that. That is what I used to say to Uncle Ben when he found out about me getting bullied." May smiled. She loved hearing of her great Uncle Ben. He had died many years before she was born, but that didn't matter. All she new is that her grandparents died while her dad was really young, and her great Uncle Ben and her great Aunt May (who she was named after), took care of her father and even her mom a few times. So she respected the memory of her great uncle Ben, and her still living Aunt May.
"But this is different."
"I am sure you think it is. Because heaven forbid that I would have been through the exact same situation as you are going through." Peter said sarcastically and May giggled softly. "I do know how it feels. And don't think I haven't noticed that you do three to four different versions of the same paper, per paper you're set. I used to do the same thing for my peers at school."
"More like pleasantly forced."
"I know. And I bet you have to do all Flash's work for him right?"
"Yep."
"I had to do the same thing for his father." they walked another corner and Peter stopped. "I forgot to come in the car. I swung here." They broke out in laughter and May teared happily.
"Then maybe, after all these years of refusing to, you could swing me back home? Please?" she begged, but Peter shuck his head.
"Like every other time you've asked me this, no. I would never live with myself if you were seen swinging with me and became a target, or people realised that you were my daughter and put two and two together. Or even worse."
"If I were to get trapped in a cross fire with your enemies or drop me or any other of those LAME excuses you give me." she huffed and looked to the road. "We could always get a taxi. The none 'my dad is a super hero' way home."
"Sounds good to me." Peter squeezed her shoulder. "Listen. I need to talk to you about my…part time job."
"You mean full time. Right?"
"Well." They stepped into a flagged down cab. "It has been more of part time recently. I have really been cutting down on how long I go around the apple as of late. And, I am going to retire once your mother comes home."
"You can't do that!" May screamed, shocked and appalled. Peter gave her a warning look and they waited until they arrived home. Peter paid the cabby, and resumed the conversation with his daughter.
"And why not?"
"Because if you quit, what will happen to the city? Who will protect them?" she whispered as they walked into the skyscraper. Thanks to MJ's big wages, they lived in a really expensive apartment on the very top floor, the entire top floor. Peter smiled as they passed a family from another level, and entered the elevator.
"Iron man, the fantastic four, the Teen Titans, the Avengers, Batman, Superman, the Justice League, hell the police. But not me. I am tempted to just not go swinging again. Ever."
"But!"
"Listen May." Peter stopped as the doors opened and they walked off onto their level. "I am older now. I am pushing 50 soon, villains and thugs are getting younger and I am not. I am at more risk of not coming home now than I have ever been. And that is not the half of it. My Spidersense has been acting up, going off when there is no danger and failing when there is. My strength has diminished almost to normal levels and my reflexes are weak now. Age is telling me to quit May."
"But."
"But nothing. I am fed up of coming home with aches, bruises, broken bones. Your mother worries about me no matter where she is, rings me every day, just to check I am still alive and will be here when she comes back."
"A few bruises never stopped you before!" they entered the apartment and May pouted profusely, storming into a chair. Peter sat next to her and went on.
"I didn't have a family before. I only kept it up for the money I would get for pictures and because I didn't have to worry about a family. Now I am editor of the daily bugle and have a hefty pay check, which I only get if I am in my paper, doing my job. So the only reason left is because I enjoyed it. I loved swinging from rooftops and wrestling with robots over the statue of liberty. I truly loved it. Back in my day. But this isn't my day anymore May. I am old now. I need to be at the bugle doing my job and running my paper. Not putting my life at risk. I need to be providing for my family and be responsible for you."
"Don't you talk about responsibility!" May jumped to her feet and tears fell down her cheeks like a flood. "You hardly remember you have a daughter, you forget my birthdays, you even forgot Christmas last year! You try to beat up kids from my school for being their arrogant selves, you hardly have any time for me!"
"I would have more time for you if I stopped being Spiderman."
"You don't get it dad. I never minded you not being here when you were saving lives, when you were Spiderman. I love Spiderman. BUT I HATE PETER PARKER!" May screamed and ran to her room. Peter stood up to go after her, but may opened the door to her room and her tear stained face froze him to the spot. "You can't talk of responsibility. You don't now the meaning of the word. But uncle Ben did. With great power comes great responsibility. Remember that? or is it only me who remembers. Funny that, I remember everything, and am the one who gets forgotten." She slammed the door and locked it. So when Peter tried to open it, he couldn't. Not even his Super strength could budge it.
"I am getting old." He said after straining with the door. "May…"
May cried her heart out to her pillow, her auburn hair matted from lying on her bed for hours.
It was late now, really late.
May sat up and sniffled, rubbing her eyes dry. Her room had a large double bed, large white duvet and pillows, cream peach carpet and walls, mahogany head board to the bed and mahogany furniture. Her room was bi enough to be an apartment. She had a walk in wardrobe, a vanity table, a study desk, a gaming desk, a computer desk, a chest of draws and door, all from left to right in front of the bed. But to her far left was the veranda. It was two large glass doors that only she had the key for that led out to give her a wonderful view of the city. She could see the Brooklyn Bridge from her veranda. It was a beautiful night; she could see the full moon from her bed. Tears and a smile came to her as she remembered back to when she was 6. She stood up and leant against the wall. She saw a much smaller version of herself drawing pictures of herself holding hands with Spiderman. Outside an image of a much younger Spiderman in full, ridiculous costume. She had always thought that costume was unnecessary. It was more of a humorous costume than serious. Not like Captain America's or Batman's. but in the end, the red and blue webbed costume was part of Spiderman's image. I mean, how could you hate a guy who looked like that? She laughed out loud as her memory played out before her. Her father had locked himself out by accident and needed to get back inside before MJ came home. He was under strict orders not to leave her alone to go patrolling, but he went anyway. But he hopped not to be caught. So power was put into May's little hands as her father rasped on her glass door, careful not to break it.
"Honey, I'm home."
"Daddy!" her miniature self ran to the glass door and hung off the handle, letting her dad in.
"Hay there my little girl. Who loves Spiderman?"
"I do! I do!"
"Nice to know I have at least one fan." The after image webbed a swing into her room and pushed her on it.
"I love you daddy. and I always will."
"Of course you do. And I love you to."
"You are my King daddy I look up to you. I want to be just like you when I grow up." she watched as her father faltered. He hugged her tightly and sat with her in his arms, in a classical spider pose.
"You know what May? You just made my day. And where would a king be without his spider princess?"
"I'm a princess! Yay!"
"Yes you are. You are my little princess. No matter how rebellious and stropy you get. I will always love you. But I do wonder how you will turn out, I mean. Not every girl has a dad who wears tights." May chuckled and the image faded. But her sadness returned to her as soon as she couldn't see her memory anymore. "How could he give it up? I would love to be like him. I would love to be like Spiderman…I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to be just like him when I grow up…but I guess I will never be like him…not unless there is a sale going on featuring radioactive Spiders…" she sniffled and opened her glass doors, stepping out onto her veranda.
The moon was full and the stars were bright. Everything about the night felt wonderful to her. Like she was partially nocturnal. And she has never been a morning person. The cool night breeze hit her skin as she sat on her metal chair against the railing. She had two chairs, a table and a sun lounger out here. The sun lounger she never used, but she did have her breakfast out here in a morning. Her hazel eyes looked back to the moon and she sighed, alone. "Happy birthday May. After all that, he still didn't remember." she sniffled and closed her eyes. But something soft brushed against her back and she bolted around. It felt like a vine, or perhaps a reptilian tail of some sort. But she couldn't see anything behind her. when she finally did turn back to look out on the city, there was something on the table that wasn't there before. A pale cream letter with big black writing, obviously written with an ink pen, laid on the tale. Just in front of her. she gasped as there was a name on the front.
To May.
She knew her father and mother's handwriting perfectly. And this wasn't written by either of them. MJ wrote to small and Peter wrote neatly. This was huge lettering, but thick and average…like they had tried to write as neat as possible. So who could have written this? How about I read it and find out? She said to herself and traced the paper with her hands. According to her watch it was 11pm. Who could have sent her a letter at this time? And how? If it wasn't for the fact that she knew her father couldn't have written this, she would have looked up to the roof only a few feet above her. But it wasn't from her father. May had to tear the edge of the envelope, as it had been stuck shut, not folded. Again not her parents' style. She pulled a piece of white paper. It was crisp and new. She smelt it. it was fragranced paper. It smelt of masculine cologne. As she unfolded it, she began to read.
To May.
Firstly we wish you a happy birthday. As we see that no one else remembered, again.
Wow, hold it right there. She looked away and analysed what she already knew. They were either someone who likes to refer to themselves in the third person, or talking on behalf of more than one person. And how did they know everyone else had forgotten her birthday? She read on.
16 already. It feels like it was only yesterday when we saw you go to school for the first time. A little blue dress with checker white square on it, black buckle shoes and a red hair ribbon. You had long hair back then. We prefer it shorter, it suits you better.
Ok, whoever this was knew her. Because that is what she wore on her first day of school. And she did have long hair back then.
We saw your hockey game last week. You played well, and don't think we didn't see you knock that girl off her shins. Well done.
This was getting freakier by the second.
By now you will probably be wondering who we are. And how we know so much about you. Like your favourite colour is black, nice choice, and you love high places. That is why you are reading this on your veranda. Isn't it? And you will not be able to guess who we are. You have never met us, but we have always been there. Even now, we are watching you.
Ok, now she wanted to go and call her dad. If it wasn't for the next line.
Not thinking of running away, are we? If you did, what do you think would happen? Your father would put his mask on and web out to find us? Oh yes, that is right. We know who your father really is.
I want my mommy…
But does he?
May stood up and looked around her. yes that was probably not the smartest thing to do, but she did it anyway. Her hands were trembling as she read further. If this guy, or guys, knew about her father, they would have a reason for wanting to know. like if they wanted revenge or had some sort of vendetta against him. and they obviously took the time to learn all about her life too. But they said they were there, when she went to school. So they must either be a friend turn enemy, or someone who goes way back with her father. she couldn't keep her eyes away for long.
We think he doesn't really know who he is. And while we are on the matter of knowing people, do you know who you are? Who you are supposed to be?
She sat down slowly and raised an eyebrow.
We know that too. And we think you should know.
We could tell you. We could teach you everything we know. Because right now, we are a better Spiderman than Parker will ever be. We know your lusts.
Oh no.
And we can fulfil them for you. We can satisfy all you needs. All you need to do, is meet with us. We have so much we are willing to teach you, if you are willing to learn.
She whimpered and covered her mouth with one hand. This couldn't be real!
We can even make you a Spidergirl.
She was speechless. That was it. She turned the letter over, looked back, re read it, turned it over again but nothing. That was all it had to say. Before she could even inspect the letter further, it was snatched from her hands from over her shoulder by something fast and black. Something else then constricted around her mouth like a snake and she could hear a loud hissing in her left ear. two large hands pinned her arms to her sides, and she felt a hot breath beat against her ear.
"Shhhhhhh." He hissed. And from the crotch that was being pushed into her bum, she new it was a he. "We have something else for you." What ever ensnared her mouth gently forced her to raise her head as somehow, some thing cold and what felt like a soft metal elegantly encircled her neck. She heard him fasten it and a heavy pendant weighed down on the very top of her sternum, just lower than the base of her neck and nestled at the start of her cleavage. "We are here for you, when others are not. We are watching over you, like others should." Something long and wet trailed along one side of her neck, and it could have been a tongue, if it wasn't impossibly too big. The 'things' that held her mouth slithered away and he released her arms. "Until we meet again, my little protégé." The hissing, sibilant voice vanished and she span round. But there was nothing there. Nothing was out of place or out of the ordinary. She was alone, on her veranda, more than several stories high. She looked down at her chest and saw that it was a necklace that had been fastened around her neck. It was a delicate, but strong gold chain with a large, black, oval gem stone encrusted into a golden base. There was a wisp of white in it and it shone like it had been plucked from the stars itself. She found herself fondling the precious stone, entranced by it. but a single sentence rung in her head as she gazed into the hidden depths of the stranger's gift.
'We can even make you a Spidergirl'