After school, Peter and Gwen headed to the F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter & Training) Center. The schedule was set: first, they would go straight to see Aunt May. Peter intended to tell Aunt May his true identity. When he realized that certain dangers might be closing in on his loved ones, Peter recognized that he truly needed to tell them to prevent some things from happening.
Next, Peter would go with Felicia to meet Kraven. The two sides had already spoken on the phone, but the piece of the Lizard's back Peter had torn off was currently in the hands of Osborn Industries. Peter needed to personally take Kraven there to retrieve the relevant material.
Finally, in the evening, Peter needed to talk with Captain Stacy. Peter had told Gwen about how Captain Stacy had sacrificed himself to stop the Lizard in a parallel universe. He wasn't sure if something similar would happen in this universe, but he wanted to ensure the safety of those around him.
So, they arrived at their first stop, the F.E.A.S.T. Center.
The F.E.A.S.T. Center had been riding a wave of popularity lately. A major reason was that the owner, Martin Li, had become the super-powered "Mister Negative" and joined the street-level hero group, the Defenders, becoming a street hero. But more importantly, his power of light could heal people's injuries. Some desperate patients who couldn't afford medical care would choose to come to F.E.A.S.T. to seek Mister Negative's help.
As luck would have it, Martin Li was actually helping out at F.E.A.S.T. today. Of course, some people came just to see Mister Negative transform, but Martin just smiled and declined.
"No, no, I can't do that. When I transform... I become very dangerous. If Mister Negative touches a good person, he can turn them bad. My body holds both the power of light and the power of darkness. In Eastern terms, this is called 'Yin and Yang.' I must ensure its balance and cannot use my power casually."
Martin squeezed out from a group of laughing children and smiled when he saw Peter arriving at the F.E.A.S.T. entrance: "Peter, we haven't seen you since you started high school. And Gwen, how long has it been since you two visited?"
"Actually, I've popped in a couple of times, but I rarely see you, Mr. Li," Peter shook Martin's hand. "How have you been recently, Mr. Li? I heard you went through some things."
"I'm alright, but things have certainly changed a lot. I was captured by a group of mad scientists and experimented on. Perhaps you've heard, I've become a sort of superhero." Martin said this with a touch of pride but also some resignation: "It's not quite like that, actually. When I found I could use my ability to cure diseases, I did. But I quickly discovered the energy affected me. I can both heal others or give them power while turning them bad. But if I use either one exclusively, it will..."
"Cause the Yin and Yang to become unbalanced."
"Exactly." Martin smiled: "That's why I need to be a superhero. I need some violent means to maintain my own Yin-Yang balance. You're very smart, Peter, you've always been smart. Oh, right, you're here to see May, aren't you?"
"And to help out at F.E.A.S.T. too. How's F.E.A.S.T. doing lately?"
"Very well. More and more people have found jobs. Since the superheroes appeared, infrastructure projects in the city have increased significantly." Martin smiled as he led the two inside, adding: "Also, F.E.A.S.T. receives a large anonymous donation every month. I don't know who donates it, but I'm truly grateful to them."
"F.E.A.S.T. advocates for helping others, Mr. Li. Perhaps some people were inspired by this spirit and chose to lend a hand."
Peter smiled. He was actually the one making those donations. Since he joined the Avengers, Tony Stark could legitimately register the Spider-Man trademark and launch related toys. Peter received a significant sum of money, but he barely used it. One reason was that a sudden improvement in his family's finances might expose his secret identity; another was that he simply didn't need that much money right now.
So, after setting aside some money for the Web-Base, Peter asked Stark Industries to donate the rest to F.E.A.S.T. He wasn't sure if other charities were trustworthy, but F.E.A.S.T. certainly was.
Martin left after leading Peter and Gwen to the back kitchen. The two exchanged glances, naturally went to the adjacent storage room, grabbed aprons, and entered the kitchen. Aunt May, who was preparing dinner for the homeless individuals sheltered by F.E.A.S.T., smiled with slight surprise when she saw them enter.
"Peter, and Gwen! I didn't expect you to come now. You've both been quite busy since you started high school."
"It's been alright, May. I've been here a couple of times now."
After Peter spoke, Gwen leaned in and whispered something to him. Peter nodded, then watched Gwen go to help in another area. Aunt May looked at him, both amused and curious: "What's going on? All the secrecy."
"I have something I need to tell you, May. You might have noticed I've been leaving the house every night..."
May stopped what she was doing and looked at Peter: "I know, Peter. But I also know you're a good boy. You haven't been doing anything bad, have you?"
"No, I'm... I'm doing my best to help other people."
Peter smiled, took a deep breath: "I, uh, I'm Spider-Man."
May looked at Peter again, staring into his eyes. It took a while before she finally understood: "Oh, my goodness, Peter. You, you're not joking."
"I'm not joking, May. I got my powers at the Osborn Industries Expo in March, and I thought I could do something with them. So, I asked Uncle Ben to help me learn how to control these powers. After that, you know the rest: I became Spider-Man, and I became an Avenger."
As Peter spoke, he looked around, ensuring no one could overhear, before continuing.
"Uncle Ben and I were both worried at first that you'd be very worried if you found out, so we didn't say anything. But, Aunt May. I've realized that if I don't tell you, there are a lot of things I can't explain, and if danger comes, I might not be able to make things clear."
"Has something happened, Peter?"
"Not yet, May."
Peter said softly: "I'll make sure it doesn't."
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