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Max, recently, well a couple weeks ago, had been avoiding Parker.
Truly because of the arrogance he had on their last actual conversation.
But now that time has passed and despite what had previously happened that day with Peter, he couldn't help but feel guilty for such events.
Afterall he had let such a young and brilliant mind be wasted just because he was emotional at the time.
And not only that but he had avoided Pete's determined and polite attempts at rejoining the school.
If he could redo what had occurred he would, but that tech from what he knows hasn't been invented yet.
So he'll just have to hopefully speak to Parker in person.
Of course, after he voided Peter's attempts at communication, the kid left him alone.
Which meant the only way to reach or find him was to show up at his address.
Hopefully Peter shouldn't mind, Afterall not long ago he wanted to join back, and hopefully he would still take up the offer.
"Hey Max!" As he was exiting the school about to make his way to the address on his palm, Miles ran up to him in a hurry.
"I know you and Peter aren't on good terms but have you seen him?" He question, worry stringing his face.
"I haven't, why?" Max replied.
"He hasn't answered anything of mine in 4 hours!" That's really bad for Parker, he's always in life or death situations! Miles swung his hands in gesture
"He is?"
"W-well yeah, it's why he's always disappearing and-cant say that…" Miles began to rant, worrying out of his mind.
"I'm infact heading to his house now, I'm hoping to reinstate his position in Horizon if I can, I'll check on him."
"Really!? Thanks! I gotta go!" Miles exclaimed a bunch, sprinting off.
Seems like Peter really was different than he knew, he'll have to ensure Pete knows he can help if need be.
First, however, he needed to make it to his house, which was appearing to be in a rather-unsafe neighbourhood.
Which wasn't unexpected, especially with how late he always covered his tuition.
As he reached the house he believed it to be, he rung the doorbell.
Deciding to knock after it was obviously out of working conditions.
Despite the wait, eventually a grey-haired woman who he assumed to be 'aunt May' answered.
"Hello? Do I know you?" She cautiously questioned.
"No you don't, but I'm Max Modell, I'm the owner of Horizon academy."
"Oh!-uhm nice to meet you" she shook his hand as he extended it.
"I'm here to see Peter, last time we met it was on bad terms and I wanted to ask if he was willing to rejoin Horizon if you don't mind."
"I don't at all! He's been talking about it for the last week." She exclaimed excitedly.
"That's great to know! Is he in his room?"
"Yes, beware though, he's working on a project."
"Got it."
With that he made this way upstairs, turning to where Peter's room should be.
As he cracked the door open he had expected a light, Pete shocking himself while soldering, anything.
But there was nothing.
No activity at all.
He supposes the kid could be asleep, but still, he may as well be sure.
He hand tapped around for a switch till he located a rectangular structure on the wall, clicking it and waiting for the flicker of light till he opened the door further.
His hands went limp and he couldn't help but stumble back, his eyes widening in shock.
The kid wasn't asleep, wasn't passed out at his desk.
No. His body was hung limp from his ceiling, blood dripping from his arms and ankles…
Aunt May had been preparing tea for the two, it had only been about a minute since she saw Modell, but it had been surprisingly silent.
She made her way up the stairs, veering towards Peter's room, till she witnessed it.
The door swung open, Max standing blankly, and her niece, the kid who was practically her son taut with a rope around his neck and blood staining the carpet below him.
The cups clattered to the ground, liquid spilling, she couldn't care about the mess, all she could see at that time was her baby.
Her baby in a noose.
Her screams weren't short after, sobs and all, and they definitely didn't stop after finding out nothing more could be done for him after the ambulance arrived.
He was frozen, unsure as what to do, he didn't think he could move even if he did try.
It wasn't till Pete's aunt had dropped the cups and smashed them, that he had snapped back to reality.
It didn't feel real. Peter, his Peter, his assistant and reliable partner for science had hung himself.
Less than two months ago they were a student and mentor.
Now they were a suicidal teenager who hadn't been noticed by anyone and a regretful mentor.
It wasn't till hours later that he had discovered something more to the situation.
He had made it back to Horizon, barely, zoned out and all, but when he did there was a letter on his desk.
A bot had brought it to his desk while gone.
Peter Parker
Max, I know that you may still hate me, even after you find and finish this, but I want you to know about something I didn't get to tell you before. When Ock was placed in a coma, his mind had been uploaded to the neuro-cortex, and he managed to swap his mind to my body and my mind to the neuro-cortex. During the time where my behaviour had shifted, that really wasn't me. That was Ock. Eventually he changed for good and realised it was best to return my mind to my body and I returned his to his body. That was when I kept trying to communicate and reached out to everyone again. Of course after the damage 'I' caused it didn't work. I'm sorry, Max, I really should've tried more, but I just can't. I just hope you'll find a better assistant and partner for science. If you're reading this I'm dead, from Peter.
By the time he had processed all the words from the letter, tears were spilling down his face again.
He had been the sole cause, the reason why Peter had committed.
If he just came around sooner Parker would alive, in his lab.
Helping him create a safer version of venom, or design new tech, or anything.
But no, that's not how this was.
Peter was dead and Max was sobbing, weeping over the death of a student that could've been entirely prevented if he hadn't been so selfish.