2 FAILURE

A few months ago

"Peter, come on! We're going to be late to the festival!" Aunt May says from downstairs.

"I'm coming May! Just need a minute." Peter replies, staring at his Spider-Man mask.

"No, no Spider-Man tonight. There's no big man of crime anymore, not to mention no super villain trying to kill me insight. I think I can take a break for one night and spend some time with Aunt May."

He throws the mask on his bed and walks downstairs. As Peter and Aunt May walk through the festival, they see Gwen and Harry. Peter and Gwen make eye contact, both looking away, disappointed that they're not with each other right now. Aunt May then puts her hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Peter, why don't you go with your friends. I'll be fine, really."

Peter smiles at his Aunt.

"That's okay May, I want to spend some time with my favorite Aunt." Peter tells her.

Aunt May smiles as the two continue to walk, Gwen stares at Peter with sadness in her eyes. Harry notices this.

"Gwen, what's up? Is something wrong?"

Gwen quickly snaps out of it and puts on a fake smile.

"No, of course not. Everything's fine." Gwen says.

Harry then notices that Gwen was staring at Peter and secretly gets annoyed.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find a funnel cake or something." Harry says, walking off while Gwen is distracted by Peter.

As Aunt May and Peter are eating corn dogs, Flash comes up from behind Peter and puts him in a headlock.

"Hey Parker, I heard Liz dumped ya."

As Flash laughs, he turns around to see a disapproving look on Sha Shan's face.

"I- mean- I'm, ah- I'm sorry that happened... buddy." Flash says with a fake smile.

Peter smirks.

"Wow Eugene, I didn't think you cared so much." He says.

As Flash twitches, Sha Shan grabs his arm and smiles.

"Good seeing you Peter, and thanks for your notes in Algebra." She says.

"No problem." Peter replies.

As they walk away, Flash flicks Peter in the back of the head without Sha Shan noticing.

"You have some wonderful friends, Peter." Aunt May says.

Peter smiles, even somewhat grateful for his weird friendship with Flash. At that moment they are approached by Doctor Bromwell.

"Hello Ms.Parker, Peter." The doctor says.

"Doctor Bromwell, hi." May says.

"Please, I'm off the clock right now call me Nicholas."

"Ok, Nicholas."

As the two smile at each other, Peter notices this.

"Suddenly I feel like the third wheel." Peter thinks with a smile on his face.

He then puts his hand on May's shoulder.

"Hey, May I'm gonna go see if I can get a good spot to watch the fireworks."

"Huh? Oh- Oh ok Peter." May says, distracted by the doctor.

Peter chuckles to himself and walks through the crowd. He then bumps into someone.

"Sorry, about-"

Peter pauses for a moment when he realized that he bumped into Liz Allen, his ex girlfriend.

"That. Hey- Liz." Peter says awkwardly.

"Hi Petey... Peter." She says.

"I heard about your brother's parole. You must be happy."

"Yeah- something like that."

Peter notices the sad look on Liz's face.

"Is everything ok?"

Liz snaps at Peter.

"What do you care? I'm not your girlfriend anymore, so I don't need you to check up on me anymore. I don't need your pity."

"Liz, it's not Pity, I still care about you, that will never change."

Liz stares at Peter for a minute, tears forming in her eyes.

"I know. That's why this is so hard." Liz says, walking away and wiping her tears.

As Peter is left feeling guilty over how things are between them, Mary Jane soon approaches him.

"Don't worry, Tiger. She just needs some time. Things aren't exactly easy for her right now."

Peter sighs.

"Yeah. I get it." He says.

"If you ask me, the one who you need to talk to is over there."

Mary Jane points at Gwen who is standing alone in the distance.

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea." Peter says.

Mary Jane sighs.

"Come on Pete, you both like each other, I don't know why you're making this so hard."

"I know. We agreed to be together, but that was before Harry's dad died. He needs her right now. Besides I had the chance to be with her, and I blew it. Maybe it's better this way."

"Why do you do this to yourself Peter? You put everyone else's needs before your own and blame yourself for everything. Isn't it time you put yourself first and stop worrying about everyone else?"

As Mary Jane walks away Peter thinks to himself.

"Maybe she's right. I mean me and Gwen almost drowned, my secret identity almost got out, I took down Venom, Tombstone, the six, and Goblin. Don't I deserve this one thing in my life?"

Peter makes up his mind, walking towards Gwen. As the two make eye contact, they both feel anxious to talk to each other. At that moment, Peter's Spider-Sense goes off.

"No...No, No, No, not right now. Please be a false alarm or something."

Peter looks over and sees a hooded figure wobbling through the crowd, his senses attracting Peter to him. When Peter goes to follow the man, both him and Gwen are disappointed that they didn't get to talk. As May and Bromwell are talking and laughing together, the hooded man drops infront of them.

"Goodness." May says.

She then walks over to the fallen man.

"Excuse me, sir Are you alright?"

The man starts to glow black and white, as he let's out a loud scream. Peter sees this and realizes what's going on.

"Aunt May! Get away!"

Peter runs as fast as he can, trying to somehow rescue his Aunt, but before he could reach her, the hooded man explodes, sending Peter flying.

Peter slowly regains consciousness, blood dripping from his forehead. He slowly sits up hearing screams and seeing people injured or dead nearby. He feels overwhelming guilt that innocent people are dead because he couldn't react fast enough, but then remembers that Aunt May was closest to the explosion.

"May! May! May!" He screams, trying to make his way through the crowd of panicking people, trying to find his Aunt.

Meanwhile Mary Jane makes her way to Liz who was knocked down in the chaos.

"Liz! Are you ok?" She asks while helping her up.

"Yeah, I think so." Liz says

Harry quickly runs over to a fallen Gwen.

"Gwen!" He yells.

Harry helps her up as she rubs the back of her neck.

"I'm ok. Wait, Peter- he was running towards the explosion, I gotta go find him."

As Gwen runs away, Harry gets angry that she goes running for Peter. Peter continues to run through the crowd, still calling out to Aunt May. He finally sees her unmoving body on the ground.

"Oh God." Peter says.

He runs over to the only family he has left, holding her body.

"May, May, you gotta wake up, please wake up... Help! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"

As Peter continues to scream out for help with tears in his eyes, Mary Jane, Liz, Gwen, Flash and Sha Shan look on in horror as they realize that Aunt May isn't getting up.

"I can't lose you too, May... Not you...Not you."

The young man holds Aunt May's lifeless body close to him, as Liz, Gwen, and Mary Jane cry and Flash looks away, holding tears back and being comforted by Sha Shan. That was the last time anyone saw Peter Parker. In present day, Peter is standing infront of Aunt May's and Uncle Ben's grave's.

"Both of them are gone because of me. They died because I ignored my responsibility that comes with having this great power. Because I chose being Peter Parker over being Spider-Man. Never again." He thinks to himself, putting his hands on both of their headstones.