Return of the Burglar

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knightwriteri

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#1  Edited By knightwriteri

The following is an unedited first draft of a fanfic that serves as a follow up to ASM #200.

Spider-Man: Return of the Burglar Aftermath

6 ½ years after the spider bite

Aunt May attending to her home in Forest Hills.

Aunt May’s Thoughts

“I can’t believe what happened last night. That man the burglar that took Ben from us he came back and took me captive. He wanted a stash of money some gangsters hid in the home decades ago or at least that’s what Peter found out when he was here earlier. I was saved by none other than that horrible Spider-Man but Anna’s always told he that he is not such a bad fellow. How odd it is how the past has a way of coming back to us. The burglar… and Spider-Man I was so worried that one of them would hurt Peter while I was alone trapped at that place but Spider-Man stopped him just like he did when Ben died.

I remember that morning after Ben’s death it’s best not to dwell on the past but I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I was at the kitchen table going over what had happened and Peter came downstairs he tried to make me feel better by pointing out that Ben’s murderer had been caught by Spider-Man and I just snapped at him I apologized of course and excused myself I wasn’t mad at him or Spider-Man. The truth was I couldn’t face him that morning I was responsible for what happened to Ben. We’d had an argument. It wasn’t anything big or important. After being married for a while you find that most of your arguments aren’t about anything big or important. Ben was a gentle man he didn’t want to come back inside because he thought I’d just pick up where we left off. I wanted to tell him it was all right. To come in it was a silly argument and we’d forget all about it by morning. But I didn’t. And he left to go for a walk. Get a few things done. And I never saw him again. If I’d just told him to come inside, all was forgiven, he never would have been there when…

It would have been so easy to just give in to despair to give up but I couldn’t I was responsible for this boy and Ben loved him so much. He used to say that “with great power comes great responsibility” And what greater power is love and what responsibility greater than giving my nephew the future he would have wanted for him? That was when in my heart I decided to raise him alone. Ben would want Peter to follow his dreams even if I don’t support them or worry they will hurt him.

I didn’t know how I was going to support us but I did what I could soon I was getting up in the morning to sell my old jewelry at the pawn shop and applying for loans at the bank which were never approved. Peter had changed a few weeks before Ben died he’d been happier more relaxed he lost that after Ben died I don’t think he ever recovered but he hid it well pitching in whenever he could always flattering telling me I should sign up for beauty pageants or how much the football team needed me. He was so responsible and independent in a few weeks he’d gotten a job at The Daily Bugle and was supporting us now he’s paying for his own apartment and college tuition.

He’d always felt insecure about his performance in gym class but he really blossomed those last few years of high school he even saw a few ladies here and there. That job of his would take him all over the city and sometimes out of it. At 16 he twice asked me if he could leave the state on assignments and I couldn’t say no. Florida and California what parent does that these days? Since moving out of the house he’s seen London, Paris even Antarctica.

But that wasn’t all Peter doesn’t know this but when he lived at our home I’d check on him every night and after that day half the time I’d find him missing and the window open. He’s a smart kid I don’t think that he got himself caught up in anything he shouldn’t but he was definitely hiding something I knew he didn’t break that arm just playing volleyball. I can’t really blame him when I was his age I was doing the same thing at night not that my mother ever bothered to notice. One time I found a Spider-Man costume in his closet he said it was part of some prank but I didn’t buy it. Maybe I was too hard on him he always felt like he was a burden on us and we could never really convince him otherwise that sometimes happens with orphans I suppose these things we experience in childhood they linger in us.

Several months after Ben died I had my first heart attack I remember it was a struggle for Peter to pay my hospital bills and I kept telling myself it’s not time yet urging myself to stay strong I couldn’t leave Peter alone with no one. It was a profound wake-up call for me I saw Anna and asked her to look out for him if I were to pass away she told me a bit about her niece Mary Jane I’d seen her the night Ben died but didn’t have much of an impression all I remembered was her running out the door. Anna brought her over a few hours one day and we started seeing each other often.

I have to be honest with myself I was using her. I was giving Peter total freedom letting him stay away from the house… away from me because there were days when l just couldn’t handle the guilt and sometimes I worried that he’d die too. The past was gone I needed to focus on the present and my responsibilities Anna and I saw each other quite frequently but in those days I could hardly say she was a constant companion. I was alone and lonely much of the time the worst part was the silence when I was alone in the home with nothing but my thoughts surrounded by reminders of… so I used this girl. I’d invite her into my home every other week under the false pretense of kindness and I did it just so there’s enough ruckus in the house to cover up… the quiet. I used her to do all of my smothering and mothering but somehow over those first few autumn months we came to love each other as mother and daughter.

She needed me as well her Aunt Anna was a wonderful relative but she was her father’s sister so she could hardly feel comfortable talking about her family. She could share with me what she could with no one else without fear of being judged. When her mother was ill sometimes she’d come to my home so exhausted she just collapsed on the couch for an hour or two Anna told me she was juggling three part time jobs trying to pay for her mom’s hospital bills. Other times she’d bring up her aspirations as an actress she had so much life in her and I couldn’t bear the thought of her living her life unhappy I grew even more determined than ever to set them up. In our afternoons I’d often bring up my nephew and she’d be so uncomfortable about it she seemed very conflicted and sometimes she’d ask me questions about Spider-Man she stopped after I made my feelings clear.

And I just waited until they met Peter he tried to discourage me and he was almost always at work but it finally happened when they left the house that morning and took a ride on Peter’s new motorcycle I just knew that I had been right they have it within themselves to make each other whole . After I had my last heart attack I encouraged them to marry Peter proposed of course it was my dying wish but it seems it did not go as well as I hoped she declined they distanced from one another and then finally she left for Florida. I’m not worried I know she’ll be back and that whatever the case they will always be friends and that was what was really important.

I was delighted when Anna decided to move in with me we old birds have to stick together Peter has friends now a life it was time for us both to move on. Ben always told me I coddled him too much to this day I still tell him to eat more and remind him to dress warm. I can’t help it before Peter Ben always wanted a child it was a little more complicated for me but I became pregnant a few years before Peter was born Ben he had so much enthusiasm and I couldn’t bear to share my misgivings and little by little he changed my mind sometimes I could see a bright future ahead and not my mother’s words ringing in my ear. When I miscarried that was… that was very awful I’d hate for them to ever experience that.

One of his girlfriend's Gwen well I never really much cared for her but it was a relief seeing her and Peter they loved each other so much there were a couple months when I thought they might get married. One time we met when Peter was missing and she insisted with such passion that I let him go and I could see it in her eyes I knew she was pregnant she hid it well but I could tell she was three or four months. I didn’t tell Peter it was the last conversation she and I had before she died it was so awful no one should die that young. A few weeks after the funeral I discreetly asked Peter if they’d slept together and he denied it. She must’ve delivered the child when she was in France.

And then she came back into our life that night I saw her buried but there she was! I had a heart attack all I could think was “Poor Peter he’s such a fragile boy!” I’d find out later that the Gwen that came back was a clone Peter he was quite a bit distressed he’d lost this woman two years ago and now… it bothered Mary Jane as well they’d had an important moment a couple of days before but Peter hadn’t seen her once since Ms. Stacy came back. I told her that most people have only one chance at love in their life and that she shouldn’t let her pride get in the way I could really see her grow as we had that discussion it was an important l but I don’t think she will really let herself be happy until she forgives herself for abandoning her sister. And Peter well I guess he has a little growing up to do.

The past few months I’ve been receiving letters from a young Mr. Ben Reilly he’s a relative some distant cousin. He’s Peter’s age and a lot like him though he’s always moving across the country sending postcards I’d very much like to meet him one day he says he’ll be here for me when I need him.

I remember the day Peter graduated from Midtown High it was the proudest moment of my life Principal Davis announced that Peter had the highest scholastic average in the school’s history and was getting a science scholarship. His science teacher Mr. Warren talked with me privately that afternoon he told me he had been talking with his older brother at ESU about him and that I should be very proud Reed Richards was the only person on record that had exceeded his IQ. The one thing I believe that would really break me is if he gave up on his dreams Parkers are not quitters. It’s not easy but I’m glad he’s staying in school I know he’ll be a great scientist. I’m not as old as many people think but

I’ve never had the best of health the doctors say this heart should have given out years ago but I’ve shown them. In the years since I’ve bested terminal diagnosis a number of times and beaten the odds. I can’t help sensing an irony in what just happened Ben’s murderer died of a heart attack brought on by fear of Spider-Man my fears and maladies claimed his life and Spider-Man well I’m still not comfortable with him but he was hardly as menacing as I’ve always thought… I’ll keep fighting as long as I need to until I’ve completed my mission until I can forgive that poor woman who didn’t make peace with her husband before… when I see Peter holding his child for the first time… or at least when he and Mary Jane wed. Then I can die happily.

Someday I’ll find the courage to tell Peter about that night but not today.”

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wildvine

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#2 wildvine  Moderator

Not gonna get a lot of feedback from a block of text. Did you do this on your phone?

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knightwriteri

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#3  Edited By knightwriteri

@wildvine: It was a microsoft word document I pasted the text from a copy that was on my phone and the 2,200 word fic came out like this.

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cbishop

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@knightwriteri: Yeah, it could use some restructuring to make it easier to read- it looks like a really long epic poem right now. I did start reading it, but it was starting to bother my eyes. I like that it's from Aunt May's perspective- neat idea.

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knightwriteri

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@cbishop: I'll adjust the text to something readable tommorow. Sorry it was a strain.

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cbishop

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@knightwriteri: Not really your fault, man. It's the format, and the way it looks when it scrolls. And possibly my eyes lol. No biggie.

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knightwriteri

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@cbishop: Ok I fixed it some of the paragraphs are a little large it's the equivalent of a four page word doc.

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@knightwriteri: I'll look at it tonight, but if you know that some of the paragraphs are large then you could probably stand to break them up. ;)