To Be A Hero | Peter Parker

05: "you can't keep a secret from me, parker"

Song chapter:  Up&Up by Coldplay

As traumatic as these experiences usually were, I'd grown accustomed to revealing my secret, having already done it twice before now. First, there was Janet, who just happened to pass through the alleyway where I stored my backpack after school and changed clothes. Some would call it fate than an experimental scientist was the first person to discover my identity and take me under her wing. She helped me when I thought I had no one, made my suit, my web shooters, and supplied me with anything I needed during any of my missions. Then, there were my parents, who I willingly told when I felt I had no other choice. Someone lost their life, I had almost gotten caught, and I didn't know what else to do. Instead of helping me clean up my own mess, though, I was instead thrown into the back of the car with a moving van behind us, carrying our entire lives to New York. Compared to the previous times this had happened, I'd say it was going smoothly, so far. 

As we walked down the street of the neighborhood we were just dragged through, Peter seemed to revert back to his normal quiet, awkward self. He kept his eyes to the ground and didn't ask any more questions, although he did glance at me every few minutes, looking at me as though I might break. I hated every second of it.

My mind spiraled, rationalizing what he could possibly be thinking about me. Was I too weak? Of course I was, I had a complete breakdown and he had to hugged me in order to stop it. I was kidding myself, and he must've thought I was a complete wreck.

"Will you please stop looking at me like that?" He'd done it again for the ninth time, and I couldn't take it any longer. I looked up at the sky to keep my eyes from watering.

"I'm sorry," he huffed. "I'm just seeing you in a new light, is all." I looked down to see his eyes narrowed at me and I thought he smiled, but I couldn't tell for sure due to the mask over his face. 

I decided to change the subject, my irritation dissipating faster once I took a deep breath. "So what did Mr. Stark say to you? What did he say about me?" I couldn't hide the excitement and anxiety in my voice. Tony was basically a celebrity, and I just met him. I had to know what he thought of me. 

"Oh, he told me that I was just a kid and that I should just let the vulture guy go. Said there was people who handle this sort of thing. How am I supposed to do that? He's asking me to ignore-" He stopped himself, kicking a rock off the street and exhaled. There was a slight breeze that caused some leaves to fall off of the trees above and land around Peter. "I just can't, I won't do that. He gave me this suit and I need to prove myself. I'm not just a kid anymore." 

I didn't say anything, because I understood both sides. Hell, my life was one side: Peter's. He was right, we were not regular kids. We could do things most humans could never dream of doing, and that shouldn't count for nothing. However, I also got where Tony was coming from. This was big, a little too big for Peter to handle on his own. Not that I didn't believe he couldn't handle it, but Peter could get hurt. And I believed that was something Tony couldn't live with. 

"And you, he said he'd talk with you later. Figured you'd had enough for today." He shrugged, and I deflated a little. I thought he'd have shown a little more excitement towards a new spider-person, but I guess not. This was Tony Stark, after all. 

"Oh okay," I sighed and kicked a rock towards Peter, starting a pattern of us kicking it back and forth. 

I guess I didn't hide my disappointment well, because Peter instantly replied, "He's interested in you, I promise! I think he was just trying to back off. You did just have a panic attack."