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Northern Canada.
Deep forest.
Snow.
Nothing but wilderness for miles.
“Hothead.
Big Bear.
Stay here for now and hibernate if you need to.
Don’t hurt people unless you have to.
Don’t hunt in a way that draws attention.
Understood?”
“Understood.”
Both giants answered like obedient children.
Evan did not linger.
Once the instructions were clear, he left.
Three days later, he returned to San Francisco.
The moment he reached the apartment building, he heard the landlord pounding on Peter’s door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“That kid has been dodging me for days,” the landlord grumbled.
“If he doesn’t pay rent, I swear I’ll put him on the street.”
Evan’s brow tightened.
Peter was behind on rent?
Of course he was.
Peter Parker might have been one of the world’s most famous heroes, but money had never loved him back.
Evan checked his pocket.
Five hundred dollars.
It was what remained after he robbed a few criminals in Canada and bought his way back.
He opened his door.
“How much does Peter owe you?”
“Two months.
Four hundred.”
The landlord held up four fingers.
He was middle-aged, overweight, wearing shorts and sandals, and looked exactly as greasy as his voice sounded.
Evan handed him four hundred dollars.
“From now on, you come to me for his rent.
Don’t bother him.”
The landlord stared.
Evan thought for a second, then handed over the last hundred too.
“And don’t tell him I paid it.
Tell him you cut him a break because school is hard.
If you can do that, I’ll give you five hundred every month.
Deal?”
“Five hundred?”
The man’s eyes lit up.
“Deal.
Not a word.
I’ll even pretend I’m being generous.”
Evan smiled.
Agreement reached.
The landlord had barely left when Peter came up the stairs.
He brightened when he saw Evan.
“Ev!
Where have you been?
I thought that giant bird carried you off.”
Evan widened his eyes like he had no idea what Peter meant.
“Giant bird?
I haven’t been in San Francisco for three days.”
“You missed the giant bird?”
Peter looked thrilled to have a story.
“Okay.
Tonight, I’m taking you to a show, and I’m explaining everything.”
A show.
Evan remembered Peter’s longtime crush, Mary Jane Watson.
Actress, singer, walking emotional complication.
He smiled and agreed.
That night, Evan went with Peter to the theater.
Just as expected, Peter was there for Mary Jane.
“I’m telling you, the bird was bigger than a plane,” Peter whispered while they waited.
“One flap and it made a tornado.
The worst part was the alien monster riding it.
Things are getting dangerous out there, Ev.
Be careful, okay?
Don’t get eaten by anything.”
Evan listened with deep, quiet amusement.
If Peter knew Evan was the alien monster in that story, the look on his face would have been priceless.
The show ended.
Evan nudged him.
“Go backstage.
See your goddess.”
Peter froze, suddenly shy.
“I didn’t bring anything.
It would be weird.”
Peter was broke.
Too broke to buy flowers.
Evan glanced toward the lobby and smiled.
Right on time, a delivery worker arrived with a bouquet.
“Sir, your flowers.”
Peter looked at Evan.
Evan took the bouquet and handed it over.
“Now you brought something.
Go.”
“Thanks, man.”
Peter walked backstage with the flowers clutched like a shield.
Then he stopped.
A young man in a military dress uniform had an arm around Mary Jane.
Several large flower arrangements stood nearby.
Peter’s shoulders sank.
Evan sighed.
Peter had already lost Uncle Ben.
Guilt was stitched into his bones.
Then he fell in love, pushed the girl away to protect her, and somehow still found time to be kind to a runaway kid across the hall.
If Evan had never met him, maybe he would have let the story play out.
But Peter had been his first real friend here.
A drop of kindness deserved a flood in return.
Evan had come tonight to change Peter’s fate.
So when he saw Peter freeze, he smiled coldly, grabbed him by the shoulders, and shoved him straight toward Mary Jane.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.