Night is a quiet time, a period of rest and tranquility when we can finally plunge into the sweet embrace of sleep and venture into the world of dreams.
We sleep, we rest.
But not all of us.
Goliath was one of those exceptions, standing on the edge of a tall apartment building. Despite his efforts to fall asleep, a good shower and a nice drink had banished all drowsiness. So, rather than waste time, he had climbed up to the rooftop to stare down at the city, which was still teeming with life even at this late hour.
It was already one o'clock in the morning.
He hoped that his presence wouldn't draw attention. It was unlikely anyone would spot a four-meter-tall blonde figure in the night—unless they looked up, which few did. He was high enough to remain unnoticed.
Thomas kept his sonar active, alert to anyone approaching the roof. He didn't know why he had come up here. Perhaps it was a subconscious desire to entertain himself, as he wasn't in the mood for video games. Or maybe he needed the cold breeze to clear his head, to think better about what had transpired and what his AI had suggested.
"Should I really take a vacation?" he asked himself, emotionless, arms crossed over his broad chest. His glasses were perched on his forehead, his eyes faintly glowing as he looked down at the vibrant streets below. "Well, 'the ones you inspired,' she said."
Of all the heroes Jocasta had shown him, he instantly recognized only one: the kid in tights, Spider-Man. Honest, strong, noble, dealing with his own problems as both a teenager and a hero.
And for some reason, J. Jonah Jameson himself was against it. Against Goliath, he hadn't shown such opposition; quite the opposite, he was in favor of him. Maybe JJJ didn't like the brightly colored costumes. Red, blue… "Gold. Spider-Man's costume consist of red, blue, and gold," Thomas mused, raising an eyebrow. He extended the radius of his sonar to ensure no one was listening. Although he doubted anyone could hear his whisper from such a height, he checked just in case.
No one. Very good.
"But where did the gold color come from? I don't remember it ever being in his costumes," he pondered quietly, stepping away from the edge of the building and walking towards the center. The free wind at this height caused his lush hair to flutter. As ridiculous as it might seem, even his hair held a certain power.
"Besides the yellow, he had some other features, something like plates?" he recalled, those plates resembling the ones that appeared on him when he shifted into another form. Thomas tried again to picture the image of Spider-Man that Jocasta had shown him. "If you put it that way, the suit's different…"
Different from the suit he remembered from his world.
"Somewhat similar to me. Doesn't that mean…"
"The ones you inspire" echoed in Thomas's mind again. Jocasta was right.
Thomas smirked as he took another step towards the edge of the building, this time to the quieter side. The thought that someone had made a costume in his honor amused him. Of course, there were cosplayers and Halloween costumes—people wearing Hawaiian shirts, white pants, black shoes, gold glasses, and oversized wigs. Some even added his signature beard.
Cosplays and children's costumes were one thing, but a hero uniform designed for saving lives was another. In wearing that costume, Spider-Man was showing his respect for Goliath. It was a clear indication that Goliath was Peter Parker's idol.
"Heh, ain't no fuckin' way!" Thomas chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was both funny and humbling. "Well, then we need to teach the kid a few tricks."
The idea of taking a young hero under his wing began to take root in Thomas's mind. He imagined having an official apprentice, someone he could train and patrol with, running drills together. The thought of it lifted his spirits. Spider-Man's homage to him with the gold-accented costume sparked something within Thomas, a sense of renewed purpose and excitement.
He decided it was time to head home, but first, he needed a moment to collect himself. He sat down carefully, spreading his legs to ensure the concrete beneath him wouldn't take any damage from his immense weight. After all, it wasn't his building.
As he sat, deep in thought, his cell phone suddenly started to rattle, vibrating and making noises. The sound was unexpected and loud enough to potentially attract attention. Thanks to his heightened reaction speed, Thomas quickly reached for the phone in his pocket, pressing the sound button to put it into silent mode.
"What?" he muttered, annoyed at the interruption.
He pulled the phone out, ready to turn it on to read the notification, but he didn't have to. The screen was already lit up, displaying a message in big red letters: "SOS FROM TONY STARK."
"M?!"
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[ A/N: First of all I apologize for such a small chapter, it's just that the top refreshed, so for the sake of algorithms I had to write something urgently.
Now.
HOLY SHIT
I straight up didn't expect this kind of feedback to my question. And fuck, thank you all, I heard you all, and I wanted to thank you all. Criticism is always helpful, as long as it's constructive of course.
And about the chapter itself, remember when I said the characters weren't right. Don't worry, Spidey is the same, but with a different costume design... And stronger powers, you'll see. And like, look, it makes sense that a kid would idolize who's literally the biggest hero in the country, right? Personally, I think so. And just for that, I'm going to ask someone to draw a design of a spider, anyone?
And that's it for now, everybody, hugs and bro fist😎👊]