By the time Kate made it home, her shoulder was starting to throb. She had landed hard on it when one of her opponents practically slammed her into the floor earlier. At the time, adrenaline had been enough to hold it at bay, or at least not allow her to fully register the extent of the hit. Now, however, as she discarded her gear in her closet, she was really starting to feel it. Even after a good shower, it still felt sore. Kate grabbed at it, trying to massage it with her hand. When that didn't seem to be working, she decided to head down to the kitchen to get some ice.
Upon venturing down there, she encountered her mom, who had recently returned from a business trip. The two of them locked eyes for a moment.
"You okay?"
"Uhm, yeah why?" Kate asked, her mind blank as to why she would be asking that. Had her mother found out about her late-night activities already?
"You're holding your shoulder," her mother observed, gesturing towards her.
"Oh yeah, this," Kate replied, "I think I just went at it a little too hard in the gym today. I was just going to ice it for a little while before bed."
"I really am proud of you for how you keep yourself in shape, but you really do spend too much time with it," Kate's mother said as her daughter walked over to the fridge, opening the freezer. "When are you coming with me on another trip?"
"Mom, I told you, I'm not interested in taking over the family empire," Kate said, grabbing a bag of ice and applying it to her shoulder. "It's just not who I am."
"Well, who are you then?" her mother asked.
"I don't know yet, exactly," Kate replied, "but I'm figuring it out. I want to do something different with my life, mom; something meaningful."
"Running a corporation that supplies jobs and good quality of life to thousands of people isn't meaningful?" Kate's mother retorted.
Kate shot her mother a look.
"Please don't give me the whole humanitarian speech again," she said. "You and dad didn't get into the oil business to save the world; you got into it to buy fancy clothes and expensive yachts."
"Your father and I went into the oil business so we could make sure we took care of you," Kate's mother countered. "We wanted you to never have to worry about having what you needed, like we did when we were young."
Kate looked down for a moment, contemplating what to say next.
"Mom," she said, "I get it, and I'm grateful for that. All the different classes I took in prep school, all the various activities you had me try growing up; you set me up to be successful in anything I wanted to do. I just don't feel like running some huge company is what I'm supposed to do with my life."
"Then what is?" her mother asked.
"Like I said, I'm figuring it out," Kate replied after a brief hesitation. She hated lying to her mother about what she really wanted to do in life; what she was already doing no less. For months, Kate's mother had been pushing her to get back into the habit of going on trips with her like she used to. She wanted her to sit in on board and shareholder meetings and talk with other various high-end members of the company for who knows how many times now. She simply wasn't interested, but her mom didn't quite seem to get that.
At the same time, it wasn't completely a lie. Kate had no real idea how far this whole second-generation Hawkeye thing was going to go, and what it might truly entail. She had studied the original a great deal; Clint Barton had started off as a simple S.H.I.E.L.D. agent before becoming a part of a team of the world's greatest heroes. When she started spending her nights running around on rooftops with a bow in hand, Kate had not necessarily had any thoughts or expectations that she would follow the same road. After tonight though...
"Well, if you ever change your mind," Kate's mother spoke up, "the door is always open."
Kate offered a light but still slightly annoyed smile.
"Thanks," she said, "I'm kind of tired, so I think I'll go up to my room for the night. Hopefully I can get this shoulder feeling at least a little better before bed."
"Okay," her mother said. Kate turned to walk away but stopped just before she exited the kitchen.
"Mom," she said, grabbing her mother's attention. "I'm glad you're back, by the way."
Her mom offered a light smile.
"Kate, you know I love you and just want what's best for you, right?"
Kate offered a similar smile in return.
"Yeah, I know," she responded before turning and leaving the room. She went back upstairs, sitting down on the side of the bed, still pressing the ice pack to her shoulder. It was already starting to feel a little better at least, and she hoped she could remove it soon because she really was tired.
Kate turned and looked down at her side drawer by her bed. She slid it open with her free hand, reaching in and grabbing the device that Spider-Man had given her tonight, examining it. She had so many thoughts running through her head about him, who those men were, what they were up to, but most of all, the question of where things in her life were headed. Even just in the last two nights, it felt like so much was rapidly changing. She could tell her and Spider-Man were onto something big, but was this the beginning of something even bigger in her own life?
All of that would have to be figured out another time though.
Deciding her shoulder was good enough for now, Kate put away the ice pack in a small mini fridge she kept in her room and went to bed, hoping to settle her mind down after the day's events and her mom's questions.
"Connect Four," Peter said. He glanced at his opponent across the table, who leaned back and let out a sigh.
"How about 23 out of 45?" Happy asked.
Peter let out a brief laugh in response.
"Not that I'm not enjoying all this winning," he said, "but unlike you, I actually have somewhere I've got to be today."
"Oh, come on Peter," Happy said. "Just give me one more shot. I have to get at least ONE win on a rare day off."
"Maybe later," Peter said, rising from his seat. "Today's my day to go check on Martin. I'm running late enough as it is."
"Alright," Happy said reluctantly, "but I'm going to hold you to that."
"Don't worry Happy," Peter assured him, "I'm always down for beating you in this."
"You've just been on a lucky streak," Happy retorted, "but it will end the next time we meet."
"Wow, you ALMOST sounded intimidating for a moment," Peter mused sarcastically.
"Yeah yeah," Happy said, waving a dismissive hand. "Go, get out of here and do your superhero good Samaritan thing."
Peter then left the dining area for his own room, where he changed into his red and black Spider-Man outfit and leapt out the window, swinging away. He was fortunate enough to get a rare, interrupted swing, so he made it to Ravencroft quicker than usual. As was the case over the last couple of years, they let him in almost immediately per Dr. Kafka's orders. For the first several months, Peter had checked in directly with the doctor herself to see how Martin was doing before actually seeing him. By now though, Martin was doing well enough that it wasn't as necessary anymore.
The door sliding open, Peter stepped into the room, where he found Martin reading, like he usually was.
"What deeply philosophical piece of literature are we reading today?" Peter asked.
Martin smiled, turning his book around to reveal the cover. Much to Peter's surprise, it wasn't some deep read, but a collection of Charlie Brown newspaper comics.
"I like to think I at least have a little variety in my personal library," Martin said. He smiled as he set the book down. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes you need a break from the serious nature of the world's problems. I guess you probably know that better than anyone."
Peter nodded his head in affirmation.
"Yeah, you'll get no arguments from me," he replied.
"Speaking of the world," Martin said, "how are things out there these days?"
Even after more than two years since the Snap, that was still a loaded question. Fortunately, Peter had figured out how to give the cliff notes version of world updates by now.
"Well, things are getting better," he said. "I'm seeing less 'We're Hiring' signs over the last few months, so that's good. Crime is, well, getting back towards how it used to be, I guess. It seems like there's some new nutcase who wants to kill me every week again, so that's basically how it was even before all this, so there's one thing that's normal."
Martin appeared to chuckle a little, looking away from Peter.
"How about F.E.A.S.T?" he asked. "Is it still..."
"Yes Martin, F.E.A.S.T. is still going strong," Peter assured him. "We've actually been fully staffed in workers for about a month now, and thankfully the funds are still there too. We're helping a lot of people, though I'm glad it's down from when this craziness started."
"Me too," Martin said. "Thank you, Peter, for helping carry on the work there. That place... it represents the best part of me. It gives me hope to know it's still helping people."
"You'll see it for yourself again, one day," Peter tried to assure him. He didn't know how well people would take seeing who the media had dubbed "Mr. Negative" back out on the streets, much less in a place like F.E.A.S.T. He was just choosing to believe that, somehow, it would all work out to where Martin would be able to see how the legacy he started long before Mr. Negative was going.
"I hope you're right," Martin said, still not looking at Peter. He didn't appear to share Peter's optimistic outlook, which he understood. Were their positions reversed, he would probably feel the same way, maybe even worse so.
"How've you been doing this week anyway?" Peter asked.
"The doctors think they're making some real progress," Martin replied. "Granted, they've said that in the past, especially before..."
"It was one time," Peter said, "and you've been fine since then." He still remembered the day Martin was talking about; it was the first anniversary of the Snap. Dr. Kafka had contacted him with a communication device he'd given her just in case, saying that Martin had taken a turn for the worse about midday. Peter showed up just in time for Martin to break free from his confinement, his dark energy powered evil persona having returned.
The ensuing fight lasted almost an hour, but Peter was able to contain and subdue Martin before he could escape the building. Even more fortunate was that no one else was seriously hurt, despite the fight having torn through a fair amount of Ravencroft. It was Martin's first and, so far, his last episode since that time. Peter had made a point to hang out nearby the building the next time the date came rolling around, but day and night came without incident.
"Peter, sometimes I wish I could just put your optimism in a bottle to drink whenever I need some," Martin said. "How do you stay that way?"
"It's not as easy as you think, I promise you that," Peter replied. "If I'm being honest, I feel like I'm just putting on a brave face sometimes. If I didn't have the few people in my life that I do, I'm not sure where I'd be."
"That reminds me," Martin said, "how's Michelle doing?"
Peter couldn't help allowing a smile to spread across his face at the mention of M.J.
"She's good," he affirmed. "She's been juggling a lot with working, starting summer classes today and volunteering at F.E.A.S.T, but she still somehow finds time to be a part of my crazy life, which seems to only be getting crazier by the day. I don't know how she does it all honestly. She's pretty incredible."
"Sounds like my wife," Martin said, a somber smile donning his face. "Always wanting to help or do something, yet she always found time to support me. I can remember so many days where she was clearly exhausted, but she was always there at work events or helping out in the early days of F.E.A.S.T, when it was barely more than a dream."
Peter slowly strolled forward towards the containment area.
"How..." he stuttered out, "I mean, how did you..."
"How did I keep her around?" Martin asked for him. "How did I show our relationship wasn't just one-sided? How did I make it all up to her for the sacrifices she made for me?"
"Well... yeah," Peter said. "It's just that, we've been together for a while now, relatively speaking, and I just feel like I don't do enough to show her how much I care for her like she does for me."
"In my experience, it's not always about doing something as it is just being there," Martin replied, finally getting up and moving over to the edge of the forcefield wall. "I felt the same way as you do, and I felt it a lot. I just tried my best to make time for June; it wasn't usually anything extravagant either. Often it was just a simple date night at home, where we just get to talk and be together. Sometimes you will get opportunities to actually DO something big for her, but often it will be the little things that keep a relationship healthy."
Peter took a second to take in everything that Martin just said. He wanted to badly to show how much he cared for M.J. in the best way possible, whatever that was. What he had just heard did make sense though; at their cores, he and M.J. were both people who enjoyed the simple things in life, despite its ever-increasing craziness.
"I hear what you're saying," Peter said, "and I believe you. I guess it's just that the simple things never feel like enough."
"Let me ask you this then," Martin replied, "if the shoe was on the other foot, and Michelle was feeling this way about her end of things, what would you say to her?"
Peter smiled, letting out a knowing huff of air as he thought of his answer.
"I'd tell her I don't need the big things," he said. "I'd say that just having her around, choosing to be with me... it's all I need."
"Then do exactly that for her," Martin said. "I know you've had to sacrifice so much because of what you choose to be for this city, for the world, but use the time you do have well."
Peter took a moment to let the words wash over his mind, soaking them in.
"You know, when you do get out of here, maybe you should look into couple's counseling or something," Peter said.
Martin laughed.
"Let me know if it works for you first, then we'll see about that," he replied.
"Will do," Peter replied. "I better get going. Haven't done a real patrol yet today."
"Thanks again for coming," Martin said. "I can't tell you how much your visits over these last couple years have meant to me."
"The feeling is mutual," Peter affirmed, waving goodbye. "Until next time."
As Peter exited the building and took off swinging, he had the system in his mask dial M.J, hoping he caught her before the start of her first summer class.
"Hey," she said, answering after only a couple rings. "I'm about to go into class. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it is. I'll be quick," Peter replied. "Look, M.J, I just... I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you. I know I'm not always the best at this whole boyfriend thing, and I've had to miss a lot of dates and stuff, but you still do so much. I guess I'm trying to say that you mean the world to me, and I'm going to continue to do everything I can to make sure you never forget that."
There was a pause on the call for a moment.
"You really are too sweet for your own good sometimes," M.J. finally said, her tone soft despite the sarcastic nature of her words.
"You know you love it," Peter teased. Even though he wasn't around her, he could somehow sense her smirk in her pausing.
"Thank you, Peter," she said. "Okay, I got to go to class now. See you tonight?"
"Of course!" Peter affirmed. "Can't wait to hear all about it later on, maybe over pizza?"
"Sounds good," M.J. responded. "Okay, gotta go. Love you."
"Love you too," Peter responded. As he continued swinging, he began planning what the evening might look like in his head. Nothing too extravagant of course, just some pizza, maybe a movie or a puzzle, even both. He should also try and get some flowers, too; yeah, definitely some flow...
A loud explosion rang out in the distance.
Which meant date night planning would have to wait.
Hope you're enjoying it!
Next chapter, we will meet a couple more of Peter's new allies, so I'll be expanding things beyond him and Kate here soon.
Anyway, know that I am continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17