This will probably be the last chapter for this year, who knows? Maybe I'll finish next chapter right before the clock strikes 12. This is meant to be a Christmas chapter but also a tribute, to the men who forged the universe we all love so much
Rest in peace 'Shy' Steve Ditko and Stanley Lieber 'Stan (The Man) Lee' creators of the finest superhero to ever live and co-creators of the most cherished of comic universes.
This chapter is based off the story of 'Leah' by Peter David which got me to legitimately cry. I hope I could do half as well.
To Love-Ru is owned by Saki Hasemi, Kentaro Yabuki and SHUEISHA
Spider-Man is owned by Marvel and created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
All music belongs to owners
It was almost Christmas time in Sainan, snow was falling, lights were flashing and a certain red and blue superhero was swinging around the city. He had gotten his shopping done in the most dangerous time of year, worse than Devil's night or free stabbing Sunday... LAST-MINUTE-SHOPPING-DAY.
"God, I never felt more grateful for Spider-sense than for today... Who would punch somebody threw a window for a freaking Elmo toy, SERIOUSLY?!"
Ugh... He had managed to get a gift card for his father, a brand new scarf for Mikan, some supplies for webbing for himself and, most dangerously of all, a Magical Kyouko Blu-Ray disc for Lala.
"I have never known fear like facing a mob of teenage girls ripping into each others hair, biting each other or suplexing each other for a damn disk.. Oww... I think I still have that's girls nail stuck in my butt... Ugh..." He was swinging back home, ready to pack it in and have a nice warm bath and forget AALLLL about today
"Just wanna take a bath, find an excuse to not watch the week long Magical Kyouko advent marathon with Lala and work on that brand new web bomb idea I've got cooking up." He looked to see a bar on the top right of vision registered itself in the red, meaning one of his web shooters was running a little low. Detaching himself from the web, He lands in a alleyway and goes underneath his top and grab a spare cartridge.
He then hears a shifting in some nearby cardboard boxes off to his side. He blinked "Is that a rat?"
He walks forward to inspect the boxes and notices a piece of paper being popped out. He tugs it out and was surprised. It was a page from the daily bugle... specifically about him! The article itself was torn out, leaving only his name and picture of himself, One He personally sent as to exploit the reward for a picture of Spider-Man, If someone was going to get paid for his picture, better be him.
He bent down and lifted the boxes lid and was met with the box being filled with his picture! Everyone He had submitted along with the ones that were prior that only captured his escaping back! He looked down in the box and was more surprised.. He saw a little girl.
The little girl was small, smaller than Mikan, couldn't have older than 8 He could guess, why was she here? She wore old, dirtied and tattered clothes, her hair crusty with mud and a dirty cap on top, She had no socks or shoes and was under neath a pile of papers, in her arms was a plushie, a Spider-Man plushie.
He grew worried, it was freezing, how long was she out here? He nudged her shoulder "Little girl?"
She didn't move except to breathe lightly, He tried again "Little girl?... Are you okay?"
She, in her dreams, gave a smile of tremendous warmth "Spider-Man..."
His eyes widened as He touched her cheek now "Little girl? I-Eh?!" Her warm smile did not translate to the rest of her body, she was ice cold! "Oh god, I gotta get you somewhere warm!" He reached over to grab her
Kaoru Katsuragi was a sad girl. Momma and papa had to go leave her alone and never came back, She had no light, nothing to keep her warm... until He arrived.
"Yo yo yo! Kaoru, where you at?" A voice from the sky said before landing, He wore a red and blue suit that looked really cool!
She smiled in her little box as She crawled out "Spider-Man, I've missed you!"
The hero said happily picking her up "Not as much as I missed you!" She giggled as He hugged him for a moment. They pulled apart as Spider-Man asked "Hey, want to go web swinging again?"
Kaoru smiled "Of course!"
"Your wish is my command, millady!" Spider-Man threw Kaoru into the air, and for a moment she almost flying before gravity returned and she landed on Spider-Man's back which was very soft
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave a light giggle. "Tee Hee, I'm ready!"
"Then here we... GO!" Spider-Man then leaps into the air, higher than the pizza restaurant she lived behind! He launched his arms forward fires a web at the buildings closest by and pulls himself, styling it up with a twirl.
Spider-Man hits a wall feet first and begins running with no fear of falling before reaching the end of the building and leaps off with another twirl
He calls behind him "You okay back there?"
Kaoru only smiled "Yeah this is baby stuff though, mind picking up the pace?" She answered smugly
"Is milady trying to MOI? Oh, now you are getting it, HOLD-ON!"
He then proceeds to land on top of a water tower with one hand before leaping off and curling into a ball and proceeds to spin extremely fast towards the ground. Just as He going to touch the pavement, Spider-Man escapes the ball, fires a web and slides on the ground before leaping up and maintains a proper swing.
"How was that?"
Kaoru, who lost her cap in the middle of the spin, smiles "Zero out of Ten, lost my hat!"
"Ah fiddlesticks! Curse you Russian judge!" He shakes his fist in the air
They swing until they make it to downtown where a large Christmas tree was. She loved coming here with her momma and papa and now with her best friend! They touch down and Spider-Man looks around
"Hmm... Where is everyone?"
"Over here kids!" Suddenly they looked behind and saw the avengers! They huddled around them and rubbed Kaoru's head affectionately as She giggled.
Spider-Man sets her down and takes her right hand.
"I want to hold her hand." Says the falcon
"No, me!" Says Scarlet witch.
"Me!" Says Hawkeye
"Me!"
"I do!"
"Hulk hold little girl hand!"
"No way you'll crush her you oaf!"
"Grr! Hulk mad!"
Then all of the avengers began to picker with each other, Captain America and Iron Man were more in each other's face then She would think! Oh no...
Spider-Man steps forward to stop the fighting "Hey g-"
"I'll do it then!"
Everyone froze at the voice. They never this voice before, they all looked to the source and stood a woman they had never seen before, wearing very nice clothes and nicely done hair.
Kaoru stared at her "Um... Who are you, miss?"
The woman smiled "You can just me... Aunty Ringo."
Kaoru's eyes flashed "Wow! An aunt, I never had one of those before!"
Aunty Ringo smiled as she grabbed onto her free hand "Glad to be your first." Soon all the avengers quieted down and they all held their hands in a circle. Spider-Man stared at Aunty Ringo for a long while
"You... Do I know you?"
She smiled but Kaoru could see it was a sad one "Maybe you do.." She closed her eyes and sang aloud in a heavenly voice, with all the heroes and herself following suit
(Silent night- public domain)
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly
Kaoru's eyelids felt heavy... like She was really tired..
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly peace
They all swayed back and forth, in a very loving motion
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Karou smiled, this was the best day ever...
Christ, Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, Christ, the Savior
Christ, Christ, the Savior is born
And when the song ended, all of the avengers had disappear, leaving only Kaoru, Aunty Ringo and Spider-Man. Kaoru looked around surprised
"Where did everyone go?..."
Aunty Ringo smiled "They all went home, like We should now."
Kaoru smiled cheekily "It'll pretty cramped in my box, Aunty Ringo."
Aunty Ringo crouched to be her height and pulled her into a hug "No baby, I mean HOME. A nice warm loving one... with your momma and papa."
The little girl's eyes widen "Really? Yay!" She turned to Spider-Man happily "Let's go!"
Aunty Ringo chuckled as They broke apart their embrace "I'm sorry... but He can't... Not yet."
Kaoru looked at her aunt in sadness "Why not?.."
Her aunt merely looked at the masked hero as She stepped to him "Spider-Man... Has work to, evil NEVER sleeps." She places a hand on the hero's masked face "In the chill of night... at scene of any crime, Like a streak of light.." She smiled "He'll arrive just in time."
Spider-Man started to shake "W-What's happening to me?... I... I feel so sad now..."
Ringo stopped this placing a kiss on the hero's forehead "Don't be... Always shine through and inspire others... YOU are my hero, MY Amazing Spider-Man."
Kaoru smiled as She ran over and tackled the hero's middle "And mine too!"
Spider-Man looks down, wiping his eyes with his arm "Stop, you guys are making me cry...It's really hard with the mask."
Aunty Ringo smiled as She grabbed his mask "Then take it off." She said, pulling off Spider-Man's mask. Kaoru stared at Spider-Man's real face, He looked young.. and a lot like Aunty Ringo with their hair and eyes. Aunty Ringo smiled before hugging Spider-Man "You make me so proud.."
Spider-Man began to weep and Kaoru felt... a happiness as They hugged each other. Like this was complete for some reason.
Suddenly police sirens were heard in the distance as They all turn to see red and blue lights in a misty fog. Spider-Man looks at it before turning to them. Aunty Ringo smiled and presented him his mask "Go get Em, tiger."
Spider-Man smiled before placing his mask on, running to the sirens and web swings away from their sights. Kaoru and Aunty Ringo stared for a moment before the older woman grabbed the little one's hand.
"Let's go home."
As They walked towards a sudden bright light, they turned back to still hear the sound of webs fire
They proudly say "You are really good."
Rito stared at the girl as She laid on the hospital bed, She was smiling although the doctor's say it was far too late to save her..
He clenched his fist... How could He have not known... He had swung by the area plenty of times, how could He only notice NOW that this sweet girl was in pain. He was so sick with himself...
He sang to comfort both him and the girl when something happened, the young girl reached over and touched his hand. The heart monitor still indicated her slowing heartbeat when this happened, He wanted to call the doctors when He heard begin to mumble.
Rito looked to the ground and said softly "I'm sorry... I failed you... I couldn't save you...I am a failure..."
Times like this... He couldn't but think.. why bother helping... some one always got hurt... even when He tried his hardest... He always loses...
"You..." Rito's attention snapped back to the girl "You are my hero... MY Amazing Spider-Man..."
This broke him. He lifted his mask to wipe his tears. What is He thinking? Kids like her look up to Spider-Man. They need Heroes. They need a savior. And it looks like Sainan will just have to deal with him for a little bit longer. He will get better. And one day, He will be rewarded with the day nobody died. Some day...
A door behind him creaked open making the hero slipped his mask back on. He turned to see a old Caucasian man holding a clipboard "I see She was happy.."
Rito turned to see the little girl smile in her sleep.. her permanent sleep. "Yes... I think so, Ditko-Sensei..." He sighed, moving the girls hand to lay comfortably at her side. "No one should go that young..."
"Events like this are usually out of most of our control, son..."
"I know..." The hero said sadly...
"...But there could be ways to prevent it."
Rito looked the man in the eyes "What do you mean?"
The doctor presented a form to what looked like a shabby old apartment complex "It is something to help, a shelter for those most unfortunate..."
Rito takes the paper and reads a word thar was large and was also an abbreviation with all the dots "F.E.A.S.T...A homeless shelter devised by a Mr. Martin Lee..."
"Maybe you can find kids like this and... point them in the right direction."
Rito nodded "Thank you Sensei... Do you have anything else?"
"Yes actually, the blood test came through, The girl is a miss 'Kaoru Katsuragi' or 'Katsuragi Kaoru' if you like," The spider nodded "Her parents were killed in a violent car accident, with no relatives to go to, She must've fended for herself for an entire year..."
Rito nodded again "She is strong... I could hope to be half as strong.."
The doctor looked at him "You are well on your way, kid."
Suddenly, police sirens were heard and Rito immediately got to his feet, opened the window and was going to jump before looking back at Kaoru, one last time
"Sweet dreams, little princess... Have the sweetest of dreams."
(Years later)
And then was that other time I went to another universe! Had to help a kid named Miles adjust to his new powers, like the epic big brother I am!"
A man smiled while on his knees in front of a gravestone, adorned with many toys from over the years as He picked up a red and black one with red lense rims, red webs and a 'V' off its chest.
"I admit, the outfits a little so so but at least it's better than the literal Halloween outfit He wore before!" He laughed at Miles expense knowing He would never hear those words. He sighed before reaching into his coat pocket when-
"Dad?"
"Daddy?"
He jumped as He turned around to see two girls, one a teenager and the other was a girl no older than 5. The younger one wore a red and blue pajama shirt under overalls while holding a teddy bear. She had bright pink hair fashioned as his sister had once had. Her eyes however matched him entirely. The older wore a tie-dye shirt with a spider emblem and one shoulder popping out of the head hole, a pair of shorts and sneakers. She had a strange red and blue watch that had a spider emblem on it. Her hair was green, cut short and edgy/spiky giving a 'Don't mess with me' feel. A mysterious sunflower was on top of her head.
The green haired girl tilted her head "You said you were going to see Aunty Ringo?"
Rito sighed, smiling at the girl "And I will, but I had to say hello to an old friend, Celine.."
"Old friend like Uncle Kenichi or... 'Uncle Kenichi'?" She empathized with quotation marks.
"The first, trust me. This little one wouldn't have hurt a fly."
The youngest one strolled for forward and inspected the stone, noticing something odd "Look Papa, There's my name!" She said pointing at the gravestone
Rito gave her a stern look "Kaoru, It isn't nice to point."
The little girl dropped her hand and pouted "Sorry.."
He then proceeded to place a hand on her head and ruffle her hair affectionately "Aw, Can't stay mad at you, squirt." This made the little girl giggle
The man sighed as He looked at the grave before reaching back into his pocket and pulling out a new toy: One of a small spiky haired boy wearing a white buttoned shirt and green pants. He placed it next to a rather old looking toy: One of the infamous Spider-Man that looked like it seen better days as it was weathered and tattered.
"You know... I have to leave to Deviluke, correct?"
The two girls looked at him, Of course they knew. He finally found some time to visit Celine rather than her come to them.
"And you know.. as king of the universe, I am very busy all the time."
They nodded
"And so, this might very well be the last time I can see the earth until the time of my final rest." They remained silent as He continued "In my youth, I made it a point to come every year to this specific sight to pay my respects to one I had failed to save but gave me the purpose of making sure She was the last orphan I failed."
The green haired girl nodded "Yes, I know. The F.E.A.S.T. center, correct?"
He wiped his eyes "Yes Celine, while I rather not talk about Mr. Negative right now, I am truly grateful that such a place existed."
Celine understood "But You are worry this one will feel lonely now?"
Rito sighed, giving her the answer She needed.
Celine smirked while pointing at herself "I don't mind old man, Leave the cute girl to me."
"Are you sure?"
She shrugged "Sure, I haven't anything else to do in my freetime besides 'You know what'" She used her fingers in quotation marks again "So sure, Besides, It's not like I l actually live on Deviluke." She lived on the planet Earth with her Aunt Peni and her husband, caring for the city in her father's absence as the lone protector: Spider-Woman! Like father, like daughter They said.
He gave a coy smile "I tell you, it's okay to come with us."
"And be without any of my friends? NoPe!" Celine happily popped out the 'P'
Rito smirked "And what about little Normy?"
Celine blushed "W-What about him? H-He's 4 years younger than me!"
He laughed at her tomato red face "A little apprehensive, eh? But I think you make a cute couple and would be nice to see us reconnect with the head's of Sarutech like-"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP?!" She barked loudly with blushing harder
Kaoru quietly slinks away "Tsuuuuuuuuuundere~"
Celine heard and ran after her "Why I oughta-?! Get back here!"
The man chuckles as the two girls go at it and tried rip heir heads off before looking back to the grave stone, bowing his head slightly "This world... is great and ever expansive... whatever planet, whatever earth it will be..."
The girls slow their pace as they listened to his words.
"But the one thing that will never change... Is how we tell our stories of Heroism."
Kaoru looked to the plushies on the grave and remembered all of the tales She heard since She was but an infant, never knights and dragons but of costumed heroes, Celine looked to her watch where at the best of a button, a uniform will wrapped itself around her body in a instant
"These stories have room for everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, or color of their skin.."
Celine thinks to her best friend and partner in preventing crime, Kamala Khan A.K.A. Ms Marvel. She smiles at memories of her swinging and the other desperately trying to keep up even with stretchy limbs .
"But the only things We don't have room for.. Are hatred, intolerance and bigotry."
And memories of when She and her other friends getting pointed at and picked on only pushing them to be closer together
"That man next to you? He's your brother... That woman over there? She's your sister.. And that kid walking by?" He chuckles "Hey, who know? He may have the proportionate strength of a spider!"
The girls giggled at that exclamation
"We are part of ONE big family, The human family and We all come together in the body of MARVEL."
The girls looked at each other, let bygones be bygones and walk to their father, hand in hand.
"And you? You are part of that universe, This ever expanding MARVEL-ous universe. We move ever onward AND upward to greater glory.."
Rito stands up as his children reaches him and grabs him by the hands. They immediately went to take a few steps back to see a few more grave stones close by. The most prominent was of the Yuuki family grave site, that showed both predecessors of the Yuuki line proudly. Near them was a stone of a man that gave Rito amazing advice whenever He needed it, which what He just said was really a quote from said man, and helped him to be the king He needed to be. And next to him? The Man who helped show him the way.
The family smiled as They could see faint embers rise around the stones, and could see all of their smiling faces. "In other words?.."
"EXCELSIOR!"
Stanley Martin Lieber (Stan Lee): December 28, 1922 - November 12, 2018
Steve Ditko: November 2, 1927 - June 28, 2018
Thank you both... and rest in peace
And Here is something that I made in about an hour
All through out the city of Sainan, One man stood above them all, peering at the last minute shoppers down below as He sat atop the rooftops.
He took a deep breath before pressing his ear as Music played.
(Shameik Moore- Joy to the world)
Suddenly there as a shot of a man sleeping on a drawing table with a sketch of Spider-Man wearing a santa hat
(C-Check it)
Then a split shot of two girls, one with dark brown hair and the other pink, asleep in bed in pajamas, both cuddling a similar looking Spider-Man plushes
(Check it out!)
Suddenly Spider-Man stands up with arms in the air
(Joy to the world! That I have saved!)
He rolls down the edge of the building and down the wall before placing one hand on it, and raising himself with it.
(You all! Can sleep!)
A split image of a mother and her son in their respective beds, one doing business on a laptop while the son was sleeping while drooling, next to him was a dartboard with a plushie of Spider-Man with many puncture wounds.
(Soundly!)
Spider-Man Quickly shifts his body to place his feet on the wall
(I'm Always on the clock~!)
Spider-Man then makes a gesture to his wrist as if pointing to an invisible watch
(Vanquishing that flock~!)
He looks up to see chibi versions of his previous foes like Scorpion and Electro both in casts with Norman Osborn looking very grumpy as a ghost
(And away I swing~!)
He spins with having an image of a blonde girl with spinny hair holding a Captain America toy
(And away I swing~!)
He spins to the side as Another girl with black hair is seen sleeping with a Spider-Man plushie, A shinai at her bedside
(And A~Way~ Away! I! Swing!)
He stops to have his arms aimed to the sky again as a image of a girl with glasses on a table close by sleeps holding a toy of a black cat.
(Joy to the world~! That I-Keep-Sav-ing~!)
He snaps his fingers to each syllable
(Maybe~! I could~! Get paid~!)
He sang, shrugging
(I saved you all again~!)
Norman's ghost grumpily folds his arms
(This time from Gob~lin~!)
Just as Spidey quickly flicks him away
(And, Literally I don't get paid..)
He says sadly pulling out his wallet
(Kinda sad that I don't get paid~!)
A man with pieces of armor at his bedside is seen holding an envelope of money for Lala only
(I make my own fluid~! AND IT'S NOT FREE!)
He snaps pulling out his wallet only to see it empty with a moth flying out
(OKAY?!)
He sadly slips his wallet away, calming down and singing again
(No more VIL-LAINS~ Til TO-Morrow~!)
A blonde girl is seen holding plushies of a boy with spiky hair and Spider-Man looking at them inquisitively
(You all~! Should sleep~! So sound~!)
A image of a girl with green hair sleeping holding a Spider-Man plush while in her head, a boy with salt and pepper hair grumbles
Next was one of girl with a disciplinary armband at her dresser close by holding a Spider-Man plush as well
(I'll KEEP a watchful eye~!)
He peers to the streets below to see a cop car chasing after a car going at high speeds
(I'm just that kinda guy~!)
He quickly slips back onto the roof and runs across it, away from the action
(I am the Spider-Man~!)
He then shoots to web lines at two posts and yanks hard
(I am your Spider-Man~!)
He adjusts himself to look towards the action and tugs on the webs just a little bit harder, getting ready to slingshot himself away
(I'm your Friend~LY neighborhood SPI-DER-MAN~!)
He looks at an invisible audience
"WWW. Gofundme dot com / 'Spidey-Web-fluid-fund', Please help me get a million yen, I reallly need more web fluid and MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
He leaps into the air and is sent flying into the fight
"SAINAN!"