Peter sat outside of the fast food building with a soda in his hand and his feet up on the table as Hal ate his food, Peter kept his mask half on only exposing his mouth as the two talked.
"So the invasion must have been pretty rattling?" Hal spoke still in uniform as people seemed to take pictures of the two of them, Peter could hear Ellison yelling at him and Clark for not getting pictures, maybe they can come up with a decent excuse.
"Yeah it was…." He muttered as he finished his drink and pulled the mask back down "I've had a pretty crazy few years" Peter spoke as Hal's ears perked up "I've been on Oa for a while so it's been a bit since I've heard a good story" He said as he nearly devoured his meal, Peter tried to ignore his eating as he started to tell an abridged version of his story "I went on a trip I wasn't supposed to be on, got bitten by a radioactive Spider, when I woke up the next day I was basically rampaging around I couldn't stop myself from ripping the handle off of the sink" he sighed, a smile crept across his face as he thought of a moment that was almost a highlight of what had been an emotional few years "I messed up and got mad before I went out on a walk and I got into a fight with a clerk, he got robbed and I let him go." Peter said with a shake of his head, like no matter how many times he played it over in his head he couldn't believe how stupid his actions were that night.
"Robber ran into my Uncle Ben who came looking for me and he…" Peter stopped and ran his head over his mask, Hal stopped him with an arm across the table putting his hand on the young man's shoulder "Listen kid you've been through a lot I can see that but keep your head up. I know it might not seem like it every day but even when I'm out there" he said taking his other hand and holding up the ring "this means something, this means something to the hopeless, the weak, and the broken look to space for a hero, we put on a face in public to seem like an unwavering and unquestioning but we do have the Guardians and they listen to us and understand our problems dude, I think you could use some therapy" Hal said leaning back as Peter nodded
"Who can I tell I let my uncle die and couldn't save the love of my life?" Peter asked as Hal nodded "that's not for me to say, you have your secret identity and I don't, through I have to admit that some of your friends would be more than welcoming to hear you, the relics are gone and the only ones left are the dude who transforms into that big green guy and a billionaire" Hal mused before shrugging "The Kryptonian might hear you out, he left a fairly important meeting to physically help people he doesn't even know. Sure he'd be willing to hear out the issues of a teammate or a friend, depending on where you guys are in the track" Hal shrugged as he got up "Something to think about, it sounds like you've had a hell of a few years, kid maybe it's time to ask the world for some favors" Peter nodded looking up at Hal as he got up "Maybe" he spoke looking to the sky "Is this you jumping off world?" he asked as his arms dropped to the sides, Peter was tired and knew he didn't have the ability to quit yet. He had patrol until nightfall.
"Yeah kid I'm heading out, it's going to take maybe a few days to get back to Oa. You'll hold up, you seem pretty strong" he spoke before plopping a hand on the younger man's shoulder before smiling "You know where Fury is? Might be nice to stop by and see an old friend ." he spoke as a green shield surrounded his costume and watched him, Peter watched his ring expand a light around him and smirked "DC, the triskelion probably" Hal waved and gave him a salute before taking off into space and sighed, watching the train pass overhead before extending a hand and attaching a web to it as it took him off, standing on top as it passed into Brooklyn.
Peter sat above the burrow and took in the sights, he wasn't doing much after Gwen until the Aliens appeared, there was Aleksei and his mech suit but that was the last time he felt the city really needed Spider-man, the last time he didn't feel like he wasn't enough. Even in the battle for the world he felt inadequate standing next to literal gods and a man who had been beating people to a pulp for twenty years. All of them weren't around to talk to, not even Clark was around to be spoken with so maybe he could visit Wayne Manor and find a Robin to talk to.
He crossed the Bayonne Bridge and sat upon the gothic architecture of Gotham City, maybe it wasn't great that Spider-man was being seen around Gotham but he didn't care at that moment he just wanted to talk to someone, and that someone was going to be the first Robin, some light googling turned out that people speculated that the first Robin had become the vigilante Nightwing, operating in Bludhaven but Peter assumed that Batman would have called in back up if he was leaving the city.
Ditching his costume for street clothes he hiked to the large manor, pressing an intercom he heard a british man's voice on the other end "Master Wayne is on a Yacht trip at the moment, he won't be back until…well until it pleases him" Alfred spoke as Peter shook his head "My name is Peter Parker, I know...you know" he said not wanting to say it outloud as Alfred opened the gate and stood at the front door to let him in. Peter awkwardly held his bag as Alfred extended his hand and took the backpack from Peter and placed it into a coat closet "I uh, usually keep that with me" Peter said holding his arm out to the closet as Alfred shook his head "You'll find no need for the suit here Master Parker, now what brings you to Gotham?" He asked in a friendly but interested tone as he guided him to the kitchen
"I was looking to talk to someone, someone who gets what we do and why, and what to do when we lose the…" he sighed looking at the ground "The fire that leads a young man to put a costume on and stop mad science experiments from tearing apart the city and turning everyone into lizards or shutting down the power grid has started to go out." Alfred said as Peter could only nod it was as if the butler was reading his mind.
"I cannot speak truthfully and say Master Bruce has ever felt the urge to quit his responsibility to the city but I do understand that a person can only take so much loss while bottling it up before the cracks begin to show" Alfred spoke as Peter pulled out a chair at the dining room table.
"So what happened to extinguish your fire?" Alfred asked as he retreated into the kitchen to get them some tea
"I failed her" Peter said as Alfred nodded "Miss Stacy?" He confirmed the woman who died before Peter looked quizzically. "You know what happened?" Before another voice called out from behind them, from the foyer, Dick Grayson spoke as he walked into the kitchen "Bruce watches everything, doesn't always help but he's almost always keeping an eye on everything." the hero spoke as he stood at the other end of the table "I'm Dick Grayson" he spoke extending a hand to Peter who's reply was cut off "I'm Peter Par-" "I know who you are or at least Bruce does, he knows a lot about the Avengers, especially those who've been active recently, Superman and Thor dropping in out of nowhere set off alarm bells around here" he joked as he took a seat "Guessing you're not here to get suit tips, because I have some if you'd like" he joked as Alfred set three cups on the table and began to pour "Master Parker has lost the passion just as you have in the past, I was moments away from calling you." the Englishman spoke aloud as he set a cup down before Peter and offered him sugar as Peter got to making his Tea "You wanted to quit?" Peter asked looking up at Dick who nodded "I did, I went to Detroit and worked as a cop for four years" he said shaking his head "I couldn't stand it anymore, felt like no matter how hard we tried good people ended up dying and I didn't know if I could take it anymore" He admitted sitting down as he sipped the tea Peter looked from his cup to Dick and nodded "So what brought you back?" He asked knowing whatever it is wouldn't be easy "Batgirl got paralyzed" he let the words hang in the air as his jovial attitude dropped and Peter looked down, feeling like he drug a trauma back from the grave that Dick had buried it in.
"I was sick to my stomach after I got the call, came back and nearly broke the Penguin's spine in a rage and he didn't even do it. I was just so angry that I came back violent and angry." Dick said "I felt like if I was here I could have stopped it, but I know it wasn't...it was random, not even related to her being Batgirl"
"But I felt like I could have, I felt like I was responsible that I could have done something Pete" Dick sighed looking at the tea, Barbra was still in a wheelchair to this day "So I came back, got my own name and identity and vowed to never leave again" Dick finished speaking and Peter nodded "We need to be there for the people to protect them when they can't protect themselves and to be there for each other when we lose our way" He said as Peter looked into the mug before him
"I guess I just need time" He admitted as he leaned back, grabbing the mug and taking a sip as Dick nodded "That's perfectly normal, crime doesn't stop and you've had a crazy few years Pete." Dick stepped to the wall between the foyer and the kitchen, staring at the portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne "Bruce has been through a lot, sometimes I think he should take a break but he tells me that crime doesn't take breaks." Dick laughed before looking at Peter "But you've got a gigantic friend in the sky who can pick up your slack if you need to work some things out." Dick mused as Peter nodded "I guess asking can't hurt, I'll have to wait until he gets back from Asgard." He noted before Dick whistled and grinned "That's a bit further away than Russia" Dick remarked as Peter laughed, the two finishsed their drinks in silence before Dick thought for a bit "I know a woman who knows all of us, like an actual therapist if you need to work everything out Pete" Dick spoke as Pete nodded, seemingly worried about the loss of his secret identity.
"She knows about me and Bruce, and pretty much anyone we've ever worked with, your secret is safe with her." He assured Peter who nodded again still not sold on the idea "Its nicer than shield at least. This Doctor of yours probably won't file me away somewhere and leave my identity to be discovered by anyone with a computer" Pete sighed, no matter how many promises he got he knew shield wasn't totally secure, there was always going to be someone poking around.
"She files your actual name like you're any other patient and doesn't put all the tights and capes, I guess in your case it would bet webshooters" he smirked causing both of them to laugh
"Still in any case Leslie is good people, she can put your head on right even when that seems impossible" he said, grabbing some notary from the foyer and writing down two things, the woman's private number and her office building.
"Now since Bruce out of the country I've got to get ready for tonight, got a few places to look into, Dent, Ivy, even Cobblepot is supposed to planning something tonight" he sighed leaning patting Peter on the shoulder "I'd like the help but if you aren't feeling it then don't worry about it Pete" Dick smiled before walking to the fireplace and the grandfather clock, he pulled on the cables of the clock and suddenly the fireplace swung out to expose an elevator. Dick nodded and pressed his thumb to a keypad, the doors opened and he disappeared down into the batcave.
Alfred was left standing in the dining room with Peter, Peter stood up, handing Alfred the cup "Thanks for the talk, the both of you. Tell him to be careful tonight" Pete said before grabbing his coat and leaving, he continued to look down at the card wondering if that would be a good idea, if she had kept Batman a secret for this long what would make his secret any different?
Maybe he should go see the doctor, maybe he should go talk to Aunt May first? Maybe he should finally tell her? But that would put her in an awkward spot, every time he left she'd know, she'd be scared for his life and if she knew she'd know about Clark, she wasn't stupid and he was amazed that she hadn't figured at least Clark out by now.
He made his way into the city before changing into his suit, the bright red and blue contrasted with the gothic architecture of Gotham city but that didn't stop him from swinging back to New York, he caught wind of a fire burning in Brooklyn and wondered briefly for a moment what would happen if he didn't spring inside and save the day, in that brief moment he decided that his own grief shouldn't overtake this one problem, maybe he doesn't suit up ever again but as long as he was wearing it he had to help, if you could do good things you had a moral obligation to do those things maybe Uncle Ben was right overall but did that mean he couldn't have anything?
Peter jumped through an open window and saw him, just a little boy crying as the flames engulfed the door. The poor kid couldn't have been more than 8 years old and didn't think to use the fire escape "Spider-man!" the boy screamed as Peter nodded "Yeah buddy I'm right here" he spoke picking up the kid as he leapt right back out the window, a web caught the side of the building as he descended below in front of the fire fighters before leaping on top of the bright red truck, he stood over the cab as one of them handed him the radio "Is there anyone else inside?" the speakers from the truck chirped before A man screamed out "My wife! Fourth floor, she can't walk! APARTMENT 406" there was a panic in his voice, the panic of someone who was powerless to stop the inevitable.
Peter leapt back into the air, the plastic radio clicked on the ground, webs grabbed the side of the building before the crowd watched a stunning display, Spider-man was maybe fifteen feet away from the building, his arms stretched out and grabbed the bricks of the building before hurling himself into the burning building, he stuck a landing in the hallway before starting a sprint, "401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406!" He spoke to himself before stepping back from the door frame "Back up in there!" he shouted, delivering a kick to just under the door knob. Sending the door off it's hinges.
Spider-man leapt inside the apartment to find a woman passed out in the one bedroom suite "shit." he said quickly before scooping the woman up, with one foot he tossed up the nightstand and kicked it out the window, the particle board smashed the window allowing him to jump out, while in mid air he tossed her over his shoulder and held his hand out to snag a web onto the fire escape. His Spider sense started to go off as the old rusted fire escape snapped, sending both of them hurtling toward the ground, he hit the ground back first allowing the woman to land on top of him, quickly managing her to the ground beside him as he stood up and caught the fire escape "Somebody grab her" he screamed out as the man's husband rushed in before Peter had to toss the fire escape up before it crashed back down behind him "that sucked" he muttered getting up and looking around, at least everyone was safe. The fire department could focus on the spread instead of focusing on saving people.
An uneventful swinging session led him home to Aunt May who he could see was up, in the dark of night he crawled up to his second floor bedroom, opening his window quietly before sneaking back inside. He stripped himself of the suit and collapsed in bed, still covered in the soot of the fire "I need better material" he complained to himself before drifting off to sleep