"Hello everyone, reporter from BBG News here! I've come to talk about a battle that just took place in New York City."
"The perpetrator is unknown, but there's definitely a hero involved. This time, it's the hero who hasn't appeared in a long time—Spider Ghost!"
"Spider Ghost, what do you think about this enemy?" The reporter immediately thrusts the microphone toward Spider Ghost.
"..."
"...Um, could you say something—"
"Hello everybody, my name's Markiplier and today we playing—"
While Spider Ghost is answering the reporter, Peter and Harry are lying in the ambulance.
"Yeah, that's right... Yeah yeah, Harry Osborn is here. Got it, we'll take him to the hospital."
The paramedic hangs up the phone and looks at Harry, who's sitting and watching Peter lying on the stretcher.
Peter's face doesn't look good—like he's depressed.
"Umm, is your friend okay?"
"Kinda..." Harry scratches his head.
"...Well, this atmosphere isn't really suitable for me to stay here, so... See ya!" The paramedic quickly leaves the back of the ambulance.
Now it's just Harry and Peter... and the driver.
Luckily, it's soundproof, so the driver won't hear anything from the back unless someone slides the partition open.
This ambulance design is a bit weird, isn't it?
"Harry," Peter's voice rings out.
"?"
"Aren't you curious about me having powers or anything?"
Harry smiles upon hearing that.
"Well... Actually, I've suspected it ever since we got back from the beach."
"...Really?"
"Yeah, back then I had this feeling about you, especially after I passed out—it became clearer."
"What about Gwen?"
"Is there any normal person who wouldn't notice something off about her? Especially me—the guy she's beaten up a few times."
"Ouch..."
Peter looks up, thinking about something.
Vroom vroom!
"Oh, the ambulance is speeding up."
Then the front partition opens, and a few people come back to check on Peter and Harry.
"..."
It seems the battle between him and Emma caused quite a loud commotion, especially when that Outer God appeared and fired energy beams, causing the abandoned school to collapse even faster and attracting even more attention.
That's why Gwen wearing her hero costume was her way of protecting my identity, and any responsibility would fall on her if the public got angry about something.
That was a pretty smart move, Gwen.
[See? You're not going to die! What else are you dissatisfied about?]
'Emma died.'
[So what? Who told her to be so twisted and try to eat you?]
'She was once my friend. Do you think it's easy for me to just throw away those feelings?'
[Is that why you said you'd torture her and throw her in prison? Are you trying to protect yourself from getting hurt by lying like that?]
'..."
[Hit the nail on the head, huh~ Truly, no one understands you better than me!]
Peter stays silent for a long while, starting to reflect on himself.
'Am I a hypocrite?'
The ambulance then drives off into the lights of the city streets.
***
The glaring sunlight shines down on the farmers diligently plowing the fields.
Most of them are older people with families, or even grandchildren to carry.
So, having a big, strong young man in the middle of the rice fields is a bit surprising—after all, young people in this village are rare, and most have gone to the cities.
"Hey! Come here, uncle will show you this!"
"Huh? Oh, yes!" The young man hears this and pulls his conical hat back, revealing a youthful and handsome face.
The young man is wearing a white tank top that shows off his solid muscles, with ocean-blue eyes and short blond hair that's grown a little longer now.
He walks over to the smaller older man and looks at the tiller machine.
"Here, uncle will demonstrate just once, okay? Watch carefully."
"Yes!"
The man starts it up, and immediately the tiller vibrates slowly.
The soil is tilled quickly and efficiently wherever the machine passes.
"Got it? It's easy—if you still can't do it after this, that's it!"
"Oh yes, don't worry, uncle. I understand how to use it."
Then the young man takes it and indeed operates it with great skill.
"Good, once you're done tilling, you can rest. Later, come over there and eat with us."
"Yes."
The young man looks at the uncle with skin tanned from a lifetime in the sun, then gazes toward the village.
"Phew..."
He is Steve Rogers, former Captain America, now working as a farmer.
As soon as he's done tilling, he moves the machine to a suitable spot, then slings his hoe over his shoulder.
"Brother Steve! Hurry up!" A little boy waves and shouts. Steve waves back.
He heads to a small eatery where the other farmers are gathered, everyone sitting together eating rice.
"Ah, Steve! Over here!"
Hearing that, he walks over and sits down. The cheerful farmers scoop rice into a bowl for him and hand him chopsticks.
"Thank you, uncles."
"Don't be so polite! Honestly, in my whole life I've never seen anyone as strong as you. If you keep going like this, one day's work from you leaves almost nothing for the rest of us!" The uncle picks up a piece of fish and puts it in his bowl.
"..."
"What's wrong? Don't like fish?"
"Huh? Oh no, I was just... getting used to everyone's warm atmosphere." He smiles and picks up the chopsticks.
He tries to control his chopstick use but still struggles.
"If you can't use them, just use a spoon."
"No, I have to get used to it."
Time passes like that, and soon everyone returns to work.
The little boy who called Steve earlier comes to the table and clears the bowls and plates.
"Was the food good, brother?"
"Mmm... It was delicious." Steve smiles.
"Hehe, of course! My mom is the cook, after all!" The boy rubs his nose and carries the dishes inside.
"..."
Steve continues to admire the scenery, looking out over this land.
The land he once fought for America over.
...A war that was absurdly unjust, a war that caused him to lose deep faith in his own country.
His hands are stained with the blood of innocents—people who fought to protect their country from America.
"Heh, Captain America, the symbol of hope (for America), yet an invader to other nations. What a joke."
He stands up and heads back to the fields with the other farmers.
Now, he will atone for the mistakes he made—until the day he dies.