Peter Parker (oldparkerluck) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-07-27 19:23:00 |
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It didn’t matter about the heat, the humidity, or the full-body costume. No combination of those three things could add up to the asphyxiating reality that the Tower was full of Avengers. Avengers of various worlds, X-Men, a few of the Fantastic Four if the network was accurate -- in short: an overwhelming population of self-professed heroes. “Heroes.” Perhaps the quotation marks were more on-key in this case. The majority of such “heroes” were lounging about inside the skyscraper that was diminishing into the distance and becoming more obscured from view with each swing. In a word: laughable. In two: laughable and pointless. But, there was the optimist’s approach, even still. This wasn’t entirely starting over. A scan back through months of new arrivals broadcasting their every inane thought proved that he had some luck in not being subjected to a job search, trying to integrate, birthday parties. No, Parker didn’t have much money to his name, but there was enough to acquire the basics. Feet and hands touched down against the concrete of a building, electrostatic forces keeping Otto anchored, even as he pivoted around and inspected the prototype Spider Bot through modified mask lenses. Slow progress was still progress. If this crude version worked, there would be plenty more to follow. In the meanwhile, the costume would absolutely need fixing. Wasted potential, as ever, Peter Parker. Otto huffed a short sigh; within his fingers, the Bot blinked to life. As soon as Ben spotted Peter swinging out, he suited up and followed after the other Spider-man. Something was on Pete’s mind. Ok, right, there was always something on their minds (no falling into that trap, Ben), but this was boiling and building up into something more than the usual overthinking. Maybe. Or maybe he was overthinking the unusual quiet. Skipping out on things was nothing new with them after all. Neither was patrolling alone. At least back in their universe. Alterna-New York was a different story. And while a weeks long funk back home wouldn’t have even made the back of the Daily Bugle, here.... Ben hung back a moment. Maybe Pete was meeting up with one of the others or heading somewhere in the best and only way available, but when Pete made himself comfy on a wall, Ben’s curiosity got the best of him. Ben landed farther up the building, spun a webline, and lowered himself down head first, which gave him a perfect view of- “Hey, what’s up with the specs?” he asked as he tapped his finger against the new mask lenses. “Don’t tell me all that ‘fashion statement’ business was a ruse and you really need those glasses, old man, and whoa hey what’s that thing?” He stretched lower to get a better look at the device in Peter’s hand. There wasn’t any recoil of shock. If nothing else, the spider sense served to warn -- strangely, not in the same blaring way it usually did. Otto narrowed his eyes behind the compound lenses, as his mind whirred with this twist of events. Company. It wasn’t wanted. Then again, Parker’s memories were an open source. This particular brand of company wouldn’t be easy to lose. And he’d have to sell this to avoid scrutiny, too. Damn Parker for digging around about his apparent future. Damn Parker for sounding the alarm to all his friends should anything appear to be wrong with his behavior. And, last of all, damn him for being an unrepentant clown. Otto grit his teeth, but when he spoke, the voice was kinder in tone than he thought he could muster. Necessity must be working to his advantage. “Improvements,” was the concise explaination. It sounded better than ‘What are you doing here?” But, no, that alone wouldn’t cut it. Failing all else, sarcasm still qualified as humor, did it not? “Please, get a little closer so I can make sure these glasses are working. I still have some breathing room left.” Ben tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow behind the mask. Ooooooookay. Not quite the explanation or banter he’d been expecting. Maybe the heat was finally getting to Pete. Or the stress of the Avengers business, the uncertainty of dad duties, and the ever present guilt. Or something else had crawled up his butt. He rolled his eyes, his head moving with the gesture. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll give you something to see with those glasses,” he shot back even as he swung to the side to attach to the building next to Peter right-side up. “Come on, you gotta give me something more than improvements,” he pointed out. “Putting better venting in the costume counts as improvements. This looks cooler and more along the lines of what you said you got to do back home. What are your plans for it?” Beneath the mask, Otto’s mouth shifted a few more increments towards a scowl. No, the clone wouldn’t up and vacate. That would have been too easy, and this particular one -- Ben Reilly -- was irritatingly similar to Parker in enough ways. He would chase, undoubtedly. With a grim realization washing over him, Otto knew he would have to converse. Great. Then again, it was a stage on which to speak of his accomplishments. Maybe if Reilly responded intelligently, this could be nearly tolerable. Well. One way to find out. “Spider Bots.” The tracer was tapped with one finger, and it recoiled beneath the contact, skittering up the web-banded glove and onto the siding of the building. “But you’re wrong about a few things -- it’s much ‘cooler’ than back home. More functional. More efficient. The more eyes I have out here, the less time I spend searching out trouble.” Unlike Parker and his wasteful methods. Otto practically beamed at the thought. Even Parker’s clone had to consent to the design being infinitely more practical. “It ‘sees’ for me,” Otto added, tapping one of the new lenses. Ben’s curiosity got the best of him as he watched Peter deposit the bot on the wall. He put his hand in front of it, letting it skitter up onto his glove before bringing it close to his face for a proper inspection, turning his hand back and forth as it crawled around. “Oh man, you butchered your toaster, didn’t you?” he laughed when he recognized a few parts as it moved. “‘Sees’?” He wiggled a finger in front of its ‘eyes’. “Straight up video interface between it and your lenses or are you going more of a data collection angle? It sees certain stimuli and notifies you sort of thing?” Well, then. Maybe stomaching this wouldn’t be such a hardship. “I used what I had,” Otto succinctly replied, although his tone edged into something much more conversational. It still wasn’t quite Peter Parker in inflection, but the muffled voice masked at least some of that. “And both,” was furthered, as Otto verified the data that was projected into the inner sphere of his lenses. Ambient atmosphere readings checked out. Basic facial recognition was working. The bulk of the other features had been forgone, so it was crude, yes, but functional. It would do for now. “There’s a visual feed if I need it -- although, it’s a work in progress with my, ah... limited funds. But, yes, data collection and analysis. This? This is the future of patrolling...” He searched for a name. How did Parker address this man? “Ben.” Ben. How dramatic. “And some extra things,” Ben pointed out before he blew out a low whistle. Considering the supplies he knew Pete had access to, the bot was pretty impressive. Ok, it was impressive even without the low cost supplies, but considering he knew how tough hero-ing on a budget was, the methods did add a bit extra. Especially if it actually did everything Pete said. The bot would change patrolling, especially if you had an army of them stationed around the city. Tracking people would be easier. Figuring out patterns. Keeping an eye on the key players. Sneak a few of these into OsCorp... His brow furrowed behind the mask as he put his hand back to the wall and deposited the bot back to its original location. “I don’t know, Pete...” he hedged as he watched the bot. “Don’t you think this might start getting too much into the Big Brother territory?” The agreement was received as though it was anticipated -- as a given. Otto merely nodded in turn... And then jerked his head sharply up when he realized that it wasn’t actually agreement he was hearing, but a question of the methodology. Of the moral standing. Eyes narrowed behind the cold, angular lenses. “A small cost in return for more lives saved.” The Bot affixed itself to the stone, eyes glowing red as it cast its ‘vigil’ outward over the cityscape. “They need protecting.” A hand was swept out at the jagged cut of rooftops and skyscrapers puncturing the sky. “This is an active way to make sure they are. This is better. This is smarter.” Ben completely forgot the bot in favor of staring at Peter because that was just plain creepy. Yes, there was logic to it. More eyes, more sensors, more information, but oh the creep level, sliding into that realm of too much control. Another level of power that was trickier to navigate than just the simple great power/responsibility equation. Just like what they should do with the historical knowledge of their own universe. Why should they be the ones with that much power and reach over other people’s lives? And at what point did these bots just watching step over into something just as ‘better’ and ‘smarter’ but even more sinister? Even if an argument could easily be made for the bots, a sinking feeling of worry chilled Ben at the thought of Peter feeling that their methods of patrolling needed improving. Ok, yes, not the most effective way, but patrolling was more than just, well, patrolling. It was the freedom, moving through the city, being a part of it, being above it, flying, letting everything go even while trying to keep people safe. It was so much more. “So what? These bots’d end up replacing patrolling once you’ve got enough?” he asked, trying to feel out where Peter’s mind was going with this. The hesitation was becoming more evident. He wasn’t selling it. Of course someone like Ben would come along and throw a wrench in the gears, but there wasn’t any ground lost. Yet. Rectify the approach, think what feeble-minded Parker would say. The laugh didn’t have to be forced; there was enough humor in how concerned the other spider was for something that was eating up such a precious commodity as time. There were more pressing things to see to than petty crimes on the street level. “No, c’mon.” The contraction was what felt unnatural, strangely enough. “I can only be in one place at a time, it’s unaccept --” Bad word choice. “It’s not doing everything I can do if I rely on where I physically stand. These are my reach.” “Five places at once now technically,” Ben pointed out before he rested an elbow on a knee and gestured in the direction of the Tower. “Plus there’s the Avengers and all the other heroes too watching over this city that’s usually more quiet than ours.” The past weeks of course trying to prove that wrong between what happened with this world’s Tony and Pepper and then the country-wide attacks and the Avenger missions. Everything must’ve been hitting Peter harder than he thought because that word slip sent the worry ratcheting up even higher. Unacceptable. That had to be the word Pete was going for and that sounded like putting way too much pressure and focus on himself. Reaching out, he nudged his elbow lightly against Pete. “C’mon yourself. I’m not knocking the idea, it’s awesome as a supplement, but you’re not in this alone here, Pete. I know things can be nerve wracking, especially if we have to be away from here and the family, but... Remember that whole telling you if you’re getting too puppet-mastery?” He jerked a thumb towards the bot. “That’s got a big red flag on it in heading down that road.” Otto willed himself to stay calm. The goading was likely Parker’s natural approach with Ben. The invasion of personal space, as well, which prompted a near scowl that luckily wasn’t in view. “Right.” Perhaps the only solution at present was to agree. And to lie. Anything to shake off this barnacle. “No, I... I remember.” Otto turned to look at the other Spider-Man. Family. Use it. Exploit it. Ben had given him a crutch to use, and the memories were clear in Parker’s recollection. “You’d rather swing by Aunt May’s home in person to check on her, and you would do the same for Gwen. Isn’t that conceptually the same? If anything, this gives that protection to more people.” Ben shook his head slightly. “Swinging by Aunt May’s more than just checking up on her and you know it.” Yes, there was that level of it. They’d always worry about her, but it wasn’t like they weren’t getting something out of the visits, even if it was just pure emotional masochism. He puffed out a breath. The bots were more efficient. He couldn’t deny that. Less pesky detective work to bog them down. Less dependence on local news sources. Really, anything that meant he didn’t have to talk to Ellis would be a good thing. But- “What about their privacy though? Where do you draw the line of how much surveillance is ok for the good of them. You’re already twitchy ‘bout being under SHIELD’s scrutiny as much as we are and you want to start doing that to not only our friends, but strangers?” He tilted his head as he gestured between the new lenses and the bot. “Just how safe is that network you have set up? What if someone else hops on it and sees what you’re watching? What if they reverse the display and get a good look at you or whatever your mask might be facing?” Great, so this was more or less an interrogation. Patience was wearing thin the more the clone questioned everything. Otto knew he had to get away before that patience wore out entirely; it would be too difficult to contend with any repercussions this early. “That won’t happen.” It wasn’t confidence so much as fact. His design be hacked? His work be flawed? No. Otto scaled upward, away from Ben. Physical distance was needed if things were going to stay civil. Maybe the second spider would even take the hint and go away. “But I see your point.” And it was idiotic. “I’ll be careful.” Despite having already been to the utmost. “You have nothing to worry about.” Unless you don’t stop with the painfully obtuse questions. And yet worrying seemed like a good idea. His head tilted the other way as Ben watched Peter. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what exactly, but Pete’s mind was latched onto it and spiralling down that rabbit hole. He’d seen Pete near the bottom more times when he first came back then he’d admit to anyone in detail. The semi-avoidance. The fixating. The grumpiness. The lackluster jokes. Ok, the lack of jokes. He opened his mouth to just ask Peter straight out whether he was feeling ok but then snapped it closed. Pete was on the retreat. That’d just push him faster if something was wrong that Pete didn’t want to talk about. Which usually included everything. Change of tactic. Standing up on the side of the building, he nodded his head down the street. “Hey, night’s still young. How ‘bout we head out on patrol and give the lil bot a proper test drive?” No. Fortunately the brain-to-mouth filter was in full operation, since the urge to snap that answer back was clipped at the bud. Otto paused, reluctantly. He half-turned, lamplight catching one of the hard-lined eyes of his mask. If he didn’t play along, the risk of exposure would climb. There was an obvious solution; it was just that willing the words out was taking a good deal of restraint to prevent a more honest response from overpowering everything. “I can’t see the harm in that...” Say something Parker-like. “Benjy Boy.” There. Absolutely childish. Perfect. Perfect, even if this was about as enjoyable as bamboo being shoved under one’s fingernails. A patrol with a Peter Parker knock-off? This had the promise of being even worse than dealing with the original. Still not quite the answer Ben was expecting or used to, but it was movement into the right direction, right? Some webslinging and hanging out and hopefully whatever was seizing up Pete would loosen up. Maybe if luck was on his side, there’d be some talking. No holding his breath on that one, but weirder things had happened and the older Peter he’d gotten to know better in this world did seem to come around more quickly on these mood swings. He stretched his arms over his head, popping his back before he shot a webline out. “Then let’s get a move on. Snap a leash on good little Spid-E, ‘cause I know the perfect set of warehouses for his first walk, old man,” he teased before swinging out into the open air. Instinct was to turn around and blast off the spot, but there was resignation right now to the unwanted company. Everyone made their sacrifices, after all. If this is what it took to establish roots and maintain trust in Parker’s little ring, then it was a necessary hardship. Otto closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in a swath of humid, summer City air. It didn’t help. “After you,” he instructed Ben with a sweep of his arm. The other hand fetched the bot from the building once again, resisting the urge to crush the small creature in a fit of frustration. He’d have to be more careful in the future about being seen. That’s all. Lesson learned for now. |