It was the dead of night. Su Yi, having silently comforted Mary Jane in her room, slipped out the window to continue his mandated quest. He needed to find Peter Parker.
Peter's heightened Spider-Sense immediately flared, sensing a powerful, familiar presence nearby. He scrambled out of his bedroom window, his focus sharp and desperate. He hadn't yet created a proper suit, so he could only follow on foot.
Su Yi, expecting this reaction, didn't lead Peter on a prolonged chase. He intentionally moved to a secluded, abandoned factory building several blocks away and stopped.
Peter arrived, breathless and tense, his new abilities giving him unnatural stamina, but his lack of training leaving him ragged.
"Wait," Peter demanded, his voice echoing in the empty warehouse. "Who exactly are you? And why have you brought me here?"
"Peter Parker, long time no see," Su Yi replied, his voice calm and resonant.
Peter frowned, sensing an unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar, pitch. The figure before him was clad in the menacing black Symbiote Suit.
Then, the suit receded, flowing down the figure's body like ink, revealing a startlingly familiar face.
"Su!?" Peter gasped, utterly shocked. "How... how can it be you? You're the Spider-Bully?"
Su Yi shrugged, completely unfazed. "A very obvious answer, isn't it?"
Peter, a logical genius, quickly processed the implications. It explained why Su Yi knew about Gwen's powers, why he seemed so confident, and why he was capable of incredible feats. It was startling, but not impossible to reconcile.
"You found me. What is your purpose?" Peter asked, his shock giving way to focused inquiry.
"My purpose is simple: To help you, to guide you, to become Spider-Man."
Peter looked confused, and Su Yi stepped forward, laying out the complex truth in simple terms.
"In many parallel universes, Peter Parker was bitten by a spider and gained superpowers. In those worlds, it was the death of Uncle Ben—out of self-blame and grief—that forced him into a homemade suit to fight crime."
"The eventual understanding of the phrase, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' led him to become the hero."
"If Aunt May had suffered that fatal injury tonight, you would have followed a similar path, driven by regret and self-loathing. And having lost all your loved ones, you might even have taken a darker, more dangerous path."
Su Yi paused for emphasis. "That's why I intervened. I saved Aunt May. My purpose is simple: I hope you choose to become a Superhero of your own free will, not out of regret and self-blame. Do you understand the difference?"
Peter was reeling—parallel universes, foreknowledge, and the realization that his recent tragedy was narrowly averted by the man standing before him.
"To be honest, I'm a bit confused."
"Don't be nervous. You have time to think," Su Yi urged. "Think about whether you truly want to use your abilities to save others. Do you want to become Spider-Man?"
Peter looked down at his hands, his gaze drawn to the latent power held within them. He recalled his inaction at the pharmacy, the painful consequences, and Aunt May's words.
With great power comes great responsibility.I have this power; where is my responsibility?
"I will become Spider-Man," Peter stated, his jaw set in determination.
Su Yi immediately rejected him. "No, no, no! You answered too quickly. You haven't considered the cost of this path."
"Cost? What cost?" Peter asked, genuinely unaware of the magnitude of the commitment.
"You will face countless ordinary criminals, criminals you will never eradicate completely—evil never truly dies. More importantly, you will face evil and powerful Super-Villains—geniuses with technology, or individuals with even greater powers than yours."
Su Yi's voice took on a serious tone. "Furthermore, you must be prepared for injuries, not just to yourself, but to the people around you. You have powers, but Aunt May is just an ordinary person. Can you guarantee the villains won't find and harm her to get to you? I cannot always be there to save her."
Peter was stunned. He hadn't thought beyond dealing with petty thieves. Protecting Aunt May—that was a burden solely his.
"Not only that," Su Yi added, "you've overlooked the practical reality. This mission is difficult and unpaid. Are you mentally prepared for your life, your studies, and your work to become a complete mess? Criminals don't wait for your shift to end. Super-Villains don't wait for your date to destroy the world."
Peter finally hesitated, the full, complex burden of heroism settling onto his shoulders. It wasn't simple.
He thought of Su Yi. "Su, how do you handle it? You seem to manage perfectly."
Su Yi chuckled. "Do you think I'm very busy? Actually, no. I've only appeared three times in total."
"The first time was the widely publicized one—stopping the thieves. That was because my girlfriend, Pepper, was in danger. The second time, I saved Gwen. And the third is now, to guide you."
"The Spider-Men of other universes try to protect the entire city single-handedly, which is why they burn out. If you choose to only act against the evil you personally witness, you can manage. You aren't the only hero here, and you can still trust the people in uniform—they are also protecting the city."
Peter was deep in thought. This decision was truly life-altering.
"Su, why do you know so much about parallel universes? Are you... another version of Spider-Man?"
"A crucial question," Su Yi conceded. "I am from another universe. However, I am not Spider-Man. Spider-Bully is just a nickname I adopted because of a certain blackened Peter Parker."
Su Yi handed Peter a folded piece of paper. "Go back and think about this deeply. And this is a gift for you."
Peter opened the paper. It was a detailed, artistic drawing of the iconic red-and-blue Spider-Man battle suit.
"So, this is Spider-Man?"
"I should get back to Mary Jane now. Oh, and Peter, don't use your new powers to snoop."
"What? I would never do such a thing!" Peter protested, but Su Yi was already gone, teleported back to Mary Jane's room.
Su Yi materialized inside Mary Jane's room, embracing her instantly. "I'm back."
"Is your mission complete?" Mary Jane asked softly.
Su Yi gently kissed her forehead. "More or less. I gave him his first lesson and told him about the many difficulties he will face as Spider-Man."
"Knowing there are so many difficulties, will he still choose to become a hero?"
"He will," Su Yi said with certainty, pulling her closer. "Just as I love you, no matter how many difficulties there are, I will always come to your side."
Peter Parker is now equipped with the knowledge of the "Great Responsibility" and the design for his suit, but he must make the final choice.