(no subject)
Player Information
Name: Ian
Age: 22
AIM SN: priestlyish
email: meaculpable AT live DOT come
Have you played in an LJ based game before? Yarp
Currrently Played Characters: N/A
Conditional: Activity Check Link: N/A
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Marvel Comics, The Amazing Spider-man
Canon Format: Comic book
Character's Name: Peter Benjamin "The Amazing Spider-man" Parker
Character's Age: Mid-to-late 30s. I play him around 33.
What form will your character's NV take? Hi-tech superphone.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: OH GOD SERIOUSLY OH GOD. Okay, I've done a basic write up [ here ] but, basically? He can do whatever a spider can. This includes super-strength, reflexes, speed, a high immunity to toxins, and the ability to use hairs called scopulae to climb walls. He is also possessed of a near-precognitive ability to detect danger before it happens, called a "Spider-Sense".
Other than that, Peter is one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe, and has a genius-level understanding of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, physics, engineering, and SUPER SCIENCE.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: Here and here.
Point in Canon: After the events of Spider Island.
Character Personality: Peter Parker is your average nerdy guy with your average nerdy guy personality. He loves his family, he adores the sciences, he doesn't understand women, and, at the end of the day, he worries about his paycheck and his bills just as much as the next person. Though his parents died when he was young, he considers his Aunt May and Uncle Ben to be his real family, and grew up surrounded by their loving support and traditional family values. This means that Peter, at his core, regards responsibility, a hard work ethic, and compassion above most other things, even to the point of appearing to be a bit gutless and self-righteous. He's the perfect boy next door, really: calm, quiet, studious, and with a passion for life most other people don't get to really see.
As you can imagine, this down-to-earth lifestyle didn't engender a lot of confidence in young Peter growing up, so he was bullied all throughout middle- and high-school, which led him to develop quite a temper as an adult. He is good -- and some would say nigh-Buddhist -- when it comes to remaining calm and forgiving people for what they've done, but when he snaps it is a destructive, unforgiving thing that leaves people in shock. One coworker of his even goes as far to say that she didn't even believe Peter had it in him to fight back, let alone to wallop someone all over their office when the man came looking to start trouble.
It's usually due to these little events -- and his chronic inability to be on time for anything -- that those around Peter begin doubting if they really know everything there is to know about "Puny Parker," especially since he deigns it somewhat necessary to keep others at an arm's length. His friends love him for being a great listener and always being there when it counts, but know that they can't rely on him for anything else. They think he's scatterbrained, that he's let his genius be squandered, and, at the end of the day, he may just be going nowhere fast. This, compounded with Peter paying more attention to his life as Spider-man makes it so that Peter has very few true friends, and even fewer confidants. He's the type to take everything on himself, and who selfishly believes that he can -- or has to -- fix everything or it'll all go to Hell. He's basically a well meaning control freak.
For all of his faults, however, most of Peter's friends still consider him either their go-to guy for serious emotional talks, or at the very least regard him as someone they can put their trust in. Even other Superheroes -- of which, he's possibly teamed-up with a good 95% of them -- consider both Peter and Spider-man to be one of the ultimate "good guys," which has earned him the respect and friendship of the likes of everyone from Wolverine to Captain America himself.
Just don't expect him to show up to your wedding on time.
As Spider-man, Peter adopts a persona that is fairly far removed from that of his day-to-day personality as mild mannered Peter Parker. Here, he's flippant and obnoxious, usually cracking wise even if it's a life or death situation or he's being beaten senseless. This, combined with his natural wit, lets Peter lull most people into thinking that he's just another idiot in a costume with a mouth too big for his own good; Doctor Octopus, for example, says that it'd be impossible for Spider-man to wrest away his mental control of a device he had, only to be surprised moments later when Peter does exactly that. Peter's act at playing dumb is so complete, so expected of him as Spider-man that even one of his oldest enemies didn't expect him to turn around and prove him wrong. Even those who do know him -- such as other Superheroes -- think he isn't as bright as, say, Reed Richards or Hank Pym if only because he just never shuts up.
And that's just the way Peter wants people to think. Because of his uncle Ben's death so many years ago -- which is one of many deaths Peter still feels responsible for even now -- Peter thinks that, not only should he keep his life as Peter Parker separate from Spider-man, but that it's necessary. To keep those he loves safe, he sacrifices face to make it seem like he has social ADD when, in reality, he works himself so hard both as penance and to make sure that what happened to him never happens to anyone else. He is haunted by the ghosts of those he failed to protect, and this cripples how he can handle being with anyone who doesn't know that he's leading a double life.
This is why he feels it's so hard for him to have a committed relationship, and also the (in-continuity) reason why both his marriage failed and why he thinks he can't just let go and enjoy life without regrets. To Peter, if he lets up for one moment, or if he starts sliding down the path that other heroes have taken where killing is not only accepted but right in some cases, then not only will he be spiting in the face of everything his uncle told him, but he'd be failing himself for taking the easy way out.
It's a vicious cycle, but, as always: "With great power comes great responsibility."
Character Plans: In Siren's Port, I'd probably like Peter to just have a chance at life that isn't dictated by the golden rule of "everything must suck always" that seems prevalent in the comics. He'll still be doing his superhero thing, and he'll still be living a not-quite-so-easy life, but maybe here he can live without the fear that everyone he knows could die at any given moment if they learn he's Spider-man.
Appearance/PB: Peter is 5'10", 167lbs, with somewhat brown hair, hazel eyes, and no distinguishing scars. Depending on the artist, he's been drawn with high cheekbones, a slightly less prominent take on your average "heroic" chin, and a similarly "heroic" jawline. He's Caucasian with a light tan from all of his years of fieldwork as a photographer, built like a gymnast, and naturally moves with a sort of quiet liquid grace most people don't pick up on. If he looked like any real world actor, it would either be James Franco or Tobey Macguire.
Writing Samples
First Person Sample
Okay, so. I've been catapulted around the universe more times than is strictly necessary, and I've been kidnapped by alien beings that I'll never come close to understanding. I've seen a stretchy man fight off a cosmic god with something that looked like a garage door clicker, and I've seen a not-so-jolly green giant throw a guy so far he's almost made a little twinkling star off in the distance -- you know, like in all of those kid's shows you wipper-snappers watch these days, all wooosh and then ping into the sky.
Some of my best friends are people who have come back from the dead more than once -- and, while I'm thankful, all I'm saying is that renting a tux back to back gets expensive -- and I'm pretty sure that at least one of the newest X-men might be a clone of mine. Or readily breaking my non-existent copyright...uh, rights.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. I've seen one of the world's greatest evils -- and no, I'm not talking about Dubya -- take control of our country's most advanced counter-intelligence organizations only to lose it all after I punched him in the face -- no thanks necessary -- and I've seen Gods break bread with mortals on Thanksgiving like there was no difference between us; bread and turducken.
But, then again, I make a mean turducken.
Anyway, I'm not saying I've seen it all, but I think it's safe to say that I've been around the block a few times. And this? This is something that's incredibly new, frightening, and -- most likely -- going to be freakishly dangerous in the long run.
[ Pause. ]
The Beyonder isn't here, is he? Hate that guy.
[ Waiting for it... ]
Awesome. Man, all that traveling I've done, and you'd think I'dve gone to Canada before this. It's kind of ironic, I guess. And Wolverine never said it'd be this cold, sheesh.
[ Another pause. ]
--Hey, is it really true you guys put your milk in bags? What's up with that?
Third Person Sample
There had been a time, he remembered, where swinging through the City as fast as he was doing had frightened him. Though he was a man of science, and could calculate his trajectories nearly on the fly, no brains required, it always took him just a moment to raise up the nerve. He'd seen what could happen to someone when they splattered -- because that's all a body could do at that velocity -- into the side of a skyscraper at sixty miles an hour; it wasn't pretty. He moved with as much care as he could, always keeping focused on putting one hand in front of the other, on grabbing his latest string of web just this close from the thing escaping his grip. He'd explained to Logan that it was the only way he'd be able to increase his speed, due to the sudden tug always making the lax webline act part-bungee cable and part-zip line.
Logan had told him he was hellbent on killing himself. He didn't exactly disagree.
Patrolling came before self-reflection, however. The city sped by in a menagerie of lights and sounds, each building flashing past his peripherals like shining quicksilver; he let go of webline he'd been holding on to in an effort to correct himself for a turn, and nearly rocketed past the people below him. As always -- and it never used to be like this, not since before the Civil War -- someone called him a menace before he was out of earshot, which made him laugh. The city never changed, not even to after Osborn had been shown for the lunatic that he was -- no, New Yorkers were predictable like that. It was their way of showing they still cared. The day they stopped calling him a menace would be the day he died; it was strangely comforting to know that that, at least, he could count on. Too many things in his life had been ripped asunder lately.
A call out from an alleyway keeps him from thinking too hard on the subject -- and helps him to shove Alexi's face down, deep down into that dark place he's never been too comfortable with having -- and he's flying. The first crook doesn't know what hit him, but he does hear: "You know, you guys should really diversify--" The first one goes down on entry, while the second of the three tries to swing at him. "--I mean--" dodge, counter, webbed to the wall. "--Have you started looking into mad super-science to help support these petty crimes?" and the third tries to run away, but another webline to the back, a swift turn on his heel, and a yank back send him into the opposite wall. "Seems that everyone else has. It's made my daily commute a nightmare!"
The woman is grateful -- and so is he that she's alive, that never changed -- and he stays in the alleyway until the police arrive. After that, the rest of the night is much of the same. He saves another man from another mugging -- they never seemed to end, in this town -- and then the rest of the night blurs, jumping from person to person, fight to fight until he's helping a few of New York's finest chase down a crook that had diversified and traded in his gun for some kind of sonic canon. This time, he can't drop down a quick quip without having it nearly blown out of his mouth.
"Listen dude, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this," he dodges by jumping from the street onto the nearest flat surface. "But this thing you're doing right now?" and back to the street, away from any bystanders. "With the recklessly blasting at me, and trying to run when you're already out of breath," he doesn't move this time, just dodges the blast in a way that Neo would be envious of. "--Which I'm sorry about, truly. I voted YES on the proposition that would give you guys more time for exercise." he leaps up, snagging a lamppost. "It's seriously not cool. Like, Miley Cyrus and Rebbecca Black teaming up to do a duet-not-cool." The webbing he fires catches the crook at the feet, distracting him long enough to let Peter web him from the waist up. "You know one of them has the talent and the experience, and that the other one's just making a fool out of themselves."
Cue applause. He jumps down to where the crook is and starts talking shop with the officer in charge on the scene -- thankfully, most of the Men in Blue remembered what side he was playing for.
Well, most of the time. Vin Gonzales notwithstanding.
"--So, you do this every night?" the officer asks, letting Peter know just how out of town she was.
"Twenty-four-seven, three-hundred and sixty five." he answers, then, after a beat: "With a few days tacked on for leap years. It's murder on my social life."
The cop laughs. "I can imagine!" she shakes her head. "Good to have you, though. You sure make my job easier."
"Hey, everyone gets one."
The cop nods, smiling at the joke nearly everyone but Peter himself got to use. "Can't imagine it's easy, either," she says, taking a quick glance back at the crook while they loaded him up into the back of the patrol car. "Doing this, nonstop, all day every day? I couldn't hack it -- hell, I don't think half the force could."
Peter shrugged. He never really chose to become Spider-man, it had just happened. And he's honest about it: "Believe me, I need you guys way more than you need me." he takes one last look at the crook, then glances around to see what building would be the easiest to use as a springboard. "It's exhausting being this awesome all the time."
"Yanno, I've always wondered that," the cop admits, then holds up both of her hands when Peter's mask makes it seem like he's perking up an eyebrow. "No, not the awesome part, ha! More like...Why keep doing it, after all these years? You can't be getting any younger."
It's a question he'd asked himself time and time again, but never had a clear answer for. He knows that he needs Spider-man, on a certain subconscious level, but his desire to do good while in the guise is much more selfish than that. Peter liked being Spider-man on his good days; he had liked it so much, in fact, that it had gotten his uncle Ben killed. And ruined his marriage. And killed Gwen. And been responsible for so much pain and heartache in his life that, even now, with this man he barely even knew asking him, he still wondered why he wore the costume, why he didn't just give it all up and live a normal life.
"Do you have any kids, uh--" he has to hold back a laugh when he reads the woman's nametag. "--Captain Stacey?" little coincidence of coincidences.
The woman smiles, then holds up two fingers. "Jacob and Whitney, they're both twins."
Peter makes a d'aww noise, then chuckles under his breath. "That's why."
She gives him a slightly confused look.
"Because, as smarmy as it sounds, kids need someone to look up to. Someone like a role model," he says, knowing it sounds like an after-school special speech. "Doesn't matter if it's Captain America one or two, or the Avengers, the Hulk, or your friendly neighborhood Spider-dork; people need heroes, and heroes, maybe a bit selfishly, need to feel like they're making a difference."
He shoots out a webline, then tests it for adhesion. "I want to be that difference," he continues, remembering Alexi and Gwen and everyone else he's failed before and almost choking on his words because of it. "I'm not in it for the fame or the recognition -- and lords knows I have enough infamy these days -- and I'm not in it to try and prove something. I just want to help people and make sure that what happened to me to make me Spider-man never happens to anyone else, ever again."
She's a bit speechless, but it's only natu -- "That's kind of corny, Spider-man."
He laughs. "Yeah, I know." and then, he's zipping away. "But, with great power."
And then, he's gone.
Name: Ian
Age: 22
AIM SN: priestlyish
email: meaculpable AT live DOT come
Have you played in an LJ based game before? Yarp
Currrently Played Characters: N/A
Conditional: Activity Check Link: N/A
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Marvel Comics, The Amazing Spider-man
Canon Format: Comic book
Character's Name: Peter Benjamin "The Amazing Spider-man" Parker
Character's Age: Mid-to-late 30s. I play him around 33.
What form will your character's NV take? Hi-tech superphone.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: OH GOD SERIOUSLY OH GOD. Okay, I've done a basic write up [ here ] but, basically? He can do whatever a spider can. This includes super-strength, reflexes, speed, a high immunity to toxins, and the ability to use hairs called scopulae to climb walls. He is also possessed of a near-precognitive ability to detect danger before it happens, called a "Spider-Sense".
Other than that, Peter is one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe, and has a genius-level understanding of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, physics, engineering, and SUPER SCIENCE.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: Here and here.
Point in Canon: After the events of Spider Island.
Character Personality: Peter Parker is your average nerdy guy with your average nerdy guy personality. He loves his family, he adores the sciences, he doesn't understand women, and, at the end of the day, he worries about his paycheck and his bills just as much as the next person. Though his parents died when he was young, he considers his Aunt May and Uncle Ben to be his real family, and grew up surrounded by their loving support and traditional family values. This means that Peter, at his core, regards responsibility, a hard work ethic, and compassion above most other things, even to the point of appearing to be a bit gutless and self-righteous. He's the perfect boy next door, really: calm, quiet, studious, and with a passion for life most other people don't get to really see.
As you can imagine, this down-to-earth lifestyle didn't engender a lot of confidence in young Peter growing up, so he was bullied all throughout middle- and high-school, which led him to develop quite a temper as an adult. He is good -- and some would say nigh-Buddhist -- when it comes to remaining calm and forgiving people for what they've done, but when he snaps it is a destructive, unforgiving thing that leaves people in shock. One coworker of his even goes as far to say that she didn't even believe Peter had it in him to fight back, let alone to wallop someone all over their office when the man came looking to start trouble.
It's usually due to these little events -- and his chronic inability to be on time for anything -- that those around Peter begin doubting if they really know everything there is to know about "Puny Parker," especially since he deigns it somewhat necessary to keep others at an arm's length. His friends love him for being a great listener and always being there when it counts, but know that they can't rely on him for anything else. They think he's scatterbrained, that he's let his genius be squandered, and, at the end of the day, he may just be going nowhere fast. This, compounded with Peter paying more attention to his life as Spider-man makes it so that Peter has very few true friends, and even fewer confidants. He's the type to take everything on himself, and who selfishly believes that he can -- or has to -- fix everything or it'll all go to Hell. He's basically a well meaning control freak.
For all of his faults, however, most of Peter's friends still consider him either their go-to guy for serious emotional talks, or at the very least regard him as someone they can put their trust in. Even other Superheroes -- of which, he's possibly teamed-up with a good 95% of them -- consider both Peter and Spider-man to be one of the ultimate "good guys," which has earned him the respect and friendship of the likes of everyone from Wolverine to Captain America himself.
Just don't expect him to show up to your wedding on time.
As Spider-man, Peter adopts a persona that is fairly far removed from that of his day-to-day personality as mild mannered Peter Parker. Here, he's flippant and obnoxious, usually cracking wise even if it's a life or death situation or he's being beaten senseless. This, combined with his natural wit, lets Peter lull most people into thinking that he's just another idiot in a costume with a mouth too big for his own good; Doctor Octopus, for example, says that it'd be impossible for Spider-man to wrest away his mental control of a device he had, only to be surprised moments later when Peter does exactly that. Peter's act at playing dumb is so complete, so expected of him as Spider-man that even one of his oldest enemies didn't expect him to turn around and prove him wrong. Even those who do know him -- such as other Superheroes -- think he isn't as bright as, say, Reed Richards or Hank Pym if only because he just never shuts up.
And that's just the way Peter wants people to think. Because of his uncle Ben's death so many years ago -- which is one of many deaths Peter still feels responsible for even now -- Peter thinks that, not only should he keep his life as Peter Parker separate from Spider-man, but that it's necessary. To keep those he loves safe, he sacrifices face to make it seem like he has social ADD when, in reality, he works himself so hard both as penance and to make sure that what happened to him never happens to anyone else. He is haunted by the ghosts of those he failed to protect, and this cripples how he can handle being with anyone who doesn't know that he's leading a double life.
This is why he feels it's so hard for him to have a committed relationship, and also the (in-continuity) reason why both his marriage failed and why he thinks he can't just let go and enjoy life without regrets. To Peter, if he lets up for one moment, or if he starts sliding down the path that other heroes have taken where killing is not only accepted but right in some cases, then not only will he be spiting in the face of everything his uncle told him, but he'd be failing himself for taking the easy way out.
It's a vicious cycle, but, as always: "With great power comes great responsibility."
Character Plans: In Siren's Port, I'd probably like Peter to just have a chance at life that isn't dictated by the golden rule of "everything must suck always" that seems prevalent in the comics. He'll still be doing his superhero thing, and he'll still be living a not-quite-so-easy life, but maybe here he can live without the fear that everyone he knows could die at any given moment if they learn he's Spider-man.
Appearance/PB: Peter is 5'10", 167lbs, with somewhat brown hair, hazel eyes, and no distinguishing scars. Depending on the artist, he's been drawn with high cheekbones, a slightly less prominent take on your average "heroic" chin, and a similarly "heroic" jawline. He's Caucasian with a light tan from all of his years of fieldwork as a photographer, built like a gymnast, and naturally moves with a sort of quiet liquid grace most people don't pick up on. If he looked like any real world actor, it would either be James Franco or Tobey Macguire.
Writing Samples
First Person Sample
Okay, so. I've been catapulted around the universe more times than is strictly necessary, and I've been kidnapped by alien beings that I'll never come close to understanding. I've seen a stretchy man fight off a cosmic god with something that looked like a garage door clicker, and I've seen a not-so-jolly green giant throw a guy so far he's almost made a little twinkling star off in the distance -- you know, like in all of those kid's shows you wipper-snappers watch these days, all wooosh and then ping into the sky.
Some of my best friends are people who have come back from the dead more than once -- and, while I'm thankful, all I'm saying is that renting a tux back to back gets expensive -- and I'm pretty sure that at least one of the newest X-men might be a clone of mine. Or readily breaking my non-existent copyright...uh, rights.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. I've seen one of the world's greatest evils -- and no, I'm not talking about Dubya -- take control of our country's most advanced counter-intelligence organizations only to lose it all after I punched him in the face -- no thanks necessary -- and I've seen Gods break bread with mortals on Thanksgiving like there was no difference between us; bread and turducken.
But, then again, I make a mean turducken.
Anyway, I'm not saying I've seen it all, but I think it's safe to say that I've been around the block a few times. And this? This is something that's incredibly new, frightening, and -- most likely -- going to be freakishly dangerous in the long run.
[ Pause. ]
The Beyonder isn't here, is he? Hate that guy.
[ Waiting for it... ]
Awesome. Man, all that traveling I've done, and you'd think I'dve gone to Canada before this. It's kind of ironic, I guess. And Wolverine never said it'd be this cold, sheesh.
[ Another pause. ]
--Hey, is it really true you guys put your milk in bags? What's up with that?
Third Person Sample
There had been a time, he remembered, where swinging through the City as fast as he was doing had frightened him. Though he was a man of science, and could calculate his trajectories nearly on the fly, no brains required, it always took him just a moment to raise up the nerve. He'd seen what could happen to someone when they splattered -- because that's all a body could do at that velocity -- into the side of a skyscraper at sixty miles an hour; it wasn't pretty. He moved with as much care as he could, always keeping focused on putting one hand in front of the other, on grabbing his latest string of web just this close from the thing escaping his grip. He'd explained to Logan that it was the only way he'd be able to increase his speed, due to the sudden tug always making the lax webline act part-bungee cable and part-zip line.
Logan had told him he was hellbent on killing himself. He didn't exactly disagree.
Patrolling came before self-reflection, however. The city sped by in a menagerie of lights and sounds, each building flashing past his peripherals like shining quicksilver; he let go of webline he'd been holding on to in an effort to correct himself for a turn, and nearly rocketed past the people below him. As always -- and it never used to be like this, not since before the Civil War -- someone called him a menace before he was out of earshot, which made him laugh. The city never changed, not even to after Osborn had been shown for the lunatic that he was -- no, New Yorkers were predictable like that. It was their way of showing they still cared. The day they stopped calling him a menace would be the day he died; it was strangely comforting to know that that, at least, he could count on. Too many things in his life had been ripped asunder lately.
A call out from an alleyway keeps him from thinking too hard on the subject -- and helps him to shove Alexi's face down, deep down into that dark place he's never been too comfortable with having -- and he's flying. The first crook doesn't know what hit him, but he does hear: "You know, you guys should really diversify--" The first one goes down on entry, while the second of the three tries to swing at him. "--I mean--" dodge, counter, webbed to the wall. "--Have you started looking into mad super-science to help support these petty crimes?" and the third tries to run away, but another webline to the back, a swift turn on his heel, and a yank back send him into the opposite wall. "Seems that everyone else has. It's made my daily commute a nightmare!"
The woman is grateful -- and so is he that she's alive, that never changed -- and he stays in the alleyway until the police arrive. After that, the rest of the night is much of the same. He saves another man from another mugging -- they never seemed to end, in this town -- and then the rest of the night blurs, jumping from person to person, fight to fight until he's helping a few of New York's finest chase down a crook that had diversified and traded in his gun for some kind of sonic canon. This time, he can't drop down a quick quip without having it nearly blown out of his mouth.
"Listen dude, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this," he dodges by jumping from the street onto the nearest flat surface. "But this thing you're doing right now?" and back to the street, away from any bystanders. "With the recklessly blasting at me, and trying to run when you're already out of breath," he doesn't move this time, just dodges the blast in a way that Neo would be envious of. "--Which I'm sorry about, truly. I voted YES on the proposition that would give you guys more time for exercise." he leaps up, snagging a lamppost. "It's seriously not cool. Like, Miley Cyrus and Rebbecca Black teaming up to do a duet-not-cool." The webbing he fires catches the crook at the feet, distracting him long enough to let Peter web him from the waist up. "You know one of them has the talent and the experience, and that the other one's just making a fool out of themselves."
Cue applause. He jumps down to where the crook is and starts talking shop with the officer in charge on the scene -- thankfully, most of the Men in Blue remembered what side he was playing for.
Well, most of the time. Vin Gonzales notwithstanding.
"--So, you do this every night?" the officer asks, letting Peter know just how out of town she was.
"Twenty-four-seven, three-hundred and sixty five." he answers, then, after a beat: "With a few days tacked on for leap years. It's murder on my social life."
The cop laughs. "I can imagine!" she shakes her head. "Good to have you, though. You sure make my job easier."
"Hey, everyone gets one."
The cop nods, smiling at the joke nearly everyone but Peter himself got to use. "Can't imagine it's easy, either," she says, taking a quick glance back at the crook while they loaded him up into the back of the patrol car. "Doing this, nonstop, all day every day? I couldn't hack it -- hell, I don't think half the force could."
Peter shrugged. He never really chose to become Spider-man, it had just happened. And he's honest about it: "Believe me, I need you guys way more than you need me." he takes one last look at the crook, then glances around to see what building would be the easiest to use as a springboard. "It's exhausting being this awesome all the time."
"Yanno, I've always wondered that," the cop admits, then holds up both of her hands when Peter's mask makes it seem like he's perking up an eyebrow. "No, not the awesome part, ha! More like...Why keep doing it, after all these years? You can't be getting any younger."
It's a question he'd asked himself time and time again, but never had a clear answer for. He knows that he needs Spider-man, on a certain subconscious level, but his desire to do good while in the guise is much more selfish than that. Peter liked being Spider-man on his good days; he had liked it so much, in fact, that it had gotten his uncle Ben killed. And ruined his marriage. And killed Gwen. And been responsible for so much pain and heartache in his life that, even now, with this man he barely even knew asking him, he still wondered why he wore the costume, why he didn't just give it all up and live a normal life.
"Do you have any kids, uh--" he has to hold back a laugh when he reads the woman's nametag. "--Captain Stacey?" little coincidence of coincidences.
The woman smiles, then holds up two fingers. "Jacob and Whitney, they're both twins."
Peter makes a d'aww noise, then chuckles under his breath. "That's why."
She gives him a slightly confused look.
"Because, as smarmy as it sounds, kids need someone to look up to. Someone like a role model," he says, knowing it sounds like an after-school special speech. "Doesn't matter if it's Captain America one or two, or the Avengers, the Hulk, or your friendly neighborhood Spider-dork; people need heroes, and heroes, maybe a bit selfishly, need to feel like they're making a difference."
He shoots out a webline, then tests it for adhesion. "I want to be that difference," he continues, remembering Alexi and Gwen and everyone else he's failed before and almost choking on his words because of it. "I'm not in it for the fame or the recognition -- and lords knows I have enough infamy these days -- and I'm not in it to try and prove something. I just want to help people and make sure that what happened to me to make me Spider-man never happens to anyone else, ever again."
She's a bit speechless, but it's only natu -- "That's kind of corny, Spider-man."
He laughs. "Yeah, I know." and then, he's zipping away. "But, with great power."
And then, he's gone.