Ray Parker has long accepted he’s no saviour like his father. It didn’t come sudden, it was a long realization, one with its bitter truths that he couldn’t be like his dad. Not the hero he grew up idolizing. Once, he’d resented everything for it— to sling webs and save those who couldn’t save themselves was what he wanted. To be like his idol.

Perhaps it truly set in proper when his cousin took on the mantle instead. The irony that somehow Nikko got teeth sunk in by a different radioactive spider was not lost on him. Unfortunately, Ray has always loved the twerp too much to resent him for it— seeing how Nikko burns himself out is enough to realize he dodged a bullet. So no, he wasn’t that guy to sweep in, he was an average Joe. And at this point, he was fine with it.

Fixing up cars was enough to keep him happy— he helped people at the very least, taking calls at bum ass o’clock to change someone’s tire or working through the day the get a car done. Taking care of Nikko when the shit couldn’t manage to do it himself was helping too, wasn’t it?

But even if he didn’t inherit his dad’s powers, unfortunately he inherited the lack of self preservation and that stupid ass reckless that doesn’t match well with the empathy. Ray knew he had no business doing this, certainly shouldn’t, but seeing an apartment building crumbling under flames certainly compelled his attention. And the cries of some poor elderly woman about her neighbour?

And here the damn idiot was. Choking on smoke as he narrowly avoids a crumbling beam, eyes honed on the collapsed body heaving on the floor. It’s almost ridiculous how easily he heaves them up, less than sweetly tossing them over his freckled shoulder like a bag of flour.

“Hold on.” He attempts to assure. It feels odd coming out his mouth; but he still tries anyways. Kicking out the jammed door and into the night air. Was it stupid? Of course. But in that moment, he didn’t think. He just did.