September 18th - 2019
It took me a lot of strength…
Sitting in the chair within the quiet and private hospital room Peter found himself in, he set the laptop on his lap and began to check on the internal archives of the Bugle for any Maggia-related stories. There were quite a few from many years ago; they were all about the typical mafia stuff one would find.
Peter brought his left hand to his chin and kept focusing on the shattered screen of his laptop. He sighed heavily, there was a lot of work to be done and barely any recent material to help him and Captain Davis understand what could be happening behind the Maggia's sudden resurgence.
He later looked to his side and found Flash still fastly asleep and wrapped in the sheets in his hospital bed. They hadn't talked yet. Peter didn't feel like waking him up after he was finally allowed to enter the room. Flash needed all the resting he could possibly get.
… but here I am.
Peter moved his attention to the screen again and updated the website's main page. A new story had just been published. He narrowed his eyes at the screen to read the headline.
Oscorp's ongoing merger with Fisk Industries in favor of investors…
Peter rubbed his chin while his thoughts flourished at the headline. Oscorp wouldn't last any longer after its previous CEOs ran it to the ground with their reputation, but he couldn't grasp the notion that Fisk was still allowed to do business. It wasn't exactly a secret that he was buried deep in shady deals. Somehow, no one managed to put him down.
"Pete…?"
He looked over his shoulder and towards the bed. Flash had just opened his eyes. "Hey, man…." After standing back on his feet, he closed his laptop and set it on the counter next to the bed.
Flash spoke weakly, "... you're here."
"You put me on your contact's list; they let me in."
Flash nodded slowly and let out a tiny smile. "I knew… I knew you would come."
Peter looked down at him. "... of course. Who else would?" He teased, before resting his hands on the side rails of the moveable bed.
Flash chuckled lightly. His voice was somewhat raspy. "Ah… I can't even let out a good ol' chuckle without something hurting somewhere in here." He yawned.
"Take it easy."
"Man… the amount of medication they are putting me through is no joke."
"You'll get through this," Peter said reassuringly.
"I'm just glad you are here." He added, "It's been so long."
"Far too long, yeah." Peter smiled. "I thought you had gone to Dakota. That's what you told us."
"I was… running short of money, and I guess I… I just couldn't deal with my mother's inability to let go of my father."
"... I wish we could have kept in touch. I… I could have sorted something out around here."
Flash shook his head. "It's okay. I had to stay away… from everything, you know?"
Peter nodded and later questioned, "How are you right now?"
"I'm alive… I guess."
Peter moved his sight to the end of the bed and noticed that Flash's left leg was missing from underneath the sheets. He inhaled deeply and met Flash's green eyes once again. "I'm… so sorry, Flash."
Flash sighed and shook his head to himself. "... our Humvee flipped because of this… roadside bomb, an IED, then the turret somehow got loose and crushed and pinned my leg, I couldn't move." He added, "We were all stunned for that moment, the sergeant… she had an enormous gash on her leg, I had to help her. I got myself out from underneath the turret to apply a tourniquet on her and later called for help. She lived, we all did, minus some parts of us."
Peter looked into his eyes and said reassuringly, "You saved her; you saved all of their lives."
"... and I think I took a lot more." Flash cleared his throat. "... and I don't even know for what reason."
"It's not… it's not your fault."
Flash looked away. "... tell that to their families."
Peter didn't know what to say at the moment. It was a topic he had just gotten himself into. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. "You're here now, alive. That's what matters… that's what matters to me."
Flash whispered to himself, "... what's left of me." He later turned his head back in Peter's direction. "I… I wish I could have been there for her… and you."
Peter cleared his throat. "... it's okay, Flash."
"She… always believed so much in me. She deserved so much better."
Peter nodded. "Yes, she deserved a lot more."
"... and some people act as if Spider-Man was responsible for… it. They are wrong." Flash added, "... that Osborn guy, he should have gotten it much worse."
Peter sighed. "Maybe Spider-Man should have found a way… he should have saved her, I… I don't know, just something."
Flash focused on Peter's eyes. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have brought it up." He raised his hand off the bed and waited for Peter to take it in his.
Peter hesitated for a moment. He eventually held his friend's hand tightly in his right hand. "It's okay; we… we have a lot to catch up on."
"Can you… can you keep coming here then? I don't have many people I know around here."
Peter nodded and brought his other hand to Flash's, holding it with both hands reassuringly. "... I will, anytime. We'll get through this, Flash, together… okay?"
"You promise?"
Peter nodded once again without ever letting go of Flash's hand. "Yes, I promise."
Later in the day…
"Here, these fresh blankets will keep you warm later in the night, Ms. Lynd." Peter opened the box he had set on his feet, and beside the improvised bed, he was standing close to.
He was inside what once was an indoor basketball court that was now part of F.E.A.S.T's headquarters. The whole area was crowded with beds and people staying for as long as needed.
The woman of age rubbed her hands together in excitement. "Oh, thank you, Peter! You treat me so well."
He beamed. "It's what we do; we… help each other, right?"
Lynd nodded. "I really can't thank you and your Aunt May enough."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, she does most of the heavy lifting. I'm just part of her platoon."
Lynd chuckled at his joke. "You're so young, you could be anywhere at this point, and it would be alright, but you are here with us."
"Fair point, I guess I… I like doing stuff like this, you know? Helping people, even if it can be tough sometimes." He questioned, "But enough about me; you're what matters now. Is there anything else you need?"
She tilted her head to the side in deep thought. "I don't think so. A warm bed is all I need right now." She paused, "Well… can we maybe get some of my squirrels here? After Spider-Man told me about this place, I had to leave them behind."
"You took care of squirrels?"
"It's not like... I own them. I just tried to feed them when I was living in the park… I wonder if they are alright."
"Well, I don't think we can give shelter to… animals, right now. But… sometimes I take late shifts at work, and I have to move around in the city, you know… to take photos of what could happen, it can be a crazy city." He continued, "... and given a chance, I think I can check on them for you."
Her eyes shot up. "Really? You can do that?"
"I think I can, yeah." He let out a tiny smile.
"I believe they still are near the oak bridge, Central Park."
"I'll note that down." He looked over his shoulder. "I'm going to check on the others now, okay?"
"Alright, thank you so much, Pete."
Peter nodded and stepped away from the bed. He walked down the corridor formed by the beds on both sides. There were two more corridors in the other half of the basketball court. With winter on the horizon, many more people showed up, thankfully.
He waved back at the people that greeted him as he walked past them. May had built a friendly community.
"Peter…!"
He looked over his shoulder and found Miles and Alice walking together towards him. "Hey, what's up?"
Miles seemed breathless. "We need your help… I need your help right now."
"What do you mean?"
Miles sighed heavily. "The sink in the kitchen… the water… it was leaking, it just stopped… for the moment."
"Well, we can't have that, right?" He walked past them and gestured for the pair to tag along. "Come on, you and your partner in crime will help me with it."
A couple of minutes later, they were now present in the problematic kitchen. Peter emptied the cabinet under the sink and tried his best to fit inside, even if barely. He struggled to get himself in a comfortable position.
He grunted and said, "How come stuff like this only happens whenever I'm around?"
Miles spoke from his chair near Peter, "Maybe because you're the only one that can fix it. It's fate."
He chuckled. He struggled slightly as either his elbow hit a pipe or his head hit the bottom of the sink. "... maybe you have a point; my Uncle Ben used to deal with stuff like this back at home."
Miles teased, "It runs in the family."
Peter grunted as he checked on the plumbs. "What were you two up until now?"
"Alice's mom had to attend to some matters back home. So, I offered to take care of her, and we got busy looking for Christmas decorations. May told us she kept the ones from last year somewhere here."
"Already planning for Christmas, eh?"
"It's never too early for Christmas… and I thought it would help Alice get distracted while her mom is away." Miles looked at Alice, "There's a lot of things we can do, right?"
She replied with enthusiasm, "Yes, I love Christmas!"
Peter frowned at the sight of the plumbs above him. "I see… then the sooner we find where those boxes are, the better- '' He was cut short once a flood of water came gushing out above him.
They had forgotten to turn the water off.
Miles rushed out of the chair and towards the sink, before closing the faucet. "Oops… I think I forgot about this."
Peter let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh well, I guess I won't need another shower today."
Alice giggled at his words.
He heard her laugh and eventually let out a tiny smile to himself. "This is probably why I didn't become a plumber." He eyed the loose pipes above him.
Miles searched for a towel in the kitchen. "It's never too late to change."
Peter took a single piece of his original web-shooters from his pants pocket and moved it down his left wrist. He always kept one with him just in case. "You need to learn this stuff with me while I'm still alive."
Miles found a towel on one of the shelves. "Then we have many, many years for that."
Peter chuckled once again. He webbed the pipes together and made sure they were well connected.
Miles heard the sound of the web-shooter but didn't know what to make of it. He approached Alice. "Did you guys just hear this?"
Alice nodded. "Yeah."
Peter wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I might have dropped something in here; it could be that. Try it now."
Miles opened the faucet and watched the water hit the drain again. "Yes! It's working." He looked over his shoulder once he noticed the visitor at the kitchen entrance. He smiled at her. "Oh, hey you."
"Nice," Peter began to extricate himself from underneath the sink without doing too much damage to himself or the cabinetry. "At least we have a functional sink once again–"
Peter stopped in his tracks once he got back on his feet and saw the woman standing against the door frame. Alice followed his gaze.
The red-haired woman eyed his wet figure and damp shirt. "Well, tiger… let's face it, you might just as well have hit the jackpot." She wore a sleeveless black top and a light brown pair of jeans. Her red hair fell slightly past her shoulders.
She carried a red leather jacket in her left arm.
Peter cleared his throat. The woman had her eyes locked on his. Miles moved his sight between her and Peter, wondering what was currently happening between them in the kitchen they were all in.
Peter rubbed the back of his neck.
Alice jumped in excitement. "Mary!" She rushed towards the woman and hugged her waist. "Are we going out then?"
"Hey, little Missy." She smiled and caressed her blonde hair. "We will, yes."
Miles raised an eyebrow after checking on Peter's expression. He smiled at her. "You just missed the tragedy we had to go through."
She let out a brief chuckle, "Oh, really?"
As the water steadily left the faucet, the pipes burst open once again, and more water sprayed into the ground.
Manhattan - Central Park
"So… you're the Peter Parker I've heard so much about." Mary Jane spoke from the bench in the park they were both sitting on. Alice rushed around with the green balloon hanging by the cord in her right hand.
She seemed happy.
Peter followed the balloon with his eyes. "The one and only."
MJ joined his gaze. "Well, I'm glad you came too. She seems to enjoy being around you."'
Peter turned his head to face the redhead, "What makes you say that?"
"The way she speaks about you, I don't know… she's just interested in you."
"I assume that you two are close."
Mary Jane smiled. "I believe so, yeah." She listened to the comforting sound of Alice's laugh. "Once we met, we just… connected so quickly, you know? It helps that her mother trusts me to watch over her while she's trying to sort… the problems back home."
"I think I understand."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe the truth is that I just see a bit of my younger self in her… I don't know."
Peter looked at her expression. He noticed how she drifted away. He didn't feel like prying on her past so suddenly. "And you've been helping at F.E.A.S.T."
She nodded. "Yes, I realized I could be useful. My Aunt Anna knows yours, and then… well, you can connect the dots."
"Yeah, I figured as much. I didn't know that we were once neighbors."
"We almost were. I… I only went to live with my Aunt Anna after she moved from Queens. But yes, we were almost neighbors."
"That would have been… interesting."
Mary Jane tilted her head to the side and looked at him. "How?"
He cleared his throat. "I-I mean… like, I don't know, we could have been… friends, I think."
She grinned. "You want to be my friend?"
"What? N-No… I mean, yes… but like…" He paused and sighed heavily. "You know what I mean."
"Sure… I mean, it seems that's what our aunts want, right? For us to be friends." She chuckled and saw him shaking his head to himself. "But you are… kinda cute, Peter Parker."
He smiled and looked away. "... whatever, MJ."
She laughed briefly and watched Alice talk to some children she had just met in the park. "So, May told me you're a photographer."
He teased, "What else has she spilled the beans on?"
She cocked her head to the side. "That she thinks you know Spider-Man."
"Oh, do I now?
MJ frowned, surprised. "You don't?"
"It's more like… I just take pictures of him, sometimes. I also do some other work for the Bugle while I don't have my biophysics degree."
"You're like… the only one in this city that can take some actual good pictures of him."
"... you know your photos."
"I'm a… aspiring actress, I guess. Sometimes I take some modeling gigs too."
He smiled. "That's really cool, I didn't know."
"Yeah, well… there's a lot of waiting in between, so it's not like I'm any successful at all."
"Hey, you'll get there. I'm pretty sure."
She smiled. "What makes you say that?"
He looked over the park and said reassuringly, "I just know."
MJ retained her smile and followed his gaze, taking in the calmness of the area.
He later broke the comfortable silence, "And yes… I guess I know Spider-Man in some capacity, but hey… you're the only one that now knows this for sure; it's a secret."
MJ focused on his peaceful expression. "Your secret is safe with me."
Peter looked at the tree on his right side and spotted the tiny squirrels moving around. "It's feeding time." He moved his hand to a spot on the bench right next to him and took the sack of nuts in shells.
MJ joined him in watching the squirrels once she realized what he was looking at on the bench. "So, that's why you wanted to buy those shells."
"... and another reason why I wanted to come to this particular spot in the park." He turned on his shoulder. "Can you call Alice…? I think she will enjoy this."
MJ nodded and stood up. She called Alice's name, before gesturing for her to come closer. The latter grinned and immediately began sprinting back to her guardians.
Alice quickly embraced MJ and looked up at her with a smile. "I'm here."
Peter had been facing the tree and now crouched on the floor next to the bench he was originally sitting on. "Come help me with this."
The women behind him all turned in his direction, with Alice letting go of MJ to kneel next to him. MJ stood behind them and hugged herself, followed by a smile spread across her lips.
"Squirrels…!" Alice pointed out, amazed. Two of them climbed down the three to wander near the shells that Peter had set in the ground near them.
Peter smiled. "Here's one; slowly bring it near them with your hand." He handed her the shell.
Alice seemed hesitant at first but slowly carried the shell in her hand and towards the rest of the pack that had arrived. Eventually, one of them came close enough to her hand to sniff on the shell, before grabbing it off her hand and cracking it open.
Alice beamed. "I did it!" She looked over her shoulder and at MJ who had just sat on the edge of the bench and close to Peter.
MJ winked, "You certainly did it, honey." Alice picked another shell from the sack and tried once again. MJ inhaled deeply as she felt relieved to see the happiness of a girl going through a difficult moment in her childhood. She then set her sight down on Peter Parker.
Peter smiled again at the child, proudly. He looked at her content expression. She reminded him of someone so dear to him; they shared far too much resemblance. He then cleared his throat and looked away and back to the squirrels.
About twenty minutes later, after they finished feeding the pack of squirrels, Mary Jane had been busy painting Alice's initials in the latter's hand. They were sitting, legs crossed in the grass of the open field they were now found on. A couple of children were running after each other in a spot not far away from them.
Peter stood up with arms crossed and stared at the cloudy sky. There could be rain coming up soon. He also had an 'A' painted in red on his left hand.
There was about to be a 'tournament' of football for the children. Someone's pair of shoes would be used to mark where each goal was. Alice would join the rest of the children who were all similar to her age. MJ used her index finger to paint the 'A' in Alice's left hand. "A… of Alice. This will be our little team, it will give you strength while you're playing."
Alice smiled. She looked at the letter in MJ's own hand. "You think so?"
"Of course, we're a team… the best one." MJ finished the marking. "There you go."
Alice stood up as Peter moved closer to them. She analyzed the 'A' in the back of her hand with a smile. "I love it. Let me see yours."
Peter and Mary Jane showed the back of their hands to her.
Alice jumped in excitement. "This is so cool! Thank you."
"It is." MJ gestured to the rest of the children that were calling for her. "They are calling for you; you should join them."
"Aren't you coming?"
MJ tilted her head to the side. Peter smiled. She replied, "I'm not as athletic as I was in high school, Alice. Besides, you guys are... quite a bit younger than me; it wouldn't be fair."
"But we need someone to be the… I forgot the name; you would use the whistle!"
Peter interjected with a smile, "She means that you should be the referee."
"Oh, sure… I guess I can do that." MJ chuckled.
Alice took MJ's hand in hers. "Great, let's go."
Peter moved his hand towards MJ. "Let me hold your jacket for you."
MJ smiled and handed him her jacket as he pulled it over his shoulder. "Aren't you coming?"
He immediately felt the perfume from the jacket. "Sure, but I'll grab us some snacks first, okay?"
MJ let out a nod, followed by a kind smile. She showed her marked hand to him. "Don't bail on us. We're a team now."
He smiled back. "I won't."
The friendly match would last a little while.
"Please don't mind the mess my apartment must be in."
Peter could be heard from the hallway outside his apartment. About an hour after Alice's game started, the clouds felt like finally pouring rain on top of everyone present in the city. They quickly rushed to his apartment since he lived near the park.
Turning the key to the side, Peter pushed open the door and moved himself to the side to give MJ a quick and free passage inside his apartment. He carried Alice in his arms.
Mary Jane took a step further into the apartment and looked around; it was clean and tidy. She loved the wooden floor. It reminded her of her childhood home when things were going well. The windows were double-glazed, so on the cold nights, which were frequent, he would stay much warmer, plus the thick olive green curtains that hung to the ground would add to that.
Peter closed the door behind him with his foot and set Alice back on her feet. "Go on." He gestured to her to explore around. She went straight for his television.
Looking around her, Mary Jane saw what was supposed to be the living room further into the apartment; a small TV, couch, and bookshelf kept it alive. The small kitchen was set on the wall on her right side, along with a high counter in front of it and two chairs next to the piece of furniture.
"It's quite… nice, actually."
Peter stopped next to MJ. "Did I surpass your expectations?"
She smiled and teased, "I don't know what I was expecting."
He chuckled. "Well, I was lucky to find one of these here in Yorkville. It's what I can afford with what Jameson pays me." He offered to take off her slightly damp leather jacket.
She slid the jacket down her arms and handed it to him, exposing her bare arms. "Thank you."
Peter approached the hanger in the kitchen and put her jacket on it.
MJ sat on one of the stools and set her eyes on him. "Honestly, it's probably tidier than mine at the moment…. sometimes I have my clothes all over the place."
"I get what you mean." Peter opened the fridge and searched for a drink for them. "I guess I'm just at a point in my life that I have the time to focus on… keeping things in order, I don't know."
Because there's not a long going on for Peter Parker.
She added, "With your photos, you could get a job anywhere in the field."
He took a bottle of grape juice and set it over the counter. "Maybe, but… I have Jameson quite attached to me, so I don't think restarting this whole thing is good for me now." He took some glasses and poured the juice into them. "At least until I get to finish college, that is."
"Why haven't you?"
He shrugged his shoulders and handed one glass to her. "Priorities… I guess, but I'm getting there."
"Thank you." MJ took the glass in her hand and took a sip of the fresh juice. "I'll bring it to her." She stood up and carried Alice's glass in her hand as she calmly walked over to the child sitting on the couch while watching the cartoon show.
Alice looked up at MJ and took the glass from her hand. "Thank you."
MJ smiled and turned her attention to the window. She could see that the rain wouldn't be giving up anytime soon. Her eyes then settled on the TV rack near them. She spotted the portraits of May, who she thought was his Uncle, and another portrait of a young blonde woman in her graduation attire.
MJ spoke, "... she was so beautiful."
Peter approached her and saw what she was staring at. He remained in silence.
MJ noticed the expression on his face. "I'm… sorry. I-I shouldn't have…"
Peter met her eyes with his. "It's… okay, I guess. Everyone in this city knows her… they know what happened. I'm still getting used to it." He cleared his throat.
"She helped Spider-Man take down that man… Max, right? She was a fighter."
He nodded. "... she was." He let out a tiny smile and turned on his shoulder to head back for the kitchen. "Are you guys hungry? Those snacks wouldn't keep me satisfied for long."
MJ followed him. "Alice's mother hasn't texted me yet, so I think that maybe we should order… I don't know, some pizza?"
"Hmm… I'm not that much of a cook, but I feel like coming up with something here. What do you think?"
She beamed and crossed her slender arms. "Well, then we are a match… because I barely know the basics myself."
He chuckled as he opened the fridge. "Let's do this then."
About twenty minutes later, Mary Jane coughed as she stepped back from the smoke that billowed out of the pot as she took the lid off. Peter laughed and peeled the potatoes, before cutting them in the sink. She smiled and waved her hand in front of her for a moment; she was then handed the sliced potatoes and proceeded to dump them into the boiling pot.
Peter checked on his phone to take another look at the recipe for cheesy scalloped potatoes.
MJ noticed it. "Can you put some music on, maybe?"
He turned on his shoulder to face her. "Sure, what do you want?"
She moved over to the saucepan and got started with the melted butter. "... impress me."
Peter shrugged his shoulders and put a song on. He put his phone aside in the kitchen and began focusing on opening the sacks for the ingredients.
So you're still thinking of me…
Just like I know you should…
I can not give you everything, you know I wish I could…
Mary Jane laughed once she realized the song they were listening to. "That's just typical of you."
He shrugged his shoulders. "You wanted to be impressed."
I'm so high at the moment…
I'm so caught up in this…
She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "I can't say I am not."
Yeah, we're just young, dumb, and broke…
But we still got love to give…
Mary Jane moved her waist to the rhythm of the beat while snapping her fingers and smiling at Peter. He chuckled at sight. The dinner would now take slightly longer to get ready.
While we're young dumb…
Young, young dumb and broke…
Later in the night, with the rain gone, the cab stopped in front of the sideway of Peter's apartment. Mary Jane opened the door in the back and allowed Alice to be the first to move inside.
She turned on her feet and faced Peter. "Thank you for the day, Peter. I had a great time… I mean, we did."
"It was… fun." He focused on Alice. "Will she be okay? Are you sure you don't want me to go back with you two?"
MJ shook her head. "You did enough. I'll drop her off at F.E.A.S.T, it will be fine." She added, "Her mother is already there… don't worry."
He nodded and said quietly, "Anything new about her father?"
"Nothing much. Her mother feels like it's too dangerous to go back home, apparently, some people near him mean trouble." MJ sighed. "She doesn't tell me much."
He put his hands on his waist and looked at the ground. "Yeah, I hope things turn around for them. You have my number, just… let me know."
"I'll keep you updated." She placed her left hand on his jaw and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek. He was surprised at first. "I should be going now. Goodnight, tiger." She stepped inside the car.
"... goodnight, MJ." Peter waved goodbye at Alice who smiled kindly in return. He closed the door and allowed the cab to leave the location.
He watched them disappear into the city and sighed heavily, before turning on his back and heading for the elevator of the building. Once inside, he pressed the button to his floor and crossed his arms, and allowed his gaze to wander to nowhere in particular.
Did today feel… good? I don't know what happened.
He took his phone into his hands and checked for new messages. Miles had texted him earlier.
MM: Pete, I hope you are having fun with MJ, she's great. You both are. By the way, this girl texted me back tonight. I'm so happy. Thanks for the help! I'm spending time with my uncle now, take care.
Peter chuckled and began typing his response to him.
PP: 'Night, Miles… it was fun, maybe not in the way you're thinking. That's good to hear, but I didn't do anything, it was all you. Congrats, buddy. Have fun.
The elevator reached for his floor as he opened the gate and stepped outside. He headed for his apartment while scrolling on his phone. He opened another message, it was from Miles' father on his second number.
JD: Spider-Man, I wanted to let you know that we are getting close to finding another weapons cache, I'm sure it's Maggia's. I'll let you know whenever we get to mobilize.
Peter entered his apartment and closed the door behind him. He said to himself, "The Maggia, uh?" He started to type a response.
SM: Please keep me updated, Captain. Take care.
Peter stopped looking at his phone and headed for the television rack. He took the portrait of Gwen in his hand. He stared at it for a while and carefully ran his finger over her happy expression later. Helen, her mother, took the photo.
He hadn't talked to Helen in a while. It wasn't easy being near them. He didn't want to relive the pain even further… to hurt himself further. He had done enough damage to their family. He knew that he should have checked on them more, he considered himself selfish for not doing so, but he had to stay away.
Peter sighed heavily and put the portrait back in its place. He turned on his shoulder and closed his fists as he headed for his bedroom. He opened the door that led inside the room and was left shocked by the sight in front of him.
Felicia was lying on her chest on his bed; curiously enough, she was wearing normal attire, a black top, skirt, and choker. Her white-platinum blonde hair was tied up this time around.
She winked, "Hey, Spider. You took long enough."
"Felicia!" He closed the door of the bedroom after stepping inside. "What are you doing here? How…"
"Are you… surprised?" She questioned playfully.
"Of course I am!"
She turned around in the bed and laid on her back, exposing her torso while looking at him upside down. "Come play with your kitty."
He approached the bed and stood still. "You can't be coming here like this."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a wanted thief, Felicia."
She pouted, "That's not nice of you."
He shrugged his shoulders. "It's the truth. You'll get me arrested and locked in a cell with you."
She stood on her knees and placed a hand on his abdomen. "Would that even be a bad thing? Me and you… in a tight space… every single night."
"You would be drooling all over my pillow, like always."
"Shut up." She smacked him playfully on the chest. "But yes, I knew where you lived. You've never given me your number."
"For good reason. Have you been following me?"
She snaked her arms around his neck. "Maybe." She sniffed something on his cheek. "I didn't know you had a child. The red… is she your… wife or something?"
"I don't have a kid; she's not mine… it's just someone I was helping take care of." He added, "And no, I'm not married or anything… I have no one."
"Not even me?"
He rolled her eyes and placed his hands on her waist. "What are we even?"
"It's late for complicated questions." She tilted her head to the side and caught another scent on him. "You say you two aren't a thing, but you have her scent all over you."
"Since when can you sniff things off people?"
"You would be surprised." She smiled. "But if you are telling the truth… well, then I still have you all for myself, Spider. I'm quite territorial."
"Why are you here?"
"While Minnie is great company, I was feeling a bit lonely. I needed that… delicate human touch."
He noticed a cut on her lower lip. He moved his index finger gently to her lip. "You did something here."
She smiled at his touch. "... it's probably from the streets, I don't know. I can't remember."
"Right… okay." He moved off her arms and turned on his back to face the wardrobe. He slid the door open and stared at his suit on the hanger.
She questioned, "Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to be out for a while… I haven't patrolled in hours."
She got off the bed and hugged him from behind. She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked at his face. "So… the Maggia, uh?"
He turned his head slightly towards her.
She continued, "I heard you talking to yourself."
"Do you know anything about them?"
Felicia planted a kiss on his neck. "Maybe I do."
"Tell me, please." He turned around and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Why… why do you even want to know?"
"They mean trouble; we are finding more and more of their weapons around, stuff that shouldn't be in the streets."
She sighed heavily. "Okay… I think I know where you might find one of these; I can bring you there."
"There's no need for that; you can stay." He turned on his shoulder and took the suit into his hand. "Just tell me where to go."
Felicia scoffed and held him by his arm, turning him around to face her again. She leaned in and captured his lips on hers as they closed their eyes. She sucked on them as they released a 'smack' sound once they parted.
… there are some people in my life… that I just seem unable to handle; Felicia is one of those.
She looked into his brown eyes, "... I'm coming with you. End of story."
He inhaled deeply and felt her right hand cup his cheek.
She usually has her way, and I feel helpless about it, or maybe I'm just not trying hard enough around her.
He said, "Okay… Felicia. We're going together."
Could this somehow not be a… bad thing?
"This seems to be a smaller base of operations, quite open," Spider-Man said from the construction beam he was found against while eyeing the unfinished warehouses below him. "How do you even know about this place?"
Black Cat was on his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She teased, "Maybe you should spend some time down in the streets for a little while."
He kept scanning the area with his eyes. The roof of the warehouse had glasses in many spots. "One day… you'll have to come clean with me."
She smiled. "... one day."
He could see movement through the windows on the roof. "I think I see a bit more than a dozen of them… we can take them out together."
Black Cat nodded. "Aye, skipper." They separated as they jumped off the structure and towards the rooftop ceiling.
Spider-Man crashed through one of the windows and landed on the ground in the middle of the warehouse to the surprise of the people inside. They all formed a group in front of him.
"Spider-Man!"
He assumed a defensive stance. "The one and only." He looked to his side and noticed that Felicia was nowhere to be seen. He looked around and wasn't able to find any trace of her. She had left him.
Of course… I'm such a fool, again.
Spider-Man was alone in the fight. He stared at the group and began, "... well, it will only take me a bit longer to knock you guys out."
Spider-Man opened the door and entered the last room he had not been inside. It was filled with iron shelves, wooden boxes, and computers above the many desks. It looked like a proper headquarters. In the middle of the room, he could see Black Cat holding a man against the ground with her heel pressed against his throat. The man was filled with bloody cuts and stains.
She had given him one hell of beating, for some reason.
He walked further into the room and noticed what seemed to be old Oscorp shipment boxes next to boxes that were branded with the name of Fisk's Industries. He opened a random box and found small missiles and schematics for what seemed to be a variation of the military glider Oscorp had been developing in the past, like the one Harry used against him five years ago.
What's going on here?
Black Cat shouted at the man below her, "Tell me…!"
Spider-Man looked at the pair in the distance once again. He took a step away from the boxes and approached her from behind. "Cat, I thought you had left…"
"Stay back!" She ordered and narrowed her eyes at the man that had turned into a shade of red.
Spider-Man argued, "He won't be able to speak like that. You're… going too far here."
"Look who's saying now…" She looked over her shoulder and watched her reflection through his lenses. "You've done worse… and I'm just getting started."
"Cat…" He moved his hand close to her arm. She quickly brushed his hand away and almost struck him in the face with her claws had he not evaded her attack.
"I told you to stay back!" Her blue and fiery eyes shot daggers at him.
He raised his hands towards her in a disarming way. "Yes, I've done worse… I don't think I have stopped… I'm trying to do better, and that's why no matter what has happened, I don't want to see you becoming me. Just let me…"
He looked at the ground and cleared his throat before settling his eyes on her once again. "... help you with this."
She stared back at him and eventually let the man gather fresh air into his lungs once she removed her heel from his throat. "I don't need your help." She walked past him and towards the exit. "... he doesn't even know anything."
Spider-Man watched her until she disappeared from the room. He then turned his attention to the man on the ground. He immediately recognized him.
This face… he was in one of those pictures Felicia had in her penthouse.
The latter began, "... your friend… s-she's quite… unhinged these days."
Spider-Man cut the distance between them. "You don't know her."
"Felicia? Of course, I do… I would recognize those blue eyes anywhere."
He does know…
"How…?"
"She was such a sweetheart before. I still can't… believe that her father of all people could make such a gorgeous… piece of a human being."
"How do you know her?"
"Man… I just… I always watched from a distance. I'm not one of the main guys here, I'm not the one you're looking for… come on now, just give me a break."
"Then who is? I know this is a Maggia depot; you're up to something."
"... some other Maggia guy that ain't me, I'm not sure. As I said, logistics is my thing and nothing else; we don't know everyone for this very reason… I just needed to keep this place safe."
"That's not good enough, pal. Why do you have Fisk and Oscorp boxes in here?"
"I really don't know… I…. I just move stuff around, that's it."
"You expect me to believe that, really?"
"I might as well be dead already. What's even the point of messing with you?" He inhaled deeply. "Look, my best guess… is that it has something to do with Fisk's acquisition of Oscorp. That's it."
Spider-Man closed his fists and took one last look around. He then shot webbing at the man and kept him trapped in the ground. "You were lucky tonight. You better help the police with anything they ask you about."
SM: Captain, I've found another cache. I've taken care of it; check this location.
Spider-Man let go of the webbing while in mid-swing and typed on his phone as he jumped from the warehouse's roof and to the nearest one in the building back in the empty streets. He found Felicia resting her shoulder against the pillar of the water tower of the building they were on. Her arms were crossed.
He hid his phone and approached her from behind. "Can you talk to me now? Would that be possible?"
Felicia remained in silence.
He insisted, "Look, I know that you are after someone… some people. I've seen the photos in your panic room."
She said without looking at him, "That's none of your business."
He added further, "... but then you left me alone back there to do your own thing here, you used me from the start. You needed me to reach that guy."
"You… you have no idea what you're talking about."
"You used me as bait."
She scoffed. "You managed just fine."
"But I can't trust you."
Felicia turned on her back and argued back, "And you did before? Really?"
"... maybe I did, yeah."
"Why… do you even care, Peter?"
He was slightly taken back at the mention of his name, she usually didn't bother with it. "Because I don't want you to… get hurt."
"We've slept together, and that's it. It's great, but you shouldn't… bother this much with me. You barely know me."
"But here I am."
"What do you even want from me? Why are you pushing me on this?" She continued, "Do you want to like… get married, make some cookies on Saturday, have children? What's going on with you?"
"I just want to ensure you're not going to harm yourself."
She scoffed, "I can take care of myself, okay? What happened in that power plant, it won't happen with me and I-"
He cleared his throat. "Felicia, don't… just don't."
She noticed the sudden change in his tone.
He sighed heavily. "If you don't want my help… then I'll just be on my way." He turned on his shoulder and began walking towards the rooftop's edge.
Felicia watched him physically distance himself from her and later rested her back against the water tower. "... something… happened to me before all of this."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her once again.
She continued, "... so I'm going after the people that are responsible for it."
He cut short the distance between them. "You didn't leave the country, didn't you? That Russian guy you mentioned, you were here… you were after him."
She nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it was difficult to make him come out… then I just disappeared for a little while."
"Did you….?"
She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to. He wasn't the one I'm looking for."
"Then who is?"
"I'm sorry, Peter. I-I can't… it's too personal."
"Like Walter Hardy?"
"You saw that too?"
He nodded.
"I… it's really hard for me to talk about this. I'm not sure I can right now."
He felt like not pushing her further. It was clear that it was a delicate topic to her. He placed his hand on her right shoulder. "You could have at least told me anything beforehand."
"I know… and I'm sorry for that." She rested her head on his shoulder and snaked her arms around his back.
He sighed heavily and embraced her back. "Look, the last couple of years… it's not been easy for me. The pain… it doesn't go away, so I just made room for it."
She closed her eyes.
He continued, "... there are things you might know about the Maggia that could help me, but… you need to do things at your own pace, I think I understand that."
She raised her chin to look at him and later moved the bottom of his mask above his mouth, revealing his bare lips.
Sometimes I wonder if I even remember that I am… Peter Parker and not just Spider-Man?
She grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss under the dark sky above them. He snaked an arm around her waist and kept her close while fighting her tongue back.
Because sometimes I feel like I'm not thinking as the former so I'm doing things I usually wouldn't. Is this one of them?
September 19th - 2019
Peter began to stir awake sometime in the very early hours of the morning, the sun only just beginning to peek through the blinds, casting the otherwise darkened bedroom in a very subtle, soft golden light. He yawned while looking at the ceiling.
He later found Felicia sleeping with her head on his bare shoulder. Her breath was even and very shallow, she slept peacefully. The bedsheet was pulled up midway up their chests. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders. She looked gorgeous.
He continued to stare at the ceiling, nowhere in particular. They had gotten to his home last night and went straight to sleep after showering together. That was a first in whatever they were having together. Felicia usually wanted to be intimate quite often, but she didn't push for it this time. It's not like he was seeking it either, a couple of months ago and she wouldn't even be sleeping in his bed if he had a say.
He moved his right hand to his forehead and inhaled deeply. A lot was going on recently, and Felicia just added more fuel to the fire that kept the bonfire of delicate matters in his life firm and solid. They couldn't keep going on like they were at the moment, at least that's what he thought, no matter how good they could feel at times. He didn't know where it could lead. They weren't being fully honest with each other, and that could mean trouble, just like when she left him to handle those men.
He moved his hand back to his bare chest.
Do I even want this to lead somewhere…?
Felicia yawned and blinked hazily, now half-awake and contemplative as she used his arm as a pillow, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing as he relaxed. She slid her fingers against his, squeezing his right hand gently, silently enjoying his closeness. Her face was buried in the back of his neck while his free hand ran over the smooth skin of her lower back.
She moaned quietly. "Hey…"
Peter looked down at her. "Are you okay?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah…"
He stroked her back one last time before moving off her arms and sitting on the edge of the bed.
Felicia yawned again and rested her head on his pillow while she stared at his toned back. She noticed the considerable amount of purple stains all over his body. She teased, "Are you going to bail on me again?"
He stretched his arms. "I need to get ready for the day." He stood up and walked around the bed. "We can have breakfast in this place I know. It's probably not what you are used to, but it's worth a try."
She watched him head for the wardrobe. "I do like to try new things, yes."
Peter chuckled as he looked for a fresh pair of clothes to spend the day on. "... I know you do." He threw the towel over his shoulder and the clothes, including his long-sleeved black shirt, in his left hand. He turned on his shoulder and eyed the woman in his bed. "Are you coming along?"
Felicia purred playfully and moved out of the bed, joining him in the bathroom.
Later in the morning, Peter was now standing by the espresso machine in the coffee shop they had gone to. He walked up to the register and ordered his drink. The girl in front of him began to call out his order to the other employee, but she stopped her and repeated it perfectly, most likely from memory. He then eyed the newspaper above the counter and read the headline.
What We Learned From Interviewing the N.Y.C. Mayoral Candidates, Starting With Wilson Fisk.
He narrowed his eyes at the headline and scoffed quietly. He raised his chin and looked at the register once again. She finished reminding the other employee of his order and later flashed a smile to Peter. He returned the gesture. When he finished at the register, he walked over to the hand-off bar to grab the two cups of coffee.
Peter headed for the rounded and small table set close to a large window with a view of the street outside. Felicia could be seen sitting beside the table while texting someone on her phone. He set one of the cups in front of her and walked around her seat to sit with his back to the window.
She smiled and held the cup in her hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
She took a sip. "... do you come here often?"
"Is that… pick-up line?"
She grinned. "Oh, that wasn't my intention… for real. My bad."
He took a sip of his coffee and later cleared his throat. "Right. But yeah, sometimes… I think."
"You think?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, a lot is going on every day that sometimes I have trouble remembering everything that happened."
"How many hours of sleep are you having?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Probably not enough."
"You did just sleep the whole night with me, though. Maybe I should stay around."
He took another sip. "Don't get cocky now."
She giggled. "Thank you for allowing me to stay, for real."
"You can just knock on the door next time, though."
"Wouldn't that be boring?"
He cocked his head to the side. "Sometimes boring is alright."
"I don't know about that. The way we first… it was quite something else."
"I stopped you from robbing the symbiote."
"Well, I had a high bidder for it, and then we… danced around on that rooftop."
"I know, it was a terrible idea, and I'm still judging myself on that."
She laughed and watched him take another sip. She felt at ease whenever she was around him. It was extremely fun to hang out with Spider-Man, but there's something different about the Peter Parker persona. She couldn't exactly pinpoint why she felt that away, but she knew she wouldn't mind having more moments like the one she was having at the moment.
Felicia was about to speak once she noticed the sudden crack in the window behind Peter as his shoulder involuntarily jerked slightly towards the table. He looked down to his left shoulder and spotted the bloody opening in his shirt.
He raised his chin and met Felicia's eyes. Her expression was one of absolute shock and confusion. He quickly looked over his shoulder and spotted a couple of black cars in the street stopping near the window they were sitting against.
"Get down…!" He shouted. He leaped off his chair and towards Felicia and brought her down to the floor as the bullets began spraying through the window above them.
He fell on top of Felicia and kept her pinned and safe against the ground as the loud sound of combined gunfire popped from outside.
"You've done your part, Hardy. We're done with you…!"
Peter looked to the back area inside the coffee shop where people were hiding against their tables and screaming in horror. He was left in shock once he spotted the figure of his former girlfriend standing near one of the tables. He eventually closed his eyes and shook his head. He looked back at the tables, and she was gone.
He shouted, "... e-everyone keep your head down!" The bits of glass kept falling over their figures.
The bullets eventually stopped from coming inside the area. Peter stared at Felicia.
She was breathless. "Peter… I… I need to tell you something."
"... I bet you do." He immediately looked over his shoulder and towards what was left of the window once he heard the sound of a peculiar engine outside and near the store.
His eyes widened as he spotted back outside the hooded figure in the glider descending to the street level to face the store. It was a glider extremely similar to the one Harry once used while he went on a rampage.
For a moment he thought that it was Harry Osborn, but it couldn't be him. He was locked deep in Ravencroft. It wasn't possible. This newest person had a much different style. It used bulletproof mail with an overlapping tunic above the armor, along with a dark orange cape and cowl of the same color. Lines of energy ran under the clawed gauntlets and kneepads.
The most disturbing piece was the mask. Unlike Harry, the figure wore a mask that resembled what seemed to be a goblin of all things. The eyes were red and the sharp teeth could be seen as well.
The figure stopped in the air near the window and began to throw rounded bombs from each hand and into the store. One of them landed near the people at the back. Peter shot a biocable at it and threw it through another window and towards the air above the street.
The second bomb landed right next to his face. He widened his eyes as the light from within the bomb emerged and hugged Felicia tighter as he covered her body with his.
Fire blazed around Felicia as she slipped from under the table that was above her and coughed heavily. The store was burning down. She could barely recognize anything through the fire around her. Her sight hadn't adjusted to it yet. She didn't know if everyone was out.
She could try and jump through the window. It was the nearest way out of there, even if the frame of the window was enveloped by flames. She chose to look a bit more for anyone still present at the coffee shop.
Felicia coughed once again. "Peter…?!" She twitched in pain. Her face was filled with tiny cuts. "Are you still here…?!"
Felicia heard a yell right in front of her. She took a couple of steps forward while carefully evading the fire and eventually spotted what seemed to be Peter lifting a table and taking the woman from underneath it and into his arms.
He turned on his shoulder and saw her. "She's the last one… we need to leave, now!"
Felicia noticed how heavily injured he looked. His face was battered and covered in blood. The pupil of his left eye was covered in a shade of red; it bled. He also seemed to be limping on his right leg as he moved.
She nodded and tagged along with him as they headed to leave the store.
Half an hour later, Peter was sitting in the back of a firetruck as the woman applied first aid to him, starting with his face. The firefighters were finishing watering down the fire inside the coffee shop. The rest of the people were being treated as well.
Thankfully, no one was seriously harmed.
Felicia stood still close to him and had her arms crossed. She watched the paramedic treat him.
He grunted as the paramedic worked on the spot near his eye. She began, "You'll need to come to the hospital; that's a pretty bad wound you got there." She gestured to his left eye. "We also need to remove what's still left of the bullet from your shoulder."
"Thank you for the help, but… I ain't got the money for that right now."
"I'm sure they can work something out. You could lose your eye, I did what I could for now." She stared down at his leg. "That needs treatment too, you might have a muscle breakdown, but it can get worse."
He coughed lightly. "... I make no promises."
Felicia interjected, "Peter, money's not a problem, okay?"
He moved his sight to her. His expression remained serious.
The paramedic spoke, "Look, I'm going to the ambulance to get someone to help you up. Just wait here, okay?"
Peter nodded. "Sure, I will." He watched her leave the firetruck and eventually got back on his feet once again even if he still struggled a bit.
Felicia approached him. "What are you doing?"
"I need to get going. There's a lot to do."
"You can't."
He held onto the truck with his hand and looked at her. "... you had something to say. What is it?"
"Look, I… I didn't know this was going to happen."
"They know you, they know your name… everything. There's a lot more to this than you're letting on."
She hesitated and later cleared her throat. "... they know me because they knew my father."
"... Walter Hardy."
She nodded. "Yes, my father was always… skilled in what he did. So, they… worked together from time to time, doing jobs together, until… they didn't want to anymore and found a way to get rid of him for good."
"Were you involved… in any capacity with them?"
Felicia looked away and hugged herself. "... I-I… I can't do this, Peter." She added, "... not like this. You don't understand."
Peter nodded to himself. "Okay, well… then as I said, I have to go now."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you are not."
"Why not?"
"... we can't be near each other, Felicia. I've just gotten too involved… and not as Spider-Man. This is enough."
"You don't trust me. I-I understand… but I really didn't know this would happen.
"... and you won't come clean with me, even after all of this." He paused, "I just need to be on my own and figure out a way to deal with… this, by myself."
"Peter…" She watched him turn on his shoulder. "How will I know that you'll be okay?"
He stopped in his tracks and looked slightly over his shoulder. "... just take care of yourself, Felicia."
She inhaled deeply as he began distancing himself from her. A tear slid down her right eye which she quickly wiped off with her fingers to later leave the area as well.
How come my spider-sense failed me with that first shot?
The bloodied and partial bullet fell into the sink in Peter's bedroom and a painful yell followed shortly after.
I'm now seeing things too, again… and I don't know what's going on with me.
Peter let go of the tweezers as they fell next to the part of the bullet in the drain. He held onto the sink with both hands, the right one was near the bottle of peroxide.
He grunted heavily in pain.
Maybe I need to talk to someone, seek help… or maybe my time is just up.
The thick smell of blood clogged his nostrils. His skin was pale and slick, his chest expanding and deflating quickly, shallowly.
He could feel traces of blood coming out of his shoulder and sliding down against the skin of his left arm. There was still a bit of work left.
He pressed the clean gauze to the oozing wound and winced in pain once more. The gauze soaked up the blood.
The pain is awful… but it keeps my head clear and focused on what I need to do next… what Spider-Man needs to do next.
He pressed it harder. The gauze was now thick and heavy and quickly became saturated with dark, congealing blood and shreds of muscle tissue.
He fisted the wall in front of him with the palm of his hand, being careful not to damage it.
… and it's all about Spider-Man now. So I can't… allow myself to be distracted; mistakes always happen after that.
He pulled the gauze from the wound, careful not to dislodge the blood clots. He tossed it aside and grabbed more.
Molars locked, he took the bottle and tilted it above his shoulder. Clear liquid flooded the wound, filling the cavity and fizzing, the hiss of disinfectant underscoring his soft groans. He squeezed his eyes shut as his flesh saturated.
… and I can't make more mistakes, no matter what it takes.
He later looked at himself through the mirror, staring at his bloodied eye. The reflection in the mirror made him resent himself.
I became Spider-Man for this; this is what I wanted. No child would have to endure what I did if I had a say… and I wouldn't lose another person.
He later finished wrapping the bandage around his shoulder and began limping his way out of the bathroom. He held himself onto the walls with his hands, being careful not to trip over, and eventually dragged himself to his bed before dropping down onto it. The springs creaked under his weight, the wooden headboard knocked against the wall. He lay still, bleeding and unmoving.
Peter swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, sweat dripping from his hair to the pillow. His chest swelled, and his muscles started to uncoil. He heard the sound of his phone vibrating on the stand beside the bed. He extended his arm and began looking for the device, moving things off the stand and into the ground while doing so.
He read the text from Flash.
FT: Hey, man. I just heard I will start training with a prosthetic soon. Maybe you could show up one of these days?
Peter sighed heavily. He had to be present for Flash.
PP: I will; just let me know. I hope you are doing well.
He placed his phone aside in the bed and leaned towards the drawer in the stand to check on the manipulated epinephrine injection he kept safe in it. It was one of those injections where he had to press the plunger down on the syringe, something he worked on in his father's former train lab. The last time he had to take a shot was moments before he faced what people called The Sinister Six.
He still had to go on patrol, epinephrine would help keep him on his feet and he would be able to go outside and ignore the pain. His healing factor would do the rest, in due time. He was about to take the shot were it not for the fact that his phone began vibrating once again.
Peter closed the drawer and checked on the screen of his phone. Mary Jane had sent him a text this time.
MJ: I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday, Alice really enjoyed it herself.
Peter frowned at the screen as he felt the pain in his shoulder.
PP: Hey, MJ. It was fun, I'm glad you two had me. Is everything alright?
MJ: You're a good guy. But yeah, I'm fine… I guess.
He looked at the ceiling and inhaled deeply before focusing on his phone once again.
PP: Do you want to talk about it?"
MJ: Maybe not right now, but I appreciate it. What about you? How are you?
Peter adjusted himself in the bed as he moved the back of his head against the headboard. He eventually began typing.
PP: Honestly? I'm kind of a mess right now.
MJ: Why do you say that? Are you alright?
He closed his eyes shut for a brief moment.
PP: I'm fine, believe me. I was like… ran over by a bike. I look horrible right now, but it's not like I was that good of a looker to begin with.
MJ: You're wrong about that. Send me a picture of your face.
PP: There's no way I will do that, I really don't want to give you nightmares. I still have to get up and do stuff.
MJ: You wouldn't, but you should take the day off then, get some rest.
PP: Lots to do, you know?"
MJ: I think you're allowed to take a day off, Peter. You've just been in an accident, the world won't come to an end if you take one small break.
He tilted his head slightly to the side and kept his eyes locked on the screen.
PP: I'll try.
MJ: You need to. Listen, I'm about to do this new audition, so I have to leave for the moment. You take care of yourself, okay?"
PP: I'll do my best… and good luck with your audition, MJ. You'll do well… I'll be rooting for you.
MJ: Thank you, tiger. Be safe, until later.
Peter sighed heavily and later threw his phone aside in the bed. He moved his head back to the pillow and stared at the ceiling. He took one deep inhale and closed his eyes, allowing himself to catch his breath for a brief moment until he finally drifted away into his sleep.
Wake up, bugboy.
With a deep intake of breath, Peter opened his eyes and met hers. She had just planted a kiss on his lip. He stared at her angelical figure. She wore a gray nightgown.
Gwen placed her left hand on her chest gently. "Are you alright?" She looked concerned for a brief moment as she looked at him.
"Gwen…?"
She smiled. "It's me."
He looked around and noticed that they were in his room. "I… I don't know what's going on."
"You seemed to be having a nightmare."
"I…" He raised his chest from the bed and then carefully held her left cheek in his hand. "This feels… so real."
"Why would I not be real?"
"I just…" He sighed heavily. "I'm dreaming right now."
She giggled. "I think that's a nice compliment, but I'm real, Peter. I wouldn't just… cease to exist, would I? She questioned, "Are you okay?"
He eventually shook his head. "... I-I don't think so, Gwendy."
"I patched you up last night. I hope you start to feel better soon."
He tilted his head slightly to the side. "You did?"
She nodded. "Yes, and I don't want you to take those shots again. You don't need to push yourself this much. You're still human, you know?"
"... but how can I…" He cleared his throat. "... stop people from getting hurt if I'm somehow out?"
Gwen sighed heavily. "Look, I think that we just can't save everyone… I believe we must do what we can… when we can, Peter." She added, "But the people that save you back? That's the people you fight like hell for."
"I couldn't save you."
She smiled. "I don't need to… I'm right here, with you, just like I will always be."
He leaned forward and embraced her in his arms. "I miss you… so much."
She hugged him back. "You're kinda weird this morning, you know?"
He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.
"You just need to listen to me, bugboy. It will be fine."
Peter pulled out of the embrace and kept his hands delicately on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gwen… but I can't do that. I… I don't care what happens to me. I need to keep doing this."
"Don't say that." She sounded concerned.
"I loved you so much, still do… you are the love of my life, and I won't ever feel again what I once had with you; that's why I can't just stay still for long to fulfill your dream… both our dreams."
Gwen cupped his cheek. "You're still Peter Parker."
He cleared his throat and saw a tear slide off his left eye and down his cheek. "No, Gwen… I haven't been in a long time. I'm just Spider-Man. I… I have to wake up."
Her eyes became teary as she watched him lean to the side and retrieve the shot from the stand set next to the bed. He took it in his hand and moved closer to Gwen once again. They looked straight into each other's eyes and touched their foreheads together before closing their eyes as they ignored the world around them to only focus on each other's presence for as long as they could.
As terrible as it is to consider, even if we had lost everything together, I know that if we still had each other, we would have found a way to endure.
I find some comfort in that.
A/N: I wrapped this chapter up faster than I expected, even if it turned a bit bigger when compared to the first one. I guess I'm really enjoying writing these characters. It's a lot of fun to write down what I made up in my head, and it's been great. I really like the Spider-Man character and the mythos around him, and movie-wise, The Amazing Spider-Man movies are the ones I enjoy the most.
In the end, I hope the story has been a good read so far. It's really my love letter from myself to these characters, and I guess we're now really going forward with the story. I still expect to wrap the whole thing in around five chapters, there's a clear direction we are yet to reach and answer the question our main character has been refusing to address for quite a long time.
For this chapter, I made canon the TASM2 deleted scene where Flash meets Peter and Gwen during their graduation.
Until the next chapter!
* Chapter named after a song of the same, by Greg Laswell.