AUDIO; from a cafe; post-bottle

[nerdylilspidey]

 [Peter's not quite in the right place, mentally, to put up a video post. And he definitely isn't sure he should put it up from his own suite. So he's found his way to the nearest cafe, with an oversized hoodie pulled up over his head, and is starting up only an audio feed.]

Never a boring moment around here, is there? One minute we're normal-ish, celebrating Valentine's Day, and the next we're battling evil miasma inside a magic bottle.

Does anyone ever wonder what happened to the idea of rest and relaxation?


[FILTERED to the Spider-family]

...Sorry. About what happened back there. You-- You guys know that that-- That wasn't me. You know that, right...?

Oh, God... [There's a sigh, and then a beat of silence before he continues.] Anyway, just- I'm sorry.

Comments

[unobtainableredemption]

I'll make it real easy for you--I don't celebrate one.

[Because really what was there to celebrate? And even if there was something worth celebrating, was he just supposed to go with Parker's birthday? Or the day the Jackal released him from his pod? Yeah, he's better off without one.]

I can only guarantee that I'm going to be forthcoming today. [That said, he hasn't exactly ruled out being more open with him going forward.]

[nerdylilspidey]

In that case, today is your birthday. [Quick, what's the date.] The truth has set you free.

And every year on your re-birthday, we can celebrate honesty and trust.

[unobtainableredemption]

Are you forgetting the part where I'm a murderer? Because I will kill you. [And he says it a bit more strained than usual, since his "birth" is one of his more touchier subjects.]

[nerdylilspidey]

Can I pretend you'd only kill me 'cause you like me?

[And he's totally about to ask about that, in 5... 4...]

[unobtainableredemption]

[...Heh, in a sick way Peter was right. He only wanted to kill Ben out of his love for Peter. As such, Kaine doesn't answer the question.]

[nerdylilspidey]

[Slooooowly Peter starts to smile.] That's totally a yes.

[unobtainableredemption]

How can you still joke about this when you're still holding the badge of a woman I killed in cold blood?

[nerdylilspidey]

Because. I've said it before, Kaine. You're- You're like a brother to me. I trust you.

[unobtainableredemption]

[Looks down at the floor and fists his hands into fists, digging his nails into his lap in the process.]

Louise trusted me too.

[nerdylilspidey]

... I'm not Louise.

And on a good day, I'm actually pretty hard to kill.

[unobtainableredemption]

[Lifts one of his hands enough to be able to fire a strand of webbing at Louise's badge, then yanks it back to him.

Opens his mouth, but closes it again. If Norman Osborn could kill him, Kaine certainly could. But Peter was too blinded by trust to see the truth in front of him. Typical.]

...What do you know about clone degeneration? [He had to know something. The kid had said he an entire set of dead clones at home.]

[nerdylilspidey]

[Peter stands by the belief that his final fight might not have ended the way it had if he hadn't saved Captain America's skin first.

He doesn't object when the badge is taken back, but at the question Peter can only blink in surprise. Clone degeneration? He knew what the term meant, but he'd never really seen an example of it before.]

Not much. I mean, for the clone that thought he was my dad, for the purposes of his experiment he'd been aged up, so in the end the aging process accelerated to a point where he died of old age... Besides him, everyone but Jessica were killed before anything like that could take effect. And so far Jessica's been totally fine. She's even running around as Spider-Woman.

[unobtainableredemption]

[Runs his thumb along the edge of the badge and unclenches his other fist.]

For almost ten years, I had it. The left side of my face was covered in scars, and I'm not even going to start on the rest of me. My every nerve ending was on fire as my cells exploded one by one. I wanted to die, but first I wanted to take out the person who made me this way.

[nerdylilspidey]

[Peter frowns. Cells exploding one by one, scars everywhere- a slow, tortuous, horrible death. He can't even imagine. It's no wonder Kaine's so... gruff and closed off. Angry.]

So... You went after that Jackal guy..?

[unobtainableredemption]

[No, because that would be logical.]

I went after Reilly. I thought he was the original back then.

[nerdylilspidey]

[His eyes widen. Kaine went after the original. After Peter.]

Why...? Did he do that to you...?

[unobtainableredemption]

Of course not! Neither of them had any idea who I truly was for years. I just wanted Reilly to suffer like I was... and keep him far away from Parker.

[nerdylilspidey]

[Peter settles back a little at that, his gaze shifting slightly while he lets all of this process. It sounds to him like Kaine wanted to give the clones - himself and Reilly - a chance to live on happily.]

... What made you stop gunning for him?

[unobtainableredemption]

[Almost. Kaine knew he was beyond the chance of a happy ending from the beginning, so he wanted someone to have it. Only fate was cruel and had a sense of humor.]

He held out his hand. [He could still feel the rain on his back and in his hair as he begged Reilly for death. He could still see the pity--no, concern--in Reilly's eyes. After everything he had done those past six years, including his latest attempt at his life no more than a half hour before, Ben still thought he could be redeemed. More than that, he genuinely wanted to help, not because it meant getting Kaine off his back, but because they were brothers. Because Ben wanted to help.

Why was it such a man had to die when a man like Kaine manages to keep coming back again and again?]

[nerdylilspidey]

[He studies Kaine for a moment in silence, brow only slightly furrowed in thought. After all this time, he'd like to think that he knows Kaine well enough. Obviously this is the first time he's ever opened up, but still.

Plus, he's really glad that they're talking like this. Even though some horrible things had to go down to make it happen.]

I'm really glad he did.

[unobtainableredemption]

[...Kaine was too.]

It didn't matter. Reilly was dead two weeks later.

[nerdylilspidey]

[That takes the wind out of Peter's sails a little bit.]

...Sorry to hear that.

[unobtainableredemption]

You'd have liked Ben.

[nerdylilspidey]

Did he inherit my boyish charm and good looks?

[unobtainableredemption]

He was identical to you. [Unlike Kaine, who only sort of looks like Peter.] Had to dye his hair blonde when he came back to New York to stop looking quite so much like you.