Spider-Man: Fire and Desire
Author's Note: Wow guys, just wow. From what I'm able to tell, you guys loved chapter 5. Like seriously, the favorites, follows, and reviews went way up after that was posted. I appreciate all of you breathtaking people! Thank you all so much for the support. I've been having so much fun writing this story, and I'm glad to see others are finding it fun to read.
Also, quick thing before we get started. If you guys don't know, I updated chapter 5 with additional stuff that was supposed to be in this chapter. I did an additional update since FanFiction had a stroke for almost a week, and it caused people to not be able to view the chapter when it was originally posted. A lot of you guys have already read the update, but if you haven't, make sure to read the ending so you won't be confused.
And now to reply to some reviews!
UnknownVoid25 & Akira-Hayama: Yes indeed, I can confirm the twist in the last chapter was inspired by Batman Telltale, lol. Love that game. We need a Season 3!
SpiderCatForever: Thank you for loving chapter 5 so much. You posted two reviews on it, not just one. That's never happened to me before. I'm honored, haha.
Mnej: Thank you! And yep, I love adding references to this story, even the references people may not get at first. It comes with being a Spider-Man nerd, lol. And I'm also glad you enjoy the length of these chapters. As you can tell, this is going to be another long one.
A Headful of Ideas: Thank you! I did take a lot of inspiration from Spectacular Spider-Man. Fun fact, I'm currently doing a rewatch and it's so good. It's a dang crime that we never got season 3. Spectacular and the 90's animated series are my two favorites. If I had to choose one, though… Man, that's hard. Can't choose! And yes, I can confirm the twist with Uncle Ben and Peter's parents did take some inspiration from The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
solidsnake45: My Spider-Man story is slowly becoming your favorite?! I'm touched. Now it's become my mission to make it your favorite! Haha.
Guest: I appreciate it! Warms my heart to hear this is your favorite story. I love writing this story about my favorite superhero, and I think you guys can tell.
AnimeFreak4eva378: Thanks! And will I give Peter a new suit? Hmmm… That is classified information, which really means I currently have no idea, lol. I do like the Superior Spider-Man suit too. As for Peter himself possibly being more edgy… Well, guess you're gonna have to read to find out how much he truly changes.
MagicalMagician28: Thank you for enjoying my writing! I try my hardest to make the dialogue feel real and fluid with everybody, while also remaining in character. When I make these stories, I want people to feel like they're reading something straight out of the comics. Or watching one of the animated shows, (the GOOD animated shows, lol) and the movies.
Okay, that seems to cover everything, so let's get started!
Intro Music: Spider-Man 1981 Theme
Chapter 6: Soul Searching
Peter Parker has been going through it. That's the recap of recent events.
I mean, he usually goes through it, but now?
This random Spider lady that goes by the name of Madame Web suddenly tells him he has to save not only his universe, but other multiple universes or everybody is literally going to die because of Kingpin's Project M. Sure, he's Spider-Man, but he's also a senior in high school. He's only been Spider-Man for one year. One whole year. To have this kind of pressure… It's unnerving. Unsettling.
He already wasn't thinking completely straight before the news, but once this was revealed, he started to really not act like himself. Much like how Black Cat pointed out, Spider-Man rushed into Fisk Towers without a solid plan. Was the pressure getting to him? Absolutely, no doubt about it.
Speaking of Black Cat, the cat burglar who usually gets herself into trouble, really got into trouble last time, and that's saying something when you consider who we're talking about here. Kingpin knows her secret identity to be Felicia Hardy. How does he know? A story for a later time. Though, he used this knowledge to his advantage, basically saying if she doesn't bring him Spider-Man, her mother is dead.
Long story short, with Spidey's strong insistence on going to Fisk Towers, which didn't help Black Cat's feelings in the matter, she did ultimately bring him there.
And that's where everything went downhill.
Because Spider-Man attacked 'Wilson Fisk,' the hero of New York, he's now seen as public enemy number one. Then, you add in the fact Spider-Man's parents, Peter's parents, along with Uncle Ben, the man he looked up to the most, the whole reason why he became Spider-Man in the first place, the same guy who told him the ever so famous words of, "With great power, comes great responsibility," were all working with Kingpin at a particular moment in time, you can imagine how Peter felt when he heard this news, and how he still feels right now.
Being in the hospital doesn't help either.
Peter Parker sat up in his hospital bed. His face, his eyes, everything about him resembled a bevy of emotions. Anger, confusion, sadness… What has he been doing this whole time? How can he listen to a man's advice, his very own Uncle Ben's advice, the very words he's stood by when it comes to him being Spider-Man, how can he take those words seriously anymore when the same man who told him this didn't practice what he preached?
Take this for instance, imagine you not only looked up to somebody, but you really, really looked up to that person. The way they thought, the way they acted, their ideologies, everything.
But then you later find out that same person, who apparently stood up for everything you stood up for, or you eventually came to stand up for, imagine if this same person supposedly stood up for the exact opposite things. Imagine if it was all an act from the very beginning.
You'd feel betrayed, right? You'd feel lied to.
Peter kept on hoping this was all a bad dream, a fake reality, and hopefully he would wake up from this mentally draining nightmare, but he only wishes it could be so simple.
Nothing is ever simple for him. Doesn't matter if he's Peter Parker or Spider-Man.
It's quite obvious his head hasn't been in the game lately, but he tried to summon the fire back to defeat Kingpin, which only ended up making things worse. Now, if he tried to go out as Spider-Man, he'd be lucky to get a single peaceful swing in. Anyone could hear the TV's throughout the hospital, and you guessed it, Spidey vs. Kingpin, or Wilson Fisk in this case, was all over the news.
A bounty was on the web-slinger's head now, as he was now wanted dead or alive.
Honestly, if Madame Web hadn't told him about the whole universe being in jeopardy thing, he'd probably quit being Spider-Man right now.
And if he wasn't in a hospital, broken bones or no broken bones, he would've destroyed everything in his sight by now due to his enormous frustration.
The people who were in the room, Aunt May, Harry, Gwen, Miles, and Felicia, were staying by his side as long as they were allowed to. Hearing the TV play, and the specific news it was reporting, it made Felicia look up, her guilt seemingly only getting bigger with each passing second.
"We now have an updated report on the bounty for Spider-Man. The confirmed reward, which would be awarded by Wilson Fisk himself, is 58 million dollars. It's also been confirmed that multiple employees who worked at Fisk Towers have been murdered by Spider-Man, with the source also being Wilson Fisk."
Well, safe to say that caught everybody's attention.
Aunt May wasn't really sure about Spider-Man to begin with. Miles is a big Spidey fan, and because of this, he thinks all of these reports are bogus. Gwen and Harry aren't really sure what to think about the wall crawler, but if he played a hand in hurting Peter, then it's safe to say they won't like him too much.
As for Felicia… Well…
She knows Spider-Man isn't guilty of anything, but whether she likes it or not, she played a role in all of this happening. It makes her sick to her stomach. How could she let this happen? If she would've never gotten in contact with Kingpin in the first place, none of this would've happened. Spidey didn't kill anybody. He doesn't kill period. Kingpin is the one who killed his own men.
This majorly, absolutely, and unequivocally sucks.
With the TV playing, it was suddenly turned off. The group turned to Peter, who had the remote in his hand, obviously being the culprit of turning it off. He didn't want to hear this anymore.
Harry acted like he understood. "I get it, Pete. You don't want to listen to anything Spider-Man related because-"
"He didn't beat me up, Harry." Peter sternly said, cutting Harry off since he didn't want to hear anymore slander about himself, even if his friends truly don't know the situation. "I only got caught in the crossfire. Nothing more, nothing less."
I mean, technically, he's not lying.
"Does anyone think the reward is bit high, though? Like, when has there ever been an award for a so-called criminal that high?" Miles pointed out, his suspicions raising.
"Miles, I know you're a big Spider-Man fan, but he not only attacked Wilson Fisk, but he killed those people inside the tower." Gwen said, but Miles gave a disagreeing nod.
"I know it looks like I'm being some fanboy by coming to Spider-Man's defense, but everything, everything seems fishy. When have you ever known Spider-Man to be a killer?" Miles replied, making his feelings clear. "Every criminal he's fought, he's never killed them, so why would he start now?"
"Maybe he was putting up a fake image as some hero, when really he was a criminal himself all along." Harry suggested, shrugging.
Oddly enough, unknown to Harry, he just said what Kingpin has been doing this entire time, but yet Spider-Man is seen as the criminal.
Tough scene.
"Whatever he is, hero or villain, I do know one thing." Aunt May began, looking at Peter. "Peter, you're not going back to that Daily Bugle job."
Peter sighed heavily. "Aunt May, I already said Spider-Man-"
"I don't care what he supposedly did or didn't do!" Aunt May shouted, shocking everyone in the room by making their eyes widen. "All I know is this whole thing relates to you being in the hospital right now!" Tears started to form in her eyes, her emotions running high. "I already lost Ben! Do you want me to lose you too?!"
Her voice was broken, saddened, frustrated. Peter could feel his heart rip into pieces, trying to speak. "Aunt May, I-"
Before he could even get another word out, Aunt May interrupted him. "No, this is where you zip it! I refuse, do you hear me, I REFUSE, to lose another person I love! I refuse to lose another person I love with the cause being in the wrong place at the wrong time!"
She wasn't done.
"Ever since last year, you've been staying out late, and I'm left sitting here wondering, worrying about you, wondering where the heck you are because I'm over here being a nervous wreck since I don't know if you'll ever come home!"
This frustration from Aunt May was bound to blow up sooner or later. Peter being in the hospital only acts as the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Aunt May, you know I work late. I'm trying to help you pay the bills, and as much crap as I go through at the Daily Bugle, they're the best paying job I can get right now."
Yes, even with Jameson not knowing the definition of a raise, or a sometimes-decent salary, Peter admits the Daily Bugle is his best shot at getting the most money he could get.
"I don't care how much they pay you, especially when it concerns your own life! Do you hear me, Peter?! No amount of money is worth losing your life!"
"Well, I can't let you pay the bills by yourself! I have no where else to go with my job situation!" Peter shouted back, as Harry, Gwen, Miles, and Felicia all felt very out of place at this very moment. Awkward couldn't even begin to describe them right now. "If I quit, we lose the house, and then what?! Where are we gonna go?! Live in some cardboard box?!"
Peter meant every word he said, his frustration continuing to rise. "I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm not. I refuse to let it happen, and if you can't understand it, then fine. But I'm not going to fail our family, I'm not going to fail you and let our home be taken away from us just because of some setback. I'm sorry, Aunt May, but I don't need that on my conscience."
Peter's words near the end of his speech seemingly got calmer, but in a weird way, it got more intense as well. Everybody was silent, especially Miles, Gwen, Harry, and Felicia. They felt like if they said anything, they'd only make things worse.
Which in this case, they would be correct.
At this moment, whether or not it was luck, a knock was heard on the door. Without waiting for a response, the door was opened by a doctor. "Mr. Parker, you have another visitor."
With the doctor saying this, a man walked into the room afterwards. He appeared to be a middle-aged Chinese American man, with his face being clean shaven. He also looked to be in good shape since he had a slightly muscular build. What he's wearing is a black suit and tie with a white handkerchief in his breast pocket.
"Mr. Li?" Peter said, as Li could only smile.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Martin Li.
"Hello, Peter. Sorry I couldn't make it earlier, but I got here as quick as possible once May told me about your condition." Li said, genuinely caring for Peter. "How are you feeling?"
Peter sighed, showing a shrug. "A little better, I guess. I still feel some of the broken bones, but I'll be back to full health soon enough." he told Li. Any regular human would probably be in the hospital for weeks after taking multiple blows from Kingpin. But you know, the whole Spider-Man thing kinda helps with his healing factor.
"Well, that's great news to hear." Li said, turning to Aunt May. "And May, take as much time off as you need to for Peter's sake. You'll still be paid throughout all of this, okay?" Li told Aunt May, which caught her off guard.
"But… what about F.E.A.S.T.? Are you sure you can handle everything by yourself?" Aunt May asked. F.E.A.S.T. was a homeless shelter, and it was arguably the best homeless shelter in New York.
Li slightly laughed. "I think I can handle myself. It's the least I could do for all your hard work. In fact, you probably do too much." Li pointed out, but his tone showed he was extremely grateful for it. "I just go by your motto. If you help someone,"
Aunt May knew where this was going, but she went along with it. "You help everyone." she finished, showing the slightest smile. Since she just got done yelling about how much she cared about her nephew, her son a minute ago, it's a miracle she was able to pull off a smile in the first place.
Li smiled, turning back to Peter. "And as for you, Peter, I hope to see you back on your feet soon, which I know you will be. You share the same drive your aunt does. No matter how many times you guys get hit, both of you always get back up." he said, offering some encouragement to both of them, but he also admired that quality they both shared. It was inspiring, to say the least.
He looked at his watch, knowing he needed to get back to F.E.A.S.T. He wishes he could spend more time with two of his favorite people, but duty calls, right? "I'll see you both later. Gotta head back now." Li spoke, giving his goodbyes and leaving a 'Get Well' card next to a small table that was right by Peter's hospital bed. He walked away, leaving them so he could get back to work.
NYPD Station
BGM: The Sopranos Theme Song – Woke Up This Morning
(Also, insert Law & Order sound effect here, lol)
"Captain Stacy, don't you think we're not looking enough into this?" Yuri Watanabe said, being in a rush as she followed her captain around the station, the whole place being frantic thanks to Spider-Man's and 'Wilson Fisk's' fight.
"What else is there to look into? Spider-Man showed up, killed Fisk's employees, fought Fisk himself, and nearly brought the entire tower down." Captain Stacy replied, but Yuri wouldn't give up that easily. She had a good relationship with Spider-Man. Even though she's never outwardly said it, they're definitely friends. Yuri just likes to play hard to get.
"So, you're not suspicious about any of this?" Yuri couldn't believe how casual Captain Stacy was acting. "When has Spider-Man ever been known to kill somebody?"
Captain Stacy stopped walking, electing to turn towards Yuri. "What are you trying to say here? Are you saying Fisk is the one who killed his own employees?" he said, finding it very hard to believe. "Why in the world would he do something like that?"
Yuri sighed heavily. To be honest, she's had her suspicions about Fisk in the past, and since she knows Spider-Man's true character, it was clear to her something was very off. "To cover himself."
Captain Stacy rolled his eyes at Yuri's conspiracy, pausing for a moment as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Watanabe, I'd be happy to give your conspiracy some thought… if there was any solid evidence whatsoever in your claim." Truthfully, Captain Stacy wasn't the biggest fan of Spider-Man. At best, he only tolerates the masked 'vigilante.'
"I honestly don't think Yuri is speaking nonsense." a woman's voice said, coming into the conversation. She had a slim frame with green eyes, blonde hair, and an all-green attire with a brown belt, this was Jean DeWolff. "This isn't the first time Fisk has raised some suspicions while being in the news. Quite frankly, I find it odd that his reward for finding Spider-Man, dead or alive he says, is so high. Who gives out a 58-million-dollar award for one person?"
"When Spider-Man swings in once a day, zip zap zops in his little mask, and answers to no one, why shouldn't we be suspicious about him, especially after the show he put on last night? I'd give out 58 million too if he beat me up, killed my employees, and nearly destroys my tower." Jefferson Davis said, coming into the conversation and making his feelings about Spider-Man very clear. He didn't like him too much. "But meanwhile, we're doing things the right way. We're out there putting our lives on the line with no masks. We show our faces! What does he have to hide? With great ability comes great accountability!"
Jean facepalmed herself. "For some unexplainable reason, that last quote just sounds wrong."
"It sounds wrong because you know I'm right." Jefferson Davis clapped back, not thinking he said anything wrong in the slightest.
"With all due respect, Jeff, I do think my daughter has a point." And now here comes Phillip DeWolff, father of Jean DeWolff and a living legend in the NYPD. He was the oldest guy here, but for some reason, he hasn't retired yet. It's probably due to the fact he's still good at his job. A well-built frame, blue hat, grey eyes, and brown attire described his appearance.
"I appreciate you coming to your daughter's aid, Phillip, but the facts are the facts. Fisk isn't the one who attacked Spider-Man. Spider-Man is the one who attacked Fisk." Jefferson Davis said, believing the story that was being reported was the truth.
"But why do you think he attacked him?" another voice said, coming into the conversation and would be yet another member of the DeWolff family. At this point, being a cop is in the blood. Strawberry blond hair, blue eyes, well built like his father, and an all-purple attire, this was Brian DeWolff. "For all of Spider-Man's faults, I don't think he's the type of person to do something just to do something."
"Or… hear me out, none of us know what the heck is going on." Yet another person said, actually being one of the detectives in this case.
"Remind me why you're a detective again?" Yuri asked seriously, raising an eyebrow.
The detective smirked. "Because I'm the best detective here. Regardless, the conclusion I can come to is this… One side is lying. When I investigated the murdered bodies at Fisk Towers, these deaths couldn't have happened with Spider-Man's fists, unless he's a whole lot stronger than what we thought he was." This detective's name was Stanley Carter. Red eyes, bald, green gloves, he was indeed the NYPD's best detective. Well, arguably the best. "Those wounds were gunshot wounds, no doubt about it. Now the question we have here is who's the shooter."
"Spider-Man isn't known for using guns." Jean pointed out.
Stan nodded. "Yes, he isn't known for using guns, but with the way this case is going, we have to consider all the possibilities."
"Finally, something I can actually agree on." Another woman said, getting into this conversation. You know, she was something of a detective herself. "Except for the best detective part. That is just plain wrong." The woman had brown eyes, black hair that was tied in a ponytail, purple earrings, and a purple suit. Terri Lee, everybody. "Coming to a conclusion right now is premature, and the only reason why this case is somewhat getting swept under the rug by others is because Wilson Fisk is the so-called savior of New York."
She would end it off with this. "We have to keep an eye on both sides. An equal eye, mind you. Unfortunately though, I don't think it's going to be possible for Spider-Man because of the 58 million dollar reward. Almost everybody in New York is going to go after him."
Captain Stacy rubbed his forehead at all this information, trying to take it all in because everybody seemed to be talking at once. But hey, he is happy his police force is talented from top to bottom. Not only talented, but hard workers.
He would tell his police force two simple things.
"I need everything we have on Wilson Fisk. Every. Single. File. As for Spider-Man, until he's proven innocent, he's currently a menace to the entire city."
Hospital
Not too long after Li left, the same doctor who announced Li was coming would also announce someone else was here.
"Sorry to disturb you again, Mr. Parker, but you have another visitor."
Peter tilted his head. "Another visitor?" he said, as he honestly wasn't expecting anyone else to show up. Though, that might be due to him being down on himself right now.
However, when this person walked through the door, everybody's mouths went agape, with the exception of Peter and Aunt May.
Aunt May knew this person was coming, and Peter… Well, his face was blank. Emotionless.
"Alright, this is some type of prank." Felicia said, seeing who showed up to Peter's hospital room.
"Why does it have to be some type of prank?" the man said, revealing to be Flash Thompson. He found out about Peter's condition because Aunt May had called his parents. Flash's parents let Flash know, and now we're here.
"Do we even have to explain why?" Felicia countered, with everyone else getting on the defensive just in case if Flash tried to do anything funny.
Aunt May looked at everyone, soon calming them down. "I let Flash's parents know, and this is how Flash knows." she explained simply.
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Aunt May, you do know Flash and Peter have a… complicated relationship, right?"
Aunt May nodded. "I'm well aware."
"Then why did you tell him about this?" Felicia asked.
"This complicated relationship, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, needs to go down the drain. These two should've never stopped being friends in the first place. If it takes a situation like this for somebody to finally come to their senses, then fine." proclaimed Aunt May.
"Yeah, I agree 100%, Aunt May. If you don't mind, though… I would like to speak to Peter alone. I… I need to let him know about a lot of things. Everything." Shocker of the century, Flash actually said Peter instead of Parker, or Puny Parker. Wow, progress!
Aunt May looked at Flash with a blank stare when he said this. "You're not going to punch him, right?"
Flash nodded. "No, ma'am. Nothing like that." he replied honestly, with Aunt May continuing to stare. It would take a few moments before she made up her mind.
"Very well. If you want to talk to Peter alone, then you'll get the chance." she said, looking at the rest of the group. "Kids, let's respect his wish."
It's safe to say Miles, Harry, Gwen, and Felicia were reluctant to leave Peter and Flash alone, especially given how their last interaction went, but when Aunt May tells you to do something, you do it. No questions asked. They were not going to be the cause of pissing her off even more.
They all exited the room, closing the door behind them. But, instead of completely leaving, now all of their ears were near the door. Yes, they were being nosy, but they wanted to see how this was going to go.
With Flash and Peter now being alone, it was time for things to be set straight.
"Hey Peter," Flash began, scratching the back of his head as he tried to let the words come to him.
Peter looked at Flash, still having his blank, emotionless face. "Not today, Flash." He wasn't in the mood. Why was he here? His presence was only making him angrier.
Flash sighed. "Come on, man. I just wanna talk."
A few seconds afterwards, and Peter's blank face wasn't so blank anymore. Instead, it was the epitome of annoyance, irritation, resentment, and everything else you can think of. "Oh, now you want to talk, huh?" he replied, venom being in his voice. "Only took you about… Hmm… 4 or 5 years, and I'm being real generous when I say that."
Flash knew this was going to be difficult. Honestly, he expected this reaction out of Peter, and he doesn't blame him for it. "I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, and I understand why. Everything was my fault, okay? The reason why we stopped being friends is because of me being stupid."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Wow, been a long time since we've agreed on something."
"Trust me, if I could go back in time and change everything, I would do it without a second thought. After how our… last conversation went, it really got me thinking, and I haven't been able to sleep since then. I messed up a friendship with one of the only people in the world who truly cared about me. Your outburst, I had it coming. When you stood up to me in front of the whole school, when you said I wasn't there for you when you lost Uncle Ben, I started to look in a mirror and ask myself what have I become? I did all of this so I could be seen as popular?" Flash stated, Peter being silent throughout all of this. Though, it is safe to say Flash has Peter's attention now.
Flash took a deep breath. "When I found out you were in the hospital, Aunt May was sounding like you weren't going to make it. At that point, I knew I had to do something, say something. If… if you died, and the last memory of us was the argument, I don't know how I would've been able to live with myself."
Huh. Oddly enough, that sounds like how the last conversation went between Peter and Uncle Ben, and when Flash said this, it made Peter's eyes widen.
"Given your condition, and by just being in the hospital, I know this hasn't been a good day for you. But for me, I would say to you this has been a tremendous day, because I finally realized what I needed to do. My mom has been constantly saying I should reconnect with you. Heck, even my dumb dad has been saying the same thing. At that point, there wasn't a doubt in my mind. I was going to make things right." Flash said, giving a small pause, before continuing to speak.
"I want to relive those fun times we had, Pete, while also making new memories. I want to dream big with you again. I want to see you become the greatest scientist in the world, and I want you to see me become the greatest football player in the world. This is all we talked about when we were kids, and I just want to say, at least for me anyway, nothing has changed."
Flash was pouring his heart out, that much was clear. On the outside of the room, Aunt May, Miles, Gwen, Harry, and Felicia couldn't believe what they were hearing. It was so hard for them to stay quiet since they so desperately wanted to say something, but they didn't want to interrupt this moment.
Flash wasn't done. "But… what I really want to say to you is… Pete, you are my brother. Let me apologize to you," Flash stopped, his voice getting choked up. "If I hurt you…"
Peter didn't know how in the world to respond to this. The only thing he could do was let his eyes water. He tried to cover his face, but it was pretty much futile at this point. With everything he's gone through, it's like he was letting it all out with his tears in this very moment.
Flash was trying to keep himself together, trying to speak. "I'm sorry that we haven't been together… and I'm sorry I didn't come to my senses soon enough. I'm sorry for not being there for you when Uncle Ben died. I'm sorry for acting like a complete jerk to you just for popularity, but I'm here now to rewrite this story. If you would accept me as your friend again, your brother, I promise to never leave your side again."
After Flash was done speaking, Peter sat there in silence, still trying his best to hold back his tears no matter how useless it was. Trying his best to get himself together, he looked up at Flash, saying these three words.
"I forgive you."
Flash, who had to process all of this himself, wasn't sure if Peter was going to accept him as his friend again after all the crap he's put him through. But when he heard those three words, Flash got closer to Peter and gave him a bro hug, with Peter being fully accepting of it. Peter started to cry into Flash's shoulder, the two old friends now being reunited after a long, long time.
There was nothing but silence in the room as Peter and Flash embraced each other. This is what it means to have a friend.
This is what it means to have a brother.
On the outside of the room, tears were being shed as well. They first had to overcome the shock of Flash saying everything he said, but when Peter forgave him for everything, that's when they became emotional.
"Hey, uh… I didn't know the hospital made onions…" Harry said, trying his best to be a 'strong' man full of testosterone, but was failing miserably.
Dr. Connors' Lab
"Dr. Connors, your student is trying to bother you again." Michael Morbius said, having a loud sigh as he tried his best to ignore the banging on the door.
Debra Whitman was trying to do the same, and it was getting harder to ignore the ruckus with each passing second since she was trying to work on an experiment. "Can we please make her go away?"
"Now, now. No need to be rude." Dr. Connors said, walking to his door and opening it. His student was a woman with two long pigtails, her hair color being black. She was wearing a dark yellow jacket with a white shirt underneath. She also had blue eyes and blue glasses.
Her name?
Indira Daimonji.
Or, better known as Indy.
"Dr. Connors, you have to hear this!" Indy exclaimed, having a pencil and notepad in her hands. Before Dr. Connors could even reply, Indy kept on talking like the energizer bunny she was. "I know you've been trying to get your arm back, and I think I know how to do it!" she said, making Dr. Connors sigh.
"Indy…" he said, but once again, she kept on talking.
"Listen! What if we really looked into cross species genetics with lizard DNA? If lizards can regenerate limbs, then why can't we fuse that same DNA with humans? We could cure so many people! We could give them their limbs back!"
Michael rubbed his temples in slight annoyance. "Have you even thought about the side effects if something goes wrong? You must want Dr. Connors to turn into some type of giant lizard or something."
Indy rolled her eyes. "First of all, no, I don't want Dr. Connors to turn into a giant lizard. Second of all, you're not even going to consider the possibilities if we were able to crack this code? Imagine all the positives it could come from it!"
"And imagine all the negatives it could come from it." Debra retorted. As she, Michael, and Indy all began to argue their case, Dr. Connors was being silent about this whole thing.
In fact, the more he thought about Indy's idea… the more it started to make sense.
Though, he still wasn't completely sold on it. Cross species genetics, with lizard DNA nonetheless, is a dangerous thing to tackle. It was clearly a high risk, high reward type of deal.
He would need some time to think about this.
"Thank you, Indy, for your idea. However, if I'm not mistaken, don't you have a test to study for in my class tomorrow?" said Dr. Connors, making Indy's eyes widen.
"Oh crap! I forgot!" Indy shouted, running away all the way back to her dorm so she wouldn't fail Dr. Connors' test tomorrow. This made Michael and Debra have a sigh of relief.
"Thank God she's gone. She seriously thought using lizard DNA would be a good idea?" Michael said out loud, with Debra agreeing with him.
However, Dr. Connors would look at his missing right arm for a few moments, letting the idea of cross species genetics stay in his mind for a good while.
"I don't know, Michael…" Dr. Connors said, still staring at his missing right arm. "She may have been on to something."
Hospital
After Flash and Peter made up, the group eventually came back inside the room. It was a little awkward at first given Flash's and Peter's history, but the more casual they acted with each other, the others became more casual too.
Harry would receive a text from his phone, beginning to read it. As he read it, though, Harry began to cough. It wasn't some ordinary cough either, it sounded really painful.
"Oh no, not now! Please go away, please go away, please go away!" Harry thought, still coughing which caught the attention of everyone.
"You okay, Harry?" Peter asked, as Harry tried to get himself together and act like nothing was wrong in the slightest.
Which was the absolute farthest thing from the truth. Clearly, he was hiding something, but he didn't want his friends to worry about him.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Scratchy throat." he quickly said, wanting to change this topic as soon as possible. "Just as a heads up, Stormin' Norman is coming to check up on you right about… Now."
The door would open, revealing Norman Osborn. "Peter Parker!" he exclaimed loudly, his arms raising as he made his dramatic, loud entrance. "I knew you'd be too strong to give up the ghost. Still though, I had to check up on you, since we are family after all."
Peter formed a slight smile on his face. "Thanks, Mr. Osborn. Nice to know people care about me."
Norman laughed at being called Mr. Osborn, shaking his head. "Oh please. How long have we known each other? You know you can call me Norman!" he said, coming closer to Peter and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Heck, I already see you as the second son I never had. If it wasn't for your Aunt May being so wonderful, I would've adopted you by now!"
Everyone laughed at the statement. Well, everyone except for Harry. Harry has his… own issues when it comes this matter.
"By the way, I heard your class is set to make a fieldtrip to Oscorp Industries soon. You're gonna be back to full health before then?" Norman asked, as Peter still kept his slight smile.
"Oh yeah, you better believe I'll be at 100% before the fieldtrip. Wouldn't miss it for the world." replied Peter, being honest in his response. It wouldn't be the first time he's seen Oscorp, but he is eager to see what they've been working on recently. When you're a nerd, you enjoy that stuff.
"I would expect nothing less from a science whiz like you. You know, I'm something of a scientist myself," Norman joked, while Harry rolled his eyes in the background as his father was bragging in his own little way.
"Trust me, I know," replied Peter. "I've been reading your research on nanotechnology. Really brilliant stuff."
"Nano what?" Flash repeated, being completely lost on what was happening.
"Nerd stuff, just roll with it." Gwen told him casually.
Norman's eyes lit up with Peter telling him this news. "And you understood it?" he asked.
"Yep." Peter replied, making Norman grin like a happy child.
"Impressive." he said, nodding in approval, but wasn't surprised in the very least. He looked towards Aunt May, beginning to ask her a question. He was half joking, half serious about it. "You sure you don't want to put him up for adoption?"
Aunt May giggled. "Very funny, Norman." she told him, making Norman shrug.
"Worth a shot," Norman replied, but he knew he couldn't stay long. He was pushing it just by visiting Peter. He would end it off with this, though. "I know this has been a difficult time for you. Harry informed me of some of the details." he said. "You two are brothers, and I whole heartedly meant it when I said you're family. And if you ever need anything, just give me a call."
Hearing this, Peter appreciated how Norman was showing his support. He gave a nod, and that's when Norman would begin to walk out.
However, he thought he was going to get a peaceful exit until MORE people showed up to see Peter.
Constant shouting was heard outside the room, and it would only get closer and closer. Peter already knew who this voice belonged to.
"Oh no…" he muttered, and without another second being wasted, the door was essentially kicked open, revealing J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Robbie Robertson, Hoffman, Angelica Jones, and Eddie Brock.
"HOFFMAN! ARE YOU SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT ROOM?!"
"They said Peter was in here!" Hoffman replied.
Felicia covered her ears, as Jameson's shouting was already getting on her nerves. "Jesus, is he a living caps lock button or something?"
"I AM A LIVING CAPS LOCK BUTTON!" Jameson immediately replied, now seeing Peter. "PARKER! There you are!"
"Keep yourself together, Pete. Keep yourself together." Peter told himself over and over again, keeping his composure. "Mr. Jameson. And what brings you here today?"
"What brings me here today?!" Jameson repeated. "Listen kid, I may be a little rough around the edges, but I'm not heartless! I'm there for my employees when they need help!" he proclaimed, looking at Betty. "Miss Brant, hand Parker the flowers and the get-well card!"
Betty sighed heavily, but she did put the flowers near Peter's bed and the get-well card. "Hope to see you back soon, Peter." she told him, smiling.
Once this was said, Peter looked at Aunt May, considering how she felt about him returning to the Daily Bugle… All he could do was nod in response, showing a small smile.
"Don't rush your recovery, though. Make sure you're 100% before you come back." Robbie said.
"I gotchya, Robbie. I gotchya." Peter said, looking at Robbie. Soon, Angelica would come speak to him.
"You being out does mean more hours for us, though. I would thank you, but that also means we have to spend more time with 'you know who.'" Angelica said, joking with Peter as she was obviously referring to J. Jonah Jameson.
Peter laughed, connecting the dots immediately. "Sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow."
Angelica nodded. "I'm still trying to repay you for getting my pictures accepted. Are you trying to one-up me again, sir?" she said with a smirk, but then she would be interrupted by Eddie.
"Excuse me, Parker, but I don't believe we've met before!" he said, cutting Angelica off. In a way, he was 'you know what' blocking. "I'm Eddie Brock, the newest photographer."
"Oh trust me, I've definitely met you before." Peter thought to himself.
"I know you think we won't be able to get pictures of Spider-Man, but fear not, I can adequately get extremely good photos of him in your absence." Eddie said, making Peter sigh.
"Trust me, I couldn't be happier…" Sarcasm was dripping all over the place with Peter's tone, but Eddie didn't seem to catch it.
Moments later throughout all the chaos, Jameson noticed Norman Osborn was in the room. "Wait a minute… NORMAN OSBORN!" he exclaimed, running towards him.
This is where Norman bails. "Please, no questions. I have to go." he said, sort of speed walking away from Jameson since he didn't want to be bothered.
"WAIT, NORMAN OSBORN! YOU COULD BE ON THE NEXT PAPER! WAIT!"
Little did Jameson realize that's the exact reason why Norman was running away from him in the first place.
Jameson slouched in defeat, sighing heavily to himself. Hoffman would show up beside him, giving his boss a pat on the back. "I guess you're not big enough for him."
Jameson's head dramatically turned to Hoffman's position, shooting him a cold glare. "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT BIG ENOUGH?!"
"Well," Hoffman began, "You're big time, don't get me wrong. When it comes to newspapers, you're the guy. Though, if you wanted to take it to the next level, I'd say you need a podcast."
Jameson, for like the first time ever, was actually listening to Hoffman. "A podcast?"
"Yep, people love podcasts these days! If I were you, I'd name it Just The Facts, with J. Jonah Jameson!" Hoffman said.
"THAT IS A HORRIBLE IDEA!" Jameson shouted, spit flying all over the place and landing on Hoffman's face and suit.
He then held his chin, a lightbulb appearing over his head as his eyes widened.
Yes, Jameson has the perfect idea!
"I got it! People love podcasts these days! I'll name my podcast Just The Facts, WITH J. JONAH JAMESON!"
He literally just repeated Hoffman's idea.
"Um, I kinda came up with that idea-"
"I TAKE ALL THE CREDIT!" Jameson interrupted, continuing to yell at the top of his lungs. He would bring out his phone, making a quick phone call. "JARED! THE DAILY BUGLE NOW HAS A PODCAST! WE GET TO WORK AS SOON AS WE GET BACK!"
Hoffman sighed deeply, slouching in defeat. "Should've been a teacher like my brother…" he muttered to himself. Jameson never appreciates him or his ideas.
Things were getting too crowded, though, and it was time for the doctors to check up on Peter. One doctor came in, seeing all the chaos. "Excuse me, everyone. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you guys to scoot, okay?"
Everyone looked at the doctor make the announcement, and once they heard it, they all said their goodbyes to Peter. The Daily Bugle crew were off to make the greatest podcast in history, while Aunt May, Felicia, Harry, Gwen, Flash, and Miles were trying to figure out what to do.
"I'll be heading to F.E.A.S.T., kids. Don't get into trouble now." she told them, about to walk away until she was stopped by Miles' voice.
"But Aunt May, didn't Mr. Li say don't worry about coming in?" Miles asked, as a small smile formed on May's face.
"The worst thing I can do is sit back and do nothing when people need me." she replied, being the ever so typical caring person she is. Always putting other people before herself. She waved goodbye, and she was off to F.E.A.S.T.
Harry shook his head in amazement. "She's amazing. No other words to describe her."
"Truth." Felicia agreed, as May's compassion for others was inspiring. In fact, it reminded her of a certain Spider… who's career she may have ruined. She didn't say much throughout her time in the hospital because all she could think about was how badly she screwed everything up.
"Soooo…" Gwen started, wondering where they went from here. "What do you guys want to do now?" she asked.
"We could… I don't know… Go to the zoo?" Harry suggested, checking his phone. "They have this 'majestic creature' called Alex The Lion."
"Meh," Miles said. "I'm just looking forward to that Oscorp fieldtrip. Now that should be fun." he finished, hinting at absolutely nothing whatsoever.
"It should be fun," Gwen agreed with Miles, who was also hinting at absolutely nothing whatsoever.
"Yes, another fieldtrip where only nerds will be able to figure out what's going on!" Flash said, already dreading the Oscorp fieldtrip.
"Listen, if we can't figure out what we're going to do, then I'm just gonna bail-" Harry almost finished, before he started to cough again. It was the same exact cough he had inside the hospital, and it was clear he was going through major pain.
Felicia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need to be in the hospital too, right?" she asked.
Obviously, Harry would brush it off like it was nothing. "Guys, I said it was only a scratchy throat. A really, really scratchy throat, actually."
The results are in… The lie detector detects… Harry Osborn is lying!
But he won't admit it.
He cleared his throat, acting like everything was normal. "What about memes, right? Let's talk about memes. Everyone loves a good meme." He was switching topics again to avoid the coughing subject, continuing to look through his phone. "Oh Miles, you should know this meme!"
"Harry, I swear to God." Miles seriously told him, knowing exactly what was coming.
"The exaggerated swagger of a bla-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence! Don't do it! I'm sick of it!" Miles shouted, dramatically pointing at Harry and telling him to drop it.
"Aaaand this is where we leave now." Gwen said. If there was nothing else to talk about other than memes, then yeah, it was time to pack it up.
"Agreed." Felicia said.
"Yep, I'm going to bed." Flash told them, not wanting to be part of this meme conversation any longer.
And with that, the group said their goodbyes as they separated from each other.
Hours Later At The Hospital
"Well, Mr. Parker. You seem to be making great progress in your recovery. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, you're somehow good enough to go home." the doctor said, honestly being amazed. "Would you like for me to contact your aunt?"
"No, no. No need for that. I'll just… randomly show up to surprise her." Peter replied, not really wanting Aunt May to know he was out of the hospital. It really wasn't because of their conversation, but Peter knew he had to do something.
He got up, seemingly walking fine on his own. Before Peter was able to completely walk away, the doctor said one more thing.
"Even though you seem to be better, I advise you to take it slow. Don't want to end up back here, you know what I mean?" the doctor said, making Peter smirk.
"Trust me, I don't plan on ending up back here." Peter replied, continuing his walk. "At least, hopefully not anytime soon." he muttered, finally leaving the hospital.
Aunt May's House
Peter would've gotten here a lot faster if he had his costume, but… you know, he kinda threw that thing in the garbage after his fight with Kingpin. Can't swing as Peter Parker because the whole secret identity thing would be ruined.
Entering Aunt May's house, it didn't take him too long to figure out she wasn't here. He's willing to bet she went to F.E.A.S.T., even after Martin Li told her to take as much time off as she needed. Stubborn. Simply stubborn.
Though, the same could go for Peter.
He walked into his room, opening his closet and saw the only suit he had left.
His first, original suit when he wasn't 'officially' Spider-Man yet. The suit he made to get some cash. The suit he wore when he faced off against two wrestlers at the same time, the match itself being a cage match. He had to last for three minutes.
These two wrestlers he had to face?
Crusher Hogan and Bonesaw McGraw.
"BONESAW IS REAAAAADDDYYY!"
Peter facepalmed himself, sighing heavily. Bonesaw's voice ran through his mind just because he was looking at his homemade suit, which brought those memories back. It still had the typical Spider-Man stuff when it came to color, while also keeping the red mask, but the difference here is the original mask actually had literal goggles that acted as his eyes. Also, instead of a full-on suit, he was using a red shirt with a red Spider logo he put on there, along with having some black on the shirt. And for the bottom half, it was literally blue pants.
Safe to say he came a long way since then.
This was the suit that started it all. This is when he was still trying to learn everything about his powers. This is when he had a different motivation. Great power and great responsibility didn't come into Peter's mind during this time. He was focused on cashing in with his abilities.
Then crap hit the fan. You guys know what happened. Everyone knows what happened.
He needed to put this suit on again to protect his secret identity. At least, for one last time.
Yes, he was thinking about quitting, but before he makes a decision, he has to talk to a certain Cat. Her mess is one of the reasons why he's in this situation to begin with.
Putting on the suit and opening the window, he would swing outside, now looking for the Black Cat.
Nighttime
Black Cat sat alone on a rooftop building, her mind still not being in the right place. Worst of all, Spidey hasn't been spotted in a hot minute. Things weren't as fun without him, and she may very well be the cause of him never showing up again.
She rubbed her forehead, sighing heavily to herself while being deep in thought.
That is, until she heard somebody land behind her.
It had to be him.
"Cat, we need to talk."
Yep, it was definitely him.
Cat was surprised he even showed up. Plus, he wanted to talk too? Though, she was no dummy, and the cat burglar knew where this was gonna go.
She was dreading this conversation, this moment, but hey, might as well get it over with.
Cat turned around, facing Spidey. When she looked at him, the first thing she noticed was the different suit. Or was it even a suit at all? What was she looking at? Beyond that, though, she also noticed there were multiple tears in this suit. Was it an older suit? She wanted to comment on these things, but she figured these probably aren't the things she should be commenting on right now. Instead, she would only say two words.
"Hey, Spider."
There was a silence between the two. It's almost like they were waiting for who was going to strike first. Not physically, of course, but by using their words.
Which is probably going to hurt more than throwing punches in this case.
With no one wanting to make the first move, Black Cat would reluctantly be the one to break the ice. "I'm… glad you're okay."
With Black Cat saying this, Spidey still remained silent for a few more seconds, but then he started to laugh. It wasn't a kind laugh either. It was more of a, "Are you serious?" type of laugh. "Okay?" he repeated, his anger only rising. "You think I'm okay?!" Spidey shouted at the top of his lungs. "I can't even web swing without getting shot at! Everybody thinks I'm some lunatic who attacked the great Wilson Fisk, hero of New York!" he said in a mocking tone.
When Spidey said this, Black Cat was able to connect the dots. That's why there were tears in his suit. This dude was getting shot at the entire time, and probably only got away just because he's Spider-Man. "Spider, I-"
"NO, CAT!" Spidey yelled, not even letting her speak. "I've been manipulated by you many times, but this time, ohhhhh this time," he said, waving his finger. "Now you've done it. You've really done it."
"I wasn't trying to manipulate you!" Black Cat shouted back, as now her anger was beginning to rise. "There's a reason why I was running away from you, but nope, you so desperately wanted to see The Kingpin that you never left me alone! What was I supposed to do?!"
"Well, when you suddenly get news from some old multi-dimensional Spider lady that says if I don't stop Kingpin, apparently the whole universe is gonna be destroyed, then I guess it's my bad for caring!" He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth which showed his vexation.
"It doesn't change the fact you still kept bugging me about him!"
"YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IN CONTACT WITH HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Spidey pointed out, his temper boiling. "I've given you chance after chance after chance to change, but you never want to listen to me, huh? What does Spidey know, right? I'm just a guy in tights who annoys criminals with my mouth!"
"He was going to kill my mother, Spider! If I didn't bring you to him, she was going to die! What was I supposed to do?!"
Usually, Spidey would feel sympathetic if someone brought something like this up. In fact, this is the first time Black Cat has ever brought up her human life to him. He would usually reply differently to this since it's so out of the ordinary. But in this case?
Nah.
"Ohhhhh okaaaayyy, so NOW the truth comes out!" Spidey said, beginning to sarcastically clap. "Round of applause, ladies and gentlemen! Round of a freakin' plause'!" he stated, shaking his head. "I don't know if you remember, but I did ask you what was wrong, right?" he said, reminding her he indeed asked what was wrong during the time. "I guess trust is another thing we don't have! Silly me for thinking otherwise! If you would've TOLD me your situation, we could've come up with a plan, but of course, I find this out after everything goes to crap! My luck, right? Always my luck!"
He wouldn't stop there. "I guess I have no one to blame but myself, though. I thought I could trust you with saving the universe, but once again, like many times before, I get burned by you, just because I thought I could trust you." He held his head in frustration, yelling, "God, how could I be so stupid?! Since Kingpin was expecting me the entire time, it didn't matter if he killed me or didn't kill me! He revealed himself because he knew he would have the advantage! He knew all the blame would be put on me since he's this so-called great hero, he knew the story would be 'Spider-Man attacks Wilson Fisk!' And now people see me as a murderer when he's the one who shot his men in cold blood! He's the one who's been murdering people for years!"
Spidey was on the verge of losing his mind. This whole saving the universe thing really caused him not to think straight during that time. "If he didn't kill me, then he may as well have. I can't do a single thing without getting shot at because I have a target on my back that's the size of New York!"
With Spidey connecting the dots for himself, now it all made sense to Black Cat. That is the reason why Kingpin wanted her to bring Spidey, because no regular person knows Wilson Fisk is the Kingpin. That is the true reason why he revealed who he was, because why would it matter if they're one of the only ones who truly know his identity? Even if they tried to prove he's a criminal, would anybody believe them now? Nope, not a single person. Black Cat is a well-known cat burglar, and Spidey is now seen as the absolute worst criminal in New York.
Conclusion?
Good Lord, Spidey got played in every way imaginable.
Black Cat got played too, don't get me wrong, but the one who's taking the constant beating is Spidey. No doubt about it.
After a while, Black Cat had no idea what to say. She had no idea what to do. Spidey was losing it, and he was trying his best to compose himself, but it wasn't working.
With deep breath after deep breath, his palm met his face. He needed to ask Black Cat this one question. "Cat… Tell me one thing…" he said, giving a pause before he continued. "Why?"
Clearly, Black Cat was confused. "Why what?"
"Why do you do what you do?" Spidey clarified. "Why are you a cat burglar? Why do you keep getting yourself into these situations? Do you love the thrill that much? Do you love money that much? Or is there something else I'm missing?"
Black Cat remained silent for a long time when Spidey asked this question. Did she only do it for the thrill? Did she only do it for the money? No, while these things are true, there were other reasons to why she was doing this, and those reasons get a whole lot more personal.
Black Cat folded her arms. "Why would you care about that anyway? You already know the answer." she said, her eyes avoiding eye contact with Spidey. "You've seen all the trouble I put you through, all the pain I've caused you. I'm nothing more than a thief. Plain and simple."
She took the easy way out to avoid saying the personal reasons, but truthfully, she did feel like someone who was nothing more than a thief at this point, especially with the way Spidey has been yelling in her ear.
Spidey shook his head. "No. I don't want to hear that." he told Cat seriously. "The reason why I gave you so many chances is because I realize you're more than that, even if you don't want to see it or admit it. You're more than a thief, but you're using your gifts for the wrong things."
"You'd like it if that were true, wouldn't you?" Black Cat replied, still not wanting to really reveal why she did this, why she often chose a life of crime.
If Cat wasn't going to reveal the main reason why she was a cat burglar, then Spidey was the one who's going to get personal here.
"I've been trying to help you so much, but you want to know why?" Spidey asked, but he didn't wait for a response. Waiting for a response wasn't the point. "You remind me of myself when I first started realizing what I could do with my powers. I tried to cash in on my gifts as well, instead of actually doing some good for the world. I got so caught up in getting cash, and during the moment, I felt so good, even though I was doing the exact opposite of what a loved one told me to do."
Spidey was confused with this whole thing now due to the recent revelation, and he still hasn't fully come to grips with reality, but nonetheless, it doesn't make his origin story any less true.
At least, at the moment it doesn't.
"When I got my powers, and I realized I could get the cash, I felt like the world owed me. But guess how the world responded to my actions? The world took that very same loved one away from me, only proving once again that it didn't owe me a single thing. I don't want you to go down the same path I did, because I'm still paying for that day with every second I live, and honestly, I expect it to go on for the rest of my life. I don't want you to go through this, because many days pass where I wonder how in the world do I live through this on a consistent basis. With everything literally being thrown in my direction, I feel like I'm the universe's punching bag, and I often think dying is a better alternative than to go through this constant, never ending struggle. Sometimes, I only feel like it's a matter of time."
Still, Spidey wasn't quite done.
"And with the way the universe has always treated me, even if you don't listen to my advice, it still always finds a way to come back to me. I refuse to lose another loved one. I refuse, I refuse to lose you too."
Black Cat was quiet, but to say she was beyond shocked was an understatement. Her eyes were wide, not being sure what to say. Even in anger, even in pure rage, even after not telling Spidey about Kingpin's deal with her, he's still showing kindness? He's still showing compassion after everything that's happened to him?
Beyond that, he's also saying she's a loved one?
This was a lot, a whole lot to take in all at once.
"Spider… you consider me a loved one, even after everything I've done to you?" she seriously asked, honestly not believing it. She thought it was a load of crap, really.
Well, she wanted to believe it was a load of crap.
But she knew almost better than anybody when Spidey gets serious, he's not the one to spit out crap.
Spidey gave a nod, saying, "I do."
It was sincere.
Though, something else would also be sincere.
"But I can't go through this anymore. I don't have the drive, I don't have the fire, I don't have anything left. I'm tired. I'm so, so tired."
Spidey slowly walked to the edge of the building, looking down at the city that never sleeps. Black Cat felt like she knew what he was talking about, but then there was another part of her mind that didn't want to believe it. For her to believe it, Spidey would actually have to say the words.
"What are you saying right now?"
Well, isn't that the question of the day?
Spidey continued to look at New York. The cars, the lights, the people, everything he was fighting for, and yet… all of it felt like a useless, pointless fight now.
In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually, they will hate you.
"What I'm saying is this is going to be the last time you'll ever see me. I quit."
Spidey couldn't have been blunter in his response, and now Black Cat was appalled, astonished, dismayed, startled, troubled, any freakin' word you could think of to describe her feelings right now.
She never thought she would hear those words.
"But… You're… You're Spider-Man! Spider-Man doesn't quit!"
"Well, sorry to tell ya, Cat, but I just did."
"You are talking crazy right now! Listen to yourself!"
"I am listening to myself. I know I can't go through this crap anymore, and nothing can change my mind about it."
Spidey got closer to the edge of the building, looking back at Black Cat to say his two last words to her.
"Goodbye, Cat."
He jumped off and started to swing away, Black Cat watching him swing off as tears started to form in her eyes. She got to her knees and screamed, wanting this nightmare to end.
"I'm sorry, Spider…" she was able to mutter, her tears streaming down her face.
Aunt May's House
As Peter was getting closer to Aunt May's house, after being shot at again throughout the entirety of his swinging in New York, he was so close to home he could taste it. He needed to sleep, get in his bed, forget that a radioactive spider ever decided to bite him.
And just as he was swinging, just when he thought he would get a smooth landing, he tried to shoot out another web, but in a weird way, it's like his powers stopped working.
Due to his powers not working, that also means he can't swing, which equals a way more painful landing than what he was anticipating.
There goes the good ol' Parker Luck again. Never fails, never ever fails.
With Peter's realization on how he couldn't shoot anymore webs, he started to freefall, and he started to yell all at once. It wouldn't be too much longer before his body hit the street, as he skidded all the way to Aunt May's house.
He groaned in frustration, slowly getting up from the fall. He felt like every part of his body ached, especially his back. "What was that?" he asked himself, acting like he wanted to shoot out another web, but nothing came out.
Peter looked at his hand in utter confusion, because this has never happened to him before.
Did his powers just literally stop working?
Whatever it is, he would decide to move on. The closer he got to Aunt May's house, he acted like he was going to crawl up and enter his room through the window.
Nope, that failed. While it looked like Peter still had his wall-crawling abilities for a short moment, they went away as quick as lightning, now beginning to fall again. Once again, he would fall on his back, being in nothing but pure agony.
Yep, his powers stopped working.
He needed to enter his home like a regular person now.
Unfortunately, this only made him more frustrated.
He got up and opened the door, shutting it behind him and went up to his room. Aunt May still wasn't home yet, and it was probably for the best.
"I never asked to be Spider-Man! I never asked for these powers!" Peter shouted to himself, his voice being completely broken. "I never knew it would mean no matter how much good I've done for the people of New York, they would still turn on me in a heartbeat like I've done nothing for them!"
He was letting everything out, taking off his original costume and threw it at the wall. In fact, he pretty much started to destroy his room. Books were flying everywhere, posters were being ripped off… nothing, absolutely nothing was safe.
"It's all just a twist of fate! Bad luck! A random bug bite!" he kept telling himself, being sick of everything. Peter didn't feel anything when it came to him quitting as Spider-Man. He came over to his original costume, acting like he wanted to destroy it.
"Quit being Spider-Man? Easiest decision I ever made."
As he was about to tear apart his old costume, in front of him was a picture that caught his attention.
It was a picture of himself and Uncle Ben.
Peter didn't know why he stopped, but he did. He dropped the costume, walking over to where the picture was and held it. He stared at it for a long time, and his confusion only got bigger.
Why? Why would Uncle Ben tell him to do something he didn't even do? With great power comes great responsibility? How does that compute when you're working with The Kingpin?!
So many thoughts came into his mind. He wanted to lash out, destroy this picture so he could move on with his life, but for whatever reason… Peter couldn't bring himself to destroy the picture.
He tried to, oh he tried to, but he couldn't.
For whatever reason, he couldn't.
Peter put the picture back down in its original position, now sitting on his bed as his thoughts began to rule his mind.
What was the true meaning of being Spider-Man?
Peter thought he knew. He thought he had the answer.
Now, he's not sure about anything.
However, there was only one thing he was sure about.
He was Spider-Man… no more.
END OF CHAPTER 6: SOUL SEARCHING
BGM: Spider-Man TAS 1994 Ending
Miles: It's Christmas time!
Gwen: Well, not officially Christmas yet, but I get your point.
Miles: Do you have to be so technical in the preview?
Harry: Come on guys, the readers only know one thing about the upcoming chapter!
Next time on Spider-Man: Fire and Desire!
A Very Spidey Christmas
Spider-Man: Wait, I'm gonna have a Christmas album?!
Author's Note: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Chapter 6 is done! My God, so many characters were introduced, so many characters were in the same place at the same time, over 12,000 words (is that the most words yet?), much like Peter in this story, I AM TIRED. Can you guys name all the new characters that showed up? I'm sure you can. If it wasn't obvious enough, this story is packed, but it's intentional. It's combining everything from everything, meaning if it's Spider-Man related, even if the characters had minor roles, they still are probably gonna be here, lol. This was a lot to tackle, and to all my Spidey/Cat lovers, I know they didn't get too much interaction in this chapter, specifically Peter/Felicia. But as you can see, there was a crapton going on, and coming into this from chapter 5, I expected it to be this way. They did get their interaction in the end, though! Their interaction near the end was… an argument, but an unavoidable argument. How in the world will they recover? Well, guess you have to keep on reading, lol. They'll get more time together in the future, I promise. But you guys know a Spidey/Cat relationship can't go without drama!
And are you guys keeping track with the Spider-Man 3 news? My God, the next movie sounds like it's going to be insane. If the rumors are all true, then we're getting Tobey, Tom, and Andrew all in the same movie?! Along with Emma Stone, Jamie Fox, Alfred Molina, Kirsten Dunst, AND Charlie Cox? I have no idea what's happening anymore, but if all of this comes true, this might just beat Endgame when it comes to hype and box office. Good Lord have mercy.
But can you imagine if all the rumors weren't true? World War 3 might start. I can see the memes now. "Misery, misery, misery, that's what you've chosen. I offered you friendship, and you spat in my face."
Also, yes, the next chapter will be a Christmas Special. Here's what I'm debating, though. Given recent events, (AKA everything that has gone on in chapter 5 and in this chapter) making a Christmas chapter would be haaaaarrrrrrd. So, I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to make a Christmas chapter by doing a prequel of some sorts. For example, we would transfer a year earlier to junior year, when Peter first got his powers and is still trying to get the hang of being Spider-Man. During the Christmas special, this would also be the first time Black Cat crosses his path. Miles, Gwen, Harry, and Aunt May would obviously be in it, too. BUT, there is a but, if you guys want me to somehow make a Christmas chapter with all the CURRENT events going on, then I guess I can do that too… even though I have no idea how I would do it, to be quite honest with you.
Other than that, let's see. Oh, check out my Spider-Man: Miles Morales story called I Promise. It's a MilesxPhin story, and as of right now, it's a one shot. Don't read it if you don't want the game spoiled for yourself, though. I think it's the only MilesxPhin story out there.
As for other random notes, can you guys do me a big favor and subscribe to my YouTube channel? I'm just starting out, but what I plan to have on there is gaming stuff, game reviews, Spider-Man discussions, Sonic discussions (because for some unexplainable reason I am still a Sonic fan, lol) skits, and other typical nerd stuff. I already have a full playthrough of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales with commentary on my channel. If any of this stuff interests you, my channel is called JonnyAdventure. If you do subscribe, then thanks! I'll be uploading more soon!
And finally, the final note. If you guys like what you read, leave a follow and a favorite! Don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! See you guys… on Christmas? Dear Lord, I have a deadline for this Christmas Special along with me having to do finals for college. Yep, this is gonna be fun, LOL.