Chapter 1039: Startling Mundane (Sixteen) (Patreon)

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"I encountered a suspicious stranger near the Brooklyn Bridge," Peter explained to Schiller, palms open. "My initial thought was to apprehend him. But as soon as I confronted him, I noticed something peculiar. Despite his well-equipped appearance, it seemed he lacked real combat experience. His fighting skills were subpar, and he couldn't adapt on the fly, appearing quite rigid."

Indeed, Peter was qualified to make such judgments. Previously, Matt mentioned that he and Erica had been studying combat under Stick for years. Peter had inherited all the combat techniques he learned from Stick, and Steve had been sparring with him regularly. This meant Peter had inherited the essence of both Eastern and Western martial arts.

Combined with his extensive real-world combat experience, Peter had now become a master of combat. His skill level was light years ahead of when he first started, like comparing a novice to a master.

However, Harry was just a college student, albeit an enthusiast of combat. While he had a good physique, it was incomparable to the skills honed through real combat. The strength gained from gym workouts and soccer fields paled in comparison to Spider-Man's abilities.

Furthermore, Harry's bio-science and technology armor, though derived from symbiote research, lacked a crucial advantage: self-awareness.

According to old Osborne, the greatest instability of symbiotes lay in their self-awareness. Hence, while Harry's armor shared similarities with symbiotes in terms of symbiotic factors, it was essentially an inanimate object. Unlike symbiotes, it couldn't inherit combat techniques from previous hosts. Apart from decent defense and agility, it had few other advantages.

"We exchanged blows for a few rounds, and I nearly had him subdued," Peter continued. "At that point, my only concern was to keep him away from crowded areas. So, I kept pushing him down, trying to knock him into the river and disable his hoverboard."

At this point, Peter frowned, pausing before saying, "But during our fight, I noticed something."

"I attempted to punch him in the head several times, intending to knock him out. However, I realized each time he defended himself, it was rather peculiar. A normal person would defend their head like this..." Peter demonstrated a defensive stance, crossing his arms to protect the sides of his head with his hands guarding the back.

"But he did something different. Every time I swung at him, he instinctively pulled back to protect his mask. This puzzled me. Was he more concerned about his mask staying intact than avoiding head injuries?"

Peter was no longer the inexperienced kid he once was. He had not only inherited combat skills from Matt and Steve but also Schiller's keen observational and analytical style. In battles, he no longer relied solely on brute force but paid close attention to the opponent's weaknesses.

"I observed that his mask was made of Vibranium," Peter continued. "Vibranium is expensive, so the mask must have cost a fortune. But I doubt anyone would prioritize a Vibranium mask over their own safety."

"Therefore, I speculated that he was protecting his mask to conceal his identity. It's highly likely he has a hidden identity, which makes it his weakness."

As Peter finished speaking, Schiller applauded. Smiling, he said to Peter, "Peter, you've truly grown."

Peter scratched his head, then sat back down, modestly smiling. His expression turned serious again as he continued, "So, I began shifting my focus in the attack, employing more feints to distract him. Finally, near the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, I seized an opportunity and removed his mask."

"To my utter shock, beneath the mask was Harry's face—my best friend, who had helped me so much..." Peter's expression betrayed some anguish.

"He realized I had recognized him and, in a panic, collided with the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. His hoverboard was damaged, and he began falling into the river. Knowing he couldn't swim, I jumped in after him and pulled him out."

Peter let out a deep sigh, a hint of worry on his face. "Harry was furious when he found out I had deceived him. He felt I had pretended to be a poor kid intentionally to fool him..."

"I explained to him that all this gear came from the Stark Tower lab. Yes, I'm indeed a poor kid with little money. But even so, he believed I shouldn't have lied to my best friend, shouldn't have kept my identity from him..."

"In that aspect, I admit I was wrong," Peter said with regret. "But you know how it is with Osborn Industries and Stark Industries..."

"If I told him his good friend was Spider-Man but didn't use Osborn Industries' products, opting for Stark Industries' instead, wouldn't that imply Osborn Industries was inferior to Stark Industries?"

"He's the scion of Osborn Industries, and now he's taken over part of the family business. If he found out about this, he'd surely be as angry as Mr. Stark was when he found out I wasn't wearing the new combat suit. So, I hesitated and didn't tell him..."

Peter sighed dejectedly. "But what's even scarier is that Harry told me his dad has set his sights on me, wanting to capture me for research."

"I know many people are eyeing Spider-Man, wanting to know why I'm so powerful. I've even noticed military and CIA personnel watching me. They're probably more interested in the science and technology on my combat suit."

Peter shook his head, feeling increasingly disheartened by his situation.

Ever since he switched to the new combat suit, he had not only attracted attention from those interested in his physical capabilities but also drawn a group of individuals intrigued by the new science and technology on his suit. Among them were military personnel who constantly dreamed of creating killing machines and the CIA, who believed that any technology not controlled by them posed a threat.

Peter's busy life in scientific research left him little time for patrolling New York. Most of his time was spent evading these annoying watchers, leaving him extremely frustrated. He continued:

"I explained a lot to Harry. I said we could go talk to Uncle Osborne together. If he's interested in the genes in my body, I wouldn't mind cooperating with the research. If he finds the technology on my new combat suit interesting, then we could collaborate..."

Peter stood up again, pacing in place as he spoke. "I proposed many plans, each carefully considered. They would definitely make progress. But for some reason, Harry just wouldn't agree!"

"I understand. He's always had some fear of Uncle Osborne. Uncle Osborne is a powerful and shrewd businessman. If I were his son, I'd feel pressured too. But keeping it all bottled up isn't the solution!"

Peter continued pacing with his head down, speaking sadly. "Since Uncle Osborne is a businessman, it means there's nothing we can't talk about, right? If he wants my genes, he could pay for them or exchange them for technology. That way, they wouldn't feel indebted..."

"But the more I said, the angrier Harry got. In the end, he left on his own, and when I tried to stop him, he even cursed at me..." Peter's tone grew increasingly plaintive, and eventually, he began choking up. In an incredulous tone, he said, "He... He even mentioned ending our friendship! I can't believe he could be so heartless!"

"I met Harry on the second day of college. Back then, he was shining brightly, welcomed by everyone. But he chose to befriend me... Oh, back then, I was just a bookworm. I had good grades but was completely inept at socializing. I couldn't even join any clubs. Yet he chose to be my friend..."

"He was my first genuine friend. I never knew there would be someone who appreciated my personality. Even Uncle said I was sometimes too introverted and stubborn, not good at communication..."

"Harry was completely different from me. He had strong social skills, a lively personality, and was popular everywhere. We were polar opposites, but we got along well..."

"For the past four years, we've been almost inseparable at school. He took me to various club gatherings, and I shared with him the latest news and cutting-edge information on science and technology expos..."

"I thought that once I finished my work next year, I'd work in the laboratory funded by Osborn Industries in the Solar System development plan. As long as I could produce one or two breakthrough products in his laboratory, he'd surely take over Uncle Osborne's mantle smoothly. Then those troublesome shareholders he always complained about wouldn't have anything to say."

"But I didn't expect him to say such things today..." Peter sat on the sofa, silently shedding tears, his voice hoarse. "Even though I didn't tell him I'm Spider-Man, he suddenly put on the uniform and caused explosions in the city without telling me? Doesn't he know how dangerous that is? How could he do this?!"

The more Peter spoke, the more distressed and heartbroken he became. Schiller had never seen Peter cry so much before.

Previously, Peter had been seriously injured several times, but he had never shed a tear. He had faced tremendous pressure, essentially bearing the future of humanity on his shoulders, but he had never spoken with such a helpless tone to anyone before.

But this time, Peter even showed signs of crying uncontrollably. His upper body began to convulse, and he kept sniffing, seeming to have difficulty breathing. Schiller shook his head. Perhaps Harry himself hadn't realized how much he meant to Peter.

But it made sense. Peter's usual personality was rather reserved. Even though he became more talkative after putting on the Spider-Man combat suit, he rarely opened up. Among his peers, besides Gwen, hardly anyone had truly entered his heart.

The mutation of the Spider gene was both fortunate and unfortunate for him. Spider-Sense allowed him to sense if some people approached him with malicious intent, prematurely exposing him to the dangers of human nature.

Perhaps many people who smiled and wanted to be friends with him carried great malice. Initially, this would have left Peter feeling extremely confused. Subsequently, it would have instilled in him an instinctive sense of vigilance, making him unwilling to easily accept others' goodwill.

However, Harry gradually broke through this self-defense instinct. He helped Peter out of pure friendship, entering Peter's heart and truly becoming his friend.

The more Peter valued his friendship with Harry, the more heartbroken he would be today. Not only did he clash with his friend, they became completely unable to communicate, and ultimately, even ending their friendship was mentioned.

The first time someone gets hurt, it always leaves an indelible mark. At this moment, Peter felt as if he had tasted the bitterness of loss, as if it were preordained.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 1040: Startling Ordinary People (Seventeen)