Chapter 9: One Step...

Monday, September 13, 2006

2:29 pm

Queens, New York

Alex Pov.

--------------------------

If I were to decide my morning in two words, it would be lucky and awkward. First, I was fortunate to return to the hospital without getting noticed. Apparently, the injuries that I gave those idiots from last night were so bad that they detracted most of the staff long enough to sneak back into my wing. A part of me feels bad for those guys, an ant-man-size part. After finally getting some much-needed sleep, I was soon visited by another doctor, Dr. Oliva Carbi, to check on my health while giving me a mix of concern and confused glances as she worked. The staff here must still be a bit confused about the reasoning behind my coma as she kept doing various tests and asking questions, some of which I had to redirect to avoid the spiders. I was also worried about her discovering my injuries from last night, but after a few stretches, I didn't feel a single ounce of pain throughout my body; even my arm felt great. Score one for the healing factor.

Once the doc was done with her tests, I asked her about a possible release from the hospital today, which she politely and immediately declined—stating that I needed to be here for another few weeks, which would not do for me. There were too many eyes around here, and if last night was any indicator, the one thing that I'm lacking right now is control. Plus, this hospital gives me the creeps for some reason.

So after arguing with Dr. Carbi for what seems like hours, she's a stubborn one, I finally found a compromise, saying that I could be released on the condition that I had to come back for daily check-ups, and my guardians had to agree with this. About this time, the door opened again, revealing Aunt May and Uncle Ben with relief experiences on their faces. I wasn't sure if this was a huge convenience or if this hospital was careless. Either way, it works for me.

The awkward part was seeing my aunt and uncle after having what essentially was a two-day-long nap. It's always hard keeping secrets from them, not for the lack of trying on my part. However, compear to my memories, these powers would be more difficult to hide from them without lying, and I hate lying in general. Yet, as I awkwardly hug back a crying aunt may, trying my best not to break her spin with the slightest touch, my mind raced again. This time only go back to what happened last night, with my emotional rollercoaster. I honestly don't know how to feel about that night. All I know is that I needed to talk to Ben. Not to tell him about the powers, but to hopefully get some advice or something, really. Anything to give me some peace of mind,

...for once in my life.

--------------------------

"Are you sure about this, Alex? What if you have another accented, like on that field trip? Surely school could wait a couple more weeks; maybe you should take this time to properly rest." my aunt said, hoping I reconsider returning to school after a coma.

Though they agreed with the doctors purposely, they were a bit hesitant about my idea of going back to school within a week. Although, Ben was the main reason why May went along with this, claiming that I didn't want to fall too behind everyone else. Which had some truth to it but not the complete fact. Honestly, I wanted to keep an eye on some specific people, mainly Cindy and my brother. Speaking of Peter, my gaze shifted toward the empty seat next to me as we drove home.

'You could've at least called off to see me.' I thought while thinking about what Gwen told me last night. Two whole days in a coma, and he was too engrossed in his internship to visit. My fist clenched as I couldn't help but be slightly bitter about it, though I still believe Peter must have worried. He stayed with me during the ride to the hospital, so he couldn't still be mad, right? It's not like Pete can hold a grudge or any-on second thought, never mind.

"Alex...Alex, you okay over there, son?" Uncle Ben asked, snapping me out of my musings. I looked towards the front, only for my eyes to be met with stares of concern from both May and Ben, the ladder through the rearview mirror as he drove.

'Shit, I zoned out again! Quick Alex, play it cool.' "Heh, yeah, I'm good. Sorry about that; I zoned out for a bit. So, um, what were you saying?" I replied back as if coming off a daydream. Genius, Alex, genius. This got a curious look from Ben's reflection as May just sighed.

"Honestly, Alex, do you know how worried I was? First, it was your barbaric hobby, then you'll find yourself in a coma. I swear, young man, you'll give me a heart attack if this keeps up." Aunt May said, venting out her frustrations. I looked down at the floor in shame and couldn't blame her for being upset. Aunt May never liked seeing us hurt in any way, and unlike my twin, I actively got into fights. There's a reason why she hated my MMA "hobby."

"Now, May, don't be too hard on the boy." Ben said, jumping into my defense. Always here to save us from Aunt May's wrath.

...well, most of the time.

"It's okay, Uncle Ben." I sighed. "I'm sorry for worrying you, both of you. It's not like I wanted any of this, nor did I want to be diff...never mind. Though if it makes you feel better, I'm reconsidering going back to MMA in the future." I said as Ben gave me a curious look in the mirror.

My aunt and uncle looked at each other before May continued, "No, Alex, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm just concerned about your well-being; from what the doctors told us, you went into a coma due to overstress. Though I am relieved that you'll be spending less time in that sport, I don't want to force you to do so, only if it's your choice. All I asked is for you to be more careful and not overwork yourself. Do I make myself clear, young man?" I nodded in agreement. She smiles softly at this, "You and your uncle are becoming the same nowadays. Both are doing far too much, believing you're Captain America."

Ben chuckled at this, "Hehe...Come now, May, though I may be a good man, Captain America's boots are too big for me to fill. Right, Alex?"

"Y-Yeah, w-who wants to be their hero anyways? Hehe..." I said jokingly, trying to hide the slightest hint of fear in my voice. 'Just a little bit more. I genuinely hope you can give me the answer I need.' My thoughts echo in my head as I remain quiet, hoping to find the right words to say before reaching home.

--------------------------

"...And there we go," Ben said while placing down the last of my bags. When they heard the news from Gwen the previous night that I was awake, He and May decided to pack a week's worth of clothes for me, expecting my stay at the hospital to be longer. Guess there was no need for it anymore. I hope I didn't waste too much of their time.

"Thanks, Uncle Ben, but you didn't need to help me. I'm more than capable of carrying all these bags at once if I tried."

Ben shook his head in amusement, "I know you could and that I didn't need to help, but I wanted to." Why does it feel like there is a double meaning in those words? "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something since we're here. Are you feeling okay, Alex?" Weird, he couldn't have noticed something too different about me. Maybe this is the famous Responsibility speech. Though I've heard it so many times by now,...

...But it's now or never.

"U-Uncle Ben, can I ask you something between us?" I ask, looking back at the man who Pete-, no, who I consider a role model.

Ben smiled warmly, "Sure, kiddo, though you're getting so tall that it's a little weird calling you that. Hehe, but anyway, you can ask me anything?"

"Well umm...you see I...*Sigh* If-If you be able to do something, do it better than and you knew the responsibility that comes with it. However, you also knew about the dangers that responsibility can bring, not just to yourself but to the ones you love. If you're afraid that you could make things worst than you thought they could be if you take up that responsibility. It-it won't be wrong to let someone else take it up, right, have someone you know that could be better suited?" I finally asked, not bothering to take my gaze from the ground. Even though I was facing him, it felt like my spider sense was making me still aware of Ben's actions, and he was looking at me sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"...Wow, Alex, you know how to ask an old man some really deep questions, huh? But, I think I know what's troubling you." I raised my eyebrow questioningly at that statement but said nothing. "Listen, Alex, many people in the world have gone through exactly the same thing at your age, ha, heck, even myself."

"Well, I wouldn't say exactly like me..."

"Point being that you're taking that first step and that you're changing, changing into the man I always knew you could be." Ben said with a smile.

"...Always knew?"

"Yep, because you've already learned an important lesson,..with great power, comes great responsibility." Uncle Ben then places a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "However, there's more to those words you don't know." Now I was baffled, '...Already learned? ...More to those words?' wasn't he supposed to stop at that?

"Uncle Ben, I'm not following, wasn't 'with great power, comes great responsibility' the actual lesson? There shouldn't be more to it, right?"

"Well, most would think that true, but the funny thing about responsibility... It's the same as life." Ben replied as I listened closely to his word, not a thought going through my head, and that rearly ever happens. He continued, "Much like life, responsibility comes with its own trials. Like life, those trials will test you constantly, getting harder as time passes. It may feel like more of a burden. A curse that was placed upon you the moment you took it. That's, Alex, is the price we all share regarding responsibility."

"...But I want you to remember this," Ben said with a proud smile. "When that burden weights heavy on you, you push on until it weighs nothing. When people disagree on how you do that responsibility, you work every day to prove them wrong. When that responsibility makes you believe you are alone, know that you never are, even if no one is beside you. When you're unsure if you are worthy of upholding it, know that you are the only person who can ever answer that question truthfully. Lastly, never be afraid to do what you think is right." My eyes slowly widened after each sentence, and I opened my mouth, about to say something, but Uncle Ben cut me off. "Even if you somehow know about some terrible things that could happen and feel like the universe is against you,...remember that you can only do your best. Even if it hurts, always know that for so long that you give 100%, no one, not even the universe, can take that away from you. So, can you promise me that you'll do the best that you can?"

"I-I'll try..." I managed to say, stunned after everything I'd heard from h; that was much more than I bargained for.

"Good," he nodded back, "Though I'm not sure what you're having trouble with, I hope our talk could help and that you know that your family believes in you. Even Peter, though I think you two are going through a rough patch, any insight on that?"

"It's-*Sigh* it's complicated."

"Hmmm, whatever it is, I have faith that you two will figure it out. You both care for each other too much for anything less, much like how your father and I used to work things out with each other." He then patted my back before standing up from the bed. "Any who, that game isn't going to watch itself. I'll let you have your rest and call you when dinner is ready. Any request for May?"

This time I smile back, "It's Aunt May's cooking, Uncle Ben. Anything will do,...oh, and...thanks for the talk."

"Any time, kiddo, any time. He exited the room, leaving me with only my thoughts. For a while, I sat there, glancing now and then at the various items around my room from the hobbies. As I did that, the conversation played back to back in my mind, only for one thing to stand out while turning my attention toward my hands. 'Do the best that you can....'

--------------------------

11:08 pm

--------------------------

"Protests have occurred in several major cities, including San Francisco and Dallas. They are asking for an answer from their local governments about the growing sightings of what people call 'mutants.' Sightings show certain individuals with unique capabilities that differ from one another. However, opinions on these individuals lack a better term, 'mixed,' as some people still find them normal people, and most question this belief. Viewing them as nothing more than a danger to their communities, going as far as forming groups of....."

*Click*

"Genius Billionaire Tony Stark has short once again within the stock market after providing our armed forces with technology that could help them take down targets covertly. Critics claimed that if Stark Industries keeps this rant up, any man once again be known as the most successful company within the last 20 years. Taking the record that was once held by the well-known Baxter industry...."

*Click*

"Crime within New York has grown 64% in activities within the last ten years. From robbers to murderers, civilities are growing increasingly scared for their well-being and wondering what keeps local law enforcement from performing their duties, blaming them for the increased crime rant. NYPD's newly promoted commissioner, George Stacy, had this to say...

"I understand your worries; truly, I do. Rest ashore that we're doing all we can to ensure everyone within new york, I'm talking about the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island; everyone could finally walk safely within their neighborhoods. Believe me when I say that we will stop at nothing to cut the head off of this snake."

*Click*

3 hours...

For 3 hours, I skimmed through news channels trying to get a feel of what was happening in the world, and listening to it, everything was manageable to a point, '...but it would eventually get worse sooner rather than later.' What was even more concerning to me was the lack of ANY heroes at this moment in time. From what I could get from the news, meta-humans, or mutants if you want to be a dick about it, are beginning to show up more and more. This could be that the X-men possibly haven't formed yet, or they're still getting their bearings. Tony Stark is still Tony Stark; however still looks like Robert Downey Jr, which the inner Nate in me loves. The fantastic four weren't here either, though I wasn't sure they would be. Hell, I didn't even know if Daredevil was around. I knew that The Hulk could be out there, but he's more of a hazard than a boon at the moment, and the less I jinx myself with s.h.i.e.l.d. the bet-,...god damn it.

But even if they were here, more likely or not, all of them would focus on their own problems or more significant threats than some punk with a gun. But they're not here...

It's just me. Turning off the television, I sat in a dark living room, contemplating what Uncle Ben had said earlier today. 'When you're unsure if you are worthy of upholding it, know that you are the only person who can ever answer that question...' that phrase echoed in my head as I rubbed the white spot where my webs shoot out, asking myself for one final time...'Can I do this?" Just then, I heard footsteps coming toward the house; moments later, they got closer, followed by a set of keys. The door soon opened as my brother came through the door, yawning.

"Pete-"

"Agghhhaaaaaa!!!!" Like in a horror movie, Peter screamed in fright, just noticing I was there. This would've been hilarious if I didn't have a lot on my mind. "Jesus, A-Alex, is that you?! Why the hell are you sitting here in the dark?!" he said, more like shouting at me while clenching his chest.

I motion him to stay quiet, "Shoooohhhh, keep it down, or you'll wake Ben and May. I was just down here clearing my head."

"I-I expect you to wake from your coma, least of all, get out of the hospital."

"Heh, yeah, I woke up from that last night and managed to get out of the place early; I didn't feel like staying there no more than I should. Although, I do have to stay a week out of school because of that. Makes it seem like a surprise spring break, you know." I said sheepishly, leaving out some pieces of information. I was about to tell more, but I took a closer look at his outfit, noticing how messed up he looked. The collar of his shirt was roughed up as if it was grabbed, much of Pete's clothes showing signs of being wet, and he had a small bearly noticeable bruised under his left eye. "Pete, are you okay? What happened? You're not hurt, are you?"

Immediately noticing my concern, my twin brushes my worries aside, "I'm fine, Alex, just another day at Midtown. Look, It's good to see that you're out of your coma, but as you can see it's late, and I got school tomorrow. So if you excuse me..." he said before moving to pass me up the stairs.

"W-What, Pete, can we just talk a bit..." I said, reaching my arm towards my twin, but he ignored me and kept walking. I watched him leave, blaming myself for him somehow being like this. Which, in my opinion, was the first Spider-Man thing I did right, and that's what this all comes back to, Spider-Man. A hero I look up to above any other hero in the universe, and he was supposed to be my brother. I think I worked hard to help him because he could deal with what was stopping me.

Change.

I was afraid of change. That's what the memories give me; they made me constantly worry about the 'What if's,' but that's what made them so valuable. Using this boon I was born with; I could've helped me and my loves avoid any danger and keep them safe. Yet, what has that gotten me so far? I question my existence; I failed my parents and working soon hard on trying to help Peter with his destiny, only to end up taking it away. Peter Parker can no longer be Spider-Man Yet; I can, right?

'...Your friends are in trouble...You're all alone. What are you going to do about it?"

'...It's a leap of faith...that's all there is to it...'

'...Never be afraid to do what you think is right...'

'...promise me that you'll do the best that you can...'

"...I can do this." No, I need to do this. There are no heroes right now, and the world can't afford to wait much longer for them. The world needs them; it needs Spider-Man, which means it needs me. 'Helloooo, Alex, this is why you're here. God, I think way too fuck much!' I ranted while slapping my forehead, which hurt, but I deserved it. I'm such a fucking idiot, so damn focused on helping Peter when he became a hero and so scared of the "What If's" that I never honestly thought about; what if I was Spider-man? What if all of it, all the hard work on the skill I put into the past eight years, wasn't actually for Peter's sake but for mine? What if I could stop all the things that I was afraid of from happening? I can stop Uncles Ben's death; I can stop Gwen's.

I can see it. It may have taken me getting bitten by a radioactive spider, falling into a coma, having possibly the worst night of my life so far, and an unexpected but much-needed talk from my uncle to see as the spider, but finally, I do now.

I now have the great power, time for me to take up the responsibility. So, if you can hear me universe, if you wanted a spider, then you got him. Though, if I'm going to do this, then I won't do it normally because, in truth, I am not normal. I'm not Amazing; I'm not Spectacular. Nor am I Sensational, Ultimate, and I'm damn sure am not Superior. I will be more...I will be Legendary.

Taking a deep breath, I let it out in relief. That felt good to let all that out of my system as the build-up stress left my body now replaced with determination. Looking at the living room clock and seeing that it was a quarter to midnight, I knew my night wasn't over just yet as I marched up the stair with a new purpose.

I have some notes to write down.

--------------------------

~A/N: Hey guys, oh boy, this was a big chapter. Anyway, I hope Uncle Ben felt like Uncle Ben, and as regards to the speech, all I would say is that Alex really didn't need to the same speech meant for Peter. But with that, this ends what I like to call The Prelude Arc, and means the true Origin can begin. Time for the fun shit!!!!

Also, a quick reminder to vote on what the next story fandom should be. Currently, in the running up, we have to follow:

1. DC Comic/Universe

2. Fairy Tail

3. Pokemon

Y'all must really dislike one piece, apparently. Well, that's all for me, I need to work on the next chapter. Catch you later

~ Stan, out