Parker House — Morning
The sun had already been up for several hours. Yet Peter had quietly remained on the roof of his house, keeping watch over the surrounding area. He was no longer wearing his black suit, but simple civilian clothes so as not to arouse the neighbors' suspicions.
After continuing his watch for a while, he eventually told himself that, if an assassin were to come, there was little chance they would strike in broad daylight. Feeling slightly more reassured than the day before, he quietly made his way back to his bedroom by climbing across the walls of the house.
The sunlight now flooded the room, giving it a soft and warm atmosphere. An almost ironic contrast when thinking back to Peter's situation and everything he had just been through. Because his life... was far from being that bright at the moment.
He grabbed his backpack and opened it. Inside were two suits: the one Gwen had made for him... and his new black suit.
A choice now stood before him.
Which one should he take?
Normally, the answer would have been obvious. Without a second thought, he would have chosen Gwen's suit. It was elegant, and thanks to it, Peter could now glide between buildings without even using his webs. Yet... this time, he hesitated.
After all, that suit had been damaged, whereas the black suit was completely intact and seemed to possess exactly the same abilities. So... why make life more complicated?
He carefully took the suit Gwen had made for him out of his bag before quietly storing it at the back of his closet.
At the same time, the events from just a few hours earlier came flooding back into his mind.
When daylight had begun to break and he had continued keeping watch without that strange suit, the black suit had simply detached itself from him... all on its own.
It was truly strange.
As if it had a will of its own, it had crawled across the walls, then through the bedroom window before attaching itself to Peter's backpack.
As though it were telling him:
"Go ahead... put me in your bag, just like you always do."
That was when Peter had finally been able to take the suit off and store it with the rest of his belongings, alongside his web-shooters and his camera, before putting on his usual clothes.
He couldn't help but find all of this extremely strange...
But also incredibly practical.
Ever since he had woken up, he had constantly been wondering what this thing really was.
Then he eventually brushed the question aside with a simple shrug.
After all, what did it matter for now?
Whatever this suit was, it had already helped him several times in a very short span of time.
Finally pushing those thoughts aside, Peter closed his backpack. Inside were his black suit, his camera, and a spare pair of web-shooters that he always kept in reserve in case his current ones were ever damaged or destroyed. Curious about the unusual silence filling the house, he then headed downstairs.
As soon as he entered the living room, his eyes were immediately drawn to a pile of bills spread across the table. He walked over, quickly looked through them... then let out a quiet sigh.
— "I gave all the money I earned from my photos for the Daily Bugle, and even with that..."
Suddenly, Aunt May entered the room, causing him to straighten up immediately and step away from the documents. Unaware that he had already seen them, and not wanting him to worry about their situation, she quickly hid the bills behind her before putting on her usual reassuring smile. As always, she was doing everything she could to spare him that burden... and the same went for Gwen.
— "Oh, good morning, Peter! Did you sleep well?"
Peter wasn't fooled. He understood perfectly well that their financial difficulties were still very real, and he knew his aunt was doing everything she could to face them without ever placing that burden on his shoulders.
And yet...
How frustrating it was.
Why did money always have to be such a constant source of problems?
Despite everything he wanted to tell her, he merely forced a smile, trying to reassure her... without much success.
— "I'm okay, Aunt May..."
May tilted her head slightly.
Her eyes reflected genuine concern.
— "Are you sure?"
His aunt had immediately noticed his lack of energy. The concern was written all over her face, and Peter realized it almost instantly. Without saying another word, he walked over to her and gently embraced her.
— "Of course I am, Aunt May! Don't worry."
The gentle lady of the house immediately returned his embrace with the same tenderness. For several long seconds, they remained in each other's arms before slowly pulling apart. Their eyes met, as though they were trying to read each other's thoughts.
— "I have to go, Aunt May. See you tonight!"
— "Have a wonderful day, sweetheart!"
After leaving the house through the front door, Peter walked behind it. Once he was out of sight, he placed his backpack on the ground and opened it. The moment the zipper was slightly opened, the black suit literally leaped onto him, completely enveloping his body.
He hadn't even needed to change, as he normally would have. The suit instantly attached itself to his body, merging with him until it became one with Peter.
— "W-Wow!"
He jumped in surprise, completely caught off guard. However, after a few seconds, his surprise gave way to curiosity. An idea suddenly crossed his mind. His eyes first fell on his web-shooters, still stored inside his backpack, before slowly shifting to his wrists, where they would normally be.
Intrigued, he repeated the same gesture he usually made to fire a web.
Instantly, a web shot out from his wrist.
Or rather... from where his wrist was beneath the black suit.
Because this time, it wasn't Peter producing the web...
It was the suit itself.
When he saw that, he jumped again. The web was black and looked almost organic. It resembled his suit in every way, as though it were a natural extension of it.
But more than surprise, it was overwhelming excitement that filled Peter. A wide smile spread across his face and only grew bigger as he realized just how much this suit was going to simplify his life. No more carrying around his gadgets. No more changing clothes to put on his suit.
Everything was already with him.
— "I don't know how you ended up on me... but I already love you!"
He quickly closed his backpack, slung it properly over his shoulders, and prepared to take off.
— "Still... I'll have to figure out where you came from someday, my dear new suit!"
At last, he launched himself into the air, leaving his house behind as he headed toward the great city of Manhattan.
TO BE CONTINUED.