Missing Faces In Empty Pictures

Chapter 11

Peter groans as he rolls over and blinks the last tendrils of sleep from his eyes. Never in his life has he been more relieved that it's his day off. After the wreck of a night he just had, he's not sure he could emotionally pull himself together enough to play waiter for another day. With a yawn, he turns his head enough to read the time from the small digital clock on his nightstand.

Just past noon.

He lets out a long breath and stares up at the cement ceiling above him. It's days like this where he wishes he could simply lay in bed forever, wallowing in self-pity as he drifts between the realms of blissful sleep and dreaded reality for hours and hours and hours. But while work can be pushed to the side for a day, Spider-Man cannot.

With effort, he pushes himself into a sitting position and takes in his tiny, run-down apartment. A single ray of light shines through the flaps of the window curtain, illuminating the room in golden hues. The roar of the train rattles the entire building as it passes by. If he looked outside, Peter would be sure to find hundreds of people hurrying along the cracked sidewalks. If there is one constant he can count on in his otherwise deteriorating life, it is that waking up in New York City will never change.

Eventually he finds the will-power to climb out of bed and pull on his suit. On every other day of the week, patrol was limited to the hours after his shift, but today he could protect the city during daylight hours as well as after nightfall. After tucking a few extra snacks into his now worn-down backpack, Peter pulls his mask over his head and stands next to the window. As soon as the coast is clear, he begins his ascent up to the building's roof where he then proceeds to swing down the city street. There's a slight breeze in the air today, causing the feeling of wind rushing against him to intensify with every swing.

It's exhilarating.

No matter how many times he does it, the feeling of flying through the sky never fails to make him feel alive. Invincible. Sometimes, when he needs to clear his mind after a trying day, he'll take an extra lap or two around the block, because something about the feeling of freedom that comes as he whips through the air is soothing to his nerves. He taps into that sensation today, swinging for at least twenty minutes before finally settling on a look out. His choice is a little laundry shop sandwiched between two towering office buildings. Day patrols are always slower than at night, but he enjoys being out and about anyway. After all, what else does he have now except for Spider-Man.

You could change that, you know. Nothing is stopping you from moving on and starting a new life.

He shoves those thoughts out of his head. It's not the first time he's considered what would happen if he decided to leave the city behind. To venture out into the world and see what sort of life he could build for himself. But a voice in the back of his mind always stopped him. The city holds too much of his identity, and, if he's honest with himself, he's never fully given up on the hope that, one day, all of this will be fixed.

Causally, Peter lowers himself against the rooftop railing and pulls a sandwich out from his bag. Lifting his mask halfway he begins to eat his meal, all the while listening for any disruptions. During the day, the worst he typically has to deal with are pickpockets, petty theft, or vandals. What he loves about day patrols, though, is that, more than stopping criminals, the daylight hours allow him the chance to lend a helping hand to those in need. The "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" moments, as he's come to refer to them. They're the most fulfilling times of this job because making a difference in someone else's day doesn't have to result from saving them from a life-threatening scenario. Rather, he finds that it is the small acts of kindness that have the most impact.

He's about to take another bite of sandwich when the sound of yelling catches his attention. Without hesitation, he flings his bag back on and leaps off the side of the building, ready to see what the day has in store for him.