Arthur was still standing a few meters away from the bank, watching Spider-Man go away, envy and respect shining in his eyes.
He thought,
'Maybe I can do both, hero and thief.'
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'But what could being a hero mean for me?'
He immediately started imagining himself in spandex, saving a cat from a tree, and started shivering in disgust at the image in his head.
Being a hero may seem like a cool thing to be, but reading about the life of Peter Parker is literally a walking sign saying, "IT'S NOT WORTH IT."
Sure, saving people and helping where you can is a good thing, but it can also be a trap for yourself and for the people you save.
Because Spider-Man exists to save the day every time, the city of New York will never truly be prepared for a disaster. Funding for firefighters and the NYPD will never rise and may even be lowered because, at the end of the day, politicians will always cut corners wherever they can.
And the truth is that a superhuman with super strength, super speed, etc. will always be more efficient than a regular human.
And for all that Spider-Man saves the day, he is, consequently, also the one responsible for every person he cannot save.
And so, for every human life he cannot save because he is not God, he is hated and resented by the same people he would give his life to save.
A good way to understand this is through a theory developed by Martin Seligman called "Learned Helplessness." The basic idea is that if Spider-Man constantly intervenes, the population develops the feeling that their own actions no longer matter. Citizens stop acting for themselves, becoming passive and entirely dependent on the hero. Individuals transfer the responsibility for their safety to an external force. Consequently, their survival depends on him, which generates massive public anxiety.
So, being a hero in spandex, saving the day and being acclaimed by the public one day and booed the next is not really something that interests Arthur.
No, what interests Arthur more is the freedom brought by being a superhuman. If he previously thought about stealing money for his own enjoyment, he now also started thinking about what could empower him.
'There's no shortage of super serums or alternatives in the MCU: Steve Rogers' Super-Soldier Serum, the Red Guardian's Super-Soldier Serum, Alexei Shostakov, the spider that I suppose bit Peter Parker at Oscorp, the Black Panther's Heart-Shaped Herb in Wakanda, and Extremis developed by Maya Hansen and AIM.'
While some of these options were less attainable than others, they were all still valid options.
Steve Rogers' blood could be stolen during the Battle of New York.
The Red Guardian is in prison in Russia and is not exactly hidden from him or his Fading.
Oscorp is also open to a heist from someone with his power.
Wakanda may be hidden from almost everyone on Earth, but that's mostly because nobody is looking closely enough to find it.
And AIM may be a private company, but certainly not a secret one. Their headquarters should be on the internet.
'So much choice, but I also need to factor into my calculations what I can directly inject into myself and what needs development and research.'
'For 50 years, governments around the world have been trying to replicate the Super-Soldier Serum with little to no results to show for it, and my major is engineering, not biology.'
While Arthur may have had a high opinion of himself, he also knew what he could and couldn't do.
There was little sense in planning a heist for something that couldn't be used by him.
'It's the same for Red Guardian's blood and Extremis. Extremis probably needs another 10 to 15 years of development before it could be used safely.'
'Oscorp is a little bit better, but at the end of the day, I am not sure what version of Peter Parker is in this universe. Is it the one where the spider was developed by his parents and can only work on him? Can it work on everyone? And will it connect me to the Web of Life and Destiny and the Great Weaver?'
'And do I want to take the risk of being drawn into spider-people multiversal messes?'
After more and more thoughts on his options, Arthur was leaning more and more towards the easiest option for him: robbing Wakanda.
'Their only defense is completely useless against me. I could just walk right into their royal palace, take what I want, and walk right out.'
Wakanda also brought the opportunity to steal some vibranium, and really, who could say no to a little vibranium?
Finishing his train of thought, Arthur realized he had been staring into space for the last ten minutes, and people were starting to give him weird looks.
Quickly shaking his head, he started walking back to his apartment. On the way, he stopped at a convenience store to buy some meat and vegetables for his dinner.
While looking through the aisles, searching for tomatoes, he bumped into someone.
Looking up, he saw maybe the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before: light blonde hair, soft blue eyes, and a white blouse and black skirt that enhanced her lithe figure and gave her a girl-next-door vibe. He almost stared for a beat too long before apologizing.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you. Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, doing his best not to let his eyes wander below her face.
She shot him a glance, letting her eyes scan him from head to toe, noting the slight redness on his cheeks, and smiled at him.
"No, no, don't worry. I didn't see you either, so it's no harm done." The softness of her tone was the only thing he seemed to notice before smiling at her and responding.
"I see. That's good. Still, sorry. I was entranced by wondering what I would cook myself for dinner."
She laughed slightly before responding.
"It's also the hardest choice I have to make."
"Oh? Did you already know what you are going to eat for dinner tonight?" he said, glancing at her shopping bags, which looked full. He could see potatoes, stuffing, and courgettes.
"Well, yes, I do know. I have a delicious recipe for stuffed vegetables with fries." Her eyes had a knowing glint as she responded, still smiling brightly at his obvious interest and attempt to keep the conversation going.
Willing to play along for now, she did not close the exchange yet.
"And you, what are you planning to make for yourself?"
He smiled mischievously and answered.
"I do not know yet. Would you like to give me some ideas?"
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