Crooked bolts of lightning streak across the sky with terrifying briefness. Much like the painful spasms streaking up Peter’s limbs as he sleeps.
Tossing and turning in his cold sweat, Peter shivers. His brown hair plastered to his sweated forehead, he curls into the fetal position, his teeth chattering under the wool blankets.
The open window permits the humid air entry to the room, making Peter groan in pain as it the air feels like sand paper against his skin.
His pounding heartbeat pounds in his chest like the bass in a nightclub.
Peter clutches his chest as it tightens like a brick. Gasping to catch his breath, his exhale comes with a wheeze.
Every toss and turn exhausts him.
Stretching out in his bed, tears roll down Peter’s closed eyes as his head erupts into a painful splitting migraine while his stomach turns upside down and rolls like the waves of the sea….
Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man:
Arc 1: Everything is Connected
Part 6
DOWNSTAIRS.... 24 Hours Later...
Morning sunlight peeks through the blinds. Golden rays gently reflecting on the faded Tiffany blue wall and on the aged white ceiling with spots of curling paint. The aged mahogany wood, shined and clean, creak slightly as Aunt May moves back and forth in the kitchen, sizzling bacon in the black cast iron frying pan. Old Jazz played just low enough on the vinyl record fills her ears pleasantly as she cracks the eggs against the rim of the sink. As many done many times before, she separates the shells she holds over a small glass bowl, spilling in the yolk and egg whites. Shells tossed into the open top waste basket, she grabs the wood chopping board with diced red and green peppers waiting to be scrapped off into the bowl of eggs. A
Another Morning.
Another Saturday as previous days.
Hearing the floor squeak from the heavy footsteps, Aunt May nods at the familiarity,
"Lucy I'm home!" he says.
"Hardy har-har.” Aunty May smiles, looking to Ben, “IF and I mean IF you were Ricky Ricardo we so would be having this conversation in the sheets right now." she smiles.
Uncle Ben drags his painting supplies behind the couch and rushes up behind Aunt May standing in front of the stove.
“Ya want me to bust my hip ya dirty ol’ woman?” Uncle Ben says into her ear, gently wrapping his hands around her small waist.
Aunt May scrunches her nose with a smile as she flips the egg in the pan, “Ah you discovered my evil plan to kill you with pleasure and get that social security check you owed me.”
"AH HA!” Uncle Ben playfully scoffs, turning his attention to the refrigerator, “Well I’m not dead yet.” He says, pulling out the orange juice, “Which reminds me? How’s our lil Michael-Angelo upstairs?”
“Better.” Aunt May retorts, "His fever subsided, i’ll check on him soon and see if we can get him take him later to a doctor.”
“Well that’s good.” Uncle Ben says, sitting at the table with his newspaper with a groan “Kid shaved 5 years off my seeing him laid up a whole twenty four hours like that"
Aunt May nods, "I’m concerned about this. This isn’t normal.”
“Well the doctors cleared him from anything suspicious. Top Doctors if i may say.”
Aunt May turns her head to Uncle Ben with raises her eyebrow, “Ben, Doctors may have cleared him, but Peter’s Principle explained how Eddie has been bullying Peter everyday. He’s asking me to take care of it but they schools’ Anti-bullying Policy doesn’t cover two siblings doing it to each other!”
“I know, I know.” Ben says, waving his hand down as he looks up at the ceiling, “But try to keep it down I don’t want Peter woken up. “
Turning her back to Uncle Ben, Aunt May lets out a beleaguered breath as she slides the egg out the pan to a small white plate, “What about being concerned that Eddie driving himself against every step of positive reinforcement we given him? Its like he wants to be bad!.”
“Oh don’t say that May…”
“Ben…” May exclaims, her eyes full of conviction as she turns to Ben, “…Eddie’s therapist said he so such bottled up rage that she fears one day it’ll eat him up because he refuses to let go of it. And now he’s taking it out on Peter.”
Uncle Ben sets down his newspaper and lowers his head, staring into his orange juice.
“I know.” Ben mumbles and sits back while taking a deep breath, “I know. I was hoping that football would be a good outlet for him. Football, part-time job, keep’em busy you know.”
“I don’t think its working.” Aunt May sighs, quickly getting Uncle Ben’s attention. Sitting at the table across from him with her eggs, Aunt May lets out a sigh, “Ben, you have to talk to him. You have to talk to Eddie before, whatever venom is in him takes that boy over. ”
Ben looks at May staring at him seriously.Suddenly Aunt May and Uncle Ben turn to the stairs hearing rapid footsteps.
At that moment, Peter races down the stairs, puts both hands banister, runs his feet along the wall and hops onto the floor with his hands outstretched and a wide smile on his face.
"GOOD MORNING ALL YOU HAPPY PEOPLE!" he declares loudly. .
"WHOA!" Uncle Ben exclaims, taken aback at the look of Peter.
Ben fumbles and puts his slim glasses on, looking at Peter up and down, "Look at Michael-Angelo, feelin’ better huh kiddo?” he asks, patting Peter shoulder.
Ben takes a double take. Last time he saw Peter’s shoulder, it was stick, but now the kid was solid. Maybe he worked out, Ben thought, to endure the bullying.
“Hey THERE…” Uncle Ben exclaims, squeezing Peter’s shoulder in shock, “…eh uh…you started workin’ out there Pete!”
“A lil.” Peter smirks sheepishly.
“It’s because of all that BULLYING in school!” Aunt May states at matter of factly.
Before Peter can say much, May is running up to Peter and placing her hand on his forehead, pinching his cheeks and making him open his mouth "You should bed in Peter! You need to relax, oh my gawd your tongue is so PINK!"
“MAY MAY!” Uncle Ben protests, “Stop examining the kid like a dog at the Vet!”
Gently pulling back from Aunt May, Peter nods, "I'm fine Aunt May, I really am.” he says reassuring, “I feel…great!" he says, racing to the kitchen window before sticking his head out, “ISN’T IT A WONDERFUL DAY!”
Uncle Ben raises his bushy grey eyebrow at Aunt May who returns his concerned look. They both shrugs in return.
“I can kinda see why the kid gets bullied.” Ben mumbles.
Aunt May narrows her eyes at Uncle Ben who quickly hides behind his pulled up newspaper.
Peter closes his eyes, able to hear the birds and the cars three blocks away, but then notices the heartbeat of the bee beneath him hovering over a flower in the garden. Opening his eyes, his clear and sharp vision zooms across the street and down Pine Street to spot Flash Thompson stepping out his house in his green and yellow dot boxers to get the mail but slips on the newspaper, all eight blocks away!
This was amazing Peter thought. Two days ago, he was bullied and socially martyred by his brother in school. Then on the last school trip of the year, got bit by a spider that led him to getting a summer internship and fully paid college tuition from Harry’s Dad! A bad flu-like day that felt like it was death lingered on him for an entire twenty hours only for him to wake up feeling like a super-man. It was worth it, Peter thought.
Minus trashing his room because his glue-like hands starting to stick to random stuff and transparent stringy stuff started shooting out his wrists, the day just started and it was freakin’ awesome, he but needed information. There was no possible way he could have gotten this on his own, he didn’t have an X-Gene. He got all this after he got bit by that genetic spider at Oscorp.
Did he have spider-powers now? What could spiders really do? Could he crap out eggs? Would he crave flies on pizza...so many questions, and bad internet in the house was the last thing he needed.
“PETER!"
Startled, Peter turns around quickly to see Aunt May looking at him curiously, “You’re not…uh…you know?” she asks, before holding up two pinched fingers to her lip before making a quick sucking sound with her lips, “You know, smokin’ the ganja are you?”
Peter raises his eyebrows in confusion, “What!?”
“You know…” Aunt May smiles awkwardly before gulping her nerves as she twiddles her thumbs, “…puffin’ that magic dragon? I mean, we could do it if we had glaucoma...”
Peter looks at her oddly with a tilted head as Uncle Ben erupts into laughter!
“ITS NOT FUNNY!” Aunt May shouts to Ben.
“What is she talking about?!” Peter asks Uncle Ben, genuinely baffled.
“AHA HAAA HAA HAAAAAA….” laughs Uncle Ben, his whole face red with laughter, “She wants to know if you’re smokin’ joints kid!!!”
“AUNT MAY!” Peter exclaims in shock.
“I’M ALLOWED TO ASK!” Aunt May exclaims, hands on hips.
“Yea and it wouldn’t be the first time a Parker had some!” Uncle Ben smirks, much to Peter’s shock, “In the Sixties, me and your Auntie here…” Ben chuckles, “...we were some freaky…”
“BEN PARKER!” Aunt May exclaims, glaring at him, “Utter one more syllable and that CONNIPTION I was SUPPOSED to have when you bought that motorcycle as my anniversary present, WILL happen!”
“ON THAT NOTE!” Peter exclaims, “I'm gonna go to the library.”
Uncle Ben drops his newspaper flat onto the table, "On a beautiful day like this?! The Library?! Really? Okay, seriously, NOW I wanna know if you’re on marijuana!”
Peter covers his face with his hands, “WHAT IS IT WITH YOU GUYS AND MARIJUANA!” he shouts, walking into the living room.
“IF YOU GET SOME LET ME KNOW I WON’T JUDGE YOU!” Ben shouts.
“BEN PARKER!” Aunt May says, hitting him on the shoulder.
“I’m just FUNNIN’ MAY!!” Ben says defensively, “Please…I’m a senior citizen, you know how many meds I can get if I wanted to get…”
“Okay now I know why Eddie is all screwed up.” Aunt May retorts with a raised eyebrow.
“I doubt so.” Peter says, sliding on his messenger bag, “Besides, Eddie’s got his own problems, but Me, this Summer, is gonna be totally awesome.”
Uncle Ben turns to Peter, “I’m sure it will be and don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t go to the library but don’t they have, you know that thing, The Google? Isn’t that like, replacing the library and besides Peter it’s summer for goodness sakes! I’d feel better if you told me you needed porn.”
“BEN!”
“WHAT? Kid’s got Hormones ya know!”
“IGNORING how awkward THIS conversation has been…” Peter sighs, “Yes Uncle Ben, THE GOOGLE, has what I need, but our internet is crap and I’m not paying Amazon what I can read at the library for free.” He says.
Uncle Ben looks at Peter with a raised eyebrow and turns to Aunt May, “The boy’s got the dog days of summer, and he got himself in his own personal school. I don’t get it.”
Aunt May smiles and kisses Uncle Ben on the forehead, “You don’t get a lot of things Ben.” She smirks, patting him on the head as he looks at her with a blank expression.
Uncle Ben rolls his eyes and turns to Peter “C’mon Pete, before your Aunt gives me a pity-dog treat.” He grumbles, standing up, “I’ll drive you to the library.” he says to Peter.
"Um...I...don't mind walking, you just got back from work and.."
Ben interrupts Peter by standing up, "Nonsense! My boy wants to go to the library; I’ll drive’em through the doors and up to the desk. Besides I want to talk to you about some stuff anyway." he says, fumbling in his pockets.
“About what?” Peter asks,
Ben pulls his hand out his pocket and tosses Peter a set of keys, “Start the car and you’ll find out.”
Peter rolls his eyes, “Alright alright, by Aunt May, Uncle Ben is trying me.” he says, his eyes wide open.
Aunt May hugs him, “Enjoy your ride, Bye sweetie.” she says, watching Peter leaves to the parking space to start the car. Seeing him go, Aunt May turns to Ben.
"You’re not going to talk to Peter about Eddie are you?" she whispers.
Ben shrugs, “Maybe!” he whispers in return, “Is it a crime?!”
Aunt May folds her arms and narrows her eyes at him.
“It’ll be fine May!” Ben whispers assuredly, “I just wanna talk to the boy!”
“Ben Parker…”
“C’mon you said my FULL name like THREE times this morning. Its abuse!” Ben protests.
May points at him, “Peter is FINALLY excited about things; a once in a lifetime internship and a scholarship that fell into his lap. He hangs on your words Ben, don’t upset him.” she warns.
“May, relax " Ben sighs, "I just wanna talk to Peter about this Eddie thing. Its time for Peter and Eddie both to hear ‘The Talk’"
Aunt May rolls her eyes, "Really?! The whole great responsibility thing huh?"
Ben frowns his face, "Excuse me, but it's a Parker tradition!"
Aunt May rolls her eyes again, “Oh I'm aware. I'm aware." she says.
Ben smiles, "Don’t snub your nose at it. That talk can change a life!"
Peter suddenly burst through the door, "UNCLE BEN PLEEEEEASE STOP TALKING!".
Ben looks Peter race back out the door.
Aunt May shrugs, “Like you said, ‘Kid’s got Hormones.” She smiles to Uncle Ben as he exits out the backdoor.
After a few moments, Aunt May hears the car roll out the gravely drive way and begins to clean the kitchen. Placing her pans and bowls inside the sink, Aunt May turns around in sharp attention to a hard knock at the front door, “I hope Ben didn’t leave his wallet again.” She grumbles, swiftly walking to the door.
Upon reaching the front door and drying her hands on her faded yellow apron, Aunt May opens the door, expecting to see Uncle Ben before her but doubles back at the sight of an elderly woman in a simple black dress and black sandals. Aunt May notices the woman’s thick hair white as snow dreadlocks hair reach down to the back of her heels. Her freckly face was serious as Aunt May could see her own reflection the lady’s over-sized black circular sunglasses.
“How may I hel…”, however at that moment, Aunt May’s eyes open wide at the sight of the woman’s silver spider pendant on hanging around her neck.
“Oh gawd…” Aunt May gasps, stepping back as the older woman pulls down her round black sunglasses, exposing her foggy white blind eyes.
“I-it’s you…” Aunt May stutters, almost out of breath, “…it’s you.”
“If you mean ‘you’ as in Cassandra, then no…” the woman corrects, sensing Aunt May frozen with fear the door, “…but if you mean Madame Web…” she says, walking past Aunt May and into the living room, “...then of course…” she says, turning her head over her shoulder towards Aunt May, “…it’s nice to see you again, we need to talk..”
end
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