Someone Said He Didn't Want to Be Spider-Man, Yet Secretly Designed an Entire Suit

"We have an obligation to use our Superpowers well and make this world a better place."

Peter walked to Ben's bedside and looked at him seriously.

"Because with great power comes great responsibility."

"So?" Ben propped his pillow up a little and leaned against it, looking at Peter differently. Peter felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and instinctively shifted his body. He realized that Ben seemed somewhat dismissive of what he had said.

"So we can become heroes, like Iron Man." Peter gestured excitedly as he spoke. Then he pinched his chin and began fantasizing again. "We can come up with a fitting codename, like...

"...Humanoid Spider or Spider Duo. What do you think?"

"If you want to be a Super Hero, go do it yourself. Don't drag me into it. I can only wish you success." Ben rolled over. He truly was somewhat disdainful of the idea, but he had no intention of discouraging Peter. No matter what, Peter had the right to choose his own life and become whoever he wanted to be.

Besides, even though Ben had no intention of becoming a hero, there was no reason for him to sneer at someone who wanted to be one.

Peter's idea was a good one. Ben simply did not possess that same burning passion.

"Wish me success? Aren't you coming with me?" Peter asked in surprise. He could not understand why Ben did not care at all about becoming a hero.

"Of course not." Ben said, "What's in it for me if I become a hero?"

He looked seriously at Peter and shook his head. "Nothing but trouble."

"But being a hero is so cool, just like Iron Man! Do you know how many people like him? Do you know how many people go crazy over him?" Peter said excitedly. "As long as we become heroes, lots and lots of people will like us and admire us..."

He thought that as long as he became a hero, he could become someone else—dazzling, radiant, charming, and famous—instead of being what he was now: a nobody, just Peter Parker.

"Give it a rest, Peter." Ben had not wanted to discourage him, but Peter was being so naive that he coldly said, "Even then, what they like and admire will only be Spider-Man, not Peter Parker."

He did not mind Peter becoming a Super Hero at all, but if Peter went into it with that sort of mindset, the enormous gap between fantasy and reality would only hurt him.

"But Spider-Man is Peter Parker." Peter did not quite understand what Ben meant, though he readily accepted the name "Spider-Man."

Hearing that, Ben sat up in bed, his expression turning serious.

"No. Spider-Man cannot be Peter Parker!"

Ben stared at Peter. That look made Peter feel the oppression of biology itself—of the food chain, even—as though Ben was not his cousin, but his natural predator.

Yet he still did not understand.

"You think you can stand before a few hundred reporters like Tony Stark and loudly announce to the world, 'I am Iron Man'?" Ben imitated Stark's flashy tone.

"Why can't I?"

"Come on. Tony Stark dared to reveal his identity because he was Tony Stark. He had Stark Industries backing him. Even without his armor, no criminal could hurt him or his family. But what about you? What do you have?"

"Have you ever thought about what would happen if you took off your mask and told everyone that Spider-Man was Peter Parker?" Ben stood up and pushed Peter away from the bed. Peter's body was practically weightless in his hands.

In truth, Peter stood frozen in place. Ben's words echoed in his mind as terrifying, bloody images unfolded before his eyes.

"Uncle Ben and Aunt May would be in danger. Those criminals you defeated—when they realized they could not deal with you, yet hated you to the bone—what do you think they would do?"

"They... would target Uncle Ben and Aunt May..." Peter's face turned pale at the thought, and his voice began to stammer.

"I'm glad your brain isn't broken," Ben said.

He actually knew Peter would not overlook that point. The kid had merely been swept away by beautiful fantasies.

He only wanted to give Peter a reminder. Across countless universes, there had been Spider-Men whose identities were exposed, leading to their beloved Mary Jane and Aunt May being injured or even killed.

Spider-Man was always struggling through misery and hardship. Whenever his life seemed to be improving, even just a little, fate would play a cruel joke on him.

"Okay." Peter nodded firmly. He understood that Ben was right, but his thoughts had not changed.

Perhaps Spider-Man could not be Peter Parker, but what could not be changed was that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

He could keep his identity secret, but anyone cheering for Spider-Man was, in truth, cheering for him as well.

"At least I'm still doing good, right? With great power comes great responsibility. It's not like I need people to thank me to my face."

But Peter did not know that becoming a hero did not bring only praise. Nor could he understand how painful it was to do good deeds and still be misunderstood.

However, Ben did not intend to keep talking about it.

There was no need to crush Peter's confidence. Some things could only be understood after Peter experienced them himself. Of course, Ben also knew that none of these difficulties could defeat Spider-Man, much less Peter Parker.

Besides, Peter truly did need the identity of a Super Hero.

All this time, he had been the unknown Peter Parker—small, inconspicuous, someone even his classmates might overlook. Ever since he was young, the girls he liked had never given him a second glance.

But now, things were different.

He had the chance and the ability to change himself. What reason did Ben have to take that away from him?

Even though Peter had to keep his Superpowers secret, becoming Spider-Man could still fill some of the emptiness in his heart.

At least when he wore that suit, he was the powerful Spider-Man, not Peter Parker.

"So, if you really want to fight criminals, you need a cool suit!" Ben grabbed Peter and dropped him into the chair before the desk, then pulled out a stack of draft paper and flipped it open.

Peter was instantly stunned by what was on the pages.

"Wait, didn't you say you didn't want to be a Super Hero?"

"I don't."

"But you secretly designed an entire suit and even came up with the name Spider-Man?!"

Please keep reading. Following a new book is really important; right now, it needs at least three hundred readers following it to get recommendations. So please, during the new-book period, don't stockpile chapters and accidentally let it die. (｀)人(｀)