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LIVING ON THE EDGE, FIGHTING CRIME, SPINNING WEBS, LOOKING UP WITH NO SURPRISE, ARRIVING AT THE SPEED OF TIME— FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN

[attr="class","monsterexo"]It wasn’t in the slightest interest that August would return late that night. It was usually the gist of things, but not even too late, honestly. If he ever happened to, it would be up to the city and its criminality. Patrol days as Spider-Man could be long at times but also packed with action and with the thought that he did something good for the day. At times, though, it could be just that boring and simply plain that he would just hop around buildings to kill some time.

Just as the wind would brush over his suit and he could feel the touch of his beloved cloth; he could do this for hours, really. Web-swinging was just incredible and he loved every second of it: the drop, the shifting, every part. The best moment was when he would finally let go of the silk— it was very short but it almost felt like time would freeze just for him and the exhilaration to be in mid-air was just amusing, to say the least.

And then, the most cameo gesture of all superheroes; and the one that if you didn’t know, you probably had a sad childhood, but the moment both his ring and middle finger came to press against his palm was satisfying. But finally, he swung in direction of home as he landed on the rooftops of his building, finally allowing the Spider-Man some time to stretch out with his limbs. Man, he wasn’t even in his apartment yet but he just saw that much of New York, that just the feeling of being on top of his apartment building felt good.

August inhaled before he huffed it all out as he took off his mask.

“About time, man,” - he lamented to himself. It could still be a nightmare at times to wear the suit, but he had definitely gotten used to it. Yes. He wasn’t born in that suit and there was honestly so much to gather, but yet so little compared to what one would expect from a superhero story.

Speaking of people with super stuff and everything; he couldn’t help but figure out that Jules wasn’t hanging out around here even this night. He didn’t exactly get worried in that manner, she was a mom and honestly, she probably had to look after her kid, house, all that good stuff. But it was somewhat peculiar given how seriously she was taking her training. Maybe little Em got sick.

"I hope that kid is fine..."

Mmmhm. Hmhm. Mmhmmhm.

Oh hey, it was his phone. With a snap of his— obviously whistled Spider-Man opening theme song— ringtone, the man hopped on spot as he rushed out for his phone— hoping it would be a response from his job interview applications or something like that as he clashed the phone between his shoulder and his ear, as he attempted to gradually take off his cosplay and switch it with the clothes he had left in the backpack he had made sure to web up all good onto a water tank.

“Hello?— Oh. It’s you,” - sighed the man. He knew this robotic tone of voice, no, it was demonic all right. It was the advertisement people again.

“No. I am not interested in your lonely single handsome nerdy men magazine full of comic girls. For like the three thousand and fifty—ish time. I swear, as soon as we hang up, I am blocking this number finally.”

Yeah, this was quite annoying. Somewhat of a routine, honestly.

“How the hell am I qualified because I looked up how to be Spider-Man over a hundred times on Google— how do you even know that?!”

It wasn’t as long as their conversations continued… and August sort of ignored the other part, because they usually said the same things over and over. It was their job, he guessed, but at the same time, it was annoying how they kept calling him after his repetitive declining of such offers. Hell, if he wanted to see comic girls, he would have gone to a comicon.

But finally, he was all up and ready to go, with his Spider-Man cosplay packed up in his bag as he just picked it up and put it over his shoulder with one of the sleeves.

“I don’t care I can win an obvious scam about a night with an amazing cosplay of “Susan Sue Richards”. I actually have the real thing over here. Yeah. How? Well, she’s invisible man. Go figure out what I mean,” - he said with a roll of his eyes as he just sneakily webbed over the edge and finally left over the window that led to his apartment.

He left it ‘closed’, but it was actually easy to slide it up unless you locked it as he slid it up and quickly jumped in. He didn’t want to stand off too much. Not like anyone was that attentive in this metropolis. Everyone was too busy to stare at what was in front of them to even care about taking a look around them.

“Wait. What do you mean I can ‘unsubscribe’ from this service? You guys never told me that,” - stated the man as he closed the window once more and listened in clear obliviousness.

“What do you mean I hang up too quickly?!”

He pressed both his fingers over the sides of his nose as he closed his eyes and sighed.

“Alright. Unsubscribe me from this. Yeah. Thank you. Sure, good evening.”

Finally, the man could hang up and toss the phone somewhere… obviously gently. He didn’t want to break it. His apartment was empty, as usual, whatever. It was just a hope that never left him, that he could come back to his wife waiting for him, but, yeah, he was moving on.

In the sense that he could keep himself up.

But this was harder than he had expected. This was so weird. Marilynne was by far his one and only love. Of course, she wasn’t his first girl, nor his second or third. But, wow, this was so weird. Even when he traced back just by a few steps, he could see that his typical daily routine had changed upside down and— well, all other kinds of directions honestly. Right now, he wouldn’t have minded going for something alcoholic; he kind of did do that a lot, maybe too much for his own good at times.

Did he just become that stale and one-directional? Like. Maybe he wasn’t even that much older, but like, the little things just held him from even getting drunk over his sadness.

Not anymore, at least.

Finally, the man could slide off that backpack and also throw it somewhere as he just wanted to finally let himself go onto the bed. Just for a few. He needed to relax, just for a few moments. Just like that. His form embraced by the bed’s softness and comfort and his arm that was placed over his eyes to cover any source of light.

Maybe he could have taken a walk out and got a drink or something like that— but honestly, he was just that tired at the moment. His life had changed but not out of necessity, maybe he just felt bad at times in respect to his deceased wife, Mary, but he didn’t really have a reason to feel bad as much as he used to, back then. He had learned to do better and well, it’s a complicated story.

And maybe it’s better to take a swim back in the past to better understand what exactly happened to this guy.

Graduation Day.

Solo

MADE BY ★MEULK

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LIVING ON THE EDGE, FIGHTING CRIME, SPINNING WEBS, LOOKING UP WITH NO SURPRISE, ARRIVING AT THE SPEED OF TIME— FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN

[attr="class","monsterexo"]Upstate. New York. No idea where but somewhere! And pretty much back in time and nowhere near where August would happen to live later on. August lived with his parents for a while still, even during his university years. He could surely rent somewhere and live on his own, but honestly, why? It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford the travel and everything, not to mention that it was a lot cheaper than having to rent a place. So basically, he was chilling at his place with his old people and everything. Life was just that. Study, party hard, sleep. University as a whole. That was kind of college, too.

To be honest, that’s probably any educational institution starting off from the high school years as a whole but yeah. The guy had always been one to usually join parties and, well, not exactly ‘rock hard’, but, well, it did usually end well for him. He was cautious and careful when it came to most things, still, so he wasn’t that silly or anything— some people his age were just reckless at times.

Maybe he was, too, in a certain sense. But not that bad.

Either way. Exams and all were done, graduation and everything— it was basically like a whole new gate had just unlocked for him, but, of course, before doing actually anything came the ‘I am so goddamn tired’ time. The young man was just laying on his bed and put his arm over his line of sight; he just wanted to rest, honestly.

But of course, someone wouldn’t let him have his way as his mom already announced that his best friend had hit up the block and was on his way in his room. Footsteps were heard but he kind of ignored them until he finally heard the door slide and a familiar voice ring within his ears.

“Mate, c'mon, you already sleepin’?”

August chuckled, somewhat and slowly moved the arm away as he lazily looked at his ‘bro’. Guy looked like usual, honestly, he did also put away the graduation outfit and hat, too, he was literally just there casually as they’d usually meet during the day. With that light, blonde hair and pretty much a babyface at that, while August was already kind of showing off that jawline and the facial hair almost perfectly in a mature way.

“Hey man, aren’t you messing around with the others?”

Bryn Richards.

This dude had basically been next to him for most of his university years. He was a cool person. Kind of weird, though, he couldn’t pinpoint it exactly but at times it felt like the guy lied about his life— maybe he just had hard times at home and preferred to hide it. Stuff like that happened, sure, why not. Anyway.

“Eh, mate, they’re not really doing anything. Just noise and shit,” - said the guy before he proceeded to take a sit over the edge of the bed as August himself leveled himself forth and pushed himself to sit up next to him as the two connected their hands for a friendly shake.

“Yeah. I just, dunno. I feel like sleepy as hell honestly,” - responded August. It was true. He didn’t exactly do any sort of connection in his head. He was just tired because of the whole studying, probably.

“I get you. Dude, can you believe it? We’re free now!”

August eyed him with amusement. “Free? Eh, dude, sure, it’s like having chains but you can’t see ‘em.”

The lil' adult wasn't all that negative. But he did know that as far as they'd have lived in a town, city, metropolis— whatever had a government— their lives would have always depended on someone else.

“What? Yeah, but like, you know, studying and everything.”

The man smiled and nodded his head but at the same time, he didn’t even make it that deal anymore. You kind of… grew used to it after twenty or so years. Studying wasn’t even that much of an effort compared to actual jobs out there.

But then, Bryn also brought up another point which he seemed to be most excited about. “So, you joining the party tonight or?”

August blinked in a moment of void— party? Oh, right, yeah! The graduation party. Man, he didn’t really feel like it at the moment, but he was sure he couldn’t just miss this. August nodded as he stretched up and raised from the bed for a moment as he walked up to his desk and tried to look for the invite and all.

“Of course, dude. You know I don’t miss one. How about Mary? Do you know if she’s in?”

Bryn shot a grin in his direction. “Mr. Guy, who’s never had a girlfriend is gonna confess or something?”

August somewhat froze before he just gave him that ‘are you serious?’ gaze.

“...Me? Never had a girl—”

“Wooh, like, don’t worry. Not like that. I am actually the one who’s still—” - briefly interrupted by August, though, as he didn’t really seem to care about his physical status or whatnot. “Yeah, straight to the point?”

“Well, like, you’ve never really been in a romantic relationship.”

The future Spiderling kind of just stared at him before he rolled his eyes and continued his search for the invite. “You know why,” - said the man but again, he was once more interrupted, of course. “Yeah yeah, perfect love, blah blah blah. You don’t want to waste time, this that, the right girl. Or you just don’t want to have your wallet empty all the time.”

He actually chuckled to that point before he shrugged it off and actually managed to skim enough through his things to find the little invite but then again, he just tossed it back up the desk and everything. It wasn’t that August was that flirty guy— but it could happen, at times, that during parties and a shot here and there, a pair of things could happen!

“Dude, you know she’s seeing someone.”

“Mate, that guy? Sure he looks cool but—”

August rolled his eyes for a brief moment; he did hate to think about him. He didn’t exactly know much about the guy, but it was quite obvious he had issues with drugs and whatnot. The object of his interest, though, was apparently willing to… help him? Or something like that? He wasn’t too sure about it, but, it was quite a nuisance to his thoughts.

“He’s a crackhead, yeah.”

Bryn bit his bottom lip— he did know August well enough. The two pretty much used to hang around a lot and he usually didn’t show frustration that easily, but he did know that it did graze him— deeper than what the skin could tell. It wasn’t just jealousy, but he was also concerned for Mary who had been one of the guy’s first friends and also crushes.

“Anyway, let’s talk about something else, yeh’?— I’ve never asked but what are you going to do now?”

August just paced the way back to his bed as he just huffed out, somewhat breathing out at a certain rhythm almost as if he was playing an instrument.

“I am probably not done with studying if I go for managing a real estate. I will have to take courses and exams.”

Bryn frowned at his friend, almost as if he didn’t approve; the guy was a lot more energetic and possibly kind of… well, he had his stuff to mind— not that he would ever mention it or anything but he was a little weird. Regardless, though, he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who liked spending time on books and was eager to ‘take on a real job’.

“Anything else?”

“No. Why, what do you want to do?”

“Y’know, it’s so awesome you won’t even—”

“Just say it.”

“The astronaut.”

August halted on his tracks shortly and eyed him with amusement and a taunting smile as he chuckled it off.

“Right. And I’ll be Spider-Man one day.”

Bryn was the one to actually spit it out this time— he couldn’t quite see August as Spidey, yeah. Hah. Try again. But, even if Bryn didn’t actually say anything or seriously change his expression— it was just a faint feeling in the air but August could tell that response might have been a bit harsh on him, so he was quick to take it back.

“Like. Sure, you can be one, but, you know… maybe you should look at smaller things? Go at it gradually and everything.”

The man had meant no malice in his words, in the end, but he seriously didn’t want his dude to eventually fail and get disappointed. The two were tight so, no way he could have just encouraged him— you know, the usual ‘it’s for his sake’. Bryn didn’t seem to mind it, too much, but his mouth did sort of tweak as he nodded his head twice; perhaps a few broken dreams here and there, nothing too serious, basically!

But then, Richards’ phone lit up as that annoying message sound popped up and apparently, his expression brightened as he steadily moved off the bed and actually smirked at his buddy.

“‘Eyo man, gotta go help with the party and everything. You’re gonna be there, right?”

“I’m practically already there. See you later, brother,” - said the man, putting it there for his buddy to shake hands and pull each other closer in a friendly salute before the other left and somewhat actually inspired August to breathe out sharply as he shut his eyes.

He felt so sleepy. It was like both his back and forehead had teamed up to make the man feel like he wore training weights or something like that. What was going on? It was probably just… his studies, right? Ah well. A nap never hurt anybody, so, it wasn’t like he had plenty more choices as the man once more laid down and his form clashed onto the bed as it sunk in its softness before he shut his eyes.

And everything was black.

And now what? Well.

Resting, of course? Then, getting ready for the party and everything...—but Mr. Young had never managed to enjoy himself a good graduation party. Not that day.

Solo

MADE BY ★MEULK

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LIVING ON THE EDGE, FIGHTING CRIME, SPINNING WEBS, LOOKING UP WITH NO SURPRISE, ARRIVING AT THE SPEED OF TIME— FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN

[attr="class","monsterexo"]Such a delicious change of scenario.

Or was it? At the moment, the man’s eyes were still shut and nothing but darkness could be seen; napping yes, just that. He needed to rest. Why? Who would know? He just knew that the day had been a tiresome one, even though, had he really done much? Maybe, he just needed a break from his studies. After all, it was, over, right? Just a little bit of a break. Not only one day.

Little he knew, from that day, his life would have changed forever.

Ah. That state when you’d be half-awake but still not even care to open your eyes. He just wanted to be tight with his bed’s surface. He just wanted to feel that sensation of a cloth grinding against his skin as he moved, one that brought a warmth to his spirit the longer he dared not to move. But.

Too bad, that, he heard… winds. Not too bad, actually. They could be relaxing— alongside the howling sound of a cold night… and the breeze touching him. He felt warmth nowhere.

He was freezing.

Shortly, his eyes opened and yet he saw nothing. Or did he? Perhaps, after all, what he was gazing was nothing more than the sky itself. Such starring sky; beautiful, shining orbs that floated above us. But, such didn’t quite convince August as from his sleepy facial expression, he returned to the attempt of such a nice slumber, but yet, realization struck him before he forced himself to look once more.

He was miles and miles off ground level.

August was on top of a skyscraper, one that slowly reduced its size with quite a thick, but not lengthy antenna as the man was exactly leaning onto such metal— that explained why the weird, cold feeling instead of the bed one.

Better yet.

The guy was speechless.

Sure, one might expect him to scream, but that was totally not the real thing. Instead, panic came to him as he just stared down with wide eyes at the lights of New York and just how small cars came to be to the sight; they looked like the stars he’d see if he were to look up.

“Holy shit— what the,” - paused briefly the man as he shook his head violently and touched his own features with his hand. “God, this is not a dream. What the fuck…”

The man wasn’t even dressed as he was earlier to this. He wore a little hoodie he put on the moment he had come back home over a shirt. Now? He didn’t even have the shirt. He was bare if not for the hoodie and some shorts, holy fuck if it was cold.

“This shit is crazy… I need to get down. I should ask for h—”

The moment he stared down hard enough was when his limbs twitched in fear and had him actually stomp over the surface of the antenna he leaned on and lose any kind of contact as he soon was blown off and began a free fall from the skyscraper with his lungs being totally drained out of air at the loud noise of his last notes.

Until, when hard enough his desire not to fall forced a weird substance out of his hand’s wrist; he couldn’t tell what he was, but such thing immediately stuck onto the building and instinctively allowed him to grip onto it as he just suddenly stopped and had him move against the building.

He didn’t know what to say.

August just eyed what had just happened and his mind was blank. He couldn’t think of anything. He was done.

Slowly, the silk spun as he just got lower and lower, gently, and one after the other, he came to be at a height just let it go and dropped down to the ground in the middle of a crowd walking that just stared at him like some sort of creep until they walked away as fast as they could.

August froze for a moment and shrugged with a wide smile over his face and his features that were hidden by his hood as he just brought his hands by the height of his hips and stared at the palm of his hands. This was so damn cool. But, it wasn’t long before August was called out at by a nearby driver of the police.

They wanted to check him out and possibly take him in given his address and the totally awkward entrance he had just made. But August, as some guy who didn’t even want his penal code to be slightly touched— that wouldn’t have been a good start to his job career, he immediately made a run for it as fellow officers ran over him into an alleyway. It was dark, humid and wet, but slowly August realized that he couldn’t just do it on his own, that was when he did it again.

He knew he could do it.

Once more, he put webs over trash cans and as he hopped over, he crossed his hands with a fistful of silk and dropped trash cans on the ground for the officer to deal with for a short moment.

Turning a corner, the guy realized he was pretty much trapped. Just a blind way, with a brick wall and a few flats on the sides. It wasn’t gonna end well, so that was when he just realized he could do this— shoot more webs as he just used them as a rope, for both hands as he pushed his foot onto the wall and hopped up with his body, literally walking on the wall. He didn’t quite realize it but he did notice an unusual uneasiness, almost as if he didn’t even need the ropes. It was automatic for him, though, to simply continue like this as he was not on top of the building and ran off.

Though he realized he could not just make his way home by ground, therefore, he decided to do whatever mentally stable man would do— jump over shop buildings. Sure, they were kind of small and noticeable but it was literally the one thing he did that night, step by step until he could see a closed habitation with a garden. God, home.

Soon, August sneaked in within the garden making sure that neither of his parents was nearby windows to see him. But this time, before he was about to do that rope thing again, the moment he laid his hand over the household to take a breathe, he noticed that… it felt quite sticky as he eyed his hand until he put the other and slowly… his whole body was stuck onto the walls as he climbed.

No.

“This is so cool.”

He crawled, like a spider. To his window left open as he tossed himself inside.

He sniffed… it felt… yeah, it was the same. Even when he looked, nothing had changed, but… his bed was a mess. God, what had just happened to him? Slowly, with narrow eyes, he looked down before he realized that the window was open— when he was sure he had it locked today.

Something told him he might have sleep...crawled.

Hah.

August smiled widely and closed his eyes. He still couldn’t believe what he just pulled off. He was actually scared this was going to turn out to be just a dream, just a… wait.

Oh.

He was late for the party.

Cool.

No wait, that’s fucking terrible!

“Oh god, alright, need to get ready!— Dress up, go there, confess and happy August with superpowers is gonna be the best day ever!”

Not everything goes as plans dictate, though.

Solo

MADE BY ★MEULK

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LIVING ON THE EDGE, FIGHTING CRIME, SPINNING WEBS, LOOKING UP WITH NO SURPRISE, ARRIVING AT THE SPEED OF TIME— FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN

[attr="class","monsterexo"]Such was a night of fun and incredible emotions. The discovery of his powers and furthermore, the moment he had finally allowed the girl he had eyes for to realize just how much he was intrigued by her— and that, was the day, that finally hands were held together and united as they walked down a cold path warmed only thanks to their touch.

That was the beginning of their life together.

The start. That could only be followed by a finishing life.

In one long breath; blurs and images that were too twisted to actually make a clear image out of, until everything came to focus once more. Plenty of shadows moved, their forms were human and they cried— scared. It was traumatic, to say the least, it was not an image easy to elaborate, neither easy to take in. It was too much. Just like that, the nostrils of the man tried to catch as much air as possible, not leaving one single drop out of their reach. His chest wouldn’t stop beating, everything was in motion… he was desperate.

Where was his wife?

The last thing he remembered was when their touch— the one bond that held them together for years now, ever since that night after the party, after the fight he had to endure to take them out of an outcome that could have had led her to live a much worse life… it had broken. For August’s instincts led him to move out of the way from the sight of his wife, in the realization that the boulders of the station were about to fall off and take away two young children.

Somehow. He did it.

He felt like doing it, but ever since then, it only got worse, and for hours, August looked for his wife.

“MARILYNNE!!”

To the top of his lungs he called out her name, among the crowd, he still looked for her— even when the sunlight began to disappear and disaster had faded, yet, the police was investigating and… August could see them. He saw couples, families, reuniting, warming each other after the incident as the image dug deep in the man’s heart; for he couldn’t find his other half. He shoved away people, he moved between them, he just… couldn’t find her.

He breathed her name, he tried to call her, the man could have done this for hours to come until he was taken away from the local forces and with a bang of his place’s door, he was home.

August stuttered to even take a step. He was tired. Exhausted. His eyes were tired and yet, he immediately tossed him on the couch and leaned towards the door, resting his chin down, folding himself with his arms and waiting as he tried to relax… he waited.

Any moment, with one breath, before he’d know it… she’d be home. Right?

The clock passed. Digits moved… and there was no knock.

Only him.

He stared.

Where was she?

An iron slab was pulled.

A bulb’s brightness put a light over the man’s empty expression as he reached out for a bottle of wine in the bottom shelf and slammed the door off— quite literally taking the cap out without much effort and tossed it into his mouth.

The stream of dark, crimson liquid overwhelmed his body as it ran down and left the man pulling the bottle away as he breathed with the full weight of alcohol on his shoulders. Only the shadow of the stuttering form was left in the room… and the loud noise of shattering glass.

In the darkness of the bedroom— he laid there, with closed eyes… sweat that ran rampant over his forehead, his chest dressed in nothing but a black shirt as he gripped onto the blankets.

A gasp hit him and eyes came lucid again.

I can’t sleep.

With tired eyes, he opened them and looked out again before he put his hand against his face. It was late. He forced himself out of the bed and moved away until his form hit the wall and his eyes closed once more.

August!

His body shook once more and his throat tightened in a choke once more as he came back into the real world. Tired, confused eyes looked around… just like that one more step followed. Several of them, until a painful sensation hit him from behind… he breathed quicker, he collapsed down with his knees until the man’s balance fell and forced him to lay down. Quick breathing, his chest rose and came down as the man covered his face with both his hands.

Nothing’s been the same since the station.

You know—… I thought it’d be hilarious to see you playing the superhero like lots of people are doing. Okay that, and, I didn’t know if another tie would have been that nice. So…

With a long, distant snicker, one of the lost times, the man embraced the form of the attractive woman.

God, you’re so precious but I don’t need to play it like a hero. All I can do, I will use it to protect the one thing that I can’t live without—

Their faces came closer, slowly, they stared into each other.

That’s you.

For days. This lasted for weeks. He couldn’t sleep. He had no longer showed up at work. Nor did he really answer any of their calls. August couldn’t receive anybody. He had lost. He had lost everything. His heart was bleeding. Every ‘I love you’, everything, anything they have lived together brushed past him. The slightest things such as pictures turned out to be waves that overwhelmed him— destroyed him.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

The man could not be helped.

He tried.

Look at you. At that body, you’re big, but take that muscle off and what are you?

“I am the man who let his wife die.”

But no one. Any psychiatrist could not help him. Nor could those around him. Just when his hand reached out for a hammer and worked on a rusty piece of wood in a place that he recalled as his old family garage and looked out towards a familiar figure. His father.

“I didn’t even get to hear my wife’s last breath. You think that’d be as bad as it gets, right?”

Every beat of his hammer was a step he took in his memories. With his arms that surprised his wife in a hug from behind her, before she could see it coming; giggles, laughs, they were happy.

Last night, I dreamt, our kid was already born.

Gusts of a dream’s signs scarred his mind. A young adult that politely arrived home, with a smile that enlightened two adults’ day and ever so shyly was happy to find his father home. August smiled as he held onto his wife in the recalling of the dream, resting his head onto her shoulder.

It was so real…

“Nope. Wasn’t the worst part.”

In a world of flames— everything was orange… almost red. It was difficult to quite tell. It looked like a post-apocalyptic Earth, but rather, situated in what looked like to be a destroyed structure now impossible to recognize as faint, yet deadly noises of chatter… screams… a fight had brawled. But above all, at a certain point, silence followed.

And nothing else.

Yet. He heard something.

Soundless. Even though nothing had effectively reached his ear, he knew someone had addressed him. Slowly, the man turned around with an expression that slowly widened, brows furrowed strongly and eyelids that slowly narrowed.

No, please…

A young man he had seen only once slowly approached with an empty, pale vise… before he reached out for the man he longed for and buried his face in his chest. His chin blasted open for his mouth to cry, but he couldn’t hear anything.

This is not real…

Their forms, both embracing the other, slowly collapsed down until the younger man, with one last tear that followed whispered quietly a voice that hit the man with goosebumps, until he slowly began to turn into dust… and disappeared.

Don’t leave me, no…

The man collapsed too as he passed through the dust and pushed himself straight up once more before he sat down and brought his knees together and close, to his chest, slowly hugging them while his chin rested on his metacarpal. Eyelids came together to shut down, his skull lowered to hide from the burning sunlight and a long, ever-lasting sob followed.

“I lost them both.”

August’s sight blasted wide open once more, met with the image of his bedroom’s roof. Blurs slowly went away before he straightened his back and sat up the bed, with his topless body, his packs that laid over the other as he leaned forward to lay his hands over where his knees were and took a deep breath.

Why did he still try to sleep?

But the next day, wouldn’t be nearly as pleasant as he’d wished. His wife was declared missing first, and then dead. A funeral was held, as, of course, August showed up, dressed as black as he could get with his suit and stared down at the tombstone the whole time.

“Beloved Wife”.

As the ceremony came to an end, people came to greet August, until they all left, except for a select few; the closest relatives only, and among them, one of them moved closer to the man, with a face that resembled no pity, but sadness, one that she proved for herself. Not for the man.

“How did you even dare come here— you poor excuse of a man! If she’s dead now, it’s YOUR fault! You let her die, why did you even show up?! Where were your powers— I lost her because of you, bastard! You never cared for her!”

What was funny is that August did not even stop her, until she even dared to imply his wrongdoings were carelessness and that, set him off as he blocked her from shoving that old, busted finger over at him as he gripped her arm and looked her straight into the eyes— with the orbs of someone who had cried way too many times.

“—What, you… It’s you who doesn’t even understand this has been inside my head since that god fucking damn day— I searched until they had to drag me away, I waited for her to come back every night— I can’t even sleep!” - exclaimed the man before he narrowed his eyes strictly towards the old woman whom, with wide eyes backed away, as the man hissed towards her. “And you? What were you doing?”

She tried to pull away until he finally let her, and the old lady almost stumbled on her own steps as she was frightened by the man’s doing. Slowly, she backed off and whispered faintly.

“You just care for yourself…”

Until she turned around and quickly moved out of his sight. Admittedly. The guy had been tempted to respond back, but… honestly? He didn’t have the strength to go beyond what he allowed himself to already, he… didn’t want to deal with this anymore.

No more. As he left the area.

Gusts of wind brushed past him as footsteps followed him in a climb, or rather, walk, upon staircases at a frightening height. One of those touristic hotspots mostly used for hiking, but, now? At this hour in the early afternoon, it was pretty much a desolate mountain as he finally moved onto the final, stone platform and made his way to the edge… where a simple stare down granted him the sight of a fall that would have scared the living hell out of anybody who was scared of high altitudes.

Still dressed in his suit, not even the time to change; it was over. His heart had been hurting for way too long. When she left him, not one single piece of her truly abandoned him as she would have always been with him— and always would, these memories, stab him in the back.

It was too much. He didn’t want this on his conscience. This was on him.

August inhaled, maybe for the last time.

Until his phone ringed.

‘Marilynne’.

For a moment, his face turned from a pale color to vivid as he was quick to accept the call and rush to respond, but… before he could even speak, on the other side, was an authoricell phoneice— a male, to be precise.

It was the police.

They had found her cell phone and one of the bags they were leaving with— but not her body.

One last nod, before he hung up and… more than ever, he felt dead. Droplets of blood were not visible, but inside, he felt like the sharpest of knives was about done rampaging with his insides. But, at least, he had one more reason to come back home. Just there, once more he stumbled inside with the pack that he carried in a tiny storage; he moved boxes away, as he was ready to probably having to put away some stuff he’d have been better not seeing for a while and left the bag open for him to quickly take anything out.

He just wanted to get this over with and, maybe try to nap.

One of the boxes, though, slipped off the one beneath and caused plenty of items to run down, followed by the man’s displeasure being expressed in a grunt. He grumbled and slowly reached out for several of them until he finally found a volume: Amazing Fantasy #15 among several other comic books that featured a common superhero.

August sat down, in a hint of curiosity, he began to skim through the pages and slowly… until he reached the end of it and eyes carefully inspected the last contents of the comic he had long since forgotten.

‘With great power must also come—— great responsibility!’

He blanked before his eyes traveled from the book… to the bag, he was given earlier. To a clothing piece. A crimson mask, with sharp white lenses and black webbing— he took it and carefully inspected it in his grasp.

I have to protect the one person that I can’t live without— That’s you.

He shut his eyes but this time, he chuckled faintly.

“To think that a comic would still be taking me to school… But,” - he paused in his tracks as he brought his arm close to his reach and stared at his wrist before he soon imitated the popular Spider-Man gesture and pressed both middle and ring finger down his palm as he shot a web that attached to the wall ahead.

“I still have something to try out, after all...”

Solo

MADE BY ★MEULK

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