Peter Parker sat in front of the mirror, running his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down.
He paused suddenly and said while staring at his reflection "Why do I feel like this is just a simple outing when I'm acting as if I'm attending some royal gala?"
Today felt different. Wanda, Susan, and Carol had decided to take him out for a casual walk, a little break to lighten the weight on his shoulders, to stand by him during a difficult moment. Peter was grateful, but he couldn't shake off the memories that had been haunting him.
As for the percentage of girls,The glances between them, subtle and fleeting, were not just ordinary. Each glance felt like a silent competition, each smile a tiny measurement of closeness he could feel but not see clearly.
He remembered the moment Susan had told them softly with her gentle smile that she had left Franklin and Valeria with a trustworthy friend so they could have their freedom for a while.
In that exact moment, Wanda and Carol exchanged quick looks with Susan. They were not innocent looks; they carried silent messages. It was as if each one was silently declaring 'I am the closest to him' while the other responded with the same thought.
Peter chuckled lightly as he straightened his shirt and said "Oh my god... they're just my friends, this is just a walk, not some dating show."
But his mind drifted to darker memories. He thought 'That time... when Otto had control over my body... nobody noticed the difference, everyone treated me like I was fine... I was trapped inside myself, screaming, and no one could hear me.'
The memory of that night on a tall building flashed across his mind. His body felt heavy, his heart burdened, and his mind screaming for relief. He thought 'I was so close to ending it all... one jump, one moment, but Carol appeared just in time.'
He whispered with a bittersweet smile "And Carol... without you, I wouldn't be here now. I will never forget that."
Peter's mind then spiraled deeper into his recent past. He remembered how, after regaining control of his body from Otto, everyone seemed to turn against him.
'After everything I endured, after regaining myself, people treated me like an outsider... I was the one who always rushed to help them in the past whenever they called, but when I needed help, no one was there. Not a single person.'
He remembered how, for years, people had mocked him for his jokes, for his playful attitude, for not always taking things seriously. But when Otto took over, suddenly he was praised, admired, and respected.
Overnight, the change in him seemed clear to everyone, yet when Peter returned, nobody bothered to investigate, to understand, or even to acknowledge him. He thought 'They cheered Otto for envy, but when it was me, no one cared enough to say a kind word.'
Peter sighed as he recalled how he had pushed himself beyond human limits for this city.
He had denied himself sleep, food, and comfort. He had endured injuries, fought countless battles, and, more than once, he had faced death to protect New York.
'I gave everything... my body, my life, my nights, my days... and what did I get in return? Silence. A city that never thanked me, people who seemed to only grow their resentment.'
He clenched his fists as he whispered to himself "That's what hurts the most... that all the sacrifices, the near-death moments, the sleepless nights, didn't earn even a single acknowledgment. Instead, their anger, their envy, their disdain only grew."
Peter took another deep breath and thought 'Even now, as I'm going out with friends who genuinely care, I feel the weight of all those years... the betrayal, the indifference, the coldness. All the times I put myself on the line and no one even paused to notice... yet I'm still standing.'
He shook his head slightly, returning to the present, and glanced at his reflection once more. He thought 'I need to smile... I need to be grateful... I can't overanalyze every glance or every gesture. If they exchange looks again, I'll just pretend I didn't notice.'
Finally, he stood, grabbing his jacket, and muttered "Alright... time to go. I'm heading out for ice cream with three amazing friends, each trying to get a little closer to me... no pressure, right?"
Peter's lips curved into a small, tired but genuine smile as he stepped out of the room. He thought 'I hope this walk remains peaceful... or at least, I hope I don't find myself trapped in a silent competition that I never signed up for. Even with the subtle tension, having people who stood by me when I needed them is worth more than all the respect or admiration I was denied in the past.'
He paused for a moment before closing the door behind him and thought 'I survived Otto, I survived the betrayal, the silence, the city that never cared... and now I can at least breathe, walk, and maybe for a little while, just be Peter Parker. And that, somehow, feels like victory.'
As he walked down the hallway, his mind replayed memories of the countless nights spent swinging between rooftops, his body battered, his nerves frayed, and yet always choosing to push forward for the city that never thanked him.
He thought 'Every fall, every scrape, every heartbeat I risked... nobody saw it, nobody cared... except for Carol that one night. That's why I can't forget her. Without her intervention, without that grip on my arm, none of this would have been possible.'
Peter chuckled quietly at the irony of it all. He said "I spent years being invisible in plain sight... and somehow I still manage to survive, stumble into friendships, and keep going."
He stopped briefly to look at a neon sign reflecting in the glass. For a second, he imagined Otto's shadow over his reflection and thought 'I thought I lost everything to him... but here I am, still me, still standing, still caring... still hoping.'
Finally, with a long exhale, Peter continued walking, feeling the faint thrill of sunlight on his face, and thought
' This is why I keep moving, why I keep swinging, why I keep helping, even when no one notices... because if I don't, who will? And today, at least, I get to share a little normalcy with friends who actually care. That alone... is enough.'
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END OF CHAPTER
[ I think it's clear in this chapter that Peter will be back as Spiderman and the story is about to expand starting from the next chapter.]
[This chapter I think made it very clear that Peter's mental health started to improve and he found support in Wanda, Carol and Susan even if it was only by asking about his condition during this period. ]
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