[Marvel : Spoiling Spider-man] Chapter 296 - 300

Chapter 296: Test in the Car

[Toomes looked at the two and said, "Well! I’m your driver tonight, so let’s get on the road and continue this fashion show!"]

[But Doris had other plans. "No, no, no! First, we need some pictures, baby! Oh! Here we go—perfect!"]

[She grabbed a camera from the table and gestured for the two of them to get closer. "Alright, Peter, come on! Get in here!"]

[Peter stood beside Liz, but he couldn’t help glancing nervously at Toomes, who stood beside them. Doris snapped several photos.]

[Toomes noticed something strange in Peter’s gaze—like the kid recognized him. There was something off about his eyes.]

[After the photos were taken, Peter was eager to make a quick exit. "Sir, you don’t have to drive us!"]

[Toomes waved him off. "No, no, no, it’s no big deal. I’m heading out of town anyway—this is right on my way."]

[Doris rolled her eyes. "He’s always coming and going." Then, leaning toward Liz, she whispered with a smile, "He’s so cute!"]

[Toomes overheard and, in an amused yet firm tone, said, "This is the last time, I promise."]

[Saying goodbye to Doris, he turned to Peter, smirked, and called out, "Alright, let’s go, Pedro!"]

Otto and the others burst into laughter at Toomes’ repeated misnaming of Peter.

"He clearly doesn’t like his daughter having a boyfriend. He’s deliberately getting the name wrong," first-gen Spider-Man commented.

"At least Gwen’s father could remember my name," he added, relieved.

Gwen, however, raised an eyebrow. "Peter, let’s be real—no one ever remembers your name."

"Not necessarily! Look, Toomes pretended to forget it!" Otto chuckled, nudging the two of them.

"NO! Otto, Toomes did it on purpose. He absolutely remembers his name," Rose pointed out, smirking.

Otto sighed. "Rose, don’t ruin my fun!"

Meanwhile, Hill studied Peter’s face on the screen, frowning slightly. "He’s terrible at hiding his emotions. Toomes already senses something is off. Guys like him are very perceptive."

"He’s still too young and untrained," Nick Fury commented, setting his documents aside. "That’s why I had Natasha train the kid."

Coulson, however, came to Peter’s defense. "Honestly, if anyone found out their girlfriend’s dad was their mortal enemy, they’d react somehow. You can’t blame the kid for looking rattled."

"True," Hill agreed. "But his reaction is a little too obvious."

Coulson had no argument for that.

[In the car, Liz used her phone’s mirror to adjust her makeup while Peter sat stiffly, staring blankly out the window.]

[Toomes, driving, suddenly asked, "So, Peter, what are your plans for the future?"]

[Peter, lost in thought, didn’t immediately register the question. "Huh?"]

[Toomes repeated, "After graduation—what do you think you’ll do?"]

["Oh, um… I don’t know yet," Peter answered, shaking his head.]

[Liz groaned. "Dad, stop interrogating him!"]

[Toomes shrugged. "Just making conversation. You know, most kids at your school have their whole futures mapped out already."]

[Peter responded with a distracted, "Yeah," before correcting himself. "Wait—no! I’m only a freshman!"]

[Liz chimed in, "Peter was interning for Tony Stark, so I don’t think he needs to worry!"]

[Toomes raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really?"]

[Liz nodded in confirmation.]

[Toomes glanced at Peter in the rearview mirror. "Stark, huh? Not bad! So, what do you do?"]

[Peter hesitated before replying, "Actually… I don’t intern there anymore."]

[Liz turned in surprise. "Wait, really?"]

["Yeah," Peter forced a grin. "That job got kind of… boring."]

[Liz frowned slightly, finding that hard to believe. "Boring? You got to hang out with Spider-Man!"]

[Toomes, gripping the steering wheel, narrowed his eyes. "Spider-Man, huh? What’s he like?"]

[Peter hesitated, then answered carefully. "Uh… He’s awesome! A great guy—really down-to-earth!"]

[Just then, Liz turned her phone toward Peter, showing him a picture. "Look! Isn’t this adorable?"]

[Peter forced a smile but quickly reverted to his tense expression. Toomes had been watching Peter closely through the rearview mirror.]

[After a moment, Toomes mused, "I feel like I’ve seen you before, Peter. Somewhere…"]

[Peter stiffened. "We… we’ve met before?"]

["Something about your voice, too," Toomes added, eyes narrowing slightly.]

[Liz interjected, "Dad, he was in the Academic Decathlon with me. And he came to my party!"]

[Toomes nodded, though his mind was clearly elsewhere. Peter, trying to sound casual, said, "That party was great! Really great. Beautiful house! Lots of, um… windows."]

[Liz raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Peter, you were there for, like, two seconds."]

[Peter scrambled. "I was there longer than that!"]

[But Toomes wasn’t fooled—he was paying close attention to every word.]

["You left," Liz said teasingly.]

["No! No, I didn’t disappear," Peter stammered, but Liz continued teasing him.]

["Come on, Peter! You always disappear! You vanished at the party, and you disappeared in Washington, D.C. too!"]

[Toomes’ fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel as Liz’s words sank in. His eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror, studying Peter’s face even more closely.]

[A brief silence filled the car. Then, while waiting at a red light, Toomes exhaled sharply and said, "That Washington, D.C. thing was pretty intense. You must’ve been scared."]

[Peter swallowed, licked his lips, and gave a small nod. He didn’t trust his voice to sound normal.]

["I guess you were happy to see your old pal Spider-Man show up in the elevator, huh?" Toomes said smoothly, his eyes locked on Peter’s reflection in the mirror.]

[Peter glanced at Liz before forcing a weak chuckle. "Actually… I wasn’t even up there! I saw everything from the ground!" He tried to sound convincing, but the lie made his tongue feel heavy, his words sluggish.]

Chapter 297: Identity Exposed

[Toomes narrowed his eyes as he looked at Spider-Man. Unaware that Toomes was growing suspicious, Peter tried to play it cool and brush off any doubts.]

[“It was lucky that he showed up that day!” Peter forced a smile, but the nervousness was evident—his heartbeat quickened, and his breathing grew shallow.]

[Toomes smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Good man, Spider-Man!"]

[At that moment, Liz noticed the traffic light had turned green, but Toomes was still idling. The cars behind them blared their horns impatiently, prompting her to remind him, "Dad! The light is green!"]

[Toomes finally drove forward, arriving at the school entrance. "Here we are, end of the route!"]

[As Peter and Liz prepared to get out, Toomes casually said, "You go in first, baby! I still need to have a 'dad-style' conversation with Peter."]

[Liz playfully squeezed Peter’s hand and whispered, "Don't let him scare you!" Then she kissed Toomes on the cheek before stepping out of the car and heading inside.]

[Once Liz was gone, Toomes reached into the car and pulled out a pistol. He turned toward Peter, his expression unreadable, and asked, "Does she know?"]

[Peter feigned ignorance, shaking his head. "Know what?"]

[Toomes watched his reaction closely, then gave a small nod. "So she doesn't know. Good. Keep it that way. I appreciate it."]

["I also have my own personal secrets, and I have plenty of reasons why I don’t want my daughter dating certain people..." He shrugged, as if resigning himself to the reality. "But in the end, I can’t really stop her."]

["Peter, nothing is more important than family. You saved my daughter, and I won’t forget that. So, I’m giving you a chance—are you ready?"]

[Peter remained silent, his face expressionless. Toomes tilted his head slightly and continued, "Go inside, forget everything that happened tonight, and never—never—interfere in my business again."]

["Because if you do... I will kill you. And everyone you love. I swear, I will do it, Peter. Do you understand?"]

[Peter nodded stiffly. Toomes studied him for a moment before breaking into a satisfied grin. "Hey! I just saved your life. What do you say?"]

[Peter exhaled and met his gaze. "Thank you."]

[Toomes chuckled. "You're welcome! Now, go in and have fun with my daughter. You don’t have to be too nice!" He smirked before driving off.]

[Peter stepped out of the car, watching as Toomes disappeared into the distance, his mind racing with thoughts.]

—

"Oh? Toomes actually dares to threaten Spider-Man? Where does he get that kind of confidence? Is it just because he has a gun?" Second-generation Spider-Man Peter was baffled.

"Even if he's not at full strength, Spider-Man is still Spider-Man! He can lift cars and hold up collapsing structures. Toomes is just an ordinary guy," Gwen pointed out.

"Maybe he assumes this Peter Parker relies on gadgets like Tony Stark and Rhodey do?" she added thoughtfully.

"Or maybe it's because he knows Peter is interning at Stark Industries. Who knows?" Second-generation Peter shrugged. "But if it came down to a real fight, Toomes would learn real fast what Spider-Man is capable of."

Tony sighed, shaking his head. "Threatening Peter’s family? What a coward. If Peter gets serious, Toomes is the one who’s going to regret this."

"That guy clearly has no bottom line," Rhodey muttered, frowning. "And judging by how things are going, his luck isn’t going to last much longer."

—

[Peter walked toward the school entrance, his footsteps heavy. Through the glass doors, he could see Ned and other classmates dancing inside. Ned waved excitedly at him.]

[Michelle Jones, standing nearby, smirked before flashing him an international-friendly gesture, expressing her dissatisfaction with his lateness once again.]

[Peter blinked and stepped inside. He spotted Liz laughing and chatting with her friends.]

[When Liz noticed him approaching, she smiled and asked, "Hey! What did my dad say to you?"]

[But before she could get an answer, she noticed something was off. Peter's expression had changed.]

[The next second, Peter blurted, "I have to go! Sorry! It's not your fault!"]

[With that, he turned and ran out, leaving Liz staring in stunned confusion. Michelle Jones, too, watched his retreating figure with a puzzled expression.]

[Peter sprinted through the hallway, yanking off his tie and tossing it aside. He pulled open his locker and retrieved his homemade suit, quickly changing into it.]

[As he rushed out through the school’s back exit, he was busy adjusting his old web-shooters—ones he had built himself—when suddenly, a mechanical fist came out of nowhere and struck him hard.]

[“Ah!” Peter yelped as the web-shooter flew from his grasp. Stumbling, he looked up to see Herman standing in the shadows, watching him coolly.]

["He gave you a choice, kid," Herman said, his tone neutral. "You made the wrong one."]

[Peter, still dazed, groaned and asked, "What the hell is going on?"]

[As Herman stepped closer, his eyes flicked over Peter’s suit, and he let out a bemused chuckle. "What’s with the cheap-looking suit?"]

[He flexed his mechanical fist before his gaze landed on the fallen web-shooter. "Oh! This must be your web-slinger, huh?"]

[Peter's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he lunged for it, but before he could grab it, Herman swung his fist, slamming it into the side of a school bus. The impact sent the entire vehicle hurtling toward Peter.]

[Peter barely had time to react before the bus crashed into him, sending him flying backward into another bus. The metal frame dented under the force of the impact.]

[Herman strolled forward, casually kicking the web-shooter further away. Glancing down at his mechanical fist, he muttered, "Man, I didn’t really believe this thing would work at first, but damn! This is pretty sweet."]

[Peter groaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing his aching head. But before he could even regain his footing, Herman swung again—this time, the punch sent him crashing through the windshield of another school bus.]

[Peter tumbled inside, knocking over several seats before coming to a stop. As he lay there, he caught sight of a mess of chewing gum stuck under the seat in front of him and grimaced. "Oh… that’s disgusting."]

[Before he could get up, Herman slammed his fist against the bus, causing it to flip over multiple times before landing hard on the ground.]

[Peter crawled out, gasping for breath. "Why did he send you?"]

[Herman remained eerily calm. "You’ll never know," he said before raising his fist for another strike. But just as he was about to bring it down, a strand of web shot out, sticking firmly to his mechanical glove.]

Chapter 298: Unlucky Flash

[Spider-Man turned and saw Ned holding up his web-shooter. "Nice work, man!" he shouted excitedly before immediately grabbing the strand of web and yanking Herman’s mechanical fist away.]

[Seizing the moment, Peter took the web-shooter from Ned, strapped it on, and fired a web that stuck Herman to the side of a school bus, rendering him completely immobile.]

[After successfully subduing him, Peter couldn’t help but exclaim, "Perfect!"]

[Then he turned to Ned and, in a rushed whisper, said, "Ned, the guy with wings—he’s Liz’s father!"]

["What?" Ned’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.]

[Peter knew it was hard to process, but it was the truth. "I know, it’s crazy. I have to tell Mr. Stark! Call Happy Hogan—he’s Mr. Stark’s security chief! Find a computer and track my phone for me!"]

[Without waiting for a response, Spider-Man jumped onto a streetlamp. Ned called after him, "Are you sure you're okay?"]

["No time! We have to catch him before he leaves the city!" Peter shouted back before launching a web and swinging away from the school grounds.]

—

[Meanwhile, Flash was cruising around in his car with a girl, casually apologizing, "Sorry about dinner, but I already know what fresh lemon sea bass tastes like!"]

["That’s not even new, okay? So—AHHHH!!!" Before Flash could finish his sentence, a figure suddenly landed on his car hood. Panicked, he slammed the brakes.

[Spider-Man, his voice slightly hoarse, said, "Flash, I need your car and your phone!"]

[Flash blinked. His first instinct was to refuse. "Uh, sir, technically, this is my dad’s car, so I really can't just—"]

[The next second, Flash and his date were standing on the sidewalk, watching helplessly as Spider-Man drove off. Flash’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw his beloved car bump into a bicycle on the side of the road. His jaw dropped in horror as Spider-Man wobbled down the street.]

—

"Whoa! That kid Ned is really something!" First-generation Spider-Man exclaimed in surprise. "I thought Liz would be the one to figure out Peter's identity first!"

"Yeah, same here!" First-generation Gwen nodded. "If I were Liz, I would've definitely followed him to see what he was up to."

"He kinda reminds me of Harry," First-gen Peter mused, thinking of his old friend. "If I ever ran into trouble, Harry would never just stand by and do nothing."

"Ned’s definitely going to be a great sidekick for third-gen Peter! He’s reliable when it counts," Otto agreed.

At the same time, the principal of Midtown High frowned as he spotted something concerning—the underside of a school bus seat covered in chewing gum. Disgusted, he immediately announced that students would be strictly punished if caught sticking gum under the seats.

Meanwhile, second-generation Spider-Man was focused on something else entirely. "Lemon bass! I need to remember that."

Gwen laughed. "Do you want to try it? I can ask my mom to make some!"

"Uh… yeah! Yeah, that sounds great!" Second-gen Spider-Man stammered, caught off guard.

Gwen giggled. "Alright! I’ll tell her you’re coming over for dinner tonight. She’ll be so happy! You stop by all the time, but this is the first time you’ve actually requested a dish."

She quickly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Helen Stacy, then smiled at him sweetly. "8 o’clock tonight! Don’t be late!"

Second-gen Spider-Man leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t miss it for the world."

—

[While speeding through the streets, Spider-Man dialed Ned. "Hello? Ned? Hello, hello, hello? Can you hear me?"]

["I’m here! Say it!" On the other end, Ned was in full hacker mode, quickly booting up multiple computers in the school's computer lab.]

[Spider-Man gave him instructions on the fly. "Ned, I need you to track a phone for me!"]

["Okay, but where is the phone?"]

[Peter hesitated for a split second before answering. "Uh… I left it in Toomes' car."]

[Ned gasped. "Dude! That’s genius! Alright, I got it! He just drove past the arcade on Jackson Avenue!"]

[Just then, Spider-Man—who had almost no experience driving—suddenly asked, "Uh, where are the headlights on this thing? I’m in Flash’s car!"]

[Ned quickly turned to another computer. "I’ll look up the manual!"]

["Great! Speakerphone’s on," Spider-Man muttered, setting his phone down as he continued driving.]

["Wait… you stole Flash’s car? That’s awesome!" Ned grinned, thinking Peter had actually stolen it.]

["No! I borrowed it! I—OH CRAP!!!"Before Peter could finish his sentence, he saw a bus suddenly turning in front of him, while another car approached from the opposite direction, blocking his way.]

[Panicking, he swerved wildly, shouting, "Move! Move! MOVE!!!"]

[Ned, who had no idea what was happening, asked worriedly, "Peter? You okay?"]

["I’ve never actually driven before! I only practiced with May in a parking lot! This is—uh—kind of a big upgrade!" Peter admitted as the car wobbled all over the road, honking horns echoing around him.]

["Hey! Have you gotten in touch with Happy yet?"]

[At the reminder, Ned switched screens and started typing furiously. "Yeah! I’m trying! I have to hack into the system!"]

[After a moment of intense clicking, he grinned, spinning around in his chair dramatically. "The man in the chair."]

—

[Meanwhile, Toomes had already arrived at his secret hideout. He glanced at his watch before stepping inside.]

[On the other side, Ned was still flipping through the vehicle manual when he suddenly heard a voice over the call.]

["Taking off in nine minutes. Hello? Hello? Who is this?"]

[Realizing it was Happy Hogan, Ned immediately straightened up. "Mr. Happy! This is Ned!"]

[Happy squinted at the screen, confused by the sight of the round-faced kid on the other end. "Uh… who?"]

["I’m Peter Parker’s partner! I have urgent news! Ned said quickly.]

[Happy frowned, clearly skeptical. "Is this some kind of joke?"]

[Before Ned could respond, the call abruptly ended.]

[Staring at the blank screen, Ned clenched his fists. "Damn it!"]

Chapter 299: Moving Day

"Happy! How could you just hang up on someone? Especially when they mentioned Peter’s name!" Pepper scolded, glaring at Happy as he focused on driving.

"I'm sorry!" Happy immediately apologized. "I won’t hang up on people so casually again, I promise." Only then did Pepper let it slide.

"Happy, this is bad—Peter needs you," Tony said, taking a sip of wine. However, he didn’t press the issue further. After all, Peter had lost his Stark-designed suit, leaving him with only his homemade one.

It made sense that Happy wouldn’t take Ned seriously—after all, the call hadn’t come from Spider-Man himself, but from some random high schooler.

Meanwhile, Aunt May sighed as she watched Spider-Man struggle with the car’s controls. She turned to young Peter Parker. "Do you want to learn how to drive? I can teach you the basics."

"Yes! That’d be great!" Little Peter cheered. He didn’t want to end up like his older self, fumbling around not even knowing where the headlights were. That was just embarrassing!

Natasha smirked from the side. "Count me in. I can also teach you how to fly a fighter jet."

"Really?!" Little Peter’s eyes widened in excitement. Without hesitation, he hugged Natasha’s waist. "Thank you! This is amazing! A fighter jet—so cool!"

—

[Spider-Man, still struggling behind the wheel, shouted, "Hey! Ned! Did you find the headlights?"]

[Ned, flipping through the car manual, finally found the answer. "Uh... the knob on the left side of the steering wheel! Turn it clockwise!"]

["Left! Got it!" Spider-Man twisted the knob, and the headlights flicked on. "Okay! Perfect! Where's my phone now?"]

["He just stopped at an old industrial park in Brooklyn!" Ned updated him, tracking the signal.]

["What? That doesn’t make sense! I thought he was planning to leave the city!"]

["Weird, right? Oh! I contacted Mr. Happy! Uh… it seems like he doesn’t like you very much," Ned added. "He said he’s catching a flight. Taking off in nine minutes! He’s surrounded by boxes."]

["Wait—boxes?"] Spider-Man suddenly froze as realization hit him. "Wait, wait, wait! Today is Moving Day! He’s planning to rob the plane! I have to stop him!"]

[Without hesitation, he floored the gas pedal, speeding towards the location Ned had given him.]

—

[Meanwhile, at the Stark Industries facility, Happy was making final preparations. "Alright, takeoff in eight minutes!"]

[He walked through the cargo area, checking the manifest. "We’ve got Tony’s old Hulkbuster armor, Steve Rogers’s new shield prototype, and the magic… magic… magic… Thor’s magic belt!"]

Wanda glanced at Steve Rogers. "Cap, looks like Tony’s made you a new shield."

Steve nodded slightly but remained silent.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at Tony. "The old Hulkbuster armor? Then there is a new model. I’d love to get a look at that—so I don’t have to fumble around in the old one."

Tony laughed it off awkwardly before nodding. "Yeah, yeah… we’ll see."

At the same time, his curiosity piqued. Thor’s magic belt? He made a mental note to ask Thor about it later.

—

[As Spider-Man neared the industrial park, Ned warned, "Okay! Slow down! You’re getting close! On your right! Turn right! Turn right!"]

[But Peter had no time to brake. He shot out a web to force the car into the turn, but the maneuver went horribly wrong—the car slammed into the roadside railing, flipped over, and skidded along the pavement before coming to a stop.]

[When it finally landed, the side that had scraped against the ground was completely totaled. If Flash saw what had happened to his car, he’d probably faint on the spot.]

["Peter? Are you okay?" Ned asked, worried after hearing the crash.]

["I’m fine! Just keep trying to contact Happy!" Spider-Man groaned as he climbed out of the wrecked vehicle and sprinted toward the factory.]

[Ned grinned. "My pleasure, Spider-Man!" But before he could continue working, the classroom lights suddenly turned on. He looked up to see a teacher staring at him in confusion. "What are you doing here? The dance is downstairs!"]

[Ned froze. He hesitated for a few seconds, his brain scrambling for an excuse. Then, sacrificing himself to protect Peter’s secret, he blurted out—]

["Uh... I’m watching… porn!"]

—

"Oh my god!"

"NED! What a true bro!"

"This excuse is absolutely flawless!"

"Hahahaha! The teacher probably had no choice but to believe him!"

The audience watching the broadcast erupted into laughter.

Even Tony had to admit, "I didn’t know this little guy had it in him. Gotta say, he’s a damn good sidekick."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! That’s not an excuse most people could come up with so fast!" Rhodey chuckled, shaking his head.

"I’m starting to like this kid," Tony mused. "Maybe we should keep him as Peter’s classmate a little longer."

"Sounds like a plan! But you’d have to get his parents’ permission first," Banner pointed out.

"Eh, leave it to me," Tony shrugged. "Ned’s got potential. And once his parents realize what kind of world he’s stumbled into, they’ll probably agree that he needs protection. I’ll make sure he sticks around—and maybe even train him to be Peter’s assistant."

—

[Back at the factory, Spider-Man carefully lowered himself through the skylight, using his web to hang in place. He scanned the area—empty. No signs of Toomes. Yet.]

[His eyes landed on several computer monitors, still active. The screens displayed surveillance footage of Stark Tower.]

[Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something—Toomes’ mechanical wings, lying in wait.]

[Spider-Man swung across the factory, searching for any trace of Toomes. Then, in the distance, he finally saw him.]

["Hey! Surprise! “Peter called out.]

[Toomes, completely unfazed by his presence, greeted him in a calm tone. "Oh! Hey, Peter. Didn’t even hear you come in."]

[Peter stepped forward, standing tall. "It’s over! I got you!"]

[Toomes, still nonchalant, slipped on his coat. "You know, Peter… I really, really admire your guts. I can see why Liz likes you."]

["Honestly, when you first showed up at my house, I wasn’t sure what to think. I was wondering, ‘Him?’ But now? Now I understand."]

[Peter narrowed his eyes. "How could you do this to her?"]

[Toomes looked genuinely confused. "To her? I didn’t do anything to her, Peter. I did this for her."]

[Peter scoffed. "Yeah, sure."]

[In the blink of an eye, he fired a web, sticking Toomes’ left hand to the table.]

Chapter 300: Self-Redemption

[Toomes sighed. "Peter, you're still young. You don’t understand how the world really works."]

[Spider-Man pointed at him and snapped, "Yeah? But I do know that selling weapons to criminals is wrong!"]

[Toomes remained unfazed. "And how do you think your friend Stark built his empire? That tower of his? All those fancy gadgets?"]

[His voice carried a hint of resentment as he continued, "Those people, Peter. The ones at the top. The rich and powerful. They do whatever they want."]

["They don’t care about people like us—people like you and me! We pave the way for them, we fight their wars, and they don’t even look back!"]

["We pick up their scraps and survive on their leftovers. That’s just the way it is! And I know you understand what I’m saying, Peter!"]

[Spider-Man frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"]

["Because I want you to see the truth... and because I needed time to start this." Toomes suddenly picked up a knife from the table.]

[In the next second, his mechanical wings burst through the wall, surging toward Spider-Man. Peter instinctively flipped backward to dodge them, but while he was distracted, Toomes swiftly cut through the webbing that bound him.]

[The mechanical wings began slashing wildly, tearing through the factory, severing several of the building’s load-bearing pillars.]

[Toomes chuckled darkly. "I’m sorry, Peter."]

["What are you talking about? That thing hasn’t even touched me yet!" Spider-Man scoffed, keeping his eyes on Toomes—but failing to notice the structural damage being done around him.]

[Toomes spread his arms and said with a calm smile, "Exactly. I never planned on hitting you."]

[It was only then that Spider-Man realized—the wings weren’t trying to attack him. Their real target had been the building’s supports. One by one, the remaining pillars gave way.]

[With a deafening CRACK, the ceiling above collapsed, burying Spider-Man beneath a massive pile of rubble.]

—

"Oh my God! Peter!" Aunt May, who had been smiling moments ago, suddenly covered her mouth in horror.

"He won’t die that easily," Natasha remarked, narrowing her eyes. "This might trap him for a while, but it won’t be enough to kill him—not unless no one comes looking."

"Spider-Man… he talks way too much," Tony sighed, shaking his head. "Has he really not learned his lesson after what happened with Sam and the others?"

"Yeah, this is the second time he's been taken down mid-monologue," Banner muttered, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, man, I hope he’s okay," First-generation Spider-Man muttered, rubbing his face with worry.

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder and reassured him, "He’ll be fine. Don’t forget—he’s Spider-Man. Even if he’s not as strong as you, lifting a few pieces of rubble shouldn’t be a problem."

Otto, however, wasn’t convinced. "That’s not necessarily true. He relied a lot on the suit Stark gave him. He never really had to push himself physically before. I’m not sure he has the strength for this."

First-gen Spider-Man took a deep breath, his gaze steady. "I believe in him. He’s still another me, after all."

—

[Meanwhile, inside the factory, Toomes received a call from Mason. "Boss, they’ve started the engine! You need to move!"]

["Okay! Yeah! I’m on my way."] Hanging up, Toomes cast one last glance toward the rubble where Spider-Man had been buried, sighed, and left.]

[He strode quickly toward the factory exit, his mechanical wings hovering behind him before attaching themselves to his back. In the distance, Stark Tower loomed against the night sky.]

[On the rooftop of the Stark facility, Happy stood watching as the final cargo was loaded. He smiled to himself, thinking that everything was proceeding smoothly.]

—

[Deep in the rubble, Spider-Man stirred. Dust and debris covered his body. He coughed, shaking the dust from his hair before pulling off his mask, desperate for fresh air.]

["Oh… God," he gasped, struggling to move. "Okay… get ready—Aaaah!!!"]

[He tried to push himself up, but the weight pressing down on him was too much. His arms trembled as he tried again—only to fail once more. Panic set in. Tears welled in his eyes as he cried out, "Hello! Hey! Please! Someone help!"]

["I’m down here! I’m stuck! I can’t move! I—I can’t move!"]

[Lying there, helpless and exhausted, Peter's gaze landed on his mask, which had fallen to the ground nearby. In the reflection of a puddle, he saw both the Spider-Man mask and his own face—two halves of an identity he was struggling to hold together.]

[Tony’s voice echoed in his mind: "If you're nothing without this suit, then you don’t deserve it."]

[Peter clenched his teeth. "Come on, Peter… come on, man… Come on, Spider-Man! Come on, Spider-Man!"]

[For the first time, he abandoned the thought of external help. No suit. No gadgets. No Stark-tech. Just himself.]

[With a deep breath, he dug deep within himself. His muscles strained, veins bulging as he pushed against the massive slab pinning him down. "Aaaaaah!!!"]

[The pillar began to shift. Bit by bit, he was lifting it.]

["Waaaaah!!!"]

[Summoning every ounce of strength in his body, he forced himself into a squat, freeing his arms and creating enough room to move. He planted his feet, hands gripping the stone, and stood up.]

[With one final push, he lifted the debris and hurled it aside, breaking free at last.]

—

"Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!" Thor roared, his excitement overflowing. He clenched his fists and cheered. "Come on, Spider-Man! You’re amazing! You’re a man!"

The scene resonated deeply with him. It reminded him of his own journey—the realization that his power came from within, not from Mjolnir.

Overcome with emotion, Thor threw his arms into the air and summoned a bolt of lightning that crackled down onto his own body.

His sudden burst of electricity startled Jane Foster, who jumped back in alarm.

Meanwhile, those who had been worried for Peter a moment ago now cheered and celebrated his triumph.

Aunt May, still shaken, gently stroked young Peter Parker’s hair. "I was so scared just now," she murmured. "But he did it… he saved himself."

First-gen Spider-Man let out a deep breath, finally relaxing. Though he had believed in Peter all along, watching him struggle had been painful.

"This is it," he said softly. "This is the moment that proves he is Spider-Man. Not just some kid who needs saving. He stood up—on his own."