บท 177: Peter
Just as everyone was worried about whether the little Peter would be crushed under the falling bookshelf, a small hand suddenly propped up the solid wooden bookshelf, which weighed at least several hundred pounds.
The next moment, they saw the arm behind that small hand slightly bend. Without any visible effort, the bookshelf was pushed.
The entire bookshelf flew two or three meters into the air and landed squarely above the heads of Captain America and Thor, who had stopped mid-run.
Of course, neither Thor nor Captain America would be harmed by a mere bookshelf.
In fact, Captain America didn't even have to step in. Thor casually tossed his hammer, which shattered the bookshelf into countless fragments, scattering them in the air.
However, what the little Peter had done was so shocking that everyone stared at him with wide eyes, full of curiosity.
That effortless push revealed that the child's single hand had at least ton-level strength. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just… I don't even know what happened! There was a *boom*, and then it exploded. I don't know why, but when I pushed the bookshelf lightly, it just flew. Maybe it's made of foam, right? Okay, obviously, it's not…"
"Boom!"
As the little Peter rambled on in explanation, another explosion sounded below.
Everyone's expressions grew serious.
Blake waved a hand to open a portal.
"You'd better give me a proper explanation later. For now, come help!"
Tony Stark threw that line over his shoulder to the little Peter before stepping through the portal in his Iron Man suit.
The little Peter froze for a moment, then hurriedly followed Tony, quickly apologizing to Thor and Captain America before stepping through the portal as well.
They arrived at the lower level, where a plane had crashed into the base.
The scene was a complete mess…
One of the fan-shaped sections of the lower level had been completely destroyed in the explosion.
The base structure had a massive hole blown through it, though fortunately, there was no engine located beneath that section.
It was also fortunate that Tony had reinforced the areas surrounding all the engine sections with a new vibranium-alloy composite, including the energy conduits.
Otherwise, the second explosion would have likely destroyed the nearby engine, and the sky base would have been forced into an emergency landing.
The whole incident seemed odd. Leaving aside why the plane crashed into the base in the first place, the second explosion was clearly deliberate, not a result of the jet fuel from the first blast.
For now, though, they set aside these questions. The priority was clearing the wreckage.
With the help of those with genetic mutations, super soldiers, and the superhuman strength of Blake and Thor, the team quickly cleared the debris, tossing some of the wreckage over the side.
This revealed a partially destroyed fan-shaped section of the base.
A quick headcount revealed that, fortunately, there weren't too many people on the base. Unlike the days when the Red Room was operational, with hundreds or even thousands of personnel, the base now housed only the Avengers and a few dozen Widows.
Most of the Widows worked on the upper levels. However, the destroyed section happened to be their dormitory, and two of them had been resting there at the time. They were now missing—possibly killed in the crash or the subsequent explosion.
"The remaining debris will be handled by the robotic arms. As for the damaged sections of the base, I've sent the data to Stark Industries. Once the parts are ready, they can be directly assembled. Now, before we officially begin investigating, let's talk about *your* problem, kid."
Tony turned to look at the little Peter.
Blake thought back carefully. Based on the timeline of *Captain America: Civil War*, the year should be 2016, which meant Peter was about 13 years old at the time.
When Tony found Peter, it was clear that he'd already been acting as a neighborhood vigilante in Queens for some time.
So, it made sense when Peter said that he'd only recently been bitten by the spider and that his body had undergone changes.
After all, he had just graduated from elementary school and hadn't yet had much time to explore his new powers. Over the next two or three years, he would gradually solidify his ideals and begin his career as a street-level vigilante.
"Are you saying that after being bitten by a spider, you gained this ability and chose to hide it, without telling anyone, not even your friends at school or your Aunt May?"
"Yes!"
The little Peter nodded nervously.
"Why? If it were me, I'd definitely show off at school and take the chance to beat up those guys I can't stand."
Tony spread his hands dramatically as he asked.
"I don't know why I was chosen to gain this power, but I know God didn't give me this ability to bully others. I should use it to help more people."
"It's just that I'm too young now. I think when I get older and have more free time, I should make a suit and start stopping some of the injustices happening on the streets."
"That's why I chose to keep it a secret. I don't want Aunt May to worry, and I don't want her to be in danger because of me. But since I have this ability, I should use it to help others. Otherwise, if tragedy happens, it's my responsibility, sir!"
The little Peter looked at Tony seriously as he gave his answer.
To be honest, Blake was deeply impressed. When watching the movie, even though Peter was said to be 13 years old, Tom Holland was nearly 20 at the time.
No matter how youthful he looked, he couldn't fully capture the feeling of being 12 or 13 years old.
And now, standing before them was an actual 11-year-old Peter, speaking with a slight childish tone.
For such a young boy to accidentally gain superhuman powers and choose not to tell anyone, not to show off, or bully others at school, but instead quietly hide his abilities while waiting to grow up so he could help people—it was incredible.
This shockingly pure worldview and lack of arrogance, especially in someone so young, was rare. Among the so-called superheroes present, probably only Captain America could possibly measure up, and even that wasn't certain.
After all, who doesn't act a little reckless in their youth? Even Bruce Banner, as quiet as he was, had gotten into fights before college.
"When the time comes—by that, I mean when you're a bit older and taller—and if you still have this mindset, you can consider joining the Avengers. Of course, as an intern. You'll still need some time to grow!"
Tony's words filled the little Peter with joy.
"Really? Mr. Stark? Are you saying I have a chance to join the Avengers? Are you sure—*the* Avengers?"
The little Peter eagerly looked at all the Avengers present, one by one.
When he saw that everyone was looking at him with encouraging smiles and nodding seriously, he could no longer maintain his polite and reserved demeanor.
With a shout of excitement, he leapt two or three meters into the air and performed a mid-air backflip.
But then his expression dimmed as he said regretfully, "I didn't mean to… I know something bad happened here. I heard that some people even lost their lives. I was just—just so excited about possibly becoming an Avenger. Uh… I mean, I'm really sorry, everyone."
"Who said you could become an Avenger? I said you might get a reserve spot in a few years. You're still far from being a real Avenger. Now go home, study hard, and get straight A's on your finals before you come see me again!"
As Tony spoke, Blake helpfully opened a portal. Tony promptly sent the little Peter back through it.
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