The little shop had gained a lot of traction in the last few months. What started as a small family business on a corner street of New York had quickly become one of the fastest growing pizza shops in Manhattan. Their food was great and no one was doubting it, with most of their ingredients kept as fresh as possible. What really boosted their popularity wasn't the great food or outstanding customer service, or the homey that it offered. What made them so popular was the hero that once saved them; Spider-Man.
The owner, Mr. O'Hara, fondly remembers the first day he met the man in blue and red. The wall crawling superhero had saved him and his restaurant from a robbery. He was so grateful for the hero's help that he had named a pizza meal after him; Large Peperoni Pizza with stuffed crust, two soft drinks, and a basket of chicken tenders with ranch dip. "Spidey Special", he called it, since the combination was the hero's favorite. The very fact that Spider-Man frequents the shop is what keeps people coming; a chance to see the hero in person.
Mr. O'Hara and his daughter worked the registers while his wife and son cooked in the kitchen. Business had been good for a solid week since Spider-Man had returned to New York from a hiatus. No one knew where he went, and he's refused to say. To O'Hara, it didn't matter; he was just glad his hero was home.
The bell above the front door rang, and Mr. O'Hara was greeted with a nice sight. Walking into the restaurant was one of his best and most frequent customers. He hadn't seen him for the last month or so, making him worry up until recently. He called for the boy as soon as he entered, thankful the line was empty at the moment, "Hey! Peter!" O'Hara called out.
Peter Parker approached the register with a smile and greeted the man with glee, "It's nice to see you, Mr. O'Hara!"
"I haven't seen you for a little while," he pointed out, "How are you doing?"
"I'm uh …I'm alright," he said with half confidence, "Been a little rough, I'll admit."
The man didn't want to bring it up, but it would have been awkward if he didn't, "I uh …I heard about you Aunt," he sympathized, "I'm very sorry, Peter."
The reminder did hurt the boy for a moment, but he shook it off with a deep breath, knowing the man meant no harm, "It's okay. Thank you."
"So, I assume you aren't just here to chat," the man tried to divert the conversation, "What can I get you?"
Peter perked up again, not bothering to look at the menu as he knew what he wanted, "The Spidey Special, please."
"Spidey Special? That's a lot to eat by yourself. Sharing with anyone?"
The boy's cheeks turned a sheepish rosé, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he fiddled with the lint inside, "It's for me and my girlfriend," he said, unable to hold back the giggle in his throat. Once upon a time, the very idea of ever being in a loving relationship with a girl seemed so far off. He was the nerd with no charisma, yet he had finally found that special someone. It just took some heavy travelling to find her.
"A girl- a girlfriend?!" O'Hara nearly squealed, "Aw, Peter! I'm so happy for ya'! You deserve someone special," he turned to the kitchen window and shouted "Spidey Special for Peter Parker and his girlfriend!"
His wife in the back questioned the idea with the same enthusiasm as her husband, earning an awkward wave from Peter as he pulled out his wallet.
Inside the wallet, the first thing to greet him was a picture tucked in nicely behind a transparent cover. It was a photo of himself when he was younger, holding the first-place science fair medal with his Aunt and Uncle standing proudly behind him. In the past, his eyes would always travel to his uncle and feel remorse for the tragic memory that always haunted him. Now, though, his gaze split between the two elders, who both shared painful memories in his heart.
A few minutes passed and O'Hara presented the meal to him, with the tenders and drinks placed safely in a box atop the one containing the pizza. Both boxes were placed in a paper bag that Peter held in his fingers while placing the money on the counter.
"Have a good day, Mr. O'Hara," Peter waved as he made his way out the door.
The man waved as Peter left, happy to have seen one of his best customers again, but also sad for what the boy must be going through right now. Still, if he wasn't joking about having someone loving in his life, then at least he wasn't facing that pain alone.
As Peter walked down the streets of Manhattan, he peered into the bag to ensure everything was inside. It smelled just as amazing as he remembered. He loved the Japanese food he'd been eating lately, but nothing could beat good old-fashioned New York cuisine, especially from Leo's Pizza. He kept the bag close to his chest just so he could continue smelling it as he made his way to the nearest breach-point. That's what he started calling them now; the little gateways between one city and the next.
That blissful walk of sweet aroma's was quickly interrupted by a loud crashing coming from several blocks away. People began screaming rather quickly as smoke invaded the blue sky. Peter's head began to ring loud in his ears, alerting him to every sound and vibration in his immediate vicinity. His calm and peaceful mood had been utterly shattered as he closed his eyes tightly in annoyance.
The breach-point was only a few steps away, he thought; why does this happen every time?
He rushed into the nearest alley and looked to make sure no one was around before jumping high into the air with his super-agility. He planted himself firmly on the wall and stuck there, before activating his web shooters and sticking his meal to the surface of the bricks. It should be safe there for an hour or so, he thought, more than enough time.
As he climbed the wall with his adhesive abilities, he began ripping off his clothes and sticking them to the surface with webbing, until all that remained was the red and blue costume underneath. As he reached the roof, he slid his mask onto his head and dive-bombed off the edge and toward the street, before shooting a web and swinging off toward the pillar of smoke.
He just couldn't have a day off, could he?
Spider-Man: Hero Academia 2
Spider-Man came into view of the terrible scene as he swung. Vehicles were toppled over, blocking the advancements of local police officers. A massive hole was smashed into the bank where most of the smoke originated from. What a classic scene, the hero thought; He was honestly surprised the bank was being robbed considering most people go digital for their funds nowadays.
As the arachnid hero stuck himself to the wall of the bank, he looked down to see the culprits strolling out. There were four of them of which he immediately recognized with an annoyed groan. They sported different outfits ranging from a green jumpsuit with a collar, to green, white and yellow tights. Two of them carried weapons; a wrecking ball for one, and a crowbar for the other.
Spidey knew this team of supervillains as the Wrecking Crew.
The Wrecker, who wielded the crowbar and that vomit-green collar jacket, Bulldozer who sported the yellow tights and metal helmet, Piledriver who wore the American colors like some kind of statement, and Thunderball who copied the first two in color, and had the only useful weapon of the wrecking ball. They were notorious for their record of breaking out of prison just to get put back in. No cage holds them forever, but they never stay out for long.
"Whoa!" Spidey mocked loud enough to get their attention, "Looks like someone came in like a wrecking ball, huh?"
The Wrecking Crew turned their attention to the hero in a gasp, "Ah, come on! I thought this bug was gone!" Shouted Thunderball.
The news crew filming the event, as well as anyone with a phone, turned their attention to the web-slinging hero. He had been popping up repeatedly for the past week after some time on hiatus and it's all anyone can talk about, especially the Daily Bugle.
"So," Spidey cracked his knuckles, "You guys consider yourself a boy band or a regular band? Think carefully; one is less embarrassing."
Thunderball wasted no time as he chucked his wrecking ball at the hero, who dodged it just as it slammed into the bank. Using his adhesive abilities, Spidey ran down the chain and leapt forward, delivering a strong punch to the villain's face that sent him flying into the nearest toppled car, dropping the chain to his weapon.
"You ain't takin' us back to prison, bug!" shouted The Wrecker.
"Arachnid!" he corrected, "Please get that right and maybe I'll consider softer punches!"
The Wrecker tried swinging his crowbar at Spider-Man, but he leapt over quickly and stuck to his back, tapping on his head like a drum. Piledriver readied his fist to attack the hero, only for him to jump out of the way and watch him strike Wrecker instead.
"Sorry!" Piledriver cried, "He's too quick!"
Spidey webbed the back of Piledrivers head while laughing "Not true! You guys are just too slow!"
Infuriated by his jokes, Piledriver and Bulldozer charged the hero head-on, trying to box him in from both sides. Spidey waited until they were close enough to jump upwards and watched as they crashed into one another, falling to the ground in a daze.
Just as Spider-Man reached the peak of his ascension, his sixth-sense pulled his gaze to the wrecking ball coming his way. In this moment, everything seemed to slow down, or rather, his mind sped up. He could see now that Thunderball had gotten up and retrieved his weapon, wasting no time to join in the attack. Meanwhile, Wrecker himself was waiting just below him for a second strike.
He had to admit that they worked well as a team, just not well enough.
His back arched just as the wrecking ball came his way. Right as it passed, Spidey grabbed it with his sticky hands and let his body travel with the momentum, before pulling it toward the ground. One powerful tug was all it took to steal the weapon away and swing It back at its owner, sending Thunderball to the ground.
"We ain't toys you can just play with!" Shouted The Wrecker, "Now you're gonna pay!"
"How much? Because I'm broke, like, really broke."
The Wrecker came swinging at Spidey with everything he had. The hero dodged each attack with ease as he continued to back up. Behind him was an abandoned car, closing up the space he had left. Once he got near it, he leapt over the car and put it between him and the villain, before kicking it with both feet and sending it flying toward him.
It crashed and sent Wrecker to his back, hitting his head on the way down and falling unconscious.
Spider-Man stood atop the car and looked over his handiwork; each villain had been knocked out and spread out across the street, and he only contributed ten percent in extra collateral damage. Not too shabby for the wall-crawler.
"Thanks for the warm-up, guys," he mocked, "Sure got my heart pumping. So, we ready for the real workout?" a joking pause, "Guys? Huh, must be tuckered out."
He could hear the newswoman talking about him beyond the police tape, about how he had been reappearing more and more to stop various crimes. Her voice was unfortunately buried by the cries of the crowd that surrounded her. Some of them were happy that Spider-Man was back, while others had started throwing various garbage at him, shouting that he stay gone. Those were the sheep the Bugle bred with the stories they twist. Despite knowing they were twisted, they always hurt one way or another.
"Yeesh, tough crowd," Spidey joked, "I'll bring my backup dancers next time if that makes you happy."
He shot out a web and swung away quickly as he dodged trash on the way out. The judging cries of the people faded into the background as he traversed back to the alleyway where he left all his stuff. For once, all his items hadn't been stolen, likely because he wasn't gone very long. After quickly putting all his street clothes back on, he moved to the plastic bag that held the food he purchased, dreading whatever may be found.
A few birds were surrounding it, trying to pick at the contents inside. He quickly shooed them away and opened the bag to check on everything. The sodas were still sealed in their plastic bottles, and the box of chicken tenders was safe too.
Unfortunately, when he opened the Pizza box, he realized the mistake he had made when rushing earlier. The cheese of the pizza had slide to one side, due to being held vertically for so long.
It was a shame, he groaned, but at least half the pizza was still good.
Jumping down with the bag in hand, Peter traversed the streets once more, making sure to avoid the crowd that wandered toward the crime scene. With everyone distracted, he was able to slip into another alleyway unnoticed.
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small oval rock tied to a string around his neck. A blessed object he could never be grateful enough for.
He pressed on the gemstone embedded in the center and watched as a doorway of great blue energy appeared, where on the other side was a city different than his own. He double checked for people before entering the doorway, and let the portal close behind him as no trace remained beyond a small gust of wind.
…
This city was a whole other world, both figuratively and literally. Though New York was the home he protected, Musutafu was the home he lived in. In such a short time, his connection to this place was built on sweat and blood, shed often and throughout the city. Earth 7-2014-7 was its official name; an alternate dimension based in the reality of Earth 616, the world Spider-Man is known to inhabit.
There was still much to learn about this alternate world. What he knew was this; It was a world where eighty percent of the population was born with a special ability known as a quirk. Many born with these powers use their gifts to fight against evil, taking on the profession of Pro Hero. As such, many gifted children begin their training in schools across the world. Most of Peter's friends in this world attend one of the best in Japan; U.A High School. Though much was similar, this world was very different from his own.
There was only one thing that didn't change between worlds; his reputation.
He was once forced to go on the run from the law in this world, something he was used to back home, just not to the extent he faced here. Though he was cleared of the charges, many still recognize him on the streets. Some choose not to react, while others run in fear or call him out. He was used to getting such attention as Spider-Man, but never as Peter Parker.
Through the unsettling air, there was a comforting warmth in the distance. Crossing the street into the park, he found a young woman of carrot-colored hair tied in a ponytail, who sat on a bench with her legs crossed. Her hands were hidden in her jacket pockets as she waited under the shade of the trees. Upon seeing Peter approach, she smiled warmly and stood up to greet him with a hug and a kiss.
"What was it today?" She asked, referring to his tardiness.
"I swear I was on my way," he stuttered, "But then there was this explosion and these villains were robbing a bank and I couldn't just ignore that so I had to stick the food to a wall-"
"You could have stopped at 'villains'," She interjected with a chuckle.
"Yeah …well …still," he opened the bag and placed the food on the picnic table, "The tenders and drinks are safe, but I had to stick the food to a wall for a while and the cheese kinda …"
The pizza box opened and revealed the cheese was leaning closer to one side with the sauce exposed.
"I think that should be fine, Peter. It's stuffed crust so It's good either way."
"…I love you, Itsuka."
"I love you too."
Itsuka Kendo gently patted his cheek as she sat down with him, opening the tenders and grabbing the plastic plates to divide the meal. He had promised her he would get the Spidey Special for a few days now, and it took him this long to finally do it.
"So, how's New York?" She asked, trying to make conversation as she enjoyed the ranch-dipped tenders.
"The same," he groaned, "Bipolar city where people either hate me or kinda-like-me-but-not-really."
"Parker luck, huh?"
"Parker luck strikes me again from the clouds of judgement."
"Ooo, poetic."
"I've been practicing."
A family of three passed by them on the dirt path. When the mother realized who Peter was, she held her child close and dragged her husband away, wanting to get as much distance from him as possible. Kendo couldn't help but notice their attitude with a scoff, "This is how they thank the guy who saved them?"
"They don't know what I did and I don't care."
It was sad, but she had to remember the circumstances. The multiverse – at least this world – nearly came apart had it not been for Peter's interference, but almost no one remembers it. Only a select few who were there could recall the events that transpired. She knew he was humble, but he should get a little credit for the deeds he's done.
"So, how's school?" he asked while taking a bite out of the ruined pizza.
"It's been better. People are still talking about you, and after the attacks from the League of Villains toppled with Lumina, everyone is starting to get scared. Some are even considering dropping out of U.A."
"Anyone from class 1-A or B?"
"No, I don't think so, but everyone is afraid; they don't know who might 'turn villain' next."
Part of that was his own fault. Branding himself a criminal was the only option he had at the time. Add that to a hero's villainous reveal, and it dampens peoples trust in the system. He never really trusted the Pro Hero system, to be fair, but it was still necessary for the economic stability.
They talked for a while as the sun crawled across the sky. While they did tell jokes and poke fun at each other, they also discussed legitimate topics in their lives, like current politics and economic dilemmas. It was a strange thing to talk about on a date, but they didn't mind. They liked being able to reveal their thoughts to each other because they listen.
Peter also told her more about his home, which she still had yet to properly visit. The only time she's been there thus far is for May's funeral just a week prior. She wanted to see Time Square and visit all the places he talked about with all their magic.
Fascinating how he can speak of such wonders despite what's happened.
"Hey," she gently took his hand to massage it, "How have you been doing?"
His core instinct was to pull his hand away and tell her he was fine. Instead, his hand stayed where it was and accepted the gentle brush of her skin. He wasn't going to lie to her or himself about what he was feeling, no matter how hard he was trying to be strong, "It's been …really hard. I did get to say goodbye, but knowing that I just let her die …"
"You didn't let her die, Peter, she chose to go."
"I could have saved her with the stones, but I didn't want to corrupt who I was."
"And she was proud of you for that. She wanted you to let her go, to live your life and be the best person you can be," She held her other hand over his, "If you ever need anything-"
"You," he cut in with a weak smile, "Just you, and our friends. Having you all in my life really helps me. It reminds me of what's most important."
Her lips curved upwards, "Good; I need you too."
She steadily moved her face closer and gently pressed her lips against his, for which he did not deny. Her soft kiss felt like a welcome sign to a world of cheer. Each time he thought he should pull away, his body refused the suggestion and instead tried to get closer to her warmth. Kendo's comforting touch was one he wouldn't trade for anything. The love she gave him was one he finally felt he deserved.
The quiet kiss finally ended and Kendo couldn't help but laugh at the tomato-like appearance of his face, "Happy, are you?"
He tried to cover the blush as he curled into a ball laughing, "No! No blush! Bwah! I refuse!"
She loved to hear his laughter. The young hero had faced more pain than most people should feel, yet still found the strength to laugh and love. Someone that strong of heart and soul is one she can never let out of her sight.
Peter's pocket began ringing to a strange tune, derailing his train of laughter completely. He was expecting this soon after making the gate-jump, but was surprised it was only coming in now.
He pulled out his new phone and took just a second to admire it. Ms. Midoriya had gone out of her way to buy one for him that works in Japan. He begged her not to spend that much money but she was determined.
The text on the screen was from Inko Midoriya herself, asking when he was going to come home. He quickly answered that he would be home sometime after seven in the evening, having to make a pit-stop first.
"Do you have to go?" asked Kendo.
"Yeah," he dragged his voice, "I gotta make a visit before I go home."
"Visit? Oh, you mean her. How's that going?"
"…Stubbornly," he groaned in anticipated fatigue.
"Sounds like someone else I know," She teased.
He scoffed jokingly and stood up straight, turning his back to her, "I can't even look at you anymore."
Kendo hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek, bringing back the tomato-like appearance his face idolized so much, "Just be safe, okay?"
"I will," he turned around and gave her a quick peck, "I love you."
"I love you too," She ruffled his hair, "Text you later."
With a warm smile, Peter handed her what little remained of the food and started heading out of the park. Though his smile persisted for a while, the thought of this visit did get to him eventually, and brought a concerning frown to his lips.
…
The green-haired boy trained quietly in the forest near his school, where hopefully no one would find him. Most of his time is spent training, especially in the last few weeks. Emerald lightning surrounded his body and followed each movement like a trail of dust. So much power rested inside of him, yet he could only use 5% of that strength.
Izuku Midoriya often found himself training out here to improve his borrowed quirk. Once, he was a boy of no special powers; a rarity among the people of this world. Then, a great hero chose him as his successor and bestowed upon him his quirk: One for All, an ability that evolves with each user it is passed down to.
Yet, with all that power, it wasn't enough to save her.
Though Izuku only knew her for a short time, May Parker had found a place in his heart. She was kind, gentle, and filled with knowledge and experience. There was so much the elderly woman could have taught him about life, love and responsibility. It's because of her that his newfound adoptive brother, Peter Parker, was such a strong role model for him. She was a gem in a world of rocks, now lost forever.
When she was first admitted to the hospital, he felt terrible for not keeping her safe and healthy. He never even got to say goodbye, which hit him hard. Perhaps if he had fought harder, could he have helped her? What would stronger punches have done to save her?
"Midoriya."
A voice called out his name, deep and determined. Standing in the tree's was a man known better as the symbol of peace; All Might. He was the greatest hero in all of Japan, maybe even the world, having earned the number one spot in the rankings. The form he held now was a weaker, frailer one than most knew. He was also Izuku's mentor, the man who passed on his powers to him. In this moment, however, he was trying to be his friend.
"All Might," Izuku greeted, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, some of the staff couldn't help but notice your habit of coming here after school. When they finally told me about it, I thought I'd come check on you."
Over his time teaching young Midoriya, the symbol of peace had come to greatly care for him. He was beyond just a student, something he just couldn't define beyond friend.
Izuku brushed his hair and readjusted himself before bowing to his mentor, "Thank you, All Might," he said with glee, "I'm okay; I'm just getting some practice in."
"At this hour?" All Might questioned, "Shouldn't you be home by now?"
"It's alright! I told my mom I'd be home late!"
It was hard for Izuku to hide what he was feeling, given that he was known to be sensitive. All Might could see the pain in his eyes despite how he concealed it, and he knew a likely source of the illness, "Midoriya, what's going on?"
There was a short pause before Izuku's expression dropped with a heavy sigh, "I just want to make sure I'm strong enough next time."
"Next time?"
"Yeah; the next time someone I love is in danger. When Parker was away, I promised that I would look after his aunt and keep her safe, but she ended up in the hospital. I don't know what I could have done, but If there was anything …" his fists clenched tightly, "Then I should have done it without question!"
That was a heavy burden, thought his mentor. All Might had lost people he cared about as well, many to unforeseen circumstances. He, too, wished he had fought harder to save them and still felt guilty to this day. That was not a pain this young hero needed, not yet.
All Might stepped closer to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder, "Midoriya, death is the one thing we cannot defeat. We can only prolong it, and try to make its arrival as peaceful and welcoming as we can. Sometimes, though, that sad end comes too soon, uninvited and unwelcome, and there is nothing we can do to change that once it has come and gone. Death comes for us all; Every one of us. That doesn't have to be something we are afraid of."
"…What about you?" asked the once quirkless boy, "Are you afraid?"
The question brought back a memory painful for his guilt; guilt from a friend who only wanted to protect him. This wasn't about him, so he put those feelings aside, "I try not to look that far ahead, and focus on what I can do now. Be proud of all you did do; saving an entire world from devastation. That is the act of a true hero."
Izuku was happy to have had a hand in saving this world, but he still felt he could have fought harder against such tragedies.
"Get home," All Might ordered, "Get some rest. Don't forget you have that camp trip coming up."
"Oh, yeah!" Izuku perked up, "I'm pretty excited!"
Happy to see his joy return, All Might left with a smile. Though Izuku's mind was now focused on the camp, there was still a lingering memory of May, and the guilt that came with it.
…
The prison gave off a ghastly atmosphere, thought Peter. Anyone who saw it scoffed and thought those inside got what they deserved. Technically, they're right; criminals are now being punished for their crimes, but what about those who were wrongfully committed, or who just wanted a fresh start? Just because you got out of prison, that didn't mean you stopped being a criminal in everyone's eyes.
Peter entered the prison with his head down. Most of the guards looked at him liked he belonged here with everyone else. The eyes he would get from them always made his spider-sense murmur, but never ring. One wrong move and they would probably try to detain him. Instead, they stood with their hands on their guns, watching as the boy entered the visitation room.
As soon as he went inside, he saw at least three visits already in progress. One was with a man visiting his wife, another was a son and a father, and the third ended quickly as the woman hung up the phone and ran out of the room, leaving the prisoner very confused.
On the far left of the visitation panels was a blonde woman with dark skin waiting on the prisoners' side. Her left arm was completely missing with bandages covering the shoulder. Her orange prisoner jacket was wrapped around her waist; how she managed that with one arm was a mystery. She was wearing a white tang top to avoid the hassle of sleeves. There was clear scarring on her left side; a side effect of losing her arm the way she did.
Peter sat down and picked up the phone. The woman did not look entirely happy to see him, but she didn't push him away either. At this point, he was a better conversation than half the people in this place.
"Back so soon?" She asked.
"Well you get at least four hours of visiting time a month, so I'm trying to use it," he answered with a grin.
"Don't grin at me Parker; it feels so demoting."
"How is that demoting, Aihara?"
Mayume Aihara; a name she grew to be ashamed of because of what she did. She had put an entire world at risk because she wanted her family back. Now, rather than understand her pain, they've locked her up like a common crook, and treated her like a monster that was out for blood. In her pursuit for a world of peace, for a fulfilling life, she lost everything and everyone. Some of the villains in here say they were 'impressed' with her. She didn't want them to be impressed; she never wanted to be a villain.
Unfortunately, that isn't her choice.
"Makes it seem like I'm getting what I deserve," She groaned, "Maybe I am."
"How have they been treating you in here?"
"The same as everyone else," She looked over her shoulder briefly to see the guard standing a few yards away, "I'm scum to them, Parker. They know I'm guilty, and they know I'll die in here."
"That's not true-"
"Parker, I'm a villain," she firmly stated, "Everything I did was against the law; therefore, I am a villain. The people deem it, so it must be true."
"You can change their minds."
"Why are you trying so hard? I nearly-!" She took a moment to calm down and lower her voice, "I nearly destroyed this entire world in my pursuit for a better one. I'm not proud of that, but I did it because I wanted to see change that no one else was interested in."
"I understand that, I do. I don't think you should go unpunished, but you deserve a chance to redeem yourself instead of being thrown to the wolves."
"You and I both know the trial will be swift," She gritted her teeth, "It's all formality. I guarantee they've already decided the guilty verdict, my punishment, everything. The whole thing is rigged against people like me because they're afraid. Villains only ever see a bad ending. No one gets redemption for their actions! Not me! Not Koji-!"
She caught herself and forced her tears back into those glossy eyes. The memory still haunted her; seeing her own brother give up everything to undo her 'mistake'. She finally had everything she ever wanted, and her own family reversed it all. Maybe he was right to do so, but she didn't want him to be the cost.
Peter wanted to tell her she was wrong, but she wasn't entirely. The world saw people as either good or bad. Once you make a mistake, that becomes your definition because no one wants to deal with the grey area. It's complicated and confusing and scary and no one wants anything to do with it, so they ignore it and focus only on the black and white. It's something he wished he could change.
"Parker," Her voice suddenly became softer, more concerned, "You should be careful visiting me."
"Why?"
"People will start thinking you're conspiring with me. I watch the news in here; a lot of people still think you're a villain. No one has one clear definition for you because you broke the law, but you publically saved people."
"Well, maybe that's good," he said, "Maybe they need to see the middle ground."
"No, that's bad, especially for you. In this world, people rely on heroes more than anything else, and not just to save them. They are a huge part of our economic stability, and you threw a God damn wrench into that oiled machine. They don't get you, so they're scared of you. If you don't show them that you're a hero, something bad might happen."
"Why are you so concerned?"
Truth be told, as much as she wanted to be bitter at him for stopping her, he was the only one besides her best friend who visited her; one of the only ones who cared, "I went against the hero system because heroes acted more like celebrities. You, Parker, are one of the only good ones I've seen in a few years. Just watch your back; you've kicked the hornets' nest, and the bees aren't happy."
With that final warning, she hung up the phone and let the guards escort her back into the prison walls. Peter only watched as he thought on her words. The weight of her voice was worse than the week before. She had already started to lose hope in herself and in any chance of rebuilding her life. No one believed in her after what she did.
The one person who truly understood both sides was gone; sacrificed for the greater good. It was a sacrifice that should have been his, and that's something he may never be able to let go of. Those last words still echoed in his mind every day, as if he was back on that broken street, watching as the man used his last moments to be better.
As he got up, he felt a sudden and strong spark between his finger and the phone. He didn't think much of it as he put it back and walked away.
Unknown to him, the phone briefly emitted an ominous blue energy that dissipated into the air.
