1 Chapter One: Leaving Home

He loved New York. He had lived there nearly his entire life. Raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May... Gone to school there... Learned painful lessons... Became what some would call a hero...

Except maybe that wasn't even him...

He was not certain how he had ended up in that smokestack. What he did remember was blacking out… From there he could only assume the other Spider-man had thought him dead. He would have done the same. There could only be one Peter Parker… It was better that way.

That night he had gone back to his aunt's house for a shower, then intended to go visit his Aunt May, feeling much like the child he once was, he needed a comforting presence to calm his addled mind. As he looked into the window of his bedroom, he had spotted himself with... MJ!

Then it hit him like a falling building. Like a buzzer went off inside his head. He realized 'HE WAS THE CLONE'. A mere copy! Looking in on the life of the real Peter Parker. He couldn't seek comfort or solace from Aunt May, nor could he take refuge in MJ's embrace. MJ wasn't his girl and this wasn't his life. He was extra. Something that never should have been. He had to put this life behind him… he was still very much in love with the redhead, but she could never be his.

He needed to think and to put some distance between himself and his... What was the word? 'Original' He decided. Unnoticed by his twin, he took some clothes from a box that Peter Parker had planned to donate. Decidedly heading out of the city in the pouring rain he felt a loneliness that Peter Parker had never had the chance to feel... Spotting a sign he started walking forwards.

BAYVILLE 35 miles.

It seemed to be as good of a destination as any. He wasn't sure of what he would do once he got there, but he would think of something. Luckily the weather wasn't too cold, that was something.

Hiking for about an hour the roads started to clear and he would only occasionally see a passing car. He didn't really blame anyone for not giving him a ride, in these times just about anyone could be a psychopath. Besides he had a lot to think about anyway. What was he going to do with himself? It was his senior year and all the achievements he had worked for might not even be his own.

Shaking his head he was just about to take a break when an eighteen-wheeler pulled up beside him.

"Hiya, kid. Do ya need a ride?" A man with a red baseball cap and a thick mustache asked as he opened his passenger side door.

"Sure, how far are you heading?" He asked hoping it was at least close to Bayville. Peter climbed inside the man's cab noticing a slightly musty smell.

The trucker smiled genuinely, "I'm heading about twenty miles ahead to Bayville. If you need to go further I don't mind running you by the bus station."

Shaking his head Peter replied, "No sir, that's exactly where I want to be." Sticking out his hand 'Peter' told him, "My name is Ben and yours?"

---

Discreetly watching him from a nearby rest stop, Seward Trainer sighed. He was instructed to follow Parker's clone and report everything back to them. This was an ugly matter he had stepped into. He would need to take care to survive. For now, that meant being an obedient pawn. Despite only being an assistant to Miles Warren, Seward understood genetics and cloning nearly as well as his previous mentor. Understanding that; beyond the realm of scientific disciplines, he, Parker and his clone had much in common. They were all people born or made and whose lives were now considered playthings to dangerous individuals. Whom's aim would not be swayed on notions such as humanity.

But, Trainer knew the truth. This wondering lonely figure walking alone on a nearly empty highway... the person everyone thought to be just a mere clone of Spider-Man was actually the real one... It had been a great deception. His employer had set it all up, and not even the genuine person in question... could even tell that he was the real Peter Parker...

For a moment, Trainer wondered if his own humanity could survive this impact. But he could only entertain the thought for a that long he wouldn't allow himself any more than that. His questions of humanity couldn't be answered anyway... Because the only one that could have answered is long dead. Survive first, he told himself and grieve later. That was the only thing he could do now.

---

The remaining ride to Bayville was relatively short. Dennis Matthews, the name of the truck driver, was somewhat chattier than expected when he'd gotten started. His son went to school in town, he was the captain of the football team. He told Ben he thought they'd get along pretty well. Smiling at him, Ben politely agreed.

"So, why are ya going to Bayville? Got family there?" Dennis asked him sipping from a large mug.

"No, nothing like that. It's complicated. But suffice to say it was a little too crowded at home."

Nodding his head Dennis didn't continue down that line of questioning. Ben seemed old enough not to be running away from home, so he wasn't going to pry too much.

"So do ya have any work once you get there?" Dennis asked

"No, I figured I'd have to start looking around."

Frowning now, Dennis was starting to worry. Although he couldn't worry about every lone person out on the street, he tried to help when he could. "Well how about I get you in contact with a cousin of mine. He is a Forman at a local mechanic shop?

Feeling a little excited about the prospective employment Ben nodded. "I'd like that." Ben simply said.

With his abilities, he could survive for a little while on the street without it hurting him too much, but it would still wear him down a little. Things seemed to be looking up for the wayward spider, who knew what else the town of Bayville might offer. Only time would be able to tell.