The Amazing Spider-Man 3

Chapter 45

Spider-Woman Has Retired!

I stared down at the headline of the most recent Daily Bugle.  I imagined Gwen doing the same.  Maybe she was crying, or smiling, or feeling the same regret in the pit of her stomach that I was.  I wanted to go see her.  Would she want me to?

I dropped the newspaper onto the floor, snatching my backpack off of the chair by my desk.  I leapt out of my gaping, half-repaired window and into the empty streets.  I swung a leg over my motorcycle and sped off before Harry woke up, for he was sleeping late.

I cut off the bike motor in the apartment parking garage, then jogged to the entrance.  I stared at the doorman intently, arms crossed.  Changing my mind, I circled the apartment building until I was standing beside the fire escape. 

I grabbed the fifth rung, swinging myself onto the platform in a flip.  I shot a web near the twentieth floor and allowed my body to sail upward, landing directly outside Gwen's bedroom window. 

The curtains were drawn slightly, only open a small crack.  I peeked into her bedroom, finding her still sound asleep.

I thought for a minute, trying to decide what to do.  I didn't want to wake her up.  Instead, I just sat there, staring at the city below, waiting.

My eyes scanned the speeding cars, stopping and starting as they jammed together and swerved every which way.  A traffic light caught automobiles every two minutes, and honks filled the neighborhood.  Then something moved.  Of course, everything was moving, but something specific moved that caught my attention.

There was a boy, probably in his twenties or thirties, sprinting across the road, wedging his body in between parked cars.  He stumbled, falling against one, setting off the alarm.  I laughed quietly, enjoying the show.  That's when everything became serious.

Another man, looking twice my age, poked his head out of a nearby restaurant.  A gun followed, pointed straight at the boy.

I jolted into action, shooting a web at the fire escape rail.  I leapt off letting the webbing lengthen until I released my web shooter button, causing the web to jerk taught and land my feet on the ground perfectly. 

I pulled my mask on as I ran, dropping my clothes in an alley.  Right as the shot fired, I slammed my body into the boy.  The bullet lightly grazed my shoulder. 

I cried out, then returned to my feet.  The gun was webbed to a wall in no time, but the man's fingers slipped from it, and they were free.  He was running my direction now, pulling a knife from his pocket. 

Right as he was about to stab me, I slid between his legs, confusing him.  He shouted something, and I slammed my elbow into him from behind.  The man stumbled forward, but quickly rightened himself.  His fist was directed toward my masked face, and my spider senses averted my head.  I spun, kicking him in the shoulder.  He stumbled forward again, waving his knife at me.

I grabbed his wrist, squeezing it.  The man screamed, desperately trying to hold his grip.  He clenched his teeth, staring into my big, white plastic eyes with determination.  I sighed, rotating my own wrist.  His snapped, breaking.  He screamed again, cradling his wrist and dropping the knife.  This time, I webbed him to the wall, making sure he was a good enough distance from his gun.

The boy stared at me with awe, and that's when I recognized him.  Lance.  I gave him a salute, walking away.  He followed me, and we both took a sharp turn into another alley.

"Peter?"  His voice trembled.  I looked at him for a moment, then decided to reply.

"What were you doing?  You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"So it is you!"

I yanked my mask off.  "Please don't tell me you did all that so you could find out it was me."

"I..."  Lance looked down at his feet.  "I wanted...I wanted to make sure."

I slammed the back of my head into the side of a building with a groan.  "Well, now you know.  Are you happy, now?  Was that really necessary?"  I peeked around the corner as a police car screeched to a stop beside the criminal.

Lance was silent.  I picked at my bleeding arm.

"Look, I'm sorry.  About everything."

"That's good to know," I said through a pained gasp.  My hand dropped at my side after I gave up on my wound.

"I don't want us to hate each other anymore."

I looked him in the eye questioningly.  "Why have you changed all of the sudden?"

Lance sighed.  "I've begun to notice things.  You risk everything for petty crimes.  You deserve so much better than how I've been treating you."

"That's flattering.  But, there's more to it than just that."

Lance gave another sigh.  "You may not remember this, but my mother was dying in a car accident last week.  You saved her life."  I thought back to the week before, trying to remember everyone I'd saved.  There had been a robber, an amateur assassin, and a car accident.  I remembered pulling a woman out of a car, who reminded me of Aunt May, bleeding to death from a wound in her stomach.  I had carried her to the hospital much like I had Gwen.

"She was your mother?"

"Yes.  I never knew how much you had done for the city, or how much you were capable of, or how forgiving you are, or any of that.  I just realized it all of the sudden when you saved her.  How foolish I had been..."  I placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"It's alright."

"You risked her life for her."  I had, indeed.  Another car had slammed into hers seconds after I had swung away with her in my arms.  Sure, my spider senses alerted me, but if I had still been standing there, I may not have gotten away in time.

"Yes.  I did."

"Thank you.  For everything.  And I'm sorry."

"That's okay.  I forgive you."

Lance smiled.  Not his mischevious smile, but a happy smile.  I returned it.