The talkative raven in the world of American comics

Chapter 30: Give Up, Peter

After Peter hung up the phone, he turned his head and glanced at Oz, who was standing on his shoulder, his eyes seeming to ask what was going on.

Then Oz immediately moved his scarlet eyes closer and stared at Peter.

"You're trying to steal my fries!?"

"What?! Of course not!"

Peter held up two fingers and pushed Oz's head away, wondering, "I wonder what Dr. Connors wants to talk to me about..."

"Maybe it's your cheap old man," Oz said.

"..."

Peter recalled that when he shared his memory vision with Oz, Dr. Connors and Dara, who had not yet become a lizard man, had spoken about their fathers.

To be honest, Peter's image of his father was already quite vague.

He only remembered that he was playing hide-and-seek with his father. When he found his father, he was sent to Uncle Ben and Aunt Mei's little house, and he never saw him again.

Father......

Uncle Ben was more like his "father" than he was.

But his "father" had already passed away.

Thinking about this, Peter's initial strong desire to know about his biological father faded somewhat.

Regardless, he decided to go see Connors.

It's not impossible that the news isn't about him.

"Where are you going, kid? McDonald's is over there."

"There's a Burger King near Connors's house, they sell fries there too!"

"Sorry, I only eat McDonald's."

"..."

......

Connors pushed open the door, which was still ringing with the bell, and saw Peter and... a crow eating fries?

The sight of the human and the bird made him pause in surprise.

"When did you get a crow?" Connors asked.

Peter knew this was yet another instance of Oz selectively making things visible, so he scratched his head and explained:

"I recently got this pet; it just so happens to be meant to be."

Connors nodded meaningfully: "Ravens are highly intelligent birds; they represent more than just death and bad omens—they can also be interpreted as bringing good fortune..."

Am I really lucky?

Doctor, you have no idea how vicious its hellish jokes can be!

Peter couldn't believe what would happen if Oz was bound to Dr. Connors.

Peter glanced furtively at the doctor's empty sleeve.

Why don't you eat with your hands? Do you not have hands?

and many more!

Peter, what are you thinking!

The boy shook his head, blaming everything on the crow on his shoulder.

"So, Doctor, what is it you wanted to discuss with me here today?"

Connors slowly poured Peter a cup of coffee, then noticed the crow staring at him blankly, as if to say, "Where's my coffee?"

Connors, feeling that the crow was intelligent and human-like, said:

"Peter, we can talk about this later. For now, just think of it as an elder talking to a younger person."

"All right."

Peter picked up his coffee and took a sip, then heard Oz muttering to himself beside him.

"Ever since last night, Peter, I've been thinking about one question: what exactly drove you to become Spider-Man?"

Connors led Peter to the living room sofa area and sat him down, then asked, "Does your aunt, May Parker, know about this?"

Peter shook his head: "I don't know, and I don't want her to know; she'll worry."

Connors gently patted the boy's shoulder.

"So why become Spider-Man?"

"Because I want to use this ability to help others."

"That's all?"

"Yes, that's all."

After listening, Connors thought for a while and then expressed his guess about Peter becoming Spider-Man.

"Because of Ben Parker?"

Peter froze on the spot, glancing at Connors in disbelief.

He didn't understand why the other party would guess in this direction, and so accurately pinpoint the truth.

After a moment of silence, he nodded but said nothing.

He had already explained it to Gwen, and he wasn't keen on explaining these things too many times.

Some things are better kept to yourself; it's enough that you keep them to yourself.

Connors observed Peter's reaction throughout, sighed silently in his heart, and then showed an expression of admiration.

"Peter, you really look a lot like your father."

Peter looked down at his face reflected in the coffee.

"Uncle Ben said something similar, Doctor. Do you have any other information about him...?"

"I'm sorry, Peter, when you gave me the formula, I already told you everything about it."

"All right."

Peter wasn't too discouraged when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

"So what exactly did you call me here for today? You can't possibly be curious about why I became Spider-Man, can you?" Peter asked.

"That's part of it." Connors didn't answer Peter's first question, but instead drank his coffee and lay down on the soft sofa.

"I've been comparing you to other people lately, child."

"Comparison?" Peter didn't quite understand what Connors meant.

"Yes, compared to that, how old are you now? Sixteen or seventeen?"

"Seventeen."

"So young," Connors remarked, then continued, "I've seen many kids your age. Some are smart and thinking about their future, while others aren't so smart and have chosen to enjoy their youth."

"But you're different, Peter."

Peter blushed slightly after Connors's comment.

This must be a compliment to him, right?

"You put on a ridiculous, tight-fitting uniform, swinging on webs between the city's skyscrapers, doing your best to help others... even helping a child get a cat down from a tree..."

Connors looked Peter in the eye and said, "And as far as I know, you don't seem to ask for anything in return?"

"Doctor, I'm a little embarrassed by what you're saying..." Peter scratched his head.

Connors shook his head and smiled. "Last night, when I was still a lizard monster, I sensed your fear. It wasn't the fear of facing an unknown creature; this fear was more like..."

A look of reminiscence crossed Connors' face, as if he were reliving the experience of becoming a lizardman.

"The fear of messing everything up? Am I right?"

"Not entirely," Peter explained. "I gave you the formula, Doctor, and then this problem arose. I'm afraid that my mistake might have caused harm to others."

"Roll everything up?" The boy shook his head and laughed. "I'm confident I can handle it, but I'm not confident that others won't get hurt as a result."

Connors gazed into Peter's eyes, which were full of energy and confidence.

My opinion of the boy has risen even higher.

It is precisely because I have high expectations for him that I called him here today.

It wasn't just to make sure he was alright, but also for the child's future.

......

Just as Peter was feeling embarrassed by Connors's stare and was about to speak up to remind him, he heard words that made him widen his eyes.

"Give up, Peter."

"Give up being Spider-Man and become a smart student. You have a brighter future ahead of you. This is not only for May Parker's sake, but also for yours."

"You can't imagine what you'll suffer in the days to come."

"So give up, child."

"Stop being Spider-Man."

"..."

.......

.......

... (The following is a bonus scene)

"Peter, do you recognize these tickets? I see Oz bringing them in from outside every day."

Peter took the yellow paper from Aunt May, pondered for a moment, and said:

"Oz said it's a monthly pass, and that the more of these things the better."

"..."