Chapter 313: Knocking on the Door
"I don't need you meddling," Harry snapped. Even without turning around, he knew exactly whose voice that was: Peter Parker.
Peter understood Harry's prickly temperament. He slowly walked up to Harry's side, gazing out at the sprawling view from the heights. "My parents went missing when I was very young."
"Even though Uncle Ben told me they left us in an accident, I still believe they are alive—alive in my heart," Peter said, placing a hand over his chest.
Harry couldn't help but steal a glance at Peter. He hadn't expected that Peter had also lost his parents. For a brief moment, he felt a sense of shared misfortune.
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, confused. Ever since he arrived at the school, countless people had flattered and cajoled him, but he knew they were only after his money. Facing Peter, however, Harry felt instinctively that Peter wasn't approaching him for his wealth.
"No reason. I was just worried that if you came to the rooftop alone, an accident might happen," Peter said truthfully.
"An accident?" Harry let out a scoff. As the Green Goblin, how could he possibly fall to his death? Yet, it was the first time he had felt genuine concern at school. Looking at it that way, Peter seemed like a decent guy—at least he wasn't fake like the others.
Peter saw the twitch at the corner of Harry's mouth and assumed he was being mocked for his sentimentality, but he didn't mind. "Class is about to start. You should head down soon." Peter smiled and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Harry turned and called out to Peter's retreating back, "Let's start over. I'm Harry Osborn."
"Peter Parker!" Peter replied, walking away without looking back.
"Hmph... Peter." Harry couldn't help but let a smirk tug at his lips. In that moment, the ice between them thawed, and their earlier conflicts were set aside.
Suspicions in the Avengers
Back at the Avengers base, Steve Rogers entered a laboratory alone. He approached the data-reading terminal and called out, "Is anyone here?"
His voice echoed through the empty lab. After confirming he was alone, Steve pulled out a charred microchip. He slipped it into his pocket and left the room.
Elsewhere, Jarvis spoke up. "Sir, the Captain has taken the chip."
Tony Stark paused his work and looked up, lost in thought for a moment. "Uh-huh. We expected that, didn't we?"
Tony swiped a hand across the holographic screen in front of him. A tiny, charred chip slowly rose from the workstation on a pedestal. He picked it up and examined it closely. "Do you think this is part of Ultron's plan?"
"Ultron is completely dead, sir," Jarvis replied.
"Doesn't mean he didn't leave a failsafe." Tony felt like his head was going to explode. When the Avengers had asked Ultron about the location of the Scepter, Ultron's final words were: It's in your hands right now.
If Tony revealed that to the team, it would be a fatal blow to their current, fragile stability. Tony was the one standing directly in front of Ultron at the time; if the others heard that, they would inevitably suspect him. Many people already distrusted Tony because of the Ultron incident. Who knew what they'd think he'd do with the Scepter? Create another Ultron?
Tony didn't want to make those words public. He didn't dare to. He wanted to protect the unity they had just managed to regain. He had swapped the real chip for a fake one so that Steve's investigation wouldn't cause any unnecessary damage.
"Sir, why not tell them the truth?" Jarvis asked.
"No, it's not necessary." Tony knew they didn't fully trust him yet. He tucked the real chip back into the reader; he had to keep it a secret until he could finish the analysis.
The Secret Base in Africa
Meanwhile, back at school, Silas's "soul" had already left the classroom. He opened a shadow portal high above and traveled to his secret base in Africa.
"Hello, Master," Little Black said, turning to bow respectfully.
Silas nodded, looking at the figure lying inside a containment unit. "How is the progress?"
"The experiment is currently very successful," Little Black explained. "However, the Stone has its own consciousness. We can only borrow a fraction of its power."
Their original plan was to mimic the creation of Vision to build a new AI, but the Mind Stone wasn't something they could fully control.
"That's fine. I don't mind that part. Right now, the priority is our own AI," Silas said, waving a hand. Inside the transparent unit was a two-meter-tall silver robot—the physical chassis for the AI. Alpha, the AI created by Little Black, was currently uploading its consciousness into the body using Dr. Cho's Cradle.
"How much longer?" Silas asked. This base was the size of a football field with ten levels. Shadow Ninjas in lab coats were everywhere, researching everything from AI to new weapon inventions.
"At least another half month," Little Black replied. "Beyond the upload, we have to ensure the physical body can operate normally."
After a discussion with Little Black, Silas returned to his body in the classroom. He woke up feeling refreshed. Thanks to his Talismans, his spirit recovered much faster than Peter's. He only needed a nap for one class period to feel fully energized.
He thought about the Talismans. He hadn't unlocked a new one since the Ox. Maybe I'll unlock the Rabbit when I get home today, he thought. As for the Dog Talisman, he wasn't in a rush; with his current power, not many could threaten his life—except perhaps a fully gauntleted Thanos. But with the Ancient One still alive, Silas wasn't too worried about a cosmic invasion just yet.
A Visit in Hell's Kitchen
In Clinton, Hell's Kitchen—
"It looks like an ancient Japanese mask," an elderly American man said, peering through a magnifying glass.
"I know that much. I'm familiar with things from my homeland. I came to you to find out if there's anything special about it," Rei Ryougi said, shaking her head. The man was Frank Major, a friend of her father's. Besides being a friend, Frank was a somewhat famous appraiser of the occult and the bizarre.
"Special? It's just a bit realistic," Frank laughed, stroking his beard.
"This mask appeared in front of me last night, floating in mid-air. You're sure there's nothing strange about it?" Rei asked. She had hoped Frank's expertise would reveal something she had missed.
"You must have been seeing things, little girl," Frank said, taking a sip of his drink. "The night plays tricks on the eyes, doesn't it?"
"But..." Rei picked up the mask. She felt something was wrong.
"Anyway, did you get your revenge?" Frank asked, his expression turning serious.
"Yes. Everything went smoothly."
"Good. Then get back home quickly. You killed a man working for the Kingpin of Crime. You won't live long here," Frank warned.
Rei knew that. She had planned to leave last night, but the appearance of the mask had delayed her. Walking alone in Hell's Kitchen without a weapon felt like a bad idea.
Ding-ling!
At that moment, the door opened. A man in a green suit with long blonde hair walked in, carrying a cane. Four henchmen followed closely behind him.
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