//------------------------------// // With Great Power // Story: Spiderman the hero of canterlot // by Neztrolove //------------------------------// Night had overtaken the city of Canterlot, the brightness coming from out of the neighboring building windows and the street lights hanging over head the only illumination for the night. The moon full and white hanging over a starless sky. A beat up car drove through the streets light jazz music playing through the stereo. Peter sat in the passenger side his left leg in his lap, his arm outside the open window, and the other on an armrest, tapping the edge with his finger. Ben meanwhile tightly gripped the wheel of the car while humming along to the melody of the song. The quiet of the night mixed with the empty streets invoked a feeling of stillness in the two men and a somberness overtook both of them. "Petey, did you hear what happened yesterday?" Ben asked, his eyes not leaving the headlight illuminated road. Peter perked up his head, turning to uncle Ben who wore a a small frown on his face. "No uncle Ben, what happened?" Ben shook his head. "The Lulamoons daughter was attacked, in broad daylight." Peter swallowed a lump in his throat. "Oh god, is she okay," His acting could use work if he was gonna be a wrestler. Peter fully suspected uncle Ben to detect his lie but the mans face didn't change and his vision never left the road in front of them. "Petey, she's fine. Thank god, a random citizen dressed in all red and blue saved her life. I guess I was wrong about people in masks." Ben voice broke in the middle of his senteance. The car slowed until eventually uncle Ben pulled onto the side then leaned his head on the wheel. "Uncle Ben? What's wrong?" The older man took in a sharp breath, staying still. The man let out a choking sob, gasping between sob. "Uncle Ben!" Peter yelled, reaching for his uncle. Ben lifted his head then looked at Peter. His eyes weary worn, his face wet with his tears. "Peter, did I ever tell you how your parents died?" Peter shook his head, "You always said that you'd tell me when I was older." Ben forced a smile. "Well your old enough now. I just hope that I am ready." Peter gulped and felt his heart go faster. "Your parents, were scientists, good people, wanted to save the world one problem at a time. They found work under Hammer Labs and in exchange for funding would assist in projects that the Labs couldn't handle on their own." Ben shook his head. "One day, they gave you to me when you were but a year old and said they would be going away on a confidential mission for the labs and that I was take care of you." Ben stayed silent, letting the wieght of what he was about to say wave over him,"Peter, they died on that mission." "How did they die? What killed them?" "They killed themselves," Ben took on a dark low growl as he said it. "They could've survived, they would've and do you know what killed them Peter?" Peter shook his head, his face breaking up as his uncle looked to be in pain. "They were too good to let others die. If they had run with the main escape group then they would still be here to this day but instead they ran back into the lab bringing any and everyone who couldn't get away be they scientist or child. They let their damn morals kill them… and I can't blame them. Parkers are notorious for invovling themselves in business not their own and paying for it as well." "Uncle Ben, it sounds like my parents were heroes… if only they had powers." Quicker then Peter could see Ben placed a hand on his shoulder then looked Peter in the eyes. "Petey, Powers don't make you a hero." Ben turned the key on the car and as the engine began to start the man wiped his eyes free of tears. "I know its uncouth for a man to cry in front of other men but Peter… you needed to know, your mom and dad were heroes just like that young man who Saved the Lulamoon girl. It was that boy that reminded me of your mom and dad. You know what he and your parents have in common?" "No uncle Ben, I don't" Peter whispered, a guilt fueled weight lowering his mood as he realized that he has gotten into the habit of lying too easily. "A man Petey, is bound by a desire for personal comfort. All things that he does is in the pursuit of that comfort… and it is selfish but also human nature. A hero is someone who puts aside their base pursuit of comfort in favor of helping the rest of their fellow men achieve it. When someone gains power of any kind they must decide whether they want to be a man who acts in their own interest or a hero who takes responsibility for those who can't help themselves?" "That's beautiful uncle Ben." "you're grandpa told me that one on the day me and your father went to college. I personally think it could use some paraphrasing but for the life of me I can't bring myself to do it. It is told to every generation of parker men and women, if it wasn't so damn long then it could be considered out motto." The car drove off riding toward the library. "Peter, I want you to choose to be a hero. You are smart and can help folks when your older but that is up to you to decide." "I don't think I can make more of a difference then anyone else." "Hey! Don't undercut yourself. You're just like your father in that regard. What is it with you boy genius types and being so self depreciating." "Uncle Ben..."Peter began looking out the window. "Yes little Einstein?" Peter's lips curved into a smile. "I want to save people like my mom and dad did." "They'd be proud to hear you say that. They'd be proud of the man you are and the man i'm sure you'll become in the future." The car stopped in front of huge building with a sign out front that read Canterlot city library and a smaller sign underneath the read open 24/7 "Now go out and enjoy your study date champ." Raising an eyebrow, Peter watched his uncle grow a smug grin on his face, "what?" "Petey, you don't have to explain anything to me, but c'mon, it's late, you're going to a library, and you don't want me or your aunt there… it's a date." "Uncle Ben! That's not what i'm doing!" Peter protested. Ben raised his hand and chuckled "of course not Petey, just be sure to not go too far. Your a still a kid afterall." Slack jawed Peter reached for the door. "Okay, i'm leaving." Peter stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. The boy then walked up to the library when he heard a car horn blare behind him. "Have a nice date Petey, make your uncle proud… love ya!" Ben called from the open window. Peter's lips slowly curved to a smile. The boy turned around and flashed his grin to his uncle and said, "Love you too Uncle Ben, see you in three hours." Ben had the same smile but Peter noticed that he wore a frown once again as he drove off. I Wonder if he knows that i'm lying, Peter thought, of course he does. I'll have to tell him about the powers when I get back. Hopefully having ten grand will soften the blow of my deception. Peter then ran toward the library going around the building until he was concealed behind it. He grabbed his flashlight from his backpack, clicked it on, and then looked through his back pack. He grabbed his red ski mask and blue pants but this time he had a white t shirt with a giant black spider emblazoned in the center of it. Time for spiderman to make his debut, god that is such a dumb name. Peter thought undressing behind the library. Once his costume was put on Peter grabbed the finishing touches. He pulled out to small appartuses that were meant to be placed on the wrists with a button that would be in the palm and a small cartridge holder with white fluid container already slotted in. Took me a couple hours of dumpster diving but I finally made a prototype webshooter. Peter fastened the shooter to his wrists and then shot a test web up. With a thwimp his web shot up to the top the library. Peter pulled at the web with his strength and it did not come undone. With a whistle Peter nodded his head. Parker you've outdone yourself. The boy had worked diligently on his device and spent most of his free time on them. Now all I need to do is find an easy way to get more web fluid. Because stealing from the chemistry lab at school isn't gonna be stable for long. The boy knew that stealing was wrong but he hoped to be able to pay them back. Maybe a donation from his contract fees. Okay, enough worrying, it's time to get my game face on. Peter ran up the wall of the library feeling the cool air through his ski mask. Time to swing! The boy jumped from the top of the library roof and then extended his hand using his middle and ring finger to hit the button and shoot the web at the flag pole and like last time the web connected and Peter rode the strand and then jumped away from it. He then used his other web shooter to shoot a nearby building. This is amazing! It's like i'm flying high in the sky. Peter thought as he swung into the city. Look out world, the amazing spiderman is about to make his debut. "What do you mean I can't wrestle without an I.D.!?," Peter exclaimed slamming his fists down on the table with a thoom. The manager sat in his cheer dressed in a white and black suit while looking at a piece of paper. "Look, buddy, it's company rules. I can't let anyone fight in our ring unless they have an I.D. and are over the age of 18 so no I.D. no fight." "But I came all the way here!" Peter raised his voice and it echoed over the cheering crowd in the stadium below. "I missed the part where that's my problem." the manager shook his head "Now, unless you want to buy a ticket, get out of my sight." Peter stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Stupid manager, the boy kicked a small series of lockboxed leaving a dent in the metal stands. "Damn it!" he screamed. The elevator door opened to reveal a man in a black trenchcoat, brown pants, black undershirt, and a black beanie. He had a scraggly beard and a mean look on his face. He walked past Peter and the boy felt his tingle go off. What's that guy's deal? Peter felt an intuitive need to stay for but a moment more. His eyes locked on the man as he entered the promoters office. A gun shot followed by an explosion broke the boy from his train of thought as the door to the office shattered into shards of glass pooling on the ground. Rushing out of the opening was the scraggly man carrying a huge sack and wielding his gun which like the ones that the thugs that assaulted Trixie used. The man barreled toward Peter and the boy noticed the manager picking himself up and the boy's ears slightly rung from the boom of the gun. The manager mouthed something that Peter couldn't hear over the sound of the alarm starting to blare. He could however read lips and the words said were "stop him." Peter responded with a cocky smile as he allowed the man with the gun past him as the elevator dinged. The man entered then nodded his head at Peter. "thanks," he mouthed as the door closed behind him. Peter's hearing returned to normal just in time for the manager to run up to him and try to look intimidating even though Peter was slightly taller then him. "what the heck was that? He just ran off with the prize money! You could've stopped him!" the man was red in the face and his eyes would have liked to shot out of his skull as they bulged out. Smirking Peter turned his back to the manager then pressed the button to the elevator. "where the heck are you going!? You gotta help me identify the thief for the police. Please, I didn't get a good look at him." The man practically begged filling Peter with a sick form of pride. The elevator door opened and Peter turned his head to look at the man hwo had fallen to his knees. "I missed the part where that's my problem." the boy replied, entering the elevator then pressing the button for the ground floor. As the door closed Peter could see the despair in the man's face which for a second made the boy feel terrible for what he said but Peter fought that down if that man didn't want something like this to happen then he shouldn't have been a jerk. The asshole got what was coming to him, Peter justified to himself but couldn't get rid of the pit in his stomach like he had done the worse thing in his life… because he had. He let a dangerous criminal rob someone and did nothing to stop their escape even though he had the power to stop them. What would Ben think? That thought alone took all the wind from Peter's sails and he exited the elevator at the bottom floor. Deciding to walk back to the library, his mood soured by the events of today and the in-action that allowed a criminal to get away with his crime. Peter had changed his clothes once he was out of sight of the arena. The boy jogged to the library if he was lucky he'd make it just in time for uncle Ben to arrive. The boy couldn't shake the feeling that he had done something terrible. Sure that guy was a dick but he didn't deserve to get robbed. Peter could see his breath in the cold night as he reached the library parking light and saw a crowd of people, some with their phones out surrounding the flashing lights of police cars an ambulance. Peter froze then gulped. Dropping his backpack, sprinting toward the crowd with reckless abandon. The boy reached the crowd and thought to push through until he reached the front of it and saw police tape and his eyes widened. A little boys cries echoed in Peter's ear the boy cried to his mother whom held him in a comforting hold. A hole in the center of the closed off area with an old man next to it. No, no, no. Peter leapt over the police line then ran toward the body. One of the police tried to get in his way but Peter sidestepped him and then slid toward the body. The body of his uncle Ben. "Uncle Ben!" He yelled rolling his uncle over. The man's brown windbreaker was caked in blood and his shirt was the same. The man's eyes had a glassy sheen as he breathed slowly. "Peter… Peter." "it's me uncle Ben. I'm so sorry." "Peter… Peter?" Ben coughed off blood onto Peters jacket. The boy choked back tears as he looked down at his Dying uncle, the man who raised him. "Peter… tell may… tell her… i'm sorry." Ben sighed then fell limp in Peters arms. The boy cried out in anguish, his screams echoing throughout the night filled streets.