The Amazing Spider-Man 3

Chapter 16

A week came and went, and still no answers.

In a way, Peter felt like this should be a good thing. The doctor had told him and May that there was a fifty-fifty chance that everything May had been exposed to essentially cancelled each other out since there were no obvious immediate physical effects. His aunt had endured daily testing and observation, and all signs seemed to point to her being in the clear. Still, Peter couldn't help but have a bad feeling that they were getting off too easily right now.

May was so strong through it all. It probably helped that she knew all the doctors and other nurses so well, but she simply did whatever they told her to do with no questions asked, not complaining even once. Peter was impressed; if their positions were reversed, he pictured himself being a much more stubborn and probably annoying patient to deal with. He could tell the process was wearing on her, but she maintained an overall positive outlook on the situation, seemingly even more so as the days went on.

Peter had offered to take off work to stay with her, but she'd refused, saying that the last thing she needed was him disrupting his life for something that might not even end up being that big of a deal. He understood where she was coming from, and honestly, he felt it was the right decision more and more as the week went on. Staying busy between the Bugle and patrolling the city helped prevent him from going completely insane with worry. He still felt a little guilty for being away from her most of the average day, and he made a point of visiting frequently, bringing her anything she requested (that part she wasn't as shy about).

From a Spider-Man standpoint, Peter was having just as little if not even worse luck. He sought any lead he could find, but the trail of the villains was dead. He checked intently on the web, at work, and in every shady looking building in the city (which, to be fair, was a lot to cover by itself), but there was no sign of the so called "Master Planner" and those in his or her service. The police scanners he piggybacked on weren't picking up any activity involving anything even remotely related to the tech thefts either.

All of this greatly concerned Peter. To him, a lull in activity at this stage after being so active likely meant that whoever was behind this was close to their endgame. His desperation was growing, and he was trying to think of anything he might've missed; any clues he might've overlooked in this case. Whoever the mastermind of this whole thing was, they had taken great steps not to reveal themselves, instead relying on others to do their dirty work for them.

Between his concern for May and his fears for the city, Peter's anxiety wasn't getting any better. He found himself having difficulty focusing on the job, catching himself constantly tapping his foot against the floor or fingers on the desk in fits of nervousness. Robbie must have taken notice, because he offered to give Peter some time off to be with his aunt. He refused though, saying he needed to work, and that was true, but for some reason, it still wasn't enough.

He'd considered popping over next door to visit with Mary Jane, but he never could bring himself to make the very short trip. Peter had come to enjoy her company very much; she was fun and always had a very contagious energy that made him feel better. Those were obviously all good things, but still, a hesitation lurked in Peter's mind whenever he thought of her. It was a nervousness that likely meant something he wouldn't even let himself think about and he made every effort to shut down such thoughts when they did arise.

Still, even with everything going on, Peter couldn't help but wonder about her.

----

"Alright Liz, I'm heading out for the day," Mary Jane said as she walked past her friend and business partner at the checkout area.

"Hey, M.J," Liz said, seemingly making a point to say it in a way to make her stop and actually look at her.

It worked too.