Spider-Man: Marvel Knight

Chapter 11-Leaving the Past...Looking to the Future

Gwen and Harry approached the Parker household. They were nervous as they could be and desperately trying to hold in their tears. Ben had been like their cool uncle since they were children, and Peter adored him more than anything in the world. Norman and the Stacies had left the house about an hour before they went, because they decided to go on their own terms.
Gwen slowly approached the door and reached for the doorbell. Her hand stopped just before she could press in the button, though. She looked at Harry with tears in her eyes. "I can't do it..." she said shaking her head, her breath trembling with her soft sobbing. Harry held his tears and rubbed her back. He pressed the doorbell and cringed slightly at the joyful sounding ringing.
May slowly opened the door and saw her nephew's friends. "Harry, Gwen..." she said with a weak smile. Her eyes were red from crying all last. Ight
Gwen lept and clung to May. "Aunt May..." she whispered while crying. May patted her back and held back her tears so she could comfort a girl she felt was her neice. "I'm so sorry..." she continued.
"It's fine," May said while comforting her. "Ben would not want us to be like this, moping around. I'm trying to find the good in the moment." Gwen slowly let go and looked May in the eyes. Her friend's aunt wiped the running mascara rolling down her cheek. "So quit those tears, Gwenny."
Gwen nodded and wiped the tears from her cheek. "Yes ma'am..." she replied. Harry went over and gave her a quick hug.
"I'm so sorry, Aunt May," he said, also trying not to cry.
She patted his back and let go of the hug. "Nothing to be sorry about, dear. It happens to us all eventually. Come sit."
They went and sat down in the living room. "How's Peter taking it?" Gwen asked hesitantly.
May shook her head. "Not well at all," she replied. Not a big surprise though, sweetheart. Peter just about worshipped everything about that man." She pointed up at the stairwell. "He's upstairs if you want to see him."
Gwen nodded and got up. Harry stayed in his chair. "You coming, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "No," he replied choked up. "I'm...I'm not ready to see my best friend in a condition that's not happy like himself." Gwen totally understood. Harry and Peter were so close, that they couldn't stand to see each other get emotional. She nodded in agreement and moved quietly up the stairs.
Gwen approached Peter's door at the end of the hallway. Everything inside her wanted to turn away; she really didn't want to see whatever shape Peter was in now. She was becoming interested in him now. When they saw each other yesterday, they were basically flirting with each other. This whole thing could absolutely ruin their relationship, and although she understood that it could happen, she didn't want it to. Determined to check on her friend, she reluctantly knocked on the door... No answer. "Peter, it's me," she finally said in her soft, melancholy voice. There was some more silence. Finally, she heard the doorknob turn.
Peter slowly opened the door and looked at his friend. His red eyes and sweaty hair told Gwen everything that she needed to know. You could absolutely feel the dread in the room; it was so heavy that she wanted to cry as soon as Peter opened the door for her. "Pete," she said, still choking on her words. "Are you gonna be alright?"
"Fine..." he said, trying not to make eye contact. He could see the mascara lines on Gwen's cheeks; she wasn't taking it well either. He knew that Ben was her uncle just as much as he was his. Looking at those melancholy lines on her face were only going to make him sadder.
Gwen took her hand and tilted his face towards her eyes. "Peter," she started, still trying not to cry, "look at me." He slowly looked at her eyes and she could see his pain. They were still bloodshot from crying, and Gwen couldn't help but start to tear up as well. "Peter..." she said while caressing his cheek. "I'm so...I'm so sorry." Tears began to run down her face again letting more mascara fall down from her eyes.
Peter began to feel more tears coming on. He rested his face into her gentle caress and felt some comfort. "Please don't cry," he said, still trying not to sob. He couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled her into an embracing hug. They held each other for a little while until they could cry all they could cry. Finally, they let go of each other. He wiped the mascara lines from her cheeks. "Thanks for coming, Gwen," he said with a mournful smile.
Gwen's dark lips smiled. "Of course," she said, holding Peter's hand in hers. "We're friends, Peter. We'll always be there for you."
"Where's Harry?" he asked.
She pointed her thumb at his door. "He's downstairs right now with May... I don't think he's ready to see you yet."
He nodded. "I understand." He rubbed her hand with his in nervousness. Something in him wanted to tell her what had happened late last night, after Ben was shot. He wanted to tell her what he did to Ryan. Peter just wanted to get the guilt off of his chest. "Hey, Gwen?"
Her crystal, blue eyes looked up into his. "Yeah, Pete?" she asked somewhat concerned.
Peter couldn't bear to look at her while he said it. "I think I did something that I shouldn't have last night," he said.
She looked at him, now obviously puzzled. "Peter, what do you mean?" she asked.
Peter tried to say what happened, but it felt like it just wouldn't come out. He felt like he had a duty to protect his friends from his new life as "Spider-Man." He shook his head in response. This was it; he was going to tell her. Before he could say anything else, he heard someone clear their throat. Pete and Gwen turned to see Harry in the doorway. He gave his friends a smile.
Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "Come here and give me a hug. And don't you dare cry..." Harry said. Peter kept his composure and chuckled at Harry. They pulled each other close with true brotherly love.
Gwen was anxious now. What did Peter do? What was he talking about? She looked at him and thought to herself about what happened.
Tuesday...it was the next day.
Uncle Ben's funeral lasted fairly quickly. Norman and Harry, the Stacies, and Mrs. Watson were all there to pay their respects to their old friend. Ben's old science pals Otto and Kurt were there as well. MJ had text her aunt to give her condolences for her.
As they lowered Ben into his grave, Peter saw it as a new sign. The old Peter was gone. Today, he buried his fear, his anxiety, and all of the weaknesses of Peter Parker his uncle. Something awoke in him that day.
That thing...was Spider-Man.
As Peter and May walked to their car after the funeral, Norman went over and started talking to Mrs. Stacy. Since their parents were busy, Harry and Gwen started talking to each other.
Harry watched Peter enter the car. "They said that they caught Ben's killer two days ago," he told her. The good news lifted Gwen's spirits a little. "The news said that he was captured by a vigilante calling himself 'Spider-Man.'"
Gwen sighed at the news. Something was rising inside of her; it felt a lot like doubt to her...doubt about the truth behind Harry's statement. "Do you believe that?" she asked.
Her friend ran his fingers through his hair and inhaled. As he exhaled, he thought of his answer. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Gwen," he said. "It seems far fetched that a new metahuman is out thirsty for criminals' blood."
Gwen kept her eyes on Peter in the car. "When he held my hand for support," she said, "he told me that he did something bad...Harry..." So many emotions rushed into her. Could this happen? "...Harry, you don't think that Peter...."
Harry shook his head. "Not in a million years... Gwen, this is Peter we're talking about."
She looked up at her friend in soft retaliation. "You didn't see his eyes like I did, Harry." Gwen felt a tear come to her eye. "There was more than just pain...there was so much...anger and resentment." She looked back at the car that Peter and his aunt were sat in. As they drove off, Gwen let a single tear fall down her cheek. "I don't know about this Spider-Man...but I do know one thing: Peter is gonna hurt someone. I don't know who, I don't know when, and I don't where, but when he does...they'll be sorry that they ever made him angry..."