[Perspective: Aryan Spencer]
"So," Peter said. He set his fork down, looking at me with curiosity. "What's your plan, Dr. Spencer? Are you guys also going back to the US after this?"
"No," I replied. "After Prague, we will be going to Germany, and then from there we will head over to the UK. After that, we'll eventually make our way back to the States."
"Wow. That sounds amazing. I don't know if I'll ever have an opportunity to travel like that." Peter cast a look at MJ. "Usually, my trips end with something blowing up."
"Of course you can travel like this, Peter," I assured him. "But I don't think New York City will be giving Spider Man a vacation anytime soon."
Peter let out a sigh, nodding slowly. "Yeah. There are many crimes I have to deal with there. It never really stops."
"You know, Peter," I kept my voice conversational, devoid of any harsh judgment. "You really shouldn't interfere in normal human life too much."
Peter blinked. "Why is that? I'm helping people."
"I know you are," I said, holding up a hand. "But humanity learns from our mistakes. We are an evolving species. We improve ourselves so we do not repeat the same mistakes. For example, if you save people from a burning building every time there is a fire, the city will begin to rely on you. We pay taxes so the state can fund the fire department. It is their responsibility to manage the fire, to have the correct equipment and to maintain the safety protocols."
I paused, letting the words sink in.
"If you keep intervening," I continued, "I don't think the fire department will get the funding upgrades they need anytime soon. The city council will say, 'Why spend millions on new ladder trucks when Spider Man does it for free?' And if one day, you are not there… if you are sick, or off fighting aliens… people will blame you for not saving them, because you have literally taken over their job."
Peter looked troubled. "But... with great power comes…"
"Great responsibility," I cut him off. "Yes, I know the quote. It's a good quote. But what responsibility are we talking about here? If you're talking about saving people from muggers and street level criminals, that should be the responsibility of the police department. They receive monthly salaries from our taxes to do exactly that."
Peter shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "But sometimes the police aren't fast enough. People will die if I don't help."
"Yes, they might," I conceded. "That is the harsh reality of the world. But instead of engaging in individual heroism, swinging from building to building catching purse snatchers, you should focus on societal work."
"Society work?" Peter asked.
"Yes. For example, running for Mayor of New York," I suggested, taking another sip of wine.
Peter almost choked on his risotto. "Mayor? I'm sixteen!"
"Eventually, Peter," I laughed, waving my hand. "My point is, as a politician, you have the legal authority to improve people's livelihoods on a massive scale. You can allocate funds to better manage criminal gangs, improve disaster management protocols, and fix the systemic issues that cause crime in the first place. By enacting policy, you can help millions of people simultaneously. Right now, as a single hero, you are just treating the symptoms, not the disease."
Peter looked down at his plate. "But I'm still in high school. I can't fix the whole system."
"Everything starts with small steps," I encouraged him. "You can start by running for student council president. You will soon see dirty politics in the school system. You will realize that individual heroism will not solve society's overall problems, because the people in the higher departments often support or ignore these illegal activities for their own gain. Being Spider Man, you can't force systemic change unless you have legal power."
Peter looked up at me. "Are you... are you in support of the Sokovia Accords?"
Wanda shifted slightly beside me, her hand coming to rest on my thigh under the table.
"I don't play support," I answered honestly, covering her hand with mine. "I think politicians are going to use enhanced individuals for their own political gain rather than society's overall development. But, I have to agree with one point of the Accords. Because of uncoordinated individual heroism, we have a massive loss of civilian infrastructure during fights between villains and heroes."
"I always try to minimize civilian infrastructure damage," Peter defended himself quickly. "I guide the fights away from populated areas."
"Yes, you try," I acknowledged. "But at the same time, there is always some damage left behind. And who takes the blame? The government still has to take responsibility and repair the damage."
Peter flushed red, looking incredibly embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "How should we minimize the damage, then?"
"Let me ask you something," I said, leaning in. "Most of the time, as an individual, you are fighting a human, right? A human in a suit, or a human with a gadget?"
"Yes?" Peter answered cautiously.
"So why not use a tranquilizer gun?" I asked simply. "Why not use a paralyzing agent? You could fix a non lethal aerosol into the web fluid you use. You could just make them unconscious or outsmart them from a distance."
I paused.
"Did you develop the web fluid yourself?" I asked.
Peter's eyes lit up with pride. "Yes, I did! It's a shear thinning non Newtonian fluid. When it's under stress, it acts like a solid, but when it's at rest, it acts like a liquid. I synthesized it in my chemistry class."
"That is brilliant," I commended him genuinely. "But from the engineering requirements to develop that kind of chemical compound, you must be incredibly smart. And despite being a literal genius, I don't know why you are engaging in hand to hand combat with heavily armed villains."
Peter opened his mouth to reply, but I held up a finger.
"For example," I continued. "If you have a villain who is wearing heavy body armor, punching them is highly inefficient. You could just drop a localized gas bomb to make them inhale a sedative and become unconscious. The fighting stops immediately and civilian infrastructure remains intact. I can think of a dozen different ways to end a fight quickly without throwing a single punch. But despite being that smart, why are you choosing to engage in brawls?"
Peter looked flustered, his hands gesturing vaguely. "Well, usually they attack first, and I have to react! And some of them are enhanced, Dr. Spencer. They don't just go down to normal sedatives. Like the... I mean, Beck... he had drones. You can't gas a drone."
"I know," I nodded. "But that doesn't mean you only have to rely on the things you've developed in your bedroom. There are many weapons you can utilize. Electromagnetic pulse grenades for drones. Taser webs. And Sonic disruptors."
Peter looked down at his lap. "I... I didn't think of it that way. I usually just rely on my webs and my agility."
"This is why you are still in school, Peter," I said gently. "So that you can learn. But most of the time, you spend your energy doing heroic activities. Instead, you could be learning more advanced engineering, improving your cognitive perception, and of course, earning a lot of money."
PS: We need only 97 more Power Stones for another bonus chapter.
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