Chapter Seven

Peter was shivering in the back seat of the car Jake had proudly told him and May had belonged to him since high school. Peter could count the number of times he had been allowed in Jake's precious car. When the three of them would go out as a family, they would always take May's. Jake would say it was because his car was old and delicate. Peter thought it was because Jake didn't want Peter to be touching or sitting anywhere near his precious baby.

Peter knew Jake didn't like him. And Jake knew Peter didn't like him. The only one who was oblivious to their mutual dislike for each other way May. Since May had ended up marrying the guy and Peter had never seen her so happy since Ben's death, Peter was not going to be the asshole who broke up her marriage because he was too sensitive.

Peter and Jake had only been together alone twice. Once when May had forced them to go to the movies to "bond" and Jake had left him in a movie theater with twenty bucks while he went to the bar next door. The second time was when Peter had been one of Jake's groomsmen and they had been changing in the same hotel room and Peter had wanted to shout at the rooftops, don't marry my aunt.

There was something about Jake that terrified Peter, though he wasn't sure if it was paranoia or his hatred clouding reality. He would always look at Peter as if he were a tiny, insignificant rat, whenever he would squeezed Peter's shoulder or hand his squeeze always managed to leave him sore for hours, and he didn't bother hiding his disgust when May told him they couldn't go on a trip or to dinner because it was a school night for Peter.

Yes, he was quite positive Jake wanted him out of his and May's life and by the way he was angrily dying there was a good chance he would happily kill Peter in the process.

"You're such a fucked up, Pete did you know that?" Jake parked the car hastily, nearly running over a dog. "You can't even go to school and keep your head down and fucking graduate already? Do you want to make May upset, is that what you want?"

Peter flushed pink and he suddenly wished he was in the hospital bed and not Flash. "I told you, I didn't mean to. It was an accident, besides Flash has been bullying me for years. He deserved to-"Before Peter could even finish his sentence a sharp slap cut him off. The slap was hard, and it stung harshly against his fair skin.

For a second Peter, didn't move. He didn't breath. He had been hit before, one of the new perks about being Spiderman, but he had never been slapped. Especially by his step-uncle. May and Ben hadn't believed in spanking, and Peter was a good kid, who rarely got into trouble.

He touched his cheek where a red blooming handprint was forming. He was waiting for the anger to come. Thanks to his new powers he could easily break Jake's nose if he wanted to, but the anger didn't come.

Instead, he felt his cheeks flush back in humiliation as his eyes started to water. "Don't you dare talk back to me," Jake responded coldly as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He reached over to the backseat to grip Peter by the collar. "Now stop acting like a little bitch because no one has discipline you before. I told May she was too soft on you, thankfully I am able to correct her mistakes. March upstairs now."

Peter went upstairs to their apartment hearing his labored breathing and then scolding himself for how pathetic he was being. He was Spiderman. He had taken down many criminals in his short time. Hell, the Avengers thought he was a threat. And here he was shaking because of Jake. A man he despised.

When they got into the apartment, Jack locked the door behind him. Peter gulped. What was Jake going to do? Humiliate him? Yell at him? All things he's done before.

"Take off your shirt," Jake hissed as he unbuckled his leather belt. "I am going to give you the discipline someone should have given you years ago."

Discipline? Before this incident Peter had been a model student. Usually, he did what Jake asked him to do to avoid a fight. But not anymore, he was stronger than Jake now. He was Spiderman. He twisted the shirt in his hand. "No. I won't allow you to hit me."

Jake gave him a cold smile, reminding Peter of a dead fish. "You take you discipline, brat or I can happily tell your aunt that you sneak out every night. I haven't told anyone yet, to spare her heart, but that can happily change. You have a choice Peter, you can either take you shirt off and take your punishment like a man or I can let May know you're sneaking off to God knows where at night. Your choice."

Peter gulped. If May found out he snuck out of the house at night it would devastate her. She would then find out about Spiderman, which meant Jake would find out which would then devastate Peter. May had gone through so much. She deserved better.

You can take it, he scolded himself as he removed his shirt, you have healing abilities. Just suck it up and take it.

Finally, Peter removed the shirt and he suddenly felt very naked in front of Jake. He crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Lean over the chair." He pointed over to the hard wooden dining room chair.

With trembling fingers, Peter gripped the chair. The belt fell across his back once. He winced as a rectangle shape marked his back. Another one on his lower back and this time Peter's leg wobbled.

"Stop being a little pussy and take it like a man," Jake barked as the belt landed again. Peter had been punched before, thrown across buildings, and nearly ran over. But he had never felt pain like this. Or maybe it was the humiliation he felt and having Jake make him feel so small.

The belt landed several times over the delicate skin. Pink turned to red. Which turned to purple, as a dozen little welts started to appear in the center of his back from the punishment.

Peter wanted to scream. Wanted to cry. Wanted to protest. But he didn't. He stood frozen in place like a mannequin as the belt continued to fall on his pale back covering it with red and pink belt marks.

Please, stop, please, Peter begged as his skin became hot, red, and painful and his grip on the chair started slippering.

After what seemed like hours, Jake stopped, and Peter groaned as he straightened his back. It felt like a hundred angry bees had stung him and Peter's eyes watered.

"Get out of my way," his step-uncle scowled in disgust as he put his belt back on as he heard Peter's sniffling. "You disgust me."

So, Peter ran.

-End of Chapter Seven-