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Another Strand In The Great Web – Episode Twenty-One Shattered Dimensions Part One Home Front
Parker Residence on Western Long Island, evening
"You need to eat something, dear." Aunt May insisted. She sat on a chair beside the bed in which Ben Reilly lay. In her hands, she held a bowl of her homemade chicken soup and a spoon.
Ben had come "home" from the hospital earlier that day accompanied by Mary Jane and Peter (who had taken half a day off work to help Peter's "cousin" adjust). The heroic duo had reluctantly departed on their nightly patrol about an hour ago. They left strict instructions with Aunt May to contact them if anything unexpected happened that she and Jarvis could not handle on their own. Aunt May and Jarvis both insisted everything would be fine. Even though May was not sure she believed her own assurances she put on a brave face for the benefit of Peter & MJ. Aunt May decided the couple had more than enough already on their collective plate, they did not need another worry.
Ben turned his head away from Aunt May. He could not stand to look at her. He just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't she understand that? "I'm not hungry. Leave me alone." Ben grumbled. He pulled the bedding tight around himself. He felt miserable, weak, helpless.
"According to your doctors you've barely eaten anything since they put you back on solid foods. You'll starve unless you eat something soon." Aunt May said with genuine concern.
"Then I'll starve, it's not as if it'll make a difference. No one cares about me anyhow." Ben said parroting the words Jackal told him over and over and over again during his years of torture.
"How can you say such a thing?" Aunt May asked taken aback by Ben's self-deprecating words. "Peter cares about you. Mary Jane cares about you." She hesitated slightly here before she continued. "And I care about you."
"I doubt you do," Ben said with a bitter chuckle. "We don't even know each other. We've only just met. All the memories I have of being your nephew are a lie. Those memories, good and bad, belong to someone else. They are Peter's memories, not mine. My life is based on a lie. I'm just a pale copy, a fake, a clone. I don't matter."
Aunt May took a deep breath. She sat the bowl with its spoon down on the bedside table. "You're right, Ben. We don't know each other. But I want to know you."
"Why though?" Ben said still looking away. "I'm a worthless failure."
"But you aren't a failure. If for no other reason than you saved Peter's life. Because of you, he's alive today and he found my grandbabies something that wouldn't have happened if that dreadful Norman Osborn killed him." Aunt May explained her voice gentle, full of compassion and love. "However there is more. I want to think the lessons my husband and I instilled in Peter and by extension, you played a role in the hero you became and can be again. Peter and Mary Jane told me about Scarlet Spider and your time as Spider-Man. You can't throw away your life not when you can still make a difference and maybe even find the happiness you truly deserve."
"Haven't you been listening? I'm just a clone. You already have the original, so does the world. You don't need me around, no one does." Ben said.
"Ben, you were your own man once from what I understand and can be again. How you came into this world doesn't matter only the mark you choose to make on it." Aunt May said.
"Maybe," Ben said. "Go away I'm tired."
Aunt May glanced at the full bowl of soup her expression one of disappointment "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours." She said. Ben did not acknowledge her. She got up from her seat then left.
Ben was alone for only a few minutes before company again arrived. Gingerly Mayday and April made their way to his bedside. They had overheard his conservation with Aunt May from the hallway.
"I feel bad for Uncle Ben." The ever compassionate Mayday said. Their parents had explained in general terms who Ben was before Peter and Mary Jane brought him to the Parker Residence.
"I don't," April said her expression one of barely restrained anger. "He insulted us."
"He did, how?" Mayday asked her sister unsure what April meant.
"Yeah, how?" Ben could not help but ask his curiosity getting the better of him. He rolled onto his back and propped himself up on his elbows to face the girls.
"By saying the lives of clones don't matter," April said to Ben. "For your information one of us or maybe both of us are clones."
"Yeah, and I love my life and my family even if I am a clone," Mayday said.
"Ditto," April said.
"I'm glad you're both happy with your situation," Ben said. He closely regarded the pair. Other than general appearance they were quite a bit different; from hairstyle to fashion sense to demeanor they each seemed distinct. April was clearly the more assertive of the pair a real tomboy whereas Mayday was far more timid and girly.
"You're a clone of our papa, right?" Mayday asked.
"I am," Ben confirmed.
"I think you're lying. I don't think you are dad's clone at ll. Sure, you look like him but someone could have changed your face." April said.
"What makes you think that?" Ben asked.
"Because our dad would never give up as easily as you have. He'd fight until the end same goes for mom." April said.
"Uh-huh," Mayday said nodding. "Papa is no quitter. momma isn't either."
"I've been through a lot of things your father or mother haven't," Ben said.
"So, you're just going to give up?" April said unimpressed with Ben's excuse.
"Quitters never win and winners never quit. Don't be a quitter." Mayday said repeating a favorite mantra of her mother.
"I don't have a choice. It hurts so much. I just want the pain to end." Ben said after a rather long pause. "I'm sorry." He quickly added as he looked away filled with shame.
"Come on May we've wasted enough time with him. He's just a quitter." April said tugging on her sister's arm.
"I suppose you're right, April," Mayday said. The pair was gone a few seconds later.
Ben looked back once he was certain the girls were no longer there. He did want to see their disappointment in him. The disapproval he had glimpsed in their eyes hurt him more than he would have thought.
"Hello Ben," Jarvis said. The Avengers butler stood at the foot of Ben's bed.
"What do you want?" Ben said we a frustrated sigh. "I suppose you're here to browbeat me into not giving up. Well, tell me what a jerk I'm being. C'mon, out with it."
"You're wrong Ben," Jarvis said his face stony. "I'm not here for you rather for May and the girls. See I don't care what you do. I do, however, care about them. They've grown attached to your or a least the idea of you, goodness knows why. Why ever they care about you doesn't matter to me what does matter to me is their continued happiness. I won't have your kill yourself through sheer neglect on their watch. Either you eat something soon or I'll start shoving food straight down your selfish throat."
"You think you can, old man?" Ben said defiantly.
"Want to try me, young punk?" Jarvis said. He locked eyes with Ben who eventually broke eye contact first. "When your aunt returns I want to hear how much you enjoyed your soup or I'll be back." Without another word exchanged Jarvis left Ben's room.
Once outside in the hallway, Jarvis let out a deep breath. He only hoped young Ben would not call his bluff. Even in Ben's currently compromised stated Jarvis doubted he was a match for any metahuman.
For a brief moment, Jarvis entertained the notion he had made a mistake becoming romantically involved with the aunt of Spider-Man. He quickly dismissed the notion. May Parker was an extraordinary woman. He loved her and her family as if they were his own especially the girls. He would do whatever he must to protect May and the twins from harm. Jarvis considered how lucky he was to have them in his life. Things could have been so much different if that Skrull infiltration had managed to impersonate him rather than having being detected and knocked out by his master Tony. If the Skrull had actually taken his place he would not have been around for the events of the superhero "Civil War" thus he never would have met and fallen for his darling May. He wondered if his duplicate would have given Peter the same sage advice he had that fateful night Kingpin's assassin attacked to be extra vigilant for trouble? Jarvis shuddered as he considered what might have happened otherwise. Perhaps a more relaxed Peter would not have reacted fast enough and Mary Jane or worse yet May would have been shot instead of Peter (who was much better equipped to handle such a potentially mortal wound). The road not taken indeed, and a good thing it remained untrodden in this case or so Jarvis concluded.
The Raft Prison
Dr. Otto Octavius better known in supervillain circles by his nickname of "Doctor Octopus" languished in his specially designed containment cell. Over a decade of battling variously misguided super beings, Spider-Man chief among them had taken a dreadful toll on his aging body. By his own estimates, Otto's failing physical form would cause his indomitable spirit to shuffle off the mortal coil within months perhaps a year at most. How unjust that the world should be prematurely deprived of a genius level intelligence such as his own by simple, preventable wear & tear. If only his body was as durable as his four mechanical arms and their attendant harness. Fortunately, every dilemma, or at least most in his vast experience, had a solution if one were only brilliant enough and applied said brilliance in its totality. The essence of the problem was he needed more life, preferably life more suited to his rather unique needs. Otto was nothing if not doggedly persistent in his determination to solve this age one quandary. Yesterday, at last, the solution to his dreadful puzzle came to him, Spider-Man!
The wall-crawling nuisance had everything in abundance Otto required; youth, power, endurance, and a preexisting secret identity Otto could spill into with ease. If Otto could somehow place his mind in Spider-Man's body not only would he cheat death he would be reborn with the all trappings of a god at his disposal. Some people, many in fact, would balk at the very idea of extending their life by depriving another of his or her own, but not Otto. What had Spider-Man ever truly done to deserve his good fortune? It was only an accident of fate that gave the man his power from what Otto understood (supposedly the man had been bitten by a radioactive spider at a young age during a random encounter) it could have just as easily been Otto, in fact, it should have been Otto! So what if Spider-Man had put a few criminals, including Otto himself, behind bars. Those sane criminals would escape multiple times and again wreak havoc due to Spider-Man's failings caused by his softness. If Spider-Man were a true hero he would have ended the cycle by decisively dealing with these miscreants years ago by any means needed to ensure their removal as threats. Once Otto assumed the mantle of Spider-Man he would do what the previous holder never could, he would clean up New York City. Given half a chance Otto knew he could prove himself the better Spider-Man, no the Superior Spider-Man! He liked that name it had a certain ring to it. It was settled he would call himself Superior Spider-Man once comfortable in his new life.
A passing guard tapped on the clear door of Otto's cell. "Day dreamin' again I see, eh Doc Ock?" The middle-aged man laughed.
Otto scowled at the boorish brute of a man. "I was busy contemplating the mysteries of the universe, an active one such as yourself could never hope to appreciate," Otto said his voice full of disdain for his jailer.
"Ah, you wound me deeply doc. I thought we were friends?" The man said placing his hand over his heart in a show of mock offense. "You know, I'll miss our little exchanges when you're gone. Word around here is you won't be with us much longer, a pity." The guard snapped the fingers of his free hand. "Hey, I've got an idea. Maybe us guards should have a going away party for you when the end draws a bit nearer. What do you say doc?"
Otto glared at his neanderthal like tormentor. If the man were not protected by the security measures of the cell or if Otto's metallic arms were unrestrained Otto would kill him where he stood. Otto promised himself once he became Superior Spider-Man he would make the man pay for his insolence. Oh, how sweet putting the blowhard in his rightfully place kneeling at Otto's feet would be.
Otto smiled at the guard. "Who can tell, perhaps I'll be the one throwing such a celebration in honor of your untimely passing, friend. Fate can be a flick mistress," Otto said coldly.
"Are you threatening me doc?" The guard asked with a frown.
"Me threaten you, perish the thought. I was simply observing how uncertain life is. One can never be sure what tomorrow may hold." Otto said with faux sincerity.
"Is he bothering you, Otto?" Norman Osborn inquired from his own chamber of imprisonment across the narrow hallway and several cells down from Otto's cell.
"Pipe down Osborn. Stay out of this. You're too nosy for your own good." The guard shouted. "Doc Ock and I were just having a nice little chat. Ain't that right Doc?"
"Indeed," Otto said dryly. "While I appreciate your concern Norman, I can handle myself."
"Have it your way, Otto," Norman said backing away from the doorway. Norman sat on his bunk thinking about how glorious his own future would be once Spider-Man and his associates were no more. It was only a matter of time now.
In a cell not far away the Jackal Miles Warren stood watching the entire scene unfold. He remained furious with Norman and confused by the other man's betrayal of his cloning operation. Jackal could not figure out why his long-term on again off again ally and sometimes employer would have given Spider-Man his whereabouts. Norman, above all others, hated Peter Parker and desired Parker suffer as much as possible. It did not make any sense. There must be an aspect of this he was not seeing like a missing piece from a puzzle. No matter, he remained confident he would not be incarcerated long enough for Norman's scheme (whatever it might be) to truly matter. Jackal's own master plan would soon come to fruition. With a little help from the so-called Spider Queen, he would dramatically improve upon the genetic makeup of New Yorkers. Let Norman have his fun he would pay Green Goblin back tenfold for this indignity, in due time.
To Be Continued
Up next we rejoin our dimension hoping duo of Spider-Man and Spinneret on their grand adventure across space and time.
Author's Note -
For those curious, I just covered what caused the point of divergence from the main 616 continuity to occur in this universe, Jarvis. Aunt May met the real Jarvis who was never replaced by a Skrull like he was in 616. Real Jarvis gave Peter advice which caused Peter to be more vigilant and thus push Aunt May aside so she did not get shot.