Chapter 1: And So It Begins...

...A tale of tragic love and loss.

A tale of devotion and bravery.

Before the beginning of time, the Fates had woven his tragic and sublime destiny into their tapestry.

And whatever thread they used for his glorious fate, wrought in bloodshed and tears, they also used for her's.

I was falling. The only sound was the air whistling as I fell two, three, four stories. I was gaining speed the further I fell.

It occurred to me that this could be the end.

Any last words, MJ? My psyche taunted me mercilessly as I plummeted from the forty-eight story building.

There were no revelations. There were no last minute repents. My life didn't even flash before my eyes. Strangely enough, I was at peace. Utter peace.

DOINGGGGGG

That was the sound I heard as my backside fell into a webbed cradle strung between two buildings. I shut my eyes tight as the webbed cradle squeaked under the pressure of my weight and the G-force I had accumulated on my twenty-story descent. Like a rubber band, the webbing stretched as it absorbed the energy created from my fall and I continued downwards for another fifteen feet. I gripped the thick strands of webbing at either side and prayed it wouldn't snap. Suddenly, the webbing stopped moving downwards and quickly catapulted upwards. I felt a sudden, brief pressure of G-force against my entire body as the webbed cradle pulled itself taught again.

I laid quietly for a moment, listening to my soft but ragged breath. Strands of red hair covered my face and it took me a moment before I could gather my wits enough to tear my grip from the spider web and pull the veil from my eyes.

The spider web shook.

How did I get myself into this predicament, reader?

Let me start from the beginning...

Cut scene to eleven that morning:

Peter knocks on my Aunt Anna's door. She answers and although I'm upstairs finishing my makeup, I can hear her excited chatter and his low, masculine voice. In order to save him from the drone of conversation about Paula Dean and Martha Stewart that my aunt was no doubt beginning, I put away my makeup and checked myself in the mirror beside my bedroom door. Dark jeans, black high-heeled boots up to my knees and a green blouse that plunged dangerously low. I'm tall, much taller than most girls, and slender. My hair appears auburn in the dim lighting of my bedroom but I know how the red highlights glisten in the light. Where did the Tom-boy go? The lanky one who never brushed her hair. The girl with torn up knees and orange freckles dotting her nose. Father Time had come and turned the lanky girl into a woman who hardly recognized herself.

I rush downstairs. They're both sitting in the living room and the TV is on.

"Heya, tiger." I lean against the archway.

"Hey, MJ." He smiles, looking sheepish as his eyes sweep over me. I revel in the momentary attention but before long, something on the TV catches his eye. He turns.

'...Rhino is destroying the city! Six policemen have been injured and there's no sign of when the chaos will end!' The reporter spoke quickly, fear and excitement speeding his words into a feverish pitch. I turn my head. Peter seems agitated. His knuckles are white as he balls his fists in his lap.

I'm not concerned with the Rhino or Peter's agitation; all I can think about is Spider-Man and finally meeting him. I turn back to the TV and shout excitedly, "Oh, Peter! Let's go check it out!"

Before anyone can interject, I grab Peter's arm, pull him from the couch and rush him out the front door. As we leave, I yell back at Aunt Anna from over my shoulder, "We'll catch you later, Aunt Anna!"

I don't want to waste another second. We need to get there quickly so we don't miss Spider-Man.

There's a motorcycle parked at the curb. Who would have thought a square like Peter would drive a motorcycle? Truthfully, I was half expecting him to pick me up for our first date on his bicycle.

Without skipping a beat, I jump on the back and put on the spare helmet that was buckled on the side of the bike. Peter is still standing on the porch looking confused.

I sense he's about to protest about me going with him. I shout again and wave him down. "Let's go before we miss any of the action!"

"Mary Jane," He walks down the steps of the porch onto the lawn. "This is too dangerous."

"Come on, scaredy cat." I pout, jutting out my bottom lip. "I'll stay out of the way. Please, please, please?" I bat my long eyelashes at him. Apparently this does the trick... or he already knows that my mind can't be changed. Sighing heavily, he relents. He walks over to the bike and sits down.

"Your aunt is going to have my hide if something happens to you." He puts on his helmet. I lean forward, pressing my breasts into his back.

I cross my arms over his stomach and purr into his ear, "I can take care of myself." I can feel the shiver that runs down his spine before he kick-starts the bike and speeds off towards the city.

We get into the heart of the city in record time. It's pure madness. Police cars barricade the street. We can hear a barrage of gunshots. New Yorkers are screaming, running away from the chaotic scene. Peter parks the bike in front of the barricade of police cars. He nearly jumps from the bike, kicking the kickstand down and pulling off his helmet in one quick, fluid-like motion. I slowly get off the bike. I can feel his agitation mounting as he narrows his brown eyes and peers down the street. Far off in the distance, we can see Rhino and a wall of policemen. The ground quivers as Rhino charges at the human wall. He makes contact and three policemen are sent flying through the air as they collide with the beast's skull. Again, the barrage of gunfire is heard echoing through the empty city street but it's clear that bullets are no match. They seem to bounce right off Rhino's hard, armored skin.

A crowd of panicked individuals engulf me as they run from the scene and I quickly lose sight of Peter. I struggle to stay on my feet as the wave of people carry me further from the scene.

"LOOK!" One of the individuals from the crowd scream excitedly, pointing to the sky. "SPIDER-MAN!"

This declaration seems to send some people deeper into a frenzy of panic while others stop running away to turn and look where the man was pointing in the sky. Sure enough, Spider-Man was swinging over the police car barricade. Arching in the sky, he gracefully drops from the sky in front of the police men. He stands as a shield between the policemen and Rhino, legs spread out, balled up fists on his hips. I couldn't hear a word he spoke but I heard Rhino's reply; a deafening rumble of laughter.

Spider-Man was going to save the day! I had dreamed of seeing Spider-Man live ever since the news had begun reporting sightings of the masked hero. Courage steeled my veins and I turned in the opposite direction of the crowd. Elbows out, I fought to make my way back to the police barricade.

"What makes you think YOU can stop me, puny man?" The Rhino laughs again.

The closer I get, the clearer I can hear their voices. I climb over the hood of a police car. I hear someone scream for me to get back, that it's dangerous where I'm going. I feel someone try to grab my arm as I slide over the hood of the police car but I wrench myself free.

I begin to run towards the line of policemen but stop abruptly when I see a figure soaring towards me. It's Spider-Man. Rhino's deep laughter rings out as Spider-Man comes hurtling towards me. I roll to the side, barely missing a head-on collision. Spider-Man hits the ground and rolls, landing on all fours. He crouches, fingers gripping the asphalt. From his peripheral, he notices me.

"What the Hell-" Surprised to see a civilian in the danger zone, he is caught unaware. Rhino realizes this and begins to charge at him. "Get away from here!"

I notice Rhino before he does.

"WATCH OUT!" I scream, pointing at the mammoth figure charging towards him. It's too late. Rhino throws his entire body into Spider-Man and I can hear an audible "OOMPH!" as he is sent soaring thru the air again.

Rhino turns towards me. Although he is mammoth and his body is covered in a suit of armor that looks more like the tough hide of a Rhino (surprise, surprise), his face is human. He smirks at me, all the evil in the world gathering on that awful face.

"Well, hello there, pretty girl." He turns towards me, bent down in a stance a Football player would make before a play. Every fiber of my being braced for a direct hit. The asphalt beneath my feet shook as he began to charge towards me. I was frozen in place.

I heard a soft "zip, zip, zip" as webbing was continuously wrapped around Rhino's body, slowing him down to barely a crawl. Rhino fought against the webbing, jerking his body forward, inch by inch. Spider-Man stood behind him, grunting loudly as he lassoed the enourmous beast and tried desperately to keep him from moving forward.

"I can't hold him, Mary Jane!" Spider-Man screamed between clenched teeth, "You need to run!"

How did he know my name? ...I marveled for a moment but I had no time to dwell on this for long.

Rhino let out a howl that sent shivers down my spine. The webbing was already beginning to snap as Rhino fought against it; brute strength. Before he was able to escape the coccoon of webbing, I turned on my heels and ran throughg the revolving doors of the building directly behind me. I paused in the unfamiliar lobby for a moment, looking around for stairs or an elevator. In the corner of the lobby, adjacent to the welcome desk, a pair of metal doors. I had found it! I sprinted towards it and as I ran, my heels slipped on the freshly waxed marble floor and I tumbled to my knees. I scrambled to my feet again. I heard glass crashing and metal whining as it was twisted from its frame. Behind me, Rhino was hurtling through the side of the building, head down, shards of glass glittering across his grey skin. I ran, throwing myself against the metal doors of the elevator, desperately pressing the button to open the doors.

"Here kitty kitty." Rhino's voice behind me as he taunted me. The ground began to shake as he took his sweet time, one step at a time. I kept on pressing the button for the elevator, my heart pounding. The earth began to shake more persistently as Rhino's stride quickened. I turned to face him, not wanting to be attacked from behind.

10... 9... 8...

"Let's dance." Rhino shoved his fist into the marble floor, sending tremors into the ground that knocked me off my feet. I looked up and behind me.

6... 5... 4...

He grabbed my foot and was about to drag me to him.

3... 2...

SPLAT.

Rhino growled as a thick patty of webbing was shot into his eyes.

DING.

The doors of the elevator opened and I scrambled backwards into the elevator.

"Go to the rooftop! I'll meet you there!" I couldn't see him but I heard Spider-Man's voice as the doors began to close. Rhino was clawing at the webbing, laughing deeply.

"I'm gonna rip your fucking throat out!..." The Rhino's voice died as the doors shut. I rushed to my feet and pressed the button for "48."