HAYEK

Time to fulfill her destiny was near, but no king can triumph without its pawns.

After spending most of my days inside the dungeon dimension, I grew stronger and powerful, which could only mean one thing, so did Ramsey. I always thought how ironic it is to have a counterpart, we're both equals and yet it was always me who lost. The darkness, death, stood no chance against life, and yet it was depicted as its equal, presented just as strong as life and light. But it was all a facade, the scales wanted a paradise, it wanted peace to reign above all and still, humanity committed the same mistakes time and time again. They never learned, but only I was punished, it was only me who rose and fought just to be locked away for another millennium until I broke free and fought against the Witch of Life only to lose. Again.

It was my fate, to suffer and have no justice. And I thought to myself countless times, what if the truest enemy at the end was life instead of death?

That took me to my second hypothesis, it's all about preference. All about whom the scales favor the most, life or death.

I glanced around the dark and messy-looking penthouse that belonged to Harry Osborn, the twenty-year-old billionaire who remained asleep on his leather couch. Bottles of liquor sprawled all over the living room, broken glasses groaned underneath the heel of my white shoes. My hands were stuffed inside my black ankle pants as I made my way through the mess, purposely stepping on more glass, so Harry would wake up.

The boy stirred in his sleep. "Wake up, young Harry. Now's not the time to mourn."

He wakes up with a start, not expecting to see a man standing in his living room. "Who the hell are you? Bernard!" He yelled for his butler.

I grimaced at his yelling before waving a dismissing hand. "Don't bother, he won't answer you."

"What- Who are you?" He sprang to his feet, blue eyes darkening with rage. "What have you done to Bernard?" But just as he shot up, he fell back on the couch, his eyes rolling back as he squeezed them and pressed two fingers against his temple.

I let out a sigh before turning toward the table where the rest of his liquor was, I poured him a glass of water before handing it to him. "Here." Harry glanced at the glass and drank it in one swing, I watched him grimace.

"What'd you give me?"

I turn my back to him and pour myself whiskey with rocks. "Water. I need you sober for what I'm about to tell you."

"And what will that be?" He dropped the glass on the coffee table, causing a loud sound.

I took the glass and walked over to his chimney, I could feel his eyes glaring at me. "First, I would like to say, I'm sorry for your loss." I put my left hand in my pocket as I came to a halt, half turning toward the billionaire, who didn't seem to bat an eye at my condolences. "Or not. Second, your butler is a sweet man, he's alright. Just resting, I give him thirty minutes tops before you have him strolling around looking for you."

"Get to the point already," Harry said, I took a sip of my drink and felt it burn my throat, I invited the pleasant pain. "I assume you have one, since you bothered enough to break into my home and drug my butler."

I tsk. "Mr. Osborn, that is no way of treating a guest, you'd be hurting my feelings if I had any."

"Well, guests are usually invited, and you are not welcome to this house. I could have you arrested for this stunt you pulled." He threatened, I wanted to laugh.

"You'll have arrested the person who has come to save your life?" I played coy, pretending to be deeply surprised as I gulped down my drink. "Talking about being ungrateful. Oh well, I suppose I'll find my way out."

I began making my way toward the elevator. "You're just bluffing." I slowed down and stopped, I was just ten feet away from the elevator. "You come here to try and sell me something you don't have... unless you have Spider-Man's blood... then you're just bluffing."

"Funny you mentioned that," I cocked my head to the side, smirking faintly, "you're hiding in your penthouse, throwing yourself this... pity party, for lack of better words. All the while, your precious salvation lies in your own corporation."

Harry chuckles dryly. "If you knew what you were talking about, you would know Oscorp destroyed the spider venom."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

I half-turn to him, he glanced over his shoulder to look at me. "How certain?" His eyebrows furrowed confusedly, I unbuttoned my black suit coat and stuffed both hands inside my pants pocket. "Because the venom was ordered to be extracted before killing the spiders." His eyes widened in surprise. "Looks like you weren't that certain. Be smarter, boy."

"And why are you telling me this?" He stood up, turning to face me. "What do you want in exchange? Everything comes at a price."

"I want your rage, Mr. Osborn. I'm a simple woman."

I walked up to him, only the couch separated us. "Woman?"

I froze before chuckling, looking at him with mischief. "I'm afraid looks can be deceiving. You don't know me, Mr. Osborn."

"You want my rage. That's your price?"

I nodded. "And I want you to kill a spider for me." His eyebrows raised, not expecting such a proposal. "But you won't do this alone, I like to play my cards straight. I'll need you to break someone from Ravencroft Institute."

I held out my hand, black mist came out of the palm of my hand and manifested a physical structure out of thin air resembling a tazzer. Harry stared at it in surprise, I handed him the tazzer, and he took it into his own hands, examining it.

"Who?"

I smiled in response.

PETER PARKER

My eyes roamed against the surface of the wall, the research I had on my parents and the Witch remained there, much to my Aunt's dismay. It wouldn't last long anyway, something inside me had extinguished, the drive I felt to finally uncover the mystery that revolved around my parent's death had perished indefinitely. A sudden urge to rip all my work into pieces was powerful enough that it had me jumping onto my feet and digging my fingers against the papers plastered on the wall. I curled my hand into a fist as I ripped the papers off the wall, my heart was beating passionately with fury, my eyes could only see the damage I was causing as I wrecked everything related to my parents.

The impotence I felt was absurd, I was a gifted human, and yet I always seem to fail to save those who matter to me. I couldn't stop my parents from boarding that airplane. I failed Captain Stacey. I almost turned the whole city into lizards because I was dumb enough to give Oscorp my father's research on cross-species genetics.

And now, I have failed my best friend.

I took all that emotion, all that anger and pain and impotence, I took it all and just destroyed my father's papers. I took the stupid calculator he had left behind and threw it against the wall, what I wasn't expecting was for coins to burst out of the interior of the calculator. I froze, my eyes noticed the coins scattered on the ground, I then glanced at the calculator which lay on my bed.

"What the hell...?" I mumbled, walking up to my bed and taking the calculator in my hand. He took the D train every morning at 7 to work.

Aunt May's voice reminded me, I noticed the coin had the word Roosevelt engraved. I quickly shot up from my bed and quickly typed on the search bar: Roosevelt, D line train.

I clicked on the first website and read what it said. "Roosevelt's secret station. Track 61, a secret subterranean extension of New York's D Line train under Pershing Square, built to transport President Franklin Roosevelt away from the public eye to keep his polio hidden from the American people."

I quickly took the calculator and shoved it inside my bag, I left home in haste and made my way toward the secret station.

Furthermore, I found myself in the subterranean train station, I looked around and noticed how everything seemed extremely abandoned. My eyes shot up as I heard passing pedestrians just strolling by above me, I shrugged off my bag and took out the calculator. I cracked it open and took out a coin before making my way to the right wall where the turnstile was. Behind it was nothing but a wall, so my immediate guess was that perhaps the wall was a secret passage. I insert the coin in the coin receptacle and stare at the wall expectantly.

"Come on, come on, come on," I mumbled to myself as I put the calculator away inside my bag.

I took an imploring step closer to the wall, seconds later, and it remained stoic. I slammed my hands against the wall and still, nothing happened. I felt my heart take another deception and I yelled in frustration as I kicked the wall hard.

That's when something shifted.

I flinched and quickly turned around as something mechanical groaned behind me, right where the railway is, a secret compartment opened from the floor, and out of it came a railroad car. I stared at it in complete surprise, looking over my shoulder as if expecting the wall to be open, but it remained there, unable to contain my curiosity I walked inside the railroad car. The lights were already on, so I allowed my eyes to roam freely in the small car, a small heartfelt smile adorned my features as I glanced around the various scientific equipment nostalgically.

I made my way toward a computer and clicked on the spacebar, almost immediately it turned on and a video of my father appeared. "What's this?"

Hitting the spacebar again the video started playing. "My name is Richard Parker." I took a seat on the low swivel stools and saw his face. I recognized his outfit at once. "Whatever lies will be told about me, I would like the world to know the truth. Oscorp was already a leader in genetic research when Norman Osborn made a deal with a foreign military organization to continue funding my research."

My heart was beating hard against my rib cage, for some reason, I felt nervous just watching him. "And I discovered what they were going to use it for. Weapons. Biological weapons, of course." He ran a hand down his face dejectedly. "So I refused. And now, to eliminate me from the picture, Norman Osborn has falsified evidence against me in order to take control of my work."

This was groundbreaking proof that I was right and what they told Aunt May was all fiction. What angered me the most is that Uncle Ben died thinking his brother was a thief.

"But I didn't have time... I couldn't kill all the spiders." He lamented. "So as a scientist, my choice is very clear now. I have to disappear. I have to get as far away from here as I can." He stared at the screen, his eyes held so much fear and guilt. "But as a father... it means I may not see my boy again."

I closed my eyes and my head bowed, I indulged in the feeling of sadness as my heart constricted, a single tear sliding down my cheek. And he never saw me again.

"And nothing is as important to me as my son, Peter. Nothing in this world." I opened my eyes and stared at the computer screen, it almost felt as if he was talking to me. "But I have a responsibility to protect the world from what I've created and to protect him from what I know Osborn is capable of. People will say I'm a monster for what I've done. And maybe they're right." I shook my head, I've seen monsters, and they don't have his bravery. "I always thought that I'd have more time- Dad!"

My heart skipped a beat, knowing what would follow. "Don't go. Please." I found myself perching closer to the computer screen, tears running down my face as I gently touched the screen.

He turned to look at the camera. "I'm sorry."

The video paused.

I covered my face with my hands as I took a moment to register what I had learned. I dragged my hand down my face and cleaned my tears, I let out a long and heavy sigh. "All this time... I'm glad I wasn't wrong about you. Dad." I confessed to a computer screen. "I'm sorry Uncle Ben had to die knowing you were a thief, but I'm glad I was never wrong. I know you did the right thing. Oscorp is capable of the unimaginable. What I can't forgive is that you had to die in the process of doing the right thing."

I paused, expecting the man on the screen to say something. "I'm sorry for... for everything, too."

I left his secret hideout and this time my heartfelt lighter, after all, I had just found out the truth about his abrupt disappearance. It all made sense now, and I knew I could finally move on, this was the truth I needed to face my reality. As I made my way back home, I fetched out my message and noticed Ramsey had left me a voice note, I quickly opened her chat and press play as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Peter..." Her voice was shaky and that made me halt. "Remember when you told me that people like us always have to do the right thing and not turn a blind eye to evil?"

I found myself nodding unconsciously. "I love you. So very much, that promise I made you, about never sacrificing you... please try to understand."

"What the hell is she talking about?"

"This fight, this age-old war between life and death, will keep repeating itself if I don't end this." She sucked in a deep breath. "Life and death cannot coexist in the same circle, there can only be one. I'm sorry. I love you. Stay out of this."

The voice note ended, and I tried calling her a few times, but it went straight to voice-mail, I then tried Gwen and the same happened. I even dialed Mrs. Walker's number but nothing. "Where the hell is everybody?" I tried Elias since he was my last hope, all the while I ran toward the shop she's been spending so much time in. "I don't like this."

HAYEK

I've seen the future, it all ends today.

Do you ever wonder if villains are forced to become one or destined? I always believed villains were destined to become evil and spread chaos and suffering, but that was until I turned into one. I can still recall the smiles, the hugs, the gratefulness in my people's eyes whenever I provided for them and protected them. I was raised by kind people, my mother and father never once told me I was an abomination for having such dark powers. My people didn't fear me, they accepted me and became protective of me.

There were times when I took my protection too far, but I was never treated as a monster. They saw me and saw a human being, a creature who chose to do good instead of evil. I fought so hard to remain good, and all for what? For a jealous king to slaughter my people without mercy? Things needed to crumble for me to realize that my world was never meant to be happy, it was meant to be fragmented and cold, alone even.

So no, I don't want to kill the earth's population because I've got nothing better to do, this is my attempt at justice. My cry of grief.

I watched Elias and Gwen sharing some food inside the shop he worked in, they laughed as they swap stories between them. As I saw them, my brain reminded me of my one and only love, Julius Mena.

After I had murdered the King's men, I was left with nothing but blood and dust, my knees kissed the burned grass beneath me. A single scream ripped through my vocal cords, in that scream, I let out all of my anger, grief, and pain. The scream was so raw, so charged with emotion, that it would give anyone goosebumps. I cried and wept and screamed.

"Why?!" I screamed at the universe as I dug my fingers into the earth beneath me, I could feel the dirt storing inside my nails. "What have I done to deserve this?!"

Julius fell beside me as I crumbled in grief, the pressure inside my chest was enough to make me want to vomit or claw my heart out. I just couldn't handle it.

"Hayek... I am so very sorry." He lamented in his thick Italian accent, I felt his hands on my back and I instantly jerked back and pushed him away from me.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled, followed by a sob that racked my body. "You did this. Why? Why would you do this? What have I done to deserve this?"

He looked at me speechless. "You've done nothing to deserve this. I didn't kill your people. I didn't know this would happen."

"But you knew they would come," I revealed, Julius swallowed thickly and gave me a firm nod. "How could I be such a fool to trust a foreigner? How could I be so blind to think you loved me?"

"I do love you. That was real." He seethed, pushing himself upon his knees. "I wanted to tell you... I am in no position to ask you to believe me, but please believe when I tell you I didn't know they would massacre your people. I had no part in this."

A single tear slid down my cheek as I realized what I was about to do, I forced myself to rise and look him in the eye. "I do believe you, Julius. And my feelings for you were genuine. But there's only one way I can forgive you." I raised my hand up toward him and manifested a black sword, he looked at it and realized what was about to happen. "In death."

Then I severed his head.

I blinked and the memory dissipated, Elias and Gwen were unaware of my presence, which is why I came out of my hiding spot. I was dressed casually, all black with a suit coat, formal ankle pants, a black polo shirt, and white ankle shoes. The first one to notice me was Elias, who dropped his buffalo chicken wing on the plastic plate.

"I beg your pardon for interrupting your evening." Elias straightened and Gwen snapped her head toward me, her blue eyes widened in fear, and she rose from her seat. "But I've come for Gwen."

Elias jumped over the counter and stood in front of Gwen protectively. "That's not going to happen."

"Oh, but it is, young Elias." I used his name, during my time in the dungeon dimension I was able to spy on Ramsey. I saw everything she did, her training, her home, her strengths, and her weaknesses. "Gwen Stacey is Ramsey's second most important person in her life. I need her for an experiment. Now, will you please hand her over?"

Gwen gripped Elias' hand. "Finn, you don't have to do this. You'll lose, she's stronger than you think."

"The name is Hayek, dear," I told her. "She is indeed strong, but is she strong enough to sacrifice one of the two most important people in her life?"

Elias shook his head. "Hayek, you don't have to do this, really don't."

"That's right, I don't." I quietly manifested a blade in my hand, hiding it behind my leg. "But since when do we get what we want? The universe is anything but merciful."

I threw a blade at his shoulder and he stumbled to the side, leaving Gwen exposed, I quickly teleported in front of her and grabbed her. "Tell Ramsey I'll be waiting for her. Clock Tower."

Elias sprang up and was about to tackle me, but I teleported away, leaving behind a trail of black mist.

HOLA!

We're almost at the
End of this book!
Only three more chapters
Shits about to hit the fan XD

Stay safe mis amores 🤍