Spiderman Oneshots

Military (1)

Peter was 20. He'd been Spider-Man for a quarter of his life, but it got harder with every year that passed. Not only had the criminals wised up to his patrol times and fighting style, but his fame was attracting bigger baddies, the government was on his back about the Accords and some days he wondered if maybe New York City would be better without Spider-Man.

When he voiced this one day after dinner, May paused what she was doing to come sit across from him.

"What do you mean, Peter?"

He sighed. "I just... I feel like being Spider-Man has taken over my whole life. I'm too busy for a girlfriend, my attendance is awful and most of the time I'm injured or tired enough that classes go over my head."

"Is this about your grades?"

Peter winced, but answered honestly. "I'm not sure." His grades hadn't been the best coming out of Midtown, so he hadn't been able to get to his first choice colleges. The one he attended now was decent enough, but he was struggling to keep up. He certainly wouldn't be able to work at the standard needed to achieve any of his dream jobs. "My life just feels like a bit of a mess, and I'm not sure when it started to derail."

"But you think it's to do with Spider-Man?"

"Maybe. Originally, he was a way of using my powers for the greater good, because I feel a responsibility to do what I can to protect the little guy. But these days it feels like most of the attacks are caused by me rather than stopped by me."

May nodded slowly. "So you want to quit Spidey? Or college?"

"I don't know," Peter groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Both? Neither? I still want to do good, but the way I'm going I won't be able to do that as either a scientist or a hero."

"Maybe there's a third option you're not considering."

Peter paused, peeping through his fingers at his aunt's thoughtful expression. "What do you mean?"

"Well, normal people want to help others too, and there are routes they can take to do that."

"Are you suggesting I start working for a charity or something? I just... I feel like with my powers I can do more, so I should do more."

"And that's a decision you have to make. But if you feel you can do more good physically, there are ways there as well."

"What, like the police? Or... the army?"

May shrugged. "It's your life, Peter. I can't make the decisions for you any more."

"Are you... encouraging me to drop out of school?"

May smiled slightly at that. "I just want you to be happy and fulfilled, and I will support you in whatever it takes for you to achieve that. Whether that be moonlighting in spandex or dropping out of college to reach your full potential, it's up to you and I'll love you whatever you choose to do."

"This is... a lot."

"Sleep on it, huh? No need to rush things."

Three weeks passed. Now that he'd thought about stopping, Peter spent less and less time as Spider-Man. His classes just didn't hold the same interest for him as they had when he was younger - maybe his dreams of being a scientist or engineer had died with Mr Stark. Without really ever thinking about it, he came to a decision.

As promised, May was by his side through the whole process. She signed the paperwork to let him drop out of college, and gave her approval when he applied to the armed forces. He'd put a lot of thought into it since his initial choice, and came to the conclusion that being a police officer would make it hard for him to use his powers without being noticed, and he wouldn't be doing anything for the people that he hadn't been doing as Spider-Man. On the other hand, the chaos of a battlefield would be the perfect cover for some superpower usage, and he'd done the research. After a year of army training and field work he could apply to join a special ops team. That way he could use his powers to benefit many of his people, not just a few New Yorkers.