Entry tags:

!complete, !trigger warning, peter parker (spider-man)

Who: Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Where: NYC (In his dreams)
When: A long time ago
What: Peter’s dreams come to a conclusion with the death and loss of Gwen Stacy, showing Peter the price of his responsibility as Spider-Man, and what it meant to be Spider-Man.
Rating: High for violence and death. Possible TW with death.
Status: Complete. Narrative.

Clouds seemed only to black out the stars and moon of the night. The only light was the city lights of New York City, the cars passing below, all of which were blurred and distorted through the falling rain that pelted the city streets; rain that washed away gunk and grime, sent thousands of city patrons scurrying for the nearest cafe or department store, or their homes or Taxi Cabs.

Pelting rain bombarded the streets all around the figure up in the soaked crown of the city. Situated between two overhanging gargoyles, braided in stone and wet; the stone was slick and trails of water dripped down the edges of the gargoyles before falling towards the streets below, sat a figure clad in red and blue. Covered from head to toe in a costume that told a story of the night, a story he couldn’t dare to relive for fear of losing himself even more than he already had.

In his mind all he could do was see the images of a recent past, replaying again and again, digging into his heart and squeezing at it with the barbaric need to torment him. Racking him with guilt, and beating him again and again over his failures. His memories betraying him once more.


Earlier

Peter was busy dressing for his date with Gwen and her mother tonight. This was going to be the rehearsal dinner prior to their wedding, their last night as an unmarried couple; it was nerve-racking but it was also elating at the same time. He was ecstatic, excited, and knew just how much he wanted this moment to come. It was the right moment, the perfect moment. She was the one, and Peter knew this from the very depths of his heart. She was going to be his wife, and they’d grow old together, happily with children and a home and it was simply perfect.

Spider-Man meant nothing to him, not in comparison to this girl, to the life he was going to have with her. In fact, maybe it’d be time for Spider-Man to retire, let the other heroes take the reigns so he could move on and have a happy family. He hadn’t worn the mask in at least two days, which was a long time for the former crusader. He stared at the costume beside him in the closet, and grinned at the thought of never putting it on again, and turned back towards the bed to grab his suit jacket when his phone rang.

Sighing, he snatched it up seeing it was Gwen’s mother on the line. He answered it and placed it to his ear, “Miss Stacy. Pleasant surprise, everything alr--”

“Peter, it’s Gwen,” the voice on the other line sounded hysterical, choked from crying and Peter immediately froze as the voice continued, “She’s been taken. Kidnapped. I’ve called the police but I don’t know where she’s been taken. All there is is a note, it’s from someone asking for Spider-Man. I … I know you take pictures of him, can you contact him? I just...”

Peter felt his mouth go dry and his throat tighten before he looked out the window, “Is it signed?”

“What?”

“The note, is it signed?” Peter ran through his enemies as quickly as he could, but there was only one who knew his identity and he knew immediately who it was going to be.

“Just initials. G.G. Why, do you know anything about this?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can Miss Stacy, but first I have to contact Spider-Man like you said. I’ll be there as soon as I can, I promise. Gwen’ll be fine, I promise. I promise...” Peter hung up the phone and was already tearing off his button shirt and pants in order to peel his costume on. The red and blues were well kept, resewed, and looked fresh and new on him. But felt as remarkably familiar as they always did by now.

Grabbing his goggles, Peter put them over the lenses a moment and then threw himself out of his bedroom window, onto the balcony railing, then swung away into the night sky. He made his way towards Gwen’s house as fast as he could; she was living in Manhattan so it would take a moment, but he knew that’s where the trail would start.

It seemed like an eternity, but only minutes later Spider-Man was near her home and turned his goggles on. He saw the trail of the familiar whisps of smoke and chemicals left behind by the Green Goblin’s glider. He could track them now, and quickly left the house only marginally recognizing the three cop cars parked outside with lights flashing, spotlights around the house, and cops moving in and out of the neighborhood on search committee.

As he swung, he followed the trail towards the edge of the island, clicking the side of his goggles to get a zoom in and realized the trail was leading towards the George Washington Bridge. He sat on a flagpole, trying to spot the Goblin or Gwen anywhere around on the bridge, but realized he was too far away still. The night was growing dark with the clouds that were moving in above him, swirling with a cold wind that stung at his skin through the thin fabric of his costume. He didn’t care though, and he leaped from the pole and swung even faster towards the bridge.

As he neared, he was able to zoom close enough to see the images of two silhouettes up on the top of one of the bridge spires, and he dropped from the line falling straight towards the edge of the bridge that spread out into the city, catching one of the suspensions that hung across the top of said bridge, and used it to swing him up through the wired suspensions and metal girders, allowing him to fly higher off the line until he flipped through the air and landed squarely on the top of that spire. One hand in the metal before him, his right leg extended out to his side, the left tucked up under him and his body low to the floor as he stared at the beautiful blonde before him. Dressed in sea foam long coat, black blouse, and purple skirt. Her familiar knee high leather boots over the top of fishnet stockings were a signature of the girl before him. Her headband atop her blonde head like a halo of the angel Peter was staring at.

Next to her, holding her arms behind her back, was the demonic like figure he’d come to hate. A deeper hatred building in Peter like he’d never known before with the way this man held his future wife, threatening her with just a look. The man was in his purple hood which clashed with the sickly green ‘skin’ of his costume. The skin-like fabric clung to him in such a way to give him a terrifying look, allowing the Goblin to look like the real thing, but Peter knew the truth. Beneath that mask was actually Norman Osborn, a former role model to Peter and father of Peter’s best friend. The only one of Peter’s enemies to know the true identity of Spider-Man.

“Let her go Osborn, and I’ll let you go...” Peter negotiated.

A crippling, back tingling laughter lifted from the insane man’s lips. The laughter of a man lost in his own senses and mind, quarreling between two identities: Norman Osborn and Green Goblin. He truly did exist as two separate entities, but two entities that worked together well enough to become diabolical. It wasn’t some Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing, it was two partners working in one head.

Norman laughed before shaking his head, “Parker, negotiating already? You’re pathetic and weak, little spider. No, you won’t just let me go, you’ll leave me alone. If you want to see your little blonde girlfriend again...” Norman mused as he brought her close enough to smell her hair and grinned wildly through those grotesque yellow eyes, “And see her alive, you’re going to stop being Spider-Man and you’re going to stop trying to stop me...”

Peter grit his teeth as he watched Gwen, white lenses latched onto her beautiful blue eyes, he could see the fear in her eyes. She was so strong, so independent, she could easily handle herself in most situations. But this was different. This man was a killer, a murderer; he was stronger than Peter, he was smart, brilliant, and he was a supervillain. The wind whipped her hair, and her clothes rode the wind too as she just watched Peter, mouthing ‘rescue me’ and Peter felt a pang of guilt. He’d put her in this situation.

He grit his teeth. He wouldn’t do this to her again, Spider-Man was over. He nodded towards Norman then, “Of course, done. No more Spider-Man, no more getting in your way. You have my word... just give her to me...” Spidey stood as he approached, hand outstretched. Then he felt his spidey sense go nuts, so much so it felt like a migraine that reached down into his heart and stomach... he knew what was coming before he even really understood it...

Norman smirked, “Then let’s test your resolve--see if you can stop playing hero...” the man picked Gwen up by her throat, which caused Peter to stop only a moment before Goblin stared at him. All eyes locked on one another in an eternal moment before he threw her off the edge, towards the choppy waters below. From this height it’d be like hitting concrete, and there were stones and rocks that held the bridge up beneath the waves--she was liable to hit those as well. She would likely die if she hit even just water.

Peter’s stomach flipped and there was probably some sort of brief but heavy ‘no!’ out of his mouth, but time seemed to stop. The rain frozen, the clouds still, Norman forgotten... all there was was Gwen as she fell from the bridge. Their eyes met in that frozen moment, and he could see the terror and shock in her eyes. For a brief moment their life together seemed to flash before him....

Gwen laughed, “Web slinging? Peter! I don’t know... what if I fall?” Peter grinned as he held her close, “I’ll always be there to catch you...”

Air seemed to rush from his lungs before he heard a crack of thunder that stirred him awake, and he was running towards the edge as fast as he could, only to feel his spidey sense go off once more as Norman struck for him. The slashing hand came down for his midsection, but Peter was already flipping over the top of it. Landing on the metal girder below, he webbed Norman’s face and tugged it down, before planting a powerful punch into the side of Norman’s face, before kicking off the larger man that propelled Norman into the girders, and sent Peter flying over the ledge where he could see Gwen’s form growing smaller and smaller.

He had no time to think, he had to be quick, and he shot his web towards her. It seemed to take forever to approach her, but finally it caught around her ankle and he felt a heavy jerk, and her weight added to by gravity tugged him down and he began to fall past the ledge. He threw his hand up and caught onto the ledge, sticking to it before sliding a couple feet more as he held her. He grit his teeth and began to pull the line up and slapped it against the railing near him, beginning to pull at her line, but then his senses went off again and he had to roll to the side, letting the line go as a fist slammed into the metal next to him.

Peter rolled to the left again to go for the webbing, but was grabbed in the back by Norman and lifted over the ledge and sent sailing into the metal and stone as he skidded across the top. Leaving Gwen dangling above the river and beneath the bridge. “Hang on Gwen!” He shouted, knowing his voice would be lost in the winds and rain that had begun to fall.

He watched as Norman turned on him, and threw two pumpkin bombs at him. Peter flipped forward and twisted to the side, letting the bombs go sailing past him into the night sky before exploding out over the edge of the bridge. Peter was able to bring himself closer to his adversary and planted a few punches into his chest before Norman slashed at Peter with one of his ‘razor bats’ which caused Peter to have to let go as it slashed across his chest, spilling blood across the floor.

Peter backflipped away from another slash and then webbed the floor behind Norman as he tugged, and slid himself beneath the incoming razor bat, before flipping off the floor and planted a kick into his foe. Kicking up along his chest, he back flipped away and landed only to be met with a powerful punch to his own chest by the Goblin.

Peter stumbled, before side flipping another kick and punch combination by the Goblin, jumping into the air to plant a strong mid-air punch into his enemy’s face, which disoriented the Goblin, and then Peter leaped. He wrapped his legs around Norman’s face, twisted and spun the man around and hard into the ground, before rolling away. Peter moved towards the edge again, but his ankle was caught by Norman before he reached, and a bolt of 10,000 volts of electricity shot up through him. Causing parts of his costume to singe and darken, before he fell to the ground in a haze.

He shook his head only to see Norman moving towards the webline where he could cut Gwen free, but Peter just growled and leaped at the man’s back. Landing on him he shot two lines of webbing into either hand, creating a makeshift garrote, and wrapped it around Norman’s neck. Choking the man, he placed his feet into Norman’s back, pulled on the garrote, and fell backwards rolling back onto his back as he launched Norman away from him and into the air.

Still on his back, he continued to roll as he shot lines up into the air to catch his adversary, coming to his feet as he grabbed both lines with both hands and slammed down to force Norman Osborn hard into the stone below. Hearing a sickening crack from the blow, Peter stumbled to his feet. He watched his motionless enemy, and then turned back towards the edge where he could pull Gwen back up from.

He then heard what sounded like engines and turned only to see the Glider appearing over the edge, with Norman crawling onto it in a heap. Peter turned to drag him off the glider, but before he could he saw two bombs rolling towards him. Quickly he backflipped away as they went off, and Peter had to web onto the bridge to drag himself back towards it. Before he was able to crawl back up onto the floor with a now large hole in the center of it, Norman had already managed to escape. He watched the glider fly off but realized it wasn’t worth it right now, he had to get Gwen to safety first.

Grabbing the line he hauled her up as gently but quickly as he could, until eventually she arrived near him. He was able to take her leg, then the front of her blouse, and slowly pull her back up over the ledge with him. Settling her down, he noticed she was laying motionless and he frowned before brushing his fingers over her cheeks, watching her, “Gwen... come on, wake up. Gwen... Gwen!”

He then began to shake as he noticed how her neck seemed to be rather limp, and immediately the physics part of his brain leaped to him and he felt a sickening feeling deep in his gut, “No...”

Gloved fingers pushed against her neck, feeling no pulse he ripped the glove off and tried again. Nothing. He ran his hand over her cheek as he propped her head up into his cradling arm, peeling his mask off after a moment so he could stare down into her eyes. He felt tears stinging at his cheeks as her blonde hair pooled around them. He reached two fingers up and brushed her eyes shut, before running them along her cheek. He leaned in to kiss her lips softly, but there was no life there and he could feel the anguish collapsing all of his resolve.

He sat there for what had to be an eternity, or what felt like one. The rain was coming harder now, the storm growing quiet. The lightning had stopped, the thunder a distant memory. Instead it just rained, falling in sheets as he slowly began to stir. Distant sounds could be heard through the haze of his existence. He heard sirens and the shouts of people. The explosions likely having brought the authorities, which meant a helicopter would be on its way because of the height. A spotlight shined down on Spider-Man with the dead Gwen Stacy in his arms. Pushing himself from the floor, Peter picked the girl up into his arms, and looked towards the helicopter which just seemed to hover there. Not judging, but almost understanding. He held her in one arm, securing her as best he could, and he made his way slowly, gently, for the nearest hospital.

The cops must have figured out what he was doing, because as Spider-Man landed in front of the hospital, Gwen laying across his arms, he saw doctors and nurses rushing out with a stretcher. He stood to his full height and carried her towards them, limply. He set her on the stretcher and just stared down at her, before looking towards the doctor who was saying they’d do all they could. Peter knew it was too late though, and just turned back and swung off.

Present

Sitting in that spire between the two gargoyles, Peter watched the hospital as Mrs. Stacy’s car arrived, and out stumbled Peter’s Aunt May, Gwen’s best friend Mary Jane, and Gwen’s mother who all rushed towards the hospital. He could hear the frightful and crazed shouts of a broken mother as she moved through the door, and he could hear the sound of his buzzing phone in his pouch knowing his Aunt, or MJ, were calling him right now. Asking where he was. He’d show up, of course, but right now he couldn’t wipe the image of her death from his face, and the knowledge that it had been his fault.