The Extraordinary Spider-Man - Vol 1

Chapter 21: Guilt

Likenesses used

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Aleksei Sytsevich

Peter woke up that morning and quickly checked the time. It was 1:07.

"Fifteen hours of sleep?! Jesus!" Peter exclaimed.

Peter slowly got up and looked at the mirror. His bruises were still slowly healing, but evident. Luckily, he already felt fully healed from the copelemia. He quickly threw on some clothes and went downstairs. He went into the kitchen and put bread in the toaster, and Aunt May walked in.

"You slept for a while, hon," Aunt May chuckled.

"Yep."

Aunt May's eyes widened once she noticed the bruises on Peter's face. "My God, Peter! What happened to your face?"

"I tripped," Peter lied. "That was it."

"How? Where?"

"I was taking a walk and I bumped into someone. Tripped on the ground."

"Peter, just be more careful next time. Please."

Peter nodded. "I will. Sorry."

The bread popped out of the toaster, and Peter went over to get it. He put some jam on it and walked to the living room, turning on the TV.

"Try our newest ShamPow, with its cleaning capabilities being ten times-"

"It's just like magic! These lime-flavored gummy bears will-"

"No, Susan! You're not the mother-"

"-After that horrific attack on the NYPD last night, I am officially issuing an arrest warrant for the vigilante Spider-Man! Next time he's seen in public, my men will have him behind bars," Captain Stacy declared in front of the NYPD building. "He can't just assault law enforcement and expect to get away with it. It's time to show him that there are consequences."

Groaning, Peter sat back on the couch. He took out his phone and looked up "spider-man." Various articles of him attacking the cops pulled up on the results.

"You know, that guy was starting to grow on me. Now, he attacks cops? He can't expect me to be a fan of him," Aunt May remarked.

"Sounds like a jerk," Peter sighed.

Peter looked through his phone to see eight missed calls and fifteen text messages from Gwen. He sighed and closed his phone.

Various reporters were standing in front of Oscorp Tower, as they had been since Norman announced a press conference an hour prior. Finally, he came out to walk up to the stand.

"Thank you for coming, everybody!" Norman greeted. "I know this is a bit last minute, but events have transpired last night that I must address, not only due to my involvement, but also because it's slandering someone that we should all be looking up to."

The reporters all looked confused or shocked.

"This is regarding Spider-Man, and his attack on the NYPD last night. To be upfront, what happened wasn't his fault. I'm not saying the police don't have a right to be furious, and I will be sending my support and money to them for what happened. But Spider-Man came to me last night, poisoned from a rare toxin known as copelemia. This was from an assault by the infamous MacDonald Gargan, better known as Scorpion. Spider-Man was in need, and my scientists and I helped concoct an antitoxin to fight off the effects," Norman explained.

The reporters all started yelling questions.

"Spider-Man has done nothing but help this city. If you don't like him, that's your prerogative, but that doesn't change the fact that last night was a complete accident that was mainly instigated by Scorpion and whomever his allies are. Thus, Spider-Man is not the one to blame, and I will always fully support and stand by him. Thank you for your time."

The reporters shouted more questions as Norman walked away. Once he was out of sight, he received a call from Fisk. He picked up.

"Wilson," Norman started.

"Quite a move you pulled. How much of it was true?" Fisk asked.

"Everything I said about last night is all accurate. Sure, I did it to throw off suspicion of any potential plans we have with the bug, but at the end of the day, he did save me from Scorpion months ago. Who says I shouldn't do the same back?"

"Well, the only thing that's changing right now is the fact that Scorpion knows you're possibly after him. And we both know how much he loves you."

"I'm not afraid," Norman declared.

"There's always a difference between fearlessness and stupidity. Make sure to watch your line," Fisk warned.

"I know what I'm doing, Fisk. Everything that's about to happen, I already have a back-up."

"Good. Anyway, another reason I called was to inform you about the experiment regarding Mr. Sytsevich."

"It's ready?"

"Yes," Fisk confirmed. "It'll bring us one hell of a weapon."

Peter was sitting at a desk in the Daily Bugle, doing his homework. Ned came up and put a newspaper on the desk, causing Peter's eyes to widen. On the front page of the newest edition was a picture of Peter punching Captain Stacy in the chest, with the other injured cops lying around nearby. The headline was 'Spider-Man Terrorizes and Assaults NYPD Officers!'

"Front page? Already?!" Peter exclaimed as he grabbed the newspaper.

"Yep. Sorry, bud," Ned sighed.

"Jameson was so fast to publish it too," Betty admitted, walking over.

"I didn't even take this picture, though! Who did?" Peter asked.

"A few bystanders were nearby when it happened. One of them pulled out a camera and took the chance," Ned explained.

"I'm really sorry about this, Pete. I know you looked up to him," Betty said.

"Honestly, it felt amazing to see Norman Osborn support Spidey like at the press conference. Goes to show that people still support him. You think Spider-Man's a villain, or do you believe Osborn?" Peter questioned.

"I like to think the best of people, so I'll take Osborn's word on this. Especially since Spider-Man's only been doing good up until this," Ned stated.

"Same. There's no logical reason he'd just take a one-eighty like that as far as I'm concerned," Betty agreed.

"Yeah, honestly," Peter said. "It's just so crazy this happened. I hope people will start liking him again sometime soon."

"Who would like that criminal?!" Jameson blurted out, walking by. "That menace just proved my point yesterday. You leave the crime fighting to the cops instead of beating their asses!"

Peter and Betty sighed while Ned rolled his eyes.

In chemistry club, Gwen kept texting Peter to no avail.

"So, are we gonna do this or?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, sorry. Just give me a sec," Gwen quickly said.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

Gwen put her phone down and started the experiment with Charlie.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Charlie pointed out.

"It's really no big deal," Gwen insisted.

"I know that's not true. Talk to me."

"It's just… Peter's being unresponsive right now. And it's really important, so the fact he's not answering just really hurts."

"I-I mean, it's not like he's avidly trying to avoid you."

"He wasn't in geometry today. Of course he is," Gwen sighed.

"Hey, screw that dude. Just know, if you talked to me more, a-and if there was trouble, I'd be-be there," Charlie stuttered.

"I appreciate it, but Peter's not necessarily being a bad friend."

"Dude, of course he is! He's literally ignoring you when he should be there for you. Especially with how much he used to talk to you!"

Gwen's eye widened a little before she restrained herself. "Huh?"

"Oh, well I mean, I used to see you hanging with Peter and Harry at your usual spot after school a lot in the library. Not in a creepy way, it was just something I noticed!"

"Right."

"Sorry if that was awkward, but I mean, I'll be there if you need it. Must be tough, being the smartest girl in the grade and the daughter of the police captain," Charlie chuckled.

"I told you my dad was the police captain?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, I forgot to put the phosphorus in!" Charlie quickly said as he continued on with the experiment.

Gwen had an uncomfortable face on as she wrote down notes for the experiment.

"Hi, Peter. So your aunt has recommended you see me one-on-one from time to time," Lilly said as she and Peter sat in her office.

"Yeah. Because I blew up at her the other day. Like, it wasn't cool of me but it's just, it's - I know I'm not okay," Peter admitted.

"Well, how specifically?"

Peter sighed before covering his mouth. He twitched for a little.

"I can't."

"You can't tell me?"

Peter looked Lilly dead in the eye. "Everything here is confidential, right?"

Lilly nodded. "Yes. The only times I have to break confidentiality is if you're planning on hurting yourself or someone else, or if there's a situation where further client care is necessary."

Peter hesitated a little before continuing.

"My uncle's dead because of me."

"What do you mean?"

Peter sighed. "That day, I went to go participate in a competition. Nothing illegal. Some guy robbed the place the same day, and I was already angry for getting cheated out of my money. I let him go, and I came home late, a-and Uncle Ben and Aunt May got all pissed. We-we got into a fight, and I shouted at him that he wasn't my father. I ran out and walked for a few hours. That was when I found him."

Peter started tearing up, prompting Lilly to hand him a tissue.

"Flash forward to Christmas Eve, and the killer's caught. Tu-turns out it was the same guy I let go."

"So, you feel responsible because you believe that you were the one that could've prevented it?" Lilly observed.

"Exactly. I don't know whether it was inevitable or not, but I don't think I'm ever gonna convince myself that it wasn't my fault. I swear to fucking God, if I had literally just tripped him or something!" Peter vented.

"So, there's been a lot of underlying guilt that you've been suppressing. It's good that you're letting it all out," Lilly pointed out.

"I'm glad I am, but it still sucks."

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Just Gwen, but I can't even talk to her right now," Peter angrily said. "I've been pretty distant from her and Harry for a little while. Especially after the shit that's been happening with Gwen and Charlie."

"I understand how you feel. It always sucked whenever my crushes were into someone else, as it does for everyone," Lilly related.

"Tell me about it. I've pretty much just been shutting her off. I doubt she even wants to see me right now."

"How often has she been trying to contact you?"

"A lot of missed calls and texts," Peter answered.

"So, that shows in some sense, she misses you," Lilly stated.

"Maybe, but she probably just wants to yell at me. I don't need to see her and Charlie all kissey kissey after they went to the Sadie Hawkins Dance together."

"Do you really think that this whole crush is the only reason you've been acting distant from your friends?" Lilly questioned.

"I mean, yeah," Peter responded. "Pretty much."

"Well, there's the jealousy, and the repressed guilt from your uncle's passing. And it's all been happening around the same time, right?"

"I mean, I don't exactly think that my uncle's death has been causing me to be an ass to my friends."

"What's been making you throw away that possibility?"

Peter looked down before sighing, not knowing how to answer.

"You've been holding in all this anger for so long, and now, you've been looking for mediums to let it out," Lilly said, taking notes.

"I guess it can't be a coincidence that I started acting like this towards Harry and Gwen after the killer was taken in. Charlie was just a contributor to my anger," Peter realized. "God, I was too busy being guilty inside, I let it out on my friends."

"It's great that you're realizing that."

"I just can't believe I didn't earlier."

"We're all human after all. We make mistakes that we can't often see coming or predict," Lilly pointed out. "The best we can do after making those mistakes is make something out of that to improve upon ourselves."

"You're right."

"Your uncle and your friends. All very important to you. In situations like this, I'm oftentimes find myself reminding my patients to embrace them and the memories they hold."

"Instead of focusing on the negativity behind it?" Peter asked.

"Exactly."

In a secret laboratory base underneath a mechanic shop, Fisk was standing with some scientists and Russian mobsters.

"So, this'll really be enough to take out Gargan?" Fisk asked.

"Indeed. Our mutual friend was the only one who had the guts and the excitement to go through with this," one of the scientists confirmed.

"That motherfucker's crazy," one of the mobsters commented.

"Talk about insane," another mobster agreed.

"I'm giving Sytsevich credit. Up until now, he was already one of our most effective mobsters, and now, he's especially not afraid of what could happen. It's a gutsy situation, and he's going all in. He's about to build his defense," Fisk complimented.

Two more scientists then walked in, along with a naked Aleksei Sytsevich, who was wrapped in a towel. Aleksei took off the towel and walked into a massive tube, where the scientists strapped him in.

"Are you ready, Mr. Sytsevich? Final warning, this'll be completely permanent," a scientist warned.

"I'm well aware. Now, what's the hold up?" Aleksei responded.

The scientists proceeded to press some buttons and turn some levels, and the tube started filling with smoke as pieces of an experimental combat mecha started encasing Aleksei. Chemicals were incorporated to further glue the permanent skin to Aleksei, causing him to yell in pain.

"Jesus," a mobster said.

"It'll all be worth it," a scientist assured. "A thick titanium resin armor. It'll grant him near-indestructible strength and durability."

"So, a rhinoceros?" Fisk stated.

"The inspiration the animal kingdom provides is impeccable. With his new impenetrable armor, it'll be more than enough to take out Scorpion and even Spider-Man if you guys decide to go through with that," one of the scientists explained.

"How's that guy gonna be able to use the bathroom?" one of the mobsters asked.

"There's a chute," the scientist responded.

At that moment, the suit finished encasing itself onto Aleksei, who was now silent.

"Aleksei? Aleksei, how are you feeling?" Fisk asked.

Aleksei responded by smashing the tube open and jumping down, smashing part of the floor and knocking some of the scientists and mobsters back. Smiling, the unfazed Fisk walked up to Aleksei.

"I like this," Aleksei admired as he looked at his new body. "A lot. Get the word out. All those poor souls are gonna be running once they see me running down the street. Because holy shit!"

"Glad you like it. You ready for your first assignment?" Fisk asked.

"Ready?!" Aleksei exclaimed. "Better word would be excited!"

"Good. Lure out Spider-Man. To do that, cause as much attention as you can. Once he arrives, Scorpion should follow shortly after. Once that happens, kill that green son of a bitch. Hell, take out Spider-Man if you feel like it."

"The Rhino ripping out the Scorpion's spine. I like the sound of that!"

Disclaimer: Spider-Man and any other Marvel characters are created and owned by Stan Lee and Marvel Comics. I do not have any ownership over them.

Holy shit, I haven't been this late in a while. So sorry that I kept you guys a few days waiting! Had to deal with stuff going on in my real life lol. Hope your week has been going well. Finally got to the Rhino's official origin here! Only a few more chapters left until the official end of Vol 1! In terms of superhero stuff, I've been finishing up the New Game+ of Batman: Arkham Knight. Can't wait to beat the Riddler's fucking ass!

Summer's been continuing to go well, and honestly, the summers of 2017-2020 have been some of the best of my life. Hanging out with your closest friends really reminds you of the love you have in your life. Hell, I implemented a little message in the therapy scene. One of my best friends is turning 18 tomorrow, so she and another best friend of mine are watching the sunrise and getting breakfast in the morning. Should be fun!

Again, super sorry for the late chapter, and thank you for being patient. Next chapter will be out around next week. As always, favs, follows, and reviews are always appreciated! I know I tried to push for this to happen last week, but if you can, comment your favorite character and why lol! Gives me a lot more motivation!

JPrime - Haha Mary Jane will definitely have a future in the story! You'll just have to keep reading to see how and when…

Rollerparty - Thank you! And it was 100% inspired by the game and Spider-Man: Far From Home! And lol thanks! It took a bit of time for me to get 100% in the game, but if you keep going at it, you can do it!

Fate-Be Changed - Lol they did indeed! I realized it'd be a great scene to implement the Bugle in after you left your review, so thanks for that!

Marvel Nerd - No prob! It's an amazing series, indeed.

Geek4Life - You'll see what further happens with Hammer!

SpideyXBC - It'll definitely be an interesting path in terms of what happens with Norman!

Teller-Story - Scorpion definitely wants to torment Peter in different ways, as you've seen and will continue to see…

Arnonymous - Ironically, I didn't! And thanks!

ShadowStrike234 - Thank you! I took my inspiration from the game and Far From Home. Lol Gwen didn't take it well to say the least, and Peter continues to get shat on! I've been reading your Spidey story, and it's really great!

-redbird12