The torture was being broadcast both on television and the internet. The citizens of New York trembled in terror as they watched the Green Goblin beating Spider-Man with a crowbar.
— HAHAHA! Which one hurts more? A or B? From the right or the left? — he said with madness.
The camera focused on Spider-Man, who was tied hand and foot. His mask was half destroyed, revealing half of his face.
The citizens were shocked and began to tremble with fear.
At the Baxter Building, three people entered the living room looking for their children.
— Kids — smiled Susan Storm.
They saw them on the couch, and when they didn't react, they got worried.
— Franklin? Valeria? Are you okay? — asked Johnny.
— Mom — both said with broken voices.
Valeria and Franklin looked up at their family.
— U-Uncle Peter — said Franklin through tears — he's going to be okay, right?
The adults looked at each other, not understanding what was going on. Valeria's hand trembled as she held the remote control. Even so, she unmuted the TV... sounds of pain filled the room.
The adults looked at the screen, and different reactions showed on their faces. Johnny frowned, Ben turned his face away, and Susan brought her hands to her mouth.
— For an adult, you act like a child — said the Goblin as he wiped away the spit that Spider-Man had thrown at him.
The blows with the crowbar resumed, and Susan saw how her kids were in shock. She walked around the couch and turned off the TV, then went to her children and hugged them.
Johnny clenched his fists and suddenly ran toward the balcony.
— Johnny, wait! — exclaimed Ben, who started to follow him.
He saw his teammate engulf himself in flames and fly toward Avengers Tower.
— OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! — shouted Captain America.
— Cap, we haven't—
Black Widow couldn't finish because Cap pushed her aside and hit the button himself. The door started to open, and little by little the bad weather outside could be seen. Not caring about that, he got on the motorcycle, started it, and quickly jumped.
Black Widow sighed and looked at her companion.
— He'll be okay, right? — she whispered.
Madame Web lowered her gaze.
— I won't lie to you, Widow — she answered — but I'll keep quiet.
Logan, along with Emma Frost and Hope Summers, was prepping the Blackbird. Their urgency was visible. They had seen the broadcast and didn't hesitate to ask the Professor to use "Cerebro" to find him. Of course, at first, he refused since it only worked to locate mutants, but with a slight modification made by Hank, he finally agreed and helped, thus giving the location.
— What if… — Hope began.
— Don't you dare finish that sentence — interrupted Emma.
— Frost, Hope… seatbelts — ordered Logan.
His vision was blurry; he could barely distinguish the Goblin. In his mind, the same question repeated over and over: How did I end up like this? His body hurt a lot, and it didn't help that the Goblin hit him again. He grabbed his head and forced him to look at the camera.
— Your pathetic hero is nothing but a failure — he smiled — Poor Spider-Man, don't you think? He has no one. — he slammed him to the floor — No friends! No family! — he kicked him in the ribs — And no one's coming to rescue him! — he said with madness.
He moved aside, and the camera could now see a bomb that had started its countdown.
— All yours, Spider — he crouched — the camera will be your only company now.
Without saying anything else, the Green Goblin walked away and looked at him one last time.
— It was a pleasure to push you to the brink of madness.
Spider-Man heard a door open and then close. He looked at the camera and smiled.
— S-Sorry for... not being a... ahg — he spat blood — hero — he whispered — I-I did what I could — he looked at the camera — s-sorry... but I think this time I won't be coming back...
Without strength, his face fell forward, lying face down.
Captain America was driving at full speed, dodging cars and taking shortcuts to save time.
— Situation — he said.
— You're five minutes away — they replied through the communicator — and Cap... the Goblin activated a bomb in the place.
He frowned and accelerated to the maximum.
He squirmed like a worm, as it was all he could do, leaving a trail of blood behind. By accident, he made the camera fall, which now pointed toward the door, still showing the bomb in the background.
— J-Just a little more — he whispered.
His spider sense activated. He looked at the bomb and...
— Ah—
Cap hit the brakes and when he looked at the factory...
Tears began to fall from his cheeks. He quickly got off the bike and, not caring, ran at full speed toward the place.
Minutes later, the Blackbird landed and from it came the three mutants who approached the scene and saw Cap holding his body.
Hope fell to her knees and Emma comforted her. Her body trembled, and even so, she approached Cap.
— I'm sorry — she whispered — I couldn't make it in time — she growled.
— Peter — Someone muttered.
And for the first time in New York, there was no noise. At the Baxter Building, Ben Grimm punched the coffee table, breaking it, and Susan Storm cried with her children.
Spider-Woman stopped at the top of the Empire State Building, where she sat down.
— Peter — she hugged her knees as she cried.
Carol Danvers had returned to Earth, her mission with the Kree guards completed. She entered Avengers Tower and could feel the heavy, melancholic atmosphere. She went to the conference room, where she found Janet and Jennifer with Johnny, all in silence.
— I thought my welcome would be livelier. Who died? — she joked — Why is Johnny crying?
In a penthouse, the channel had lost signal, and all that could be seen was static and the sobs of the woman.
— Peter — she whispered.
And for the first time, Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat, had called Spider-Man by his real name.
Days later, the funeral was held, and the heroic community was present. The Avengers decided to keep his secret identity out of respect for Spider-Man, and together with S.H.I.E.L.D., they planned everything so that "Peter Parker would leave the country."
— It's a shame — someone approached him.
— I don't know what you're doing here, Stark — Steve growled.
— I'm accompanying my colleagues — he answered.
— You smell like alcohol — he growled — This is a funeral, and not just any funeral, it's Spider-Man's — he stared at him — act like it if you're going to be here.
— You should drink something, you're too tense —
He put his hand on Cap's shoulder, but he pushed it away.
— Where were you that day? — he asked with a frown.
— What?
— Where were you? — he repeated.
— I was busy.
— You were drunk, weren't you? — he laughed bitterly — That's why you didn't show up — he grabbed him by the shirt — a member of the team died and you don't even take it seriously — he growled — I can't take it anymore — he let go.
— What do you mean? — Stark asked.
— I'm tired — he looked at him — of having to take responsibility for your screw-ups, of having to fix your mistakes... — he sighed — of not acting like a hero — he whispered.
— Cap—
— I resign — he looked at him — I resign from the Avengers — he turned his back — it's time I act like a hero, be responsible, like Spider-Man was — he looked at him over his shoulder.