P2B - Chapter #8: Downfall Pt. 1

A/N #1: Hey, y'all. Sorry for not being active for two months. I've had some college stuff and writing. But now I'm back! I won't posting daily for Part 2B. Instead, all four chapters are uploaded so you can enjoy it! I hope you have good time reading it!

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(On the next day...; At Midtown High School...)

The canteen was filled with many students, accompanied by pieces of song and music playing over the school speaker. The students were mostly just chatting while eating or drinking. Laughter could be heard from some tables, as they were goofing around with their friends.

On a nearby table, Annabelle was texting a friend she knew from the music class she attended outside school, who happened to be in the same school as her. While the Parker twins were talking about something as they ate their lunch, but she didn't pay attention to it at the moment.

//Ann, you have some free time after school?//

//Mhm. Why?//

//Hm... Girls night out? ;)//

She smiled and typed quickly.

//You kidding me? I'm game! When?//

//5:35 PM. I'll come to your apartment :)//

//Deal, Gwen. Alright, see ya later, girl XD Gotta finish my meal//

//Same for me. Cya, Annie XD <3//

Annabelle giggled and shoved her phone into her jeans' pocket. Then, she heard something weird but interesting from her friends' conversation.

"Gosh, swinging like Tarzan was so crazy," Kaine laughed, "But I really regretted it. It was too scary."

"Pfft, it was quite fun!" said Peter.

"For you. If you were me, you'd say things differently."

"Sureee."

The girl frowned her eyes when she listened to the conversation. She couldn't make any sense of it, nor could she come to a conclusion. But one thing she realized was that they didn't wear their glasses for the whole day. Something didn't sit right for her, like there was something she was yet to know from her friends. She shrugged it off, deciding to finish her lunch and leave the matter for later.

Meanwhile on a table not far from them, were Flash Thompson and his jocks. Their eyes set on Kaine as they waited for the group to separate. Flash's fingers were itching to teach the puny Parker a lesson for stopping him yesterday.

Eventually, the group finished their lunch and carried their trays, spoons, and forks to a nearby box and put those down inside.

"I'm gonna go to the restroom for a bit," said Peter.

"Yeah, me too," Annabelle nodded.

"Alrighty, I'll be waiting around here for you guys," Kaine responded with a smile as his friends went to the restroom. He wandered to the hall connected between canteens and looked out through the windows, admiring the plants and trees.

But he was interrupted by a tingling sensation in his head. It did not scream "a fellow spider." Instead, a threat- no, three threats were coming to him from behind. The teen turned around and found Flash and his jocks walking to his direction. Kaine's eyes widened and he was about to run to another direction. However, the blonde jock caught him and pinned him against the wall.

"No one's saving you now, Parker," the bully smiled to himself, finally getting the chance of revenge.

Kaine was now but a helpless teen, surrounded by bullies. His hand was twitching, forming into a fist, with hints of hesitation.

//"What? You're just gonna let this trash hurt you? Fight back!"// the demonic voice in Kaine's mind yelled at him.

For a moment, the teenager remembered the time he was bullied at elementary school. He would try to fight back but he couldn't, as he was outnumbered. At the same time, he remembered the possible consequences of engaging in violence.

//"Screw the rules. Break them! An eye for an eye... They hurt you, hurt them back!"//

//"I... can't..."//

//"Do you really want this to be like in elementary? Peter saved you many times from these... pieces of trash. Now, no one's helping you."//

Kaine's fist tightened. The voice was right, no one could help him now. Of course, he could wait for his friends to come to his aid. Or he could do something.

//"You hate this guy so much, don't you? Why not get rid of him? No. Get rid all of those three jocks. You were helpless... But now, you have all the power! Perhaps... I'll give you a little demonstration."//

He proceeded to deliver a punch to Flash's face, staggering the bully. Flash stepped back in shock as blood dripped from his nose, earning shocked reactions from his jocks. Kaine couldn't help but smile to himself, having this powerful, triumphant feeling.

//"Feels good, doesn't it? A little more demonstration might do."//

The smile turned into a wide grin, filled with vengeance. He then walked towards the two jocks with his fists clenched. They ran away in fear, which pleased the teenager. Now all that was left was Flash Thompson.

"No... W-wait. Okay, I give up, Parker!" pleaded Flash.

"Give up? Now that you're the prey, you want to give up?" Kaine spoke in a mocking tone as he walked toward the bully, "Aww, that's just sad. Now, no one's gonna help you, Flash."

This... this moment reminded Flash whenever he was at his home with his father.

"No one's gonna help you, boy. You are in my hands now."

Kaine placed his hand on the blond's neck and choked him, as he lifted him with a surprising amount of strength beyond normal human. Flash tried to break free of the brunet's hold, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the students who saw this immediately ran to upstairs to alert a teacher. The others were freaking out with what was going on.

"You. I've never liked people like you. Always preying upon others, not giving a shit," his eyes turned to blood red, "You are no better than monsters who deserve to disappear."

The jock struggled to breathe as Kaine choke him even harder. Terror was reflected on his bloodshot eyes as he saw the teen's now blood red eyes. What terrified him even more was Kaine's other hand, slowly curling into a fist.

"P-Please... Help...." the blonde jock tried to scream, only for a restrained voice to come out of his mouth.

Kaine delivered several punches to Flash's cheek, bruising him. It felt... so amazing that he let out a maniacal laughter. But the laughter was mixed with tears.

"No more... I won't be hurt no more..." said Kaine as he was about to deliver the final blow, before his fist was stopped by Peter's hand.

The twins looked at each other in astonishment. The younger Parker was bewildered with the tremendous force of his cousin's fist he felt when stopping it, realizing he could've killed someone. While the older one was surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Take your hand off us," he growled in an animalistic tone.

It dawned upon Peter that Kaine was not being himself. Then he remembered about the dream his cousin told him, which had something to do with this.

"Kaine, stop. This isn't you..."

"Why are you saving him? He deserves it!"

"Everyone deserves another chance, Coz. Please, let him go..."

"No. No! Not until he's gone!"

"Kaine..." Anna's voice brought him back to reality, shattering his darker self's control. He let go of Flash, who started coughing after being choked, and turned to his friend. The horrified look painted on her face, made the older Parker realize he was in trouble. No. He realized that this could be the end of the world for him.

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(Minutes later...)

"Alright. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Parker, let's talk about what happened during breaktime," said the school counselor to the two students sitting in front of her.

They were silent, their eyes avoiding contact with the counselor's. Fear and unease were seen in their eyes by her.

"It's okay. What is said in this room stays here," she convinced with a smile, "I will listen to you. But please keep it civilized, alright?"

They nodded. Meanwhile, Annabelle and Peter sat on the couch, waiting for the session to finish and listening to the conversation.

"You may start whenever you feel comfortable. I have all the time here."

Flash looked up to the counselor with slight hesitation, "I... I'm the one who started it, Miss."

"Why?"

"I just wanted revenge on Kaine during yesterday's school trip," he told her.

"What did he do? Did he do anything bad to you?"

"N-No. I... I bullied his cousin Peter. And he and his friend stopped me. I felt that he ruined the fun for me."

"I see... Mr. Thompson, I heard of you bullying students just for fun. What's the reason?"

"I hate them. Their lives seem so perfect. It's... not fair."

Kaine turned to Flash in surprise. What he just said reminded him of himself in a way. He couldn't believe it.

"I'm sensing some issues here. Do you mind telling me?"

The jock closed his eyes for a moment, as if something painful made him hesitate. Yet, he shook his head and went on anyway.

"Got beaten by my own drunk dad. Almost everyday. My life's like hell. And others? Theirs seem like rainbow and sunshine..."

On the back of the room, Anna and Peter were quite surprised with what they heard. The girl herself still despised bullies, but she felt bad for the blonde jock.

"Everyone's lives are not always rainbow and sunshine, Flash..." Kaine said to him, remembering his problems with his father and cousin.

The two looked at each other in the eyes. And for the first time, there were no signs of animosity between them. Just understanding and sympathy. As if Kaine found someone else who was not so different than him.

At this same moment too, he questioned himself... Was it really worth it hurting someone?

"And Mr. Parker... What about you?" the counselor asked the brunet.

He turned to look at her, "I got bullied a lot during my elementary school years. To the point it made me hate people like bullies. No. I despise them."

"When I get bullied, I... always remember that time when I feel helpless. So I fought back. I gave him a taste of his own medicine," Kaine confessed.

Flash was speechless with what he heard. And it got him thinking of his actions for a moment...

"Is violence really the answer? For both of you?" she inquired.

"Y-yes."

The counselor sighed. She took several moments to think of something, before finally coming up with a decision.

"I think it's better for both of you to take the next week off from school," she told them, which earned a surprised reaction from Flash and Kaine. "You won't be expelled. Just take the time to rethink and consider about everything. I hope things can get better for both of you."

"Mr. Parker, you may go with your friends and continue your schedule," she gestured to the door, "Mr. Thompson? I hope it's okay if you stay here for a bit. I want to help you with your problems."

Kaine nodded politely and walked out of the counselling room with Peter and Anna. As they headed back to their class, he said something. "So... I guess this is it?"

Annabelle and Peter looked at Kaine confusedly. "What do you mean?" she asked her friend.

"You two saw a different side of me. A horrible one."

The group stopped as he continued, "I hurt Flash, I almost killed him..."

"And you think this is the end of our friendship? Between me, Peter, and you?"

"Yes, Ann... Because deep down, I'm just a monster. And I can hurt anyone..."

Peter walked closer to his cousin and pulled him to his embrace. "Coz, I understand why you did it. It's not right but that doesn't mean this is the end of our friendship."

The redhead smiled and nodded, "I understand too, K. I'm also a monster, you know that." She then joined the hug.

"Everyone deserves another chance, including you, Coz."

"I agree with Pete."

Kaine chuckled softly and returned the hug. It certainly was something he appreciated from his friends. "T-Thank you, guys..."

His friends smiled in return, before the trio broke the group hug and continue walking to their class.

This might seem like it was the end of the story. But there was something more that Kaine knew it was inevitable. And he could only dread of its arrival.

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A/N #2: I wonder how things will turn out... Well, check the next chapter to read it! (And yes, there's a Gwen Stacy in this universe. I have plans for her in the future ;) )