Chapter Text
Brotherhood Part 3
When Peter woke up, it was to the smell of flowers and freshly cooked breakfast. Then, he wondered how breakfast could be cooked if he and MJ were still cuddled up…shit!
Peter bolted to his feet so fast that MJ slid off him and fell onto the floor. Then he immediately felt dizzy as his concussion decided to remind him of its existence, and to top it all off, his shoulder decided it hated being ignored and wanted to join the party. Peter crumpled to his knees as he tried to steady himself.
"Tiger!"
"Oh good, you two are up!"
"I'm good!" Peter looked down at Mary Jane through blurry morning vision. "Sorry." MJ smiled, then started giggling and didn't stop until she was full-on laughing on the floor. Peter felt a smile crack on his face, and he leaned over her on the floor, whispering, "Well I don't know about you, but I slept great."
MJ grinned mischievously at him and cupped his cheek. "You are quite the comfortable pillow, Tiger," she purred.
Peter leaned down to kiss her, but just before they connected– "Dears, heat in the living room does not keep the bacon in the kitchen warm."
Peter turned bright red, and MJ giggled. "Come on, Human Torch," MJ said, "you need your food, and I need to change. I'll be back to pick you up for school." With that, Mary Jane gave Peter a peck on the cheek and shimmied out from under him.
"Anna has a fresh set of clothes laid out for you, Mary Jane," Aunt May called, causing the previously confidently striding redhead to bow her head sheepishly. Aunt May chuckled to herself as Peter sat down to eat his eggs and bacon. "Keep that bacon warm Human Torch," Aunt May said, with a completely straight face.
Peter's fork clattered to the floor, and Aunt May lost all control. "That's it, I'm turning into Iceman!" the embarrassed young hero said, collecting his plate and stomping up the stairs to finish his breakfast and take the coldest shower of his life while his Aunt broke out into uncontrollable fits of laughter.
School had been an odd thing for Peter to return to on Monday. After all the drama that ensued over the weekend, sitting in a classroom trying to do Calculus just felt odd.
However, one thing did happen to make things feel right: Gwen sat with Peter during lunch. It had been ages since Gwen and Peter hung out like they were friends, and even longer since Peter had seen Gwen act like herself. Add the fact that MJ was with them, and Peter was so happy he didn't even question where Harry was at the moment.
Of course, being a Parker, Peter's luck didn't hold out. Aunt May called him just as school got out and informed him of where Eddie was currently, and Peter knew when his Aunt's 'suggestions' weren't actually suggestions.
That's how Peter ended up in the ESU courtyard, waiting for Eddie to leave his last class of the day with his leg bouncing uncontrollably. He didn't know exactly why he was nervous to be meeting Eddie, there were so many reasons. From his paranoia surrounding his old enemy to the thought of reconnecting with the boy who was essentially his older brother. Peter was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice Harry Osborn take a seat next to him.
"Pete?"
"..."
"Peter!" Peter spasmed, accidentally knocking Harry in the shoulder. "Holy crap!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing the fresh bruise. "When did you start working out?"
"Harry! Sorry, I-you just surprised me," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. Then, Peter did a double-take upon seeing his friend. Harry had bags under his red-rimmed eyes, and his hair was so shaggy, it made him look like he'd just rolled out of bed. Considering how Peter hadn't seen Harry at all at school, he'd put his money on the bed. "You okay?"
"She dumped me, Pete," Harry said bluntly, Peter caught a whiff of Harry's breath and tried not to gag. "Just like that, no warning, no 'we need to talk' speech, just boom dumped."
So Gwen finally did it, Peter thought. Good, for both of them. "Well, hey, at least she didn't do it at lunch in front of the whole school," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Would've preferred that instead of her doing it before I passed out," Harry muttered darkly. "Least that way I could've made it clear that I dumped her."
Peter didn't know what to say to that. This was very clearly a no-win scenario for him as the friend that was stuck in the middle. No matter what he said, he knew Harry would take it as him choosing a side.
R-I-I-I-I-N-G!
Oh thank god, a relieved Peter thought. He stood up, his eyes searching for the big blond hair of Eddie Brock. "Sorry, Harr," Peter said as he spotted Eddie. "I promised Aunt May I would talk to Eddie, rain check?"
"Are you serious right now?" But Harry's question didn't land in anyone's ears except his. The young Osborn couldn't believe his best friend, they had known each other since elementary school. Harry would side with Peter on anything, back Peter up on anything, yet Peter would rather take Gwen's side!
Harry gripped the armrest of the bench and squeezed it as hard as he could. How dare that ungrateful little nerd blow us off! After everything our father did for him, he still took pictures of Spider-Man when that murderer killed him! After trying to steal our girl, he doesn't have the guts to tell us he's on her side!
Harry pulled his phone out, he needed to get away from everything. He still had too many enemies inside Oscorp that were trying to tarnish the legacy of Norman Osborn. He would turn eighteen at the end of summer break and finally be able to take his rightful place in the company, but that would still give Aleister Smythe enough time to sink his claws into Oscorp. He needed a plan, and he knew the perfect place to go. "Mom? How do you feel about a Cayman Vacation for summer break?"
"Eddie!" Peter yelled, chasing down his older brother.
Eddie turned and his brow furrowed. "What are you doing here? Didn't Warren tell you not to come until you're fully recovered?"
"I'm not here for the internship," Peter said, jerking his head to the side and beckoning Eddie to follow him. The two walked in silence as Peter led Eddie to one of the most secluded alleys, once there, Peter pulled out two makeshift masks and tossed one to Eddie.
"What's this for?"
"We need to talk, and I know a place," Peter said, putting on his web-shooters and mask. "Plus, I haven't fixed my suit, so these will have to do."
Eddie looked warily from the mask to Peter for a moment before he made up his mind and pulled it on. Peter nodded and ran full speed at Eddie before he wrapped his arm around the blond, and swung off into the city.
Eddie had to admit, this was pretty sweet. He had swung as Venom, but it felt different, it didn't feel as free as swinging with Peter did. And he never took the time to appreciate the beauty of New York, the way the sunlight reflected off the skyscrapers, how the people below looked like specks of dust moving about their day. But there was also something else in the air.
From this high in the sky, Eddie could see everything in the city, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Things he never would have seen had he stayed on the street level.
Finally, Eddie felt his legs touch something solid; they were on the top of the Chrysler Building, perched on one of the eagle heads. Peter took off his mask, and Eddie followed suit.
"So?" Eddie asked. "Why am I up here Pete?"
Peter sat down and stared off into the concrete jungle. "I'm sorry I never told you the truth," he said. "Of all the people I wanted to tell, you were at the top of the list."
Eddie tilted his head, this was not what he expected. That didn't mean the thought hadn't crossed his mind. In fact, when the symbiote found him it was one of the first thoughts to be corrupted by their anger at Peter and Spider-Man. It did hurt him to think Peter didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth, and if he had, so many things could have been different. Eddie never would've scared Mary Jane, he never would've tried to hurt Gwen or May. He never would have put so many people at risk by trying to out Peter's identity.
"Do you remember the night Uncle Ben died?"
"That's not a night I'll ever forget," Eddie answered, sitting down next to Peter.
"Do you know why he was where he was?" Eddie shook his head. Peter took a deep breath. "I saw an ad about prize money being given to anyone who could survive three minutes with Crusher Hogan, Bonesaw. I had just figured out what I could do, and I wanted to win the money. I felt that after all the bullying in school, after never being able to stand up for myself, I was owed something. So I made my suit, entered, and told Uncle Ben that I needed to get some studying done at the library across from the Venue.
"We got into an argument before I left. Looking back, I think Uncle Ben knew what I was about to do, but I was angry at the world so I didn't care. I stormed off, determined to win that prize money."
That confused Eddie, not because he didn't think Peter would try to make money by using his powers, but because he was pretty sure he'd remember if Peter had come into a big pot of money. "But you didn't win the money, did you?"
Peter shook his head, still looking ahead. "There were caveats. I won, but got cheated out of the money," the young hero said bitterly. "As I was walking out, the place got robbed. The guy yelled for me to stop the robber, but I was pissed, so I let him go." A high-pitched whine clawed at Eddie's ears, he cringed and looked down to see Peter's fingers digging into the metal, twisting it. "Uncle Ben died because of me because I was too wrapped up in my amazing fantasy to listen to the last words he ever spoke to me."
"What did he say?" Eddie asked. He looked at the young superhero next to him to find his eyes covered in a watery sheen.
"He told me; with great power, there must also come great responsibility," Peter answered, finally looking at Eddie. "That's why I go out there every night. I have the power to help people, to protect them. It's not easy, and it makes my life hell, but if I was given the choice between having the people I care about love me and be six feet under or have them hate me, but be alive because I stopped some nutjob with a superpower or a robber from killing them, I'd choose the former. Every. Single. Time."
Peter's words hit Eddie with the force of a spider-powered punch. When he and Venom bonded, it had been because of their mutual rejection, loneliness, and rage. Venom told him who Spider-Man was, but never told him why Peter did it. All of the facts were warped and twisted to make him seem like the good guy and Peter the villain. However, the one feeling that was all Eddie was his hurt at Peter for not telling him the truth.
"Pete, I get it, okay," Eddie said. Peter turned around to look at Eddie and the two seemed to understand what Eddie was going to say. "When Venom came to me, I was also angry, and I'm sorry for what I did. I would never, ever lay a finger on May if I was in my right mind, but all that rage…that was there before the symbiote."
"Eddie, I–"
"I had gotten over you taking the pictures and flaking," Eddie pressed. "I just couldn't believe you kept that from me. We were practically brothers, we shared everything, but I was angry you didn't think you could trust me with this."
Peter was silent for a few minutes before he found his voice again. "We're never gonna get back to where we were."
Eddie closed his eyes. There was no questioning tone in Peter's voice. "No," he said, remembering the words May said to him the first time she came to visit him at Ravencroft, "we forgive, and move on."
Peter gave a weak chuckle, then stood to his feet. Eddie watched as Peter's face changed from a sad expression to a fiercely determined one. "You're right, and I think it's time I actually listened to my aunt."
Eddie grinned. "Anyone who's met May could've told you that," he said standing up. "You know, since I'll be the one taking your picture now you're gonna need some new excuses…if you can give me a heads up when you start going, I'll do my best to cover for you."
Peter smiled back. "I think I'll take you up on that." Then, Peter's eyes lit up and he pulled his mask back over his head as he grabbed Eddie, and jumped backward off the Chrysler Building. "I have an idea for your next photo!"
Peter was giddy as he landed in the alley next to Stark Tower, he'd never been in the building before, and now he had free access to enter it whenever he wanted! He and Eddie quickly put their masks away and sprinted for the back door. Peter put in the code and led Eddie into the dark room.
The moment the door closed, every light in the room turned on, blinding the two young men for a moment. Then, some flashing blue lights scanned the two of them.
"Welcome Peter Parker, Spider hyphen Man," a smooth automated voice with a British accent said, "and Edward Brock Jr."
Peter and Eddie looked at each other, equally startled and intrigued. "Uh, hello, disembodied voice," Peter said, looking around.
"You may call me J.A.R.V.I.S," the voice said calmly. "I am an artificial intelligence created by Mr. Stark to assist him. And in this case, I'm here to help you with using the Fabricator to create a new suit. Though I must warn you, I do have a protocol labeled 'No Cool Suit' that has been set to activate should your designs outshine Mr. Stark's."
Peter jumped in place with excitement. He'd never met an A.I. before, and this one was created by Tony. "J.A.R.V.I.S, huh? What does that stand for?" he asked.
"Just A Really Very Intelligent System," J.A.R.V.I.S. answered in a dry voice.
"That's ironic."
"I have told Mr. Stark that several times."
Peter laughed, then paused. Wait a minute, did that A.I. just get my joke? "J.A.R.V.I.S, did Mr. Stark program you with sarcasm?"
"I did advise him against it," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "However, I think Mr. Stark likes to feel challenged from time to time."
Peter opened his mouth to reply, but Eddie cut him off. "Pete, stop flirting with the A.I."
"Huh? Oh, right, sorry," Peter said. He then moved to a familiar-looking small box labeled 'Stark Industries Fabricator' on the side. He placed his hand on the top, and the box unfolded outwards, with every new layer seemingly coming from nowhere until it stopped. The Fabricator lit up, and the display came to life with thousands of possible design combinations.
Peter's face exploded into a manic grin as he flipped through all the designs. They were certainly cool, but they never said 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' to him. The red-and-blue color scheme just felt right, but there was one addition he wanted to make.
There was only one thing he could look back at the black suit with a fondness for, and that was the splashes of white across his body. He looked at the material list and decided to use a flexible carbon fiber for the symbols on his chest and back, and for good measure, he added a bit to each of his gauntlets so he wouldn't be punching with his bare fists anymore.
"Oh, you are going to break the protocol," J.A.R.V.I.S. commented. "It's a good thing I deactivated it."
Spider-Man sprinted up the side of Stark Tower, his Spider-Sense had triggered. Someone was in trouble, and he'd find them. Alarm bells rang, and Spidey turned around. In the alley was a young couple being held at gunpoint.
"The purse! Now!"
"Man, the one day I leave the house without mine," Spidey quipped as he swung in. The mugger whipped around and fired wildly at Spidey, who easily evaded every bullet. He shot a line of web at the mugger and yanked on it. The mugger flew right into Spidey's waiting arm. "Dude, who tries to mug someone right next to Iron Man's pad?"
Spidey laughed at the struggling mugger under his arm as he swung into the sky. He saw the flash of a camera go off, illuminating the bold white Spider Symbol on his chest as he shouted, "New suit, same old me!"
A pair of eyes opened slowly. The world was blinding and blurry, and entirely unfamiliar. The teenager's heart started to race, and his breathing decided to match. How did I get here? Where is here? That's when the teen noticed the straps around his arms and legs, keeping him tied to the bed.
The teen spasmed and tore straight through the leather straps like they were paper. He jumped from the bed, and straight up into the ceiling, but instead of falling to the ground, he stayed there. "Whoa!" he said, astonished.
The door opened and in walked a man with a lab coat. He looked up at the teen and did not seem surprised at all, instead, he just nodded and wrote something down on his clipboard. He took a step closer, and the teen backed away on the ceiling. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Professor Miles Warren," the man answered calmly. "Do you know who you are?"
The teen furrowed his brow. He did have a name right? Peter? No, that doesn't sound right. Ben? Yeah…Ben, that-that feels right. "My name is Ben, Ben Reilly."