(A/N: I do not own Spiderman. That right belongs to Sony).
Peter and Gwen walked through the halls of Ravencroft Institute with Dr. Ashley Kafka walking them towards Eddie Brock's room.
Gwen was a bit relieved to finally get alone time with Peter. She hadn't been able to get him by herself in weeks. His two girlfriends didn't seem to trust her alone with him for long which kind of annoyed her. She had to admit though, it was fair of them not to considering how she pretty much poured her heart out and affirmed her love to Peter at the Silver Spoon a few weeks back. She was still in recovery mode from his rejection.
Ravencroft was not exactly Disneyland. The amount of mentally ill people Peter and Gwen were walking by was a bit disturbing. They passed by Doc Ock's room. Inside the glass, the two could see he was just inside his room reading a book and not saying a word even as he looked up and saw the two passing.
Soon, Dr. Kafka stopped in front of a room labeled 'E. Brock'. She stopped and turned towards the two teenagers.
"Alright, here we are" Kafka said with a small smile. She was glad Eddie was getting visitors. He hadn't exactly had a lot of social interaction apart from their little circle meetings with other patients. This was a good step towards rehabilitation.
Despite the fact that Peter had suggested this and was glad to be given the opportunity to see his lifelong friend again, he was kind of dreading this. He hadn't seen Eddie in several months, not since the symbiote had detached itself from him and fell down the drain of the Midtown High showers. He didn't know how he was going to react.
"And you're sure he's…safe?" Peter asked, a little nervously.
"Yes. He's mellowed out a lot since he was first brought here. Just…try not to mention anything regarding what he refers to as a 'symbiote'...he…gets angst-y when he hears about that" Kafka stated.
The both of them nodded, signifying they understood and Kafka opened the door. It was a small white room with a bed, tv, some books to read, etc. Eddie was just laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed behind his head.
"Eddie…you have some visitors" Kafka said, looking at the two.
Eddie slightly tilted his head upwards and saw Peter with Gwen. He gave a scoff. Now he decided to visit him, he thought.
"I suspect you need some time alone together so I'll leave you guys alone. I'll come check on you in a few minutes" Kafka said, allowing them into the room. She shut the door behind them as she left the room, giving them some privacy.
It was so quiet, you could hear paint on a wall dry.
After a few minutes of silence, Peter decided to finally break it
"...Hey, Eddie" Peter simply said to his former friend as it was.
"Well…what's it been, bro? 8 months or so? Good on you to finally make some time for your own friend but then again, I guess all your time as Spiderman really takes all your time away from being a decent human being, doesn't it?" Eddie asked with a raised eyebrow and glare.
Peter stared at him for a moment and sighed. He kinda expected this.
"Eddie, please calm down" Gwen said, slightly walking towards her friend, trying to ease his anger.
Eddie turned and saw Gwen. Instantly, regret filled him, remembering how he was this close to hurting her by hanging her off a Thanksgiving day parade balloon over a personal vendetta and not just her. He also remembered how he almost put Aunt May in danger.
"Gwen…I…there's no words to say how sorry I am over what happened at Thanksgiving. I…I was just so mad. I wasn't thinking straight" Eddie said, sitting up from his bed and looking at her with immense regret.
Gwen, stepping close to Eddie, grabbed his hand. Normally, Peter would've hesitated at this or would've gotten his guard up but since Eddie wasn't attached to the symbiote and the symbiote at this point was nowhere to be found from Peter's understanding, he let it happen. Besides, Eddie wasn't in a position to take him and he knew this. He wouldn't try anything.
"Eddie…I think you're confused. That…that monster…no one knows where it came from" Gwen said, trying to rationalize all of this but even then, she wasn't sure herself.
"Gwen…I…We…are venom. Me…and my love. We're meant to be together. Not Peter, the web-head. Me!" Eddie said. He got up and got into a defensive position but Peter didn't budge and kept a blank face, not wanting to feed into this.
Gwen moved her hand away and got a little scared. She moved towards Peter and whispered to him that they should maybe call the doctor but Peter shook his head, determined to help his oldest friend.
Peter slowly stepped up and opened his mouth. "Eddie…I'm sorry I sold those pictures to the Bugle. I know I shouldn't have but I was desperate for money. My uncle had just died and we were struggling. We had eaten through our savings and we had several past due bills to pay. We were practically one week away from getting our power shut off! I needed the money"
"And you were willing to do anything to get it, even hurting a man who wanted to help you achieve your full potential. Yeah. Some good guy you turned out to be" Eddie said, folding his arms and sitting down on the bed again.
"I made sure that none of the pictures showed anything that would have linked the Lizard to Dr. Connors! I made sure to be careful!" Peter retorted.
"But you plastered his shame all over the front page for all the city to see. Did you not see his face when he saw the Bugle?" Eddie asked, making Peter shift guiltily, remembering the day he was fired.
Gwen, deciding that Eddie had calmed down enough from his inane outburst a few moments ago, sat down slightly on the bed next to him. She placed her hand over his ever so slightly.
"Eddie…I agree with you that Peter shouldn't have sold the pictures to the Bugle…but the Connors forgave him and Peter got them their jobs back. Did you know they were sent to Florida because Warren blackmailed them with his Lizard research? They were crushed! Peter was able to bring them back and now they've never been happier" Gwen attempted to explain to him.
Eddie's eyes filled with sadness and his head lowered. "...Yeah. I'm glad"
Gwen sensed the sadness and looked to Eddie with sympathy.
"I'm sorry, Eddie. I know it's probably been lonely for you these last few months. We should have visited sooner, I know" Gwen said to the blonde man.
"It's no big deal. It's not too lonely. Dr. Kafka's a nice lady. I even made friends with some of the guys here" Eddie said, trying to make himself believe he wasn't that sad in his predicament.
"Look, Eddie…I know it's been a rough few months for you but…if you actually try to get some help, you can get better. You can get out of here, get your job back, go back to school at ESU. You can have your normal life back" Peter said, trying to get Eddie to see reason.
However, instead of reason, he got a pretty audible scoff.
"Normal life?...After what I experienced with my one and only love. Yeah, right. I experienced power I never felt before, feelings I never thought possible for a guy like me. Why would I want to give that up….hell, you know the feeling well, don't you? Would you ever want to give up your powers, web-head?" Eddie said, glaring at Peter.
At this point, Gwen was getting frustrated. She stood up from the bed and looked down at Eddie in Frustration.
"Eddie, please knock it off! Peter is not Spiderman. The Bugle already debunked that" Gwen practically chastised.
"Oh, please. What did they give other than Pete at the Halloween festival? Did they ever find out Spidey's true identity? No. They just assumed that because Peter wore his Spider costume on Halloween, that means he can't be Spiderman. That's not journalism! The guy probably just wanted to end it because he wasn't getting anything! You're smarter than that, Gwen! Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that Pete is the only one getting Spidey pics?" Eddie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That…that was also explained by the Bugle, Eddie. Spiderman contacts Peter whenever there's trouble. He likes to show off, it seems" Gwen tried to rationalize, though she was kinda having trouble believing that herself.
"Yeah. Likely story. Of all the photographers in New York that would just love to get their hands on Spidey pics, he just happens to pick Peter Parker. I guess it's also just pure coincidence that Peter just always happens to never be around when Spiderman is" Eddie said, rolling his eyes.
"I…Well…that…" Gwen said, scratching the back of her head. There were some things that didn't quite add up regarding Peter's relationship with Spiderman.
At that point, Eddie rose from the bed and sent a big glare towards Peter. He stepped towards the brunette.
"You seriously consider her your best friend when you won't even trust her with your biggest secret. Come on. Why don't you tell her the truth. Go on. Tell her" Eddie said, beginning to shove him.
"Eddie, stop! This is not why we came!" Gwen exclaimed, coming in between him and Peter.
"He's a giant liar, Gwen! He's been Spidey all this time and he doesn't want anyone to know, not even the people closest to him" Eddie said, slightly calming down and backing off. He folded his arms and just stared at Peter as Gwen was contemplating her thoughts.
Peter…Spiderman? N-no. It couldn't be. It wasn't like Peter. He was this nerdy boy who constantly needed help standing up to bullies. He couldn't be this muscular guy running around in skintight spandex...could he?
The more Gwen thought about it, the more it made sense. I mean...it was always weird how Peter just disappeared lately. Of course, he would always excuse it as needing to get pictures but Gwen wasn't 100% sure. She...she needed some assurance.
She looked to the boy she loved and gave him a pleading look.
"Peter...please tell me the truth...are...are you Spiderman? Please answer truthfully" Gwen managed to get out. She almost reached for his hands to place them in hers but realized it would be kind of awkward to do so. Instead, she intertwined her fingers and gripped her hands as if she was begging.
Peter just blinked. He had been asked this before but only by his coworkers at the Bugle. It was easy to lie to them because Peter wasn't really that close to any of them, not even Betty Brant who he had almost went to with to the Fall Formal before Aunt May convinced her not to go...but his closest friend? That...that was a different scenario.
"I...well...I...I don't-" Peter stammered, staring at Gwen before Eddie rolled his eyes.
"That's a confession in and of itself. Go on, hero. Tell her the truth. Tell her who you really are" Eddie said, stepping towards Peter who just looked between him and Eddie.
Afterwards, there was a deafening silence that engulfed the room as Peter tried to come up with some explanation as to why it couldn't be that he was Spiderman...all without necessarily lying.
After about 5 whole minutes of silence, Gwen couldn't take it anymore. It soon all became clear to her and she just couldn't believe it...nor could she handle. She then proceeded to run out the door, slamming the door behind her. Peter could hear footsteps running down the hall of the mental institution.
Peter just stared at the door, not believing what had just happened. This was not how he envisioned this visit would go and he was now regretting every minute of it. Soon, he just had to turn back to Eddie, expecting a victorious smirk. However, it was still a glare which surprised Peter. He was actually genuinely upset about this. It wasn't all an act. Maybe the hospital had done some good in rehabilitating him and it wasn't just his 'need' for hating that fueled his rage toward Peter right now. At that moment, Peter felt 6 inches tall.
"Yeah...well done, hero. You like to think of yourself as this big hero and yeah, maybe you do some good but you have no idea how much it hurts the people closest to you, not your friends, not even Aunt May...that spider changed you, Peter. It really has and I don't even recognize the person I used to call my little brother...get out of here, Peter. We're done here" Eddie said. He then turned around, walked towards and then sat down on the bed. The blonde man laid flat down on his back and stared at the ceiling, not saying another word.
"Eddie-" Peter tried to rationalize before he was interrupted.
"Go!" Eddie practically yelled, not moving an inch from the bed.
At that point, Peter knew when he was fighting a losing battle. After giving a defeated sigh, he turned and walked out the door. Gwen was nowhere to be seen as was expected. This wsa something he needed to speak with her about. He never really minded keeping the secret before but he didn't realize how big a deal this secret was until now and it made him think. He may not be able to share his identity with the public but he couldn't even share it with his closest friends or even Aunt May?
Well, Aunt May with her heart problems probably didn't need to know. Not yet anyway...but he realized he probably should have at least told Gwen. He could tell Captain Stacy knew and hell, he even told Liz when she had visited him in the hospital over a month ago.
He needed to fix this. Reconciling with Eddie (If that were even possible at this point) had to wait. However, before he could do any of that, there was one other thing he needed to do today. Something that required his immediate attention.
*Later that night*
A tall, buff white-skinned man with sharp teeth looked over documents at his desk at the top floor of his building. It had not been an easy few months for L. Thompson Lincoln AKA Tombstone. Ever since Valentine's day where he was betrayed by Hammerhead, he had been under close investigation by the Feds. However, because he had been extremely careful in his time as the 'Big Man', they had no evidence against him so they had to close the investigation. However, his office was bugged, his phones were tapped, the people he had appointments with were all vetted and his e-mails were being monitored by the government. He was still able to do his job but…it was a hell of a lot harder to do. One slip up and he was done for.
Tombstone just got done looking over reports that could be of beneficial knowledge to him and put them away. He stood up and stretched.
"So back in action, eh Tombie?" A familiar and daunting voice asked from above. Tombstone rolled his eyes and groaned. As if he didn't have enough to deal with right now. He looked up to see Spiderman in his primary colored suit on the ceiling.
"You never were keen on knocking on the door, were you?" Tombstone asked, moving from behind his desk and moving underneath Spiderman while looking up at him the whole time.
"Hey, you know how we superheroes are. We're not exactly one for subtlety" Spiderman said as he used his web shooters to spin a web to hang upside down a few feet in front of Tombstone.
"You know you are trespassing so that gives me every right to throw you out by any means necessary" Tombstone said, standing completely still and folding his arms. Despite his words, he didn't move a muscle.
"I'm just letting you know I've got my eyes on you. You may be able to fool the government but that won't work with me, Tombstone. You are not using this city and its people as your playthings again" Spiderman said, glaring at the albino man through the mask.
Tombstone for a moment said nothing before rolling his eyes and moving towards a door that led to a sort of balcony area.
"I've got no idea what you're talking about, Spiderman. I'm just a lowly businessman just trying to restore my good name to the public" Tombstone said as he opened the door and motioned Spiderman to follow him outside.
Normally, several alarms would be going off inside Spidey's head but he was honestly curious enough to see what he had to say. He shot a web towards a wall outside and pulled himself towards the outside balcony. Tombstone followed shortly after and closed the door.
"There we are. Now we can talk. As you can guess, the government has been watching me like a hawk. This is just the one place where they don't have me bugged" Tombstone said, sitting down at a table outside.
"So times are tough, huh?" Spiderman aked.
"A little. Ever since Hammerhead's betrayal and Osborn took over momentarily, I've been under strict investigation and haven't been able to continue the work in maintaining my empire and now I basically have to start from the bottom up. It's…certainly not ideal. However, it certainly defeats the alternative" Tombstone said, crossing his legs.
"You mean rotting in jail where you belong?" Spiderman asked.
Tombstone said nothing before uncrossing his legs and narrowing his eyes at Spiderman.
"Let's cut to the chase…why are you here, Spiderman?" Tombstone asked.
"To let you know that I'm watching you. I know it was you who tipped Marko off about the bank job" Spiderman accused.
"Interesting accusation. Say it was true. Do you have evidence?" Tombstone asked.
"No but I know it was you" Spiderman stated.
"Then you have nothing to go on and your relationship with the police was not completely stable even before the incident with the Green Goblin, aka my old business partner Norman Osborn. I doubt your word means anything" Tombstone said, not fazed by the accusation but at the same time wasn't denying it.
Spiderman couldn't exactly deny it. Even long after Norman's death, he could still hear murmur among the police about how he was getting crazy and becoming more ruthless. It wasn't true but what could he say or do. He couldn't deny his actions led to his death whether or not they were intentional. He was just glad he was good friends with Captain Stacy or else he'd be in a much worse position than he was now with the police.
"I'm not here to threaten. I'm here to warn you: I've got my eye on you. I may not have been able to get something out of Marko but I will from any other goon you send at me. Heck, I even got your own name from one of your 'creations'. You don't think I'll get anything else?" Spiderman asked menacingly.
Tombstone didn't say a word for the longest time before saying "I've been in this business longer than you can imagine. Much longer than you've been doing your business on the streets. While you, Goblin and Hammerhead have certainly put a dent in my operations, they are still quite stable and will carry on whether you like it or not"
"And how will you go about keeping me in check? Norman's dead, Warren is in jail and Doc Ock is freelance and won't take orders from you. You can't create any more villains" Spiderman countered.
"Maybe…but I'll manage. There's enough villains on the street that can look after you now" Tombstone said.
"You mean ones that aren't already in jail? I'm sure. Face it, Tombie, with the Goblin gone and you under close watch, there is no going back to your old system. Those days are long gone. While I'm still around, your numbers are up. Now remember…keep the lights on" Spiderman said before swinging away.
Tombstone just sat for a moment and sighed. He did have a point. He didn't have any way to make supervillains to keep him distracted anymore. The pattern that he originally had going had failed him and now there was no way back. The albino crime lord needed to sleep this over.
As he walked back to the entrance to his office, there came a sort of 'whooshing' noise, one that was a bit too close for comfort. He stopped in his tracks
"Heard you needed help taking down the spider. I believe I can assist you in that" A voice said from behind.
Tombstone then slowly turned around a saw a young boy wearing a kind of armored suit, a mask and riding on a hoverboard that was quite similar to Osborn's glider. He said and did nothing to this, only raised an eyebrow.
"Hm…and here I thought my days with Goblins were finished" Tombstone simply said.