The wind rolled over the rooftop, a low howl that dragged a slight chill with it, even during this time of year. It’s presence filled the peaceful quiet that sat between Emi and I. I’d stopped crying a while ago now, but we'd stayed seated, just sat content with each other’s presence.
I looked out over the Hudson again as the sun continued to climb further into the sky, the first rays creeping over the tops of buildings. There were still a few thoughts on my mind, a few questions about myself I hadn’t been able to shake, but I felt better. Like some weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It probably wouldn’t stay like this forever, but for now it felt nice. I felt calmer than I had for a long time.
“It’s probably best we go back now” I said, looking to Emi.
“You sure?” she asked.
“Yeah” I responded, standing. “Unless you want to still hang out here?”
“No. I was getting kind of cold actually” she said, her grin returning.
“Yeah me too” I said, grinning back.
“Wait, are you good to swing?” she asked, glancing at my arms.
“Uh… it’s probably best if you carry me”
-
We soared high in the air, far above the streets of Manhattan. The entire city of New York was laid out beneath me with an incredible view of the Atlantic of to the side, stretching out toward the horizon. It was breath taking. I looked down again, gazing at all the buildings beneath.
It was weird to see them all be so small, so distant. It reminded me of the photo I'd received all those years ago. Suddenly we jerked downwards and I yelped grabbing onto Emi tightly.
“Sorry!” Emi said over the wind. “I forget not everyone likes heights!”
“No, I’m good with heights. I just caught me off guard”
“What?!”
“Don’t worry! It’s fine! You don't have to get lower!”
“You want me to get lower?!” she said frowning as we began to descend. She slowed as I started to chuckle, the roar of the wind dying down.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I just wonder how you hear anything up here. The noise is worse than with the swinging”
“Gwen's earpieces are pretty good. Noise cancelling and everything. Good range too”
“Oh, that's pretty cool. Does she make all the tech stuff?”
"Yeah. She's always upgrading stuff, but mostly the stuff in her lab."
My mind went back to the destruction I'd caused right after waking.
"Oh" I muttered somewhat awkwardly. "Is the lab equipment... expensive?"
"Probably" she shrugged and continued flying slower now, the wind a soft breeze. I sighed. It was probably best not to think about the damages and just enjoy the moment. I closed my eyes, letting the wind rush over me before looking down again, to the cars below. My frown returned and I glanced back to Emi.
“Hey, earlier, what’d you mean?”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Hm?”
"About the thing on the roof, when you were talking to me. You said you knew more than anyone about… regret and stuff. Blaming yourself” I said. ”What’d you mean?”
Emi's inquisitive look quickly became reserved and my stomach sank slightly. "Sorry. That was weird. You don't have t-"
“No, it's fine. I...um, well… uh… the night my dad died I said some things I regret and… I never got to take them back”
“Oh” I muttered, unsure how to respond. She simply nodded in response, then looked away frowning. My eye caught her shadow against the face of a building, and for a moment her silhouette reminded me of Amy’s. I watched it, a stirring of emotion rising in my gut, before I looked away and shook my head. They were so similar, but she wasn’t her.
It’d still felt nice though. Having her be the one to reassure me about regrets. She, Yerin and my sisters were probably the only ones who could’ve.
I wonder if it had been the same back home. Maybe. I guess there were some things I hadn’t known about Amy either. I wish I’d known, been able to give her words of encouragement. Well, the best I could do was offer Emi now.
“I’m glad you found the strength to forgive yourself. That’s pretty awesome” I muttered. She chuckled, her grin returning.
“It was mostly because of mom, my sisters, and you. Well, the other you. My you”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He told me I couldn’t let my regrets take control of my life“ she said grinning. But her grin gradually faded. “Cindy mentioned it already, but your lives are really similar, right?”
“Yeah”
“Then… the car crash would’ve happened to him too, right?”
“Probably” I muttered, flashes of the memories resurfacing.
Her usual grin was completely replaced a look of hard regret.
“I wish I could tell him what he told me”
“You can” I said surprising myself. “He’s out there somewhere, in my world. Probably with Peter and the others. Peter’s smart like Gwen. One of them will figure this whole mess out. And when he finally gets back here and you tell him… it’ll help a lot. Trust me.”
Emi’s grin returned.
“Thanks”
I smiled, then looked out over the sky again. It was early morning now, the sun almost completely beyond the horizon, dragging along with it tones of bluish white and hues of pale blue. It was really nice to watch the sunrise from up here.
“Lucas?” Emi said.
“Huh?”
“I asked if you're ready. We’re about to land”
“I… can we just watch the sunrise a bit more first?”
Emi smiled warmly at me, amused by the question.
“Sure”
-
Everything hurt. Everything. His head, his body and his soul. His mind was scrambled and something was very very wrong. He clutched his head again as the pain sparked within his mind and the memories flowed through him. There were ones he was familiar with, and then different ones.
Some kind of bank robbery with those idiots he'd worked with before. The ones who'd treated him like a dog when he'd worked for their dumb little crew. The ones he'd killed. There were other things too. Weird inconsistencies here and there, but he was less focused on the details and more focused on the pain.
Because the memories hurt. A lot. They weighed on his power painfully, and it twisted his stomach to the point of sickness. More than anything he wanted the pain to stop. He gasped, once again becoming aware of his surroundings
“Marcus!” his older sister cried out as she barged into his room.
“Leave me the fuck alone!”
She took him in, bruises and all and sneered.
“When the fuck did you get back?!”
“I told you to leave me alone” he said throwing one of the ice bags at her. It thudded against the wall dully and fell to the floor.
“Well if you’re staying here again I expect rent” she hissed before slamming the door shut behind her. So much for sisterly love. He’d come here expecting her to at least to comment on his injuries. But that’d been expecting too much, the last bit of care had gone a long time ago.
“Fucking ass”
He clenched his fists tighter and glared at the picture of Spider-Man on his wall. He grabbed the switchblade beside his table and through it hard into the poster, the blade.
He’d played dirty today. Spider-Man wasn’t supposed to play dirty. It took the fun out of everything. Marcus ground his teeth together, his anger growing.
“Lured me into a false sense of security then hit me with some kind of tech”
He’d felt his power weaken for a moment, almost disappear completely. It'd scared him, and infuriated him. He couldn't believe it.
That bastard tried to take my power, he thought. Nobody fucks with my power.
He released his fist, hand shaking violently with rage, blood staining his palm.
“Nobody fucks with me” he muttered his anger apparent. “Nobody. Not even Spider-Man”
He stood, his muscles taught with fury, as his power pulsated, on the verge of use in his angered state. With his mind and power he reached out to the knife, pushing his hand forward. His hand met the space within which his power worked and came to a stop. Instantly the knife shot back to him. He clutched it tightly, bending the metal easily with his bare fist.
He’d have his revenge. Not in the distant future, not tomorrow, but today. He hadn’t been trying to before, but now he would; he’d do everything in his power to kill Spider-Man.