𝙎𝙋𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙍 𝙒𝙀𝘽𝙎 ¹ | the amazing spider man

13 |

Chapter Thirteen
'Branzino'
58:23 - 1:09:36
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MARCUS HAD A LARGE BRUISE ON HIS FACE WHEN HE GOT HOME. Aunt Janet was incredibly worried when she saw it. She was angry at first, not knowing where the boy had been all that time. He couldn't tell her. He wouldn't tell her. She would freak out. "She freaked out as soon as she saw it." Marcus pointed to his eye as he walked beside Peter, who had his hood up. "She thought we got in a fight." 

"No way, seriously? Why would I ever fight you? I love you too much." Peter told him making Marcus smile slightly.

"Aww, Peter Parker, you're so-" Marcus went to speak but a certain blonde girl came walking beside Peter, his smile faltered. "Oh. Hi, Gwen." He greeted making Peter look toward her too.

"Where you headed?" Gwen asked Peter, completely ignoring Marcus when a hand suddenly took his arm. Michelle walked beside him, smiling. It made Marcus slightly uncomfortable.

"Hey, Mark." Michelle greeted.

"It's Marcus," Marcus told her as he glanced at her. "And I'm not doing your homework."

"Oh, no, silly. I don't want you to do my homework right now. What happened to your eye?" Michelle looked at the boy's eye, raising her hand to it. Marcus pulled away from her.

"It's nothing."

"Okay." She shrugged. "Do you like Branzino, like fish? Gwen's mom is making it and I'm going too. You should come." Before Marcus could reply, Michelle cut in. "Great! Go to..." She scribbled something down on a piece of paper, handing it to him. "This address at 8, see you then." She kissed his cheek and walked off.

"Ha, look at you, getting kissed by girls." Peter bumped his shoulder with Marcus. The black-haired boy laughed lightly with a small fake smile. "Don't worry, Gwen invited me too. Come on, let's go to class."

"Hold on, I gotta get something." Peter nodded and Marcus watched as he walked off, an almost frown on his face. Something hurt when Peter said that Gwen had invited him. Something was off in Marcus' mind that had only just switched on. 

And he wanted no one to know.

_

Marcus didn't really want to go. At all. Seeing Peter and Gwen be all close made Marcus feel - he had to be honest - jealous. But there he was, sitting at a table with Gwen, her parents, her siblings, Peter and Michelle. It was fucking awkward. The black-haired boy watched as Peter kind of just poked the fish with his knife. They made eye contact as Marcus chuckled lightly shaking his head. 

Peter smiled looking down before looking back up at him. "You're having trouble there?" Gwen's mother questioned. "The head goes on the other... Simon, help Gwen's friend with his fish."

"Oh, I..." Peter muttered, seeing Marcus smiling out of the corner of his eye. "I got no idea."

"First time." Simon, Gwen's younger brother nodded.

"George, why don't you tell us about your day?" Gwen's mother smiled.

"Did you catch those spider guys yet?" Gwen's other brother asked. Peter and Marcus glanced at each other. 

"No, we didn't catch them yet. But we will. They're amateurs... who are assaulting civilians in the dead of night." Marcus furrowed his eyebrows as he ate. "They're clumsy, they leave clues... but they're still dangerous."

"They're assaulting people?" Peter spoke up. "I'm not sure. I mean, I saw that video... with them and the car thief, and... I think most people would say that they were... providing a public service." Marcus slowly looked up at him.

"Most people would be wrong. If I wanted the car thief off the street, he'd already be off the street." George told him. 

"So why wasn't he then?" Peter asked. Gwen chuckled making her father look at Peter.

"Let me illuminate you. The car thief was leading us to the people who run... the entire operation. It's a six-month-long sting. It's called strategy. I'm sure you're aware of the term? Strategy? You've heard about that in school?" Peter nodded.

"Obviously, they didn't know you had a plan." Peter informed him.

"You seem to know... an awful lot about this. Know something we don't? Who's side are you on?"

"I'm not on anyone's side. I saw a video on the Internet... M-Marcus saw it too, didn't you, Marcus?" All eyes turned to the boy who was placing his fork in his mouth. He looked a Peter who gave him a look. The black-haired boy slowly nodded.

George Stacy scoffed. "You saw a video on the Internet. Well, then the case is closed."

"Well, no. If you watch the video... maybe send you a link? It looks like they're trying to help." 

"On the internet, they're being made out to look like heroes."

"I'm not saying they're heroes. I don't think they're heroes at all."

"What are you trying to say?"

"They're trying to help. They're trying to do something the police can't." Marcus winced at the sentence he said to Captain George Stacy. The captain of the New York Police Department.

"Something the police can't?" George questioned. "What do you think we do? Sit around eating doughnuts... with our thumbs planted up our asses?" Marcus watched the argument with wide eyes.

"They stand for what you stand for. Protecting innocent people from bad guys." Peter informed him.

"I stand for law and order. That's what I stand for. Okay? I wear a badge. These guys wear masks like outlaws. They're hunting down criminals that all look the same... like they've got some sort of personal vendetta. But they're not protecting innocent people, Mr. Parker."

"Uh," Marcus spoke up causing them to look at him. "Why don't we go get some air?" He looked at Peter with a pointed look. "What do you say, Peter?"

____

IM BACK!