He absolutely couldn’t let The Hand target him.
If they ever realized he knew their secrets, they would stop at nothing to eliminate him.
Back at the Baxter Building, Peter heard laughter coming from the living room as soon as he walked through the door.
Uncle Ben and Aunt May were actually sitting on the sofa, chatting warmly with the Fantastic Four.
“Peter!
How was school?” Sue asked with a smile.
“It was fine…
what are you guys doing here?” Peter was caught off guard.
“We wanted to see where you’ve been hanging out,” Uncle Ben laughed.
“I have to say, Peter, you picked a great spot.” “Hey, don’t call him ‘Uncle,’ he’s not your uncle,” Johnny teased from the side.
“Johnny, respect your classmate,” Aunt May immediately stood up for Peter.
“Hear that?
Respect me, or I’ll tell Aunt May,” Johnny laughed.
“I’ll soak you in kerosene, Johnny,” Peter growled.
The elders drank their tea for a while, and then Uncle Ben and Aunt May tactfully took their leave to give the youngsters some space.
Peter’s smile faded, his expression turning serious.
“I need to talk to you guys.” “Is it about your other job?” Sue asked perceptively.
Peter nodded and came clean about SHIELD’s recruitment.
Reed sighed.
“That’s a lot of trouble.
SHIELD’s reach is incredibly long, and they have enough resources to overthrow small governments.
What exactly is their offer?” Peter showed them Fury’s proposal.
“I think you should take it,” Uncle Ben’s deep voice came through the communicator; he clearly hadn’t gone far yet.
“It’s the best deal you’re going to get, and the training will keep you alive.
As long as Fury sees you as valuable, he won’t easily make a move against you.” Sue agreed.
“The contract terms are very solid.
You won’t get screwed over.” “If I join, I won’t have as much time to spend with you guys and my friends,” Peter voiced his concerns.
“Our schedules have always been flexible,” Reed reassured him.
“Friends?
Weren’t you planning on being a cool lone wolf?” Johnny teased.
“Ever since the expo, I’ve become a celebrity at school, though those guys are more like pests,” Peter shrugged.
“But there is a girl who’s pretty great.” “A girl?” Johnny’s eyes lit up.
“Do tell!” “Not happening.
I’m not giving you a chance to dox her on social media,” Peter rolled his eyes.
Once business was out of the way, everyone headed back to their respective labs.
Toward evening, Sue stopped Peter to update him on the SA patent progress.
The lawyers were already processing the paperwork, and Amazon had agreed to manufacture it.
Peter would receive a fifty percent share of the patent ownership, as well as a five percent cut of the sales royalty.
With this, he would have a steady, continuous stream of income, achieving complete financial freedom.
The next day, a crowd gathered around Flash’s phone in the classroom to watch the news.
On the screen, Alexei, the pilot of the Rhino mech, was shown on trial.
In the end, he was sentenced to five years in prison for grand theft and endangering public safety.
Peter watched the screen, completely unfazed.
He knew this guy would break out sooner or later; he just needed to be prepared.
Over the next week, Peter was constantly on the move, balancing his schoolwork, R&D at the Baxter Building, and night patrols.
The streets were relatively quiet, with only a few robberies and a stabbing that required an emergency trip to the hospital.
But the homecoming dance was drawing nearer.
Peter found himself actually feeling nervous about a high school dance.
Felicia teased him every time they met, emphasizing that it had to be a perfect night.
For this perfect night, Peter borrowed Uncle Ben’s blue suit jacket and paired it with a black shirt, giving him a retro yet stylish look.
He also bit the bullet and reserved a table at a high-end downtown restaurant, which ended up costing him over half his monthly allowance.
On Friday evening, Peter was fully dressed.
“You look incredibly sharp, Peter,” Uncle Ben said, helping him adjust his tie.
“I wish you guys could be there so I could take some photos,” Aunt May said, holding a camera.
Just then, the door opened and Mary Jane walked in.
She wore a black dress that stopped mid-thigh, perfectly accentuating her curves.
The top was made of a semi-sheer fabric, and with her elegant makeup, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Peter froze for a second, then smiled.
“Damn, Mary Jane, I think this is the first time I’ve ever been jealous of Harry.” “Thanks, Tiger.
You don’t look too bad yourself,” Mary Jane smiled slightly.
“Come on, you two, let me take a picture,” Aunt May said excitedly, raising her camera.
“Aunt May, she’s not my date,” Peter said helplessly.
“Who cares?
Get closer!” Aunt May snapped several photos in quick succession.
After the photos, Peter leaned in and whispered a quick compliment in Mary Jane’s ear, then gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Mary Jane froze instantly.
Peter gave her a wink and casually walked out the door.
Getting into a cab, Peter patted the web-shooters hidden in the inner pocket of his jacket.
He never took luck for granted; things always tended to go sideways at times like this.
He had brought his suit and mask, concealed right beneath his formal wear.
Arriving ten minutes early, Peter waited at a window seat for twenty minutes.
Felicia was late.
He dialed her number.
“Felicia?” “Peter, I’m sorry, something’s come up,” her voice sounded hurried.
“What’s going on?” *Boom!* A massive explosion roared through the phone, and a blinding blue light erupted outside the window.
Peter spun around to see a bolt of lightning strike mid-air, arcs of electricity crackling in all directions.
“Felicia!
Are you okay?” “I’m fine!
There’s some monster attacking everyone!” “Stay where you are and don’t move!
I’ll get help!” Peter threw down some cash and bolted out of the restaurant.
He tried calling Johnny, but got nothing but static.
The intense electrical interference had jammed all communication signals.
He rushed onto a rooftop, stripped off his suit to reveal the black, form-fitting spider-suit underneath, and webbed his suit and shoes to a wall.
The moment he pulled on his mask, he leaped into the night sky.
Only Thor or Electro could cause this kind of commotion.
The bustling street was in absolute chaos.
A man surrounded by crackling blue electrical arcs hovered in mid-air, laughing maniacally as he fired bolts of electricity in all directions.
Cars were flipped over, and the asphalt was torn to shreds.
“Help!” a woman screamed.
“Shut up, bitch!
No one cares if you live or die!” Electro roared, lethal energy condensing in his palms.
“Someone save us!” the woman cried out in despair.
“I said shut up!” Electro violently swung his hand down.
At the critical moment, a strand of white webbing shot out, pulling the woman out of the danger zone.
The electrical arc blasted the pavement, leaving a massive crater.
“What the hell?” Electro turned his head toward the rooftop.
“Spider-Man?!” “I’ll give you one chance,” Peter stood on the edge, his eyes scanning the ruins for Felicia.
“Get out of this city and don’t come back.” “Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?
No one commands me!” Electro roared, unleashing several high-voltage arcs directly at Peter.
Peter leaped instinctively, and the electricity instantly melted the rooftop edge he had just been standing on.
“Is that all you’ve got, lightbulb?” Peter swung through the air, continuing his taunts.
“Hold still!” Electro attacked frantically, but Peter used his webs to agilely weave between the buildings, keeping his distance.
Peter glanced down.
Felicia was helping an elderly man crawl out of a crumpled car.
Her clothes were torn and her hair was a mess, but to Peter, she had never looked more stunning.