Son

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***

An unknown place.

Emptiness, vast empty space.

So bright.

It cuts my eyes.

But I can't see why!

Wake up!

Wake up!

- What...

I opened my eyes, but it's too bright here (wherever I am), I need to get used to it, don't panic and restore the picture.

So, my name is Benjamin Richard Parker, I am the son of Peter Parker the Original Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson-Parker the most beautiful woman on earth.

Well, I may have overstated my mother's characterisation a bit, but, hey, she was a Supermodel. With a capital letter.

But once again, for the past fifteen years, I have been the one and only Amazing Spider-Man.

Or rather, it wasn't until five years ago that I truly inherited my father's mantle and nickname. However, I wore the costume for the first time when I was thirteen, I agree, a little early, even my old man was ahead of me, he was fifteen.

Maybe we'll come back to that story, but I have more important things to do right now.

I stood up and stretched, stretching my stiff limbs. Okay, good, nothing hurts, I just feel a little weak. Whatever happened, it didn't cause me much discomfort, unless I... No, I won't think about it.

The last thing that comes to mind is me and Jimmy chasing the Trapster, and we decided to have a little competition. First one to catch the bad guy gets lunch on the loser's tab. We set off in different directions, for a fairer bet, and the next thing I know, it flashes. Whatever happened, I ended up in this weird place.

Anyway, my experience as a superhero tells me that trouble can always find you, and waiting for the weather to clear is boring! So I decided to take the trail in front of me. If anything, Spidey Sense will warn me of danger.

Wow, my heritage, my father's genes, they gave me so many amazing abilities: superhuman strength - I can lift several small cars without much effort, and that's not the limit.

Superhuman endurance - I remember once, when I was tracking a maniac, I didn't sleep for a fortnight. Then I had to sleep for three days in a row, but that's the fact.

Superhuman reflexes - no comment.

Sticking to surfaces is a gift from our essence, our totem, the Spider. A very useful and insidious ability. And I can't count how many times I stuck to the floor or walls when I didn't know how to control the ability yet, ah-ha, those were glorious times.

And finally, the cherry on the cake. An ability that I can unashamedly call my most important, useful and favourite - Spider Sense. How many times has it saved my life? I kind of lost it on the seventh thousand. Bullets, bombs, blades, energy shots. The things I've dealt with over the years. But that's just a story, my dad said my Sense, in its potential, was many times greater than his, and at nineteen I beat my dad's numbers. At twenty-five, my Sense had developed to the point where I could see danger in the near future, within a radius of ten kilometres, and I could feel the threat, not only directed at me, but also directly at my loved ones. And best of all, for the last ten years no one has managed to deceive or block my foresight in any way, not even symbiotes.

But this is not a complete list of my capabilities, over the years I've been in a lot of trouble and I've always improved, analysed everyone I fight and if the villain, and sometimes the confused hero, found a new weapon, I improved myself, evolved. Sometimes this happened and not by my choice, but by fate.

This includes my enhanced spider abilities, my father told me that he received similar enhancements, in the middle of the tenth decade, but then, unexpectedly, lost them. I'm talking about enhanced regeneration, not Wolverine and Deadpool of course, but clearly more than Cap. Also instincts and telepathic communication with spiders, hello Ant-Man. The ability to throw organic webs, though I prefer to use good old fashioned web shooters. Also spider stingers. Though for more awareness of them, that's to my Uncle Cain.

There was a lot more: experiments with the "eternity formula," aka super soldier serum; the solution that turned Kurt Conors into a lizard; gamma rays, oh, that's a separate, entertaining story; and, of course, a piece of Enigma power. Yes, it was the energy that gave Captain Universe power, my father was its carrier for a while, but after defeating Tristraj, Enigma went to another champion, but it seems to have left something in his genes. All of these powers are the result of many battles, my victories and defeats. Then again, I haven't talked about the...

Danger! I abruptly jump aside and find myself on the "ceiling" of this strange empty space.

- You have nothing to fear from me, Benjamin.

From where?

- I'm sorry, but I'm probably allergic to voices that come out of thin air and from all directions," I say, and sometimes it's a Parker family trait to make a joke, and a bad one at that.

- Excuse me - then a human figure began to form in the space, and in a couple of seconds I saw an ordinary middle-aged man in front of me, looking a little like a homeless man, but maybe it was just me? - We need to talk, Benjamin Parker. It'll probably be easier for you this way.

- Clearly, now if you don't mind explaining how you know my real name!? - I demanded on my way down.

- There's no need to get angry, I know everything about your life and, for that matter, I know everything about everyone," the man said with a sort of fatherly smile, a wise grandfather's smile.

That's how Grandma May used to look at me, she could always recognise any problem I had, as if she could read it in my eyes.

- Okay, well, I'm not convinced by your answer, but I don't sense any danger from you, and I'm used to trusting Spider Sense.

- You're not worried that I might, like, block it somehow?

I don't get it, is this guy kidding me?! He's obviously got a little bit of a fun vibe to him.

- You know, for a guy who asks you to confide in him, your lines make you think four times about it. - I'm frowning, but you can't see it underneath the mask.

- I'm sorry, I just don't get to hang out with regular people very often and I don't need to frown.

What?! I'm seriously starting to lose my temper and frankly, I'm wary. My powers, at the moment I only feel like I have the powers of a spider in me, and even those are very... diminished.

- You seem to have noticed. Yes, your powers are diminished because of me, but don't get hot, there was no other way, it took a lot of energy to transition. I'm really sorry. If it makes you feel better, in time all your powers will return and even increase, consider this my apology.

Well, the old man speaks the truth, even with my weakened Sense, I can sense he's sincere.

- All right, that's fine, but still, can I be more specific.

He looked at me with interest.

- So... WHICH TRANSITION IS IT ABOUT, WHERE DID MY ABILITIES GO, AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!!?

That's it, you've got to go to the yellow house, Parker, and weave baskets.

- It's funny, when I first met your father, he was beating up an iron dustbin and then a brick wall, so much so that his hands were bleeding. So that he would believe me, I healed them.

I felt myself getting better, I was calming down, and clearly this guy didn't do it without help.

- You knew my dad?

- Yes, like I said before, I know everything about everyone, though your father is one of the few who realised my true nature, but I erased that information from his mind - it's too much of a burden. And your father has already experienced too much in his life.

It's true, though the trials and losses and pain made my father what he is, a true hero. There's always been too much. Too much for one man and probably if it wasn't for family, he would have broken down a long time ago.

Although, at times we weren't enough, sometimes my father became too aloof and there were even incidents that made me almost hate him...

- As for my name, call me Ab.

- Ab? Just Ab?

- Yes, just Ab, and if you're as smart as I think you are, you'll figure it out.

Okay, let's rewind the film: a huge bright white space, a loud voice coming from all directions, the image of a wise old man, the ability to heal and awareness of everything. Either this is another Mysterio trick, or....

- Huh, I see you guessed it - still the same kind smile.

- It's okay, Benjamin, it's okay, take it easy.

There's that warm touch again, like a mother's hug.

- Well, Benji or Benj, Benjamin was my grandfather's name. And sometimes my father, and sometimes my uncle, who's sort of a clone of my father. Oh, I'm sorry. That's a lot of words.

The man just shook his head kindly.

- I get it, Benji. It's funny, because May and Ben Parker aren't your father's parents, so why is that?

- Um... but you already know the answer to that," I stammered.

- Yes, but I'd like to hear it from you personally-HIS reassuring smile was clearly empowering.

- Well, Grandma May replaced my father, my mother, my grandfather her husband, and it all makes sense. Of course, as a child they tried to teach me to call my grandmother simply, "Aunt May", and I, probably out of stubbornness, began to say grandmother, well, in extreme cases, just May.

- Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, very nice story, Benjy," he said, wiping away a tear.

- S-thank you, you know, I've got plenty more of those, I can tell you more, it's not every time you can make a real All in All laugh....

- It's just Ab, we're on good terms, it doesn't have to be complicated.

- I get it, I'm sorry, I'm nervous, and jokes are a natural mechanism.

- Yeah, Benji, I know. But now we have to get down to business.

He got serious. And when guys like him get serious, guys like me suddenly need to change their cobwebby trousers.....

- Regarding the weakening of your powers and the move itself. There's a serious threat coming Benjamin Parker, unknown forces are targeting the thing that matters most to you, your family.

I'm dumbfounded.

No! Not my parents, my brother, my sisters.

NOT MY FAMILY!

- But, but you, well, YOU, that shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?! - probably something only a complete idiot would say to him, but I'm desperate.

- I'm sorry Benji, I can't intervene every time I want to help, but I am able to appoint...an envoy. Which is why your powers will be limited for a while. You see, nature abhors a void. The energy I took from you is a kind of personality mould. It will remain in your time for as long as you need it.

- And the conditions of return?

- Mission accomplished or death.

Well, that's clear, precise and concise.

Help me.

- I get it, Abe, the Amazing Spider-Man can do it all. It's up to you to believe it.

- Ha! That's the spirit! I was right to pick you. Then let's talk details. Come here.

What can I say, the general says go, the soldiers say eat! I approached, Abe put his hand on my shoulder and I felt something unusual happen to my uniform.

- Hello, Bearer! - chirped something in my ear.

Whoa! A mechanical but definitely cheerful and even, very feminine voice is what I heard after my mask improved.

- Erm, hello! Who are you?

- I'm a data-processing life-supporting, life-preserving nanomechanism - D.J.E.N., for short - she finished nicely, and I realised that I didn't understand anything.

- This is a device I brought back from the twenty-ninth century. You don't need to understand anything. It contains an information base of absolutely all events, personalities and phenomena that you can meet on your way. I know your family's ability to become involved in all sorts of mundane events. Think of it as a precaution and one of the three gifts.

- Wow, cool, just like the deathly Hallows. - Well done, Parker, go ahead and insult him, too. - I mean, I was gonna--

- It's okay, I know you're freaking out.

I'm shocked.

- Abe, how is it, I mean, it's not armour, it's like the mechanism has become one with the uniform.

- I'm sure the machine will be happy to explain it to you.

- Yes, Bearer, just to clarify, I'm from the year twenty-eight hundred and twenty-three. And also, you're right, I'm based on what we've learnt about symbiotic life forms, so I've really become one with your suit.

- Uniform, I mechanically corrected. - Thanks for the explanation, Jen. And by the way, you don't have to call me carrier, if anything.

- I got it," the computer added.

- I see you've got it figured out.

- Yes, thank you! I could really use this thing.

- I'm sure you will. Now, listen very carefully, Benji. I'm going to send you to a certain point in your parents' past. The past of the original Spider-Man. All I can tell you is that events will not begin immediately upon your arrival. You'll have plenty of time, but there's no telling what threats await you. Also, I know that people have considered many concepts of time travel, but only one law is true for them - "You can't go to a time when you already exist".

Yeah, that's a lot of perspective. It's a good thing I'm wearing a mask, or I think I'm all twisted up. I've got a lump of nerves in my stomach that's just about to burst. But if I'm in the past.

- I see what's eating at you. Let me explain. Time is a road. Where you stand, where you've been and where you're going. You can't change what's already happened. But still, you don't want to drastically reinterpret history, it could complicate your mission.

- But what does that mean? - you need more information.

- It means be careful, rely on your judgement and trust your gut. If you feel you have to do something, do it. There are no wrong answers on this path, it's up to you whether your path is easy or thorny. In the end, the threads of fate will tie everything together exactly as it should be. But it's up to you to choose the pattern.

- I understand, that is, if I, for example, when I get to the past and the first thing I do is to go to my parents and dump all the information on them, this burden can break them. But if, let's say, I facilitate some events, stop a couple of father's villains, help people and, by bits and pieces, gain trust - then it will be much easier!

- Right, you're thinking along the right lines.

- Well, I guess it'll be easy, after all, I'm twenty-nine. At worst my dad and I will be almost the same age, at best I'll be older!

- Um... yeah, about that - and then I realised that I was going to hate this next one. - In order to effectively regain your abilities, and maintain a strong personality mould, I had to take away some of your years and rejuvenate you.

Well, here we are. Although now I can see why I thought I was shorter.

- So, how old am I gonna be? - I'm really afraid of the answer.

- Sixteen.

- Phew, don't scare me like that, Ab! I thought you were gonna make a 12-year-old hero.

Well, sixteen's not so bad. That's when I started having fun. Apparently, youth will happen again.

- It's good that you're thinking positively. But it's time for you to go.

Boy, it looks like everything's really at stake this time. Can't screw this up.

- Okay, phew, I'm ready!

- Good luck, Benjamin Richard Parker.

A golden glow enveloped me and everything went dark.