Spider-Man | Doesn't Need Help

EPILOGUE

For a long time, I refused to believe that my life could truly be good. I hadn't believed it since I was five or six, because even before that, I wanted things to be good, but it was me—one man against the whole world.

I didn't believe that I would be able to trust anyone, or that I would become attached to anyone, or even that anyone could care about me at all.

And yet May appeared.

I remember being rude and cold to her at first, but it was because I was afraid. I was afraid she'd soon give me away too, or that Mr. Adams would come back—because I was constantly thinking about it at the time. And yet she didn't reciprocate. On the contrary, she was kind to me like no one else. Hardly anyone since I was four had been so kind to me. I didn't want to let her into my life, yet she barged in and made herself at home.

But to be honest, I've never regretted—and never will—doing so. Despite what's happened now.

I knew from the start that I would suffer. Yet, it slipped my mind. I simply forgot and lived like a normal teenager my age… Well, almost normal. I knew, but I don't regret it. I will never regret trusting her, spending time with her, and making so many memories. Never.

Yet...

She promised me. Swore, in fact, that she would never leave me. She promised she would always be there for me, that I would never have to worry about anything except getting a bad grade or fighting with a friend. And yet, now I was worried that she was gone. She was just another person who had abandoned me. She now joined Mom, Dad, Karen, Uncle Ben... And she had abandoned me.

But she promised.

She lied. She lied to me.

And I really thought everything would be okay. Why? Why, why?! Why did I think that?! I knew I shouldn't, and yet...

I was alone again. I had no one left. I didn't even go back to my apartment because I knew that as soon as they realized who I was and that May had been taking care of me, they would send social services to get me.

So what's next? What now? What should I do? May said I wouldn't have to worry about that.

She lied.

Why her too? Why does everyone lie to me? Everyone leaves me? Everyone I'm attached to leaves.

Why does this world hate me so much?

Mr. Adams was gone. He didn't remember anything. Yet he and his men were my only and greatest concern—I was afraid they'd come back. So why, when he was no longer my problem, did I still have to lose everything?

Why?

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my sweatshirt as my skin began to sting. The rain was coming down even harder, leaving me completely soaked.

I'll never see my smiling aunt again. I'll never feel that warmth radiating from her as she hugs me. I'll never see her truly beautiful eyes again. She'll never wish me a good day, tell me to take care, kiss my forehead, or tuck me in when she comes home late from work.

It's over.

There will never be another Aunt May of mine.

"Peter?"

I heard a familiar voice.

I lifted my head slightly and had to blink a few times to clear my vision and see who it was—though I knew it the moment he said my name.

Mr. Stark stood about ten feet away from me, looking at me with that damned pity in his eyes I hated so much. But this wasn't about my scars right now.

It was about who I lost.

I couldn't even stop another wave of tears from rolling down my cheeks or the sobs that escaped me.

“What happened, kid?” he asked as gently as he had ever asked before.

I shook my head slightly, unable to utter a single word for a moment.

I felt like I had to tell him. I had to. I owed it to him—after I'd escaped his lab and he'd clearly felt compelled to run after me, I had to.

"My aunt... She promised she would never leave me again."

With the last words I couldn't hold back and burst into loud tears.

She promised she would never leave me.

She promised.

And now... she was gone.

I tried to cover my mouth with one hand to try to muffle my sobs, but it didn't help much.

I couldn't stop.

It was too much for me.

Definitely too much.

I didn't even realize when Mr. Stark was right next to me and just hugged me.

He wrapped his broad arms around me, slowly stroking my back.

"Come on, take it easy..." he whispered next to my ear. "Cry it out, Pete."

May called me that.

It wasn't just Mom and Dad who called me that anymore.

But May.

Thinking about this, I burst into even louder tears.

Aunt May also patted my back like that, hugging me tightly.

But Mr. Stark was not May.

"Shh, everything will be okay. I promise, kid."