Attention from a few New Yorkers wasn't enough for Peter, especially with the act he just gave. The Avengers are looking for superhumans, not some parkour stunt boy. When he got back home, he hit his laptop and browsed for opportunities, to show off more of his spectacular aspects. The public should know that he isn't just light on his feet, but he can kick ass too. Eventually, Peter stumbled upon an advertisement for a clandestine wrestling tournament. There was a $500,000 award for anyone to last in a five minute cage match with WWE champion, Crusher Hogan.
Looking for freestyle wrestlers weighing between 85 and 125 kg. Must be 18 or older to register. WWE is not responsible for any fatal or severe injuries.
Peter turned to his gear and bandana resting on the bed. He thought of how stupid he'd look tackling the Crusher dressed like that. Plus if his bandana fell off or got snatched, he'd put Uncle Ben and Aunt May in such a fright. What he needs is a better costume. He took whatever material he possessed in his room; Blue long johns, a red sleeveless hoodie, red boots, fingerless gloves, goggles, and a black graffiti can. Last thing he needed was a mask. Peter decided to "borrow" Ben's red ski mask, and May's sewing kit. He tucked the mask into his pants, and carried the supplies. Just when he was about to bring them up to his room, May, who was now home, caught him.
"What are you doing with my sewing kit?"
"I-I, tore a hole. ...in my jeans. ...the butt area. (The butt area? Smooth, as always. ...dumbass.) It's very personal to me, Aunt May. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I've watched some YouTube DIYs."
Peter ran to his room before May could ask any further questions. After he shut his door, May remembered something.
"Wait a minute. Wasn't he supposed to be sick?"
...
[*December 7th*]
When school was finished, Peter took a subway ride to the wrestling tournament. He also went in full costume. People sure stared at him throughout the whole trip. I need to come up with my own means of transportation, Peter thought. As soon as he reached his destination, the first thing he did before entering WWE was find a payphone, and gave his aunt a call that he'll be studying at the public library, also promising he'll be back home before dinner.
Crusher Hogan. That Crusher Hogan, really lives up to his name. He has won just about every champion, and always left his opponents on their knees. ...or on their backs, or stomachs. ...with a mouth full of blood. Best known for his strength, and brutal methods. His name strikes fear to other heavy weight wrestlers. Crusher was not only famous, but also infamous for how unfair he plays. That's probably why only a few men signed up for the money.
Those poor dudes had no chance. Even while trying to avoid him, they stood no chance. Crusher was frankly disappointed on the competition offered to him. He was craving for something more challenging once in his life. Suddenly, walking down the isle, there was a kid, wearing the most distasteful garments he's ever seen. He was pushing and shoving a group of authorities trying to restraint him. Crusher hopes it's just a fan, because this kid's gonna break in half like a toothpick.
"C'mon, and let me get my money's worth! Ain't got all day!"
"Kid, you can't be serious! I don't wanna fight you."
"Why so yellow all of a sudden, Mr. King Of The Ring? Don't tell me you're scared of spiders!"
"Get out of here. Take those boney legs home. You're asking for trouble."
"I'm sure yo' Mama is real proud, sonny!"
"My mother is dead!"
"Yeah, dead from humiliation! That's right! Your eight roll, hairy mom is tossing in her grave, because the son she thought she was proud of denied a fight!"
That insult heated Crusher up a little, and made him grit his teeth. However, he shouldn't pound a little boy over elementary trash talk.
"Just go home, you scrawny creampuff! Or this won't end well!"
"Hey, may I say something real quick?"
Peter came up to the ring, and beckoned Crusher to come close. When Crusher was close enough, Peter lifted the top of his mask, and spat in his face. That was the final straw for Crusher. As Peter wanted, he called him up to the ring. Peter took a leap in, the cage came down, and almost every spectator in the arena started recording on their phones. Peter crossed his arms, and tried to look intimidating to the Crusher. On the outside, he looked like he didn't give a sh*t. But behind that mask, he was sweating.
Crusher decided to use as little strength as possible, just to teach him a lesson. Peter stood in place, clutching his fists. The bell rang, and the Crusher came charging. Peter jumped, performed a single flip, then delivered a kick to the Crusher's back in the following move. He slammed against the bars like a car had hit him. Despite that, Crusher only thought it was just beginner's luck. While standing ground in a spidery pose, Peter took a few breaths. That was only done out of instinct. It was fun. And scary too. Scary fun. Meaning, it's dangerous, but he now knows he's unstoppable.
The Crusher ran at him again. Peter, with his heart pumping in his chest, grabbed the Crusher when he least expected it, and threw him over his head. Crusher was beginning to have doubts. This skinny little lad lifted him as though he were merely a sack of potatoes. If he's actually this strong, then what's the point of holding back? He deserves it for that spit, and insulting his dead mother. No more charging like a rhino. Crusher got back up on his feet, looking like he meant business this time, and attempted to grab for the squirt.
But how could he? This spider teen was impossible for him to get his hands on. He was fast, agile, and packed a hard punch. His fists felt heavy, but he moved his body like it was light as air. That's not all. The kid also climbed up on top of the cage, and he didn't even grab the bars. Peter looked down at the Crusher through his squinted lenses. Speaking of lenses, with how sharp his senses are, they really help set him on focus.
"I don't know what the hell you are, kid! But I know for sure you ain't human!"
"You ain't too pretty yourself, blue eyes."
Quickly, Peter jumped, then welcomed a foot to Crusher's face. Crusher was nearly out conscious, but he can still pick himself up. Before he could, Peter did that for him, by carrying the big guy with his own two hands, and held him over his head to show off his proportional strength of a spider. Time was almost up, and Peter decided to finish with his grand finale. He twirled Crusher around. Faster and faster, he spun Crusher like a helicopter propeller. Crusher now came at his limit, and begged the kid to stop. But Peter didn't consider it, because he was the badass of the hour. Finally, he tossed Crusher Hogan, right through the cage, and into the audience seats. Luckily, everyone moved out of the way before he hit them.
The cage ascended, and the ring announcer held up Peter's arm to declare his win. Everyone cheered, for he was the first person in history to take down a cold blooded beast like Crusher Hogan. Peter took the announcer's mic to give a say on his victory.
"HEY EVERYONE! How y'all doin'? Pretty good? Now, if I can have your undivided attention for a moment! For those who don't know who I am, let this sink into your brain! I crawled from the barriers of the dark valleys! Emerged from the emissary of hell! I am your new watcher! I am your new savior! I am your new future Avenger! The name's SPIDER-MAN! There's a hyphen in it, by the way! Between the 'Spider' and 'Man!' Don't forget the hyphen!"
After his moment of triumph, and ridiculously corny speech, Spider-Man headed down to the promoter's office to claim his award. Only to his disappointment, he wasn't getting a single penny.
"What. The. Hell?! You're not gonna pay me?! Listen, I beat Hogan's ass fair and square! I didn't come here just to be a charity entertainer! I need that money!"
"Kid, I don't care if you defeat Ultron with your hands tied behind your back, and a knife in your dick! You violated several policies, didn't fill in a registration form, and I hardly doubt you are 18 and up!"
The lenses on Spidey's mask began to squint again.
"Listen, how about we negotiate? You give me my fee, and this doesn't have to get ugly."
"It probably already has, whatever you look like underneath that big red sock."
Thus the ugliness started. Spidey carried the promoter to the top of the WWE building, and dangled him from the edge.
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! I'LL GIVE YOU THE MONEY! YOU EARNED IT AFTERALL! I'M SORRY I ACTED LIKE A PRICK!"
"Make it out in cash! Spider-Man can't liquidate a check, you know!"
Spider-Man got his money, and a smile on his face. He could split a large portion to his aunt and uncle, and save a few for himself. But wait, how is he gonna give this money to them? If he just went in person and handed them the thousands himself, there would be lots of questions involved, and Peter is the worst when it came to excuses. Perhaps he could have "someone else" give the money to them.
Peter sealed his guardian's portion of the money in an envelope, along with a fabricated letter he printed himself. It was supposed to be a fake "Lucky Queens Resident Award." Peter hopes it doesn't sound corny enough for his aunt and uncle to fall for it.
When Ben picked up the mail that afternoon, and opened the envelope, he wasn't ready for that big surprise he found. He was... ...ecstatic, yet confused. It's hard to believe such an award exists. When May heard all the commotion, she went downstairs to see it. Ben showed her the money in his sheer excitement. At first she accused him of gambling again, until he showed her the letter. The award was too good to be true, and they couldn't believe it. Peter, who had been listening from his room, decided to join his aunt and uncle downstairs, pretending to be unaware of the money.
"What's going on? I heard something about money, and it sounded like good news."
"Peter, we received this cash award, just for being, chosen as the lucky Queens residents? And we don't know how it could happen to us of all people!"
Peter put his arms around both of his guardians, and said,
"Well, I say a miracle is just about turning up for us."
Once I was nothin', but a failure!
Now I know just who I am!
Spider-Man!
Once I was helpless, now I rescue those who need me!
When I can!
Spider-Man!
...
[*December 8th*]
With some of the money he kept to himself, he bought a new GoPro camera, and some chemical ingredients for something special. Peter craved more publicity. That wrestling match was just the beginning! The Big Apple should acknowledge more of his ultimate feats, anything to get the Avengers' interests. What better way to do that than to create his own YouTube channel? Spider-Man Official is what it's called. He doesn't need a studio for filming. The whole city is his playground.
"Wallopin' Websnappers! Could it be? The guy who single handedly kicked Crusher Hogan's ass in the wrestling tournament has his own YouTube channel now? Try pinching yourself! You're not dreaming! It's me, the Spider-Man! Name with a hyphen if you remember. For this channel, I will be performing a series of live tricks and feats for your graceful amusement! You're watching The Spider-Man, and he does whatever a spider can!"
Spidey pressed two fingers down on his palm, and a line released. Earlier, Peter had been mulling over his powers. While he did possessed the powers of a spider, there's one specific quality he hasn't developed. Webs. What's a spider without webs? Don't worry, he hasn't tried shooting some from his butt. Even if he could, that would just be weird. So, he decided to give himself artificial webs, with these little wrist devices he built himself. He tested them before filming, so he wouldn't make a goof of himself on camera.
While still recording, Spidey gave a few demonstrations on how his webbing works. Don't take it for granted as just sticky fluids. When reaching contact with the air, it hardens. He showed how it was sticky enough to stick a cinder block to the wall. He also showed it was strong enough to support his weight, for he could balance on it like tight rope, or swing through the skies with it. He made big webs, small webs, and jump rope he played around with. Pete could make anything of his web with only an adjust at the nozzle, and a push at the button.
"I know it may seem gross, but it's part of spider nature! And don't worry, I don't eat it afterwards. Plus this stuff has a more efficient capacity than average household glue! Though the glutinous potency only last for about an hour. Okay, I sound like a science geek now! Anyways, if you wish to see more following content, be sure to subscribe, and don't forget to comment down belooooooooow! You're all wonderful, true believers!"
...
[*December 9th*]
The next day at school, almost the entire junior high was talking about Spider-Man's new channel, and it's good they haven't forgot about his wrestling match either. They talked about him in study halls, classrooms, and lunch periods. At lunch, Peter would peek at his phone to see how many subscribers and comments he gained on his first video. The results were so viral, he couldn't help but feel happy throughout the day. He was popular, even though he wasn't outside of his alter ego.
That afternoon, when he was turning the combination on his locker, a familiar voice boomed down the halls. It startled him a bit, but he continued to be unfazed.
"PARKER! YOUR STUPID NOTES FAILED ME! I SAID I WANTED AT LEAST A B!"
Peter turned to look at Carl, then back to his locker.
"I'm sorry, Carl. I just didn't have enough time."
"HOW BOUT I GIVE YOU AN E FOR EFF-!"
When Carl got close enough, Peter opened his locker door, and slammed it hard against Carl's face. It knocked him to the ground. Peter pretended as though he was surprised at his own act, as well as pretending to be scared. After closing his locker,
"Oh, sh- Did I just... ...KO'ed Carl King? I'm dead! I'm seriously dead! I gotta get the hell out of here!"
I'm a free fire!
I'm a high wire!
I'm a man! I'm a Spiiiiiiiider-Maaaaan!
Gonna live free!
Yeah, it has me!
I'm a man! I'm a Spiiiiiiiider-Maaaaan!
...
[*One week later*]
Spidey's account was one of the highest trending channels on YouTube. With his subsequent displays and charming personality, he became an internet phenomenon. He performed tricks his audience would never want to blink to. Crawled into places nobody thought of exploring. Tackled the biggest, strongest dudes he could find. Some videos were made just out of fun, and had nothing to do with his stunts. Like "Pretty girls wanted to chat with me?" or "Theme song ideas!"
Spidey even took advantage of that popularity by starting a new hashtag, #MakeSpideyAnAvenger. Outside of the internet, Spider-Man would spread the hashtag further, by spelling it out in his own webbing. On walls, billboards, signs, and public property. He wanted everyone to notice, especially the Avengers themselves.
One time, he coincidently found himself a boasting Carl while taking a city swing. Carl was talking smack with his friends about how he could kick the webslinger's ass alone, adding a comment about how he finds nothing special about him. Seems Mr. King isn't as fond of Spidey as he isn't fond of Peter. Spider-Man turned on his GoPro. He recorded Carl's insults, surprised him, then webbed him to a lamppost where he let him hang by a wedgie. He also webbed his kisser shut to end the insults.
"This is what happens when you cross paths with the webslinger!"
He was a star, yes, but even the sweetest looking fruits have a sour taste. Despite his heroic stunts, he never bothered to do any actual heroics. He neglected crime taking place in the Big Apple. Peter never bothered recording himself stopping robberies, or drug pushers. What he seeks for is "real" opponents. The kind with armored suits, advanced weaponry, and ones that are human-animal hybrids. Besides, the authorities have it all covered.
If you're wondering if the Avengers ever noticed him, well, they have. And they found him to be obnoxious, embarrassing, and too immature for their league. Recruiting him in the Avengers would make them into a big joke. Another thought is that this kid looks like he's on the path of a villain, rather than a hero, based on what he's done. So there, they never gave a response to his videos.
If you call him to tell him that there's an apartment building on fire, he'd just respond "I don't know. The firemen seem to have complete control. See ya!" If you come to him to report a theft, he'd say "You might wanna call the cops! I don't know where they are!" One evening, Spidey visited a bodega for a thirsty stop, and purchased a strawberry milk. Actually, it was given to him for free. He walked out of the store, lifted his mask open, and took a big gulp. When suddenly, a thug bumped into him, and made him drop his milk.
"What the hell, man?!"
Turns out that thug was running away from a cop.
"YOU THERE, SPIDER-GUY! STOP HIM! IF HE GETS TO HIS VEHICLE, HE'LL GET AWAY!"
All Spider-Man did was watch as he pulled his mask down. The thug made it to his car, then made a fast getaway. The cop confronted the webslinger on his poor actions.
"HEY! If you're so fast and strong, HERO, how come you didn't prevent that guy from escaping? All you could've done was like, I don't know, grab him with those sticky ropes, and hold him for a few minutes!"
"Are you kidding me? He didn't look much threatening. Let alone a challenge."
"'A challenge?!' Do you think this is some kind of a damn game to you?"
"Look, flatfoot, I'm a superhero! I fight supervillains! Not purse snatchers! That job is assigned to you! Now if you excuse me, I've got important things to tend to!"
"WHY YOU SONUVA-"
As the cop was about to grab him, Spidey's senses tingled an alert. He flipped the cop over his shoulder and thud him into the wall.
"I'm thru being pushed around by anyone."
Then he swung up on his webs.
...
When Peter reached home, he quickly changed back into his formal civvies, and entered the house. Uncle Ben was watching the news, where Spidey's hashtag had been reported live. Peter pretended to act like he was surprised.
"I'm home! Heyyyyy, isn't that Spidey's calling card?"
"Yeah. Ain't he asking for trouble."
"Well, I wouldn't say that. All he's doing is a little self-promotion."
"By gumming up city property? Looks like vandalism to me."
Peter didn't like what he was hearing.
"Uncle Ben, you don't like this Spider-Man, don't you?"
"Everyone has their own preferences, Pete. I have all good reasons not to like this new hoodie character."
"Good reasons? What are those?"
"Well, for starters, he landed Crusher Hogan in the hospital, and nearly got some innocent bystanders hurt."
"It's wrestling, Ben. People are supposed to get hurt."
"There is such a thing as going too far with wrestling. How 'bout that time he left some kid hung by his underwear?"
"That kid... ...insulted him."
"Really? And dare I bring up him starting random fights in bars, pulling wreckless pranks on citizens, and letting crime slip while he's doing meaningless parkour videos?"
"Well, I think he's just trying to prove something, that he's a worthy crusader for the Avengers' status. That's all he wants to be; An Avenger. It looks like he just wants to show his best specialties."
"He's certainly not gonna qualify with that behavior. The Avengers I know take their powers into responsibilities, which is what heroes do. Spider-Man's not a real hero at all. He's just pretending to be so he could soak up all the publicity. Peter, as far as the truth goes, he's exploiting his powers for fame. Have you read the numerous new sources? He provided zero effort in preventing crime affairs happening in our city. Who knows what he wants to join the Avengers for?"
Peter couldn't believe his own uncle would think that way about him. He sees Spider-Man (which is Peter under the mask), as a lowlife, publicity seeking, selfish goon. It felt like a bullet to the heart hearing Ben say those words. What if Ben found out they were two of the same person? Would he lose his love from him? Worse, he says Spidey has nothing what it takes to be a successful and glamorous Avenger. He was being belittled by his dear uncle, even if Ben doesn't realize it.
"'Who knows?' Ha! Definitely not you, Ben! For a real nice guy, you sure have poor judgement! This is a man trying to give the city what he gots!"
"Why are you being so defensive over Spider-Man?"
"Why am I being so defensive?! Funny, you should ask! He's the greatest thing to happen to me since then! He inspired me to feel more confident of myself, and to work hard for my dreams!"
"I'm not liking the sound of that. I think you should stop watching his videos! Who knows what influence it might leave on you!"
"JUST BECAUSE YOU RAISED ME LIKE A DAD DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE MY DAD! GET OFF MY CASE!"
Peter ran to his room, and slammed the door shut. He also locked it. May, who neither Peter and Ben noticed, watched the whole argument from the kitchen. She almost startled Ben when she talked.
"Internet and teenage hormones really don't mix well. Dinner's ready, by the way."
Peter just laid on his bed, looking at the Iron Man toy helmet on his lap. All he wanted to do was be something important, make his uncle and aunt proud. He only made them think the opposite. Never has he been this angry at him in ages. Uncle Ben began banging on the door, demanding Peter to come down to dinner. The boy just stripped down to his Spider-Man costume, put the mask on, and crawled out the window. The fact that Peter was no longer in the room, all Ben got was silence. After one minute of losing patience, he gave up and stopped banging.
"Fine. We'll save your meal in the microwave."
...
The webhead wanted to get a load off his chest. He was on a building rooftop, basking in the beautiful sky view, while listening to music on his phone. Since he missed dinner, he picked up some snacks from the same bodega. This was the life. Food, fresh air, and away from all the stress. He was so relaxed, he felt like falling asleep anytime soon. But he knew he had to go home eventually. Spidey logged in to his YouTube account and checked the comments. Reading the negative ones made him think of what his uncle said to him just hours ago. He decided to turn off all comments on his videos.
That night, it just turned 11 AM, and Ben was having trouble sleeping. Peter has never lashed out before. Well, once, when he tried to talk both him and May out of eating his spinach. He was four. What does Peter see in Spider-Man, and why would he go out of his way to defend him? He doesn't seem like the kind of person Peter would idolize. Perhaps Peter is merely projecting himself onto him. Poor boy always dreamed big, but had a lot of insecurities to bag.
Then, Ben began to hear noises downstairs. He presumes that Peter finally came out of his room. Must of not heard his door open while he was in the bathroom. Ben got into his robe and slippers. He plans to apologize to that boy, and have a proper talk with him. When he went downstairs, he found Peter, or at least he thinks it's him, rummaging through the cabinet drawers, with his back turned away. He walked up closer to the figure, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Peter..."
*BANG*
...
Spending a few more minutes of "me time," he felt better already and decided to head home while his guardians were asleep. But, when he got home, he met with something he least expected. There were police cars, and an ambulance. With stealth, Peter sneaked back into his bedroom, quickly changed into pajamas, hid the costume, and ran downstairs.
"Ben! May! I heard sirens!"
There was only May. And she was crying. A detective came to talk to him.
"Are you the son?"
"Nephew, actually. This is my aunt. And... ...what happened to my uncle?"
"You mean Ben? According to the information your aunt gave us, she heard a loud bang, went downstairs to find your uncle shot, and the suspect making an exit. We presume it was a burglary."
"What? Uncle Ben shot- No no, he can't be. He'll be alright, will he?"
"Well, his conditions appear to be quite fatal-"
Peter pushed the detective out of the way and dashed straight for the ambulance. Ben's lifeless body was on a stretcher. He came in close contact with the body, and spoke to it in case there are any signs of life. The emotions were starting to overcome him, and tears began to drip.
"Uncle Ben! It's me, Peter! Uncle Ben! I'm sorry for yelling. You're not my father, but you're still my family. Please, just say one thing. Anything?"
No response. The very last thing Peter heard from him was "Get your butt out of there and come to dinner!" He would do anything to hear something pleasant out of him again. Peter then separated himself from the body, and covered his face so he could make his cries inaudible. He joined his aunt in the grieving.
The senses acted up again, and he overheard the police radio mention they got the suspect on a chase. Peter released himself from his aunt and said he wants to be alone in his room. Thinking how he feels, May respected his choice. As soon as Peter made it to his room, he locked the door, and suit up into his Spider-Man costume once more. He made sure not to get spotted by the police as he snuck away, jet through a couple of lawns, slingshot between two trees, and began flying on his weblines as soon as he reached the city.
He followed the sounds of police sirens. Thanks to his senses, he was able to find this chase. The uncle killer was speeding away like a madman. Not even those pigs could get close enough to him. How much gas did he use? Out of nowhere, the killer shot out the police tires flat through the sunroof, giving him a chance to slip away. But he didn't look out for Spider-Men in the sky. Spidey was the only person on his tail.
The killer finally stopped at an old abandoned warehouse by the waterfront. Clear of any cops in sight, he could breathe a sigh of relief. However, he heard a voice. It was taunting him.
"You can outrun a few cops, but you can't outrun me."
Something was hiding in the dark. He got his gun out and tried to find whoever the hell was with him. Suddenly, the gun was forcefully jerked out of his hand, then the roof rained down its pieces. Scared, he decides to leave the warehouse before that "thing" gets him. But then his exit was blocked, by a figure in bright red and blue long johns, and a mask with creepy eyes.
"That won't do you any good, bastard!"
Spidey gave the killer his hardest blow. It was hard enough to draw blood. That wasn't satisfying enough. He wanted to beat that man senseless, for taking away one of the only family members he had left, and not giving him a chance to make up for the argument he started.
"You see an innocent, unarmed man, who has a loving wife AND A YOUNG NEPHEW TO PROVIDE FOR, and your first instinct was to SHOOT HIM IN COLD BLOOD?! I'MMA F*CKIN' KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M-"
When Peter brought the unconscious killer's face into the light, he recognized the face. It was the thug he let loose down at the bodega. The one he didn't find threatening. The one he refused to stop because he felt it wasn't his problem. Peter began to breathe raspy. It was him trying to hold back a cry. Not just of mourn, but of guilt as well. Who knew preventing crime was a way to keep a horrible accident like this from happening? One of his only family was members were gone, and he was responsible. Peter decided to go home. But first he webbed the killer's body up in a cocoon, and took him to the police station.
...
Peter and May were lucky enough to sleep through the night, but that didn't mean they felt better in the morning. Peter's eyes have swollen a bit from all those tears. He still has the strength to move around. Aunt May didn't look like she had strength at all. She's still wearing the same pajamas from last night, all of her energy's been drained, her eyes continue to tear up, and she was having tortilla chips for breakfast. She wasn't taking Ben's death strongly as Peter was. He approached her at the dining room table, and tried to avoid any subjects involving Ben. Not just for her, but for himself as well.
"I don't think that counts as a nutritious breakfast."
"Peter- Why aren't you at school?"
"I called in sick. Figured you'd need all the emotional support you could get."
"You know how your uncle would've felt-"
"Aunt May, just, please, please. Listen to me. After the incident that took place last night, I thought it'd be best to stay home with you, as close as I can get. You miss him, so do I. I never knew who my parents were, but at least I had you guys. Now it's just you. I'm worried about you. About losing you too."
"Oh, Peter. I'll be alright. But if you wish to stay home from school because you're still in grieve, I can let it slide. Just promise me you'll go back to school the day after. We really want to get you into that Midtown High."
"Yes ma'am."
Peter started to get emotional, when Aunt May mentioned "we," as in her and Ben.
"You know, I get the feeling this has all been my fault."
"Don't blame yourself, Peter. It's not like you had anything to do with Ben's death. All you did was through a fit. It wasn't the very best last moment together, but-"
Aunt May noticed that Peter was about to cry again, though he was trying his best to hold it in. She thought she was only making him feel worse. Instead, the conversation closed, and she offered him some chips, which he accepted.
...
[*December 19th*]
Ben was buried that weekend. Aunt May is still not over her mourn, but Peter eventually bucked up. Now, it was time for him to set something right. On top of a building rooftop, while in full costume, he began to record himself.
"Hello, this is Spider-Man. I want to let you know that this is my last video to you guys. Enjoy it while you can, because I'll also be deleting this entire channel in the process. I'm gonna keep it up as long as you can get my message. I apologize to the fans who looked up to me, and I apologize to the city I failed to support. You guys deserve better. Truth is I was no hero at all. I wanted to become an Avenger, yes, but what really got in my mind was being acclaimed. The wealth, the power, the fame, that's what I wanted to join the Avengers for.
As some rested soul once told me, I was only playing a hero. And they were right. What I have been was a selfish, arrogant, attention whore. My head was so full of the spotlight, I never considered anyone else's problems. I thought it was just worthless to get involved, and waited for a real challenge to come, until I made the biggest mistake I could never fix. Neglecting issues are bound to have serious consequences. This one really scarred me. Turns out doing some good in your life actually serves a purpose. A real hero does what's right not because it's their job, but because they wanna protect those who can't protect themselves. I had the power, and that's why they depended on me for help. Yet I blew it.
I was no hero, but all of that's gonna change! I will do whatever it takes in my power to make up for the damages I've done! If there's a burning building, I'm leaping right into that sucker! Someone stole your priceless gems, fur, or whatever? I'll sniff them out! No crooks' running past me on my watch! Whenever there's a hang-up, you'll find me! There's a moral to this unusual story. That moral is: When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you. Thank you, true believers. You've been a great audience. Happy Holidays!"
I've got to stop. Take a look at myself.
I've got to put the past behind me, and bury my sorrows.
I've got to stop. Take a hold of my life.
There's no more room for second guessing! I must think of tomorrow!
I've made mistakes I can't undo!
I can't replace the life I knew!
I've got to start out new!
And time will show me the way!
I'm gonna let time show me the way!