Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4:Being a hero isn't a choice . iv
I was on doctor's orders to stay home all week, so I took total advantage of that. Everyday I switched between MJ and the web formula, making progress with both. MJ and I even began to chat during the night, though she always complained that I kept her up.
On Friday night though, I cracked the code. I could synthesise the formula and when I tested it out, I found it to be perfect.
The webs created lasted for twenty minutes or so and they weren't very strong, which was too be expected since this was my first try. They could carry 300 pounds of weight, but any more and they would snap.
And now my next problem, creating a pressurised cell. For this I had to buy a small soda machine with my allowance and modify it a little. Now instead of pushing gas into liquid, it would push the web formula into a small lithium battery sized disk that was good for 50 yards of web.
I used the two broken watches as the body of the webshooters. I emptied the dial out and took out the small screw in the side. I used the screw hole as the shooter for the webline, and for the trigger I used a metal pressure pad that could be pulled out like a measuring tape.
And on Saturday night they were done. Two brand new web shooters made out of Uncle Ben's old watches. I looked down at my creations with pride and a little confusion.
After all this time I honestly didn't know what I made these things. I hadn't decided to be Spider-man, I knew I wasn't hero material. But...but what MJ said really struck a chord with me. So maybe I made this as a way of keeping the door half open, to keep that option half open.
I grumbled, snatching the shooters and stuffing them into my back pockets. Whatever the reason, they were here now, whether I liked it or not.
The next day MJ came over to hang out, and she didn't tell me, deciding instead to just stop by.
I was snoring into my pillow when she threw the door wide open and Shouted, "morning sunshine!"
"Wha?!" I yelled in surprise jumping out of my bed ready to fight. I had a bad dream about the green goblin coming to kill me, singing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' as he did. It was not a nice dream. I blinked my sleepiness away as I realised MJ was staring at me.
"Oh, it's you MJ, sorry about that, nasty dream," I grumbled rubbing my hair, she however didn't say anything. She was staring at me, "MJ? You okay?"
"Ah hum," she nodded dumbly as she leered at my body. I looked down and noticed that I wasn't wearing a shirt, it was too hot for a shirt.
I blushed, "ah...maybe you should wait outside."
"No, I'm good right here," she shook her head, her eyes not leaving my abs, she whistled, "damn, looks like I just hit the jackpot!"
"Dude! Seriously!"
"What? You saw me in my PJ's!"
"Hey I didn't stare!""Oh please! You were totally checking me out!"
"No I...well, okay but….ah! Out MJ!" I turned her around and pushed her to the door.
"I don't know why you're so upset," she chuckled I closed the door behind her, "you should be happy a girl's checking you out!"
"Out!" I grumbled slamming the door shut. I quickly got ready and put on a fresh shirt and jeans before going downstairs to see Aunt May and Uncle Ben hosting MJ.
"So are you excited for your first day?" Ben asked MJ.
"Yes Mr. Parker, Peter's been helping me prepare, so I think I won't have any problems with the subjects," MJ smiled.
"Well that's lovely dear, I'm glad Peter and you are getting along so well," Aunt May smiled, she noticed me coming down, "ah, speak of the devil!"
I glared at MJ, "peeping Tom."
"Suck it up Tiger," she smirked.
"Morning uncle Ben, aunt May," I greeted them as I sat down eating the breakfast Aunt May prepared. I turned to MJ as I munched on some bacon, "what's up peepers?"
"Are you still on that?" MJ asked rolling her eyes.
"Peepers," I repeated with a glare.
"Whatever. Anyway I just came over because I have exciting news!" she pulled out two tickets and practically shoved them into my face, "Hamlet, Apollo theater, tonight. You in?"
I took the tickets and whistled, "damn, these are some great seats. How did you get them?"
"My mom got them for me," MJ smiled, "she wants me to get used to the town and have some fun. So…. you in?"
"Most definitely!" I called out before I felt to glares hit me. I gulped and turned to my aunt and uncle, "you know...if that's okay with you two."
Ben stopped the glare nearly instantly, "of course it is kiddo! Have fun!"
May groaned, "I don't know Ben, it's awfully late. They'll have to come back by train and you know the stories we hear about those late night trips."
"Oh it's all right, our Peter here will just beat anyone who even tries won't he?" Ben asked with a grin.
I smirked, "damn straight."May protested some more, but after MJ, Ben and I kept pleading with her she eventually agreed. But not without making sure MJ carried some pepper spray for her own protection.
After breakfast I took MJ back into my room where I booted up Peter's old Nintendo 64 and loaded Smash bros. I taught MJ how to play and needless to say she was a master at it. Something about hitting me with a giant hammer just seemed to appeal to her.
We had lunch at home and then got ready to leave. Before I left though Uncle Ben stopped me and slipped me a hundred, he winked, "make it a good night champ."
I smiled, "thanks Uncle Ben."
We took a cab to the train station and caught the first one into Manhattan. MJ kept going on and on about how the play troops were one of the best in the city and how I was going to be amazed. And I believed her, in my old life I was an admirer of the theater, though now my interests were...elsewhere.
We reached the city with time to spare, so I insisted we explore the place. Peter had done so before, not in detail, so I did have some idea on where to go and what to see.
We went to the Central Park and enjoyed a nice long walk. MJ liked the greenery, and I liked her smile, honestly I think I might be falling for this girl. It's been what? A week? Damn you Peter Parker, I just know this is all somehow your fault!
We reached the theater just in time for the play to start. MJ was excited and I shared her enthusiasm, a good Shakespearean play was something to be excited about.
The play lasted for three hours, but it felt like it much shorter. The actors were amazing, each leagues above anything I have seen before. They were energetic, ecstatic and hypnotic in the way they delivered their lines. But while MJ enjoyed the play, I was focused on something else.
The story itself was one of revenge. Hamlet finds out his father had been killed by his uncle, and he now wishes for revenge. The premise was similar to Peter's own life, his uncle dies and he looks for the killer.
But there is a major difference in their stories. Hamlet kept postponing his vengeance, and in the end that costed him. He had a duty to his people, his subjects, to remove a man who would kill his own brother for the crown. He had failed his duty and his family resulting in the death of all he cared for.
Peter on the other had taken upon that duty, that responsibility and he grew the better for it. Was what I was doing right? Was Spider-man really what I needed to be?
This question plagued me, but I pushed it aside and focused on the drama, though the question never truly left.
And then it was over.
"That was so freaking cool!" MJ yelled out pumping her fists. A few of the other patrons looked at her and chuckled at her enthusiasm.
"Yes it was Peepers," I nodded, "it was something else."
"Did you see how they acted? God, it was like they were actually going to kill each other on stage! And Hamlet, oh, that guy, I felt like yelling, 'do something you ass! That's your mother!'."
I smiled, "oh no, you've caught the bug."
MJ blinked, "bug? What bug?"
"The theater bug," I replied, "symptoms include a love of the theater, love for drama and an insurmountable desire to be under the spotlight."
"Hey, that's mean," MJ pouted, "I just like it okay."
"I know, I know, but I stand by what I said. Besides, I think you would be a great actress," we walked down the streets, the city still active even though it was the middle of the night.
"R-really?" MJ asked.
"Of course, why, you don't think so?"
"No, I do, but...no one ever thought I could do it..."
"Well I'm glad I'm the first," I smiled as he reached out and grabbed her hand in mine. She didn't hesitate, as she squeezed my hand back, "I'm serious though, you would be an amazing actress."
MJ smiled, "thanks Peter, that….that means a-"
KABOOM!
Time seemed to slow down, I felt something inside me vibrate as my body started to move on instinct. I pulled MJ closer and wrapped one arm around her chest, jumping to the side.
A large slab of concrete flew past where we were just moment ago. I landed to the side with MJ holding on tightly. We saw the slab of concrete embed itself into a building side, breaking apart into spices of iron and concrete.
"What was that?!" MJ cried out.
"I-I don't-"
"GRRRR!!!!!"
It was an Earth shattering scream. My grip around her tightened as we turned to roar and saw Harlem burning. There were people running away in fear, fires burning, cars broken down into pieces, roads destroyed. It all happened so fast, I couldn't believe what I saw next.
A monster, 20 feet tall with big bulging muscles and skin shredding along the side and bones protruding outwards. It stood naked except for a pair of torn shorts. I took one look at it, and I already knew it's name.
"Abomination," I whispered in horror as I realised too late that MJ and I were right in the middle of the final fight between Hulk and the Abomination. This was the final fight scene, and Harlem was going to be destroyed.
I looked down the road, people were screaming and running and out of a crater formed in the middle of the street and green hand came out.
"No," I whispered, the hand pulled itself out of the ground revealing a green figure growing in size slowly, "no," he grabbed the tattered remains of his shirt and ripped it off, "no."
"Hulk!" Abomination cheered in joy, "come face me!" The two titans of power charged each other, and that was when I knew we had to run.
"We have to move!" I yelled as I held onto MJ and took off down the road. Hulk and Abomination charged each other each step they took was like a thunder clap, until they meet in the center and threw them eat each other, causing a sonic boom from the impact that shattered glass.
I was swept off my feet from the impact, I went flying into the air, but landed on my feet with MJ held safely in my arms.
I looked up, Abomination had the upper hand, he threw Hulk through a firetruck. I sighed in relief, they were taking their fight elsewhere.
I looked down at MJ, she looked at the fight in horror, "are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," she nodded, "w-what is that thing?!"
I searched Peter's memories, and yes, he did follow Bruce Banner's research and knew about becoming the Hulk, I could share this information without anyone finding out.
"That's the Hulk," I pointed at the green monster currently breaking a cop car in two to use as brass knuckles, "I...I think's one of the good guys."
"We need to get of here!" MJ called out.
"R-right," I nodded, the Hulk could handle himself, she was right, we needed to be safe. I put her down and we ran away, following the crowd of people before us. But as we did I saw a man stuck under a light post, people ignored him and ran, his legs were bleeding as he yelled for help but no one came.
I stopped, I couldn't help it, I didn't like seeing people suffering. I ran to the lamp post and grabbed it, "hey man, don't worry, I'll pull you crawl out, okay?"
"Peter?" MJ asked in surprise as she saw me with the man.
The man panted, trying to not think of the pain he nodded at me. I pulled with all my strength and felt the post slowly rising up, thank you spider strength!
He shimmed out under the pole, but it was too slow, I couldn't hold the pole up for long, I wasn't use to this kind of stress. I was just about to drop the pole again on him when MJ ran to the man's back and pulled him out completely as I dropped the pole down with a pant.
"Thank you," the man gasped.
"It's okay," MJ nodded to him as she pulled him to the side away from all the fighting.
I turned around, there were more people screaming, more people getting hurt from the random debri flying about from the battle between Hulk and Abomination.
The monster were fighting like no tomorrow. Abomination kicked Hulk through several building before jumping up to follow him. I saw a military helicopter lower down from the sky and rain down bullets into the Abomination as he jumped onto the building's rooftop and run away in search of the Hulk.
More people were going to get hurt, a lot more people. They were going to get hurt and it was all because of those two things.
"Peter? We need to go Peter," MJ called out. But I could barely hear her.
What would the real Peter Parker do? Would he fight? Or would he run away? No, no he wouldn't run away, not when so many people are getting hurt, no….he would stay and he would help them and if the need came, he would fight the Hulk himself to make sure people didn't get hurt. He was a freaking hero and….and so was I.
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