riverviewlogs | [Epilogue] 1 Time Peter Parker Died (But Didn't) + 5 Times He Lived (And Kept Living)

Entry tags:

marvel (mcu): peter parker

[Epilogue] 1 Time Peter Parker Died (But Didn't) + 5 Times He Lived (And Kept Living)

who: Peter Parker and You!
what: Peter returns from his trip back home, thanks to Billy and Teddy.
when: Mid-November
where: Multiple places; see each prompt.
warnings: Near-death by eroding, and general angst/guilt about surviving.
Notes: Some prompts are mostly just to tie things with a nice ribbon, but feel free to integrate your character into whatever prompt however you'd like. Wildcard also optional! Thanks for all the wonderful times, Riverview.

+1.) "I don't feel so good." | Closed to Billy and Teddy.

[Peter went back home. He went back home and then — and then he forgot. Everything. He forgot Riverview; he forgot the Guardians and Mr. Stark's ghosts, he forgot Pam the pancake making robot, he forgot Lanie and the crew at the playground, he forgot the Strand home and Athena and Jeff and — and so many people. He forgot being drunk on a roof and he forgot crying in Skye's van and he forgot the cultists—

So much space on film, lost, and it comes down to this: he's sixteen years old, a few months from seventeen, people are crumbling to dust and decay on the planet Titan, and he feels... funny. It starts in his stomach, a slow roiling of dirt that builds in the pit of it. He tells Tony. He tells Mr. Stark he doesn't feel well, like he's all but seven and Uncle Ben's reading the newspaper on the couch, unaware his nephew as the flu until he barfs on the new rug. He thinks it has to be wrong — this can't be it, this can't be real.

But then Mr. Stark stares at him in horror, and when he looks at his hands, he sees the fancy suit Tony made him crumbling; he feels his skin crumbling slowly with it. His body freaks; it keeps trying to mend him, as his senses scream nonono in his head like the pulse of an electrified heart. Clear—! his powers scream, trying to volt his body back into normal rhythm, but no matter how hard he fights it, he's crumbling.

He takes a step forward, toward Mr. Stark.

The story feels wrong; he feels like he was supposed to stop this; this wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to warn somebody. He was supposed to know this was— no, no, he couldn't have. Oh, god, it hurts — Those're ashes.]

5.) "Everything's gonna be okay." — Peter Parker, 2018

[He's rescued from another universe.

There's something guilt-inducing about being hoisted out of death's arms by your pals, which he knows is really stupid — but if Peter is anything, it's devoted to thinking dumb things about events he can't change or had no control over. He isn't that bad off, either; Thanos didn't hurt him, not really, not other than a handful of bruises that'll come and go over the course of a few days (Mr. Stark's suit protected him a lot).

But the snap did mess him up enough for a few days of supervision in the Riverview hospital. He's exhausted and he sleeps and sleeps and sleeps. Whether it's actually his body being that weary or his mind not wanting to think for a little while, he's not sure. Maybe both? But eventually he wakes up drowsily and starts cobbling together more of his messed up memory.

Riverview. He needs to go on the comms, and remember... as much as he can.

Visiting hours are open, for anyone who'd like to stop by.

Eventually, he gets to go home, though. But before he does, he makes a point to make his way to the people he cares about here, left behind temporarily. He couldn't exactly just avoid letting them know he's returned from his bleak future, right?]

4.) National Tree Planting Day (Only Not)

[No Spider-Man for a while, though. Peter's got a lot to think about.

A lot to think about.
And maybe cry about.
Or get angry about.
Or go to sleep about.

(Thinking about his friends and family is especially hard.)

He focuses on getting back on his feet, so to speak; dressed in his wardrobe from his Riverview closet, he's feeling more and more familiar with this strange place — this alternate universe New York. He gets right back into the thick of schoolwork and — it helps. But there's a lot left on his list of things to-do. Jyushimatsu and Mr. Strand helped him with some, but you know, there's so much on there.

First thing he can think to do: head to the garden Gamora likes to frequent. He's got planting material under one arm and a potted baby sapling in the other; after all, what better time and place to cross off 'plant a tree' from his bucket list? Now he's got time. He's got plenty of time to think and do.]

... Wonder what I should name it?

3.) Ode to Pamela the Robot

[Next important step on his voyage to a decent epilogue: get Pam back in use. She'd been in his tiny studio apartment too long, and he's had to turn her off to avoid some major catastrophes there. Which isn't fair to her, obviously, so he elects to move her to one of the local diners he enjoys frequenting. The owner-slash-cook there is always sweating with how many orders he gets, so maybe this can help?

The guy is thrilled to have her, and Pamela is more than happy to serve.

She's gonna work eight hour shifts, five days a week, and she's gonna love it.

Peter sits at the counter with a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast made lovingly by his goofy robot, as she whirs and rolls around with her apron on a pleasant lull to her synthetic voice.

"Would you like more eggs, Sweety Parker?"

Peter smiles, leaning his cheek against his palm.]

Nah, I'm good, Pam. Thanks though.

2.) Ode to Tony Stark

[... Next up on the list of places to go and things to do: go back to Stark's workshop and... well. Keep it going. Mr. Stark's back home solving so many terrible things, Peter's sure of it. And if he can't be there for him there, then he'll be there for him here, in some sappy, weird way. So he starts going through a bunch of blueprints and scribbled out ideas, files away the ones about web shooters and improvements for the Spider-Man suit—

Dum-E excitedly whirs his robot arm around eagerly, and Peter leans back in his chair, a pen held between his upper lip and his nose as he reads things, some of which is so far over his head that it's total gibberish to him. But what he does get, he likes. And what he doesn't, he hits the books for. If he wasn't able to use his head back home, he can at least make the most of it here. It's what his mentor'd want, right?

... Maybe he can start up a robotics thing. Get some of the sharp minds out there involved. Maybe — maybe he can open up a space for kids, too. Would Mr. Stark like that? A kind of oasis for nerdy kids who wanna build robots and engineer dumb stuff, like their own electronic toothbrushes?

... Seems nice. Seems like an important way to keep going.

He's using a welding gun at a counter as he chatters on and on:]

...and just remember, Dum-E: no capes. Thor makes it look cool, but I swear, it'll just flop right over most people's heads in a fight. And by the way, I think the canisters won't actually explode, so — Dude, do you always go straight for the fire extinguisher whenever electricity or heat's involved?

1.) Goodbye, Riverview; Hello, Riverview!

[But enough about that.

Time for what Peter Parker does best, in the late afternoon: put on the mask.

He's spent a few weeks not wearing it, not looking at it, not even so much as thinking about it. He'd been so spent by the events of home, it was... hard to even pull it out of the box in his apartment. The rumpled, dejected suit just reminded him of what he'd left behind in his world. It reminded him of broken promises and things he wasn't strong enough to see through to the end.

But he did good things in Queens. He did good things in Riverview.

Why not continue the trend? His responsibility didn't end with Titan. He still has this mantle, and he's gonna prove he's worthy of it — so he puts on the suit, and nearly cries when Karen's voice comes through on the other end, as if nothing has changed:

"Welcome back, Peter. I missed you."]

I've... I've missed you, too, Karen.

["Were you able to finish what you were going back for?"]

... Not quite. But, um... I'll keep working on it. Until then — let's work.

[He balances on the ledge of his small apartment window, overlooking just a small portion of a pretty sprawling area, and breathes in deep. For the first time in a while he shoots a web and swings — and it feels wonderful. Everything that aches and pangs is at least held at bay, and for a little while, he can just enjoy the view.]

Nice to see you again, Riverview!

Don't mind me, just passing through!

[... Huh.

He needs to go get Lanie that bike he promised her, huh?

Toy store it is, then!

Man, for once he can't wait to be broke again.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It wasn't as if Richard was waiting or hoping or anything. He wasn't. Peter had made his choice and the likelihood that he'd be coming back was statistically low. It was by chance that he'd heard that Peter had come back and that he was in the hospital, unconscious. Without putting too much thought into it he headed right over, almost forgetting to let Alex know that Peter was back.

It was, difficult for the nurses to get him to leave when visiting hours were over, but he was there the next day early enough, watching over the boy until he woke.

Someone ought to be, and he was the one who suggested a failsafe.]

[He's so tired. He's so, so tired, and his muscles hurt. It's like they're made of lead, and his arms lay at his sides with only a twitch of his fingers to show he's stirring. He'd been so blissfully in the dark, but not in a terrifying way; just in that float-y way where you don't exist or feel. Now that he's peeling his dark-rimmed eyes open, though, he feels like he's slept too long. He stares at the ceiling while images of what had happened pass through his mind. He licks dry lips, and his skin feels tight and too cold.

But he's not dead. So many people are, though. There's so many who are nothing now, just a bunch of ashy specks on walls and floors. He should — be dead, and he's relieved he isn't, but it doesn't stop the sudden overwhelming panic at knowing he got to leave. He sucks in a breath, and then another, and then another — but he's having a hard time breathing. His chest is so tight, and he feels like his arms are quaking so hard, they're gonna shatter like wrecked stone or smashed glass.

Tears flood his eyes and blur the figure in his periphery.

Doctor Strange?

Also dead. He died. So did Quill, Drax, and Mantis. So did half of Queens; New York; Earth; the Universe. His aunt might be dead. Ned might be dead. Tony's practically alone, and they lost, and Peter can't—

A panic attack, he's having a panic attack.]

Mister — Mister Strand, I — I —

[Richard is on his feet as soon as Peter's eyes open, he's buzzing for the nurse as soon as the panic attack starts, moving to the boy's immediate side.]

Take deep breaths.

[It's the best advice he can give for the moment. Just breathe, regulate your breathing and everything will be alright.]

[Peter struggles to listen to his orders, but he does eventually start taking larger breaths, even if it feels like that's practically impossible. One, two, breathe. Half the universe is gone now. One, two, breathe. Friends and family are dead. One, two, breathe. He would have been dust, too, if Billy didn't grab him. One, two, breathe.

Tears trickle down the corners of his eyes, into the shells of his ear. The nurse comes rushing in, brow furrowed in concern. His heart monitor's spike might have tipped her off faster than even Strand's speedy fingers have, and as she tugs a mask over his mouth to help him breathe easier, he looks at Richard with fear in his eyes.]

Am I really alive right now?

[It doesn't feel real. Riverview feels like it was so long ago...

And he hadn't even remembered any of it until just recently.]

[Before Peter speaks, Richard is talking to the nurse, explaining what happened and when the boy awoke. He's not a doctor or anyone in the proper medical profession, but he knows panic attacks. He's had to talk enough people down from them - especially when they're dealing with a figment that they are convinced is read.

Call it Alex's influence, but his hand moves to Peter's holding it tightly as a grounding device while the nurse is administering the oxygen. When Peter asks for verification on his status of living, there is, surprisingly, no sarcastic retort that comes to Richard's mind. Only a clear and confident -]

Yes. Just try to relax and take deep breaths. The nurses are going to examine you once you've calmed down. Is there anyone you need me to call?

[With everyone leaving he isn't sure if there was anyone left that Peter thought of as close, as close enough for him to want to be here when he was in this state. Richard himself wonders if he's invading Peter's personal space by being here, but he can't help it. Peter has, somehow, become an integral part of his life. The boy's welfare and safety have become one of the paramount things that he needs to be involved in.]

[He squeezes the hand under his, and it's tight for a moment — achingly tight — before he realizes he's Peter Parker, radioactive spiderkid and adjusts his shaking grip to something less bruising. Right, that's a sign he's alive. Teddy and Billy got him out. He's here, in Riverview, and as Richard and the nurse talk he breathes slowly through the mask. The nurse puts a kind hand on his shoulder and steadies him, hushing him like she's a mom with kids in school right now, to be picked up after her shift.

He swallows hard, pinching his eyes closed as tears swim hotly in them.

Is there anyone... There are people, yes. But his memory, it feels so wrong and off. He'd just been with Ned and the other kids from school; he just saw May, before his trip. But Riverview, it felt like everything was so distant. He can see blurry faces, and names are slowly coming to him, but one leaps out at him; probably because Mr. Strand's here, and if he's here, then so is—]

Alex. Is she still...?

[Richard is surprisingly stoned-faced in the vice-like grip that Peter has on his hand, but mentally appreciative of the release (and the fact that none of his bones are broken). He waits, talking with the nurse until Peter feels well enough to talk again. It was always best to take a panic attack recovery slow.

The first question that comes isn't surprising. Alex is, the person everyone trusts, loves and looks to for emotional support.]

Yes. From our perspective, you haven't been gone long.

[It was best to get that part of things out of the way first. Let Peter know that what he thought of as possibly years had only been a short stint of time for them.]

R-right. Right, not long. I knew that.

[Did he? He rubs his eyes, feeling sick where he lies, which he figures might be the side effect of getting... dusted. Or almost dusted, anyway. Whatever the hell happened to Big Pete and Mantis and Dr. Strange... Oh, god, they died. He was there and he saw them—

His stomach roils, and the hands at his eyes move to his stomach, as he tries to even his breathing. Alex is here, then. Focus on that, Peter. He almost feels bad to want everyone to be here as he'd left them, because... not everyone wants to stay here. But god, he's just so relieved to have them.]

I was... gone for a while. Over a year... almost two.

It's hard to get things straight.

You're fine.

[It was meant to be reassuring. Richard even used a reassuring tone, one he'd used rarely and generally when demons were involved and might be getting Alex too upset.]

Take your time.

[His breath fogs the mask, as his lips tremble and tears drip down the corners of his eyes. How is he even supposed to admit it, that everything's ruined? He knows it's probably obvious by... all of this. But his throat feels like it won't work long enough to admit it aloud. He struggles for a moment, and when he speaks, his voice is wispy and sad.]

... He did it.

He, um... H-he killed half the universe.

That was a lot to take in - more so for Peter who had lived it. These were his people, the people who were from a place that was his, had been since the moment he'd been born.

Richard tightened his lips, thinking. There wasn't anything that he could say to comfort Peter and he knew it. There wasn't anything that could comfort you when your world crashed around you. So he didn't try to comfort him, just continued to hold his hand with a softly added, "I'm sorry."

[Peter's eyes flutter shut at his words, and he gives himself a moment. He appreciates Richard's attempt to comfort, because he knows it's genuine. Even if it can't do anything for the situation, it's better than nothing — really, it is.]

I was... I felt sick, suddenly. This awful feeling, screaming at me in my head.

And then, my teammates... A bunch of them just started — crumbling. Into dust. And I felt it, deep down. I could feel my body trying to do the same. And I swear, I swear I was fighting it as... as hard as I could. I really was fighting it.

[All of what Peter was saying sounded horrible. It sounded like something worse than Richard could imagine, and for the first time being here, he wished that this was all some sort of delusion. That none of what Peter had experienced was real and that he could do something to make it better, but he couldn't.]

There are, still people there?

[He shivers where he lay, sucking in a sharp breath.]

Mr. Stark and one of... one of Mr. Quill's teammates were left.

[He rubs the heel of his palm over his eye, wiping at a tear there; the hand lingers long enough for him to slip the mask off his face, shaking his head with a small apology when the nurse offers a glass of water with a straw in it. He was thirsty, really thirsty, and his lips felt coarse and cracked — but he's pretty sure that's mostly in his head.

Everything about him feels cracked and worn.]

Back home... I — I don't know who made it and who didn't. I know half of the people on Earth are alive, but...

[Mr. Stark, he'd heard that name before, he'd even talked to him for a few moments once. While he'd been vaguely interested, he knew that Peter thought the world of the man.]

You have a lot of faith in Mr. Stark?

[A pause, and then a slow but sure shake of his head.]

... He's one of the best heroes there is.

[And from the tone, the answer is clear: he'd trust the man with anything, his life very much included. And he did. And he died, but he had to — he had to let Mr. Stark know that it wasn't his fault; whether he was fighting or at some museum in New York, he would have died, and that's... just the facts.]

Then the situation isn't hopeless.

[It was something Peter needed to hear. He was a hopeful person, he needed to think that things could be fixed, that they could get better.]

[Despite everything — how heavy his body feels, how achy his heart is, how sad his thoughts are — he does manage a smile at that. Because it's what he told Tony, too. When he was here. That as long as Mr. Stark's around, working on this, trying to make it better? Then things will not be hopeless, and someday, somehow, it'll be better.

Whether that means he'll come back alive and whole... is one thing.

And if he never comes back, if the Avengers can just save even a sliver of the people lost... It'll be a victory of some kind. He sniffs, trying not to let Richard look at how watery his eyes are. But he's smiling. He is.]

It's not hopeless.

No. There are still people fighting for it back in your world. And you have here.

[It might not be much of a consolation, but at least Peter had somewhere to be. He wasn't just the dust or whatever nothingness that half his world had become. He had Riverview.]

( billy kaplan can do many, many things, but jumping through dimensions has never been something he's ever had to try before. they've got their own badass who kicks and punches holes into the multiverse. and future demiurge he might be, but the future word there's pretty important: he hasn't gotten to that stage in life yet.

but peter was determined to go, and billy's determined to get him back. it takes time, concentration, a lot of energy, but he already had the destination in mind. the time he needed to get there. there's a hand that holds on tight to teddy's own, grips on as if his very life depended on it because who knows, it might.

the temporal rift in his apartment living room might have been concerning to anyone else, but billy leans right through it. keeps his grip on teddy, leaves his arm half out the hole itself and--there he is.

just within arm's reach. moving towards his own tony stark as peter starts crumbling. there's a surprised gasp that billy doesn't even try to hold on, a galaxy-covered arm reaching out, fingers grabbing onto the curve of an elbow and yanking him back wrapping that same arm around him as tight as he can while pulling hard onto teddy's arm. the red cape around his shoulders encompasses most of peter as he grabs onto him, murmurs over and over again, )

IwanttohealPeterIwanttohealPeterIwanttohealPeterIwanttosavePeter--

[It all happens in moments, but it feels like longer.

If he weren't in so much pain, he'd fight this, maybe have a plethora of questions about the mysterious cape encircling him, but all he can think about is how much it hurts. An arm is wrapping around his middle like he's a drowning man in a swimming pool, one needing to be dragged through the current to the shore; all the while, he stares in horror at his arms —

They burst into ashes before his eyes. His body is screaming for help, and it seems as if Billy's magic is reaching out to the sound with placating, repairing fingertips. The healing is working: it's bringing back the pieces lost, and as the two are pulled through the portal and away from Thanos' all-encompassing power... the last thing Peter sees from his universe is Tony's mouth forming his name, calling out for him.

Peter watches the crumbling in reverse then, as Billy whispers close to his cheek, feels something twisting around inside him, as arms, hands, fingers — they return in a rush. But it still hurts. It hurts so bad, and he's not sure what to do about the burning that hits him, head to toe. He sees an apartment ceiling as his body practically turns into a limp and heavy weight in Billy's arms.

A sound of pain rushes out between clenched teeth.]

Wh-what—

[ Athena has been crying. Well, that's a generalization. She hasn't been crying right this minute, but ever since she and Peter said goodbye it's been hitting her off and on, blasting through good moods and bad. She even broke down at work one time, and when she couldn't properly explain why to her boss, he just hugged her and told her to take the night off.

While Peter's been gone, she got her Moon GED. She promised herself she would, for him, even if it won't mean much by next week.

So when she opens the door of her and Jeff's apartment, she doesn't expect to see Peter there. She's got a package of Moon-Oreos under one arm and has two of them in hand.

She drops the whole deal when she sees him.

She should hug him. She should hug him, right? Why isn't she moving? God, why isn't she moving, why is she just standing here, her friend was supposed to be dead but he's not, he's here, he's here just in time, just barely in time--

A squeak: ]

Peter?

[Peter feels bad, for taking too long to get to Athena's place. The truth was, he had to spend a little time just remembering the months he'd spent here in Riverview; all of his friends, they were these little sunspots in his vision he had to blink back into focus. But Athena was one of the first to hit him again. Athena and her little, nice family, the kind that slip money into your shirt pocket and teach you how to play guitar.

He looks less miserable than the last emotional time he ended up on her doorstep.

In fact, the tables are turned a little. He just smiles, looking tired but — not as bad as a dead guy ought to look, all things considered.]

I guess this place'll need a stronger bug spray, if it wants to get rid of me.

...

That was. A dumb reply. [He pokes his temple, rambling now.] I thought it'd sound cooler out loud, but it doesn't; I probably should have just scrapped that one.

[ To say that the past week hasn't been eventful would be a lie.

After Peter's departure, day after day, the world around Jyushimatsu seemed empty and monochrome. Even as he had a smile on his face and still kept a job, money to gain, actual adult responsibilities his parents would be proud of... his life in Riverview wasn't fulfilling him anymore. Baseball in general wasn't as fun as before, which would set off alarms right away if you knew him even just as that one weird dude who loves baseball too much. He reached a peak of despair where he wandered the city's outskirts in search of a portal that would take him home, with the risk of running into dangers. After a couple brushes with death and a few wounds, he went back to his house - what was once their house, more broken than he'd liked to be.

Getting down from that desperate peak wasn't easy, and he cried for hours every day, and he drank and drank every night, until that feeling was gone along with most of his leftover enjoyment. His friends, his family, everyone, he missed them all and that shitty loneliness kept eating at him, leaving only bare bones in place of his emotions. He's supposed to hold on for years, and it's hard, and he just wants to drop everything and go back to his unproductive existence of a NEET. Sure, he'd lose his money and that little bit of achievement he had gotten, but the idea of having his colorful world back is worth giving all of that up.

Since last week, however, things... changed. He suddenly found his old but still fitting baseball gear magically dropped by his door, and along those there's the baseball bat he owned for years, laid neatly over the pile of clothes that smelled like home. Not only that. Jyushimatsu felt... lighter. His strength was full time back. He turned most of his house's furniture into a series of kanji scribbles with just a flicker of his thought. He's... he's back. The crazy humanoid cryptid living off the Rule of Funny has reappeared overnight, replacing the miserable heap from the day before. It doesn't surprise him that a plot twist like this happened out of the blue. In fact, there was one time when he and his brothers were about to grow up into actual adults with responsibilities... and then a plane dropped on his family house and they all died and went to Hell. Nothing's that extreme this time, but it spurs him to believe, with joy in his heart, that Akatsuka-sensei heard his pleas and managed to bypass his "powers" back.

Today the good ol' cheerful and obnoxious Jyushimatsu is back in town, about to hit up the park for his daily training routine. He's planning on at least thirty thousand swings, knowing his current stamina will be enough for that number. There is so much energy brewing within him he forgot how great it feels to be himself. He feels stupid and embarrassed for that moment of weakness. Well, even the mun regrets those two paragraphs full of necessary but edgy angst! But! Moving on! The weather is nice, the streets are bustling, life goes on without incidents, and at one point some guy wearing a familiar spandex suit swings past him—

"Nice to see you again, Riverview!"

...

Jyushimatsu skids to a halt, turns his nose up and... there he is. That's his voice?! Impossible??? The kid left weeks ago, he wouldn't just—

His feet kick off before he thinks twice, chasing after the web-shooting figure for a short while until he manages to outspeed him because he's full blooded Jyushimatsu now and he can do all the real inhuman shit instead of just feeling too normal to exist. And then he'll leap over a car, bounce off the edge of a terrace, and catch the guy in a tackle mid-air, screeching on top of his lungs and smiling so fucking wide like his jaw has been permanently dislocated. ]

SUPPAIDAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!

[Funny how life works. One second you're just swinging along, enjoying the fresh air, the next your spider senses are going absolutely wild before you're tackled by a sextuplet snakeman with sleeves you'd find on one of those car lot balloon people. Anyway, spider senses went off too late, and here he is, getting tackled in the air.

OHMYGOD.

Which is to say, he OOFS loudly, spins a few times like a merry-go-round with Jyushi latched on him, and then they go rolling on a rooftop that is blissfully flat and without watercolors to smack into. One white spider-eye blinks, then the other, before he looks down at the man latched on him. A normal person would probably be hurt and in need of an ambulance. Peter Parker just huffs and sputters harmlessly.]

Dude! You gotta work on your reunion hugs!

Edited 2018-11-20 23:07 (UTC)

[ The landing is smooth enough that Jyushimatsu will keep clinging onto Peter until they finally stop on a rooftop. He had dropped his bat along the way, and his cap flew who knows where when he leapt to jump at his friend, but it doesn't matter now. Suppaidaman is back and he can't conceive why this is happening when it feels like yesterday that they shared parting words.

As he pulls away to look at his friend, there are tears soaking his face and his voice is tiny and a little stuttering. ]

I don't understand! You were gone just a while ago and you're back - why? What made you come back? Did you get kidnapped again? What's going on? I—

[ A loud sniff, before the tears become a cascade. ]

I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!!

[He just sort of accepts that Jyushi is gonna smoosh him for a second here, so he sits in defeat while the guy cries on him; honestly, it's nice in that weird Jyushimatsu way, of course, and he's so dang glad to see him after what was actually well over a year since he'd been here... God, there's so much to sift through in his head, and he's so messed up in ways he can't really explain. But he's got friends here, and they missed him. And that's worth something.

He sits up and peels his mask off with a h'oof!, smiling a little at Jyushi while sporting some killer mask-hair.]

I missed you, too —

C'mon, calm down, calm down! I can't go answering your questions when you're leaking all over the place here, right?

[Also he just hates when he upsets people? Please don't be upset? Even if it's a good kind of upset?]

[ Calming down would require abundant amounts of actual chill that Jyushimatsu can't afford right now, but he also wants answers and if Peter needs some level of peace to speak up then the ex-NEET is going to at least get off him, still crying but at least not slobbering the poor kid with tears now. ]

Just, what happened? Weren't you staying home to help people?

[Well, at least this time he's here in person, so he can pat his shoulders? Look, look! He's trying to comfort you! Is it working? Oh man, please don't cry — you cry more than him. Are you just a powder keg of emotion or what?]

Man, it's...

[His throat feels tight, though. He didn't even get a chance to miss his friend, because he couldn't... remember. Now his thoughts are so plagued by the events of home, and he has to fight passed a lump in his throat, too.]

I did go home. I went and... and I helped a lot.

I know it sounds crazy, but... I, uh, I was there for almost two years.

[ That's the flipside of being a ray of sunshine. When it rains, it pours. His emotions become a flood submerging whatever's in its path. You can only wait for it to stop eventually.

He knows timelines can get that crazy because he got the inverse going on with his brothers, so he dully acknowledges the abnormal gap. In fact, now that he mentions it, Peter looks a bit more grown up than last time. ]

Did you finish high school then? And, uh... did you come back on accident?

[ He rubs a sleeve over his nose to clear the snot. Ew. ]

[He smiles miserably; before, it was easy to look 'okay' about the whole thing, and — and yeah, he was doing better mentally than when he'd first returned, but... god, it was so hard trying to pretend everything worked out. So he just... doesn't.

Besides, at this point? It feels wrong, lying to Jyushi.]

... No diploma for me. I was about to turn 17, actually.

[He rubs the back of his neck and scootches to sit more permanently on this random rooftop; hope they're not freaking anyone out in there who might believe in ghosts. But really, what kinda ghost ends up on a roof in the daytime? Though he supposes he's almost a ghost. Kinda.]

Um. Someone managed to open a portal to bring me back here.

But — but it wasn't an accident. I mean, I wanted to come back after everything was handled, so... I'm actually really, really relieved to be here with you guys again.

[ That was a close enough guess and he's not too happy with how Peter had missed his diploma to come back here. Finishing school would have been an important goal for such a super smart kid even though it was nothing but a piece of paper. Hero business or not, Jyushimatsu would hate it if his young friend ended up making his same mistakes.

But he won't indulge in that right now, settling himself next to Peter and drying the last of his tears, the only hint he ever cried being his slighty red eyes and the flushed cheeks chilling with the breeze.

... A bothersome thought swims in his head. ]

I'm happy to see you again, too... really, I am!

But did something happen? Are you really okay? You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to...

[He really doesn't wanna upset Jyushi. Again. Because he's already made him cry twice now — and god, if leaving and coming back upset him, the honest-to-god truth would be... Well, it'd be bad. It'd be really bad. But he's not so sure he can totally mask the grimness of the situation. Either way, he's decided not to lie to the guy's face — and whatever happens in this... happens.

He sighs, looking sympathetic, but also tired on his own behalf.]

I'm not alright. Home's — well, it's a mess, man. It's...

It's like a — a 'we lost to the biggest, baddest villain' kind of bad. That kind.

[ Uhhhh. Oh. Holy shit.

Getting a grim picture out of few words is like a bridge dropped on him. Jyushimatsu knows absolutely nothing about Peter's world except it's apparently full of superheroes with their leagues of justice or something along those lines. Yet he's being told that a villain managed to defeat them all? No, that's not right. It's true that comics have gone through dark ages in which villains got to win more battles than before, but to have that become an actual thing that happened in a real world it sticks out as something hurtful, tragic.

He takes a better look at Peter's face now. The kid does indeed look like he'd seen a lot. Not even an adult and he's dealing with this shit... no wonder he wanted to come back here.

Jyushimatsu never lived through that sort of thing. Even if his world was destroyed, it would rebuild itself by next day and everything would carry on as if no one died hours before. He's not used to take that stuff seriously. Though that doesn't mean it doesn't affect him, because Peter's a friend and when friends suffer you'd be an emotionless husk if you didn't feel the slightest sorry for them. ]

Hey buddy, it's fine!

[ His words come out chirper than he intends to. Then again he doesn't want to seem like the news completely devastated him, either. Peter wouldn't need to deal with a guy outside his world getting all upset about it. He puts an arm around the kid and pats his back in a surprisingly gentle manner considering he previously caused them to crash into a rooftop. ]

I mean, nothing's fine at your home, but here you can take a break! Breathe and do your Suppaidaman things! Hang out with the people, enjoy the festivals, live some peace! You deserve it, buddy!

[He kind of expected a really eager reply like that — maybe that's just proof that he's gotten to know Jyushi pretty well in their time here, ha. And he's relieved that it's just that, because he's not sure he can risk hurting his friends anymore than he already feels like he has. So he smiles, breathes, and nods.]

I so need a break, dude.

Catching the occasional mugger here sounds like a good vacation, as far as I'm concerned.

[It'll feel like before things went to hell.

That's well worth it.]

Hahaha! If it's that relaxing to you then it'd be pointless of me to suggest having a movie night or other friend-like things that don't involve thwarting a bank robbery!

[ He's teasing, of course. Winking along with it. Scattering the bad feelings away is now his top priority. ]

Oh, hey, you could also take me with you! Letting me watch you catch criminals and fetch stuff for the unfortunate people who can't! Like the baby diapers back then!

[... Heh. Well, in that case.]

I guess Spider-Man could use some company on his routes today — if you're game.

[It could be a disaster. Or it could be fun. Either way, it's living, huh?]

[ It's gonna be a win anyway! With Jyushimatsu as the sidekick Peter's hero life won't be so boring.

He stands up straight, outstretching his sleeves. ]

I've been game ever since I suggested it! Will I get to cling to your back as you do spidey things across the buildings?

[Sometimes he wonders about you, Jyushi. But as he pulls his mask back into place, he relents; why not give a fun ride to one of his buds? Seems like something a good and friendly neighborhood Spider-Man would do, huh?]

Grab on, man — let's get to work.

[There's never enough hours in the day, to keep the city in line.]

[ Jyushimatsu won't let the newly masked Suppaidaman get a further word in before he proceeds to move swiftly behind his friend and treat him to his noodly arms and legs wrapped around him. Kinda like a human backpack. He's also inexplicably light to the point no one would blame Peter if he ended up forgetting there was a dude clinging to his back the entire time. Just as long as he won't accidentally squash him into walls...! ]

It's comfy like this, yeah? If it's necessary I can punch a thief or two if you don't have enough arms to contain them all!

[ Like a true sidekick, you see! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Epilogue] 1 Time Peter Parker Died (But Didn't) + 5 Times He Lived (And Kept Living)

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+1

billy > peter > teddy?

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