Chereads / THE AMAZING SPIDER-BAT / Chapter 19 - ONE BAD DAY PART 4

Chapter 19 - ONE BAD DAY PART 4

Commissioner Stacy and other cops pull up to the clock tower.

"Her phone says she's here." Commissioner Stacy says, looking at the app he installed to keep track of Gwen.

As they ready their guns and prepare to go into the clock tower, they all stop in shock. They see Spider-Bat walking out, carrying the body of Gwen Stacy. Commissioner Stacy's entire body trembles, dropping his gun and running over to his daughter.

"Gwen?....No...Oh God no."George says, holding his daughter in his arms and dropping to his knees.

The Commissioner then starts to cry as Peter looks on with sadness and guilt, not being able to save her.

"I'm sorry, George." Peter says as he slowly walks away, still hearing the man's cries.

Later, as Peter walks into the Batcave, he pulls off his mask and sits down. As he starts to remember Gwen, her voice, her smile, her touch, her eyes, sadness starts to consume him again and tears fall down his face. That sadness quickly turns to anger as he throws his chair across the room and starts punching the cave wall over and over again, blood splattering everywhere, replaying what happened over and over again in his mind.

He then drops to his knees and screams to the top of his lungs, while Ben is secretly listening with a single tear falling down his face.

While that's happening, George is sitting with his daughters body in silence. Montoya tries to go to comfort the commissioner, but Bullock stops her, shaking his head no. After a moment longer, Stacy stands up, kisses Gwen on the forehead, and puts the white blanket over her. He then leaves the room with a determined look on his face.

"I want every cop we have available searching for Norman Osborne, I don't care if their on duty or not. We put him away- tonight."

While all the cops in the building quickly run out of the building, Commissioner Stacy stops for a moment, then goes to the roof.

Meanwhile Ben walks into the cave and sees Peter sitting on the ground, staring at his mask.

"I brought this on her, Ben. I was supposed to inspire good. Not madness- not death." Peter says.

Ben kneels down to Peter.

"You have inspired good, sir. But every war has its casualties. Things were always going to get worse, before it gets better."

"But Gwen..." Peter says.

"Gwen believed in what you were trying to do. What you are still trying to do."

At that moment the Spider-Bat signal shines through the sky where Peter and Ben can see it. Ben grabs his mask and offers it to Peter.

"Right now, New York needs Spider-Bat. With great power- comes great responsibility."

Peter looks at the mask for a minute, then takes it, with new found determination. At that moment a police report comes in about hostages being held in a building that's under construction by pumpkin heads.

"I don't understand. Why is he doing all this? What could he possibly gain from all this?"

"Mr. Osborne isn't the same man he once was sir. Some men aren't looking for anything logical. Some men- just want to watch the world burn." Ben says.

Peter then puts on his mask and goes out to the city again.

On a building across from where the hostages are. Commissioner Stacy looks through binoculars and see pumpkin heads with guns standing around the hostages.

"Looks like a shooting gallery. Why would he choose a spot with such big windows?" Stacy asks.

"We have clear shots on five Pumpkin Heads. Snipers take them out. Smash the windows, a team rappels in. Two, three casualties max." Bullock says.

"Let's do it." Stacy replies.

"It can't be that simple. Not when we're talking about the Goblin." Peter says behind him.

"We can't afford to wait." Stacy replies.

"Just give me five minutes alone."

Stacy thinks to himself for a moment.

"You have two. Then we breach." Stacy says.

Peter nods and swings towards the building with the hostages inside. He tackles one of the Pumpkin Heads to the ground and prepares to punch him but stops himself. He soon notices that the gun is taped to his hands and takes off his mask to reveal a hostage with his mouth taped. He then looks back to see the rest of the Pumpkin heads trembling in fear as red dots on their bodies.

"Ben, patch me into Stacy."

From the Bat computer, Ben quickly patches Peter into Stacy's radio.

"Stacy, your team is targeting the wrong people, the pumpkin heads are the hostages."

Stacy's eyes widen as the snipers are about to shoot.

"Don't!" He yells but the sniper pulls the trigger.

Peter quickly shoots a web and pulls the hostages to the ground before the bullets could hit anyone of them. At that moment the thugs disguised as hostages stand up and pull out their guns. The vigilante quickly throws a smoke bomb down, blinding them.

The thugs open fire into the smoke and wait to see if they hit Spider-Bat. After a few minutes pass, Peter jumps out of the smoke and tackles one of them to the ground. He then grabs his gun and hits another one in the head, all while dodging bullets. He then hits the third thug in the knee, grabs his gun, and hits him over the head.

After that, Peter frees the hostages and sends them outside to the police. Before he can follow, he hears the Goblins laugh, and gets filled with anger.

"Well, that was a bust. I spent a lot of time and effort on that plan, and you just saw through it in seconds. I was expecting you to beat the crap out of at least one them before you realized it, but oh well."

Peter doesn't say a word and searches the room for Norman.

"Oh the silent treatment, eh? Well I guess I can't blame you. Afterall you did suffer a great loss tonight. How's Commissioner Stacy by the way?"

Peter clenches his fists and grits his teeth, rage building inside of him.

"It's a tragedy, really. That Gwen Stacy was such a remarkable young woman. Both intelligent and beautiful. But one thing even more beautiful than her was the sound her neck made when she kicked the bucket."

Peter becomes so enraged that his Spider senses doesn't even go off when Norman shows up behind and kicks him to the ground.

"What? Was that too soon?" Norman asks while laughing.

Norman then goes for a punch but Peter quickly blocks it, but gets hit in the chest with a second. As Peter is hunched over, clutching his chest, the Goblin knees him right in the face, causing blood to fly. He then punches Peter across the face all while laughing.

Norman continues to land strikes on Peter, with the hero being unable to dodge or counter attack. He then kicks Peter into a wall.

"Oh come on Arachni-bat. Don't tell me you're getting sleepy on me."

Peter slowly gets to his feet, spits out blood, and takes a fighting stance.

"Not even close."

Norman laughs and charges at Peter but gets caught with an uppercut. As the Goblin stumbles back, Peter walks towards him, steady and calm. Norman goes for a punch, but Peter blocks it, lands another uppercut, then a right cross. Peter starts to land punch, after punch, for the first time not holding anything back. He punches Norman in the face with a left hook, then kicks him in the leg, knocking him off balance.

As Norman is swaying, blood dripping from his face, Peter jumps into the air and lands a corkscrew roundhouse kick across his face, that knocks him out of the window. As he falls, laughing all the way down. Peter thinks back to Gwen and how she died and how this is what Norman deserves. After a few more moments, Peter grits his teeth and shoots out a web catching Norman in time. The Goblin looks up at Peter with a big smile on his face.

"You just couldn't let me go, could you?" Norman asks as Peter scowls at him.

A few minutes later, Peter walks out with Norman, whose restrained by webbing. Peter throws him to his knees as Stacy quickly walks over to them, with his gun in hand.

"George." Peter says, trying to stop him.

"Why is he so mad?" Norman asks.

Stacy then puts his gun against the Goblins head.

"You son of a bitch." Stacy says.

"Guilty as charged." Norman replies

"Don't do it."

"You should have let this scumbag fall!" George yells.

"I thought about it. I really did. But if I cross that line... I won't comeback from it. Neither will you if you pull that trigger. This city needs you Commissioner Stacy. You're the light in all this darkness." Peter says.

As a tear falls down his cheek, Stacy lowers his gun.

"Take him away."

Multiple cops grab Norman and drags him away but he stops.

"Oh, one last thing. I left a little something extra lying around somewhere, but I can't remember where I put it."

At that moment one of the Goblins bombs explode right at the foundation of a building full of people.

"There it is." Norman says while laughing.

As the building begins to fall, Peter quickly rushes over and holds up the support beam, using all of his strength to keep the building up.

"Well I'll be damned." Norman says as he's hauled away.

"Jesus." Stacy says in awe of what he's seeing.

"George... Get- everyone... out- now." Peter struggles to say.

Stacy, along with Bullock and Montoya quickly evacuate the building, as more people crowd around watching. Vicky Vale soon arrives, amazed by this along with everyone else. The building starts to get heavier as Peter's entire body begins to tremble.

"Come on Spider-Bat, you can do it." A child says in the crowd.

"Yeah, come on, we believe in you." A man yells.

Soon the entire crowd, including the police officers begin to cheer for Peter to keep holding up the building so everyone can get out safely. Peter tries to remain strong, but he starts to fade and the building starts to slip. At that moment, Peter's eyes widen as he sees a hallucination of Gwen standing in the crowd, smiling at him.

"Fight Peter. I need you to keep fighting." She says.

Peter stares at the image of Gwen for a moment, before it fades away, giving him his second wind. He grits his teeth, steadies his body, and let's out a loud yell. He then pushes with all his might, with all the strength and courage he can muster, finally lifting the building above his head to loud cheers. He then quickly steadies the building and unloads multiple web cartridges to keep it standing. As everyone in the building gets out safely, Peter drops to his knees, exhausted. Stacy quickly runs to Peter's side.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asks, helping Peter to his feet.

"Yeah- just tired." Peter says.

As Peter slowly walks away, the crowd all claps for Spider-Bat, including Bullock, Montoya, Stacy, And Vicky Vale. The hero shoots a web and swings away. Meanwhile, Ben is in the cave, watching everything that just happened with a proud smile on his face.

"Guess those push ups were good for something after all." He says to himself.

The next morning, Norman sits in his cell with a straight jacket on, watching the news about Spider-Bat holding up a building and saving thousands of lives. At that moment, the lights and TV cut off and Spider-Bat appears behind him.

"Well, it's about time I have a visitor. Do you know that my own son hasn't been here to visit me once? Talk about ungrateful." Norman says.

Peter doesn't say a word and just stares at Norman.

"The silent treatment, again?... fine, have it your way. If you're here about your little secret, don't worry I'm not gonna spill the beans." Norman says.

"Why?" Peter asks.

A big smile appears on Norman's face and gets into Peter's face.

"Because I don't care who you are under that mask. Or rather- who you pretend to be when you're not wearing it. See you- complete me. And if I tell people- it complicates this game that we're destined to play forever." Norman answers laughing.

Peter glares at Osborne.

"You still don't get it, do you? We both exist because of them! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

At that moment the lights come back on and Peter disappears as Norman continues to laugh in his cell.

Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, Vicky Vale argues with J Jonah Jameson.

"It's my story J.J."

"It's my paper Vale!" Jameson yells.

"If I publish your version of the story then it would be a lie. Spider-Bat saved those people. He didn't cause the explosion, you saw it for yourself."

"Yeah? Have you watched the incredibles before Ms. Vale? What if this menace is pulling a Syndrome, huh?"

Vale sighs.

"Look. You either print the story like it is- or I walk. I heard the Daily planet is hiring. I hear Metropolis is really nice this time of year." Vale says with a smirk.

Jameson scowls at Vicky.

"You wouldn't dare." Jameson says.

"Try me." Vicky replies.

"Fine, fine. But we only praise this web headed, bat eared freak once on this paper. Ya hear me? Once!" Jameson says.

Vicky smiles.

"Thank you."

In the Batcave, Ben reads the newspaper while Peter tries to tie his tie to go Gwen Stacy's funeral.

"I do believe that this is the first time the Bugle has said anything nice about you, sir."

Ben looks over and sees a quiet and focused Peter struggling to tie his tie. Ben smiles and walks over to the boy.

"Let me help you sir. I always did help your father with this afterall."

A slight smile appears on Peter's face.

"Thank you Ben."

"My pleasure sir. Are you ready for today?"

Peter doesn't answer for a moment.

"No. But I have to say goodbye." Peter replies.

Ben nods and finishes tying Peter's tie. The young man grabs his glasses and leaves the cave.

At Gwen Stacy's funeral, everyone is there. From George Stacy, Jill Stacy(his niece) and his ex wife Helen who are crying in each other's arms. Bullock and Montoya who are standing behind the commissioner. And Harry Osborne who is crying beside Peter. When they drop her casket into the ground, tears start to flow down Peter's face, as it really sinks it that Gwen Stacy, the one that he loved, is really gone.

When the funeral ends, Peter stands infront of Gwen's tombstone, remembering every moment the two shared together. At that moment Commissioner Stacy stands beside Peter.

"She loved you, ya know? Ever since you two were kids." Stacy says.

Peter smiles, with sadness in his eyes.

"So did I. I don't know how to go on... Not without her."

George stares at the young man for a moment, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't. Take her with you." He tells him.

The commissioner then walks away and Harry approaches Peter.

"Hey man. How are you holding up?" Harry asks.

"I'm taking it day by day."

"I'm so sorry, Pete. I never would have thought that my dad would- do something like this. I should have stopped him when I first saw him." Harry says through tears.

Peter gives his bestfriend a hug.

"It's not your fault, Harry. You aren't responsible for your father's actions." Peter tells him.

Harry nods, wiping away his tears.

"Thank God for you Peter. You're the only family I have left."

The two share a smile between each other.

"So what are you gonna do now? Rebuild Oscorp?" Peter asks.

"No, that place can stay burned down for all I care. I want to do something for this city, something that matters. Something that will help avoid stuff like this."

Peter smiles.

"Well, I got your back in whatever that maybe." Peter says offering his hand.

Harry smiles and shakes Peter's hand.

"Thanks Pete."

The two walk with each other as Peter keeps looking back at Gwen's grave.

That night, Spider-Bat swings onto the top of the clock tower, the place where Gwen died. He takes off his mask and puts down a rose. He then looks up at the sky and smiles.

"I love you Gwen." He says.

At that moment, the Spider-Bat signal shines through the night sky, catching Peter's attention. The young man puts on his mask and jumps off the clock tower, shoots out a web and swings through the city, seeing that what he's doing matters. That he has had an affect here. Just not the one he intended. He knows that he'll have to become more. People need hope. to know that there's someone out there for them. Like him, the city is angry...scarred. But he knows that scars can transform others. They can give people the power to endure. And the strength to fight. So he continues the fight. For New York. For his parents. For Gwen.