I'm not your average college student. If someone told you I was, They Lied. I'm an outcast. I'm a flake. I'm an orphan. And most importantly, I'm broken.
"No no no no. Come on Ben, please." A voice begged. Tears fell down his face.
"Peter?" Ben asked painfully.
"Yeah, it's me Uncle Ben." The voice replied stricken with grief.
"I'm scared, Peter. What's gonna happen to May? To you?" Ben asked sorrowfully.
"I don't know, Uncle Ben. But it'll be okay." He responded hoping to ease Ben's mind.
"Peter, promise me." Ben pleaded weakly.
"Promise what?" Peter asked desperately. "Uncle Ben? Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben!" Abruptly, Peter was hauled away from his Uncle while EMTs rushed to the old man. The vivid scene rippled like the surface of a lake and reformed.
Tick. Tick. The movement of the clock hands rang loudly in his ears. They were strained against his webs. The gears trying to turn and escape its webbing. As well, the wicked cackling of Norman Osborn echoed through the clock tower. Moonlight shined off the edges of her blonde hair as it billowed out. Every sense in his body screamed in terror and fear. Peter kicked off the wall and shot toward her. Before he got far, Norman sunk his claws into his thighs. Pain flooded his body but was soon suppressed. Peter webbed Norman to the wall behind him. However, that made Norman's claws drag down the legs of Peter. Finally free, Peter shot towards her. So far away. I'm going to make it. He won't make it in time. I'll save her. He didn't.
There under the harsh moonlight he saw it. The blood leaking from her head. The emptiness of her stare. The uneasy stillness. She was gone. Softly, he cradled her limp head. His first and only love laid dead in his arms. Things he once viewed as beautiful now revealed the terrible reality. The beautiful platinum blonde hair now was matted to her head with thick red blood. Her lovely pale skin now too pale. Her captivating blue eyes forever losing their lovely gaze. All he had loved had given him the gravest reality. The woman he loved died in his arms that night. The memory forever internalized with the bright moonlight, cackling laughter, and raw feeling of realization. It's all my fault.
A finger tips distance. A slight miscalculation. The wrong words. A millisecond too late. Peter never forgets the people he fails. Their deaths play on repeat every second of every day. He can never forget the lives they couldn't live. Then the world went to hell and back. Peter went to space to fight an intergalactic terrorist that wanted to rid of half of all life. A man who beat all the heroes the universe had to offer. Peter was just a small kid from Queens who had big dreams, a dark past, and a ton of people who want him dead. How could he ever compete with Him? Simple answer. He couldn't.
Bam! Please. Bam! Stop please. Bam!Bam! Aunt May. Bam! Bam! Bam! I want to go home. Bam! I want Aunt May. Bam! I want Uncle Ben. Bam! I want Mom and Dad. Bam!
"You never should have sent a boy to do a man's job, Stark." Thanos stated in a booming voice. Peter hung limply from his right hand. His body broken and bloody.
"Pete...r, I'm sorry." Tony solemnly stated. "Let him go, Shithead!"
Thanos did as he said and threw Peter's limp body to the floor. "I have no need to be here anymore." At that, Thanos disappeared into a portal. Tony cradled Peters bloody head in his lap.
Softly and sadly, he called for him "Peter. Peter. Peter, please." Tony couldn't control the tears from falling. Shadows descended upon the two.
"Holy shit. Is he gonna be ok?" Star Lord asked from over Tony's shoulder.
"aaaahhh" Peter groaned in agony. Tony suddenly cradled Peters face and got close.
"Pete. Hey, Pete! Can you hear me? I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I promised to protect you but I failed." Tony cried.
"Mr Stark, I..wanna...go home." Peter pleaded in a weak whisper.
The words made Tony choke up "Yeah buddy. We'll get you home."
"I'm...sorry." Peter weakly apologized.
"What are you sorry for kid? You didn't do anything wrong." Tony questioned while tears fell uncontrollably.
"I didn't mean to kill you Uncle Ben...I was angry. I didn't know he'd kill you-" Peter spoke softly.
Tony interjected "Kid what are you talking about?"
Peter continued speaking quietly as Tony question him "Gwen forgive me. I didn't know my love would kill you." To Peter, the barren alien planet wasteland became foggy. Slowly, it fell away and became a shallow pool of water and sandy floors. Peter tried to sit up but fell back down. After trying again, he laid on all fours staring at his bloody reflection. He couldn't even recognize himself. The once joyful eyes he remembered seeing in the mirror now only reflected the pain he'd experienced. The rest of his face was beaten and bruised beyond recognition. What was that?
"Peter" A voice called in the abyss. I'm coming.
"Peter" It called again. Wait for me.
"What have I said about looking out for yourself?" The voice gently spoke while raising Peter's chin.
"Beh" Peters eyes filled with tears at the sight. Kneeling down to him was his Uncle. Ben cradled Peter's chin and stared at him in the loving way he'd forgotten. "Beh" Peter tried to call for him again. Again the broken jaw, teeth, and busted mouth heeded him from calling out for him properly.
"It's me, bud. How about we get you fixed up? Then we can relax and catch up." Ben told him in such a soft way that brought more tears to his eyes. "It's been hard, hasn't it?"
"Yeh" Peter affirmed with a wavy voice. Blood and tears mixed upon his face. "Iths beh weal hard." He cried so hard it hurt.
"My boy. You've been so strong. You've made mistakes but that's okay. I'm proud of you, Peter." Again Ben lovingly told Peter. His words so kind felt liberating to his hurting heart. When things seemed too good to be true, it got just a bit crazier.
"Hey, Pete. I've missed you." Her sweet voice called out to him. He felt her. She wrapped him in a hug from behind him. Her mere presence broke the walls he'd held up since her death. He continued crying. He cried for ages. It felt so good to release these emotions. However, the injuries he induced didn't agree with his relief. Still his body ached and shot with terrible pain. Just then, Gwen separated from him. As well, Ben let go of his chin and stood up. Together his Uncle Ben and Aunt May stood with the love of his life and his dead parents illuminated by a beautiful white light. Gwen held out her hand to him.
"Take my hand. We can have eternity together. No more pain. No more suffering. Just peace." She said in a soft tone.
"You won't have to be alone, Pete." May added.
"Forever just shooting the breeze. What do you say, bud?" Ben added also.
Peter raised his hand to them. I want to leave this hell. Take me. I want to rest. With his remaining strength he clambered to his feet. His body rang in incredible pain. Every nerve in his body fired in distress. I need to move just two steps. They're so close. I can make it. Peter summoned the rest of his strength and took a step. He nearly crumbled after the single step. NO! I can make to them. I can be free. Peter tried again to take the last step and take her hand. Just a fingertip away and he could have some well deserved rest. Only, his leg didn't move. What? Before he could process it, he began to come undone. From a subatomic level, his body began to unravel and turn to dust. His last thought Please don't let me return to that hell. Let this be my end. I beg. I want my family.
The all of a sudden, he was back and he didn't like it. The thin air and ever present hyperaware senses. A weird silence settled. Weird. I was about to finally rest. Peter stood up and walked into the distance looking for anything. Even as he kept walking, he found nothing out of the ordinary. I'm back on earth. How did that happen?
Eventually, Peter just decided to go back to the Feast shelter. It's still there right? It should still be there. True to his beliefs, it was still there. Just like he left it. Now it was bustling with activity.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The receptionist asked politely.
"Hi, I'm Peter Parker. I'm looking for a May Parker. She works here last time I checked." Peter asked with a smile.
The woman's smile fell "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you...but she passed away a few days ago. It was a misunderstanding related to the blip. She was shot and killed. I'm sorry."
Peter couldn't believe it "What?" He asked with a watery voice.
She continued "I'm sorry, Mr. Parker. I'm truly sorry. She was a great woman." Of course she was. She was the best Aunt anyone could have asked for.
Peter couldn't process what was happening. She's dead. My last family is dead. I'm all alone. It's so small here. When was this place so small? I need to get out. Peter bolted out the door and ran down the steps. Turning the corner, Peter pulled his shirt off and threw it into the dumpster. Next, he threw his pants away and his shoes. Proper thought process stopped and his body took over. It followed the trained routine. First his spider boots. Second his web shooters. Third his gloves. Finally his mask. Then, he took to the skies.