Spiderman retires

Peter arrived in front of the law office, parked the car to the side, and stepped out, heading inside.

The office was quiet, except for the sound of a pen scribbling notes quickly on a file by a black-haired woman.

Shelves of legal books wrapped around the room in every direction.

Peter stood at the entrance, visibly nervous. Honestly, outside of being Spider-Man, he had no connection to Jennifer Walters, also known as She-Hulk. In truth, even in his alternate persona, he wasn't close to her.

Jennifer looked up, blinking twice before a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. She cleared her throat, saying, "Can I help you?"

"I need your time. It's urgent," Peter said firmly, though caution underlined his tone.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, gesturing to her open planner filled with a packed schedule.

"No, but I need your help now. This can't wait."

She paused, studying him carefully, then closed her notebook with a single motion, set her pen down, and pointed to the chair across from her. "Take a seat. But I can't promise anything until I understand the situation."

Peter sat slowly, leaning forward, shoulders hunched. Taking a deep breath, he began, "It's about a little girl. I found her in an alley. She was alone, homeless, and... I can't leave her. I want to adopt her."

Jennifer froze for a moment, Peter's words narrowing her eyes. "In an alley? How did she end up there? Do you know anything about her family?"

Peter shook his head, his face reflecting sincere frustration. "She was orphaned during one of the Avengers' battles. Spider-Man saved her and sent her to an orphanage. Unfortunately, she ran away because, according to her, the woman in charge wasn't good to her."

Jennifer leaned on the table with tense fingers, her face showing some discomfort as she lowered her gaze. Peter noticed this and quickly deduced the reason.

It was because she herself was an Avenger. "If it comforts you, you weren't even present for that fight."

She lifted her eyes to meet his, now staring seriously into his brown eyes. "And how do you know that? Did she tell you?"

Peter exhaled deeply, deciding to speak plainly. "Because I was there. I'm the one who sent her to the orphanage."

Jennifer looked at him, puzzled. After a moment, her eyes widened. "You... you're Spider-Man?"

Peter nodded slowly. "I hope you can keep this between us, Jennifer."

Jennifer's mouth hung open for a while. "Wow, I didn't expect you to be this handsome under the mask."

"Huh?" Peter blushed at Jennifer's outburst. "Uh... um... thanks."

Suddenly, Jennifer blushed as well, realizing what she had just said. "I'm sorry... it's just that everyone always bet you'd be ugly under the mask. Damn, now I understand why Susan, Nat, Carol, and Jessica all bet you were handsome. Did they know your identity?"

Peter shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Well, regarding Natasha, I'd prefer not to discuss it. She doesn't like that. I dated Carol for a while. Jessica is a fellow spider, and Susan... she's a great friend. Yeah, just a friend."

Jennifer's jaw dropped again. "Damn."

Peter cleared his throat. "Ahem, ahem. Please, Jennifer, let's not dwell on my personal life. I need your help."

Jennifer nodded, still staring at his face, slightly flustered, but decided to approach things professionally. "Alright, Spider-Man-"

Peter raised his hand, cutting her off. "Peter. My name is Peter Parker, Jennifer."

"Okay, Peter, let me be honest with you. Adoption isn't a simple process, especially when it involves a homeless child. According to Article 16 of the Child Protection Act, 'No child may be adopted without verifying their legal status and conducting a thorough assessment of their best interests.' Have you thought about the procedures this requires?"

"I'm prepared for everything. What matters is giving Leah a better life."

"Leah? That's her name?"

Peter nodded, and Jennifer began jotting notes in a small notebook. "Alright, let's start there. How old does she seem?"

"I don't know. Six to eight, maybe more. I can't tell. She's still suffering from malnutrition."

"Did you report her to the police or social services when you found her?"

"No. I couldn't do that. I've heard too many stories about foster care, not to mention Leah's experience in the orphanage. I couldn't risk her ending up somewhere worse."

Jennifer looked up, showing a mix of seriousness and empathy. "Peter, I understand you want what's best for her, but we need to follow legal procedures. The first step is reporting her situation to the authorities. If she's not officially recognized as a child in need of care, we can't proceed with an adoption request."

"I understand, but if we report her, won't they take her away from me?"

"That's a possibility. The authorities will look for any potential relatives of the girl. If none are found, we can work on filing an adoption request. But you need to understand that the law's primary goal is to protect the child."

"And me? What if they decide I'm not suitable to care for her?"

Jennifer sighed, placing her pen down. "If you're serious, we can build your case. We'll need to prove you can provide her with a safe and stable environment. This includes financial documents, interviews with social workers, and possibly even a psychological evaluation to ensure you're the right person to care for her."

"I'm ready for all of it. I just want Leah to be safe."

Jennifer scrutinized him, as if assessing his sincerity. From the stories she'd heard about him-particularly from Jessica-it was clear that the negative ones were attempts to tarnish his reputation out of envy. Something in his tone, in the way he looked at her, suggested she wasn't dealing with someone acting impulsively.

"Peter, if you're serious, here's what we'll do. First, we need to register Leah in the system. That requires reporting her situation to the police and social services. Second, we'll work on filing a formal adoption request, but this won't be quick. The laws are strict, and adoption can take months, if not longer."

"And if relatives appear?"

"In that case, the judge will decide based on the child's best interests. If it's clear the relatives can't provide a stable life for her, you might have a stronger chance."

"And what can I do now?"

"The first step is to stay calm and patient. This is a long and arduous process. I'll need you to provide all the details about where and when you found Leah, and anything else that can help us understand her situation."

"I'll give you everything I know. The most important thing is that Leah stays safe."

Jennifer smiled slightly for the first time since the conversation began. "Your determination is admirable. You're only reinforcing the image Jessica painted of you. But we have a long road ahead. I'll start preparing the necessary paperwork, and we'll contact the relevant authorities soon."

She picked up her laptop and began typing before turning to Peter, who extended his hand to her. "Thank you. This means a lot."

Jennifer shook his hand firmly. "Don't thank me yet. We have a lot of work to do."

As Peter prepared to leave, Jennifer suddenly called out in a shocked tone, staring at her laptop. "Wait, Peter!"

He turned back. "What is it?"

"Is your wife okay with this? I don't see her with you."

Peter tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about? I'm not married, Jennifer-or at least, not anymore."

Jennifer looked at him, perplexed, and turned the laptop toward him. "I'm pretty sure your marital status indicates you're married, and Mary Jane Watson, now Mary Jane Parker, is listed as your wife."

Peter leapt toward the laptop, staring at the information in shock. "Impossible! Mephisto ended our marriage as part of the deal, and Mary Jane is married to someone else. There must be a mistake."

Jennifer stared at him, equally shocked. "Peter, did you make a deal with Mephisto?"

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