2 HOURS AGO
Seated in the overstuffed cushioned chair in the center of the dark living room, Aunt May’s blue eyes remain in a fixed stare to the dark wood floor with only moonlight peeking in through her window for illumination. A single tear slides down from her blue eyes that are wrack with confusion and distress. As soon as a sniffle comes, a tear falls from Aunt May’s eyes to the floor, followed by another, and another, until soon a steady stream of salty tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. Amid the torrent of tears, Aunt Mays chest-deep groans echoed through the darkroom as pain and sadness cut through her heart like a knife as she covers her face with her hands.
At the same time, standing in the dense shadows of her living room, another older woman with long white dreadlock hair down the back of her fitted black trench coat to her ankle stands in front of Aunt May and slowly removes her oversized round black sunglasses from her face, exposing her clouded blue eyes. Stepping into the moonlight, Madame Web gently places her hand on Aunt May’s shoulder as her sobs echo through the empty house.
“I’m sorry May. Ben, he was…such a good man.” Madame Web mumbles to her and quickly turns away, walking across the living room to the door. Hearing Madame Web’s footsteps heading to the hallway leading to the front door, Aunt May’s lifts her tearful blue eyes at the woman reaching for the doorknob.
“Why?”
At hearing May’s voice, Madame Web gloved hands freeze over the brass doorknob as if a spotlight was shone on a robber.
Rising from her seat, wrapped in her thick robe, May glares at Madame Web’s back as she’s ready to walk out the door.
“Why do you do this EVERY time!” she continues, walking into the long hallway, May glares at Madame Webs back as she faces the door, “You come out of nowhere, turn my world upside down and tell me…”
Aunt May pauses, she choked with emotion as her eyes well with tears once more. Hesitantly, Madame Web slowly turns around to face her.
“…you’re telling me..." May struggles to say, "...that my Ben, my husband of 43 years is dead, and that there was nothing, NOTHING you could do?!“
“May…” Madame Web sighs, reaching out to her but Aunt May smacks her hand aside.
“NOTHING?!” Aunt May shouts, her voice filling the living room, “YOU CLAIM TO KNOW SO MUCH! YOU…”
“I CAN’T!” Madame Web shouts in frustration before sucking in a quick breath to calm herself, "I couldn't." she says softer.
Stunned, Aunt May looks Madame Web’s resolute face start to give way to emotion, “What do you mean ‘couldn't!’”
“I monitor the Web of Reality May.” explains Madame Web, “I see Every reality. Every possible future. Judging which is most likely to come and to pass. I can't just, STOP something for my personal interest or interfere! It comes at too great a cost.”
“Liar.” Aunt May growls.
Madame Web’s face almost winces at the reply “Excu-
“LIAAAR!” May shouts again, her face drenched in visceral anger and grief. Madame Web’s lets out a deep sigh, feeling Aunt May’s raw emotion twisting within her soul.
“You INTERFERRED to save my Brother Richard's Life..."
"AND HE DIED MAY!" Madame Web roars back, "HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME! HIS WIFE DIED! HIS KIDS ORPHANED BECAUSE OF ME!"
Madame’s jaw clenches and leans back on the door, covering her trembling lip, "Ri-richard..." she stammers but overcome with emotion, she pauses, leaning over and taking in a deep breath.
“Richard didn't die, he was murdered - you didn't do that.” May confidently states, watching Madame Webs looks up at her, "Richard loved you, even if he wouldn’t leave his wife, he told me...”
May folds her arms, turning her face away and closing her eyes, "...you didn't kill him." she simply repeats before looking to Madame Web, "Could you have done more, would he have been better without you? Not a day goes by that I don't ask that question." she sighs.
Silence falls between them for a moment that feels like hours. Madame Web motions to speak but May holds her hand up in protest, silencing her.
“So as far as I'm concerned you owe me!” May exclaims, “Screw it, you OWE Richard!" she clarifies, "He TRUSTED you back then. He TRUSTED you to save his kids even though he was always the smartest person in every room. He trusted you for a reason!!” May exclaims.
“May…”
May steps closer to Madame Web, staring into her ghostly eyes, "And now, my BEN is dead! THAT IS ON YOU!" she accuses, pointing at her, "But don't you sit there and tell me YOU"RE gonna just sit here, and not try to help Richards kids, WHO YOU SAVED! Or did you going blind turn you into a coward to hide behind some stupid obligation and guilt!”
“SHUT UP!” shouts Madame Web, backhanding a stunned Aunt May across the face with a firm hand. Shocked at being struck, Aunt May looks at Madame Webs tearful yet foggy blind eyes filling with tears and sorrow as she trembles in placing, covering her face.
Covering her mouth with her hands, Aunt May turns away, closing her eyes tight, shaking her head.
“I-I’m so sorry I said that.” Aunt May sobs shamefully, turning to Madame Web leaning against the door like an injured soldier, reaching into her pocketing and placing her oversized glasses over her eyes.
Aunt May watches Madame Web cheeks, flush with embarrassment, tighten as she clenches her jaw. Drawing in a deep breath, Madame Web wipes away any trace of tears and turns her back to May, opening the door to the house.
"Stay by the phone.” Madame Web says softly.
“What are you going to do?”
Opening the front door, Madame Web lifts her head up as a cool breeze comes in smirks at the question and turns her face to the street outside, and without a word, simply leaves, shutting the door behind her.
Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man:
Arc 2: Heroes
Part X (finale)- With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility
Abandoned Warehouse in Tribeca - 3am
The Darkness was Madame Web's world. It was full of scents, sounds, fragrances, and odors. For most, being blind was limiting, but by no means the end of anything. Life could be lived to the full. However, for Madame Web, life wasn't lived to the full - it transcended into an entirely different plane of existence.
Standing in the center of the warehouse floor, Madame Web wasn't affected by the darkness around her or the musty smell of mold creeping into the cracks of cement or the scent of spilled blood. Rather, she focused on what her ghostly eyes could see, 'Outlines'. Hazy human-shaped bodies glimmering with glowing yellow strings within them that was the nervous system. These 'strings' stemming from around the Heart, ran up to the Brain and back down to the extremities. Such 'strings' were always bright yellow within a living person, but then gray when they deceased. And Madame Web saw a lot of 'the deceased' around her, but that wasn't her main concern.
Madame Web's concern was tuned is to the strongest heartbeat in the room. All senses were locked in. Her acute hearing couldn't help but hear the strain of the boys' muscles refusing to relent to the ten men barely holding Peter down. Given a few years, Madame knew it would take a lot more to restrain someone like Peter, but he wasn't there yet - he was too 'new' with his abilities.
His heart, glowing brightly from perspective, pounded within his body with force and power. His entire body, was pure power, held by incredible control - and the boy didn't even know it. So much like his Father. She had hoped Peter would be able to fend off the ten men on his own, but he was too untrained, undisciplined, and too ignorant over his abilities. It was hard to watch. Madame Web had responsibilities and interfering in what was the 'inevitable' within the Web of life was not her role, but then again, this was Richard Parker's son.
And sensing the ten inferior men holding down perhaps the most important figure in current history, to be shot by a common thug...
While she hides in the rafters watching this, suddenly gives Madame Web a pang of guilt that not even May could heave on her.
So she acts.
~~~
Peter opens his eyes in shock to see the gunman choking as glowing golden webbing is wrapped around his neck and pulling him up to the ceiling. Everyone's eyes open wide as the man is then suddenly yanked up into the rafters while an older woman in a black trench drops down to the floor. Brushing aside her white dreadlocks, she pushes up her black sunglasses onto her face as the man she hangs from the rafters kicks his legs in the air behind her.
“Release the boy!” she snaps authoritatively.
“WHO THE HECK ARE YOU!!” someone shouts.
The older woman slowly takes off her dark circular sunglasses and tucks them away in her pocket, "Madame Web.” she answers.
"Now..." growls Madame Web while thrusting forward her wrist, “...GET...” she roars as thousands of golden threads of webbing spiral out her wrist and stick on to each of their chest or back at once, "...OFF THE BOY!" she roars, causing all the webbing to lift the men off of Peter, suspending them all in the air!
Glowing yellow hearts and veins in their body decorate Madame Web's dark vision.'
“MY SIGHT MAY NOT BE WITH ME!!” Madame Web shouts, thrusting her hands over her head as everyone is slammed up against the ceiling and pressed into the concrete ceiling by her powerful webbing, “BUT I CAN SEE INJUSTICE AS CLEAR AS DAY!”
“AAAHHH!!” they all scream at once, feeling their bones crack from the pressure of her dense golden glowing webbing pushing them against the ceiling.
"And I rrrreally don't like kids being harmed." Madame Web snarls, "Fortunately, you're not my focus today, its..."
However, Madame Web looks down and sees Peter is gone as well as Cletus.
“Oh no.” Madame Web mumbles, turning her attention to the vibrations reverberating down her sensitive web lines. Madame Web lower her face, carefully listening through her webbing until she's distracted by an audible ‘click’ of a gun aimed straight at her head.
"Set'em down you ol'bag." threatens the wounded gangbanger.
However, the gangbanger feels a pit of dread open in his stomach as a Madame Web's frosted eyes seem to shift up and look at him as if staring into his soul.
"You..." Madame Web sighs as a glowing yellow light reflect on her face.
Startled and frozen with fear, the gangbanger looks to his left and right and sees golden webbing rising to his left and rise like two serpents.
"...should respect your elders." Madame Web snarls agilely dodging the gunfire, as the webbing coils around his neck and snaps it.
~*~*~*~Meanwhile...~*~**~
Seated on the driver's passenger side of the Police Squad Car, Captain Stacy holds the radio transmitter in his hand as his partner weaves their Police Squad Car between light traffic as their sirens blare down the street and red and blue lights flash on the top of the car.
“Radio to Dispatch this is Captain Stacy, we are in pursuit of the unknown suspect involved in a TWO-FORTY FIVE and a TWO-FIFTEEN. Five minutes ago we just received reports from Squad Car ALFA-CHARLIES-ZULU-NINE INVOLVED IN A FOUR-FORTY FOUR from the Negative Gang who is in pursuit of our suspect…”, he says into the radio, while grabbing on to the dashboard as his partner makes a sharp right turn onto 10th avenue and speeds straight down the avenue, ‘…I want two helicopters on my GPS signal to the location and Police Containment Units Alpha on the ready, I have a feeling like we’re gonna need’em.” he says, throwing the radio down and pulling out his gun.
~Roger that~
“Captain Stacy LOOK!” shouts his partner, pointing ahead of the next intersection.
Captain Stacy’s green eyes open wide in shock.
“What the…”, mumbles Captain Stacy, peering past the intersection of 10th and 24th St and spots the several Police Squad cars smashed into parked cars while a few other squad cars are rammed into the far left support beam of the 10 Avenue overhead Subway that runs down the avenue.
Seeing the officers litter the street and arrest a few gang members who fell off their motorcycles, Captain Stacy holds out his hand to his partner, making him slow down to a stop.
Stepping out the car, Captain Stacy looks growing crowd of onlookers taking pictures as Police Officer pulls caution tape around the scene. Hearing people point and shout at what happened, Captain Stacy sees up the block, the last thing he wanted to see, News Reporters.
Seeing the officers as a Paramedic Truck remains parked on the sidewalk, treating injured officers, another officer runs up to him.
“What the HECK happened here?!” Captain Stacy shouts.
Running up to him, an officer points down the avenue, “We were in pursuit of a stolen car and out of nowhere, 30 motorcycles started shooting at us. We exchanged fire but they took us out.”
Captain Stacy hits the roof of the car in frustration and looks at his partner in the driver's seat, “That’s the Negative Gang, only they have the balls to shoot at police!” he says, turning back to the other officer, “Did ANYONE see where they went? Who they are after, is it our homicide suspect?”
“Only one other Squad Car was able to make it past the last I saw.”
“And that was????”
“Brashear sir.”
Pointing to his partner, Captain Stacy steps back into the car, “RADIO HIS CAR! TELL HIM WE HAVE TWO OTHER PRECINCTS ON THEIR WAY!” he says, slamming the door shut as he straps on his seatbelt.
“But sir.”
Captain Stacy looks at the young officer lower his head to the window, “There was somethin’ else, like, somethin’ real weird.”
“Spit it out son cause you’re wastin’ time!”
“You’re not going to believe me, but I saw, this guy like, it was unbelievable, he was swinging on these ropes coming from his hands!”
Captain Stacy leans out the window and looks at the Officer with an arched blond eyebrow, “You saw what now?”
~*~*~**~*~
Racing up the stairs to the rooftop, Peter pushes the heavy metal rooftop door open to the torrential downpour in the night. Dozens of helicopters hovering around the area. Pulling his hood over his face, Peter starts scours the rooftop, but sees no sign of Cletus.
“WHERE ARE YOU!” Peter shouts.
The reply is swiftly given with a merciless punch across Peter's face with a gun, sending him to the gravelly floor.
Staggering over him, Cletus starts to laugh, “RIGHT HERE YOU LIL PUNK!” he shouts, emerging from behind an HVAC unit. Swiftly kicking Peter in the ribs, Cletus glares at him, “YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME HUH?” he shouts, pulling back his foot to kick Peter again.
However, Cletus is startled at Peter’s firm grip that catches his ankle in mid-swing.
Glaring at Cletus, Peter's face firms, “YES!” he shouts, and with a swift twist breaks Cletus's ankle!
“AAAAAAAH!!!” Cletus hollers in agonizing but points his gun at Peter who agilely throws his leg up and kicks the gun out Cletus's hand into the air.
Hopping onto his feet, Peter grabs the gun out the air and aims it inches at Cletus's forehead, "YOU!" shouts Peter, "ARE GONNA PAY!" he shouts.
Grabbing Cletus by the shirt, Peter overpowers him and drags Cletus across the roof, who kicks and screams as they near the rooftop edge. Letting him go, Cletus throws himself onto his belly to get away from Peter, but he's grabbed once more by the back of his shirt. Effortlessly Cletus is swung around by Peter, his heels off to the edge of the roof but firmly by Peter's strong grip.
“Hey hey HEY HAAAAAY!!!" Cletus shouts, grabbing on to Peter's arm, but as Cletus looks at Peter, Cletus comes face to face with his pistol.
"HOW DOES IT FEEL HUH!?" Peter shouts, pushes the gun right between Cletus's eyes, "YOU SHOT MY UNCLE!"
The statement, cause Cletus to grin a bloody smile before spitting out a mouthful of blood onto Peter's shirt, “PULL IT!" he shouts.
Peter narrows his eyes at Cletus smug smile, "YOU CAN'T DO IT! NOT WITH COPS DOWN THERE!” Cletus shouts and points at him, “AND LIKE THAT OLD GEEZER THAT I SHOT, YOU'RE GONNA LET ME GO, AND I'M GONNA COME BACK AND SHOOT YOUR AUNT AND EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO!!”
"SHUT UP!!” Peter shouts.
“THAN I'LL SKIN YOUR BROTHER ALIVE AND GET AWAY WITH IT!! “ Cletus shouts angrily, “YOU'LL BE ALONE. LIKE ME! ALONE WITH NOTHING BUT DEATH! SO YOU BETTER KILL ME KID, OR I’M GONNA TURN BACK UP DROP PURE CARNAGE ON YOUR LIFE MAKE YOU WATCH!”
Cocking the gun, Peter places his finger on the trigger but both he and Cletus both feel the entire rooftop tremble. Glancing over his shoulder, he sees Madame Web standing behind him, holding out her hand cautiously.
“PETER STOP!” Madame Web shouts.
Peter turns away from her and glares at Cletus, “WALK AWAY LADY!”
“NO!!” Madame Web shouts, "The police are here.” Madame Web says, ”And that murdering psychopath is going to jail. Let THEM take him."
Peter turns back to Cletus's wet face grinning at him, "DID YOU HEAR WHAT HE TOLD ME!” Peter shouts angrily, pushing the gun into Cletus's head, “HE SAID…”
“IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT HE SAID PETER!” Madame Web shouts, "LET HIM GO THIS ISN'T THE WAY!"
Peter’s firms his lip, looking into Cletus maniacal eyes and shakes his head, "HE HAS TO DIE!"
"So does every Goblins, Vampire, and nightmares that are out there Peter..." reasons Madame Web holding her hands out to him, "...but it is not your job to shoot them all! It's not your CHOICE to make!"
Peter looks back at Cletus grinning a bloody smile as their all pounded by the rain, "BUT ITS A CHOICE, ONE I CAN MAKE!"
“So did you're Uncle SQUEAL like a fat PIG when I shot him in the gut out of CHOICE AHAHAHA!!” Cletus shouts
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Peter yells, pressing the gun harder against his temple, "I SWEAR TO.."
“PETER!” Madame Web shouts, “YOU SHOOT HIM YOUR UNCLE AND YOUR FATHERS SACRIFICES WILL MEAN NOTHING!”
Peter’s eyes open wide at the statement. Looking over his shoulder, Peter looks Madame Web standing behind him soaking wet with tears falling down her cheeks, “Your father DID NOT want this! He worked day and night, he WORKED TO THE BONE so you'd have a future that was in the opposite direction of this VERY MOMENT!"
Peter's face washes with confusion, making him shake his head, "AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW! HE'S DEAD AND YOU DON'T KNOW HIM!”
“He died in my arms, Peter!" Madame Web says to Peter's absolute shock, "On a night not too dissimilar to one like this." she sighs {See Amazing Spider-Man - Prologue III - No Need for Parents), "Dont...please, I'm begging you. Don't be the person your Father worked so hard for you NOT to be!" Madame Web pleads as tears fall down her cheeks.
“What does it matter!" Peter cries, "Everyone I love either isn't there when I need them or is dead! Every else is ALWAYS trying to hurt me! NO ONE GIVES TWO F..."
“I CARE PETER!” Madame Web shouts, “AND I'M RIGHT HERE!!" she exclaims, "I know it's lonely sometimes. That everyone can be against you. That nothing seems to go right but you know...your Father felt the SAME way! But he was NEVER truly alone. And if the whole world is against you Peter, I'll be there, but you can't do this. NOT FOR THAT DIRTBAG WHO WANTS YOU TO SHOOT HIM JUST SO HE CAN HAVE THE LAST LAUGH!"
Peter closes his eyes, crying as he pushes the gun further into Cletus's face, "I can't..."
Hearing footsteps rapidly come up the stairs, Madame Web turns and around and shoots out a golden web, sealing the door as fists bang repeatedly on the other side.
"PETER!" Madame Web pleads, "YOUR FATHER, HE HAD ABILITIES NOT LIKE YOURS BUT HE HAD THEM. AND WHEN YOU HAVE WHAT WE HAVE, YOU..." she pauses, fumbling for the right words, "...YOU HAVE A POWER, AND WITH THAT POWER COMES A..."
"...great responsibility," Peter mumbles.
Raising his eyes to the gun in his hand pressed up against Cletus's face, Peter starts to feel sick. Suddenly, flashes of Uncle Ben’s body in his hand and blood on his shirt cause Peter to shamefully close his eyes at the thought of what he was about to do.
“PETER WE'RE..."
Quickly Peter swings Cletus away from the edge and throws him onto the floor.
Shocked, Cletus looks at Peter holding the gun in his hands. Simply staring at each other, Peter lets out a steady breath as rain falls on them both. Holding up his hands, Cletus slowly lifts himself onto his knees, soaking wet, and lowers his head, “You want me to tell you how you’re uncle died in my hands, hero?” he goads.
Peter grits his teeth in anger as his eyes seem to light with a fury, “SHUT UP!!!” Peter shouts, bashing Cletus across the face with the gun, knocking him out.
Madame Web sighs in relief as Peter looks at the gun in his hand and tosses off the roof, watching it arc in the air and fall into the river. Dropping onto his knees, covering his face with his hands and bursting into tears, Madame Web races over to him hears gunshots.
Looking behind, Madame Web sees officers shooting off the stands of webbing keeping the door shut.
Collectively pushing with the other officers behind him, Captain Stacy and the officer finally pushes the door open and storm the roof. Running to the rooftop, all the officers surround Cletus Kassidy sprawled out on the roof, unconscious.
"THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE UP HERE, FAN OUT!" Captain Stacy shouts. Immediately the Officers fan out, shining flashlights.
"OVER HERE!"
Captain Stacy looks to an officer pointing into the distance as something lept across the river and into the forest, a fleeting shadow as two shots whiz by the fleeting subject.
“NO!” Captain Stacy shouts, watching whatever it was that fled, completely disappear. Frustrated, Captain Stacy turns around and looks at an unconscious Cletus Kassidy and shakes his head. Turning his attention to the forest, Stacy holsters his gun and lets out a sigh, wiping his face from the rain.
"Sir..." asks an approaching officer, "...want me to call in the Choppers?"
Captain Stacy shakes his head and lets out a snort as he looks at Cassidy, "No. We had enough carnage for one night."
end...epilogue here.
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