"Hi, Aunt May."
From a distance, Bant spotted her standing beneath the streetlight, leaning against its faint glow.
"Little Bant?" May called out, a mix of surprise and relief in her voice. Her graying hair fell loosely over her shoulders as she hurried toward him, her wrinkled hands grasping his wrist.
To keep their family afloat and raise two children, she and Uncle Ben had endured countless hardships.
May had little formal education, and all these years, she could only take on menial, exhausting work, washing dishes and scrubbing floors for barely enough pay. Yet she never complained.
"What brings you here?" she asked.
Of course it's because I'm worried, Bant thought.
For Spider-Man in most universes, webs and villains often seemed like fate itself inevitable, unavoidable. Sometimes you could stop one incident, only for another to arise immediately after.
Bant worried that if he prevented Uncle Ben's death, Aunt May might fall into danger. That's why he had reminded Peter after school not to forget to pick up Aunt May. Yet even with the reminder, he couldn't shake his concern.
And as it turned out, his worry was justified. Peter had forgotten again.
The thought annoyed him, but to avoid alarming Aunt May, he said, "Peter went to Oscorp to meet Dr. Connors, so he didn't have time. That's why I came to pick you up."
At the mention of Dr. Connors, May's heart skipped a beat. She knew well the doctor's close connection to Peter's parents. It was likely Peter sought answers about them, drawn to uncover the truth.
Ever since Peter discovered his parents' old briefcase in the warehouse, he had become obsessed. It pained May deeply, this gentle, sensitive woman who had raised him as her own.
She had always considered both Bant and Peter as her sons, but lately, Peter's behavior made her anxious.
Perhaps the children didn't think about things the same way she did.
Perhaps…
And, of course, the greater worry stemmed from Peter's parents disappearing when he was a toddler, leaving him behind. Despite their best efforts, May and Ben had never found a trace of them. They were likely entangled in something terrible, and there was nothing May or Ben could do.
That's why she feared Peter might get drawn too deeply into danger, leaving them powerless.
"Don't worry, May," Bant said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Peter's just fascinated because it's the first time he's really confronting questions about his parents after all these years."
May nodded, her eyes red, her rough hands gripping Bant's tightly, as if letting go might cause both her boys to vanish into the night.
She wanted to ask Bant if he, too, longed to find his biological parents like Peter, but she couldn't bring herself to voice it.
Because if a child wanted to find their parents, it was natural. She had no right to stop him, just as she couldn't stop Peter from investigating his own family.
But if that day ever came and she lost Bant or Peter, she didn't know if she could bear it.
Thankfully, Bant squeezed her hand firmly in return. "Let's hurry home, Aunt May. I'm starving!"
In the quiet night, Bant walked alongside May, guiding her home.
When they arrived, Uncle Ben was already at the doorway, anxiously waiting. Seeing Bant and May together, he hurried over.
"Little Bant? May?" His expression betrayed surprise; he clearly hadn't expected Bant to be the one bringing May home instead of Peter.
"Where's Peter?" he asked.
"He went to see Dr. Connors at Oscorp, so I came to get Aunt May," Bant repeated, recounting the same explanation he had given May.
But Uncle Ben was sharper than May.
He gave Bant a long, complex look, clearly realizing that Bant had covered for Peter. Yet he didn't call him out, nor did he scold him. Instead, there was a quiet relief in his eyes.
Lying wasn't right, of course, but he understood. Bant did it for family.
Both children had always been remarkably responsible, but Bant was different from Peter mature far beyond his years. Often, Ben felt that Bant was the universe's gift to their little family.
"Thank you, son," he said sincerely.
"No need," Bant replied. "This is what I should do. From now on, you can leave these things to me I've got time every day."
"I'd like that, but you left so early this morning." Ben smiled with teary eyes, slapping Bant gently on the shoulder. "Alright, you take May inside first. I'll wait for Peter."
"It's late. Come inside and wait," Bant urged, trying to pull Ben along.
Ben, however, placed a firm hand on Bant's arm, his tone gentle but resolute. "No, I'll stay here for him."
Bant knew that, with his current strength, he could pull Ben into the house with a finger, yet it felt like trying to move a mountain.
Ben wanted to have a serious talk with Peter, and Bant understood that Peter, newly empowered and obsessed with his parents, might act rashly, endangering them.
The argument was what led Peter to storm out and eventually put Uncle Ben in the path of danger. Though Bant had neutralized Dennis ahead of time, he still couldn't rest easy. Without Dennis, there might still be Sandman or others.
He wanted to prevent this confrontation, just as he had eliminated Dennis to avert disaster, but this situation wasn't so simple.
Ultimately, Bant nodded and stepped inside with May.
Compared to Bant, May looked more worried. She clearly sensed what was about to unfold.
"It's alright," Bant whispered, reassuring her. "Let's head to the kitchen and make something to eat. They'll probably argue themselves into hunger soon enough."
May smiled, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "No, you and Peter would never argue with us, ever."
Her confidence was absolute, yet her feet led her honestly toward the kitchen.
Bant watched her frail back and nodded solemnly. "You're right, Aunt May. We won't. And if Peter dares, he'll learn just how serious I am!"
"Don't fight," she said, opening the fridge. "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
"Something simple works," Bant said, sitting at the table. "Fried chicken or pork cutlets? I'm so hungry I could eat a whole pig!"
He wasn't joking.
Thanks to the Omnitrix, Bant had acquired powers similar to Peter's spider abilities. But unlike Peter, these powers were still growing, strengthening over time. The changes to his body were far more intense than all of puberty combined, requiring enormous amounts of food to sustain his energy until his abilities stabilized.
Transforming into alien heroes didn't wear him down as much; that drained the Omnitrix's own energy.
At that moment, a noise at the door signaled Peter's return.