HELP

I entered the café, it was 7 in the evening. There was some light jazz music playing and some customers there. I walked up to the counter where the barista was,

"Hey, can I talk to Moe, It’s kind of an emergency!’

"Oh, but Mr. Harris is not here…and I don’t think he’s coming back today. May I ask the reason?"

"It’s kinda personal to be honest; can you give me his address? I’d really appreciate that!"

"Um... sorry, sir, I can’t do that."

.

.

.

"Fine, then can you call him up. Like I said before, it's a bit of an emergency."

"Sir… um, what’s your name?"

"Peter Parker."

"Oh, so you’re him!" She said, recognizing my name.

I guess he must have told his staff about me or something.

"Yeah… I’m him, can you give me his landline number?"

"Oh sure, wait a minute, lemme get a pen."

She went away searching for it. I turned around to scan the café. It had that old, rustic feel to it. Patrons enjoyed their coffee while talking to their friends. Some people were sitting alone, reading their favorite book in peace.

It's so relaxing here. If humanity wasn’t on the verge of extinction, I would have loved to spend some time here. Lord knows I need a break.

"Oh, here it is!" The barista found the elusive pen.

The smell of roasted coffee and freshly baked bread dominated my senses.

She wrote the number down on a small piece of paper and handed it over to me, saying, "Here you go."

"Thanks."

"You don’t want any coffee, we also have a fresh batch of cookies!"

"That’s tempting, but I really have to call Moe."

"Oh okay then..be sure to drop by- Well I’ll be damned speak of the devil." The barista talked to someone behind me.

I turned to look and it really was the devil himself.

"We were just talking about you Mr. Harris!"

"About me? Why would energetic young people such as yourselves want to do with an old man like me?" He had a goofy smile plastered to his face.

I reply, stone faced, "I need your help."

He didn’t lose his smile but I knew from the way his eyes flickered that he was on guard.

A second passed.

"Emily, bring us some coffee, we’ll be sitting in the back." He said to the barista and led me to our usual place.

I removed Adrian’s jacket, placed it around the wooden chair, and sat down.

"I was wondering when I would see you the next time, didn’t expect you to come here on a Sunday evening."

"I had no choice, I was in the hospital."

"Why? What happened Peter?" He inquired, concerned.

"Haven’t you been reading the newspapers lately?"

"No….I was…preoccupied…." He didn’t clarify, I guess he didn’t want to delve too deeply into his private life. Besides I came here for his help, not to antagonize him.

"So you didn’t hear about the terrorist attack on Midtown High?"

He looked confused for a second but then looked away to the side in contemplation.

"So things are really that bad, huh?" He said this while looking away.

"It’s worse than bad! Humanity is in-" I start,

"Grave danger!" He finished.

"So you know?"

"I read your mind, I also finished reading the papers too." He answered calmly.

Sometimes I get scared by just how powerful he is. Definitely not a person I wanted to mess with!

"So what do we do? I mean, if Magneto wins...everyone dies. Can you help me save my friend?" I asked quickly, if I enlisted him, finding and rescuing Theo would be a cinch.

He looked uncomfortable with my request.

'Maybe he needed a little push.'

"Moe...please...I’m not joking, Humanity dies if we don’t stop Magneto!"

"I understand that Pete-" I cut him off impatiently.

"Then why? WHY not help me? Isn’t your daughter human? Isn’t your granddaughter human?" I couldn't keep my emotions under control.

"They are."

"Then help me. Please. Together we can take them out easily. Shit you can take them all alone!" I pleaded but he didn’t look like he was convinced.

"I made an oath, Peter…I won’t involve myself in-"

"GODDAMMIT MOE!" The entire café turned to look at our table.

‘Shit people are looking at us now.’

I looked sideways once. Then, after some time passed, I made sure to check that people weren't listening and then spoke in a whisper,

"The world is ending, Moe...you can save it with a single snap of your fingers…help me…Please."

Emily brought us the coffee and chocolate-chip cookies.

"Here you go."

"Thank you Emily." He said with a huge smile. I gave a quick nod. It must have seemed like I wasn't sincere.

Perhaps I didn't care, there were more important things at stake here than my manners.

I waited until she went back to the counter.

"Look...Moe…. No, Mr. Harris. If you don’t help me then most people on this planet will die. They will die. It’s not a matter of if but when. The clock’s ticking and our window is closing with each passing second! The world is going to end if we-"

"Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that phrase Peter. 'The world is going to end.'" He said with a bored look.

"I’m sorry…what?"

"I said, do YOU have any idea how many times I’ve heard that phrase?" he asked while sipping his coffee.

"I…uh...don’t..........what?"

"Kid, I lived through thousands—possibly tens of thousands—of these world-ending scenarios."

My mouth was hanging, and I looked at him blankly.

"What…?"

He sighed and shook his head sideways,

"What did you think, kid? We live in the Marvel Universe."

"......"

I suddenly realized what he was trying to tell me.

"So... you mean, all of this..."

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"The usual business." He clinked his cup of coffee with mine.

"I’ve fought and tussled with some of the most powerful entities in this multiverse and then some more."

He continued,

"Trust me when I say this: You get used to it. You get used to it real fast."

"Does that mean we live in a comic book? So what am I? Some kind of main character? ‘Badass Peter Parker!’" I joked at the end but I was unnerved. My very existence is being challenged.

"Could be. It also could be that you’re a nobody. There are millions of you out there, and any of them could be... the main character. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re safe, just because you’re Peter Parker. Make no mistake that puts you in even greater danger!"

"I…I have to…this is…Holy shit."

"Yeah.." He took a cookie and ate it casually.

"This…... The world is in danger everyday? It doesn’t seem like it."

"The government has a vested interest in making sure you think that…What do you think SHIELD is there for?"

"But…I…I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do with this information."

He took a deep breath and said, "Kid, like I said on the day I met you, I’ve seen things…things you wouldn’t believe. Things you can’t even conceptualize! I saw my fair share of fights and when I realized that this world could take care of itself, I gave up that life. I firmly believe this world and humanity along with it, will be fine."

There was a thick silence.

"But what if we fail? What if this really is the end of humanity? Wouldn’t your daughter…your granddaughter?"

"I doubt anything could happen to them." He remained unbothered.

How in the world could anyone be this calm? Didn’t he fear for his family’s life?

‘No I have to calm down and meet him where he’s at. There's no point in being emotional now.'

"Moe…can you…will you help me rescue my friend?"

"I’m sorry Peter-"

I heard enough, he clearly didn't care and to be fair I don't blame him but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on Theo.

I got up from the chair. I don’t want to waste any more time. I have to look for other leads, sure it’s going to be hard but definitely better than trying to convince the old man.

"Thanks for the coffee." I put ten dollars on the table and grabbed the leather jacket.

‘Jesus what a waste of time-’

"I have a promise to keep Peter...it’s not personal-"

"I understand." I said blankly and turned to leave.

Let’s see maybe I can sneak into the police station and sift through their evidence. Maybe something comes out of that. I was not going to gamble with Theo’s life, I wasn’t going to trust fate.

I put on the jacket and made my way out. I palmed the heavy USB as it started drizzling slightly.

‘Yeah well...I have a promise to keep too!’

_________________________________________________________________________

POV - Jessica Thompson

"So I hear they’re going to do a memorial for the students who perished." She heard her mother speak.

"Yes, mother." She answered dutifully, looking at her plate.

After the attack, the school had temporarily closed. The incident left the entire school infrastructure destroyed. The principal, Mr. Ditko, announced it would take a whole month before the reconstruction was complete.

An entire month off, and yet no one was happy, they just wanted their friends back alive.

It hurt, and she wanted her old friends back even if she hadn’t spoken to them in years. All the fights and misunderstandings weren’t worth it.

"Are you attending it honey?" her father asked her. His attention was split between his food and the football game playing on the TV.

"Yeah dad." She replied, still looking at her plate.

Her relationship with her father was always better than with her mother.

The complete opposite of her brother who got along with their mother but despised their father.

"I hear that Theodore boy is still missing? Any news on that, honey?" Her mother asked her dad as she passed him the chicken.

"Yeah….No….I mean we’re trying but no trace of the kid. Apparently the higher ups took over the case. The FBI is probably going to handle the case now. They’ll…find…OH what the hell is that dimwit Gino doing…catch the damn ball. Do your job for chrissakes!" Her father broke out into a football rant all of a sudden. It would take at least a whole minute before he calmed down.

"..I swear I think I’m going to pop a vein watching the Giants play!"

"I think Theodore... the kid that’s missing is Pete’s friend, and I hope they find him as soon as possible." She changed the topic back before her father could make it about football again.

"Yeah...hopefully.." Her father’s eyes were still glued to the TV.

"Peter…Who’s Peter?" Her mother asked her all of a sudden.

‘Come on how could she forget Pete…He literally lives a street away from us. He was also with us when we visited Harry in the hospital and not to mention that he brought me back home.’

Her mother then realized, "Wait, it's not that boy, is it?"

"Boy? What boy?" That sure got his attention.

"Peter...he’s my friend. He’s the one who walked me home that day, when you picked me up that evening, remember?"

"Oh…him." He said, unconcerned. Looking back at the TV again.

"What’s she talking about, Harrison?" Her mother looked like she was going to kill her.

‘I should have just shut up and eaten my damn dinner!’

"Oh it’s nothing…he’s just some punk…nothing to be worried to be abo-"

"I’m worried!" Her mother’s anger flared as she continued,

"Our daughter is going and coming at ungodly hours, alone! Eugene can’t look after her all the time now that he’s in the hospital. You’re telling me not to worry about this Peter! I don’t want our daughter to grow up to be a skan-"

THUD

Jessica Thompson lost it. She hit the dining table with her fist.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

She could handle the blatant favoritism. She could handle all the controlling and the restrictions her family placed on her. She could handle all the criticism and insults despite trying her very best.

She could take it all but……if they tried to stop her from seeing Pete..

She decided she would rather leave this godforsaken home than stay for one more moment.

"Don’t talk about me that way!" She unleashed her fury.

Her mother looked straight into her soul while her father was shocked.

Rosie Thompson had never disciplined her daughter. Her mother never needed to—that is, until today.

She remained stubborn, not looking away and staring back at her mother fearlessly.

"Young lady, who do you think-"

"AND don’t speak about Peter that way, he’s a dear friend of mine!" She didn’t care; she didn’t care about keeping up appearances anymore.

She didn’t care about acting out her mother’s fantasies of a perfect family!

She didn’t want to be the obedient daughter anymore, the unwanted child who was an afterthought.

"You tell me at this instant what that boy is to-"

"He’s my boyfriend!" She said it proudly.

Of course, Peter himself wasn’t aware of this new development in their relationship. Maybe she had misread the signals, but that was a risk she was now willing to take.

"He’s your WHAT!" Her mother yelled.

"HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!" She yelled back!

Her father looked like he wanted to be anywhere else right now.

"You two calm down...we can talk about-"

"Where did I go wrong with you?" Her mother let out a completely exasperated cry.

"Where did you go wrong WITH ME!" She couldn’t control her voice anymore.

"Gene just got a DUI, got his fucking leg broken and almost got fucking Expelled and I’m the fuck up!"

Her father stepped in the conversation no longer putting the disrespect,

"Don’t you dare talk that way to your mother!" he threatened.

"OR WHAT!"

She challenged him. He was furious but was more taken aback by the provocation. All this time, she had never been rebellious, never given them any excuse to reprimand her. Now all of a sudden she found her voice!

"Go to your room, young lady! You’re grounded for a month." He warned her a final time.

She got up, sick of it all, sick of both her parents, sick of this home. She just wanted to meet Peter, go on another date and forget about all her problems for a few hours. Forget about her dead friends and uncaring parents.

THUD

She slammed the door loudly and dived into the mattress. Her head buried under the pillow. Thinking about that boy again.

_________________________________________________________________________

POV - Harrison Thompson

He had never seen his little girl like that.

She had never raised her voice once, let alone swear.

His wife looked furious. He tried his best to calm her down, saying, "Honey she is going through a lot of things. She lost some friends-"

"So what? She’s allowed to speak to me in that tone!"

"I didn’t say that…It's just that she's at that age." His wife interrupted him again,

"Oh please don’t get me started with that! I try to get her to go to church more regularly, and she doesn’t want to come! I try to introduce her to some good Catholic boys with good families, but she doesn't want to meet them! I’m not going to let my only daughter go down that path!"

"Honey…maybe she just needs some space."

"Space? For what?...so that she can end up like Miranda’s kid! Giving birth to a bastard. No...Harrison, I won’t let her end up like that!"

He put his hand over his forehead, there was no arguing with her when she was like this.

All he wanted after a busy day’s work was to sit down and watch some football. He didn’t want to deal with all this drama. He had enough of that from his job alone.

He wanted to come back home and relax for some time before he returned to another day of soul crushing work. It wasn't easy working murder cases and dealing with office politics.

"Look...honey...she’s grounded for a month. She won’t be seeing that boy...Peter...until school reopens, okay? Maybe once at that memorial-"

"I won’t let her go to it then."

He loved his wife, truly he did but sometimes she was the most annoying person!

"You know if we did that she would just run away right into that boy’s arms!"

She looked horrified at that prospect.

"Until then...we keep her here and I’ll look into this Peter...run some background checks on him. Make sure if he has good intentions-"

"You’re not serious...are you? You can’t let some…kid put his hands on our girl!"

He sighed.

He really did love his wife but sometimes, just sometimes she could be a real pain in the ass.

The worst part about her finding the Lord again was that she conveniently forgot about how they met. They messed around when they were Jessica’s age, they even had Eugene before they were married.

He couldn't take her holier than thou approach.

Did he like that his daughter was all grown up? No, of course not. He still missed those days when she was little. Holding his legs, telling him not to leave for work and how she would miss him all day. But that wasn’t the case anymore; The years passed, and she's a young, beautiful woman now.

A smart, gorgeous and hard working young woman. Not to mention her being more responsible than he or Rosie were at that age.

"I’m not letting anyone do anything with my daughter! Just making sure that he has the right intentions."

He saw this Peter Parker once and frankly speaking he wasn’t all that impressive. Seemed too nerdy and weak for his taste but if that’s what his daughter liked who was he to judge. All he could do was make sure that this boy would do right by her.

His wife still huffed.

‘God when did she become so stiff and uncompromising? Where was the fun woman I met? Damn we got so old so fast!"

_________________________________________________________________________

POV - Peter

I wanted to say that I wasn’t angry at Moe but I was. He could have saved my friend with a snap of his finger and yet he chose not to.

Why? Because of some promise he made to himself, that he wouldn’t get involved in crime again?

I clenched my teeth again, I was on the rooftop facing the police station. Before I came here, I went back home to get my web shooters. Never making that mistake ever again. My uncle had gone to sleep early, so sadly no knicks game today!

I snuck out while May thought I was asleep.

It was 8:30 p.m. Everyone in the police station was finishing their shift and heading home.

The thick leather jacket had a head cover, so I pulled it over and covered my head as the rain began pouring.

I had a face mask covering my face. I checked my web shooters and made sure I brought refills for them.

"Okay...let’s do this, Peter!"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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