"... I just wanted to get even."

"Peter Parker."

He chewed again.

"Made him lose his job. Sent Hand assassins after him. Didn't want to kill him. It'd be too easy for him."

Ben's hand couldn't help form a fist.

"Got Miguel to distrust him. Got everyone to, really."

He pressed his hands into his face.

And Ben moved with it.

He closed his eyes, like looking at the ground was too difficult for him.

His eyes sewed shut, and words dangled on his lips like a corded phone, teetering on the precipice of the counter's edge.

"I turned his people against him."

But at the core of it all- did anybody really?

Those whims had brought them together, and he shat all over that.

This chance, this opportunity, this girl. Not a weapon, not an instrument, but a girl, who laughed and cried and breathed just like everybody else.

But when she did, the world moved.

Maybe that's why they worked so well, the two of them. Tools made at the behest of another's whims. Madmen. In his case, Miles Warren- the Jackal.

He'd been killed and brought back so many times, it caused scars in places he didn't know could have them.

He was never meant to be here.

He smirked, rinsing out his mouth.

Splltt!

"Guess there's only one way to find out."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

"Mind if I stay the night?"

"You seem pretty unsure of yourself there, Spider-Man. Are you accusing me, or asking me?"

"Pete" cracked his knuckles.

"Cause if you're throwing accusations, I might throw back..."

Twiddling harder, looking at his shoes.

"And when you said impersonation, I... Well, I've done a little of that too."

"Excuse?" he asked, chewing his cheek.

"Ah. I know I've been acting weird, but it's... uh. It's not you, Laura."

He shook his head.

"God, no- it's not you."

He twiddled his thumbs.

"Listen. I've... gotta be honest with you. I've been... doing bad things lately."

Ben couldn't bring himself to look at her.

What would she think of him, impersonating his doppel, doing nothing but sowing seeds of malcontent and discord?

He'd hate to disappoint her. Her, above anyone else. His shining beacon, that perfectly imperfect girl.

To succeed at being nothing but yourself, unequivocally. He could smell the pickle as she bit into it.

He admired her. In a way, she reminded him of himself, but on polar opposite planes. Sure, they were similar, but he was rotten.

Rotten, all because of some petty revenge scheme.

If all this crap he'd been doing bled onto Laura, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. She had done nothing to deserve this trainwreck. Fucking with people's livelihood. What was wrong with him?

Ben was quiet. She was practically perfect, pristine. A shining example of what it meant to be human.

Vibes.

Cause it's fun.

You're fucked if you think I'm gonna clean up one of his shitty messes again.

rting my greatest hit

What'd Peter do this time?

"You really think a band-aid's gonna fix this, Spider-Man? Just shackle him up, feed him three times a day, everything's well and good?"

He shook his head.

"He's a rabid animal. He needs to be put down."

"Pretended to be you?" he asked. What was that feeling?

Guilt? Remorse, maybe?

Ben's jaw tightened, and he watched her silently. Was this going to bleed off on Laura?

He closed his eyes. He couldn't help but sigh.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I can, uh. I can swing by Jerry's. They should have some."

"Peter" glanced at Spidey.

"Things change, Spider-Man. There's no rehabilitating whatever he's got going on. Who knows how many people he's killed?"

// I apologize for Ben, I really do, he's like a rabid dog

"How's mom and dad doing these days anyways, Petey?"

"........So are you."

"Still though, pretending to be somebody else? That's a bad rap."

Ben paused for a moment. Then a wry little grin lifted his lips. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh. Did he now?" he chuckled. It was light as a feather.

"Probably just trying to keep safe."

He pursed his lips, glancing away from her.

"Lots of bad guys out there."

💭: Did she just say she got knocked up?

"Grown ass man."

"Learned a couple tricks from Daredevil," he grunted, the brick slamming Miguel over the head. It didn't seem to do much.

"Your blood-sucking days are over, Miguel. It's not right. Who knows what'll happen if you go crazy? Drink my blood? Ben's?"

Ben inspected it, holding his chin.

That was seriously a ton of food.

"Where did you even get this?"

Ben turned on the water and applied toothpaste to the brush. He shrugged at her.

"I dunno, you seem like a pretty big snorer, Yana..."

Brushing teeth now.