"Owwww! Not too tight!" Peter exclaimed in the middle of getting bandaged up by Aunt May. After his run in with a new baddie, His hand was fractured, but his healing factor had already kicked in after a few hours.
"Oh, stop your whining ya' big baby. Now hold still." Aunt May said, chuckling at Peter's fake discomfort. She snipped the end of the gauze and tightened it around his wrist. Peter sighed in relief as his torture ended and the bandaging was done. He tenderly rubbed his wrist and began to apply an ice pack.
"So how's work?" Aunt May asked. She was so used to Peter's double life as Spider-Man, that she didn't even question why her nephew limped into her house with a broken hand and bruised ribs.
"It's fine. I'm working on a special project. A machine that could possibly provide clean energy for the entire island of Manhattan."
"That sounds wonderful, Peter. Have you spoken to Mary Jane recently?" Aunt May asked, sitting down next to Peter. She placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping to keep him calm. She knew the relationship ended on rocky terms, but she couldn't help but wonder if he still cared for her.
"No. And I think it's for the best if we don't." Peter responded, in a defeated tone. He couldn't bear the memories of the break up. Three strong years, all thrown away because of a stupid disagreement. "If I see her, maybe we'll talk. Until then, I'm more focused on what I can control."
Aunt May looked away with grief. Her one and only nephew, who was like the son she could never have, is going through so much and all she can do is watch. She placed a hand over her mouth and stood up in silence. As she walked away, she whispered to Peter, "Don't give up on love."
Peter headed towards the door, hoping a good swinging session would get his mind off of things.
—Across Town—
Manhattan was so beautiful at night. The bright lights of the city danced across the skyline. The sounds of the streets gave the city a voice, a voice that personified the city for so many people.
This was Spider-Man's favorite part about swinging. The night sky contrasted with the lights gave off almost a Picasso-esque vibe, one that made him smile.
"Woohooooooo!" Spider-Man shouted as he flipped and twisted mid-air. His web-slinging moves had improved over the years, especially after all his clashes with the Vulture. "I love this city!"
Before he could even shoot another web line, Spider-Man's spider senses went crazy.
"LOOK OUT!" A voice from behind shouted.
A flaming man shot past Spidey like a comet. He crashed into the roof of a nearby building, trying to avoid a collision with Spidey.
"Oh crap." Spider-Man thought. "If that's who I think it is then I'm in trouble."
"Johnny! You alright?" Spider-Man asked as he landed on the rooftop. Johnny Storm stood up and brushed his suit, scoffing at his rough landing. He fixed his hair and sat down on the ledge.
"Hey, Pete. Didn't see ya' there!" Johnny said with a smile.
Peter folded up his mask and sat next to Johnny. They fist bumped and laughed at the past five minutes.
"How's life? You and MJ still going strong?" Johnny asked.
"Where have you been dude?" Peter asked.
"Oh, we were over in the Andromeda galaxy helping our Vanarian friends escape Galactus. It was a pretty fun road trip." Johnny responded.
"How's Kara doing?"
"She's actually doing alright. She just discovered her powers. So now fireproof diapers are a must."
"Awww, man that's great."
Johnny laughed and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Stop avoiding the question Pete." Johnny said through a hearty chuckle. "What's up with you and MJ?"
"We're not together man. That's really it." Peter said with a little aggression. He stood up from the ledge and put his hands on his waist. The memories of that fateful night flooded into his mind. The venomous argument that ended the relationship began to bring tears to Peter's eyes. Johnny stood up behind Peter and placed his arm around his shoulder in comfort.
"Look man, I'm here for ya' bud. Relationships are pretty rough sometimes, and some don't last. But you and Mary Jane were made for each other. And if there's anyway I can help you two get back together, you let me know." Johnny said.
A beeper went off in Johnny's pocket. His Fantastic Four beeper was used for alerts from Reed. But, his was modified to be a baby monitor.
"Ok bro, I've gotta bounce. Daddy duties." Johnny said. "See ya' round Webhead!"
Peter watched as Johnny burst into flame and flew away. Almost like a shooting star, Johnny shot into the sky and darted towards the Baxter Building. Peter was left alone to deal with his thoughts. He began to web sling towards his apartment when his phone began buzzing. Another Code Blue. He checked the alert only to be smacked out of the sky.
A large green apparatus looped and lurched towards Spider-Man, and wrapped itself around him. Spider knew exactly who this thing belonged to.
"Hey Spider, didn't think I'd catch you out here. But I'm glad I did." The assailant said with a devious chuckle.
Scorpion had returned. And he was ready to kill.
All reviews and critiques are appreciated.