[Marvel : Spoiling Spider-man] Chapter 256 - 260

Chapter 256: The Unlucky Vulture

["Ma’am, please! Please come over here! Hey! Ma’am! Come on!" Toomes was still trying to plead his case, stepping forward to block her path.]
["Listen… I bought a truck for this job. I put together an entirely new team! These people have families to support—I have a family too! I’ve put everything into this! If I lose this contract, I won’t even be able to keep my house!"]

[The woman listened to his plea but responded indifferently, "I’m sorry, sir. But there’s nothing I can do." Without another word, she turned and walked away.]

[Just then, a man in a suit and white hat sneered, "Maybe next time, don’t be so arrogant."]

[Toomes turned sharply, his eyes flashing with barely restrained fury. "What did you just say?" His tone was dangerously low.]
[Then, forcing a self-deprecating smile, he turned to his workers and shrugged. "Yeah! He’s right. I overestimated myself."]

[Before anyone could react, he suddenly swung his fist, landing a punch squarely on the man’s face.]

[The moment Toomes struck, the agents and security personnel instinctively drew their guns, aiming them at him. One of his co-workers, seeing the escalating situation, gripped a crowbar and prepared to step forward.]

[The woman from before noticed the growing tension and quickly intervened, raising her voice. "Stop! Stop! Put the guns down!"]

[She turned back to Toomes with a cold expression. "If you have complaints, take them up with my superiors." Then, without a second glance, she walked away.]

["Your bosses? Who the hell even are they?!" Toomes roared in frustration.]

"Oh, this is bad. He put all his savings into this, and now he’s got nothing. That’s enough to make anyone hate their boss," Tony muttered as he focused on assembling his latest armor.

Rhodes, who was assisting him, shook his head. "That’s how the world works. If you don’t have power or influence, you’ll always lose out—especially in something this big."

"I mean, from a security standpoint, I wouldn't feel comfortable letting regular people get their hands on alien tech. Who knows if any of it is toxic or carries unknown risks?" Banner added, looking at the situation logically.

"Exactly! And you can’t stop people from pocketing things, like that guy sneaking a piece of Chitauri tech into his pocket," Rhodes pointed out, referencing the worker who had hidden something earlier.

It was nearly impossible to prevent—there was just too much alien debris scattered around. The best they could do was minimize the risk through proper management.

Tony sighed, throwing up his hands. "Well, guess Mr. Toomes is just out of luck. Hopefully, the mayor compensates him fairly."

Toomes, still just an ordinary man and not yet the Vulture, clenched his fists as he watched the agents take over his job. Reality had just given him a harsh lesson—contracts and promises meant nothing when the people at the top decided otherwise.

It didn’t matter if he had an official agreement with the city. To those in power, it was just a worthless piece of paper.

For a brief moment, he considered leaving New York entirely—moving somewhere else to start over. But relocating to a new city was easier said than done.

"Dad?" A small voice interrupted his thoughts.

Liz Allen, still just a little girl, tugged at his hand and looked up at him with worried eyes.

Toomes took a deep breath, forcing a smile as he picked her up.

[The next second, a news broadcast played on television, featuring Tony Stark’s face. The host's voice explained the latest development.]

["A new joint task force has been established between Stark Industries and the federal government. This agency, known as the Department of Damage Control, will oversee the collection and secure storage of extraterrestrial artifacts and debris."]

[Toomes watched the screen in silence, his expression dark. Beside him, his co-worker scoffed in frustration. "So the guy who caused this whole mess gets paid to clean it up?"]

[A nearby tinkerer, fiddling with a Chitauri device, nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Total black-box operation." He activated a fan-like mechanism, which began to hover in midair.]

["Experts estimate that over 1,500 tons of alien debris remain scattered across the Tri-State area!"]

[Just then, another worker rummaging through their supplies made a discovery. "Hey, boss! We still have a truckload of salvaged materials from yesterday. We should turn it in, right?"]

[Upon hearing this, a black worker immediately refused. "No way! I’m not touching that."]

[The tinkerer sighed in disappointment. "Man, that’s a waste. We could make some seriously cool stuff out of this junk."]

[His words sparked something in Toomes. He stared at the pile of alien materials, a realization dawning in his mind. "You know what? Let’s just keep this stuff. The world is changing—it’s time we change too."]

Tony had just commented that Toomes would resent his boss. He hadn’t expected to be the boss in question. He groaned, rubbing his face in mild embarrassment.

Rhodes and Banner barely held in their laughter.

Tony glared at them. "Okay, okay, go ahead—laugh it up!"

The two of them finally burst out laughing, while Tony shook his head and returned to his work. Whatever Toomes did next wasn’t his problem—he was sure Nick Fury would handle it.

"Wow! Looks like he’s getting ambitious!" The first-generation Spider-Man, Peter Parker, muttered as he watched Toomes begin his transformation into the Vulture.

"He could’ve been a good man… but life forced him down the wrong path," Uncle Ben said with a sigh.

Sandman—Flint Marko—fell silent, his mind flashing back to his own past. He, too, had once turned to crime out of desperation, and it had led him down a road of regret.

Harry Osborn noticed Marko’s brooding expression and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "The past is the past, Marko. You’ve got to move forward. Penny’s waiting for you at home."

Thanks to Harry’s financial backing and the advanced medical technology of Oscorp, Marko’s daughter, Penny, had been given a second chance at life. Her condition had improved drastically—she was now nearly as healthy as any normal child.

The first-generation Spider-Man often visited Penny, sometimes bringing Gwen along. Seeing the girl’s growing smiles warmed his heart.

Meanwhile, Toomes' face darkened. He had been contemplating whether to leave New York before, but now with this future crime, maybe some people with start to think badly of him.

People could think whatever they wanted of him, but his wife and daughter were innocent. He wouldn’t let them suffer because of his actions.

Without hesitation, Toomes scooped Liz up in his arms and hurried home, determined to pack their things and get out of town before it was too late…

Chapter 257: Happy’s Torment

[Eight years later, the workers from before are still following him. They use a truckload of alien materials to create various high-tech devices.]

[The tinkerer, Phineas Mason, remains in charge of research and weapon manufacturing for the team. One of the members picks up a newly finished weapon, aims it at a steel cabinet, and pulls the trigger. A powerful energy blast erupts, instantly splitting the cabinet doors in half. Satisfied with the result, the worker carefully packs the weapon into a box and seals it.]

[The box is then loaded into a van. The next scene shows a money counter rapidly tallying stacks of cash—clear evidence that the weapon was sold for a hefty profit.]

[A dark figure swoops through the night sky. Above the weapons factory, a hatch opens, and two iron cages filled with alien materials are dropped inside.]

[The Vulture descends from the sky, his massive steel wings spreading behind him, powered by large turbines that allow him to glide effortlessly.]

[Detaching his wings, he smirks at Mason and says, “The goods are here, Mason! Business is booming!”]

[“Yeah!” Mason responds with a pleased grin.]

"Oh my god! Energy weapons? In just eight years, they’ve developed something this advanced?" Coulson exclaims, his face filled with disbelief.

"This is incredible... That Mason guy is really something," Captain America agrees. While the Red Skull’s scientists had access to similar weapons decades ago, those were the product of an entire research team. The fact that Mason could build something like this under such limited conditions is astonishing.

Nick Fury narrows his eyes, observing Mason with interest. A genius like that could be a valuable asset—someone worth recruiting. After all, men like him often resort to illegal work not by choice, but out of necessity.

Across the multiverse, others are thinking the same thing. Within Hydra, several figures—including Alexander Pierce and Baron Strucker—watch the broadcast intently, already considering ways to bring Mason into their ranks.

Meanwhile, Toomes, who had been busy packing his things, suddenly freezes. A bad premonition grips him. "Damn it," he mutters. "This is going to bring trouble..."

[The scene shifts, and a deliberately hoarse voice narrates, “New York, Queens—this is a rough neighborhood, but this is where home is.”]

[A second voice suddenly interrupts, “Who are you even talking to?”]

[The camera pans to Happy Hogan, who is driving. The person recording is none other than Spider-Man, Peter Parker. “No one, just making a travel vlog!” he replies cheerfully.]

[“You know you can’t show this to anyone,” Happy warns him.]

[“Yeah, I know,” Peter responds quickly.]

[Happy eyes him suspiciously. “Then why are you using that dramatic voice?”]

[Peter hesitates for a moment before answering, “Uh… because it’s fun! So, why do they call you Happy?”]

[Annoyed, Happy ignores him and presses a button, shutting the cab’s partition window. The reflection on the glass shows Peter still holding his phone, recording himself.]

[“Come on! I’m not carrying your bag for you! Let’s go!” Happy grumbles as they arrive at the airport, pointing at a private jet waiting for them.]

[“Uh, should I go to the bathroom before this?” Peter asks nervously, clearly uneasy about flying.]

[Happy responds flatly, “There’s a toilet on the plane.”]

[Inside the jet, Peter looks around in amazement like a kid seeing the world for the first time. Spotting the cockpit, he exclaims, “Whoa! Unmanned? That’s so cool!”]

[He then plops down in the seat across from Happy, who adjusts his sunglasses and gives him a tired look. “That’s where you wanna sit?”]

[Peter doesn’t hesitate. “Yep!”]

[“Is this your first time on a private jet?” Happy asks, sighing.]

[“This is my first time on any plane,” Peter admits.]

[Happy stares at him for a moment, then gets up and moves to another seat, clearly realizing what he’s in for.]

[Suddenly, the plane hits turbulence. The cabin shakes slightly, and Peter looks around, alarmed. “Uh… should it be making that noise?”]

[Happy, completely unfazed, adjusts his seat and closes his eyes. Within moments, he starts snoring.]

[Peter grins mischievously, puts a finger to his lips, and carefully sneaks up to Happy with his phone, recording his loud snoring up close.]

[Whatever Happy was dreaming about, it must have been intense—because he suddenly jerks awake, scaring Peter so much that he nearly drops his phone.]

"Hahaha! Happy! You snore like a chainsaw!" Pepper bursts into laughter as she watches the broadcast.

Happy, who is driving her, groans in embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah," he mutters. Deep inside, he’s already cursing Spider-Man and making a mental note: Never let Peter record me again.

Tony and the others chuckle at the scene. Even through the screen, it’s clear that Happy has fully experienced the sheer exhaustion of dealing with Peter Parker’s nonstop chatter. They can totally relate.

Aunt May, sitting comfortably in her chair, watches the screen with amusement. Little Peter Parker isn’t at home—Tony had arranged for him to attend a new school, ensuring that he wouldn’t be bullied.

Tony had already made up his mind: the suffering that the first and second Spider-Men had endured in school wouldn’t happen again—not under his watch. If Peter ever ended up bullied like his predecessors, Tony would consider it his failure.

[The plane lands, and Peter starts recording again. “No one told me why I’m in Berlin or what I’m doing here. I just know it has something to do with Captain America losing his mind.”]

[Happy sighs and points to a door. “This is your room.”]

[Peter gasps. “Oh! So we’re neighbors now!”]

[“We’re not roommates. Put on your suit,” Happy retorts, shaking his head.]

[Peter, still recording himself in the mirror, grins. “Okay! Peter! It’s your time to shine!”]

[Happy walks in and gapes at him. “What the hell are you wearing?”]

[Peter glances down at his casual clothes. “Uh… my suit?”]

["Where’s the box?"]

[“What box?” Peter asks, confused.]

[Happy opens a door, revealing a hidden compartment. Peter stares at it, then blinks in realization. “Wait… that’s not mine? I thought it was a closet… Wait, this is still my room? My room is bigger than I thought…”]

[As he walks in, Happy gestures impatiently. “Go! Please! There!”]

["Oh! I see the box! I see the box!" Peter exclaims as he spots it.]

[Picking up the card on top, he reads aloud: “A little upgrade?”]

[He opens the box, revealing the high-tech Spider-Man suit that Tony had specially made for him. His jaw drops. “Whoa! Oh my god! What is this?!”]

[Happy urges him, “Put it on.”]

[Still in awe, Peter gushes, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”]

["Let’s go!" Happy cuts him off, raising his voice impatiently.]

[“Wait, wait, is this for me? Happy! Happy, wait up!” Peter calls after him excitedly, but Happy is already walking out of the room, ignoring his endless chatter.]

[Peter twirls in front of the mirror, admiring the suit, then turns back to his phone. “This is crazy! This is crazy! Look at this thing! Look at these lenses! Best day ever!”]

[Happy reappears at the door, clearly on the verge of losing his patience. “Let’s. Go. Now.”]

Chapter 258: Happy’s Ambition

"Hahahaha! I can feel Happy’s frustration from up here! He’s completely overwhelmed! This kid just won’t shut up!"

The second-generation Gwen Stacy slapped her thigh, laughing uncontrollably.

The second-generation Spider-Man rubbed his nose awkwardly. He had always thought that he was talkative during fights, but the third-generation Spider-Man was on an entirely different level. This guy never stopped talking!

"It looks like Happy is about to lose his mind," Rhodes chuckled. "If he could, I think he’d sew Peter’s mouth shut."

"Hahaha! Yeah! If Happy had the ability to take him down, he probably would’ve done it already!" Tony laughed, raising his hand in agreement.

"Just make sure Happy doesn’t hear that," Pepper smirked. "Otherwise, he might actually take it to heart."

[The scene shifts to the airport battle. Spider-Man is hiding behind cover, recording a video.]

[“Okay! Let’s see… there’s Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Widow! Whoa! Who’s that new guy?”]

[At that moment, Tony’s voice shouts, “Underoos!”]

[“Oh! He called me! I’m going in! I’m going in!”]

[Spider-Man, now fully suited up, quickly tucks his phone away before leaping into action—snatching Captain America’s shield right out of his hands.]

[Then the battle breaks out, but somehow, Spider-Man still finds time to pull out his phone again. “Okay! The craziest thing just happened!”]

[“I just fought Captain America! I stole his shield and threw it back at him—”]

[Before he can finish, a massive figure suddenly appears in the background—Scott Lang, growing giant-sized as he grabs Rhodes out of the air.]

[Spider-Man’s jaw drops. “What the hell?! He’s huge now! I’m outta here—wait a second!”]

[He quickly tilts the camera up just in time to catch Rhodes screaming as he’s flung through the sky.]

[Back at the hotel, Spider-Man is still buzzing with excitement. “This is the best thing ever! Mr. Stark was like, ‘Hey, Underoos!’ and I just flipped over and snatched the shield!”]

["I was like, ‘Hey, hi!’ and then—Hey! Wait a minute!”]

[Before he can continue, there’s a knock at the door. Happy walks in just as Peter does a celebratory backflip.]

[Happy sighs and says flatly, “The walls here are really thin.” Clearly, he’d been listening to Peter’s excited rambling the entire time.]

"Haha! This is hilarious! I’m sorry! Hahaha!"

A young girl struggled to contain her laughter but failed miserably.

Meanwhile, Little Peter Parker buried his face in his hands, feeling utterly humiliated. He used to dream of appearing on The Sky Screen, just like the first and second Spider-Men.

Now, though, he regretted it. This was too embarrassing—especially in a new school. Thankfully, his teacher was kind, and most of his classmates were respectful enough not to laugh at him.

The girl finally composed herself, then looked at Peter with a sincere smile. "Hey, Peter! You’re really cool, you know that? Spider-Man! It’s an honor to be your classmate!"

"R-Really?" Peter looked up in surprise.

"Yeah! Come on, Spiderman!"

"Yeah! I’ll try my best! I’ll be a great Spider-Man!" Peter beamed, his confidence restored thanks to his new classmate’s encouragement.

[Inside a car, Tony looks at Spider-Man’s camera with mild curiosity. “What are you doing? Some kind of vlog?”]

[Spider-Man nods, admitting it, and Tony shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. If I were you, I’d do the same thing.”]

[From the front seat, Happy interjects, clearly exasperated. “I told him to stop doing that! He records everything! I’m clearing his memory card later!”]

[“Okay! But listen, we need to come up with an alibi for your aunt. You ready?” Tony suddenly changes the subject before Peter can protest.]

[“Alibi?” Spider-Man blinks, confused but willing to go along with it.]

[“Are we rolling? Get in the shot!” Tony positions himself and starts speaking. “Hey, May! How are you? What are you wearing? Hopefully, something revealing!”]

[The moment those words leave Tony’s mouth, Spider-Man’s excited expression vanishes. He turns slowly, giving Tony a deadpan stare.]

[Tony immediately starts laughing. "Peter! That was inappropriate! Let’s redo that—you can edit it later."]

[They start over. Tony puts on a professional smile. “Three, two, one! Hey, May! Oh my god! Just wanted to say that your nephew did an amazing job this weekend at the Stark Internship Camp! Everyone was blown away!”]

[Suddenly, the car lurches as Happy slams the brakes. “Come on!” he grumbles, then quickly apologizes. “Some idiot just changed lanes.”]

["That’s because you didn’t take Queens Boulevard!" Tony grumbles before turning back to the camera.]

[“Oh, and listen—Happy here wants a promotion to the Asset Management Department. Before this, he was the head of security, and before that, he was just a driver.”]

[Happy immediately turns back, glaring at Tony. “That was a private conversation! I don’t like joking about that! I had to build up the courage just to say it!”]

"Happy! You want a promotion?" Pepper asked, genuinely surprised.

"Uh… yeah. Doesn’t everyone?" Happy admitted after a moment’s hesitation.

"I understand. Everyone wants to move up. I’ll talk to Tony about giving you a raise!" Pepper smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Miss Potts!" Happy said sincerely.

Meanwhile, Aunt May looked oddly pleased by Tony’s earlier remark. Despite knowing he was joking, it was still nice to feel attractive. At the very least, Tony Stark thought so.

Tony, on the other hand, groaned and covered his face. That joke was not funny. Ever since his relationship with Pepper had progressed, he had been trying to restrain himself from making such comments.

Luckily, Pepper didn’t seem to mind. She knew Tony well enough to differentiate between his past habits and his present self. This was just his personality.

[“Anyway, does he snore a lot?” Tony teases, shifting the topic back to Happy.]

[Before anyone can answer, the car suddenly comes to a stop.]

[Happy sighs in relief. “We’re here! Final stop!”]

[Tony smirks, clearly enjoying Happy’s frustration. “Happy, can you give us a moment alone?”]

[Happy frowns. “You want me to get out?”]

[“No, I want you to grab Peter’s box from the trunk.”]

Chapter 259: Ned

[After hearing what Tony said, Spider-Man put down his phone in disbelief. "Can I keep this suit?"]

["Yes! We were just talking about this!" Tony adjusted his glasses and added, "Do me a favor, okay? Happy is your contact person."]

["Don’t put too much pressure on him. Don’t do anything stupid! I’ve seen his electrocardiogram, okay? Don’t do what I would do, and definitely don’t do something even I wouldn’t do!"]

[He pointed his finger and explained, "There's a small gray area in between! That's where you can come into play!"]

["Wait a minute, does this mean I’m joining the Avengers?" Spider-Man looked at Tony expectantly.]

["NO!" Tony immediately shut down the idea, then called out to Happy outside the car, telling him to take Peter to the 7th floor.]

[Spider-Man quickly interjected, "I can take it. No need to trouble you!"]

["Thank you!" Happy nodded, setting the box aside before getting into the car to wait.]

[Sitting in the car, Spider-Man looked at Tony expectantly. "So, when is our next... uh, when’s the next 'internship camp'? You know!"]

["What? The next mission?" Tony glanced at him.]

["Yeah! Missions! Those missions!" Spider-Man nodded enthusiastically.]

["We’ll contact you!" Tony said vaguely, his expression hidden behind his sunglasses.]

["Do you have my number?" Spider-Man asked, clearly missing the point.]

["NO! I mean, we will contact you! That is, someone else will contact you, okay?" Tony clarified.]

[This time, Spider-Man finally understood. "Part of your team!"]

["Okay! That’s it!" Tony responded, pulling Spider-Man into a quick hug under the pretense of opening the door.]

[Seeing this, Spider-Man hugged him back.]

[Tony smirked. "This isn't a hug. I'm just opening the door for you. We're not that close yet!" As he spoke, he pushed the door open.]

[Spider-Man pursed his lips awkwardly and got out of the car.]

[He picked up his luggage and watched Tony’s car drive away. With excitement in his voice, he muttered, "They’ll contact me!" before running home as fast as he could.]

Rhodes chuckled, shaking his head as he looked at Tony. "You really tried to play that off, huh? Just admit it, you wanted to hug him but had to come up with some lame excuse."

Tony shot him a look of faux indignation. "Oh, come on! How can you say that? I was just opening the door for him, okay?"

Rhodes smirked knowingly while Tony picked up a wine glass and took a sip, pretending to be unbothered.

"It looks like the Avengers are pretty famous in their universe," First-Gen Spider-Man observed, tilting his head slightly. "Peter Parker III obviously wants to join them."

Uncle Ben sighed. "It’s a shame we still don’t know why such a team had a falling out and ended up fighting like that. With so many heroes, the world should be more peaceful."

[Two months later, Spider-Man stood on the train, wearing headphones. He took out his phone and sent a message to Happy.]

[From the chat history, it was obvious—Peter had sent plenty of messages to Happy, but none had ever received a reply.]

[When Peter arrived at school, Flash sped past in his luxury car, nearly hitting him. He sneered, "What's wrong? Damn Parker!"]

[A chorus of laughter followed from the students behind him. Peter sighed but didn’t respond, continuing his walk inside.]

["Good morning, Midtown Tech students!" Betty Brant greeted the school over the intercom, sitting next to her co-host, Jason.]

["Don’t forget to get your homecoming tickets!" Jason reminded everyone before turning to Betty. "Do you have a date for homecoming?"]

["Thanks, Jason, but I already have a partner!" Betty replied with a smile.]

[As Peter walked down the corridor, he spotted a student playing with a drone. Out of instinct, he moved to avoid it, only for a teacher nearby to intervene and catch the student. However, in the process, the teacher seemed to cut his finger.]

["Damn it! Get to my office, now!" the teacher barked, leaving the student with no choice but to follow him.]

[Unaware of the incident behind him, Peter reached his locker, spun the combination, and opened the door to put his things away.]

[Suddenly, a hand stretched out from behind his shoulder, holding a toy. In a hoarse voice, Ned declared, "Join me, and together we will build a brand-new LEGO Death Star!"]

[Peter turned around in surprise. "What?"]

[The girl standing nearby overheard and immediately groaned, "That sounds terrible."]

[Peter shot her a look before refuting her statement, "No way! This is great!"]

[Then he turned back to Ned. "How many pieces?"]

["Three thousand eight hundred and three!" Ned grinned.]

["That's amazing!" Peter said sincerely.]

["I know, right? Do you want to come over tonight and help build it?" Ned asked eagerly.]

[Peter hesitated for a moment before replying with regret, "No! I can't tonight. I have Stark!"]

["Uh-huh... Stark’s internship program," Ned muttered, clearly dissatisfied. "You’re always busy with that internship."]

[Peter sighed. "Yeah, that’s just how it is. Hopefully, I can land a real job from this soon."]

["That would be great, wouldn't it? Imagine him saying, ‘Great job on your spreadsheet, Peter! Here’s a gold coin for you!’"]

[Peter gave him a strange look.]

[Ned blinked. "I have no idea what real work is."]

["That’s exactly what happens!" Peter confirmed with a smirk.]

[Both of them burst into laughter.]

Chapter 260: Liz Allen

"Wow! LEGO bricks!" Little Peter Parker looked at Ned in the sky with surprise. He didn’t know Ned yet, but he still envied that he could play with those bricks in the future.

When he heard there were over 3,000 pieces, he was visibly excited, and many of the boys in his class shared the same admiration. Of course, what they envied even more was that Peter Parker would eventually become Spider-Man and fight alongside Tony Stark!

The little girls, on the other hand, had no interest in LEGO and couldn't understand why the boys were so obsessed with it. Some even found it strange.

As for young Ned, he was equally astonished to see someone who looked exactly like him. Would he go to the same school as Spider-Man? Would they actually become best friends? The thought alone thrilled him.

[Ned continued, "I’ll assemble the basic framework of the Death Star at my place first, then bring it over to your house later! The base part is usually the hardest to put together."]

[At that moment, a beautiful girl appeared in the hallway, walking past a group of other students. Spider-Man couldn't help but stop in his tracks, his gaze locking onto Liz Allen as he stared in a daze.]

[Ned was still talking, but Peter's attention was entirely on Liz. He only responded absentmindedly, "Great!"]

[In the classroom, the teacher asked, "Okay! So how do we determine the linear acceleration of points A and B?"]

[Flash was the first to raise his hand. The teacher called on him, and he confidently answered, "The product of the sine of the angle and gravity, divided by the mass!"]

["No! Peter?" The teacher shook her head, turning to call on Peter, who had been resting his head on his desk.]

[Peter suddenly looked up, blinking in confusion. The teacher waved her hand in front of him. "Are you even listening?"]

["Uh, uh… yeah! Totally listening!" Peter quickly pressed his laptop screen, shutting off the video he'd been watching—the one Tony had played before.]

[Glancing at the diagram on the board, he analyzed the problem in just two seconds and responded, "Well, the masses cancel out, so you just multiply gravity by the sine."]

["Correct! Did you hear that, Flash? Being the fastest to answer doesn’t mean you're right!" The teacher scolded Flash.]

[The class erupted into laughter, and Flash turned to glare at Peter, growling, "You're dead."]

[But Peter ignored him and casually checked the time instead.]

"Flash again! Hahaha, every school with a Peter Parker has to have a Flash, huh?" Second-Gen Gwen smirked, as if expecting this outcome.

"It looks like he has the same problem as the other Flashes—he loves to bully Peter Parker," George Stacy commented as he put down his newspaper, shaking his head.

"Parallel universes always share similarities, but they won’t be exactly the same," Second-Gen Spider-Man remarked calmly, taking a sip of milk as if he’d seen this all before.

"That girl… is she the love interest from that universe?" Helen Stacy was more interested in the identity of the girl Spider-Man had been staring at.

[The camera shifted to Peter, who was now wearing goggles in a physics class.]

[The teacher was lecturing from the front. "Today, we’re discussing the Danish physicist Niels Bohr! But trust me, this class is not boring at all!"]

[Peter, however, was barely paying attention. Instead, he was secretly conducting his own experiment under the desk.]

[He poured some chemicals into a beaker, then took out a small stirring stick. As soon as he mixed the liquid, bubbles began to form rapidly, and soon the stick was covered in sticky spider silk.]

[Realizing that something had gone wrong, Peter quickly slammed his desk shut, making sure the teacher wouldn’t notice his failed experiment. Meanwhile, in the background, a girl could be seen sitting in another row, engrossed in her studies.]

[In the cafeteria, Liz was hanging up a poster for the upcoming homecoming dance. Peter, propping his chin on his hand, admired her from across the room. Turning to Ned, he asked, "Did Liz wear a new top?"]

["NO! We’ve seen that top before. But we’ve never seen her wear it with that skirt," Ned replied, analyzing the outfit with surprising precision.]

[Realizing how obvious his staring had become, Peter quickly added, "We should stop looking. Otherwise, we’ll seem like creeps!"]

["Too late, you wimps." A voice cut in.]

[Both Peter and Ned turned to find a girl sitting across from them, her expression deadpan.]

[Peter sighed in defeat and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.]

["Then why are you sitting with us?" Ned narrowed his eyes and asked a pointed question.]

["Because I don’t have any friends," the girl replied coolly.]

"So our little Peter Parker has a crush on this girl named Liz, huh?" Tony grinned, stroking his chin in amusement.

"Yeah! And he even knows not to stare for too long—although, by then, it's already too late!" Rhodes laughed. It was clear that Spider-Man had a crush on Liz, but whether Liz had even noticed him was a different question entirely.

It reminded him of how First-Gen Mary Jane had never noticed First-Gen Spider-Man’s feelings for her back in school.

[The scene transitioned to a classroom where the word Decathlon was written on the board. Liz stood at the front, holding up a small card as she asked, "Let’s move on to the next question. What is the heaviest naturally occurring element?"]

[A boy immediately slammed the buzzer and blurted out, "Hydrogen is the lightest! Wait, that’s not what you’re asking… Okay!"]

[Realizing his mistake too late, he looked embarrassed.]

[Another Black student quickly answered, "Uranium!"]

[The girl sitting next to him, flipping through a book, gave him a surprised glance.]

["Correct! Thank you, Abraham! Oh, and by the way, please turn to page 10!" Liz announced cheerfully.]