Some Aren't Meant to Win

2024

The next day, Peter woke up at the same time as any other day and got dressed and ready for the day despite it being the weekend. It wasn’t like he was going to get much sleep anyway with the image of James bleeding and his voice ringing throughout his thoughts. 

So he was up before May and he quickly did some homework instead of procrastinating it and moved to his closet that was full of boxes of Ben’s old textbooks and pulled out one he had yet to read. The last one for him to read. 

With the book and a notebook and pencil in hand, he moved out to the kitchen. He set the materials on the counter and pulled out everything he needed to make french toast for  breakfast for May. 

He kept the book written by Bruce Banner on gamma and vita rays open on the counter next to the pan and his notebook partially ontop of it. While each set of french toast was cooking, he was reading through the chapter about radiation’s effects on life and the difference on how it affects the Hulk. 

He had a full page and a half of notes before the french toast and sausage was finished cooking and he waited for May to wake up. It didn't take long though, by the time he set the two spots at the table, he heard her bedroom door creak open. 

They ate the food in silence, then May headed off to work after hugging Peter and telling him to stay safe. 

After he cleaned the dishes and the rest of the apartment, he gathered his things and headed to his internship.

He arrived at the same time as Elijah. He entered the building right behind the other teenager, trying to make sure that he was okay. He wasn’t limping or had any visible bruises, so Peter concluded that the only damage was really going to be mental.

After passing through security, Peter followed Elijah to the elevator where the boy finally noticed him.

“Oh, hey Peter.”

Peter responded with a wave of greeting. 

How are you?

“I’m fine, just tired. I got home pretty late last night,” Elijah responded. He lookd down at the floor of the lift before looking back at the mute. “Can I tell you something?”

Peter gave him a weird look–a raised eyebrow and a crooked frown–despite knowing exactly what Eli was going to say. 

“Some guy jumped me last night asking for money,” Eli started. “I was scared until some other guy showed up wearing a makeshift superhero suit or something. He climbed on the walls and then fought the guy and took him out so I could leave. He was like a spider or something. He just stuck to the walls and climbed them with no assistance.”

Spider. The word made him shiver at the memory of the room crawling in arachnids. What if the spiders were somehow the reason for his ability to stick to walls.

A spider guy? Peter signed, trying to brush off the very real thought. 

“A Spider-Man. I asked him if he wanted or was trying to become an Avenger or something, and he nodded!”

The elevator opened to their floor and they exited while Peter signed.

That’s a little unbelievable. 

He wasn’t wrong, to anyone else in the world it would be unbelievable. But to Peter, it made more sense than most things because it was him. 

“But it’s true.” Eli argued.

Okay, I’ll take your word for it.

“Really?!” Elijah asked, surprised.
 
The others won’t believe you though, they’ll say that you just imagined it or something. Call us children.