Spider-Man stood on the cracked asphalt of the bridge, one hand pressed against his side where blood soaked through the torn red fabric, the other hanging loose at his side because it hurt too much to lift. Rain mixed with the blood and dripped onto the road between his boots. Tombstone loomed across from him smiling the way someone smiles when they're about to crush a bug.
With him unfortunately being the bug.
'He is strong.'
'He is so strong.'
'And I am so tired.'
'All I want right now is to swing back to the apartment, peel off the suit, collapse onto the mattress, and sleep until the pain stops.'
'But every time the thought creeps in to just turn around and leave...'
'I have to stop and ask myself the same stupid question.'
'Can I do this?'
'Can I walk away and let this become someone else's problem.'
He turned his head just enough to see her. Jessica had one arm around a crying girl, the other waving the rest of the kids forward toward the far end of the bridge towards the police barricades. The school bus sat tilted behind her the front of it crumpled like paper.
She kept looking back at him with nothing but pure panic in her eyes, her mouth moving in words he could not hear over the rain and the sirens and the pounding in his own head.
Then the world flashed for a second.
Ned was there in front of him instead.
He didn't say anything.
He just smiled.
A moment later Gwen replaced him.
Gwen always had the most amazing blue eyes... even now he wanted nothing more than to stare into them forever...
The vision snapped away and the bridge came back.
Tombstone took a step forward, snapping Peter's head back towards him. "You look like you're running on fumes, thief. You really think you can stop me tonight. I crushed the others and now I'm going to crush you the same way, nice and slow so you feel every bone go pop."
"You should have stayed home this time."
Peter sucked in a wet breath through his teeth
'No. I can't.'
He lifted his head and met the white eyes staring back at him.
'Because I am Spider-Man.'
____________________________________
Alright. Let's do this one more time.
___________________________________
*Sun is shinin' in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin', everybody's in the play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day? Hey*
Peter Parker yawned as his eyes started to flutter open. Pushing himself up on one of his arms he sat up and looked to the alarm clock that had been ringing out one of his favourite songs. While he could've had a traditional alarm clock it always felt better to waking up to a tune that actually put a smile on his face.
Peter slapped the alarms off button just before it hit the chorus—unfortunately. He then stood up and let his bare feet hit the ground while he stretched and yawned again. He ruffled his already messy brown hair and moved over to the window.
"Not bad..." Peter muttered to himself. The sun was shining today, there wasn't a cloud in sight. He couldn't help but think that today really was going to be a great day. Peter lingered by the window for a moment longer before his gaze drifted to his desk.
There, in a slightly crooked frame was a photo of him, Ned, and Gwen. It had been taken at the science fair last year. Ned was mid-laugh, his mouth open and eyes squeezed shut like someone had just told the greatest joke in human history. Gwen stood on Peter's other side smiling and looking at him, not that he had noticed at the time.
Peter picked up the frame carefully.
"Still can't believe we lost to a baking soda volcano," he muttered, though he was smiling as he said it.
He traced the edge of the photo with his thumb.
This really was his favourite photo.
He set the frame back down gently, the smile lingering on his face, before heading for the bathroom.
He hopped slightly as the floor tiles were cold against his feet. He flicked on the light and blinked at the sudden brightness. After turning the tap, he cupped some water into his hands and splashed it over his face.
Peter gripped the edge of the sink and looked up at the mirror.
There he was.
Thirteen years old. Brown hair that refused to stay flat no matter how much water or brushing was involved. Skinny, almost painfully so, like someone had forgotten to add the "muscle" setting during character creation. Brown eyes behind slightly oversized glasses that were always sliding down his nose.
And if Aunt May was to be believed, he was "the most handsome boy in the entire world."
Peter squinted at his reflection.
"Debatable," he said quietly.
But he smiled anyway.
As he left the bathroom it was to the sound of a familiar ringtone, he hopped over the different items scattered across his room and grabbed his phone; a smile forming on his face when he saw who it was.
[Ned]
Peter answered on the second ring.
"Hello there," Peter answered in his best impression of the Negotiator himself.
However...
The voice that came through his speaker was not Ned's.
It was deeper.
Darker.
More menacing.
*Khohhhhh*
*Puuuuhhhhhhh*
*Khohhhhh*
*Puuuuhhhhhhh*
"Peter," the voice boomed. "I sense a disturbance in the Force."
Peter had to bite down on a laugh. He could already picture Ned standing in his bedroom, probably holding something up to his mouth to make it sound more mechanical.
"There is only one way to restore balance," Ned continued, fully committed. "You must join me... in constructing the Lego Death Star."
Peter leaned back against his desk. "I'll never join you!"
It is your destiny, only together can we...*cough*...complete this monumental task!" Ned replied.
"You underestimate my Lego-building skills, Darth. I was assembling complex interlocking brick systems before you even knew what symmetrical design was."
There was a pause.
"That was... aggressively nerdy," Ned said, dropping all attempts at mimicking Darth Vader.
Peter chuckled. "If there's one thing you can say about me," he said as he nudged his glasses up his nose, "it's that I'm definitely a nerd."
There was a beat of silence.
"Me too, brother..." Ned replied in a tone so serious it sounded like they were at a funeral rather than on the phone.
A moment later they both lost it.
Peter laughed as he tugged his shirt over his head and reached for a clean one from the back of his chair. "So... is Gwen coming?"
Ned gasped like Peter had just suggested something outrageous. "Have you ever known Gwen to miss a Lego build?"
Peter pulled his T-shirt down and shrugged, even though no one could see him. "She's been kinda busy lately. I just didn't know if she'd have time."
"Add her," Ned said immediately. "Worst case scenario, she says no. Best case scenario, she brings my favourite snacks."
"Valid argument."
Peter tapped his screen a few times and added Gwen to the call. The line rang once. Twice.
Then—
"Hey," Gwen's voice came through.
Peter felt something weird happen in his chest. Not painful. Just... fluttery. He cleared his throat. "Hi. Um... we were planning something," he began, trying and failing to sound casual. "Operation: Death Star."
Ned jumped back into his Vader voice immediately. "We require your engineering expertise."
Gwen laughed softly. "Is this the big one? The 4,000-piece monster?"
"Technically 4,016," Peter said automatically.
There was a pause.
"Nerd" Gwen said.
"Rude..." Peter said.
"Preettty true though..." Gwen replied.
"So you're in?" Ned asked.
"Obviously. After school?" She asked.
Peter grinned at his reflection in his wardrobe mirror. "Sixteen hundred hours," he said.
"Wow," Gwen replied. "You guys are dramatic."
They started talking over each other after that. Ned was already assigning roles. Gwen suggested organizing the pieces by section instead of color this time. Peter braced himself for a huge debate on which one was more efficient, but they were lucky distracted when three separate notification tones chimed almost at the same time.
Peter glanced down at his phone.
[Aunt May]: Peter, can you come downstairs for a second?
"I just got summoned," Peter said.
"Same," Ned groaned. "Mom wants to talk."
Gwen sighed lightly. "Dad just texted. I'm guessing this is important."
Peter leaned back on his heels. "Okay. Temporary adjournment?"
"Temporary adjournment," Ned echoed.
"Don't start without me," Gwen warned.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Peter said.
They hung up one by one.
Peter slipped his phone into his pocket and took one last look around his room before heading for the stairs.
The smell hit him halfway down.
Pancakes.
Not the frozen kind either. The real kind. Aunt May would never sully her frying pan with anything less than a homemade mix. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and smiled.
Aunt May stood by the stove in her robe, flipping one last pancake onto the plate like she was performing a trick. She looked up the second she heard his footsteps.
"Morning, Peter," she said with a smile.
Peter rolled his eyes automatically but walked over and kissed her on the cheek anyway. "Morning, Aunt May."
He slid into his usual seat at the table while she carried the plate over and set it down in front of him. There was fruit on the side. And syrup already poured into the little glass jug because she knew he always used too much.
Something to which he respectfully disagreed.
He picked up his fork.
Then paused.
The chair across from him was empty.
Peter glanced toward the hallway, then back at May. "Where's Uncle Ben?"
May's smile softened just slightly.
"He had a late shift," she said, wiping her hands on a towel. "Didn't want to wake you when he came in. He'll probably still be asleep."
Peter nodded slowly.
"Oh," he said, trying to keep himself upbeat. "Okay, I guess I'll see him after school," he added with a smile. He cut into his pancakes, but his mind drifted. Ben had been working late a lot lately. Extra shifts. Extra hours. Peter wasn't stupid. He knew why.
Rent. Bills. Groceries. School stuff.
He chewed thoughtfully.
May must have noticed the look on his face because she stepped closer and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," she said softly. "Don't worry about anything Peter... we're okay."
Peter looked up at her.
"Yeah," he answered quickly. "I know."
And he did.
But that didn't stop the small knot of worry from tightening just a little in his chest as he went back to eating. At least he tried to go back to eating, but the food didn't taste as sweet anymore.
He stared down at his plate as he cut another piece of pancake and tried not to let his thoughts spiral, but they did anyway. They always did when money was involved and Uncle Ben was working late again, and Aunt May looked just a little more tired than she probably thought she did.
He knew he wasn't supposed to think like this.
He knew they never made him feel like a burden.
They never once complained about school supplies or new shoes or the fact that he ate like a growing black hole some days.
But that almost made it worse.
Because if they had complained... maybe he could have offered to help more or at least acknowledged it out loud instead of sitting there pretending he didn't understand why Ben always seemed to sleep lately, and why May clipped coupons from any newspaper she could find.
He swallowed slowly.
Peter didn't realize he was frowning until Aunt May's hand settled gently on his shoulder. "Okay," she said softly, tilting her head so she could see his face properly. "What's going on in that big brain of yours this early in the morning."
Peter looked down at his plate like the pancakes had personally betrayed him.
"Nothing," he said automatically.
May raised an eyebrow.
"Peter Benjamin Parker."
He sighed.
"It's just... Uncle Ben's been working a lot," he admitted. "And I know why. I mean I'm not dumb. Stuff costs money. School costs money. I cost money."
May's expression changed immediately, "Oh honey," she said, pulling out the chair beside him and sitting down properly now, turning toward him fully. "Is that what this is about."
Peter shrugged but didn't look at her.
"I just don't want to make things harder," he muttered. "He's always tired. You're always doing like... coupon ninja stuff. I know that's not for fun."
May let out a small breath through her nose almost like a half laugh. "Coupon ninja stuff?" she repeated.
Then she reached up and gently nudged his chin so he'd look at her.
"Listen to me," she said firmly. "Your uncle works hard because that's who he is. Not because of you. Not because you're some kind of burden. You are not a bill we have to reluctantly pay, Peter."
He swallowed.
"But—"
"No," she said gently. "No buts. Families take care of each other. That's how it is. That's always been the way it is. And do you think for one second that we sit around at night regretting that you're here?"
Peter blinked quickly.
"Well... no."
"Good," she said. "Because we don't. Not ever. Your uncle works late because sometimes life costs more than we'd like it to. That's not your fault. That's just life."
She brushed a bit of hair off his forehead like she used to when he was younger. "We're okay," she continued. "We have food. We have a roof. We have each other. That's more than a lot of people get. And we will always figure the rest out."
Peter let out a slow breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "We always do," he said quietly.
May smiled. "That's right. We always do."
He managed a small smile back at her.
"And for the record," she added, standing up and giving his shoulder one last squeeze, "you are the best investment we ever made."
Peter groaned lightly.
"May."
She grinned.
"Eat your pancakes before they get cold."
And somehow they tasted sweet again.
...
Midtown Middle School was not exactly thrilling. The paint peeled in places. The lockers jammed if you didn't kick them just right. The cafeteria pizza had a texture that raised questions science had yet to answer.
But its high school counterpart.
That was the dream.
Midtown High was legendary in their world. Robotics labs that actually had funding. Advanced chemistry equipment that wasn't older than the teachers. Astrophysics electives. Real engineering programs. The kind of place where being excited about particle acceleration didn't get you weird looks.
Okay maybe a few weird looks.
But to Peter, Ned, and Gwen, it might as well have been a promised land.
Gwen lived for biology. She could talk for twenty straight minutes about cellular regeneration and somehow make it sound interesting. Ned was all about engineering and computing. If it had wires or code, he wanted to take it apart and rebuild it better. And Peter—
Peter was everything.
Chemistry. Applied physics. A little engineering. A little biology. He loved the way things fit together, how reactions sparked, how forces interacted. If you gave him a problem, he wanted to understand it down to the smallest moving piece. So when the bullying got a little bad, or people made fun of him for his glasses or because he could name pi to a thousand places he just had to remind himself of one thing.
High school was coming.
Real labs were coming.
It almost made the bullying feel... tolerable.
Almost.
Most of it stayed aimed at him and Ned anyway. Gwen rarely got it the same way. She was a nerd, yes, but she was also Gwen. Confident. Smart. Beautiful in a way that made people hesitate before saying something stupid to her face. That didn't stop her from getting angry when someone shoved Peter into a locker though.
She always stepped in.
Even when he told her not to.
Peter adjusted his backpack strap and stepped into the river of students moving through the main hallway. He made his way clumsily through the crowd trying not to get pushed around, while also trying to keep an eye out for Ned and Gwen.
It only took a few moments, but he saw them.
Ned was already mid-gesture explaining something with both hands. Gwen stood beside him leaning casually against her locker, arms folded but clearly listening.
Peter felt himself smile before he even reached them.
"Hey," he called, weaving around two seventh graders who were moving at the speed of tectonic plates.
They both turned at the sound of his voice.
Ned's face lit up immediately.
"Pete, it's good you're here," he said like he'd just been waiting for the cue. "Okay so hear me out."
"That's never a good way to start a sentence," Peter replied as he reached them.
Gwen smirked slightly. "He's been vibrating for five minutes."
"Because," Ned continued, ignoring her, "science fair is soon and we are not losing this year."
Peter winced playfully. "We did not lose. We were robbed."
Gwen nodded in agreement, her eyes shining. "Damn right we were! But this year is different. You're going to love it!" She said as they all started walking to class.
Peter opened his mouth to answer, already grinning, but that's when Flash Thompson loomed up like a walking protein shake advertisement, blocking the hallway like he owned the oxygen in it.
"Well fuck me, if it isn't Penis Parker," Flash drawled, lips curled in that signature shit-eating smirk. "What're you doing wandering around with actual people, huh? Lost your Dungeons & Dragons map?"
Peter exhaled through his nose, forcing his voice level. "Just heading to calc, Flash. Can I get past?"
Flash stepped closer instead, puffing his chest out. "Nah, see, I think you forgot the rules. This hallway? Premium real estate. And you?" He shoved Peter's shoulder hard enough to make him stumble half a step. "You're economy class. Back of the plane. With the crying babies and the broken toilets."
Ned's jaw tightened. "Dude. Seriously?"
Flash ignored him completely, his eyes staying locked on Peter. "What, you gonna cry about it? Run to your hot little lab partner here and whine how mean I am?" He jerked his chin toward Gwen. "Bet she only hangs around 'cause she feels sorry for you. Pity friend-zoned."
"You're embarrassing yourself, Flash. Again," Gwen cut in with a pissed look on her face.
Flash barked a laugh. "Ohhh, listen to Mommy Gwen! Protectin' her little charity case." He shoved Peter again, only a lot harder to the chest. Peter hit the locker with a dull smack before falling on the floor.
Ned exploded. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
Gwen dropped to one knee beside Peter instantly. "You okay?"
Peter winced, sitting up slow, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah. Peachy. Wouldn't be midtown without the old Flash charm."
Flash stood over them a second longer, smirking down like he'd just won the Super Bowl. His two meathead shadows snickered on cue. "Aw, look at the support group forming. Real touching." He turned, already losing interest. "Catch you later, gays."
As Flash swaggered off, Ned helped Peter up, muttering loud enough for half the hall to hear, "That guy's such a walking scrotum. I swear to God."
Peter dusted off his jeans, managing a tired half-smile. "He probably thinks scrotum is a fancy Italian sports car."
Gwen snorted despite herself, then got serious again. "We should tell someone. Like, actually tell someone this time."
Peter shook his head. "You know how this works. Flash is basically the only reason the football team isn't 0-10 every season. Principal's not gonna touch him unless he literally sets the gym on fire. And even then they'd probably give him a lighter."
Ned kicked at a stray pencil on the floor. "Maybe we get lucky and he pulls a hamstring doing his victory-lap bullshit. Or better chokes on his own ego during the state championship speech. Imagine the headlines 'Local Teen Dies Tragically of Terminal Dickhead Syndrome.'"
Peter let out a short laugh that turned into a real one. Gwen covered her mouth laughing just as much.
"See?" Ned said, pointing between them. "That's the spirit. Fuck Flash. We're still going to that thing tonight, right? The three of us. No meathead required."
Gwen nodded firmly, looping her arm through Peter's as they started walking again. "Damn right. And if Flash shows up after school, I'm spiking his Gatorade with ghost pepper extract."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "You're terrifying when you're petty. I like it."
"Learned from the best," she shot back, bumping his shoulder gently. "Now come on. We've got class, and I'm not letting that Neanderthal ruin the rest of my morning."
...
Class dragged on like it always did for Peter. The material was stuff he'd figured out years ago, so he spent most of the period doodling in the margins of his notebook. Quick sketches of Gwen, a couple of stormtroopers arguing over who gets the last slice of pizza. He never worried about getting called on. If a teacher did decide to spring a question, he'd have the answer before they finished asking it.
The second the bell rang he was out of his seat, backpack already slung over one shoulder, weaving through the hallway crowd like he was dodging laser fire. Peter kept his head down and moved fast, praying Flash was still busy flexing in the weight room or getting one of his buddies to stick him in the ass with some tren.
He made it to the cafeteria without incident and spotted Ned and Gwen already claiming their usual corner table. Relief hit him like a slap in the face. He dropped into the seat across from them, unzipped his lunch bag, and started unpacking the turkey sandwich Aunt May had thrown together that morning.
Ned didn't even wait for Peter to take a bite. He leaned in, eyes gleaming like he'd just discovered classified intel. "Yo. Look what she's wearing today."
Peter followed Ned's not-at-all-subtle head jerk. Across the room, where Mary Jane Watson walked in.
She looked... different. Not bad different. Just... different. She had a black sleeveless top. High-waisted jeans that made her legs look a mile long. Her auburn hair was loose and messy but didn't look ny less nice. She smiled at someone who called her name, and half the room turned to watch.
Peter stared a second longer than he meant to. Then he caught himself, blinked hard, and swung his gaze back to the table. Gwen was already staring at Ned with pure disgust. "Dude," she said flatly. "You're literally drooling."
Ned wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, zero shame. "I'm appreciating art. This is culture, right Pete?"
"Don't get me involved," Peter said before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Gwen rolled her eyes so hard Peter thought they might get stuck. "You're appreciating cleavage. There's a difference."
Peter snorted into his sandwich. Mary Jane used to sit at this exact table with them, back before her family moved out of state. When she came back sophomore year she was... changed. Less science fairs, more theater and painting and that whole artsy vibe. They'd tried to pull her back into the group a couple times, but she always seemed to drift toward a different crowd now. Still, every lunch she'd glance over. Peter had noticed it before but never really processed it. He was usually too busy noticing the way Gwen tucked her hair behind her ear when she was thinking.
He shook the thought of MJ off and turned to Gwen. "You good?"
She gave a small shrug, poking at her salad. "She just... it's a shame she changed so much."
Ned grinned. "Jealous much?"
Gwen flicked a cherry tomato at him. It bounced off his chest. "Eat your chips, perv."
The rest of the day blurred by with more classes, more doodles, more trying not to fall asleep during history. But right at the end of last period, their science teacher dropped the bomb.
"Tomorrow we're heading to Oscorp for the guided tour and demo lab. Permission slips are due first thing in the morning. Don't forget."
Peter was out the door before the bell finished ringing. He spotted Ned halfway down the hall and they basically collided in a high-five that turned into full-on shouting.
"Dude!"
"Dude!"
"Oscooooooooooorppppp!!!!!!!!!"
(AN: This was written a long time ago and is pretty bad so I'm going to rewrite the beginning of it as I feel like it ruins the whole thing. I mean personally I think the story is alright if a little dark, but yeah quality is bad. Hope you enjoy the rewrite.)
Support if you want.
Patreon.com/captainalfie78works