SPIDER-MAN: DARK WOUNDS

GREAT POWER:

Otto and Carolyn continued to discuss their private work while I enjoyed myself with some Trigonometry. Missing a month of school wasn't the most ideal thing considering the amount of homework I had to make up, but it helped me concentrate on my own problems. I rubbed my temple to help myself cool down. I had been sitting here for over two hours trying to complete as much as I could before going home. It wasn't exactly the most fun I've had at Otto's lab but it sure beat mindlessly listening to Otto from time to time about his problems with his mother.

Otto had some big emotional problems. At age 27, he asked the girl of his dreams, Rosie, to marry him. She accepted, but his mother did not. Otto was constantly coddled by his mother during his younger years, and because of his strong feelings for her; he broke up with his fiance. He moved from his native Germany at age 29 and started up a lab here in New York. He still argues with his mother over the phone from time to time. Those are usually the days where he stays in his office and I leave without notice.

I looked at the clock on my phone.

5:26 PM

It was time for me to head home. I looked out the window to decide whether I walk or take a cab. The rain had lightened to a slight drizzle. I decided to walk.

xXx

5: 49 PM

I regretted walking home. 10 minutes into my walk, it began to pour; It hadn't stopped by the time I got two blocks from the apartment. My hood was stuck to my skull and my hands and knees stung from the cold.

"Leave me alone, you sick-"

Someone was screaming. I couldn't tell who it was, or where it was coming from. I stopped for a second to try and pinpoint the direction of the screaming.

"Someone! Help!"

It was down the alley to my left.

I crept down the alley, trying not to make any sound.

"Be quiet!" another voice boomed above the rain.

It was a man talking this time; trying to yell and whisper all at once.

I snuck my head around the corner to see what was going on.

There were three guys, all unarmed. They were surrounding a young woman. She had her shirt ripped and a bloody lip.

"A lot of trouble for a purse" I said quietly.

That's when I noticed something strange about this scene. They were beating the woman, but she had no purse. It was laying on the ground 10 feet from the group.

It was rape.

Anger filled my chest. I snuck around the corner, extremely quietly. Each footstep made me nervous, but one step closer to these bastards.

One of the men backed up a few feet from the other two to take a breather. I got behind him and struck. I kicked out the back of his knee and caught him by the neck. I wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his mouth and nose. I tightened my grip and before long he was out cold.

The other two hadn't even noticed. The woman was out cold by now and the two men were taking a break after the beating they just unleashed on the poor woman.

"Who's first?" one of them smiled.

"You guys make me sick." I spat.

The men turned around in shock.

"Look at this fool." the other one laughed, relieved. "Thinks he's the police."

The other began to walk over. "Come on." he placed his arm on my shoulder. "Why don't you-"

I grabbed his arm and twisted it, causing him to bend over. I grabbed him by the back of the head and kneed him in the face, breaking his nose.

"Argh! Myb nose!" he screamed falling down, holding his face.

I stared at the last man. My chest filled with hate. The people on the streets ignored this woman. If it wasn't for me, this could have been a lot worse than a beating.

My feet pushed me forward, splashing the water covered pavement. The man stood still, frightened. I grabbed him by the neck pushing him up against the wall. He started at me, fear in his eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" I sneered.

"We-we-we were just-"

"Just what?" I yelled. "Raping this woman? Do you think that's funny? Does that give sick bastards like you pleasure?"

"No, we-" he began.

"Does it?

The man began to cry. Going on and on about how he didn't want to do it but his friends did. Idiot.

"Do something with your life, before you really mess up." I grumbled.

I let go of him, but my eyes never left his face.

"Tha-Thank you" he sputtered, running away, into the street.

I took a deep breath and scratched my head. I hadn't done anything like that since Aunt May and Uncle Ben's murderer.

It felt good.

"Uh…?" the woman moaned, waking up.

I left. Who know's what would have happened if she saw me? Would she call the cops? Think I'm some freak? Thank me?

Didn't matter, didn't really care for the sediment at the moment.

xXx

I flung open the door and began to head for my room. I was in a rush, hoping Ben would stop to talk to me. Ben stopped me almost immediately, armed with a cigarette.

"Hey Peter. How was Octavius'?" he asked cheery.

"Uh, fine."

"Did you ask him about Connors?" he took a puff of his cigarette.

"Yeah. He gave me his address." I pulled out the piece of paper from my pocket. "Here."

"Thanks, Peter." Ben smiled. "Appreciate it." There was sincerity in his voice. I could always count on Ben for a pick-me-up.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled, entering my room.

I closed the door behind me slowly. The only good thing to come out of Aunt May and Uncle Ben's death's was Ben. I shook my head, ridding it of any thoughts other than the one I wanted. My Spider-man suit.

I threw my backpack down and walked over to the chest next to my bed. Slowly, I bent over and opened the case. There it was, same as before. A black ski mask and blue shirt with a cheaply made white spider.

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" Uncle Ben's voice rang out in my head.

Maybe there was more to this suit that I hadn't realized. I was given these spider-powers...maybe for a reason? Stopping those sick bastards today lit a fire inside me that I hadn't felt in…a while.

I wasn't just Peter Parker.

I wasn't just some wimpy little 16 year old.

I was Spider-man.

To be Spider-man, I would need a new set of clothes.

xXx

November 20th

I woke up briskly, looked out the window and smiled. It was a clear day, perfect to pick up the last piece of my new Spider-man suit.

The clock read 10: 46 PM, the store would be open by now. I dug into my pants pocket and pulled out a small piece of folded loose leaf. I snatched a pencil off the desk next to me and slowly read the list.

Black combat boots: Check

Grey cargo pants: Check

Black under armor: Check

Blue hoodie: Check

Black paint: Check

Materials for custom made belt: Check

Material for mask: In Progress

I erased the "In Progress" next to "Material for mask" and wrote "Check." I folded the paper back up and smiled. I was almost done.

xXx

I glanced at the clock, needle in hand.

8:19 PM

Ben was leaving for work. That meant he was going to say goodbye, and see the mask. I stashed it under my pillow and ripped open a book. Not more than 30 seconds later did Ben walk in.

"I'm going, Pete."

"Uh-huh." I droned, not taking my eyes off the book, pretending to be involved in it.

I took a quick glance after the door shut to make sure he wasn't coming back. I tossed the book over my shoulder when I was sure he was gone.

I studied the mask. Making sure all the holes were tight, the one-way eye pieces were snug, and, the most important, it fit.

Everything was in the right places. A sense of accomplishment filled my body and I let out a laugh.

xXx

I grabbed the phone out of the sewed-on pocket on my belt.

8:29 PM

Right on time. The costume was more comfortable than I had thought. Ripping the sleeves and hood off the hoodie helped that.

I observed the alley. It was tiny, but not cramped; just right.

There was a tiny, closed off alley next to the apartment building that could only be accessed via the security office. It was originally used to hold confiscated items, but once the security office was abandoned in favor for a larger room, so was the alley. I hadn't ignored the room however. I held my "training" equipment down here. Punching bag, weights, and dart pads. Being a superhero required more than powers, it required skill. If I wanted to survive longer than 10 minutes, I would have to practice.

At 8:30 PM, every night for 3 weeks, I would practice. Using the punching bag to practice my hand-to-hand combat, the weights for quick lifting in times of emergency, and the darts to practice long-distance web shots. These skills were essential if I was to survive. Uncle Ben's words raced through me every minute.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility.

He was right.

xXx

I took a deep breath in my chair and relaxed. The cold wind whipping against my face. With one shaky hand, I reached out and grabbed my web-shooter. I had enhanced the design. Before, whenever I ran out of web fluid, I would have to replace the hold one by digging into my pocket and finding a new one. It was time-consuming and potential dangerous. In response, I created "The web-shooter revolver." It was my basic web-shooter except I based the web-fluid compartment on a revolver. It was a spinning wheel with nine slots. Each slot holding a web cartridge. Whenever I ran out of web-fluid, I would spin the compartment one notch to the left, replacing my web-fluid.

I thought it was pretty ingenious. I checked my phone with beady eyes.

December 13th, 11:55 AM.

I had to go to the Bugle with Ben in five minutes. I sighed and threw my web-shooters into my backpack along with my camera and the pictures I had taken.

The forecast called for snow.

Snow doesn't stop Spider-man.