"It's...well, not a lot about the past survives that long. And the timeline has a certain inertia. In general, one person being in a particular place doesn't have a lot of impact. And I would have probably died pretty soon if I'd stayed. There wasn't anyone to teach me to survive my powers," he said, but he does take the hand, squeezing back, especially when he sees that look. One he's seen so often on people who live their kind of lives.

He wants to say that he knows, that Peter doesn't have to play the secret identity card with him, but it feels wrong. Like he's admitting to knowing things he shouldn't, and that would ruin things. On the other hand, maybe coming clean would be right.

"It's...well, you know. Responsibility. I know I can't save everyone, even if I spent all my time doing that. But I can make a difference, even if it's just helping get a cat out of a tree."

He considers. "Speaking of alternates...one of the weird things I've met is alternate versions of people I know or have met."