Peter understood that everyone deserved the right to have their own opinion. It didn't matter if he liked their opinion or even thought it was morally correct. It wasn't his duty to try to change their minds or fight with them due to the difference in something so simple as an opinion.
That didn't mean that words didn't hurt him. Cruel things were said by everyone no matter the person or background. He had heard harsh things from family, friends, classmates, and even strangers. It didn't help that having a secret identity basically gave him twice as many criticizers.
People constantly said mean things to him whether it was concerning Peter Parker or Spiderman. Peter Parker was a nerd who blended in with the crowd and could get by unnoticed in almost any situation, but he was also an easy target. Spiderman, on the other hand, was noticed by everyone in the streets. His face was plastered on newspapers with hateful, controversial titles that spread false rumors about the hero. No one ever assumed that the two people could be one and the same.
They were exact opposites just as Peter wanted them to be. He wanted people to look at Peter Parker and never suspect a thing. So he wore baggy sweaters, studied too often, and chose to have a limited group of friends. He was the perfect example of a loser.
He kept a smile on his face and always kept his happy attitude. That was one thing the two had in common. They were both strong believers in hope and the chance of a better tomorrow, but someone can only be happy for so long.
Every morning Peter and May read the copy of the Daily Bugle while they ate their breakfast. Spiderman always seemed to be on the front cover. The titles were usually something along the lines of 'Menace or Hero' or 'Masked Fiend'.
So when he woke up on Thursday morning he expected no different. It didn't surprise him to see that he was correct. On the front page, there was an article that complained about his lack of finesse when it came to saving innocent civilians. He was used to it so he brushed it off.
When he arrived at school he was devastated when the first thing Ned said to him was, "You could have saved the woman on the bridge last night if you hadn't been caught up studying. You should have been better." Peter felt his heart sink in his chest but he made his way to class.
After his long day of school, Peter changed into his suit hoping that patrol would put him in a better mood. It didn't take long for trouble to arrive. He saved a woman in an alley only to be told, "I didn't need help from someone like you." His heart fell a little deeper. He went and got a burrito and told himself if he ate then he would feel better. He didn't. Next thing he knew he had eaten four burritos. It still hurt.
When he arrived home that night it was after midnight. Upon coming in the door in his civilian clothes, he was met with May giving him the death stare.
"Where have you been Peter Parker? I called you over ten times. I left voicemails and text messages. I'm very disappointed. I've noticed that since Spiderman started swinging around New York you've fallen into a false sense of security. You need to remember that Spiderman is not a real hero. He is a villain in a suit pretending to save lives. You can't rely on him to save you. Now go to your room." Peter felt empty inside upon hearing her harsh words. He ran to his room and closed his door as to not break it with his superhuman strength.
He had made up his mind. New York didn't need Spiderman anymore. Someone else could put on a suit and play the hero. He wouldn't do it anymore. He wanted to impress Mr. Stark but how could you impress a man like that? Everyone was disappointed in him, whether it was as Spiderman or Peter Parker.
So the next morning he left a message at the Daily Bugle explaining that he wouldn't be saving people anymore. Now it was only a matter of time before the whole city knew along with Mr. Stark. A week passed, but Mr. Stark never called. So Peter continued to go to school every day. Ned brought up what the media was saying but learned not to bring it up when Peter became angry just at the mention of it.
Within a week the crime rates had spiked drastically. The police department was swamped with so many cases that they couldn't do them all. They had to start doing cases by priority. The public began to see how wrong they had been. But the final straw was when a video was released by an anonymous Instagram account.
The video had been taken several months before when Peter had helped the Avengers defeat a villain with a water-based superpower. No one could seem to land a hit on him and being hit with one of his waves was like being hit by a car. Peter came out of the fight with two broken ribs, a concussion, and he had lost almost half of the blood from his body. The video was disturbing, to say the least.
Between all the rips and holes in his costume, you could see all of the gashes and dark black bruising. Someone could have assumed he had been run over by a train at first glance. He was supported by Natasha and Tony as they brought him into the jet to rush him to the medbay. That was when it finally hit the public that they had made a huge mistake.
Within hours of the video being released people were coming in flocks. Thousands of people chanted his theme song in the streets.
And who was he to deny them a hero?
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