Of The Twilight Hours

Sequel to 'Midnight is Meant to Be'

Disclaimer: I own none of Marvel/Stan Lee's creations, only the scenario and original characters in this story.

Giggety Giggety Goo: Sorry about the whole not updating for a good while, I've been busy moving and such, condensed chaos! I've been feeling a bit lonely recently, well I'm starting to think I've been single way too long, So I'm probably going to get cracking on this story again, it is my fluffy thought vehicle after all!

Peter slumped to the floor, feverishly clutching at the puncture in his body, the blade had cut deep, he could feel his eyelids becoming heavier as his suit spewed rouge. Felicia seemed shaken, she had never seen Peter take a hit before, and she wasn't coping with it well. Running over to her fading partner, she was beginning to panic at the trickling path of blood which with every second chipped at his consciousness. Peter wavered slightly before throwing his arm out towards the edge of the roof, he couldn't must a strict point but the general motion of his intention was evident.

"Make sure he's down" Peter said softly, knowing all to well that if Kraven was coming back for more he couldn't put up a semblance of a defence. Felicia started an argument, but knew that it was the right call, and as quickly as she had rushed to Peter's side she left it, hoping to god that the lunatic hadn't disappeared again, he seemed to have an unearthly ability to remain out of sight. Reaching the edge of the roof Felicia ignored the shattering pulse of her heart, echoing in her mind was the face of Kraven, his blade, the colour of Peter's wound, flowing, it was a dirty hypnosis, something so haunting it was hard to look away. As the distance to the street below peeled away as she looked further over the edge she came to find Kraven had hit the pavement with sickening force, he wasn't only dead, he was obliterated by the fire hydrant he had come into a lethal merging with. The sight was never to leave The Black Cat's nightmares.

"Oh god…" Felicia choked, turning away from the drop and resisting the violent desire to vomit. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Peter keel over onto his side with a thud, the dusty roof soaking his blood as it ran away from him in a lessening rate. Despite his enhanced healing kicking in Felicia knew she had to get him to a hospital, and she also had to get them both away from the scene unfolding below, Police radios and public screams were already starting to fill the air, a quick plan began to form in the haze of her deafening thoughts, it was her only choice, the one clarity in the insanity of this situation. Scooping Peter from the ground She ran across the rooftop, bounding over the short gap to the next and then down into an alleyway.

Becoming aware he was waking up from some kind of blackness was what hit Peter first, his eyelids fluttering like a moth to the light that blinded him. As his eyes adjusted and his senses felt his surrounding he found himself in a bed, in a ward, in a hospital. As his grogginess cleared he quickly realised he was alone, which meant two things. Good news is that by the lack of press, security or federal agents nobody seemed to know he was Spiderman, but the bad news was Felicia was also absent. He couldn't have been out so long, his enhanced healing should have sorted himself out double time after they doctors had finished with him. Staring up at the ceiling Peter sighed, half relief, and half trepidation. Kraven had to have been incapacitated, or worse which meant that again the Police would be tearing their hair out about the death of someone at Spiderman's hands. He didn't blame them, just because he was attacked didn't give a him an instant licence to kill, the idea of a murdering masked vigilante roaming the city at night was enough to scare anybody working in law enforcement or otherwise.

Another unexpected problem was this habit villains seemed to be getting in for just simply trying to kill him, it didn't quite add up… or did it? Having just gotten out of prison the only thing standing in their way was Spiderman, so naturally if you kill him you then own the city, but most villains would at least try and rob a bank or something, Rhino, Shocker and now Kraven all seemed to have gone berserk with bloodlust. If this new trend continued he would seemingly be spending more time in this less than comfortable bed, either that or an early grave. Life seemed to be repetitively stamping on his groin recently, with his whole love life going haywire and now this epidemic of attempts to slaughter him.

Sitting up with ease Peter found himself to be in good condition, and he then found his old jeans and blue Tee, as well as what looked like pressed underwear? What the hell? It could only be Aunt May, which must have meant he had been out long enough for her to have come from Queens, she might still be around, it was unlikely she would leave Peter injured in hospital alone. Felicia was probably at work; she was the only one who knew his secret, the only one who could take comfort in the fact he heals at a crazy rate. Pulling the curtain around his bed Peter removed the surgical gown and pulled on his pre-prepared clothes from home, it suddenly made him feel a whole lot better, like he was more himself, and it was refreshing not to have his tight outfit underneath for a change. Stepping out from behind the withdrawn curtain Peter found an old man in a wheelchair looking at the Television in the corner, but it was on mute. Suddenly Peter saw the title "Spiderman: Out for blood?" appear behind the newscaster on the box.

Walking at speed towards the couch in front of the corner TV peter found the man in the wheel chair to be asleep, and so picking the remote control up from besides him he sat and increased the volume so he could hear the broadcast.

45 minutes earlier…

Mary Jane pushed behind clamouring people, shouts and sirens creating the atmosphere of a riot, a rebellion, but it was far from such, it was morbid fascination which had brought these people to block her path, a dark human desire to see their own undoing. She had received a short phone call from John's mother, usually she was a total bitch, but her voice was choking in the company of tears, John had been stabbed whilst out in town with a friend. Mary Jane may not be his girlfriend anymore, but he was still a nice man, he friend, and after so long with him she had to be there for him. It was so sudden she had just dropped everything and ran, but apparently not quick enough to beat the crowds all wanting to see NASA's hero in a body bag. Pushing past men and women Mary Jane was not let through easily, but she managed to reach the bar on what appeared to be cleavage paralysis. Wearing only a tight white tank top and jeans most men seemingly just let her thought based on appearance, accidental as it was her inside 'lazy' clothes, but she hadn't bothered to change, just grab a jacket before running out.

Reaching the police line She beckoned an officer over to her, he was scowling for some reason.

"Hey you gotta let me through I'm Mary Jane Watson, John Jameson's girlfriend" She almost had to shout at him over the loud noise of the crowd and police.

"Nice try babe, Jameson's girlfriend is already in there with him, she was with him when it happened. Your like the sixth chic to pull that one tonight, so just go home okay?" Now she knew why the cop was scowling at her before he spoke, but that was irrelevant, what the hell did he mean John had his girlfriend in there with him? That could only mean one of two things, some girl had lied at the scene and got in the ambulance with him, or John Jameson's reputation as a nice guy was about to be as broken as his nose.

"Police are thought to be issuing an arrest warrant for Spiderman tonight after the horrific scene just hours ago in which recently escaped murder Sergei Kravenoff was found dead, the images following are not suitable for children and may be too much for sensitive viewers."

What followed was in essence the CSI suits collecting a variety of pieces in bags, and one or two blurred shots of Kraven's impact with a fire hydrant. He was beyond dead, he was obliterated, Peter had killed him outright. Should he go and hand himself over to the police? It would mean effectively the end of his life, that Spiderman would be unmasked, arrested and probably under scrutiny from lab coats until his death of old age, and even then he would be opened up for research. The more he thought about it the less the justice system appealed to him, and even though he fully supported the law and knew it applied to him, he also knew that it would never end, he would have to be unmasked, his family and friends would suffer and he would probably be assassinated as Peter Parker. No he had to play this by ear, and he knew that Kraven's death was an accident, he had only meant to knock him out, not knock him off the edge.

"Also injured in the fight between Kraven and Spiderman was national hero and treasure John Jameson, who received a hunting knife injury from what we currently think was Kraven's last gasp effort to maim or kill Spiderman. Although we have been assured John Jameson's life is not in danger all of us here at the studio wish him a swift recovery and our hearts go out to his family and friends"

Jameson was injured? He must have been just walking down from where I saw him when Kraven fell. Why does everything always get so damned complicated, now I've not only murdered a criminal I wouldn't be surprised if they pinned John's injury on me too. J. Jonah Jameson is going to have a rage-gasm over this; his hated enemy injures his son, could things get any worse?

As he heard footsteps approach he was addressed by an ecstatic nurse, she looked like someone had just offered her a million in cash.

"Hey kid, you wanna see a real superhero? John Jameson is down stairs, I'm going to go ask him for his autograph, you should go too, not everyday you get the chance to meet someone famous" before he could even answer she let out a small giggle and speedily made her way out of his ward.

"Jameson is here, in this hospital?" Peter thought out loud, "Ah crap". Where there is smoke there is usually fiery red hair and smouldering good looks, a.k.a. Mary Jane Watson. Life's never simple, especially when you have two. But considering how Mary Jane had spoken of Jameson during their little coffee break she probably wouldn't show up. Returning the television to mute Peter ambled back over to his bed, more of a strategic retreat than hiding, plus he had to wait for Aunt May to return. Jumping sitting down on the side of his bed Peter Wondered why Felicia hadn't left a note or anything, she had seemingly just vanished after bringing him in, it wasn't exactly what he would have done but then again she was often more decisive and less courteous than him.

So much had unfolded in one night his mind was having a hard time keeping up with it all, he had only been out for about three or four hours but even so quite a lot had happened. Just as he was thinking about Felicia's own injury a strangely sudden desire for a cup of coffee came over him, which was when Aunt May popped her heard around the corner of his curtain.

"OH SWEETIE YOUR AWAKE!" she was quickly upon him squeezing him as hard as she could. "Oh I was so worried about you, when they called saying you were stabbed by one of that crazy man's knives I rushed right over! Are you okay sweetie?"

Peter smiled, "Yeah I'm fine thanks Aunt May, but I could really use something to drink, I think I'll go get some coffee or something" The smell he was picking up was getting stronger.

"Oh I thought you might, so I got us some while we wait for a doctor to check you over"

"Oh right, thanks Aunt May, but where ar…" Peter was about to ask where the coffee's his aunt spoke of resided, because she didn't have them, but when he spoke she cut him off.

"And you'll never guess who I found looking for you!" May smiled broadly, and Peter tried to look excited, when really he was just puzzled. Felicia must have made her way back from where ever she had gone after all. The smell of coffee took a back seat to a scent he dragged on like a cigarette, soaking his senses, making him drowsy, it wasn't new; it was something he had tasted before. Looking past Aunt May he saw her looking at him, she had managed to appear at the end of his bed without him noticing her behind his relative, she was holding two cups of coffee. She was dressed in simple clothes, breathtaking, her eyes sparkled nervously, and she blushed, Peter heard her speak.

"Hey Tiger"

I hope you enjoyed it! lease let me know what you think, good or bad! Also go and see Land of the Dead, its brilliant!