A Brand New Future...

Peter's eyes snapped open. Taking deep breaths, struggling for air, wheezing as he tried to sit up. Looking around Peter took in his current surroundings. I’m - I’m here…I’m back here…but how, what? “-id!” Everything was so…weird right now. Peter felt so out of it. ”Ki-!”

It felt like something was stuck in his ears. He tried to hear anything, but it felt like his powers were blocked. He tried to feel them but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried. “Kid-! Kid!” Snapping out of his haze, Peter felt hands on his shoulders, shaking him. 

Tearing his gaze up, he saw Mr. Stark looking back at him. “Mr. Sta-” Peter fell silent, his words felt echoey, like he wasn't the one saying them. 

He looked to be blurring around the edges. Like he was fading into the background. His powers were not picking up on his heart beat. Oh…this is…

Peter's thoughts trailed off as he looked down at his body. 

…Dust…I'm turning to dust again…

…Again?

“You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay!” Mr. Stark called out desperately to him. Trying to get him to hold on, respond, anything.

“I'm sorry…”

There isn't a lot Peter can remember after that.

“Hey kid.” Peter startled at the voice. Looking around Peter couldn't see anything. Everything was dark, he couldn't see anything. It was like a void. There was nothing, he sensed nothing, he was nothing. 

“Kid.” A hand lands on his shoulder. He looks up to see Dr. Strange in front of him.

“Listen, because I don't have a lot of time to explain this to you. I’m sending you away.” 

Away? What did he mean? Why is he sending me away? Where? 

“You can’t talk right now. You actually can’t do anything right now. You can only listen. I hope you are listening now.” Dr. Strange starts performing a spell. “The multiverse is tearing itself apart at the seams. Unfortunately your presence is too much for the universe to handle anymore.”

Peter is confused, multiverse, tearing apart, his fault? 

“You don't remember much right now, but you will in due time. Remember this, you cannot return. The world will break and end. Not only from you being here, but from breaking back into it. Universes can be incredibly fragile.” 

Dr. Strange finishes his spell and prepares to set it off. “Before, I told you to listen.” Peter looks up, staring at Dr. Strange in the eye. He assumes he does at least, as he can't tell right from left, much less feel anything else. “So I hope you're listening when I tell you that…I’m sorry Peter. I wish things could've been different. Unfortunately, my abilities have a limit.” 

Dr. Strange activates his spell and Peter can feel everything around him disappearing

________

“GASP-!”

Peter shot up from the floor from where he was laying. Looking around, clutching his chest, Peter tries to steady his breathing. 

 “Peter, your heart rate has increased, It seems you are having a mild panic attack. Shall I contact someone?”

Peter stared out the window for a moment, digging his nails into the skin on his hips. “No Karen, I’m okay, just give me a moment.” There’s no one to contact anyway.

“Alright.” Karen went quiet for a moment before Peter heard soft music begin to play from his mask on the floor. Peter sighed and smiled, Karen always knew how to calm him down. 

(Peter knows music isn't a magical solution to his problems, but it helps him from falling into a full on panic.)

“Thanks Karen.”

“You are welcome Peter.” 

Peter stood up and put his suit in his bag. He held his mask in his hand, hesitating. “Karen, how would I be able to talk to you if you're in my bag?”

“I would suggest finding a phone, or more conveniently, an earpiece. I would be able to talk to you easier that way.” 

Peter nods. “Alright, I'll go looking for one today.”  

“Good luck Peter.”

“Thanks Karen.” Peter puts his mask, and Karen, in his bag. He hops out the window of the Firehouse and heads towards the stores. More specifically the electronic stores. 

This universe's tech is kind of behind, but they most likely have earbuds or something similar. The first wireless earbuds were released in 2014–2015, and the first wireless headphones were available in 2004.

Since Peters in 2014 he has had some hope that this universe's tech is similar to his own worlds.  

He actually does find a few earbuds, but they’re all damaged and the tech won’t connect properly to Karen. He collects some scraps and heads down the street to a hardware store. 

Peter decides to go inside to check what kind of tools they have available. There were a few he could use to help Karen and make earbuds. They were a bit pricey though. He wasn’t sure that his limited funds could cover this. 

“Hey there kid, you havin’ some trouble.” Peter looked over to the voice and flinched back once he got a look at the man.  

He towered over Peter. Staring down at him with bright, glowing, almost unnatural green eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and had a white patch in his hair. Peter took a small step back. 

…danger…wary…trust…careful…

Why were his senses wary of this man? He could obviously sense that he was a danger. Not to Peter, no, but he could very much be if he wasn’t careful. But why was that? He was built like a steel fridge, if that made sense.

That’s just it though. He was built like a lot of other adult men Peter has passed on the street. They didn’t make his senses react the way that this man did. Those other guys could easily have been dangerous, but this guy…

He was someone Peter needed to watch out for.

“You okay there kid?” The stranger asked, waving his hand in front of Peter's face. Peter did his best not to flinch back. “Y-yes! I’m…uh, I'm okay!”  

“That’s good, you were spacing out there for a minute.” 

Peter's gaze shifts awkwardly, not sure how to respond to the man in front of him. The stranger clears his throat, “I'm Jason, kid.” Peter nods at him not saying anything. “Do you need some help, you look a bit rough..” Jason looks Peter up and down, taking in his appearance. “I'm just looking at the tools…” Peter looks back towards the shelf, trying to ignore Jason standing beside him. 

Jason nods, “I can help you out with those if you need them.” Peter looked up in surprise, staring at Jason. “Really..?” Jason smiles and nods, his shoulders relaxing a bit. “Yeah, whatever you need, kid. I don’t mind helping out.” Peter looked at Jason, skeptical. But he picked out a few tools and let Jason take a look at them. 

“What do ya need all these for?”

“Personal project of mine, nothing special.” Jason stares at the tools a second. “That all ya need?” Peter nods. “Yeah, this is it.” Jason takes Peter up to the counter and pays for the tools. 

Peter…well he strongly dislikes having someone pay for him. It feels like he’s taking advantage of them. Well, there's another person I have to pay back later…

They walked out the store together, “Thank you for the tools Mr. Jason.” 

“Just Jason kid, I’m not that old.” Peter chuckles, “Hey, you hungry?” Peter looked at Jason confused. He went to refuse but his stomach started growling. Damn traitor. 

“C'mon kid, let me get you something to eat.” 

“No, it's okay Jason! You've already done so much for me! You really don't need to!” Jason looks dumbfounded. “Kid, it's okay. I'm offering and I wouldn't do this if I didn't want to help out.” 

“Still, you really don’t need to spend money on me. You've done more than enough Mr. Jason.”

“And we're back to the mister…” Jason mumbles. “Look kid I don't mean to be rude, but I can tell you're in a not so good situation.” Peter looks down at himself and feels his eye twitch. Did he really need to point that out?

“Listen, I help kids here around the alley, and you're no exception. I get that you might feel guilty, but there isn’t any reason to be. I’m offering my help because I genuinely want to help you. No need to worry about money either. I have more than enough. So just let me help you.”

Ughhh…   

__________

Peter and Jason end up going to the Bat Burger down the road. It’s a different location. Peter would feel a little embarrassed being seen by an employee at the same fast food joint two days in a row. 

He just got what he got last time and sat down with Jason, who got a milkshake and a small fry. 

They ate in silence for a bit before Jason cleared his throat. “So, what brings you to Gotham kid?” 

“Is it that obvious that I’m not from here?” 

“Yeah, the New York accent was a dead give away. Which borough?”

“Queens. Though, obviously, I’ve had to leave.” Jason nods and sits back in his chair. “If you don’t mind, why did you leave New York?”

Peter shakes his head. “It’s a long story. I really don’t want to talk about it.” Jason holds his hands up. “Alright I won’t ask. You got a place to stay though?” Peter nods, thinking of the firehouse. He feels a little proud thinking of it and all the progress he made cleaning it. 

“Yeah I do.”

“You got a parent, guardian?” Peter had to think about this one for a bit. Who should he say is his guardian? May? Tony? Should he just pick a random name? There isn’t anyone he knows here with him. Unless…

“I have Karen.” Jason stares for a minute. “Is she taking good care of you?” Peter nods, “Yeah, she's the best! Karen's incredible, I'm really lucky to call her my family.” Peter picks up his burger and takes a big bite. He wants to finish as soon as possible to get back to the firehouse. “Alright.” Jason picks up his milkshake and takes a sip. “As long as she's doing her job. Is she out right now?”

“Um…yeah. She's out trying to find a job.” Speaking of jobs, Peter needs to find one. Hopefully there are places here willing to hire a homeless thirteen year old. Peter will have to find a place that pays in cash too. “As long as she aint a thief, she’ll find one soon. She could work at the shelters, they're always looking for employees and volunteers.” 

I could probably work at one. Though if this guy does too, I'm not all too eager to get a position. “I'll tell her about that if she doesn't have any luck today.” Peter said, y’know, like a liar.  

“What about you kid, you in school?” Peter shakes his head. “No, I graduated already.” Jason looked at him like he lost his head. “You graduated already? How old are you? 13, 14?”

Crap, Peter forgot that he de-aged for a moment. He hadn't been thinking about it at all recently, he's been pretty busy. Fixing his suit, Karen, and the firehouse took up a lot of his thoughts. 

“I’m 13, and yes I did.” Jason looked skeptical but nodded. “Well, you must be pretty smart.” 

“My IQ is 250 if that's what you mean.” Jason whistles, looking impressed. “Dang kid, you take after your parents?” Peter held back a flinch at the mention of his parents. Sure, he can talk about them openly without any reaction or ill feelings. That didn’t mean he just liked being asked about them so out of the blue.

“Yeah…I do. My parents, they're really smart. They taught me a lot of things. Mostly about science and biology. My Dad used to love ranting about the science behind Star Wars. We used to binge those movies all the time. My Mom also liked to teach me about genetics, and how they made up each individual life form. They were always very passionate in their rants.” 

“They sound very nice.” Jason chuckled, looking very amused by Peter's little rant about his parents. Peter's eyes lit up. “They're the best! Mom and Dad loved teaching me things they loved. Including teaching me about acrobatics. Especially my Dad. He always talks about how important it is to learn.” Jason looked at him for a moment. “Acrobatics? They do that a lot?” 

“Yep! They loved doing it whenever they got the chance. Which was like, everyday.” Peter chuckled, remembering how happy his parents used to be about him learning acrobatics with them. “So, they're good people?”

“Of course.” What an odd question. Peter could never imagine his parents being anything other than happy and good.

“Then why aren't you staying with them?” 

Peter's good mood died for a moment. He didn't really want to talk about his parents passing. “Oh, well um...” Peter was just going to make something up. “Well, long story short, my parents are out of state at the moment. They’re…on a work trip and Karen is my aunt, so I'm staying with her.”

There! That was a good lie right?

Damn Parker, you've really outdone yourself. Peter thought smugly. Jason raises an eyebrow, but slowly nods, taking in the information. “Okay kid. Make sure Karen takes good care of you, got it? If she can't, come find me.” 

“That won't be a problem Mr. Jason.” Sighing, Jason mumbles under his breath. “Mr. Jason again.”

"Though, I feel like I should warn ya. The cops around here don't take too kindly to kids skipping school.” Peter looked at Jason confused. “But I'm not in school anymore. I graduated.”

“Yeah, the cops ain't gonna believe that though. They tend to get pretty violent.” Peter looked appalled. “Wow, that's pretty disgusting.” Jason nodded, his face twisted into a scowl. “They're corrupt, the whole lot of them. You see a cop? Run in the other direction. Especially if you're out during school hours. 

Peter started, aghast. Corrupt cops weren't a new concept to Peter. He dealt with them on a daily basis after all. They shot at him all the time. That didn’t make it any less heinous.  

“Should I just go to school despite having already graduated?” Peter mumbled. “You should.” Oh, he heard me. “You know, Gotham university takes scholarship students. You should give that a shot.” 

Peter stares at his food, silent. “I’ll think about it.” Jason nods. 

They finish their food and exit the restaurant. “Thank you for the food Mr. Jason.” 

“No problem kid. Remember, if you ever need anything I usually frequent the shelters around here.” Peter nods and heads off. “Thank you again Mr. Jason.” Peter runs off, waving behind him as he heads towards the firehouse. 

__________

Peter makes it back to the firehouse and pulls out his suit. “Hey Karen, I got some parts to make an earbud, and the tools too!”

“That's good to hear Peter. I have already connected to the satellites, and am currently updating my database.” 

Peter smiled, “Good job Karen. Hopefully I'll have this earbud finished in maybe an hour or so. Tell me if you can connect to it okay?” 

“Of course Peter.”

Peter quickly got to work on the ear bud and luckily finished it in only 30 minutes. Peter decided to make it look like a hearing aid for convenience sake. He then grabbed his suit and took a look at Karen. With his new tools Peter hoped to fully fix her. Peter spent an hour fixing up Karen and trying to get her working fully.

“Karen, how are you feeling?” Peter waited for her to respond. He was a little nervous that he wasn’t able to do it properly. “Hello Peter, my systems seem to be running at full capacity.” Peter sighed in relief. 

He put the device in his ear. It didn't hurt his ear and it hooked perfectly onto it. “I finished the earbud, or the fake hearing aid. Can you connect to it?”  

“I have connected to the device.” Thankfully Peter could hear her clearly in his ear. He’ll need to get some more spare parts from the store in case it needs repairs. Circling back to his earlier epiphany, Peter remembered he needed to get a steady income. “Karen, can you find any places hiring nearby?” 

“Of course, I have found a few locations nearby. Though age requirements are not listed for a few.” 

“What requirements do they have?” Peter needed to find a job, and quickly. He hoped there was a job that didn’t have a lot of requirements. If he couldn’t find one then he might be screwed. 

“The cashier at the local Bat Burger requires you to be 15, and have an address. There are a few other fast food restaurants, but they all require an address, and some a bank account. A receptionist at S.T.A.R Labs requires a year's experience-” It sounds like Peters is getting screwed more than he thought. Each requirement Karen lists, the more the dread grows. 

“Hmm.” Peter perks up at this. “What is it Karen?” Why did Karen go silent all of a sudden? 

“It appears that a position at a library has just been posted. There are no requirements listed.” Peter felt a bit of hope at this news. “Where is it located?”

“The Diamond District.” Peter paused. The Diamond District. Wasn't I just..? 

“Hey Karen, who posted the job?” Karen was quiet for a moment before she responded. “It was posted two minutes ago by someone named Barbara Gordon.” 

That's Ms. Barbara, right? I’m not too sure about that one, but…I don't have much of a choice. But I already owe Ms. Barbara so much. I’m supposed to be playing her back, not her paying me… 

“It's not like I have a lot of options…” Peter mumbles under his breath. “You should apply for the position Peter. You have a good chance of getting hired here.” Peter sighs, feeling like he needs to sleep another five hours. He really should go try for this job though. 

Peter can't help feeling like he lost a bit more of himself as he stood up. “Alright Karen lets go.” Peter hopped out the window and walked down the wall. “Your heart rate has spiked. Are you nervous?” 

“A bit, but it's fine.” Peter stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets. “I understand applying for a job can be nerve racking, but you have nothing to worry about Peter. It’ll be okay.” Though Karen was trying to be reassuring, it did little to calm Peter's nerves.

Peter heard faint music coming from the hearing aid and took a deep breath. It's not the job I'm nervous about. Actually, I'm not too sure what it is that I'm nervous about. There's this feeling pooling in my gut. As Peter becomes more lost in his thoughts, he enters the subway station. 

It's like a sense of dread mixed with anticipation. Peter gets on the subway train and sits down. It’s early so it's pretty cramped. It feels like something is going to happen. But I can’t tell what. Peter scans the subway car he’s in, trying to find the source of his unease. 

Peter doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary for a subway. No one in this car feels dangerous. He doesn't feel any immediate sense of danger. There's no spikes in his senses that warn him of anything. What the hell could be going on?   

Peter snaps out of his thoughts as the subway comes to a stop. He gets off, bumping into a few people and exiting the station. Hmmm…

Peter walks down the street, looking around. This doesn't look like the place I was in yesterday…

Peter looks around the streets but nothing here feels familiar. Peter looks at the street signs and sees one that says, ‘Robinsville.’  

Robinsville? Where the heck did I go? Peter was going to turn around and leave before his senses spiked. Peter whipped his head around, trying to spot what made his sense react. He scans the streets and feels a tug at his brain. It was pulling him towards something. He follows it in the direction it's pulling him.

As he gets closer he feels his senses pick up. The chill down down his spine gets stronger. The hair on his body stands on end, and the ringing in his ears gets louder. He feels himself getting closer and closer. 

Peter walks and passes by a weird shaped building. It looked like it was glowing with how bright the blue lights surrounding it were. It kind of reminds me of…

Peter looks down at the sign in front of the building. ‘Iceberg Lounge.’

Well that explains the shape…

Peter felt his senses spike as he looked at the building. So this is what's making my senses go off. Still that doesn't explain - Peter snapped out of his thoughts as he caught sight of a shadowy figure out of the corner of his eye. 

He stared at the figure, and he could feel the figure staring right back at him. 

……

A small tingle rang in his head, down his spine. It wasn’t too strong. The figure was dangerous, but they wouldn’t cause Peter any direct harm. 

…care…worry…

Hmm? Why are they..? 

BANG!

Peter’s head shot over to the lounge. The door burst open and a bunch of drunk people stumbled out. Peter felt his ears start to ring slightly. It was a repetitive ring, right now it was slow and quiet. 

Ah, shit. Dealing with drunks could be bad. I need to go. Peter turned to walk down the street when the ringing in his ears suddenly got louder. Picking up in speed and blaring loudly in his ears. Peter quickly jumped out of the way of a hand reaching for his arm. 

“Heyyyy there kiddo, whatcha doing round here?” A very drunk woman slurred in Peter’s face. She had short, choppy black hair and a revealing outfit. She was carrying a bottle in her hand. The woman grabbed onto Peter and latched onto his arm. “Hello miss, please let go.”

Peter gently tried to shake the woman's hand off of him. He didn't want to be too rough incase he hurt her. The woman hung onto him and started laughing. “C'mon! Don’t be such a buzzkill kid! Let's party!” She turned and shouted to some people, probably her friends. She took a swing of the bottle. 

“Miss, really, I need to get back home. My aunt is going to get worried.” Peter nervously smiled and tried to gently shake out of her grip again. Dear Thor, how is anyone this drunk at one in the afternoon?

“Awww, c'mon kid!” The woman tried to drag Peter along with her and her friends. Peter was starting to get nervous. He really didn't want to get forceful with this woman, but he might have much of a choice.  

“Hey miss-”

“Excuse me miss, could you let that kid go?” A hand landed on the woman's shoulder. She looked back to see who was touching her. Peter startled, flinching slightly. He looked up at the man who just spoke. 

Peter's breath hitched. He… His senses settled into a quiet hum in the back of his skull, but they didn't calm completely. The man in front of him towered over him and the woman. 

Why are all these vigilantes so damn tall? He had short black hair and a blue domino mask covering his eyes. He had a muscular and slim figure covered in a blue and black suit. 

The blue on his chest was shaped like a bird, and he had two weapons strapped to his back…He looks really cool in Peter's opinion.

He's the one setting of my senses. He's dangerous, very much so, and yet… I can't help but feel like…I remember him…  

Skipping over that train of thought, Peter used the distraction to slip from the woman's grip. The new guy was busy trying to calm the woman down. Apparently, she didn't exactly like being taken away from her new ‘friend.’

Peter used that chance to slip away into a nearby alley and climb up a building to watch. The woman was now shouting at the man, waving her bottle around. The vigilante held his hands up in front of him. It looked like he was trying to approach a wild animal. 

Peter couldn’t help but be amused at what he was watching. The woman started screaming louder and the guy started to look more desperate. Peter laughed. He flinched when the vigilante turned his head slightly in his direction. Peter could feel his eyes on him. Peter sat on the edge of the roof and continued to watch the interaction. 

Peter could hear the guy's breath hitch as he kept his gaze on Peter. The man’s focus turned back to the drunk woman as she started trying to hit him with the bottle.

Peter’s stomach jumped a bit when he saw. Should I go help or..? The man grabbed the woman’s arm and took the bottle from her. His focus turned to a group of people. He called out to them and another girl jogged over. The other woman took hold of the drunk one, apologized, and took her away. 

Peter saw the man sigh heavily and run a hand down his face. Peter chuckled again. 

Peter looked over at the drunk woman and saw her leaving with her friends. Good. She really needed to go before she did something stupid…

“Hey there, could you back away from the edge?”  

Peter jumped and let out a very manly (high pitched) scream. Peter’s head shot around to look at who just spoke to him. He saw the vigilante. How did he get up here so fast?! Oh man, that was so embarrassing! Why the heck is he even here?

Peter stared at the man, not speaking. How did he not sense him, or even feel him coming? Even if his senses couldn’t pick up the man, Peter should’ve been able to feel the vibrations of his footsteps approaching.

The man took a slight step forward. “Hey kid, could you step away from the ledge? You’re a bit too close there.” The man’s voice sounded strained and tired. 

I get it man. Dealing with drunk people can really drain you. Peter couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the man’s tired state. There have been some bad days on his portal. Days where he wanted nothing more than to lay down in his bed and ignore the world.

This man, however, was still triggering his senses. So Peter didn't feel all too bad. He’s disturbing my peace, I’m allowed to be a little bit bitter. 

“Nah.”

“…Nah?” The man looked confused at Peter’s response. Peter had to hold back a laugh at his face.

…familiar…

Hmmm?

“Nah, I’m good. I like heights. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. I'll be okay.” The man relaxed slightly at Peter's response. He walked up beside Peter and sat by him. 

“So, what were you doing by the Iceberg lounge kid?” The man asked innocently. There was something in his tone that Peter couldn’t quite place.

Is he trying to interrogate me? Rude. 

“Sightseeing. I’ve always wanted to see this odd shaped building and get harassed by drunk people.” 

The man stared at him silently. “Uh huh…Is it your favorite pastime or just. Or just a one time thing?”

“Not really. But it is pretty entertaining to watch drunk people acting like idiots. Obviously, unless they get violent.”

“Huh…Please don’t do that again. Don’t know if you’ve realized but she was one of the more tame drunks around here.”

“That was tame? She swung her bottle at your head.”

The man chuckled. “Yeah, the people in this city can get pretty violent with each other. Especially if they’re drunk. It’s never a fun time for anybody.”

“Yeah I could tell. Drunk people in New York are so horrible to deal with.”

“You're from New York?” The man seemed slightly interested about hearing that bit of information. Must not get a lot of tourists around here. “Queens, born and raised. If you couldn’t tell, I’m so excited to be here in Jersey.”  

Not. This place is gross. “C’mon, this place isn’t so bad.” The man smiled trying to play off Peter’s statement. Peter raised an eyebrow. “I literally saw two guys in cheap clown makeup, with a giant hammer, trying to break into someone's home. With a cop trying to help him.” 

He stopped them, obviously. 

Peter wasn’t going to let this guy try and convince him that New Jersey was a decent place. 

The vigilante looked startled. “Clown makeup, where did you see them?”

“Park Row. I saw them when I was walking home.” It was truly a bizarre sight for Peter. He thought he had really seen it all. Being a vigilante in New York makes you see some things. Unfortunately, Jersey is just built different. 

“I’ll have to call that in…” The man said under his breath. “Besides that, though, this place really can grow on you.” 

“Too late. Snookie and Jwoww killed it for me. Damn Jersey shore…”

“Who?” The man looked confused, raising an eyebrow at Peter. 

Peter shook his head. Must not exist here. “Never mind. What’s your name anyway? It’s getting a little annoying calling you ‘The man’ in my head.” 

“Oh…” The man's voice trailed off, confused. “Um - right, I’m sorry. I’m Nightwing.” 

“Hey, you're the one Red Hood mentioned the other day.” This was the guy with the cool name. Who knew he’d look even cooler in person! 

Throughout their whole conversation Peter noticed his senses calming down slowly. They were slowly beginning to trust the man beside him. They still kept on alert around him. Acting as though Nightwing was waiting for his guard to lower so he could attack. 

His senses seemed to be treating everyone in Gotham that way. He knew why. He passed by a bunch of people in the streets yesterday and today. He knows why his senses are on constant alert. He understands why they are more active when these vigilantes are around. 

That doesn’t make them any less annoying though. He hasn’t been able to really rest since he got here. It’s only been two days! He just wants a moment to relax. 

Peter sighs and shrinks in on himself. This city sucks.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched at the unexpected contact. Nightwing lifted his hand up. He let it hover above Peter’s shoulder before letting it fall back beside him. “You okay kid. You got pretty quiet just now?” 

Peter looked over at Nightwing. Taking in his concerned expression. “I’m okay. Just missing home a bit.” 

Nightwing looked conflicted for a moment. He looked at Peter like he wanted to wrap him in a blanket, and hide him away from the world . “Yeah, I get that. I have to go away on missions a lot. I’m usually away from my home more often then I’m in it.”

“Vigilantism sounds sucky.” Peter would know. His job as Spider-Man kept him away from a lot of hangouts with his friends. It kept him from spending time with his aunt too. Peter never really realized how lonely Spider-Man could make him. How alone Spider-Man really was.

“It can suck from time to time. But knowing I’m going on these missions to help people who need it, and keeping my family safe, makes up for the bad nights. Knowing I’m helping where help is needed makes every time I put on this suit a little easier.” 

Hm. 

He really is a good hero huh?

Peter doesn’t really know Nightwing. He didn’t really bother to read his wiki when he got here. He doesn’t know all of what Nightwing does as a vigilante. He didn’t really have anything to go off of besides his name. But talking to him now, Peter thinks he’s a pretty good guy. 

Too bad the blue on his suit is actively slaughtering Peter's retinas. 

Anyway! 

“That’s a good mentality to have. Knowing you're not putting on that suit for yourself, but for the people who need it. Nightwing gives the city help that the man under the mask can’t give. Not because you don’t want to, but because it’s too dangerous for you to…” 

Peter's thoughts trailed off as he thought of Spider-Man. Using Spider-Man to give New York help that Peter Parker couldn’t give. The responsibility that Peter held as a vigilante…

‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ Uncle Ben’s words rang through Peter’s head. Responsibility… Did Peter have a responsibility to Gotham? Did Spider-Man? Should he put on the suit and help? Should he leave it to the vigilantes who have been protecting it from the beginning?

Should he just leave it to Batman, his little gang, and Nightwing? 

Peter was at a loss. 

Also…

Peter wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was something about Nightwing that set off his senses in a different way. He could sense the potential danger from him, but there was something else. It was barely there, nudging at the back of his brain. 

…safe……familiar…

Familiar? Why? He never really knew about Nightwing until just now. His senses are rarely confused. What the heck is this supposed to mean? 

“You okay kid?” Peter looked up, meeting Nightwings eyes through his mask.

…familiar…safe…trust…

Well, Peters just gonna ignore that for now. “Yeah I’m good.” Nightwing smiled and ruffled Peter’s hair. Peter squawked, swatting Nightwings hand away. Nightwing laughed and Peter groaned.

__________________

During Peter's little escapade, he completely forgot about the job at the library. I swear on every spider in this shit city, if someone else got that job…

I'm gonna cry…

Peter was getting pretty tired already, and it was only two-forty in the afternoon! Peter was seriously gonna take a dip in Gotham River and drown.

Okay, Peter was being a little dramatic, but still. This city is really overwhelming. Besides, those contaminated waters might mutate him further. Peter really didn't want to deal with extra eyes, or something.   

On the other hand, fangs would be pretty cool. Peter wouldn’t mind growing those. 

Peter enters the subway station and gets on the train, again. Peter paid close attention to where this one was going this time. He made sure it was the one going to The Diamond District. He sat down and slouched in his seat, tired. 

Peter took a look around the subway car, observing the other people there. He saw a few people with fancy suits, probably business men. A woman who looked like she was blogging. Talking into her phone and fixing up her hair. 

He saw some kids in what he assumed were school uniforms. One with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was laughing at something on her phone. She was shoving it into the other guy's face. The other guy had black hair and blue eyes, who looked like he was about to pass out. 

The guy with black hair looked up and caught Peter’s eye. The guy startled and Peter quickly turned his gaze away. Peter looked toward two guys in the back of the train car. Peter was almost positive that they were doing a drug deal, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. Peter could feel that boy's eyes burning in the side of his head. 

Peter watched the suspected drug deal awkwardly. Is he still..?

Peter quickly looked toward the boy and saw that he was still staring him down. Creepy…

Peter also noticed that the girl was also watching him. Fantastic…

Peter sat up in his seat, tense. A long five minutes later the subway stopped and Peter got off. Peter sensed the two students get off right behind him. 

Peter sped out of the station and headed towards the library. Hopefully I can get there before anyone else gets that job. How do I approach Ms. Barbara about this? I swear, asking about a job position is so embarrassing. 

He felt the two students following behind him at a distance. Calm down Peter. If they really are students, they’re most likely heading to the library to study. They also could just live around here. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re following you…

Peter made it to the library and ran up the stairs. He hurried into the building and headed to the desk to talk to Barbara. 

Barbara looked up when she heard Peter approach the desk. “Oh! Hello Peter. How are you doing?” Barbara looked at him, eyes full of concern. Peter smiled, he appreciated the concern., even if it irked him a little bit. Having people be concerned about him made him feel a little weird. It wasn’t the best feeling. 

“I'm good Ms. Barbara. I’m actually here because I saw a job was open..?” Peter’s voice trailed off, awkward. Barbara was very nice to him. That didn’t make this feel any less awkward though. 

Peter heard the library doors open and sensed the student walk in. Peter saw them cast a look towards the desk before they went to sit at one of the tables. “Are you interested in the position?” Peter turned his attention back to Barbara. 

“Yeah…are you still hiring? Are there any requirements?” 

“No, there aren’t any requirements needed. I just need some extra help with putting books away and cleaning up.” 

That sounded like a pretty laid back job. It was something Peter could do without messing up. Probably. “Would you like the job Peter?” 

“Yes!” Peter said, a bit too loudly. He grimaced and looked at Barbara apologetically. “Uh - sorry. Yes, I would like the job Ms. Barbara.” Peter spoke in a quieter tone. Barbara laughed. “That’s great Peter. When can you start?” 

“I could start right now.”

”Great. There’s a stack of books from the Historical Fiction section that need to be put away. All the sections are labeled, so it’ll be pretty easy for you to find.” Peter went behind the desk and grabbed the books. He hurried to put them away. 

Peter was ecstatic! He had a job! Even though he felt a bit of guilt about Barbara paying him. He would have a steady enough income to, hopefully, survive in Gotham's streets. 

Peter was determined to keep his job, so he had to put in a lot of effort here. He was going to be the best employee ever, even if all he did was put books away and clean up! 
 
Peter hurried over to the Historical Fiction and put the books away as fast as he could.

____________________

Peter just finished putting the books back when he heard someone call out to him. “Hey, you! Over here!” Peter had half a mind to shush them. They were in a library, after all. He looked around and caught sight of the two students from earlier waving him over. 

What do they want? Peter lifted an eyebrow and reluctantly walked over to them. “Hello, do you need something?” Peter took the chance to get a closer look at the two. 

The guy had short black hair and icy blue eyes. His skin was so pale you could see the dark eye bags he had. He also had a coffee stain on his uniform.  

The girl had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She had freckles, and she was wearing a red headband. She was wearing the same uniform as the other guy had on. Hers was coffee stain-free. Peter was wary of these two because surprise-surprise! They were setting off his senses. 

A good chunk of people in this city were dangerous. Peter’s senses are triggered by hundreds of random people on the street every day. More so since he got to Gotham, it’s only natural. But they didn’t set off his senses like these two did. Not like Jason did.

It was like there was something there. Something deeply hidden behind those smiles. Something his senses were trying desperately to pick up, but couldn't make out.

Peter had a feeling he was going to meet more people like this.

Peter was instantly on guard, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

“Hello?” Peter quickly snapped out of his thoughts. Crap I got caught staring.

Peter turned his attention to the girl. “Sorry, did you say something?” Embarrassing…

“I invited you to sit with us. If you don’t mind, that is.” The girl spoke. Wow, that sounds like a terrible offer. No thank you. 

Peter went to reject when Barbara came around the corner. “Peter, Oh, there you are. Why didn’t you come back to the desk? I have more books that need to be put away.” Barbara came over to Peter and the other two at the table. 

“Sorry, Ms. Barbara. I was just about to head back. These two just wanted to speak with me for a moment.” Peter gestured to the two people sitting behind him. “Hello Tim, Stephanie. I didn’t see you two come in.” Barbara came closer to the table to greet Tim and Stephane. 

“Hey Babs. We came in earlier but saw you talking to P-him and didn’t want to interrupt.” Tim said. “That’s no problem. I was talking to Peter about the job I posted earlier.” Tim and Stephanie gave Barbara a weird look but nodded.

“What did you two need from Peter, if you don't mind me asking.” 

“Nothing really; just wanted to get to know your new employee.” Stephanie smiles. “Your new friend is our new friend. Might as well get to know him!” Stephanie stood up and walked over to Peter. She grabbed his arm and sat him by her, across from Tim.

“Um, I’m actually working right now-“ 

“It’s okay Peter. It'll be good for you to make some friends. Those books aren’t going anywhere.” Barbara smiled, waving off Peter’s concern. “Are you sure Ms. Barbara?” 

Peter couldn’t just show up for a job, get it, and then not work. That is not good employee behavior. It’s also just plain rude. 

“I'm sure Peter. But don’t take forever okay?” Peter went to say something before he was interrupted by Tim. “We won't take forever Babs, promise.” Barbara shot Tim and Stephanie a look Peter couldn’t make out before she went back to her desk. 

Peter looked at Tim and Stephanie awkwardly. “Hello.” Peter half waved at the two. He felt unquiet sitting there next to two people he wanted to run from. “I’m Peter. It's nice to um, meet you two.” 

Tim and Stephanie exchanged glances so quickly that Peter almost didn't see it. He began to feel more restless the more he sat in silence. “Hello Peter, I'm Tim, and this is Steph. It's nice to meet you too.”  

“Yeah! We heard that Babs posted a job earlier today. But we didn't think anyone would get the job so quickly.” Steph stirred excitedly in her seat. 

“We also come here after school to see Babs and study.” Tim cut in. Damn, he sounds exhausted.

“It’s still a surprise though. Everyone in Gotham is cautious of everyone. She hired you so quickly.” Tim rested his head in his hand. 

Steph nodded, “Yeah! Babs must like you! If Babs likes you, then you've gotta be a great kid! So we'd like to get to know you!”

Peter flushed in embarrassment. Stephanie seemed like the bold type. Although Peter was used to this kind of personality (Peter worked with Tony Stark for goodness sake), it was still a bit embarrassing hearing a stranger be so excited about meeting him. 

It's been a while since Peters heard such genuine kindness, even if it wasn’t a lot. Usually strangers just throw shit at him, or insult him. Peter reluctantly smiled at Stephanie.  

“If you don't mind me asking Peter, why are you from Gotham?” Tim leaned forward in his seat. He looked very eager to hear everything Peter had to say. Peter chuckled, scratching his cheek. “Was it that obvious?” Peter was only here for two days. Was it that obvious to Gotham citizens that he wasn't from here? 

“The accent was a dead giveaway. That, and you seem way too polite.” Stephanie looked amused as she pointed this out. She smirked at Peter, treating this information like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was, but no need to be so smug about it.   

“I’m from Queens, New York. Born and raised.”
 
“New York?” Tim looked at Peter confused. Peter was also confused at Tim’s question. Why was it strange that he was from New York? Did Gotham citizens not like New Yorkers?

“Yeah, is something wrong with that?” Peter hoped there wasn't anything wrong with that. Hopefully, Tim wasn't an asshole. Or, y’know, xenophobic? Is that the right term for people disliking people from other states? Is there a word for that? 

Okay, Peter knows he gives New Jersey a bad rep, but he's not hating on the people.

Not really. 

Tim quickly shook his head. “No, no that's not what I meant. It’s just that, well, no one from New York really willingly comes to Gotham.”  

“Willingly? That sounds vaguely ominous.” 

Stephanie giggled, throwing her head back in amusement. “It does sound like that, huh? Gotham can be a pretty bad city, so when someone from outside the city ends up here. It’s probably due to some unfortunate circumstances.”

Well, that didn't sound threatening, at all! 

“Well doesn’t that sound delightful.” Peter rubbed his hand against his temple. Steph reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay Peter?”  

Peter nods his head, feeling a throb starting to form between his eyes. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Tim and Steph share a quick glance. 

They turn their attention back towards Peter. “So what brings you to Gotham Peter? If you don’t mind me asking.” Tim looked at Peter with a neutral face. Peter could sense some restrained anxiousness and excitement. Peter was also sure he saw Tim hiding a notepad under the table… 

Peter shrugged. “Nothing special. My parents are out of town so I'm staying with my aunt.”

“Your aunt?” Stephanie perked up. She looked very excited at what Peter had just told her. “Yeah, my aunt Karen.” Stephanie's smile faltered a bit. “Karen…” Stephanie mumbled under her breath. Peter was sure he wasn't meant to hear that, so he didn't acknowledge it. 

Peter could swear he saw Tim writing something down…

“Karen is… my moms, um…sister. She lives the closest to us, so I had to come down to Gotham to stay with her.” 

“What's she like?” Steph leaned forward in her seat. Peter could also see that she seemed anxious and jittery. Peter wondered why she seemed so…eager to hear about Karen. Peter was almost positive Tim still had that notepad out.

Peter squirmed slightly in his seat. Tim and Steph were silently staring at him. He felt tense at the sudden attention. He felt his senses spike suddenly, warning him of some unknown danger. 

Peter cleared his throat. “Karen’s great! She’s really smart and resourceful. She's very kindhearted and benign. She's also one of the very few people who can put up with my rambling. She also taught me quite a bit about computers.” 

Peter saw Stephanie perk up out of the corner of his eye. “That and cooking. Karen’s very adamant about me being able to cook for myself if I ever need it.” Stephanie looked incredibly happy when Peter was done talking. 

Peter looked at her, wondering why she was so ecstatic. But the attention he was receiving was positive. Other than Jason, Nightwing, and Barbara giving him that. It's been a while since Peters has been treated so kindly. 

He ended up rambling on about Karen for the next five minutes. Stephanie was eagerly nodding along, while Peter noticed Tim trying to discreetly write in his notepad. 

The more Peter talked about Karen the more relaxed he started to feel. Tim and Steph let Peter ramble about all sorts of things in the twenty minutes that they sat together. Peter started to feel a small bit more comfortable around the two. He found himself enjoying their company.

He talked about anything he wanted and Tim and Steph actually listened to him! They didn’t pretend to be interested or tune him out. He was actually having fun. 

Tim talked about his classes in school and the work he had to do. He was currently working on a project on renewable energy and their benefits. Meanwhile Steph rolled her eyes and groaned dramatically, complaining about how boring school is. 

Peter was in the middle of talking about cooking tips with Steph when Barbara came back over. “Peter, it’s time to put the rest of the books away.” Steph threw herself back in her seat, groaning. “Aw man, just a few more minutes Babs!” Barbara shook her head in amusement. 

“No can do Steph, I need my employee to do his job. C’mon Peter.” Peter stood up and walked towards Barbara. “Sorry Tim, Steph, I have to get back to work. It was nice talking to you.” 

Tim waved at Peter. “It was nice talking to you too. We’ll most likely be by tomorrow. So we'll see you then.” 

Steph jumped up and headed towards Peter. She ruffled his hair. “Well see you tomorrow Peter!” Peter jumped and swatted her hand away. Why does everyone keep touching my hair?

“Hurry up Peter. I ordered us some food.” Yum!

Peter walked back to the desk next to Barbara. He kept putting books away and helping her with paperwork until the library closed. When Peter was going to head back to the firehouse Barbara called out to him. “Yes Ms. Barbara?”

Barbara handed him an envelope from her bag. Peter took it and opened it, gaping at what he saw. “Ms. Barbara. Wha-” 

“That's your pay for the day. You'll be getting paid eight dollars an hour, you worked six hours today. So there's your pay.”

Peter was in shock over the forty-eight dollars he was holding. “Peter, are you okay?” Barbara waved a hand in his face, trying to get his attention. “But, this is - I can’t-”

“Peter.” Barbara spoke in a slightly authoritative tone. Her tone made Peter pause and stare at her. “You worked for it. You earned it Peter. So put the money somewhere and get home safe, okay?” 

Peter stared at her a second longer before reluctantly nodding. Barbara smiled at him and turned back to her desk. When she turned away Peter tucked the envelope in a secret pocket he made in his backpack. “I’m off, Ms. Barbara. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Make sure you come by three!” Barbara shouted at him as he rushed out the door. He waved back at her. “Bye!”

He made it back to the firehouse quickly. After he got out of the subway station he used the rooftops to get back. He really didn’t want to risk getting mugged right now. He crawled in through the window and slumped down the wall. He let himself slide down to the floor. 

It’s been a long day…

Peter reached up and touched his hearing aid. “Hey Karen. How are you doing?” 

“Hello Peter. I have updated all my systems. They are functioning fully.” 

“Hm, that's good. About those updates, do you have any info on the vigilantes? I didn’t bother reading their wikis earlier…”

“Of course Peter.”

Peter spent the next thirty or so minutes listening to all the information Karen could find on Gotham’s vigilantes. Which was not a lot. They were pretty good at hiding themselves. Peter laid his backpack on the ground again and laid down.

Peter grew drowsy as he listened to Karen speaking. Hearing her voice helped him relax. Karen was talking about someone named ‘Bluebird’ when Peter fell asleep.

“Good night Peter.” 

___________________