Out on the sprawling training ground, Louis gestured toward the screen, pointing at Parker with a fond grin. "Brother, Parker is very talkative."
Ren turned his head, staring at Louis while the corners of his mouth twitched in silent irony. He chose not to speak aloud, but the thought lingered clearly in his mind: You may not realize it, but you're quite the chatterbox yourself.
Watching Parker's hyperactive display, however, dredged up forgotten fragments of Ren's own past. He remembered what it felt like when he first discovered his own extraordinary abilities, that overwhelming, electric surge of potential that no words could ever truly articulate. It was a bizarre, restless sensation. Just like Parker, a person in that position was always desperately searching for something to do, some outlet to channel the impossible. Of course, Parker's current state was still a far cry from where Ren had eventually landed, but there was no denying it: the kid was exceptionally verbose.
"It's a real superhero. It's just too lonely." Briggs narrowed his eyes, studying the youth on the screen before continuing thoughtfully, "He didn't want to prove himself."
"I'm not trying to show off my abilities." After a slight pause, Briggs added in a low, contemplative tone, "He just wants to make use of his abilities. Instead of putting it there and doing nothing."
Evonne raised her eyebrows, tilting her head as she absorbed the sentiment. "What do you mean? With great responsibility comes great power."
Briggs gave a slow, approving nod. "Spider-Man, this kid, is very good. There is no doubt about this."
He shifted his gaze toward the window, looking out at the colossal giant of light towering in the distance. Gradually, Briggs began to understand why Spider-Man's life and memories had been captured and broadcast in the first place. Yet, what he didn't realize was the horrifying gravity of what truly awaited the boy down the line. When the full truth would eventually be laid bare, even Briggs would find himself gripped by sheer panic. He quietly opened his personal account interface, frantically tapping through the archived records of past lives, searching for any trace or remnant of the mysterious forces he had encountered during his last capture.
Meanwhile, inside the live broadcast feed, Parker was crouching high above the street, peering through the glass of a bank lobby. His eyes lit up the instant he spotted suspicious figures sneaking into the enclosed ATM vault.
"Finally, something good." Excited sparks danced in his chest. At long last, he was going to do something decent, something that genuinely mattered.
With effortless agility, Parker clung to the wall outside like a spider. His body pressed flush against the vertical surface, his gaze fixed entirely on the shady figures operating within the small room.
It didn't take long for the intruders to make their move. They unslung heavy, industrial-looking cutting equipment and pressed the glowing nozzles against the reinforced steel of the cash machines. Nestled inside the mechanisms were glowing purple crystals, the exact same power source driving the high-tech weaponry that Toombs' men had been peddling on the black market.
The thermal intensity of the equipment was terrifying. Not even an ATM built with high-grade security plating could withstand the heat. Sparks showered the interior room like fireworks as bright molten lines quickly crisscrossed the metal frames.
One of the men chortled beneath his breath, thoroughly impressed by the tool in his hands. "Yo, this high-tech stuff makes it too easy. Told you it was worth it."
"Okay, go, go, go."
As the front panel gave way, another accomplice stepped forward, unholstering a bulky, hand-held device. Upon activation, three metallic claws sprang outward from the tip, crackling with a strange, pulsing magnetic field powered by the same lavender crystals. The man aimed the beam directly at the compromised ATM. The violet energy enveloped the heavy vault, easily ripping the massive metal box free from the wall and suspending it effortlessly in mid-air.
The rest of the crew wasted no time. They scrambled behind the suspended machine, aggressively grabbing stacks of cash and stuffing them into heavy duffel bags.
"Oh, nice. We can hit, like, five more places tonight."
Standing guard by the door was a man wearing a cheap plastic Iron Man mask, keeping his firearm leveled toward the street while his partners cleared out the money. None of them noticed the masked youth in the red-and-blue suit slipping through the front entrance. Parker stepped inside as light as a feather, casually pushing the glass door shut behind him with a soft click.
Watching the scene unfold from the streams, the viewing audience felt an odd mix of amusement and heartache.
"The other party has a gun, but the child has to face it alone."
"Hey, is there any chance? Can Thanos' Time Stone turn everything around?"
"I believe it can! The only way to win that Strange sees, is that it hasn't completely disappeared!"
"Hopefully."
"If only I could be like Parker."
"When you have power, you think about how to use that power to do evil."
"I agree with what was said upstairs; very few people can resist the temptation."
"Parker is so simple, so simple that it makes me want to cry."
"Toombs actually sells weapons?! It's really interesting that the bad guys do bad things after they get them."
"Money makes people bad, and that Iron Wing Toombs is not a good person."
"What a funny little Spider-Man."
On the screen, the robbery continued. The thieves were hurriedly sorting through the loot, completely oblivious to the teenager scratching his head just feet away. Parker rested one hand lightly on the glass door frame, leaning his weight casually against it while resting his left hand on his hip, striking a posture of ultimate confidence.
"What's up, guys? You forgot your PIN number?"
The robbers froze. All four heads snapped toward the doorway simultaneously. Comically, every single one of them was wearing a plastic mask depicting an iconic member of the Avengers.
Parker blinked behind his white eye lenses, letting out a delighted gasp. "Whoa, you're the Avengers."
The man in the Iron Man mask immediately panicked, raising his weapon toward Parker's chest. Before the thief could pull the trigger, Parker casually flicked his wrist, shooting a thin strand of webbing directly onto the barrel. "What are you guys doing here?"
With a quick, sharp tug of his wrist, Parker yanked the webline. The robber was pulled violently forward off his feet, crashing straight into Parker's waiting shoulder with a heavy bang that sent him sprawling.
Parker stepped fluidly into the fray, dodging and weaving left and right. Although the thieves had the advantage of sheer numbers, their hand-to-hand combat skills were utterly laughable; they were entirely reliant on their stolen futuristic tech.
"Thor. Hulk. Good to finally meet you guys."
Parker leaped straight into the air, sticking both hands to the ceiling tiles above. Hanging upside down, he snapped his legs out in a sharp, crossing kick, knocking two more robbers off balance. They were completely helpless against his speed and agility.
Perched inverted on the ceiling like a gargoyle, Parker turned his chatterbox personality up to maximum volume. "I thought you'd be more handsome in person. Iron Man. Hey, what are you doing robbing a bank? You're a billionaire."
The robber in the Iron Man mask scrambled to his feet, lunging forward with desperate punches aimed at Parker's head. Parker simply tilted his chin, effortlessly ducking each swing before snapping a swift counter-punch that sent the masked crook flying across the room.
Seeing his buddy go down, another thief activated the three-clawed magnetic gravity device, aiming the glowing purple emitter directly at the teenager.
Before Parker could dodge, a surge of invisible kinetic force locked onto his body, suspending him in place. An uncomfortable, heavy vibration thrummed through the air around him. "Hey... Oh, this feels so weird."
With a cruel grin, the masked man jerked the device sharply to the side. The magnetic tide threw Parker horizontally, smashing him hard into the far drywall.
Parker pushed himself up, staring back at the device in absolute wonder. "What is that thing?"
Before he could recover, another pulse of gravity energy slammed into him, grabbing him mid-air. The thief violently thrust the controller up and down, bouncing Parker repeatedly off the concrete floor and ceiling in the cramped space.
"I'm starting to think you're not the Avengers." Even while taking a physical beating, Parker couldn't stop the quips from pouring out of his mouth; the relentless muttering never stopped for a single second.
Bang!
Parker slammed his palm onto the floor, using his adhesive grip to anchor himself. With his free hand, he fired a web-shooter directly at the gravity device, yanking it forcefully out of the thief's hands. The sudden release of energy threw the room into absolute chaos. Banknotes exploded into the air, fluttering everywhere like green confetti.
Parker flipped back and forth through the air, firing web-shots in rapid succession, turning the small ATM lobby into a chaotic hurricane of web fluid and flying paper.
High above in the Director's office, the atmosphere was far more somber. Aside from the Director, who still wore a heavy, troubled expression, holograms of various expert panels hovered throughout the room. Most of the observers held remarkably relaxed expressions, thoroughly entertained by Parker messing around with the low-level crooks.
"His strength and strength are so strong, but he doesn't directly tie these people."
"No way, he is too lonely, I guess he wants to use this way of playing to ease his inner loneliness more."
"It's such a pity that the little Spider-Man died at the hands of Thanos before he could fully grow up."
"Hopefully, there is a chance to salvage it."
"I feel like it's a bit difficult."
Amid the murmur of discussions, the Director kept his eyes locked on the faint, shimmering giant of light visible beyond the windowpane. Ever since the ethereal figure had shed a single tear, its glowing structure had stabilized significantly, whereas the other massive light figures continued to flicker erratically across the skyline.
"In the era of Earth, there are too many powerful beings. It's a pity that the new generation of superheroes faces that kind of death before they grow up." The Director sighed, his mind naturally drifting toward the current state of the Terra Federation.
Back in the golden age of Earth, the Avengers were true legends; every single member deserved the title of hero. But the individuals emerging within the Terra Federation today... so far, they were merely extraordinary beings. None of them had truly stepped up to the standard of a genuine hero.
Thinking of this, his resolve to establish the Hall of Heroes burned even brighter. Seeing how cold and cynical many modern people had become, and how poorly some treated a selfless kid like Parker, the Director became all the more convinced of the righteousness in Parker's heart.
Meanwhile, the chaotic scuffle inside the ATM room reached its climax.
Across the street, a bystander peered through a window, pulling out a cell phone. "911. What's your emergency?"
"Uh, Spider-Man is fighting the Avengers in a bank on 21st Street."
Back inside, Parker bounded off the wall, landing gracefully on his feet as he called out, "Let's wrap this up. It's a school night."
Bang!
A swift kick sent one of the thieves flying backward into the counter.
The remaining crook managed to scoop up the fallen gravity gun, leveling the purple barrel directly at Parker. Instincts kicking in, Parker instantly fired a thick glob of web-fluid, tacking the heavy weapon flat against the glass storefront.
Parker leaped forward, landing right in front of the glass frame. He reached out, ripping the plastic mask off the man's face to reveal a panicked, ordinary criminal underneath. Parker groaned, complaining loudly, "So how do jerks like you get tech like this?"
Suddenly, a terrifying humming noise resonated behind him.
One of the downed robbers had scrambled over to the high-powered cutting laser, ramping the energy yield up to maximum capacity. Parker felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Sensing immediate, catastrophic danger, he spun around, extending a hand in sheer desperation. "No. Wait, wait, wait!"
It was too late.
A blinding, destructive purple beam erupted from the barrel. The energy beam traveled at terrifying speed, possessing raw, unchecked lethality. Overwhelmed by the massive recoil, the robber lost control of the weapon, causing the searing beam to arc uncontrollably through the air.
The high-energy beam sliced through the ATM walls like a hot knife through butter. The beam swept outward, cutting clean across the street and striking the deli directly opposite the bank, the very shop where Parker bought his sandwiches every day. The destructive force sheared through the building's facade, severing electrical lines and triggering a massive explosion.
In seconds, violent orange flames engulfed the storefront, filling the night sky with thick black smoke.
"Mr. Delmar!"
Parker gasped, horror washing over him. He abandoned the fight entirely and sprinted across the street as fast as his legs could carry him. "Hey, Mr. Delmar, you in here? Is anybody in here? Hello?"
Diving headfirst into the inferno, Parker navigated the burning debris until he found the disoriented shopkeeper. Moments later, he emerged from the billowing smoke, gently supporting Boss Delmar as he helped the man reach the safety of the sidewalk.
When Parker turned back toward the bank, his shoulders slumped. The smoke had cleared just enough to show that the thieves, and their advanced alien weaponry, had completely vanished into the night.
"Oh, come on." A heavy, helpless sigh escaped his lips, carrying the weight of deep frustration and failure.
"I gotta... Here, here." Reaching into his suit, Parker carefully handed Delmar's frightened orange cat back to the shopkeeper, cradling it gently before turning around and vanishing quietly into the dark alleyways.
Happy was busy tidying things up. Everything inside the Stark building was being packed and moved to the new office location. "Okay. Good. Yes. Yes... No. No, put that down. That's worth more than you or me."
The happy phone rang. "Yeah?"
Leaping up through the cool night air, Parker landed squarely on the edge of the rooftop. He quickly pulled out his phone to call Happy in the middle of the night. Fortunately, after endless ringing, he finally got through this time.
Parker said anxiously, "The craziest thing just happened. These guys were robbing an ATM... with high-tech weapons..."
Happy interrupted, "Take a breath. I don't have time... for ATM robberies..."
Parker tried to explain, "Yeah, but..."
As Happy signed off on a clipboard, he said, "...or the notes you leave. I have moving day to worry about. Everything's gotta be out next week."
Parker shuttled across the rooftops, completely caught off guard. "Wait. You're moving? Who's moving? ...where hopefully cell service is worse"
Happy replied casually, "Yeah, don't you watch the news? Tony sold Avengers Tower. We're relocating to a new facility upstate..."
Hearing this, Parker felt as though he had been struck by a thunderbolt. In an instant, he became utterly helpless and asked, "But what about me?"
Happy asked, "What about you?"
Parker jumped up, landing lightly on top of a nearby streetlight. Sitting on the street lamp, he said into the receiver, "Well, what if Mr. Stark needs me or something big goes down? Can I please talk to Mr. Stark?"
Happy sighed over the line. "Stay away from anything dangerous. I'm responsible for making sure you're responsible, okay?"
Parker jumped back and forth across the ledges, making his way back to the alley where he had stashed his schoolbag earlier that afternoon. Standing alone in the dark, Parker insisted into the phone, "I am responsible. I... Oh, crap."
Parker looked around in disbelief and whispered, "My backpack's gone."
Happy dryly responded, "That doesn't sound responsible."
Parker said in a very low mood, "I'll call you back."
Happy muttered, "Feel free not to," and hung up.
Parker looked down at the empty alley. With his casual clothes gone, his only option was to return home in his spider suit.
Meanwhile, comments began flooding the live stream:
"It turns out Tony and the others moved at this time!"
"It feels like Tony didn't expect Parker to do anything too crazy, as if he was letting him find his own path."
"Tony just wanted to keep Parker safe. He felt like he was all it took to save the world."
"I see so much of Tony in Spider-Man."
"Indeed, I feel the same way. They are both incredibly persevering when pursuing what they want to do. If Tony hadn't persevered and focused, I'm afraid there wouldn't be so many suits."
"Parker is still too young to understand a lot of these things."
"I like Spider-Man like this, he's so funny and endearing!"
The barrage rolled endlessly across the live broadcast. Some viewers agreed with Parker's rash approach, while others did not. However, more and more people were continuously moved by the scene. Remembering how everyone would eventually fall into Tony's arms made watching young Parker's energetic chattering feel even more heartbreakingly sad.
Still wearing his spider suit, Parker lightly crawled along the outside of his apartment building until he found his bedroom window. He pushed it open, maneuvered over the exterior wall, and pulled himself through to enter his room smoothly.
Using his hands and feet with natural agility, he silently dropped down. Crawling gently toward the open doorway, he fired a thin strand of spider silk; the door slowly closed with a soft click.
Falling back onto the ground, Parker checked to make sure Aunt May hadn't noticed his late return. He immediately felt relieved. He had never told Aunt May about his secret identity because he didn't want her to constantly worry about him.
Breathing heavily, Parker let out a long sigh of relief. However, just as he turned around toward his bed, he had to brake hard; his feet skidded so sharply against the floorboards that you could distinctly hear the sudden squeak of his footsteps.
Parker completely stiffened. He stared blankly at the figure sitting right in the middle of his bed. That big shape was none other than his best friend, Ned.
Ned sat frozen, holding a finished LEGO model in his hands, staring back at Parker with an even more dazed expression. His mouth hung wide open, and a look of absolute shock and disbelief filled his wide eyes.
Slam-clatter! The painstaking LEGO model slipped right out of Ned's hands, shattering into pieces across the floor. Standing up abruptly, Ned looked at Parker absently.
Aunt May's voice suddenly called out from down the hall: "What was that?"
Parker snapped out of his trance and quickly squeaked back, "Uh, it's nothing. Nothing."
Ned stared straight at Parker, asking in a shocked, trembling tone, "You're the Spider-Man. From YouTube."
Ned was short of breath. He absolutely adored Spider-Man, but he had never imagined that the masked hero was actually his best friend.
Parker quickly denied it: "I'm not. I'm not."
At the same time, he hastily tapped the spider logo on his chest. The tight spider suit instantly loosened and fell off automatically.
Ned obviously didn't buy it. Pointing toward the ceiling, he stammered, "You were on the ceiling."
Parker was completely speechless. "No. What are you doing in my room?"
Ned explained, "May let me in. We were gonna finish the Death Star."
Parker scrambled to change into regular clothes, arguing, "You can't just bust into my room."
Before the sentence even fully left his mouth, Aunt May pushed open the door.
"Ha-ha. That turkey meatloaf recipe is a disaster," she announced. "Let's go to dinner. Ned, you want some?"
Ned let out a nervous laugh. "Yes."
Parker quickly cut in, "No. He's got a thing. A thing to do after"
Ned muttered under his breath, "A thing to do after."
"Okay." Aunt May suddenly smiled, teasing Parker warmly: "Maybe put on some clothes."
She then pulled the door closed, and Parker breathed a massive sigh of relief.
The chat went wild once again:
"I'm dying! The most embarrassing moment in history! Hahaha!"
"Getting caught red-handed by his friend was the last thing he expected."
"Ned's expression was so stunned he couldn't even form words!"
"Haha, his whole world is crumbling right now!"
"So cringe! This iconic scene is incredible!"
"No way, putting myself in his shoes, I'd be embarrassed enough to curl up and hide under the floorboards."
"When Parker saw Ned, that sudden foot-skid noise was hilarious... he literally shivered!"
"My God, nothing is scarier than the room suddenly going dead silent."
"Imagine what it feels like to discover your best friend is a superhero!"
"By the way, Aunt May is really pretty."
"Little Spider-Man is so entertaining."
"He was so caught off guard, totally out of character!"
Parker quickly pulled on a shirt when Ned asked in utter surprise, "Oh, she doesn't know?"
Parker was entirely speechless. "Nobody knows. Mr. Stark knows because he made my suit. That's it."
Ned grew even more excited, asking in a high-pitched voice, "Tony Stark made you that? Are you an Avenger?"
Parker was taken aback by the question. He hesitated for a second, then nodded slightly. "Yeah, basically."
"Whoa..." Ned sank back onto the bed.
It had only been a few seconds, but it felt like he needed a lifetime to process the news. The impact was simply too immense; his ordinary best friend turned out to be the famous Spider-Man. He wanted to smile, but he didn't even know how to shape his face. His expression was a wonderful mix of pure shock and awe.
Parker hurried over to him and urged, "You can't tell anybody about this. You gotta keep it a secret."
Ned wondered, "Secret? Why?"
Parker pointed toward the hallway door and whispered, "You know what she's like. If she finds out people try to kill me every night, she won't let me do this. Come on, Ned, please."
Ned finally relented, sighing, "Okay, okay, okay. I'll level with you. I can't keep this a secret. It's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
Parker scratched his head and repeated anxiously, "Ned, May cannot know. I cannot do that to her right now. You know? I mean, everything that's happened with her, I... Please."
Ned paused, seeing the genuine concern in his friend's eyes, and said softly, "Okay."
Parker pressed, "Just swear it, okay?"
Ned nodded helplessly. "I swear."
Parker said sincerely, "Thank you."
"Yeah," Ned replied.
After the two boys finished their exchange, Parker still couldn't fully accept the reality that his identity had been blown. He anxiously scratched his ears. I actually got caught... I really got caught.
"I can't believe this is happening now." Ned suddenly broke into a grin. "Can I try the suit on?"
Parker quickly rejected the idea: "No."
Ned immediately began firing off questions: "How does it work? Magnets? How do you shoot the strings?"
Parker grabbed Ned by the shoulders and began gently pushing him out of the room. "I'm gonna tell you at school tomorrow."
Ned nodded in agreement. "Okay, well, wait, then."
As he reached the doorway, Ned turned his head and asked, "How do you do this and the Stark internship?"
"This is the Stark internship," Parker prevaricated quickly.
"Oh." Ned suddenly realized the truth, but before he could ask anything else, Parker forcibly pushed him out the door.
"Just get out of here." Closing the door shut, Parker finally leaned back and let out a full breath of relief. He had never wanted too many people to discover who he really was; he just worried about his normal life being disrupted, and above all, he worried about making Aunt May anxious.
Seeing Parker's grounded mindset, many viewers showered him with praise:
"It's rare for someone as young as Parker to resist the urge to show off."
"Indeed, if I had superpowers, I wouldn't let everyone know either."
"And he's been quietly working to protect people from the very beginning! He truly fits the part."
"Do you remember? Tony was so arrogant about his talent early on, building weapons and showing them off. I still remember how casually he detonated those missiles."
"It was only later that Tony realized his genius had caused so many deaths, driving him to save the world to make up for his past mistakes."
"But Parker has been a true guardian from day one."
"He's a real superhero."
This wasn't the first time the audience had discussed the concept of superheroes. Yet, more and more people felt that for the people living in the era of Earth, this was the absolute most fitting title, far more meaningful and universally recognized than even the Avengers.
In a diner, May and Peter were eating before May asked, "What's the matter? Thought you loved larb. It's too larby? Not larby enough. How many times do I have to say "larb" before you talk to me? You know I larb you."
"I'm just stressed. The internship, and I'm tired. A lot of work."
"The Stark internship. I have to tell you, not a fan of that Tony Stark. You're distracted all the time. He's got you in your head."
"Delmar's Sandwiches was destroyed..."
"What does he have you doing?"
"...in an explosion..."
"You need to use your instincts."
"...after an A TM robbery was thwarted by Queens' own crime stopper..."
"What?"
"...the Spider-Man. As the Spider-Man attempted to foil their heist... a powerful blast was set off, slicing through the bodega across the street. Miraculously, no one was harmed."
"If you spot something like that happening, you turn, and you run the other way."
"Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. Six blocks away from us." Peter hesitated and said, "I, uh, need a new backpack."
"What?"
"I need a new backpack."
"That's five." May said before a waiter brought a dish to their table, "We didn't order that."
"It's on the house."
"Oh, thanks." May said, "That's nice of him."
"I think he larbs you, heh."
The next day arrived with a brisk morning breeze as Parker and Ned walked down the sidewalk together.
Ned turned to him, his eyes wide with utter shock. "You got bit by a spider?" he asked in disbelief. "Can it bite me? Well, it probably would've hurt, right? Whatever. Even if it did hurt, I'd let it bite me. Maybe. How much did it hurt?"
He could not help but wonder if he, too, would undergo a miraculous mutation after being bitten by a radioactive arachnid.
Parker let out a weary sigh and said helplessly, "The spider's dead, Ned."
As the two turned onto the main street, Ned froze, staring at the store in front of them with sheer astonishment. It was the very shop that had been blasted by advanced alien weapons the previous day, its structural frame completely scorched and blackened everywhere.
"Whoa. You were here?" Ned asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Parker nodded.
Seeing the lingering destruction, Ned finally understood the magnitude of the danger Parker had been describing.
"You could've died," he murmured soberly. Yet, the heavy atmosphere of concern dissolved in the very next instant. "Do you lay eggs?"
Parker looked at him, completely speechless. "What? No. Ha-ha."
For the remainder of the day, Ned pestered Parker endlessly, refusing to let the subject drop. During chemistry class, Ned leaned over, losing his concentration on the assignment, and whispered, "Can you spit venom?"
"No"
"Can you summon an army of spiders?"
"No, Ned."
Later, in history class, Ned muttered incessantly from behind, "How far can you shoot your webs?"
Parker pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. "It's unknown. Shut up."
"If I were you, I would stand on a building...," Ned insisted. "And just shoot it as far as I could..."
"Shut up, Ned."
When gym class rolled around, the coach had the students gather to watch an educational instructional video featuring Captain Rogers.
Ned leaned over once more. "Do you know him too?"
Parker held his chin in his hand, watching the screen. "Yeah, we met."
A soft smirk touched his lips as he added, "I stole his shield."
Although Ned's relentless badgering had been exhausting all day, Parker couldn't hide his excitement when mentioning that moment. After all, very few people on the planet could boast about stealing Captain Rogers' shield.
Ned gasped, exclaiming, "What?!"
During physical training, the coach said, "Pretty sure he's a war criminal, but I have to show these videos. It's required by the state. Let's do it."
Ned pressed on with his questions. "Do Avengers have to pay taxes?"
"Shh."
"What does Hulk smell like?"
"Shh."
"I bet he smells nice."
"You have to shut up."
The rest of the class was lined up on the floor doing sit-ups.
"Is Captain America cool, or is he like a mean, old grandpa?"
"Ned, just, shh, okay?"
Ned held Parker's feet down as Parker performed his crunches, his chatter matching Parker's own chatty nature. "Hey, can I be your guy in the chair?"
Parker sat up mid-crunch and asked, "What?"
Ned immediately dove into an elaborate fantasy about their partnership. "Yeah. You know how there's a guy with a headset... telling the other guy where to go? If you're in a burning building, I could tell you where to go. There'd be screens around me, and I could swivel around. I could be your guy in the chair."
The more Ned spoke, the more enthused he became, while Parker remained thoroughly speechless. "I don't need a guy in the chair."
"Looking good, Parker." The coach said.
As the two went back and forth endlessly, the audience was equally stunned by the banter.
"Good guy, this Ned is truly worthy of being Parker's friend, their level of chatter is identical!"
"It's nice to have a good friend and confidant."
"I don't have any friends anymore..."
"What an annoying fat man, haha."
"Parker's school life seems okay."
"The huge light man outside stopped crying; it seems his mood has stabilized."
"Can we control the light man's mentality? I don't think I can."
"I don't know, but they can help us resist a terrible spread."
On the screen, as Parker continued his sit-up reps, a few nearby classmates were chatting on the bleachers. Among them was Liz, the senior girl Parker secretly admired.
One female classmate daydreamed aloud, "Now, see, for me, it would be F Thor... marry Iron Man and kill Hulk."
"Well, what about the Spider-Man?" another asked.
"It's just "Spider-Man."" Liz chimed in defensively, "Did you see the bank security cam on YouTube? He fought off four guys."
Parker glanced up at Liz on the steps, pleasantly surprised that she paid such close attention to his actions.
Ned leaned down and whispered, "Oh, my God, she's crushing on Spider-Man."
Liz's classmate countered, "That's right, but hey, that's disgusting. Isn't Spider-Man almost thirty?"
Liz quickly retorted, "You don't know what he looks like."
A male classmate chimed in mockingly, "Like, what if he's seriously burned?"
Liz stated firmly. "I wouldn't care. I'd love him for the person he is inside."
Parker stared intently at Liz, his heart fluttering. Suddenly, Ned, who was still anchoring his legs, blurted out at top volume, "Peter knows Spider-Man!"
Instantly, the entire gymnasium fell deathly silent. Every student and coach turned to look at them.
Parker scrambled up in panic, waving his hands frantically. "No, I don't. No. I... I mean..."
Ned grinned, trying to clarify, "They're friends!"
"Yeah, like Coach Wilson and Captain America are friends. Heh." a male classmate scoffed as he slid down a climbing rope.
Parker shrugged nervously, trying to minimize the situation. "I've met him, yeah. A couple of times."
Racking his brains for a plausible excuse, he stammered, "But it's, um... through the Stark internship. Mm-hm."
"Yeah, well, I'm not really supposed to talk about it." He bared his teeth at Ned, feigning anger.
Flash Thompson, pointing mocking fingers at Parker, smirked. "Well, that's awesome. Hey, you know what? Maybe you should invite him to Liz's party. Right?"
Parker froze in confusion, looking toward Liz in surprise. He hadn't known she was throwing a party tonight.
Liz smiled warmly at him and said, "Yeah, I'm having people over tonight. You're more than welcome to come."
"Having a party?" A genuine smile appeared on Parker's face. He hadn't expected to get an invitation from his favorite girl so quickly.
Flash interrupted, mocking, "Yeah, it's gonna be dope."
Flash sneered. "You should totally invite your personal friend Spider-Man"
"Um..."
Flash clearly didn't believe Parker actually knew Spider-Man. To everyone in the school, Spider-Man was an iconic superhero, not someone a high school kid hung out with. He raised the stake on purpose, believing Parker would be humiliated when Spider-Man failed to show up.
Liz, sitting on the steps, said indifferently, "It's okay. I know Peter's way too busy for parties anyway, so..."
Noticing Parker's hesitant posture, Flash pushed further to goad him. "Come on. He'll be there. Right, Parker?"
He shoved past Parker, rubbing his shoulder aggressively while winking mockingly. Parker gritted his teeth in frustration. He was torn; every evening he stayed on standby, anxiously waiting for Tony Stark's call, so he wasn't sure if he should go.
Just then, the bell rang. Students grabbed their gear and filed out of the gym. Liz offered Parker a warm smile before heading out as well.
Once they were alone, Parker turned to Ned, caught between excitement and a total mental breakdown. "What are you doing?"
Ned defended himself, "Helping you out. Did you not hear her? Liz has a crush on you."
Parker opened his mouth, completely lost for words.
Ned encouraged him passionately, "Dude, you're an Avenger. If any one of us has a chance with a senior girl, it's you."
Parker sighed deeply as a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts rolled through his mind.
In the live broadcast, comments flooded the screen:
"He is a good friend! Live online teaching for girls!"
"Parker looks at Liz the same way I looked at my first love when I was in school!"
"Want to go but dare not go!"
"I regret it! I should have bravely confessed in the first place! It's not like this!"
"This fat Ned, why do you want to announce it? If you don't announce it, Parker will be more stable."
"He is also kind, and Parker has been troubled by this matter for a long time."
"If you have someone you like, you must go after them! Don't be afraid! It's okay if you can't catch up! Youth has no regrets!"
"Brother upstairs is right, youth has no regrets!"
"Parker is definitely going to the party."
"I can't bear it! Being mocked by my classmates pointing at my nose like this, I would have given him a few big mouths on the spot!"
"Come on, the goddess is right in front of you, at least maintain your image!"
Meanwhile, at the Apollo Research Center, Eliott stared anxiously at a system progress bar with a look of agony. The progress had been stuck at 99% for a long time without moving forward. Several times, he suspected a hardware glitch.
"Could it be that the Network detected it, or was there some other reason that caused the interruption?" He muttered, considering every terrifying possibility. After all, his current operation was fraught with immense risk. Taking a deep breath, he resolved to wait and see.
Simultaneously, at the Administration, multiple analytical teams were conducting deep data parsing on thousands of captured historical feeds. Even mundane details from Parker's daily school life were scrutinized under a microscope in hopes of deciphering the lost history of the Earth Age.
As operations continued behind the scenes, the captured screen shifted to nightfall. A suburban villa was brightly illuminated, glowing with vibrant party lights. Upbeat music echoed down the street as partygoers danced happily on the lawn.
Aunt May pulled her car up to the curb, looking at the lively scene with nostalgic amusement.
"House party in the suburbs," she laughed softly. "Oh, I remember these. Kind of jealous."
Her tone was rich with fond memories.
Ned, sitting in the back seat dressed to impress, said excitedly, "It'll be a night to remember."
"Oh, ha-ha-ha." Aunt May glanced in her rearview mirror and smiled at him. "Ned, some hats wear men. You wear that hat."
Ned puffed out his chest proudly. "Yeah, it gives me confidence."
"Heh."
In contrast, Parker sat silently in the passenger seat, his expression glum. He stared at the glowing lights of the house, consumed by doubt.
"This is a mistake," he muttered, turning to Aunt May. "Hey, let's just go home."
He simply wasn't ready to face the crowd inside.
In the viewing room at Federal Hospital, Jay watched the screen in amazement. "This child is so talented; why is he so entangled? At a time like this, when there are beauties around, act resolutely!"
Tetsuo didn't mock Parker. Instead, his face was filled with quiet admiration. "That's where Parker is better than you. Your talent is for coercion. Parker's gift is responsibility, a responsibility that naturally falls on his shoulders."
He glanced sideways at Jay and added, "So you can only be a doctor, while he could be a superhero on a global scale."
Jay didn't refute the statement. He merely grumbled under his breath, "I can't even complain about it?"
Back in the car outside the villa, Parker was making a last-ditch effort to back out, startling both Aunt May and Ned.
Aunt May drew out her voice warmly. "Oh, Peter. I know. I know it's really hard... trying to fit in with all the changes your body's going through."
She looked at him earnestly. "It's flowering now."
"Uh-huh. Heh, heh." Parker listened as her words began to make sense to him, though he still gave a sheepish frown before nodding in agreement.
Aunt May turned slightly to Ned. "He's so stressed out lately."
Ned readily assisted, "What helps with stress is a party. We should go to the party."
"Uh-huh. Heh, heh." Realizing he couldn't run away forever, Parker finally decided to go. He unbuckled his seatbelt.
Aunt May leaned toward the passenger window as he opened the door. "Peter! Have fun, okay? Okay"
"I will," Parker replied with a subtle nod. "Bye, May."
Ned waved goodbye to Aunt May as they stepped onto the driveway. He nudged Parker enthusiastically. "Dude, you have the suit, right?"
As the two walked toward the blaring music of the villa, Parker subtly pulled back his sleeve, revealing the distinct red cuff of the spider suit hidden beneath his clothes. "Yeah."
Ned's eyes lit up instantly. "This is gonna change our lives."