Otherwise, Jonathan really would have had to worry that he might one day be inexplicably sacrificed and turned into a catalyst for Gwen’s growth.
After all, certain rules governing the Marvel Universe were far beyond what someone at his current level could interfere with.
If things came to that, Jonathan would have no choice but to improvise.
The MCU timeline had never explored Peter’s early experiences in much detail.
The movies focused primarily on what happened after he became involved with Iron Man.
Jonathan sat quietly on a bench across from Peter’s house.
Beneath the dim yellow glow of the streetlights and the warm light spilling from the windows, he watched Ben Parker and May Parker return home one after the other.
Before long, an argument seemed to break out inside.
Jonathan couldn’t hear exactly what was being said, but judging from the shadows moving behind the curtains and their intermittent gestures, the atmosphere clearly wasn’t pleasant.
A short while later, Ben Parker emerged alone, visibly angry.
Frowning with a dark expression, he pulled over a chair outside the house and dropped heavily into it, bracing his hands on his knees.
He was obviously waiting for Peter to come home.
Seeing this, Jonathan had a fairly good idea of what was happening.
The story still appeared to be following the plot of The Amazing Spider-Man.
In other words, it wouldn’t be long before Ben Parker lost his life on this very street because of Peter’s dismissive response.
What followed was almost exactly the same as in the movie.
Faced with Ben Parker’s angry and disappointed reprimand, Peter finally exploded.
He slammed the door and stormed out of the house.
Aunt May stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with blame and resentment.
Unable to withstand her gaze, Ben could only sigh before heading out dejectedly to search for his nephew.
At that moment, Jonathan slowly rose from the bench.
He didn’t move too quickly.
The night breeze swept across the street corner, carrying a faint chill that left an inexplicable emptiness in the air.
Jonathan’s thoughts were even more chaotic.
Of all the events he could have stumbled into, it had to be this one.
What was he supposed to choose?
Should he intervene and change Ben Parker’s fate?
Or should he allow the story to continue, letting Peter rapidly mature through the pain of this loss?
Would that be what finally transformed him into the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man everyone in New York knew?
While Jonathan was still struggling with the decision, Ben Parker arrived across the street from a small convenience store.
This was where Peter was supposed to encounter the robber.
Jonathan stared at Ben’s slightly overweight figure and the way he still tried to keep his back straight.
Then he clenched his teeth.
Screw the plot.
Even if that old hag, the Ancient One, came after him for interfering, so what?
Worst case, he would travel to another world first, raise his strength as quickly as possible, and then return to beat the hell out of her.
The very second Jonathan made his decision, the owner of the store across the street came charging outside.
His face was bright red as he waved his arms and desperately shouted for someone to stop the thief.
Unfortunately, reality was even colder than the movies.
After the owner had mocked him by saying he couldn’t even afford a bottle of milk, Peter Parker merely responded coldly,
“Not my problem.”
The other pedestrians acted as though the situation had nothing to do with them.
Risk their lives for a stranger’s property?
The citizens of New York weren’t stupid.
But among the crowd tonight, there really was one “idiot.”
His shoe slipped, sending him sprawling heavily onto the pavement with a muffled grunt.
The handgun tucked inside his clothing was thrown loose as well, clattering onto the side of the road.
The moment Ben Parker saw it, he instinctively began rushing forward.
His first thought was to pin down the robber before the man could hurt anyone else.
But this time, someone was faster than him.
A young Asian man dressed in sportswear suddenly flashed past Ben’s eyes.
He moved like a gust of wind.
Before the robber could react, Jonathan kicked the handgun away, sending it skidding beneath a nearby trash can.
The next instant, he twisted at the waist and executed a clean shoulder throw that looked as though he had practiced it countless times.
The robber slammed heavily into the ground.
The impact sounded painful enough on its own.
The man’s vision went dark.
Before he could struggle more than twice, Jonathan produced a length of rope from seemingly nowhere.
His wrists moved swiftly.
Loop, wrap, tighten.
The movements flowed together seamlessly, and in moments, the robber’s hands had been bound behind his back with an unyielding knot.
Only after finishing did Jonathan straighten up and release a faint breath.
“Great job, young man!”
Ben Parker’s approving voice quickly came from behind him.
Jonathan turned around and smiled.
“It was only what any ordinary citizen should do.
There’s really nothing worth praising.”
The moment Ben heard those words, his eyes lit up.
A thought immediately appeared in his mind.