I yelled MJ's name as I watched Kraven push her to the ground just as she tried to tase him with her stun gun. As I began approaching Kraven in an attempt to stop him and get payback for killing Scorpion, kidnapping Tombstone and turning Dr Connors into the lizard; two of his hunters quickly approached me. Seemingly trying to stop me. I easily pushed them out of the way. An uppercut to one and a twist-kick to another and then finally, a punch to Kraven. But to my shock, he caught my fist. And at the same time, I felt an unusual feeling in my side. Which immediately became unbearably painful. Especially when I looked down. A knife, Kraven was holding, was sticking in my side. And it only took a few seconds for Kraven to push it in further. Which first…hurt like hell and second…immediately began to make me feel nauseated and dizzy. To the point that I began losing consciousness after he broke the blades handle off.
I faintly heard Harry's desperate cry from behind me. I heard MJ's gasp of horror. And I felt Kraven's breath against my face, telling me "Not as venomous as they say". Then suddenly, everything felt….weightless. Like I was flying. Or falling. I'm not sure which though. I can't determine which one was the best to describe it.
Then, I hit something. Something hard. Something that seemed to be a large hard surface. Soon after, I suddenly began feeling a massive wave of pain. Which brought me out of the dizzy stage. And into an unfortunate reality. There was a blade sticking in my side. Pulling me ever so closer to death. I could feel it. I could feel my chest failing to work properly. I could literally hear my heart beating. It sounded like someone was banging on a pair of drums. I could feel a burning hot sensation in my side. But I didn't want to move. I wanted to stay where I was. Although things hurt and things began to distress me, I wanted to lay on whatever surface I had landed on. I was too tired, too exhausted to have the initiative to get up.
But that changed when I heard footsteps getting closer and closer towards me. As I tilted my head to look up, I saw MJ. I felt a massive surge of relief go through me. MJ was here with me. She could comfort me. Keep me safe. Upon looking at her, I began trying to push myself up. Despite the fact that it hurt. Like alot. But as I sat up, I wondered where Harry was. What if Kraven hurts him next!? I can't protect him when I'm in this state!
"What-where's?" I stammer, looking at MJ as my head begins to feel like it's spinning again. Which I gathered was from the sheer fact I was dying. It was blatantly obvious to me after literally hearing my heart beating and feeling that searing pain in my abdomen. She quickly assured me I'd be ok, that she had me and that she was going to get me out of where we were. She told me that as she helped me to my feet considering it felt like a struggle trying to do it myself with the quickly intensifying vertigo.
And with that question lingering in my head, Harry landed on the ground a few feet in front of MJ and I. Kraven, shortly after.
"What did you do to him!?" Harry yelled as I watched him pummel Kraven with punches before launching him into the air and jumping in the direction he threw Kraven.
"Just think! This will definitely be your coolest scar" MJ told me, clearly trying to keep me from passing out. I let out a weak chuckle. Or I tried to anyway. It sounded more like a half-weak chuckle mixed with a gasping cough.
"Yeah" I tell her just as the lingering thought of me dying invaded my mind. And it was all I could think about as the pain intensified as much as the vertigo did.
"MJ I don't think-am I breathing?" Everything started to feel….numb. I don't know why. It terrified me. Mostly because I had so much to say. So much to tell MJ. So much to teach Miles. So much to catch up on with Harry.
As MJ helped me to walk, which felt more like a stagger to me considering how heavy my legs felt, we both heard Kraven and Harry still very much going at it.
"I'll kill you!" Harry yelled from above. I wanted to tell Harry that killing wasn't the right thing but, I understood his anger. I had felt that kind of rage before. Back when May had gotten sick and Otto, my former mentor, didn't seem to care. After all the amazing and kind things she did. She was never once cruel to anyone. And she was even the one that put in a good word for me to Otto. But in the end, she got sick. And Otto….like I said, didn't care. Not one bit.
"Harry!" MJ called out as she looked up at him while holding me up with one arm while holding my arm over her shoulder with the other hand.
"Do it then!" Kraven yelled in a demanding tone as Harry let out a yell and hit him. Which broke something. I knew that because I heard it. But what followed was like a moaning sound. Which sounded like whatever had been broken, was falling down towards MJ and I.
"Look out!" MJ shrieked as she let go of me and pushed me away. Out of the danger zone of whatever was falling. But because of that, and the impact I made with the ground, immediately upset my injury, causing me to scream out in pain. The impact was excruciating. It felt like I had just been jabbed with a white hot iron or something. That's how painful it was. But as that pain began to subside, everything felt weak. And I noticed that as I tried to sit up. And with the numbness intensifying, I couldn't even so much as lift my head up. The only thing I could do was lift my hand up.
"I know, I know, I know. Sh, sh. It's ok, come on" MJ told me as she pulled me back to my feet. But as that happened, my vision started to falter. I was seeing massive dark spots in my vision. Which eventually obscured it. And understandably made me panic.
"I can't….I can't see" I told her with panic clear in my voice as much of the sound of me dying was.
"Focus, Pete. One foot in front of the other. Come on!" She told me just as we both heard Kraven's voice yelling at Harry as a tree fell down several feet away from us with Kraven and Harry, still engaged in battle, standing on it.
"Yes! Come!" Kraven sneered at Harry as Harry continued to throw brutal punches at him. As I knew that death was coming closer to me, I felt like I needed to apologise to MJ. Especially if this was really the last time I'd ever be able to talk to her. And the first thing I thought of was, an apology. After all, I felt like I needed to apologise for the times where I was busy and never made time to spend it with her.
"I'm—sorry I was always so busy, I-" I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence as it suddenly became too hard. Especially with my lungs feeling like they were burning.
"Don't" MJ told me as my hearing eventually started to get fuzzy.
"Look, we're almost" I only faintly heard from MJ. I was becoming so out of it at this point.
"Pete, talk to me!" She spoke with sadness in her voice.
"MJ" was the only word I could muster as everything around me started to fade.
"Almost there….hang on. Hang on!" MJ told me with that last bit sounding like it was in desperation. Which of course it was.
In and out of consciousness, my legs immediately gave out and I hit the ground. Which this time, didn't upset the injury as much as it did before. But I knew this was because my life was fading. I could feel it.
Harry let out a yell of anger and breathed heavily. Which told me that he had done something to Kraven. Either way, he sounded satisfied.
"HARRY!" MJ screamed. I could tell from her voice that none of what was happening was good. I just knew it. I heard Harry breathing rapidly in a panic as he rushed over to us and pulled me ever so slightly onto his lap. I felt his hand grab my left arm while MJ grabbed my right hand and held it.
"Pete!" Harry spoke as he looked down at me. I moved my head slightly. I wanted the mask off of my face. It was becoming a bother to me. And besides, I wanted to look at my friends one last time before everything really started to fade.
"Please, stay with us" MJ pleaded, squeezing my hand tighter as Harry removed my mask. However, because of how tired I had become and the fact that everything was starting to disappear before me, I was unable to open my eyes. They felt so….heavy.
"Come on…..Pete come on this is nothing" Harry's voice was fading. MJ's touch was fading. I could feel my heart slowing. My sense of reality dimming. My mouth felt almost bone dry. I tried to speak but no words came out. I wanted to tell MJ and Harry I loved them. How much they meant to me. I wanted to tell them to tell Miles that he was going to be the best Spider-Man. Better than me. In fact, that was already the case. He was already a better Spider-Man than me. Uncle Ben and Aunt May would be proud of how much I have done to help Miles on his journey. Jeff would be proud of me for helping such a strong, kind and courageous kid who I have admitted to Harry several times, he reminds me a little of younger me. Back when I was a younger Spider-Man. When I was doing all of this solo.
The next thing I saw was a glowing bright light. Which seemed to envelop the void I seemed to be in. It didn't terrify me. It made me feel…safe. As I looked around, I found myself back in Aunt May's house but for some reason, it felt different. And what also felt different was that my side no longer hurt. I no longer felt like things were fading from me. I no longer felt tired. And more to the point, I was no longer wearing my suit. I was wearing a light grey sweatshirt with light grey pants and light grey shoes. Is this heaven?
As I looked around the house, I felt a presence coming from the dining room. Moving towards it, I saw several people that immediately, made me feel overwhelmed with emotion. My Aunt and Uncle. And my parents. They were all sitting there at the table, talking together, laughing together. I stared at them as I felt tears fall down my shocked face. Uncle Ben turned his head to look at me and he smiled at me. All I could do was just stand there, not sure how to feel. I didn't know whether to smile or to cry. So, it kinda felt like I was doing both.
"Hey sport. Wanna join?" Uncle Ben asked me. My mouth gaping slightly, I nodded. Then my feet began to guide me to the table. My parents and Aunt May also looked at me, as happy to see me as Uncle Ben was.
I sat down at the table and just looked at my family. It felt so nice to see them again. To finally see them after so many years of being apart from them.
"My beautiful boy. We are so proud of the man you have become" Mom smiled, putting her hand gently to my face and wiping the tears from my cheeks.
"All I ever wanted to do was make you guys proud" I sniffled, eventually lowering my gaze from them and tilting my head down slightly.
"And you have, son. You have made us so very proud" Dad told me, putting his hand over mine. I looked at his hand before looking at him.
"We know how awful life has treated you these last few years. We know the impact it's had on you. Through all of that, you have managed to stay strong. And to continue being the person you were chosen to be" May smiled.
"And what's that?" I asked, knowing what the answer was going to be but I chose to ask it anyways because I wanted to hear it from them.
"A hero" Uncle Ben answered.
However upon hearing that, I felt a sense of doubt. For the years since becoming Spider-Man, I've never entirely felt like a hero. I've never felt like the person that saves everyone.
"You don't feel that to be right?" Dad asked, looking at me with a furrowed brow. I shook my head almost immediately.
"I know you guys think I'm strong and I'm brave but honestly….I'm not. I'm not the person you see me as" I told them.
"Then what do you see yourself as, sweetheart?" Mom asked, rubbing her thumb against my cheek.
"Not a hero. Not the guy that saves the day. Not the guy that stops evil from happening. Not the guy that saves everyone" I answered.
"I'm the guy that fails. I'm the guy that gets beat down by bad guys who want to hurt me and those I love. I'm the guy that just left his best friend, girlfriend and protege behind because I got hurt and I couldn't be strong. I gave up" I continued, unable to hold together my emotions and eventually, breaking down into tears.
"But you were strong, Peter. You were strong in that moment" Mom told me. I looked at her as I feel more tears rush down my face.
"I miss you guys. So much" I sob as I hug my mother. She immediately holds onto me as I hug her. And eventually, I feel the embrace of Uncle Ben, May and my dad as well.
"So do we honey. So do we" Mom then said.
Suddenly, I felt a wave of energy flow through me. Which seemed to pull me out of the hug.
"I think your friends need you" May told me just as a light behind me appeared. I stare at it before looking back at my family.
"Do I have to go?" I ask, desperately wanting to stay with them. I hadn't seen any of them in a while and it felt so nice to finally see them again. I didn't want to lose that.
"Yes sweetheart. You have a greater purpose waiting for you out there" Mom said as that energy slowly forced me to my feet.
"But what about you guys? When will I see you again?" I ask, sniffling.
"When the time comes, son" Dad tells me. I sigh a little, finally accepting the fact that I indeed had to go back.
"I love you guys" I tell them as I face the glowing light now standing in front of me.
"We love you too" May smiled.
"Continue to make us proud, sport" Uncle Ben smiled. I nodded before being pulled through.
My eyes open and I let out a loud gasp. Harry and MJ are beside me. Tears falling down their faces with looks of shock present.
"What happened?" I asked, wanting to know how they brought me back.
"I-I don't know" Harry faltered as I felt MJ's embrace. I return the embrace. Before its rudely interrupted by a bunch of hunters dropping down from the roof of the atrium. As I get a better look at my friends, I realise that Harry no longer has his suit. I'm now wearing it. But it looks different. It looks like my advanced suit. But in black. And immediately, I could feel the power from it. And it feels good.
"MJ, get him out of here" I tell MJ, looking at her, knowing that without the suit on Harry, he was now vulnerable.
"I'll handle this" I say as I hear both MJ and Harry leave behind me.