[ backdated to last week ]

[bedeviledspider]

WHO: theredarachnid and bedeviledspider
WHERE: rooftops OF COURSE
WHEN: last week... sometime... at night
WARNINGS: The amazing spider angst.
SUMMARY: Father and son have a talk. (Not that kind of talk.)
FORMAT: Paragraph to start with, whatever after

Comments

[theredarachnid]

Without his web-shooters, travel throughout the city was trickier and slower than usual. Without his costume, he looked less like a superhero and more like a burglar or mugger, skulking through the night in black clothes, a ski mask, and sunglasses. Still, he made his way through the city on a half-hearted patrol, before he got pinged with Reilly's location over the communicator.

A few minutes later, Ben's dark-clad figure climbed over the ledge of the building Reilly was located at. As soon as he was up, he immediately dropped into that familiar, gargoyle-like crouch. There was something comforting to him in that stance.

"Good evening."

[bedeviledspider]

As soon as his senses went off, sending that strange signal that seemed reserved for his father, Reilly let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Normally, he'd greet him with a barrage of sarcastic comments on the "costume", but for once he couldn't come up with a joke.

And it wasn't like he had a lot of room to talk with that shirt tied over his head.

So instead, he settled into his own gargoyle-like crouch beside him, and said "Evening".

[theredarachnid]

Ben looked out over the edge for a long, silent moment, feeling the familiar thrum of his spider-sense in the back of his head, hunting for hints of impending danger down below. He didn't turn his head when he spoke up again, but it wasn't intended to be a rude gesture.

"So...what do you want?" The way Ben phrased it didn't sound curt, but like a general question, born out of confusion. Who in the world had ever had to handle something like this: first being a clone, then finding out that there was another version of you in some other parallel world that had a son with an alternate version of the woman you loved? And then meeting that son? He didn't know who could give them advice on such a strange, unique situation. What sort of relationship did they have? Could they have?

[bedeviledspider]

"Relax, I'm not going to beg you to be my brand new dad." Reilly mutters. He can't help but be defensive, can't help but hear every one of Peter's unknowing criticisms echoing his ear, can't help but recall the fights with Kaine, can't help but remember what happened every other time he thought he'd found his family.

Abandonment. Or worse.

"I mean... you're not responsible for me. Not really. So, if you don't want anything to do with me, I- I'd understand. I'll just pack my bags and go. Maybe stay with Matt, or May, or see if Danny would..." Well, if there was still any lingering doubts, Reilly's twisted logic just confirmed it. He may resemble his old man, but in many ways, Reilly was Elizabeth's son.