Spider-Man landed on the wall just outside of his bedroom. He peeked inside, making sure no one was inside and opened the window. Spidey winced as the window squeaked. The last thing he needed was to be caught sneaking in as Spider-Man. As quick as lightning, Spider-Man quickly changed from his black suit, back into his regular clothes, and not a moment too soon. It was then that his bedroom door opened.

A man with medium blond hair poked his head through the door. Dark circles surrounded his eyes as they glared at Peter. He was dressed in a white shirt and black slacks. A red and black tie hung loosely around his neck.

"Sneaking in again?" The man asked as he stepped into the room.

The man was Jackson Arvad, Peter's adoptive father. When his mother had died in a plane crash, he had been bounced around from foster home to foster home. But four years ago, when he landed in the scientist's home

With the flick of his wrist, the lights in his room came on, temporarily blinding the teenager. The man crossed his arms and looked him over, his blue eyes boring holes into him.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into another one of those fights of yours." The man said, pointing to a bruise on his arm.

The bruise had been from the robbery from earlier. In the chaos of the robbery he had avoided the swing of a baseball bat to the head. But in subduing that robber and one of his pals, he had gotten kicked by one of them, which left the bruise on his arm. Peter had lied often about how he had gotten his injuries as Spider-Man, mostly by saying that he would get into fights after school. It was the best way to devoid suspicion.

"You know, if you keep up these bad habits, you're going to end up in jail like your good for nothing father." Jackson said.

Jackson never missed the opportunity to compare him to his father, William Baker. He had been a troubled teenager who had gotten in trouble for grand theft auto and assault on the man he had taken the car from. His father had been out of jail for years, but due to his record and apparent knack for winding back in jail, there had been no other option than foster care. Peter had wished that he could have stayed with his step-father's sister and husband, but he had been placed in the system and therefore placed in the home of Jackson Arvad and his cynical comments.

Sure Jackson wasn't the worst home he had ever been too, but it didn't mean that his psychological mind games and abuse didn't affect the young teen. Still, Jackson had adopted him, and he was his father after all, albeit only by legality's sake. Besides, he only had two years, and he could cut Jackson out of his life for good. At the very least, Jackson's long hours at the lab he worked at kept him away from home and with Peter fighting crime as Spider-Man, it meant that there was little time that the two of them shared anymore.

Jackson continued to glare at him. "At least you have your mother's brains. Perhaps you can make something of yourself if you use them. You're smart, smartest boy in your class, but you can be a real idiot when you put your brawn in the way of it. And so help me, if you ever end up-"

"-in jail, don't call you to bail me out. I know, I know. I got it the first time you told me." Peter finished the same speech he had heard time and time again.

Jackson smiled and nodded. "Good. Now get some sleep. I'm sure that you're going to need it for when you get into another one of your stupid fights tomorrow. You really should watch that temper of yours."

With that, the man left Peter alone with his thoughts, and the alien symbiote.

Flint felt like he was punched in the gut when he discovered that Mary had been killed in a plane crash. It felt like a rug had been ripped out from under him. But there was a small ray of hope. His son wasn't on the plane. In fact, he was living here, in New York. He didn't know how well he would be able to reach out to his son, seeing as he had been adopted by some random man, but at the very least he could write to his son.

"So, Marko, why the sudden change in heart?" Otto asked, his eyes scanning him from behind his goggles.

Sandman shrugged. "It's been too long since I last checked on him. Kept my distance for so many years because I thought that is was what was best for him."

"Are you sure this doesn't have to do with you saving Spider-Man from that oil tanker?" Doc Ock asked.

Sandman tightened up a bit. There was no way he was going to let these guys know he had actually saved the spider on purpose.

"No way. Besides, I was just trying to get those other guys off the boat. I didn't mean to grab the web head. Trust me, if I had been paying attention, I would have let the bug roast alive if I coulda." Flint lied.

Otto scanned him for a brief moment. Flint wondered if he had bought it. He hoped he had.

"All I need to know is that when we try to take out the little pest again, that you are not going to have another one of your change of hearts. So help me Marko, if you mess up my plan, I will end you." Otto growled.

Sandman nodded slowly. His heart pounded in his chest. Otto may have not been the most intimidating of people when it came to a physical fight, but he was a mad genius who could figure out a way that would make so he would no longer exist without a moment's hesitation.

"I understand. Don't worry about it. When the time comes, I'll help you take care of the bug." Flint said.

Otto nodded, that same grin working at the corner of his lips. "Good. Now, if that will be all, I'm quite busy."