A Conflicted Spider-Man
"Hey Peter, you know what? This world is complicated, and there are many things you don't have a choice in."
"For the first half of my life, I was an honest, good man. I worked hard and took care of my family. I deeply loved my wife and daughter. To give them a better life, after the Battle of New York, I contracted with the New York City to recycle war debris."
"I mortgaged my house, bought trucks, forklifts, and other tools, and I also assembled a team. I gave it my all."
"I got this job through my own hard work, hoping it would help me get a better house and lawn for my daughter and wife, but do you know what happened, Peter?"
The Vulture began to tell Peter its story.
The Spider-Man shook its head blankly.
"Three days, we only worked for three days, we worked hard for three days."
The Vulture held up three fingers, looking somewhat agitated.
"Tony Stark and the United States government set up a new department, and a bunch of guys in suits came over and told me."
"Hey, you unlucky bastard, you can get lost now. We've taken over this place. If you have any complaints, you can file a complaint with the city government."
"The opportunity I fought so hard for was taken away by a single, casual remark. I just wanted a good life for myself and my family. Was I wrong? Peter, tell me, was I wrong?"
The Vulture asked, somewhat excitedly.
Although the Spider-Man was a bit nervous, it still listened to the Vulture's words.
"You're right, sir."
"Very good, you see, we've reached a preliminary agreement. Yes, I also think I'm not wrong, so I argued my case, and then they pulled out a gun at me."
"I had no choice but to go to the city government for help. The first time I went, I ended up being thrown out by two security guards."
"Okay, I'm an adult. I accept some of the unfairness in the world. The second time, I changed my demand to the government buying back all the vehicles I prepared for this, and I have to exchange them with the bank for my house. I will bear part of the loss myself."
"And what happened? I was thrown out by security again. I protested, and they said if I dared to cause trouble at the city hall again, they would call the police to arrest me and reserve the right to prosecute me. Peter, tell me, what would you do if you were in my shoes?"
"Why don't you try contacting Mr. Stark? He'd definitely compensate you for your losses if he knew."
The Spider-Man said seriously.
"Tony Stark?"
The Vulture gave a cold laugh.
"The Avengers? Iron Man? Hero? They're high and mighty. Do you think an ordinary person like me can just casually meet such big shots? Peter, I'm not you. I'm not Spider-Man, the Hero of Queens."
The Vulture excitedly raised its fist.
The Spider-Man instinctively ducked back, then suddenly realized that the Vulture had no intention of attacking it.
Then he murmured.
"I'm so sorry, sir!"
Vulture had never told anyone these things before. This was the first time he had complained about his experiences in front of outsiders, and he realized he had gotten a little agitated afterward.
"I shouldn't be telling you this, you're still just a child, but I want to tell you that everything I did was for the people I love, my family. At first, your appearance made me incredibly angry, until I learned that you saved my daughter's life in Washington."
"Now that you're her first dance partner again, I don't want to be your enemy, kid. I've decided to quit. Stop clinging to my past. Let me go, let my family go, and I won't do anything illegal again, nor will I bother your loved ones. How about it?"
The Spider-Man didn't answer the Vulture's question; it just got off the car, looking rather dazed.
The Vulture also knew that these things would take some time for a small child to understand.
But so far everything seems fine. Today is his daughter's dance party, and he doesn't want to say too much and cause his daughter any misunderstandings.
Although Spider-Man didn't make any promises, he watched as Spider-Man walked towards the school, looking completely lost and dejected.
"Not bad, young man!"
The Vulture watched the Spider-Man's retreating figure, muttered something to itself, and then started the car.
This was a disastrous dance party; Spider-Man was completely out of sorts the entire time.
His original plan was to have a kiss with Liz today, something like that, to seal their love.
However, the appearance of the Vulture, and its subsequent words, left the Spider-Man completely at a loss as to what to do.
Spider-Man danced with Liz almost numbly, and remained mostly silent throughout the night.
Liz, completely oblivious to Spider-Man's concern, directly refused his offer to take Spider-Man home.
I took a taxi home by myself.
Watching Liz's departing figure, Spider-Man opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
Tell her the truth? Shatter her current happy life.
The Spider-Man couldn't do it.
Peter could sense that what Vulture had just said was true. Although making a living was not a reason to commit a crime, in that situation, as a man, Vulture seemed to have no other choice.
What should I do?
The Spider-Man kept repeating this sentence in its mind.
"Hey bro, what's wrong with you today? You seemed completely out of sorts all night. Did Liz turn down your request to stay out overnight?"
Ned appeared out of nowhere and spoke to Peter.
He didn't have a dance partner today, so he didn't need to take anyone home, which conveniently paired him up with his best buddy.
"Ned, there's something I don't know if it's right or wrong, and I don't know what to do."
The Spider-Man said painfully.
Seeing Spider-Man so serious, Ned also dropped his joking tone and spoke earnestly.
"Go ahead and say it, I'm listening."
"I..."
The Spider-Man opened its mouth, but didn't say anything.
He felt it would be particularly unfair to Liz to tell anyone at school about this, even if that person was Ned.
"Fine, I'll just walk around by myself. I need to think this over. You go back by yourself, Ned!"
Spider-Man said goodbye to Ned and found a secluded spot to put on his Armor.
Silk along the streets of Queens spiderwebs.
Instead of deliberately choosing back alleys, Spider-Man explored high-rise buildings today, swinging rapidly from the highest points.
He needed the speed and the powerful winds from freefall to numb his inner turmoil.
Ah!~!~!~!
The Spider-Man shattered its Silk, and its body, propelled by inertia, plummeted towards the rooftop of a building.
Shouting loudly doesn't seem to be very effective.
Spider-Man sat alone on the rooftop, truly at a loss for what to do.
"Sitting on the rooftop in the wind when you encounter difficulties is not something someone your age should be doing. When I was your age, I was already drinking heavily. What about you, Xia?"
"I forgot, but I certainly wouldn't sit alone on a rooftop, especially one that high up."
Tony and Xia Yu's voices came through, and a blue portal opened beside Spider-Man.
In my eyes, every Hero is actually an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. I don't believe in the existence of 100% perfect saints, so they must go through some changes and difficult choices before they have enough courage to face their own hearts. Spider-Man is like that, Iron Man is like that, and Xia Yu is like that too. Thank you everyone!