Family Tree ~ An El Hopper and Peter Parker Story

Chapter 4

Peter Parker woke up the next day, laying on a wet pillow from his tears. He remembered what had happened yesterday with Aunt May, thinking that it was nothing more than a nightmare. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Just like his mom, dad, Uncle Ben, and Tony Stark, Aunt May was dead. More tears came into his eyes, but he wiped them away, refusing to cry anymore.

The mourning boy sat up and got dressed for the day. He put on his Spider-Man suit underneath his normal clothes, just in case he caught sight of Otto Octavius while on patrol. Peter didn't know what he was going to do with the villain, but he did know that he wouldn't let him off so easily. Octavius had to pay for what he did to May and he had to be stopped with whatever he was planning.

Peter stepped out of his room and looked around in the hallway. It was nearly time for school, but he was wondering why no one was getting out of their rooms. He just shrugged and walked down the hallway to the exit. 

"Peter Parker?" A voice called out. Peter turned around and saw Kiernan walking up to him from her office. "I want to speak with you. It's about adoption," she told him, beckoning him to follow her.

Peter sat down in a chair in front of Kiernan's desk, who sat down on her chair. She was typing some stuff into her computer before turning to face him. "This man has been looking into adopting a kid and he has some interest in you from what we put on the adoption websites," she informed the teen. "Unfortunately, that means moving away from here."

"W-What?" Peter stuttered, not comprehending what the social worker was telling him.

"You'll have to move to where this man is living, that is, if he adopts you. He lives in a small town of Hawkins, Indiana and he'll be coming up here to meet you," Kiernan continued to explain.

Peter shook his head, scared at the thought of moving. "No, no, no, I can't move! I have friends here and I can't leave!" He shouted, not adding in that he had a super villain to stop. 

Kiernan gave him a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Peter. But this man is the only one interested in adopting you so far. I'll let you know if anyone else is interested, but if he adopts you, you'll have no choice," she told him. "I get it. You're suffering from a great loss and that's completely understandable, but it's important that you have someone to take care of you as well. You're not 18 for another few years, so this is mandatory."

Peter nodded, understanding what she was saying, but was still upset. He couldn't leave MJ and Ned like this, especially not now. Queens is his home and it's not like he could just leave it behind with his dead family. It wouldn't be that simple. How would MJ and Ned react to the news that he might have to move? And worst of all, what would happen to Spider-Man?

Kiernan excused him to go to school for the day, so Peter grabbed his bag and walked out of the orphanage. He arrived at school and walked through the hallways to get to his locker. Before he could open his locker, he heard someone shout from behind him, making his groan in response.

"PENIS PARKER!" Flash Thompson called out. "What's this I hear about your aunt? She's all over the news. First you lie about the Stark Internship to get famous and now your aunt is dead? Did you kill her to get more fame or something?"

Peter was angry at what the bully had said. He turned around and looked at him with a glare. "Take that back," he growled.

"Awww, is Penis sad that I called him out of what he did?" Flash answered in a mocking tone. "Wait, I'm wrong. You didn't kill her. She let herself get killed because she didn't want to live with someone who ruined her life."

"I said take that BACK!" Peter yelled, causing for the whole hallway to grow quiet to see what was happening. "My aunt was MURDERED IN FRONT OF ME SO SHUT UP FLASH! STOP BEING INSENSITIVE FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!" He continued to yell, not even realizing what he had said.