Chapter 215: The Road Trip Begins
"What on earth is this thing?!" Officer Ollie struggled against the tentacle, but he found it impossible to break free.
"Ollie! Look... look behind you!" Ollie's partner pointed a trembling finger, his face pale with terror.
Ollie swallowed hard, his eyes wide with dread as he slowly turned his head. Standing behind him was a human-sized silhouette of pure darkness, its head pulsing with a faint, ominous red light.
"No!"
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Aah~ another beautiful day." Silas opened his eyes and stretched. A Shadow Ninja appeared at his bedside and promptly silenced the alarm clock.
This specific alarm had been set by Peter; Silas had long since "retired" his own.
Silas sat up with a quick kip-up. A Shadow Ninja assisted him with his clothes, while a few others brought over his toothbrush and toothpaste.
"I'll handle the teeth myself, thanks," Silas said, waving away the ninja who looked a bit too eager to brush for him. He headed to the bathroom instead.
After getting dressed, Silas checked himself in the mirror. "Not bad. A little more handsome than yesterday." He then stood against the height chart taped to the door—a personal tradition for tracking his growth. A Shadow Ninja stood by, marking a fresh line.
"Well, looks like I haven't grown a centimeter." Silas glanced back. The mark was still squarely on the 178cm line.
Click. Silas opened the door and stepped out.
"Morning, Silas!" Peter's voice rang out immediately. He was scurrying into his own room with a piece of toast hanging from his mouth.
"What's the rush, Peter?" Silas asked.
"We're leaving soon! I need to double-check if I forgot anything!" Peter's voice muffled as he rummaged through his bedroom.
Silas shrugged and headed downstairs. In the kitchen, Aunt May and Uncle Ben were already eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Silas. I was just about to come up and get you," Ben Parker said, taking a sip of milk.
Aunt May added quickly, "Eat up, Silas. We're heading out soon."
"No rush, Silas. We're taking our own car this time," Ben said calmly, not wanting to pressure him. He was in high spirits.
"Here, your juice and sandwich." May pushed his plate toward him.
"Thanks, May." Silas had initially struggled with the local diet, but over time, he had grown quite fond of it.
Thump-thump-thump!
Peter practically flew down the stairs, having finished his toast. "Aunt May, I'm all packed!"
"I see that, Peter. But you don't need to be so frantic," May said, shaking her head with a smile.
"You kids stay here and finish up. I'm going to do one last check," Ben said, clapping his hands and heading toward the garage to verify they had all the essentials.
"I'll help!" Peter, eager to be useful, followed right behind him.
Once Ben and Peter were out of earshot, Aunt May leaned in and lowered her voice. "Silas, how are things going with that girl, Misty?"
Silas nearly choked on his sandwich. He took a quick gulp of juice before answering. "Aunt May, where did that come from?"
"Don't eat so fast," she scolded gently before adding, "Nothing, just making conversation."
"Everything is going great," Silas replied, giving her a suspicious look.
"Don't look at me like that." May straightened her posture. "I looked into her family last time; they seem like very good people. I..." She trailed off, looking slightly hesitant.
"It's okay, Aunt May. You can tell me," Silas encouraged.
"I just hope you'll be bold. If you like her, don't hesitate." May was clearly worried that Silas might feel inferior or shy around someone from a wealthy background.
Silas almost laughed. Inferior? With Parker Industries under his control, he could buy out a hundred families like hers. But he maintained a serious face and nodded. "Don't worry, Aunt May. I'll be brave."
"Good. That's a relief." May's brow unfurrowed. She truly didn't want him to let a good relationship slip away. "Oh, and one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"It's about your brother," May whispered, glancing toward the garage. "Peter doesn't seem to make many friends. I hope you can help him expand his social circle during this trip."
"Consider it done, Aunt May," Silas said confidently. Helping Peter make friends? That was child's play.
"Ben! Are you ready? The kids are finished!" May called out.
"All set!" Ben returned with Peter. "I'm a road trip pro. Everything is in order."
"I hope so," May teased. Ben was notorious for forgetting at least one important item every trip.
"Bring the luggage out, boys. I'll go get the car started." Ben grabbed the keys and headed for the door.
"Ben! You forgot your own backpack!" May pointed to the bag sitting by the sofa.
"Oh, right." Ben gave an embarrassed laugh, grabbed the bag, and headed out.
"Grab your things, boys," May said, picking up her own suitcase.
"Silas, why is your bag so small?" Peter asked, looking at Silas's bag, which was barely the size of two basketballs.
"Don't forget, Peter, I have the Shadow Kingdom," Silas said smugly. The bag was just for show; inside, it was linked to the Shadow Kingdom, acting like a "four-dimensional pocket." He could reach in and pull out whatever he needed.
When the Parker brothers stepped outside, they found Uncle Ben waiting in a rugged Jeep.
"Get in, kids! We're starting a week-long road trip adventure!" Ben shouted, excitedly patting the steering wheel. This was a dream come true for him. He had always wanted to do this, but life had never allowed it—until now.
"Coming, Uncle Ben!" Peter tossed his bag in the back and hopped into the rear seat, with Silas right behind him.
"Everyone's here. Let's roll!" Ben announced.
The Jeep roared to life with a powerful growl and pulled out of the driveway.
On the Road
"Ben, this car must have been expensive," May noted. It looked like it cost over $100,000—well out of their normal budget.
Ben smiled broadly. "Who am I? I'm an 'Outstanding Employee' of Parker Industries! Since it was their first-ever awards ceremony, the prizes were incredibly generous. My reward was this Jeep!"
Ben still found it hard to believe. Parker Industries was remarkably generous—even Stark Industries didn't give out rewards like this to their rank-and-file staff.
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