It was late at night and Peter Parker was finding it hard to fall asleep.
Why was he up? Why was he unable to sleep?
Could it be because every time he closed his eyes he would see someone different?
Because every time he saw their faces, bloody, teary, that look in their eyes…it made him shiver and regret his decisions, even if he did all he could?
Or if it wasn't them, he saw faces he knew would never see him in the same way?
Faces that reminded him of everything he had lost.
Even if he tried to rekindle his relationships, they would never be the same.
He would remember things, life changing events, love confessions, trips, events, games, hand shakes, moments of strength and vulnerability that none of them would, and how could he expect them to?
He knew the consequences…but at least the multiverse didn't shatter.
The world was safe.
His friends were safe.
Relatively at least. If he had learned anything these last few years, it's that anything can happen at any time. And there's nothing you can do about it.
Peter stood up, sighing in defeat.
He paced around his room, his thoughts running wild as he tried not to think.
Putting on his suit, he decided to go for a late night swing, hopefully this would tire him out enough to fall asleep.
But it only made him more uneasy.
The suit.
A suit that was made for him, designed by a man he cared about, approved by a woman that cared for him like a son and not a nephew, that had fascinated his friend and impressed his girlfriend.
Ex-girlfriend.
That was a strange thought, a relationship he ended. All because he messed up.
This suit, while awesome, held too many memories. It had helped him survive through tough times, gave him capabilities that allowed him to survive exiting the Earth's atmosphere on the side of a spaceship.
The suit that he wore when he blipped.
The suit that he wore as his loved ones died.
The suit that he wore when his entire life was uprooted. Or entirely killed off.
'I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man'.
'Bitch, you've been to space'.
Peter smiled as he remembered the exchange with Not-Nick Fury. He should probably look into it…except he didn't really want to.
Not yet at least.
He stopped in front of store that was still open, and entered as Peter Parker.
Red, blue, black details…this can work.
Heading home he began to work.
Some thread, spandex, a little science and YouTube videos.
These are the ingredients to create a superhero suit. But accidentally add a radioactive spider and you'll have: Spider-Man.
It took some time, but Peter finally figured out how to sew the fabrics to create what he wanted.
A web-like pattern.
Elastic, but durable.
Peter Parker was starting over.
He wasn't interested in hurting any of his old friends, so he had to go in an entirely new direction as to what he thought his life was going to be like.
He would always watch out for the people in his old life, but he had to start moving forward with his new life.
And that included Spider-Man.
Maybe this wasn't the smartest move.
This was less protective and wasn't exactly technologically advanced.
But if he was going to restart, he wanted to take baby steps.
Peter smiled as he held up the suit, it turned out really good.
Putting it on, he leaped into the night, taking it for a test run.
It definitely felt less protective and powerful, yet it reminded him of simpler times, of when he had just been bitten and when he was just trying to make Queens a little better.
One day he might reconnect with his past. He might start wearing the nano-suit again.
He might even find it in him to try and reconnect with his loved ones.
But for now this was enough.
Maybe he did't have to be an Avenger that helped defeat Thanos and went to space and had all of these responsibilities.
Maybe he didn't have to be a young genius that goes to MIT with his friends and tries to go into the technology industry.
Maybe he could be a young adult with a simple suit and his superpowers rescuing Queens, maybe more areas of New York occasionally. A young man, just trying to live a normal, regular life, with a simple, regular 9-5.
This would certainly help him come to terms with the fact that his world would never be the same.
And maybe that was okay.
A new start was what he needed both as Peter Parker and Spider-Man.
He felt the adrenaline rush in his body, pumping him with excitement and joy, something he hadn't felt in a while.
The wind passed him, making him feel alive, like he could take on the world.
But he had already made his decision, even if it was just for now, he wouldn't take on the world. He didn't have to.
A kid was trying to get a frisbee down from a tree.
Spider-Man swung down and grabbed the frisbee, handing it to the kid while hanging upside down from the tree.
The kid's eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
"Thank you!", the kid exclaimed.
"No problem", Spider-Man replied.
"Who are you?", the kid asked, which surprised Spider-Man.
Spider-Man smiled under his mask.
"I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man".
A/N: Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave a review!
Have a great day! :)
