The next day, Peter and Cindy visited another landmark in Rome—the Pantheon. It wasn't for a date, but for official business, though the danger level was relatively low.
The current Pantheon was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Hadrian around 125 AD. Because it was converted into the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs in the seventh century, it escaped the destruction of the Middle Ages. Unlike the neighboring Colosseum, which suffered severe damage, the Pantheon received regular maintenance and has been preserved to this day.
However, as a temple once dedicated to the Roman gods during the Empire, the statues of the Roman pantheon were essentially gone, replaced by statues of Christian saints.
"Rome had a tradition of integrating the myths of conquered regions into its own mythic system to fill in the blanks. Therefore, in theory, Egyptian gods could have been worshipped here."
Peter explained this to Cindy, who nodded in understanding. She was aware of this historical context, and it was precisely why they had come: to investigate whether there were hidden temples dedicated to Neith or Anansi beneath the surface.
As it turned out, the answer was both yes and no.
Their spider-senses did indeed pick up on something, but the sensation wasn't particularly intense. After a moment of thought, Peter used an astral projection to scout below. He quickly found his destination; beneath the Pantheon, there was indeed another "Pantheon."
It wasn't guarded by magic. Furthermore, Peter spotted some modern equipment, seemingly left behind by Hydra—or perhaps the Third Reich. However, the contents had been severely vandalized, and the passages were blocked by rubble.
It was clear that Hydra had gone to great lengths to cover something up.
But it didn't matter. Since the main structure of the lower Pantheon hadn't been filled in, Peter could use his Sling Ring to open a portal. At most, he just had to send people through. The biggest issue was oxygen, but that wasn't much of a problem either; he could simply leave a portal open for ventilation or arrange for oxygen tanks.
And then? Then there was nothing left for them to do. Peter and Cindy had to wait for Captain America and Logan to arrive before they could explore the origins of Hydra together. The remaining time was for rest.
"So, uh, is there anywhere else you're planning to go?"
Cindy took out her Pantheon ticket.
"Let's finish looking at the Pantheon first. After all, we paid for it."
"Oh, okay."
The two of them walked through the ancient Pantheon, looking up at the architectural marvel from over a thousand years ago. The Pantheon featured a circular dome over forty meters in diameter, with an open oculus at the top. On the summer solstice, sunlight streams through this skylight to hit the center of the floor, symbolizing the apotheosis of the Roman Emperor.
"Have you ever heard people claim that Roman history is a forgery? That it was made up to give Western civilization a longer history?"
Cindy looked up at the dome and suddenly posed the question. Peter scratched his head and replied, "Are you talking about that kind of history where Napoleon was in Egypt for three years and, while fighting a war, managed to build dozens of pyramids and the entire Valley of the Kings, yet as Emperor of France for over a decade, he couldn't even finish the Arc de Triomphe before he died?"
Cindy couldn't help but laugh and shook her head, bringing up another point: "Actually, six years after Napoleon died, someone published a book titled Napoleon Did Not Exist, arguing that his existence was a myth fabricated by the Orleans dynasty. Do you know that book?"
"..." Peter was genuinely shocked. "That actually exists?"
"Yeah, the title is Historic Doubts Relative to Napoleon Buonaparte. You should check it out; it's quite funny."
The two observed the interior furnishings of the Pantheon. As mentioned earlier, while this was the Roman Pantheon, the traces of the old gods were long gone. All that remained were Christian icons and the tombs of Italian luminaries. Raphael was buried here; the two stopped by his tomb for a look before leaving.
Cindy looked up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
"I was thinking, if it weren't for that spider, maybe we never would have met."
She looked at Peter and spoke what she felt was the truth: "I never knew what to do, or how to do it. Maybe it's the same even now. I just follow orders, doing what everyone asks of me... maybe I think that's actually fine."
Cindy didn't have a people-pleasing personality; she was expressing something similar to what Gwen had told Peter at the Colosseum, something she had mentioned before as well.
Cindy simply didn't know what her purpose was. She had never had a goal or a plan, and even now, she truly didn't know what she ought to be doing.
So, Cindy decided to ask Peter that question again.
"So... now that so many days have passed, has your answer changed?"
"An answer regarding what?"
"Why you are Spider-Man. Is it still just because you want to, and because you can, so you do?"
Peter thought for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure what his answer had been the last time Cindy asked, so he simply chose to counter with a question: "When you are Silk, do you ever feel happy or fulfilled?"
Cindy tilted her head, and Peter shrugged.
"It can be anytime. For example, when you save someone, when you help others, or when you strike back at crime and feel like you've made a contribution—it all counts."
"When I'm with you."
"Oh, uh... well, okay, but that might not help with your question." Peter scratched his head, flustered. "What I mean is, no matter what you do, if you want to keep doing it, you have to feel something. You don't necessarily have to set a goal from the very beginning, like 'I'm going to be a superhero,' but you can find something in the process—whether this path suits you, or whether you need to give it up."
Cindy looked at Peter with some surprise. "Give it up...?"
"If you decide you're not suited for this, you can choose to stop. No one is forcing you to do any of this, Cindy. Everyone is free," Peter replied. "So, I can't give you an answer. All I can do is stay by your side and accompany you as you search for that answer. Beyond that, there's nothing else I can do."
"No, thank you."
Cindy smiled and looked at Peter. "Those words are enough. Thank you for staying by my side."