Creation began on 12-07-11

Creation ended on 11-22-11

Spider-Man

Webs of Redemption

A/N: Last night, I looked at the entire MTV-based Spider-Man series that used to air on it. I wished there had been more of the crime-fighting between many other enemies of Spider-Man, and some salvation with the other characters like Indy and Dr. Connors. I figured Brother Correction could help Peter Parker a little in doing the one thing that seems to set in motion the course of the Spider-Man film and led it to the MTV series. Here we go.

Walking away from the pier after throwing the suitcase filled with his Spider-Man outfit, Peter felt a heavy weight come off his shoulders, but it didn't help to ease his mind of what had transpired between him and the Gaines Twins. Sometimes, he wished he could just go back to the day he was bitten by the super spider that changed him and gave him his powers of increased strength, wall-crawling, enhanced speed and reflexes, equilibrium, the tingling spider sense that warned him of danger, and the ability to project organic webbing from his wrists. Or, if fate allowed differently, to go back to the night he caused the murder of Uncle Ben, indirectly, by letting the crook from the arena get away with the money that he was supposed to receive from the guy that cheated him.

"If you take the cause out of the man, there is no cause for a man," he heard somebody say to him as he walked down the street. "The cause can range from aiding people that can't handle a difficult problem on their own…or doing whatever it takes to protect the people that can't protect themselves."

Peter turned and saw a young man with dark flesh reading today's edition of the Daily Bugle with a previously-used photo of Spider-Man.

"What do you believe motivates a man with incredible power that many scientists dream of replicating and distributing to the military powers of the world for a solid paycheck to help the common folk of the city that never sleeps?" The black man asked, though it seemed it was directed toward Peter.

"Insanity?" Peter suggested.

"I couldn't prove that to anyone," the black man told him, setting down the paper and looking at him. "I could believe that he was fulfilling a last request for somebody dear to him, or out of an act of desire to stick up for the little guys…or maybe…it's all because he's looking for forgiveness, a sign of hope that what he does for others is more than equal to what others do for him when he's not stopping a crime that this damned publisher prints in the papers to smear the Good Samaritan and accuse him of causing the crimes when it's obviously to the ordinary few that said crimes were perpetrated by other criminals. Yes, it must be for redemption, to be absolved of something he failed to do…and would do anything to undo his failure."

"I'm sorry, but if you hate the Daily Bugle, why read the papers?" Peter asked him.

"Because I'm an admirer of Spider-Man's good work. He's like Superman; not perfect, not looking to be perfect, but wanting to help the people. There's even a song dedicated to him that was made by children. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Wealth and fame, he's ignored, action is his reward. To him, life is a great, big bang up. Wherever there's a hang up, you'll find the Spider-Man. I like that song. Say, aren't you Peter Parker, the one that used to take the cool photos of the framed hero?"

"Yeah… Hold on a minute, framed?"

"There's no way that Spider-Man would harm an innocent life. There was an article in the other newspapers of other publishing tabloids about these psychic twins that were able to manipulate people to do their bidding. The same vulnerability would apply to the wall-crawler because he must be a regular guy with the abilities of a spider. Maybe some augmented resistance to telepathic control, but depending on the mental powers of the adversary in question, Spider-Man can be affected to lesser levels, maybe seeing what isn't there, or affected to major levels, made to act out in ways that he wouldn't consider at any time of a given situation. Some people value the power of the mind over the body when it should be balanced between both levels of physical strength and psychological will."

"And you believe he was framed because of the twins?"

"Yes. But those that don't believe that he was being manipulated may never get the truth unless those that had any direct involvement with Spider-Man and the Gaines Twins tell them. That, however, may not happen because Spider-Man is wanted by the police for attempted murder and that woman that was harmed is in a coma…and those that saw, but cannot or will not speak for the innocent part are elsewhere. So I guess the question now is: Who, if anyone, will stand up for Spider-Man? Will you?"

"I can't," Peter told him. "Spider-Man's gone. He left after what happened with the twins. He might never come back."

"But what if he did? What if, given an opportunity to atone for many things he couldn't do before, like save a life or more from the misfortunes of fate, would he return to the city? What if, by some miracle or act of a caring deity, he would return to be the hero the good people know he is? You're the only person capable of taking such good pictures of the web-head, so would you think he'd return if he could save the lives that needed to be saved more than others? If he could save them, would he? Would he accept that miracle?"

"I'm sure that he would."

"Just like how you would've saved your uncle by stopping that guy that stole from the wrestling competition shortly after you received your powers from the spider?"

Peter's eyes widened at the question he'd been asked, as this young man had asked him something that didn't add up in the way that should've. It was like he knew who he was.

"Just like Spider-Man, you would've done anything to save a life that didn't need to be ended that time," the man told him. "You still can atone for the life that had been lost, you know. Think about it."

"Who are you?" Peter asked him, just as he turned to leave.

"Me? I'm just a Good Samaritan. Protecting the innocent, making the guilty pay for their sins, and helping the good people, those that can be redeemed for any wrongs they've committed, change their fates and move on from whatever pits of agony they might find themselves in. I am a myth and I am a legend. I am a deity and a demon. A tormentor to some…and a savior to others."

The man then tossed toward Peter an iPod with earphones, and Peter caught them.

"Try listening to the music and come back in a few hours to a day. I'll be around for a while."

But before Peter could stop him from leaving, the man had vanished from sight, as if he wasn't there to begin with.

Impossible, he thought.

-x-

"Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional, Ordinary by Train, Did You by Hoobstank," Peter read the songs on the device, wondering what these songs had to do with the iPod being given to him.

He put the earphones in his ears and set the volume to a comfortable level, selecting the song Vindicated to listen to.

"Hope…dangles on a string…like so slow-spinning redemption… Winding in and winding out, the shine of it has caught me eye… And roped me in, so mesmerizing and so hypnotizing…I am captivated, I am… Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right… I swear I'm right, I swear I knew it all along… And I am flawed… But I am cleaning up so well… I am seeing in now the things you swore you saw yourself…" The lyrics ran, and Peter suddenly got away from the grounded crowds of the city and sat upon the roof of one of the skyscrapers.

By the time the sun started to set upon the city, the song had switched from Vindicated to Lucky You by Lostprophets; this song, unlike the previous one, seemed to relate to luck, the future, trying and failing, and forgiveness.

"…I don't think you know… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… But you try… But you try… But you try… Lucky you… Lucky you…" The song continued until it stopped.

He thought about Uncle Ben, about Indy, about those he couldn't save or keep from hurting. It was only after his uncle was murdered that he finally realized the depths of his responsibility with his spider powers, that he needed to use them to protect the people, not for personal gain. And it was many times than he could count that he had faced the inevitable and managed to crawl away, despite what it's cost him each time. It was almost like luck, but the luck itself was twisted, like the webs of a spider.

"This gift is more like a curse now," he told himself, wishing that his powers could be a gift once more.

-x-

Returning to the cemetery, Peter found the guy that gave him the iPod, setting bouquets of various flowers in front of several graves, including Ben Parker's.

The stranger turned to face the young man, having placed his last bouquet on the grave of a woman, and stood in front of him.

"Well," he started, "how was your time to yourself?"

"Far from vindicated," Peter answered him. "Who are you? Who are you, really?"

"I have gone by many names, many different identities. I could be addressed as a servant of the world, or perhaps the universe…or even the multiverse. A god, a Satan wannabe, the keeper of truths. One of the all and all of the one, which would also make me a part of those I come to save from misfortune, including your own. I am Brother Correction, a spiritual relative to all those with a soul, however pure, however tainted, by existence."

"Brother Correction? Like the urban myth and legend?"

"I am no mere myth…and legends are like most prophecies, for they don't need everyone to believe in them. So tell me…if given the chance to right your wrongs, to save those whose lives could be ended in a flash…would you accept that hopeful gift?"

"I would," Peter revealed. "I would."

Brother Correction smiled; he knew the city would need Spider-Man, for it would always need Spider-Man, but so long as the hero suffered in his civilized identity, the red and blue-costumed hero wouldn't return. And this was why he came to this dimension, to undo the wrongs of his past and put this hero on the right path to a better future.

"New York needs Spider-Man," he told Peter. "Think back to that night. Think back to that day you saw your uncle for the last time."

Peter thought about that day in its entirety, how the last time he saw Uncle Ben, prior to his murder, and he argued with him about what he was going through. He could've did something other than disagreeing with him. He could've apologized to him.

"…Stop that man!" Peter heard a policeman yell at him, and he saw the guy he let get away running towards him. "Stop him!"

It's all up to you now, Peter Parker, he heard Brother Correction say to him.

Peter, not even fearing the sight of the guy's gun, slammed into him and knocked him to the ground.

"Aaaurgh!" The man groaned, feeling like most of the bones in his ribs and shoulders were fractured.

The officer caught up with the fallen thief and picked him up, relieving him of his gun.

"Thanks, kid," he praised Peter, taking the thief away.

Before Peter could respond, a body of fog appeared around him, and he found himself in front of the Green Goblin, whom he had realized prior to his defeat was Normal Osborn.

"Mary Jane and I," he heard him say, holding a rod with a three-pronged claw, "Are going to have a Hell of a time!"

SWISH! Spider-Man gave the Green Goblin a hard blow to the groin area and sent him flying up.

"Aaaaaurgh!" Green Goblin howled, unable to call forth his glider, and fell to the ground.

Or so he thought, as he closed his eyes out of fear.

Peter had shot out his organic webbing in the shape of a large web, catching the enemy. And then, just for good measure, he shot out more webbing to restrain the Goblin.

"Aaaurgh!" Goblin growled, trying to get free, but even with his enhanced strength, his limbs were restrained by the webbing. "Aaaurgh!"

Wrapped in a large ball of webbing, the Goblin was finally restrained, unable to move or speak.

A body of fog enveloped the pair, identical to the same fog that had enveloped Peter after he stopped the thief, and the Goblin disappeared.

"Normal Osborn will be held within a mental institution until he can be cured of his secondary persona," Peter heard Brother Correction say to him. "Nobody will believe him when he says that you are Spider-Man, believing him to be under temporary insanity as a result of the formula he took to gain his enhanced strength and agility."

"What about Harry?" He asked him, concerned about his best friend.

"He will question it for a time, but will chalk it up to a severe dislike of Spider-Man combined with an obsession towards a gifted science wiz. Hatred and obsession, something he will realize that must be avoided and ignored. Eventually, his father will experience a major degree of cognitive recalibration."

"Cognitive recalibration?"

"He will be assaulted in the head by a large blow, resulting in short-term memory loss, permanently losing his memory of you being Spider-Man and trying to harm the people."

"What now?"

"Well, next is saving Dr. Connors from falling to his death as the Lizard. After that, you will be able to save Indy from the Gaines Twins."

As the fog gathered up again, Peter was about to question how he was to save Connors from his doom, but Brother Correction was already gone.

Use what you did against the Green Goblin, he heard him in his mind.

Suddenly, a strong breeze in front of him, Spider-Man found himself in the air, just under the helicopter with a line of webbing attached to the Lizard's tail as they were being flown away from the Oscorp company building.

"Rrrrraaurgh!" The Lizard roared, struggling to get free of the webbing.

"Doctor Connors, if you keep struggling, you're going to fall!" Spider-Man tried to warn him, but the creature the doctor had turned into was unwilling to cooperate.

Snap! The webbing snapped and the Lizard fell.

"No!" Spider-Man gasped, releasing his other line and shooting two new ones toward the Lizard.

They made contact with his scaly back and they both fell past one of the skyscrapers.

Use what you did against the Green Goblin, Brother Correction's voice repeated in Peter's mind, and he realized what needed to be done before it was too late.

He shot out multitudes of webbing at the buildings and the Lizard in rapid succession, each line hitting their mark. As he trapped the Lizard inside a similar web, this one larger than what he used on Osborn, he shot a line and swung safely to the ground while the Lizard was in between the air and the ground, unable to break free of the web.

"I did it," he sighed, though he was unsure of what would happen to Connors when the police came back for him.

"He'll be confined until he burns through the serum he injected himself with to regenerate his arm," heard someone say to him, turning to his left and seeing Brother Correction again, just as fog gathered up around them, though the people around them didn't seem to notice.

"But…for how long?" He asked.

"A month, after which he will be sent to a correctional facility where he'll be rehabilitated," he answered the hero. "Tell me, though…are you feeling better with your achievements? Are you feeling relieved of any guilt?"

"I am."

"Then that's good. Now it's time to save Indy and stop the Gaines Twins."

"But that was difficult because of their telepathic powers. How can I…"

"Don't think…or think chaotic. Psychics will often have difficulty reading a mind that has a stream of thoughts that are so random that they change from one thing to another every eight seconds. A mind that can think only basic things, such as walking and talking is just as impervious to telepathic control, like a remote-controlled robot that can only move a certain distance or can't move at certain angles. Another safety tip is to stay a certain distance away from telepaths in order to avoid their mind control; there is always a limit to something a person can do. The closer you are to a telepath, the more you put yourself at risk of being controlled, but sometimes, just sometimes, the further away you're from a telepath, the safer you are, allowing you to use other methods that are at your disposal that you're comfortable with using against your enemies. When the fog clears, you will be on the roof prior to Indy's fall, meaning you will be near her. The fog will linger around and shield your mind for a moment, but only for a moment. Are you ready to save her life?"

Peter removed the bottom of his mask and took a breath, then exhaled and replaced it.

"I'm ready," he told him.

Brother Correction then disappeared with the fog, which did linger for a short while, just as the wall-crawler stood in front of Indy, who was about to fall off the roof.

"Ah…aaaahh!" Indy screamed, and Spider-Man shot a web at her, catching her by the waist and pulling her away from the ledge. "Aaahh!"

"I got you!" Spider-Man told her.

Suddenly, Kraven (who was there), ran off and the Gaines Twins (who were also there) ran off.

-x-

Once he was certain that Indy was out of harm's way (along with everyone else he knew), he was swinging across the buildings, trying to find Kraven and the Gaines Twins. He kept his mind focused on swinging, to avoid the possibility that the twins were nearby.

Spider-Man, a familiar voice spoke out to him, and he saw a nearby body of smoke appearing on a rooftop. Over here.

He swung over to the roof and met with the dark stranger that he had met over the short time.

"Are you…really you?" He asked the man.

"Why would I lie to you about giving you these opportunities to save Norman Osborn, Curtis Connors, and even your friend Max?"

"But…I never saved Max."

"True, but that doesn't mean he was saved by you…even if you weren't in the costume. Running out into a rainy night, enraged and humiliated, at risk of being electrocuted. I made myself look like you and saved him from turning into Electro."

"Then…that would explain why I suddenly have memories of Max at the hospital with Indy, Mary Jane and Harry. Thank you."

"Hey, you keep on being your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and we're straight. Also, never stop trying to find a balance between being the hero you are…and the person you aim to be."

"Yeah."

"Don't think about this when I say it, but you will find the Gaines Twins at the docks further downtown, hiding in the warehouses. Keep a clear or chaotic mindset to protect yourself from their telepathy. Kraven will be hiding in the zoo."

"Thank you."

"Go get 'em, hero."

He then watched as the wall-crawler jumped off the roof and swing into the night.

"You can let go of any guilt you felt you had to bear now that you've changed the past," he told himself, "as you've spun your webs of redemption…and have been absolved of all wrongs."

As he swung toward the docks, Spider-Man saw a nearby warehouse and cleared his mind, preparing to face the Gaines Twins and make sure that they would be so incapacitated that they couldn't control anyone else ever again. And once they were in the custody of the police, he would head to the zoo and apprehend Kraven.

And they say that a hero could save us… I'm not gonna stand here and wait, he thought, recalling the song he had listened to among the other songs he had heard after meeting Brother Correction. I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles… Watching as we all fly away.

End

A/N: I've finally finished this among the other stories I've finished. I hope it gets some reviews in the future by readers. Peace out!