Doing Good

[websnextdoor]

The AV field can only protect the Nexus so much.

Sure, it makes sure no one's hurt for the most part unless it's broken. And that does cut down on a lot of crime. Kinda hard to murder someone, or rob someone at gunpoint if there's no real threat to the victim. But petty theft? Pushing someone down, taking their shit, and running off? That's a huge crime problem in the Nexus. Especially with hundreds of doors to flee to other worlds and PINpoints to get back to a safe house of the thief's choosing.

And wouldn't you know it? Petty theft is one super hero's bread and butter specialty. Webbing a thief up doesn't hurt them and it keeps them from pointing away long enough to call in the sheriff or his volunteer officers to scoop up the criminal. It does leave some stolen goods unaccounted for though. Which is why there's a friendly Nexushood Spider-Man calmly walking through the plaza with a handbag and some kind of weapon in each hand. A ways back is a struggling reprobate webbed up good and snug to a tree.

Every now and then he stops and holds them both aloft.

"Hey, anyone missing these? Does anyone know who had their stuff stolen? Is there a lost and found in the Nexus?"

Comments

[websnextdoor]

"Wait you used to be human? But you're not now. I...okay, huh. That's, are you messing with me right now?"

How does someone stop being human? This sin't some kind of fairy tale where a witch just magics you into an alien body so you can go join the natives somewhere else. He folds his arms over his chest thoughtfully.

"So you chose to leave Earth behind. Were...were we the bad guys?"

[jarheadclan]

Jake can't blame his skepticism, but he still grins anyway. "Nope. Hundred percent true."

His question, on the other hand, is surprisingly insightful. "Kinda," Jake admits, amusement fading. "The scientists just wanna study the Na'vi and the wildlife, that kinda thing. That's what's up with this," he adds, tapping his chest with his fist. "Avatars better adapted to the forest than bein' a tiny little human running around out there."

"Nah, the big problem was corporate greed. Ain't that familiar." Jake shakes his head a little. "The mining companies didn't give a shit about any of that, and neither did the military. All they saw was dollar signs."

[websnextdoor]

"Corporate...oh jeez."

He slumps a bit there. Super disheartening to hear that they were the ones attacking a different planet just like those invaders had done to Earth when he was younger. Spider-Man remembers how devastating the attack was even if only in vague memories in front of the tv with Aunt May asking her if the world was going to end.

To think they'd do that to someone else. For a profit.

"Guess that explains why you turned native. I'm glad they took you in, then."

[jarheadclan]

It's easy to see how bummed the kid is over that answer, but hey, Jake's not the sugarcoating type. Still, it's not all bad news. "Ain't just me. Most of the scientists got to stay too. And civvies back home love the whole Pandora thing, so I bet they weren't too impressed with what the RDA were really up to. Those greedy assholes won't be coming back."

[websnextdoor]

"They did? Wh--I mean, but what about the people of Earth? Are they going to be okay without all the scientists who were tying to make life better for them?"

It's not like most normal folks could move to a new planet, right? He hopes there's some kind of plan in place to help those people too. Even if there isn't, it's not like Spider-Man can help them out personally. He doesn't have any life saving terraforming technology to make the planet usable for farming again.

Sometimes people are going to be hurt.

[jarheadclan]

Jake hasn't given a lot of thought to the people of Earth, since being officially adopted into the Omaticaya. Not like he can do anything about them either. Still, he's not a totally callous asshole. "I dunno. But they're not totally twisting in the wind. The RDA shipped a buttload of unobtainium off planet before we kicked 'em out, and the eggheads that didn't hang around've got like seventy years of research on Pandora to work with. Maybe this time they'll figure out how to use what they've got instead of raiding the neighbors."