when the hero comes to the one who believes in him¹

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Getting to Peter's apartment was easy, but long and tiring - the New York subway always looked like a real anthill, and for Vanessa, who used it five times a year, it was generally a real test of strength. But somehow they managed, while during the move none of the random citizens were injured, and the unfortunate heroes themselves were even able to go to the store on the way and buy themselves food for dinner.

"Come in, don't stand in the doorway," as soon as they entered, Parker rushed headlong to his laboratory room, quickly taking off his shoes and throwing his jacket somewhere on top of the hanger. "If it's not difficult, take the food to the kitchen, or I'll do it as soon as I'm free."

"Are these fungi more important to you than a friend?" sighing, the girl still picked up the bag of food and headed to the kitchen.

The apartment was small, its center was the living room, where, in addition to a sofa with a TV, there were several bookcases, on which, in addition to paper Talmuds, there were a couple of assembled Lego models, mainly from Star Trek and Star Wars, as well as photographs. There were a lot of them, about a dozen, but it was clear that they were selected so as to display all the people dear to the guy - parents holding baby Pitty, who was no more than three years old, his uncle and aunt, holding the guy who had just entered the primary school, a photo of him from high school, with Ben holding his cum laude diploma and May hugging the boy's neck. In high school, as far as Vanessa remembered, the guy lost his uncle, who was killed during a robbery, since then the young man has only one photo, with Aunt May, when he holds an invitation from Columbia University at graduation, personalized and shiny black ink. But there are more recent photos on the wall nearby, on one of them Peter is kissing with Gwen near the fountain, and on the other two families of Parker and Stacy are relaxing in nature, George is teaching the guy how to barbecue, and the women are talking to each other while Gwen is filming it all as a background for a selfie. But in the next photo, the guy's eyes are no longer as happy as in the previous ones - Peter and George are standing next to little Billy, holding baby Sammy in his arms, behind them Kurt hugs Martha with one arm, smiles happily at the camera, and next to him, touching frames hangs another photo of the five of them sitting in the Murdoch living room, the photo is a little crooked, and in the left corner you can see the finger of Danielle, who shot it with Peter's old camera.

"Looking at the family photo album," Peter emerged from his room with a chuckle. The door behind him immediately, with a click, closed, and the guy carefully looked at the wall. "I have long been tormented by the thought that I live on credit, and when ... when I die, I would like the people dear to me to see this wall and understand that they are my family."

"Why you would think that?" Vanessa was immediately indignant, approaching the guy and squeezing him in her arms. "Pete, don't be silly! Just think about how bad it would be without you. You are a member of our little Protector family, so don't even think about dying!"

"I won't on purpose," Peter said with a grin, pulling Vanessa close to him and kissing her on the cheek. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Fried volstendig wings," Vanessa said with a giggle, and releasing the guy looked around. "Well, where to sleep? I hope not on this sofa, of course it is good velor and leather, but I will earn radiculitis so..."

"You will rest in Aunt May's room, I converted it into a guest room," the guy said with a slight frown. "There's a bigger bed, so Wade will fit, and the closet is empty. The bathroom is straight, a fresh towel is in the closet. And yes, despite your curiosity, don't come into my room - fungal colonies are very sensitive to air circulation."

"Jesusfuckingchrist," Wilson groaned, "why did I give up on your research? I'd rather go soak in the miracle of modern plumbing while you cook. Do you have a tele-phone at home?"