2014.04.19 - Spider's Web

Looking at his phone, Ben saw a text from Pete. It wasn't quite like getting a text from yourself, but it was strange. Ben was getting used to the fact that Peter was slowly becoming a twin-brother, in a matter of speaking. It sounded like Peter wanted some help. Sending out a text that read, "Meet me in Central Park, man," out to Peter, Ben readied himself. He slicked his hair to the side and looked over the small side-burns. The hair was still getting some used to, but it was growing on him (no pun intended).

Slipping on a black hoodie over a "Delete" Cyberman shirt and a pair of blue jeans Ben put on his black converse and was out the door. Before long the Park's greenery. Smiling at the sight he just waited for Peter to show. After a moment he pulled out his phone and sent out another text, "Central Park. In 20. Prep yourself, kid. - UB" Hopefully May was going to be quick to respond. Ben hated doing this...Peter wanted to talk. The guy had to meet his daughter though. So, Ben was going to give those two a little nudge.

When it comes to a certain subject...

Well, more like a certain person, one May 'Mayday' Parker a.k.a. Spider-Girl has well... Trying to give that person room. To not force things. To not create pressure.

Or so she likes to think.

And yet, as she gets that message, the female spider sends a message back saying 'I'll be there. -MP'

In fact, she does end up arriving, maybe even a few minutes early, in the park wearing a sort of retro looking sweater, blue jeans, and a denim jacket.

Central park was pretty big, so thankfully in a second text he specified near the hot dog stand. The good one. The good CHEAP one (well for this city's price range). He hadn't had a chance to eat all day.

Peter waved at Ben when he saw him through the distance, a wide lop-sided smile on his face, "Hey /bro/!"

It started out as some sort of joke, but now it just weirdly fits. He inclined his head towards the cart and ordered two with loads of onions and mustard. That day he was dressed in a pair of dyed red jeans with black sneakers and a white button up shirt rolled up to the elbows and a grey shirt underneath, "Sorry if I'm late you know...the /usual/ happened on the way here."

Ben went to the hot dog cart and grinned at Pete, "I getcha. Happens to me on a few dates and with some job stuff." Looking at the vendor Ben ordered, "Two," Ben's order was similar to Peter's except with the addition of the cardnial sin...Ketchup. Then the second dog had what May would have liked. Living near your niece gave Ben a knack for her taste, "You're going to meet someone important today bro. She means a lot to me and I think she'll mean a bit to you too."

His body moved about as he waited for May to show up. Ben's brown eyes went to Pete and he straightened up Pete's shirt, "Gotta look good on this one man. I mean you won't look as good as me," he winked, "But...She's special."

Do you even have to ask what May likes? She's a Parker after all. Thus mustard and extra onions (despite the looks her friends 'back home' use to give her due to her breath afterward).

But anyways, as May closes in on the cart, and sees who's there, well...

"Hello Ben..." is said as she nods once towards him, before she offers Peter a bit of a sheepish look...

Peter took a huge bite of his hot dog and spoke with an open mouth, "Oh your girlfriend? That's actually kind of what I wanted to talk to you about..."

He quirked his brow as Ben went and made sure Peter was looking fancy. But he did however have two hot dogs loaded with mustard and was wearing a white shirt...this likely would not go well.

With a goofy smile he greets May, assuming that she's Ben's girlfriend he goes on about (and sometimes on and on, seriously Ben stop bragging). "Hey! Jubilee right? I'm Peter. No offense but I thought you were..."

He scarfed down the rest of the first hot dog, "Chinese. Where is the trademark yellow jacket?"

"This isn't Jubes man. Although she might be breaking up with me so if I show up at your place all depressed and wanting to play Street Fighter...don't be surprised," breathing out Ben clearned his throat. This was going to be a little awkward...to say the least. Looking at Pete, "Peter this is my niece May Parker." That statement hung in the air so Peter could connect the dots himself. Peter had no brothers, aside from Ben. Thus if she was Ben's niece...

"..."

Unable to help herself, May just stares at Peter as he says that. She just sort of stops and stares. And worse, as Ben introduces her...

".........."

Yeah. That's all that needs to be said. Especially as she shoots Ben a sort of betrayed look.

Ookay Ben was a little on the weird side today. Ok that was every day but he took an extra spoonful today. Peter's brow was so quirked he looked like it was about to run into his hairline, "Ookay. I don't have any brothers or sisters. Unless you mean any more er-dopplegangers. And /please/ don't say that's what this is?"

Looking at May, Ben sighed, "There can't be any lies or secrets in this family. You both know this," he said looking between the two of them. The time-traveling remark caused a smirk to form at the corner of his mouth. "Sorry May. I love you. I've loved you for a while now kid. You know that, but it's time you tell him," his brown eyes held a seriousness to them as he said them.

Relenting the floor Ben took a big bite of his hot dog. Trying to fend off any awkwardness that this caused he cursed himself deep down. The Parkers were not known to be great social planners. At least this wasn't going to end as bad as a family gathering planned by George R. R. Martin...Ben managed to take some comfort in that.

As she continues to shoot a look at Ben, she says, "Maybe. But now there could be... Pressure." is said, before she finally massages her temples.

Then, as she lowers her hands, she winces at Peter. That is before she raises a hand in a sort of web shooter like fashion.

"We've met already. Sort of. I mentioned it was 'Somewhere else'. Well... Let's just say that different things happened, in a different order, at different times. Things that don't, and might not, happen here."

Peter finally puts /some/ things together. He really was a smart fellow, but sometimes things at least socially needed to be spelled out for him, "Oh! The um- Spider. Person. Ma'am."

His eyes darted back and forth as he was suddenly very aware of the fact that there were all sorts of people about. He gestured his head to the side towards a group of trees and seemingly no one nearby.

As he made his way there he swallowed his second hot dog in two very impressive, if not entirely appropriate for the seriousness of the moment. There was silence as he checked too see that no one was nearby, "Spider-Girl? Well good to know you were...vague...for a reason. So are you like an Aunt May who got bit by the spider? Weird."

Heading back to the trees Ben kept munching on his hot dog. His frace scrunches up as ketchup, mustand, onion mix plopped down atop of a Cyberman's head on his shirt. Normally he would have groaned about the shirt but just held out his hand for a napkin to wipe it off.

As Pete started to connect the dots Ben tried to help, "Warmer but still cold, Bro." He quieted down to let the pair have this moment. Turning around a little he wanted to give the duo a little space.

You need to vote for other players before voting for May Parker again.

You need to vote for other players before voting for Ben Reilly again.

And the fact that those people are about is why May has been so vague. In fact, as she finishes off her own dog as she heads towards those trees, she does /sort of/ close her eyes for a moment, before glancing about.

And yet as the trio reach the slightly more secluded area, the female spider shakes her head.

"Look, I was trying to avoid saying this, but since it looks like Ben is going to spill it anyways...." is said, just barely above a whisper. "Hello.... Dad."

Peter Parker is a /huge/ sci fi geek. With this knowledge, he knows the potential dangers of time-travel. His eyes opened wide as his Spider-sense started to go haywire. His own anxieties and mind mixed with his built-in defense system just caused for a dangerous combo even if he was wrong, "Wait what?"

He stepped back and grabbed at Ben's arm, "Look I was going to ask about girl advice, I haven't even, what? Who is your mother!?!"

Spider-sense rang even louder. Don't ask this Peter gah think of the timeline!

"Whoa!" Ben was startled as Peter grabbed at him. Snapping his fingers a few times in front of Peter's face. "She probably can't answer that just in case. Her timeline is different compared to ours. Look at her. She's holder than us. When I found her she said she was from 2012. If she's older than us that means we were born in like the sixties or seventies," he tried to keep his voice low to calm Peter down. "Her timeline is different, but she probably can't tell you names about her Mom." Sighing he looked at Peter, "Jubes and I never dated in her timeline..." he was trying to point out differences to his twin.

"..."

Insert wince and facepalm here.

Yeah, as Peter reacts, May rubs her temples.

"Dad... Peter, calm down." is all she can let out before Ben explains things. At least a little.

"As Ben said... Alternate reality. Not the future. Lots of differences. Spider-Woman for example is completely different when compared to here. You and Ben were active twenty years ago, as were a lot of others like Captain America and Superman. The year is still 2014 over there too. So what happened there in many cases isn't the same, might not happen here, or flat out can't happen here..."

Peter held out his hands and let out a shaky sigh, "Okay! Okay. It's going to be okay everyone."

Of course everyone else was cool. It was Peter having a psychedelic freak out. He held up a finger and turned around, taking a few seconds to compose himself as Peter looked to the very nice view of the park.

After several moments that might have felt like hours, he turns again with a small smile on his face he looks to May and gives her a soft hug, "I'm sorry, being a Spider...it means a lot of weird stuff will happen, often...which you probably already know. But I can't tell you how nice it is to know that there is another one of us fighting against...all of this. It's nice to finally meet you...may."

He released her from the hug and placed his hands on her shoulders, "But let's stick to Peter. Or Petey. Pete-dawg. No that last one is awful."

Turning his head and shaking it with disapproval Ben mouthed, "Pete-Dawg." Sighing loud he muttered, "I hope I'm not an exact copy or nurture can beat nature." Taking a moment he looked at Peter, "Take it in like this. She's proof you won't die a virgin." He nodded sagely toward his "twin."

With a smirk he looked between them and spoke with an earnestness, "If I had a daughter half as good as her, I'd be a proud dad. Embrace it," shrugging Ben looked out toward the park. "At least she doesn't call you Uncle Ben." Deep down Ben was actually fond of being called "Uncle." It was just adding that Ben part to the equation that bugged him. Deep down Ben did care for Mayday like a niece, maybe even a daughter, but Ben couldn't exactly embrace blood relatives given what he was.

There's almost a smile at the mention of how... Things can get strange, "Between Cosmic Skrulls, clones, sympiots, and heaven help us... Goblins, I know /exactly/ how strange things can get. So don't worry." Pause. "Pete-Dawg."

Yeap. There's that grin of May's.

"And it's nice to meet you too sir.

Then though, there's a wince at Ben.

"And I'm sorry I keep calling you that."

Pete-Dawg blushed very slightly and mustled up the back of his hair with a hand, "Don't um, bring that up in front of /her/. Because it's just...I don't date a lot and."

The fact of the matter is it hadn't been too long since he got over his way too geeky phase, not that he's particularly cool now but at least he's more sociable. However he had to add, "But don't call me sir either. Uncle Ben would be...way worse, uh May."

He reached into his messenger bag he had on him and pulled out his camera, "Normally our days are that weird. However, I'd like to capture this super weird and amazing day."

He set up the camera on a stable enough surface on one of the trees and went to wrap his arms around both Ben and May, "Smile!"

"I just don't think I'm worthy of the name Mayday," Ben admitted. To him it would be like being called Superman if he spent years as Superboy. Or how a Robin would have felt if they one day became Batman. Ben did not think he would ever be worthy of such a name. "Uncle is fine kid. I like it...a lot. Makes me feel like I belong, and that means more to me than you'll ever know."

Smiling brightly after Pete set up the camera, "For family and Parker-Dawgs on three...one...two," Ben counted down. His eyes darted between them for a split second. Today was messed up but in the end, they were family and that's what mattered. He would cry out the whole thing with a big grin. These two people and the Fantastic Four were Ben's family. It was not conventional by any sense of the word, but it was his. That was all that mattered deep down.

"And you think I'm worthy of my 'name'?" is said towards Ben with a slight grin. After all, she knows of her 'guardian angel' even if technically, she hasn't met her.

All though as they gather for a picture, May smiles and moves into place.

All though odds are when viewed, Ben and Peter may find out that they have 'bunny ears" in the picture...