Marvel Novels--Spider-Man by Neil Kleid

Author:Neil Kleid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Titan

FOUR

(THUMP)

Exhausted, Peter sank into the mud before the last looming tombstone and looked down at his body. The deep crimson of his bright, once-proud costume marked him as guilty and profane, like Hester’s scarlet letter. Spider-Man’s mask, dirty and dull, seemed foolish in this place of remembrance. Tears sprang unbidden from the corners of his eyes; he could not bear to look up, to read the words carved across the face of the final headstone. All was quiet, calm, but he could still hear the throbbing, pulsing heartbeat beckoning in the distance. And that scared him most of all, because now he knew whose heartbeat it was.

(thump thump)

“It’s mine,” he said to the ground. He felt weak and embarrassed, like a child confessing sins and transgressions to his parents or teacher. Peter understood now what had been jumping inside his chest, against the black brand stitched upon his breast. The sound came from a powerful machine trying to kickstart itself back to life.

“It’s mine,” he repeated, “it’s mine, and I’m dead. I should be dead. I deserve it.”

Death. Peter’s whole life, everywhere he turned, he’d been surrounded by death. Gwen, Ned, Norman—all sacrifices to his webbed, cursed second life. “Because of me, always because of me.” Peter wept and sank deeper into the mud, his head bowed—still unwilling to face that last marker and his greatest, earliest mistake.

“Why should it be fair that my heart starts again—that I get a second chance at life—when so many lives have been lost because of Spider-Man?” Peter gave in to the grief and guilt. He let himself fall farther into the earth covering the lone grave, overwhelmed by failure and the accusing throb of his own unworthy heart.

(thump thump)

It isn’t yours, Petey. The heart, I mean.

“No. No, leave me alone.” Peter shook his head, trying to shut out the voice, to focus instead on the heavy, hypnotic heartbeat. He closed his eyes and turned away from the tombstone, trying to avoid having to speak to this last tormentor.

Ah, Peter. Whenever anything goes wrong, you wonder what you could have done to prevent it. You always blame yourself, don’t you?

The heartbeat strengthened, and Peter felt a presence—a light, kindly touch at his back. He tried to shake it off and pull away, but the kindly presence clasped Peter’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. Peter tried to grab the hand, but there was nothing there—just his own shoulder. He finally looked up and saw—through tears and Spider-Man’s wide, white eyes—the inscription on the tombstone.

(thump thump)

HERE LIES BEN PARKER

“Uncle Ben,” Peter whispered, reaching out to touch the stone. “Uncle Ben, please help me. Aunt May takes such good care of me, but you…” Peter’s voice trailed away.

Then a warm, welcoming laugh enveloped him in its fatherly embrace. Peter felt the hand at his shoulder once more, soothing him, helping him to his feet.

Anytime one of the other kids got hurt, Pete, you wished you could have stopped it somehow. You worry too much, little man. A boy your age shouldn’t be worrying.

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