Early next morning.
Peter drove into Baxter Building. The place was gradually restoring its former glory. Reed and Su had installed an upgraded security system. It wasn't too fancy, but it was enough to ensure that Doom wouldn't have a good time next time he came to disturb us.
The moment he stepped into the elevator, the memories of that day immediately came flooding back. He could almost feel the tingling in his arms, and his back was twitching faintly. This body still remembered what happened here.
The elevator door opened and he walked out. The walls had been rebuilt and most of the structural repairs had been completed, but there were still large open spaces everywhere, and technology and equipment had not been reinstalled. He walked into the lounge, where there was only a newly renovated kitchen and two sofas. Reed and Su Zheng stood in the middle of the room, discussing in a low voice over a blueprint.
"Hey." Peter forced a smile.
Su raised her head and her eyes widened suddenly. "Peter!" She rushed over and hugged him hard, so hard that she almost broke his ribs. "Oh my god, it's so good to see you again!"
Peter smiled and hugged her back, "Nice to see you too, Su." He looked over her shoulder and saw Reed smiling at him, "Hey, rubber man, how are you doing?"
"Much better." Reed shook his hand, "I'm glad you came over, Peter, it's been too long."
"Yes, my body has recovered, but here--" He pointed to his heart and did not say anything further. He turned and looked around, "But it looks like you are recovering well."
"We're coping well." Su let go of him, took his hand with a smile, and pulled him to the table, "Come on, I'll show you."
Peter did not refuse. He stood aside and listened to her and Reed explaining the reconstruction plan of the destroyed laboratories. To be honest, it was very impressive. He asked questions from time to time and gave his opinions wherever he could.
An hour passed like this, and Su and Reed led him around every room in the building. At this time, Johnny flew in from outside, holding a bag of cement. When he saw Peter, he grinned. "Yo, Peter! I didn't expect you to be here!"
Peter also smiled, watching Johnny land in front of him and extinguish the flames, "It's good to see you. It seems you are working hard."
Johnny shrugged. "Do as much as you can."
"Where's Ben?" Peter looked around, "He's not here?"
"Ben, he..." Reed was speechless.
"Ben is in luck." Johnny said bluntly, "He has been staying at his girlfriend's house for a week and he doesn't know when he will come back."
Peter blinked. "Girlfriend?!"
"Hmm."
Peter: "What the hell is going on! How did you pay it? When!"
"She's a psychiatrist." Sue explained, "She was originally helping Ben deal with... his problems."
Peter grinned. "You actually let him get together with his own psychiatrist?"
"With his appearance, not many people can take a fancy to him." Johnny shrugged.
"Johnny!" Su shouted.
"Sorry!" Johnny's playful smile.
"Okay," Peter took off his hoodie, revealing the white T-shirt underneath, "How can I help?"
"Are you sure, Peter?" Reed asked cautiously, "We don't want to--"
"I'm fine, Reed, really. Please, I have to find something to do. I'll be happy if I can help." Peter smiled.
For the next three hours, they worked together like a real team. Reed and Peter were responsible for the heavy work, pouring cement and erecting components. The decoration team would not arrive until tomorrow, and they had to do the preliminary preparations themselves - a bunch of lazy guys.
At about five o'clock in the evening, Peter was suddenly shocked. The elevator door opened, and he heard the familiar sound of boots hitting the ground. He was checking the blueprint of the exclusive laboratory again with Reed, when he looked up and saw Liz walking into the lounge.
"Liz?" he asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Liz was also stunned. "Peter?"
"Liz!" Johnny cheered and ran over and pecked her on the lips, "Hey, blonde girl, are you ready for a date?"
"Uh, Johnny..." Liz's eyes fell on Peter.
Johnny followed her gaze back and found that Peter's chin almost dropped to the floor. Peter stared at him, then stared at his arm around Liz, and then stared back at him. "What the hell is going on?!"
"Uh... we really have to go." Johnny quickly grabbed a coat, "Bye, Peter!" He grabbed Liz and rushed out.
"Hey, bye!" Liz only had time to shout.
Peter chased him to the elevator, and the door just closed. He turned and glared at Reed: "What the hell happened just now?!"
Reed blinked. "Huh? Johnny didn't tell you? He and Liz have been dating for some time."
"What?!" Peter activated super hearing and heard a conversation coming from the elevator - Liz complained, "I can't believe we actually ran away like this." Johnny said, "Believe me, it's easier this way." Peter snorted in his heart, you are right to feel guilty.
He turned back. "What else don't I know? During the time I 'disappeared', did everyone find a girlfriend?"
Just as he was talking, Su walked in with a water glass and said with a bad smile, "Oh, he found out about Liz? Relax, Peter, I have already warned Johnny, if he treats Liz badly, you will break his arm."
"What? Well, okay... but--I can't believe they actually hid it from me!" Peter looked at Su angrily, then at Reed, "You two are also secretly talking about it, right?"
Reed's face turned red and he coughed violently. "Uh, well..."
Su rolled her eyes. "What this person wants to express is that he is indeed with someone, but I am not."
Peter narrowed his eyes. "I was just making a random guess. Who is it?!"
Reed blushed like a cooked shrimp. "Her name is Jessie, Jessie Lanberg. She is my friend in college."
"Didn't you go to college when you were sixteen?"
"That's right."
"So she's older than you?"
"About five years old." Reed nodded.
"Ah... okay." Peter muttered, "I swear, almost everyone in this world is in love."
Su smiled and said, "Don't worry, Peter, I'm still on your side."
Peter continued to mutter, "Yes, but you are so beautiful, it's not a matter of the Snap to find a partner."
"Hey, can I be one thing? Do I want to be another thing?" Su Ai said.
"By the way, speaking of dates," Reed glanced at his watch, "I'll be leaving in an hour. Su, are you sure you don't need me to stay?"
"No, you and Jessie have fun, Reed. I'm here, and Peter will help." Su smiled and waved.
"Excuse me, where are you going?" Peter asked.
Reed smiled, "I have a date tonight."
Peter looked up to the sky and sighed, "Everyone has a fucking date tonight! Why, God! Why!"
"W-Do you want me to stay?" Reed was a little frightened.
"Don't worry, he's just having a childish tantrum." Su pushed Reed out, "Go to your date."
After Reed left, the two worked for another hour. Around seven o'clock, everything was tidied up. Su baked a meat lover's pizza in the kitchen, opened a large bottle of Coke, and the two sat down to eat.
"How are you doing?" Sue asked, biting into a slice of pizza.
"Not bad."
"Peter, there's no need to lie to me." Su Bai glanced at him.
Peter sighed, "I was beaten to the hospital by a bastard named Doom, and my girlfriend left me because she became an internationally wanted criminal. Oh, and I'm not sure what else is worth cherishing in this life."
"Peter, no matter what happens, you don't have to face it alone. We are all by your side." Su's voice was filled with worry.
He chuckled lightly, "Okay, Sue, I won't commit suicide." He picked up a fork, "Besides, I'm not even sure I can die."
Su Yi was stunned. "What do you mean?"
He opened his palms and pressed the fork tines into his palms. Blood immediately came out. Su took a breath and was about to step forward to help, but was stopped by Peter. She stared at the wound and was surprised to find that it was slowly healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In a short time, only a trace of dried blood remained.
"Logan's blood... the effect is too strong." Peter sighed, "I don't even know what effect this thing will have on my body."
"That's outrageous..."
"This is one of the reasons why I have been reluctant to touch Mutant Spider Project." He muttered, "I don't know what consequences the mutagen will have on my current body. Logan has lived for more than a hundred years, Su... I'm really not sure if I can live that long."
Su covered her mouth. "Oh, Peter... I'm so sorry!"
He shook his head. "It's not your fault, Su. I asked you to do this. That's the only way to save me. I know it. It must be done that way."
"But..." She couldn't help but feel distressed, "I can't even imagine how much pain you are feeling right now."
He sneered, "To be honest, the most uncomfortable thing is Felicia." He chewed the pizza and lowered his voice, "She... just left. Just left. It's not fair. There was not even a decent goodbye, not even a formal breakup, she just disappeared."
Su sighed, "She... she is different. She just did what she felt was right."
Peter nodded. "Yes... what about you?"
Su was stunned. "Me?"
"Yes, you." Peter smiled half-heartedly, "Reed has a girlfriend now, right?"
"Please, I'm not jealous." Su hummed and laughed.
"I didn't say you were jealous." Peter shrugged, "But... seriously, Su, what's wrong? I remember he loved you desperately just a second ago."
Su Ye shrugged. "I think... he just got tired of waiting. I don't blame him."
"Do you regret it?"
"No. Reed and I are not in the right state to talk... seriously. This would be better." She nodded, and Peter also shrugged.
There was a moment of silence.
After a moment, Su spoke, "Everyone outside is saying that Spider-Man is dead."
Peter paused and sighed, "Yes."
"You--"
"No," he quickly cut off, "At least... not in the near future."
"Well." Su put down the plate and leaned forward, "Peter, even if you don't like to hear it, I have to say that you shouldn't stop."
"Su--"
"No, listen to me. If you had not come that day, my father, Johnny and I would have been crushed to death by that wall; if you had not come, Doom would have killed Reed at that time; if you had not come, we would all have died. This world needs Spider-Man."
Peter was silent. He thought about her words and finally breathed out for a long time, "When I first started doing this... I thought the same thing."
Su was a little surprised. "Really?"
"Really." Peter nodded, "I know that the world is full of garbage, and that there are stronger and more terrifying guys. I have to protect everyone's safety. So I put on the uniform and started to act. But... now, every time I see that uniform, I am scared."
"Why?"
He met her gaze. "Doom... it broke me that day. Something inside me... was completely broken."
"Peter, he will never hurt you again, never." Su's voice revealed anger.
"I know, but... I'm still afraid." He looked down at his hands, "I'm almost immortal now, unless... well, I don't know. In short, I won't die, but I'm still afraid of him, afraid Doom. What if he finds a way? What if he burns me to ashes? What if... what if I die? Then isn't all this in vain? Is the meaning of my life just to wait for the end?"
Su didn't answer immediately. She stood up, walked to him, suddenly opened her arms and hugged him, pushed his head into her arms, and hugged him tightly.
"Peter... I promise you, as long as I am alive, Doom will never do it. I will die before I let him touch you. I swear."
"Uh, Su, I didn't mean to spoil the atmosphere, but... you just seemed to have pressed my face against your chest." Peter said in a muffled voice.
"Peter!" She exclaimed and let go, "We just had such a good atmosphere!"
"Yeah, it's so gross, I can't stand it." He laughed, and then said seriously, "But to be honest, Su... thank you."
She smiled, "You're always welcome." Her arms were still around the back of his neck. This beautiful face was right in front of him, with golden hair and bright blue eyes. The two were so close. Then he smelled the warm scent of maple syrup.
He stood up. Su moved back subconsciously, but he moved faster. Her body was warm, and he longed for that warmth. He was so lonely that he didn't realize what he had done until he held her waist and kissed her lips.
She was obviously shocked at first and took a slight breath. He ended the kiss lightly and was about to retreat when the arms around his neck pulled him back violently, and her lips came up with passion and enthusiasm.
Su pushed him back onto the chair and sat astride his lap. His fingers went through her hair, and she moaned lowly. Then, she slowly stopped. The two looked at each other, and the sweet fragrance of maple syrup in the air gradually dissipated, replaced by a lemon-like fear and watermelon-like sadness and shame.
"I'm sorry." She got off him immediately.
Peter sighed, "No, it's my fault."
"No, Peter, it's not your fault." She whispered, "I shouldn't have kissed you back."
"I started it." He stood up, "I'm sorry, I just... I've been too lonely since she left, and I couldn't help it... I'm sorry, Sue."
"No, it's okay." She stammered, "Uh... I..."
"I think I'd better leave first." He picked up his hoodie and walked past her, "Good night, Sue."
"Yeah." She rubbed her neck awkwardly. He glanced back, and he could smell the strong shame steaming from her body. He couldn't help it, he just felt like a bastard. He shouldn't do this, but he was too lonely.
Peter got back into the car and drove home. He regretted all the way: What on earth was he thinking? Susan·Storm was destined to belong to only one man, and he actually kissed her.
When they got home, Ben and Mei were sitting in the living room. Ben saw him coming in and smiled, "Hey, boy, how was school?"
"It's okay." Peter responded casually.
"Why did you come back so late? Did you go out?" Mei asked worriedly.
"I helped out at Baxter Building for a while." He said as he went upstairs.
"Oh," Mei blinked, "are you sure it's okay... what if something happens again--"
"Mei," Ben interrupted her, "It's okay, Richard promised that the madman won't break in there again, right?"
"Yes, that's right--"
"Don't worry, Aunt May," Peter turned back on the stairs, "I'm just helping. After they rebuild, I'm not sure if they will rejoin."
"Why?" Ben asked worriedly.
"I'm just not in the mood." Peter dropped the words and added in his mind: Actually, it's because I kissed my boss. She is my best friend's sister and the sweetheart of another boss. So I will definitely not go there again in the short term.
"Do you want to have dinner?" Mei asked again.
"No!" He yelled, slammed the door, threw his schoolbag aside, and fell back on the bed.
It's this damn ceiling again.
He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to pull him into the darkness.
About an hour later, the phone rang suddenly.
He opened his eyes, yawned, and took out his cell phone. At midnight, the caller ID read Liz.
He yawned and answered, "Hello?"
"Peter! Come here quickly! Johnny is fighting with a person wearing Vulture clothes!" Liz's voice was sharp and urgent.
Peter sat up suddenly. "What?!"
"Yes! We were at a party, and suddenly a guy dressed as a birdman flew in and snatched Harry! Johnny caught up with him, and now the two of them are fighting in the sky! Come here, Peter!"