Evening. Part 1

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***

Peter Parker.

The week remaining until the opening day of the Oscorp Medical Centres flew by quickly. However, there was room for the unexpected.

A memory.

I return home and, reflecting on recent events, I certainly did not expect to see Jonah Jameson sitting on my front porch.

I look at him in surprise. He looks back.

- My wife was murdered," he begins after a while. - I was about twenty-five years old, and it felt like a lifetime. I was a hard-nosed reporter, never backing down and pursuing the truth. They even called me "bloodhound Jemson." But one day I came upon a representative of a major criminal cell," the man faltered slightly.

I gave him a chance to talk.

- He called and threatened, said, "Finish your investigation, or else...". I never found out, cos he hung up on me. When we're young, we think we're at sea. That was the case with me. I never imagined he'd carry out his threat. Marla was coming home from work that day. They spotted her outside the offices and shot her with machine guns.

Jonah stopped talking.

And once again, I was convinced he was not a bad man.

- A young couple and a mother and child were killed along with my wife. Random victims.

Jonah stood up.

- That was the day I took an oath to pursue all those who think they are above the law.

- Including Spider-Man?

- Yeah, including Spider-Man. I'm not obsessed, man. And I admit he may really want to help citizens, but why does he wear a mask, hide his face?

- Maybe because he has loved ones he wants to protect?

- Police officers don't wear masks, firefighters don't wear masks, doctors don't wear masks, military don't wear masks, why can he? Or are you telling me that the families of those same police officers are in no danger?

- How many criminals per week on average does a police officer apprehend? We're not counting crimes they don't have time to respond to and investigations that can take weeks, if not months or years. Five or six people? And how many criminals do you think Spider-Man has apprehended since he's been on the streets? Let's not even get into recurring faces like the trapper. I'd say it's well over a hundred. Now imagine that every single criminal in that hundred finds out who's behind the Spider's mask. Do you think they'll go after him? Some maybe, but most will want to hit him where it hurts the most, family. Because that's what criminals are, they have no morals, no principles. Doesn't your personal history back up what I'm saying?

Jonah shuddered.

- 'I...never considered the question from that point of view.

The man fell silent.

- 'So...is that what you're here for?

- 'No,' Jonah shook himself, 'Damn it, Parker, you've got the old man talking,' Jonah muttered in his favourite manner. Loudly and with feeling. - I started with that story because I found out why you didn't film the Spider and Rhino fight.

- Oh.

- And I want to apologise.

(chuckles) Okay. Wow. That's something I didn't see coming.

- I have a son, John. An astronaut. My pride. His profession is extremely dangerous. He's all I have. If anything were to happen to him, I wouldn't survive it. I mean, I know how you felt when you lost your uncle. He raised you after your parents died, didn't he?

I'm giving him a questioning look.

- I did some checking.

- Yeah, him and my aunt. Uncle Ben was like a second father to me. If May had died too, I'd be all alone.

Jonah came over and put his hand on my shoulder.

- I'm sorry I acted like a prick, kid. You can go back to Bugle, a spot on the staff is waiting to be taken by a talented photographer. You're still a part-time minor, but I promise you, you've got growth prospects. How about it?

- Sign me up, Chief.

Shake hands.

End of memory.

And if that was all there was to it.

Flashback.

The patrol was business as usual, car burglar here, loser pickpocket there. And then, a couple of robbers running out of the pawnshop on the rooftops.

- See, Tom, I told you, easy money! - shouted the outlaw cheerfully.

- You were right, Charaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.... - the second robber's reply was drowned out in a scream after I grabbed him with a spider web and slammed his face into the roof slate.

- Seriously, guys? In the future, if you want to rob something unhindered, don't dress like robbers," I advised the guys in the classic ski masks.

Alas, my valuable advice was not heeded. How else was I supposed to judge the second bandit who opened fire on me?

To be honest, these two were so much warm-up material that I was just wondering what I was going to have for dinner tonight while dodging bullets.

To my surprise, Black Cat leapt from the roof onto the thug. The blonde kicked him under the knee and as he started to fall, she clobbered his arm, slamming the criminal's face into the roof.

- Um, thanks for your help.

- You're welcome.

We're silent for a while as the other perp groans in pain.

- Hey. Hey.

- Hey. Hey.

- Looks like a cat got between you two, huh? - the first bandit interjected.

I shoot webbing and duct tape the perp's mouth, tie up the second bandit.

- We need to talk.

- I agree.

After hanging the bound criminals from a lamppost, we go up to the roof with the girl.

- Are you sure they'll find them?

- There's no precedent for not finding them, but I'll be sure to report them to the first patrol crew.

- All right, then.

- Listen, Cat.

- I shouldn't have reacted like that," the blonde blurts out. - Of course you can have a girlfriend and I ran off without saying a word to you, I'm sorry.

- You don't have to apologise. Really, I thought for a second you were going to be a villain, like an angry ex. Okay, bad joke.

The girl laughed a little in response.

- No, it's actually funny.

- So you came out of your cat cave just to talk?

- I actually wanted to, as you call it, patrol, didn't I?

- You did? Why?

- After the fight with that guy--

- Doc Ock?

- Is that really what you call him?

- Would you prefer "Multi-armed nerd"?

- No, Doc Ock is better. Anyway, after that fight, I thought we worked well together and I thought, Spider, Cat, hunting criminals in New York City at night, sound good?

- Very much so. But doesn't the heroine image get in the way of your reputation as a thief?

- One thing doesn't prevent another, especially if you're a talented thief, although admittedly," the blonde separates the distance between us, "good guy, bad girl, there was something to it, don't you agree?

The girl wraps her arm around my shoulders and brings our faces closer together.

- Cat...

The thief distanced herself lightly.

- 'Well, I tried,' Hardy shrugged lightly, 'so, partners?

Felicia held out her fist to me.

Did you remember that?

Easily punching back in the same gesture.

- Let's go, partner, we've got all night!

End of memory.

Due to recent events, I'm very afraid of jinxing it, but damn, life seems to be getting better.

The bell rings to announce that classes are over for the day.

I put my father's string theory book in my rucksack.

- All right, journo, ready for tonight?

Catching up with me in the corridor, Harry asked me a question.

- Always, Gar, you?

It's funny, in a short space of time I've managed to get sacked, from a place I wasn't actually working, and then taken on a full time position, except for pay, due to legislation.

And I still fall into the "journo" category.

- You do. I'm on my way home right now, where I'll be given three types of suit fitting and run through the etiquette rules for the millionth time.

- That's cool. And I'll grab a suit, a camera, my immediate supervisor with a pass and I'll be there.

- I'm truly jealous.

So we walk out into the schoolyard.

Suddenly my instincts kick in and I bend down to tie my shoelace.

A projectile aimed at me hits Harry.

- Boom! Touchdown, Flash and Kong high-five each other.

Messrs Biba and Boba were standing in the window of the gents on the first floor.

- What are you fools up to? - I asked ironically.

A man in a metal bird suit and a three-metre Rhinoceros tried to throw me down from a height of ten kilometres. I haven't seen two high school jocks as a threat in a long time. It's more like school fun.

- Come on, Petey, it's hot, we're helping the kids cool off," Flash pointed at some of the already wet students.

- By the way, you haven't bathed yet, Pete! - shouts Kong, throwing a water balloon at me.

I jump up, catching the ball carefully so that it doesn't burst.

That's a trick any schoolboy could do. All right, I had a little bit of Spidey's power.

- Now it's your turn! - I swing.

Of course, the fools tried to escape by shoving each other.

- 'Let's go while they cosplay elephants in a china shop,' I said to Harry, tossing the ball into the nearest rubbish bin.

Osbourne followed, sniffling unhappily.

Saying goodbye as Gar got into the limo that came to pick him up, I walked leisurely towards the bus stop.

In the process, I thought back to my conversation with Dr Crawford yesterday:

Flashback.

- Good evening, Doc!" I said, climbing into the familiar laboratory through the window.

- Hello, Spider. How are you feeling?

- Honestly? I feel great, Doc. I haven't felt this good in a long time," I take my usual position on the wall.

- That, as the doctors say, is a favourable prognosis," Maria took a fresh blood sample.

I was expecting her assessment.

- Wow...

- What is it, another change? Don't tell me it's getting worse?

- On the contrary, look.

Examining the sample.

- The cells are calm, the division is stable, there's no unnecessary inclusions, except for the additional chains that appeared after I got my abilities.

Honestly, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't believe it was my blood.

- That's right, your condition has stabilised," Maria proclaimed cheerfully.

- Is that possible?

- It's possible. What did Dr Connors say about the energy in your cells?

- That my body is learning to control the bio-electricity in my body. Do you think it's connected?

- Maybe the jolt your body received caused the mutation to recede. Like chemotherapy. Burned out everything that wasn't needed.

- Really?! - I just wasn't ready to believe it. - I'm not turning into a monster?!

- It's too early to tell, it may well be a period of false prosperity, but the momentum is positive, it is.

- Oh, my God, thank you, I can't help but hug Maria. Thank you, Dr Crawford.

- I didn't do anything special," she blushed slightly.

- You've wasted your time on me, and that's a lot. I've got to go!

- Good luck, Spidey.

End of Flashback.

I was just happy. If the Sword of Damocles wasn't gone, at least it wasn't hanging over me.

That's something to be happy about.

I get home and start packing.

Tombstone asked for a "hero to be nearby," so I'll be as close as possible.

I put on my superhero outfit under my costume, stashing my throwers and spare cartridges in an inside pocket, as they're made of plastic.

Good thing I'm wearing my Uncle Ben's dinner jacket, which is a little big, so the costume doesn't show.

The grand opening is in two hours. The party's in four.

I pack some change in my rucksack, grab my camera and run for the bus to Bugle.

***

Norman Osborne.

He'd been preparing for this for a long time. The plan had been worked out, albeit with one major flaw that had now been eliminated thanks to one corporate spy.

The Sixes are ready.

Putting on his suit, warming up the glider and gathering his equipment, the Green Goblin left his bunker, laughing wildly.

***

Peter Parker

Daily Bugle.

- Hey, Ben.

- Pete," I shake the reporter's hand, "it's good to have you back.

- It's good to be back, although I didn't miss J.J.'s yelling.

- Alas, that's our cross to bear," Uhrich chuckled, "are you ready for the camera?

- Insult to injury," I take the camera out of my rucksack and hang it around my neck, "tape like a pro.

- You got a spot on the staff. You're a professional.

- Honestly, that's gratifying.

- Let's go.

*

The opening site of Oscorp Medical Centre 1.

Ben and I got there pretty quickly. Turns out the reporter drives a car, and his old Fiat is quite comfortable.

We get out of the car and walk to the opening location, where we can already see a decent crowd of people.

- Is my eyesight failing me, or are half the guests here security guards?

- That's right, what do you expect? The main characters are the mayor of the city, a multi-billionaire, and two crime bosses masquerading as humble philanthropists, and I'm surprised the National Guard isn't here," Uhrich said cynically.

- You're right.

Let's get to the spectator area.

- Pete!

I turn round to see Osborne Junior.

- Hello again, Gar. I thought you'd be with your dad.

- Look over there," the kid points to the stage.

I turn round and see Norman, aloof and cold as usual.

Suddenly, a limousine pulls up.

Out of the car steps the man who goes by the name Kingpin in this world.

And although I noticed it in the photos, but having seen Ambal in person, I am amazed by his resemblance to Michael Clarke Duncan.

He was a wonderful actor.

The shadow king of the underworld calmly walked to the stage, smiling at the guests and reporters.

- He won't be laughing for long," Uhrich said glumly.

As Kingpin approached Norman, the opening process began.

When the formalities were over, Fisk stepped to the microphone.

- Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to witness the opening of advanced medical centres where I hope many lives will be saved. Thank you.

There was applause.

The ambal descended from the stage and was advancing not far from me when suddenly....

Spider Sense.

I run forward on instinct and push Fisk to the side. Though it turns out to be accidental, as I was trying to get some reporters walking next to Kingpin out of the line of attack.

Several bombs explode on contact with the ground.

Heavy green smoke spreads.

A wild laughter reaches my ears.

No.

Not him.

In the sky, in a monster glider, the Green Goblin is planning to fly.

- Don't just stand there, come on! - I don't notice Ben grabbing me by the front of my shirt and pulling me aside.

The villain continues throwing pumpkin bombs.

Panic ensues.

Fisk is led away by his men.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Norman taking Harry away.

"But how?!"

The only thought that visits my head is, "Who is that then!"