Peter had just gotten off work and was walking down a relatively deserted street. There were very few people around after dark. Those still outside were either exhausted office workers, the homeless, or… others.
Renzo casually dealt with a young punk who had tried to rob him. Dressed in a high-end suit, with a strong build and the appearance of a white-collar professional, he looked like an easy target at first glance.
Unfortunately for the would-be thief, he had run into something far worse—a machine, or rather, something like a machine from another world.
Renzo stepped out of the alley, exasperated. He had only been here for three days—three days—and there had been robberies every single night. On his first day alone, he had run into two.
He didn't even know how to complain about the public safety here. Back in his previous life, crossing the street in San Francisco with Wanda had always been uneventful. That world had been governed by the rule of law—they had never encountered anything like this.
Yet on television, this country was always praised for its security. Most of the police, in his opinion, were useless—out of shape and slow to act.
Renzo shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it anymore. From a distance, he watched Peter's retreating figure. The young man always looked so thin, so alone… Renzo had never once seen him accompanied by anyone.
That kind of social life…
"It's on fire! It's on fire!"
Renzo turned as a crowd rushed past him in the opposite direction. Firefighters arrived shortly after, quickly moving to contain the blaze engulfing a residential building on the street.
Renzo recognized this scene. Without his interference, this was the moment when Peter would begin to doubt himself.
"Just as I thought…" Renzo murmured, watching Peter's back as he rushed into the burning building without hesitation. For a moment, Renzo found himself moved by that courage and selflessness. "No matter which version of Peter he is… he's always too kind…"
Smiling faintly, Renzo's figure gradually faded into the shadows.
At the base of the building, a bystander watched Peter charge inside like a fool. Why would someone risk their life for strangers? It simply wasn't worth it.
"Tch." The man clicked his tongue and turned away, intending to keep his distance while watching the commotion. But from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a red-and-green blur darting into the building—so fast it was almost impossible to register.
He rubbed his eyes. There was nothing there—only the roar of flames, the crackling of burning wood, and the screams of onlookers.
"Am I seeing things?" he muttered, shivering despite the heat of the fire.
Peter sprinted up the stairs. Flaming debris fell from above, leaving trails of fire across the floor. His spider-sense allowed him to avoid most of it, but soot and scorch marks still covered his body, and his face was streaked with ash.
"Help… help…"
The voice was faint, barely audible.
Peter kicked open a door and quickly found a little girl hiding inside a closet.
"Come on, it's okay," he said gently, trying to calm her as he pulled her into his arms. But as he turned, the raging flames gave him pause. He would be fine—but the child…
At that moment, a burning beam crashed down toward him.
Peter hesitated. If necessary, he could reveal his abilities and leap out the window—
"Hey!"
Renzo's face suddenly appeared in front of them, wearing a comically exaggerated expression. "This doesn't look good!"
It was clearly a joke. With a wave of his hand, Renzo opened a path through the flames. The three of them quickly escaped the inferno.
Peter returned the girl to her parents. Seeing the relief and love in their eyes, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
"That's Baboon Man!"
"Look! It's the Baboon Hero who saved them!"
"…"
"Baboon Hero? Who's that?" Renzo tilted his head, confused, glancing around. What kind of superhero name was that? Was there some setting he didn't know about? Wasn't Spider-Man supposed to be the only hero here?
But as he met the admiring gazes of the crowd, a terrible realization struck him.
"Baboon Man… you mean me?!"
"The Baboon Hero is looking at me! Woohoo!"
That settled it.
Renzo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It felt as though a flock of crows had flown over his head, each one dropping something unpleasant, followed by a herd of sheep trampling him into the ground for good measure.
"My name is Vision!" Renzo shot up into the air, shouting angrily. "My name is Vision! Not Baboon Hero!"
But the crowd either didn't hear him—or didn't care.
His mood plummeted instantly, the satisfaction of saving lives completely gone.
Blending into the crowd, Peter watched Renzo's defeated expression and couldn't help but smile. The corners of his mouth lifted before he burst into quiet laughter.
Renzo shot him a glare. He couldn't do anything to these civilians—but Peter? With Spider-Man's durability, a beating wouldn't hurt too much… right?
In the end, Renzo simply flew off, the cries of "Baboon Hero" echoing behind him, leaving without a trace—taking not even a single cloud with him.
The next day,
The Daily Bugle published an article about the fire rescue. However, its editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson, didn't go out of his way to slander Renzo. He merely questioned his origins—and his mental state.
"His mental state?" Renzo scoffed. "Of course it's not normal! Anyone dealing with this nonsense would lose their mind! The whole situation is insane!"
Staring at the comments about the "Baboon Hero" in the paper, Renzo felt a headache coming on.
What was he supposed to do about his face? It wasn't like he'd chosen it. It wasn't as if he'd gained powers and decided to paint himself like some street artist.
"I'm definitely late!" Not far away, Peter hurried toward Mary Jane, who had asked him to meet her. He froze when he saw her, unsure of what to say, and simply sat across from her with a faint smile.
"It's okay," she said softly.
"This is… kind of funny. I don't even know where to start." Mary Jane looked at him, hesitation flickering across her face before she continued, her tone turning firm. "Sometimes people lie to themselves. I know that better than anyone."
"That night, I heard what you said. You told me you'd changed for me—but I couldn't accept it."
"I just… can't believe you."
Hearing that, Peter lowered his head. Yes, he was Spider-Man—but he was also Peter Parker: broke, struggling, barely making ends meet. If he didn't work constantly, he wouldn't even be able to afford food.
He knew better than anyone that he couldn't give her the life she deserved.
So he stayed silent.
"But lately, I've been thinking…" Mary Jane began, only to be interrupted.
"Actually… there's something I want to say too…"
"What I said that night—I didn't think it through. What I really meant was…"
"I thought I could change for you… but I can't."
The words were cruel, but his heart ached as he spoke them. He loved her deeply—but whether as Peter Parker or Spider-Man, he couldn't give her happiness.
"Sorry, I—"
"Hey! Parker!"
Renzo stepped in just in time, cutting Peter off.
"You should follow your heart, not bow to reality," Renzo said, a hint of frustration in his voice. Even if he didn't think highly of Mary Jane, he couldn't just stand by and watch this.
From his perspective, she was a bit manipulative—but she was also Peter's destined partner. It wasn't his place to interfere too much.
"Be careful, Peter. The enemy's coming," Renzo added, glancing at the time.
In truth, Peter had already sensed it—his spider-sense was ringing loud and clear.
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