Chapter Text
When Peter woke up, every muscle in his body ached.
As amazing as it had felt to spend the night swinging through the city again, shooting webs, saving people, and being Spider-Man after such a long time, the truth was that it had exhausted him.
And despite being in a different universe, for the first time Peter didn't feel entirely alone under the weight of it all. Sure, nobody knew him—not even his own aunt and uncle—but the people of New York were still themselves, and even if it was technically their first time meeting him, they had reacted to him the same way they always had. Good or bad, it didn't matter. They were familiar.
Peter hadn't realized how desperately he'd needed that until now.
So yes. It had absolutely been worth the exhaustion..If given the chance, he would happily wear himself out like this every day for a week straight. Well, that was just who Peter Parker was.
Of course, one of the reasons he was so tired might also have been the fact that he was living in a universe where he was underfed, sleep-deprived, and constantly stressing over how exactly he was supposed to stop reality from collapsing.
Ana paid him, sure, but his metabolism was much faster than a normal person's, which meant it was never really enough—especially after months of living like this. Not to mention that being Spider-Man and gathering the technology he needed wasn't exactly cheap.
Peter raised his arm and checked the time again.
Then, with a now-or-never mentality, he abruptly threw himself upright. Unfortunately, he moved too fast. His balance disappeared instantly, sending him crashing onto the floor. His back smacked directly into the wooden frame of the bed.
Needless to say, that did absolutely nothing to improve the condition of a back that had already been sore from last night's patrol. "Ow—my back!" he groaned. "My back. Shit."
After spending a moment feeling sorry for himself, Peter decided he should probably get dressed.
He pulled on a secondhand science joke T-shirt and threw a hoodie over it. He hadn't set aside enough money for a proper jacket yet, so this would have to do for now. Thankfully, New York hadn't quite reached its brutal winter phase yet. Once his jeans and shoes were on, he hurried to the bathroom, took care of business, splashed water on his face, and brushed his teeth. There wasn't time for breakfast. Oops.
After heading downstairs and entering the café, Ana intercepted him before he could leave. She forcibly shoved one of the breakfast bagels they'd bought into his hands and insisted he take it with him.
Peter had tried refusing at first. He was secretly grateful she hadn't listened. Ana rested a hand on his shoulder and wished him luck with a warm, genuine smile. Gilbert, who was busy making coffee in the back, waved enthusiastically and shouted his own good luck from across the café.
Peter thanked them both. Eventually, Ana squeezed his shoulder one last time before letting go and giving him an encouraging smile. Peter swallowed hard, gave himself a mental pep talk, and stepped outside.
He was leaving one of the few places that had made him feel safe these past weeks, but he was also about to work in the same building as Tony Stark, and that could very well be the first step toward saving this universe.
That alone was enough to keep him moving forward.
Just as he stepped out the door and started down the sidewalk, someone called his name from one of the outdoor tables. Peter stopped and turned, surprised.
He definitely hadn't been expecting that. Wanda Maximoff was sitting there.
"Hey, Peter, right?" she called. This time her wavy hair was loose, dancing in the New York breeze. She was still wearing sunglasses, but the lenses were a lighter shade of red, making her eyes faintly visible beneath them. Her outfit once again reminded Peter of the witches from the movies he'd watched as a kid, only modernized somehow.
"Yeah," Peter said, his voice cracking slightly at the end. He cleared his throat. "And you're Wanda, right?"
She grinned and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Lucky guess? I don't remember telling you my name."
"No, you didn't," Peter admitted, unable to stop himself from grinning back. "I asked Ana. She told me. Apparently you're a regular."
Wanda's grin softened into a smile as she glanced toward the café. "Yeah. I guess I am." She studied the building for a moment before continuing. "You know, everywhere is in such a rush to modernize these days. This place just..." She paused. "It reminds me of home."
Peter nodded in understanding.
Anything that reminded him of home—or of people he loved—always affected him the same way.
Everyone experienced that feeling. Most people just didn't realize how precious it was until they'd lost home. Only those who had lost it could truly understand. Which meant the people lucky enough to still have theirs rarely appreciated it.
"So," Wanda said as she stood and moved beside him, "I heard you got the internship."
Peter immediately brightened. "I did!"
"I'm really happy for you, Peter. I hope it works out."
He nodded so enthusiastically he was surprised his head stayed attached. At this point, his options were either being excited or passing out from stress right there on the sidewalk. "Thank you! Seriously, thank you. This is all because of you, Miss Maximoff. I really appreciate it. Today's actually my first day—I was just heading to the Tower."
"Oh, that's great," Wanda replied, smiling. "But please, call me Wanda. I'm not that much older than you."
Peter laughed nervously. "Yeah. I can do that. Thanks, Wanda."
She nodded approvingly before glancing past him toward Avengers Tower. "You know," she said, turning back to him, "I actually need to head there too." She grabbed the unfinished coffee sitting on her table and stepped up beside him. "Why don't we walk together?"
"Sure," Peter answered. Meanwhile, approximately a million thoughts exploded inside his head.
What if he said the wrong thing? What if he accidentally revealed something suspicious What if Wanda looked into his mind and saw everything? Could she even do that? Would that be good or bad? On one hand, he wouldn't be alone anymore. On the other, sharing that secret felt strangely personal now, like exposing something fragile and deeply private..
No.
He couldn't do that.
A hand touched his arm. Peter nearly jumped out of his skin. Beside him, Wanda either chose to ignore his reaction or was pretending not to notice, though her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.
Apparently they'd already started walking while he'd been trapped inside his own head. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I was talking to you, but you looked like you weren't listening."
Peter forced himself back into reality. "I'm fine. Just got distracted." That wasn't entirely a lie. "I'm a little nervous about my first day." That part, at least, was true.
Then, for the rest of the walk to the Tower, they kept talking about little things.
And by little things, Peter didn't mean that expression figuratively. They actually talked about the weather—about how rainy New York had been lately and how strangely peaceful it felt. Apparently, they both preferred cloudy days. Peter used to love sunny weather more. Back then, there had been people he could spend those sunny days with. Now he was alone, and sunshine only seemed to make the emptiness more obvious. He didn't tell Wanda that part.
The longer they talked, the more convinced Peter became that his first impression had been right. It wasn't just the loss. They had a surprising number of things in common. Maybe—just maybe—if he managed to save this universe, he and Wanda could become real friends. It looked like she needed that just as much as he did.
Somehow, the conversation drifted to Star Wars. Peter had probably quoted something without realizing it, and when Wanda failed to recognize it, he'd discovered—to his absolute horror—that she'd never watched Star Wars. Peter had nearly stopped walking. Because Star Wars was one of the greatest things in the universe. In every universe.
Oddly enough, talking about things like this felt natural. It felt good. And when Wanda casually admitted that she'd never been to a movie theater before, Peter felt both saddened and suddenly determined to fix that.
Because movie theaters were one of the best experiences in the world. You sat in the dark, forgot everything outside, and focused on that giant screen. For a little while, the rest of reality disappeared. All your worries, all your problems, all the things waiting for you afterward—they faded away until only the story remained. For that brief stretch of time, it became your entire world.
Then Peter found himself considering something he probably should have thought of much sooner. He really should become friends with Wanda. It would be the perfect opportunity to reach the Avengers and earn their trust. He could have someone in his corner—someone willing to listen—and that would undoubtedly make everything easier. It would also give him a direct connection to the people he would eventually need.
The thought felt uncomfortably close to using her. But when the fate of an entire universe was at stake, that probably changed the equation. Of course, friendships didn't just happen because you wanted them to. Wanda wasn't going to become close to some random kid overnight. Peter would have to earn her trust.Maybe he just needed to be himself and let things happen naturally. After all, the harder you chased something, the faster it seemed to run away.
Peter had crossed paths with Wanda a few times before—during several battles and again at Mr. Stark's funeral—but they'd never actually spoken face-to-face. Every time he'd seen her, she had looked unbearably sad. He knew why. Wanda had lived through more loss than most people could imagine, and she seemed destined to lose everyone she loved. Even so, seeing her like that had always felt strange.
A few minutes before they reached their destination, they passed a movie theater plastered with posters. Peter's gaze swept across them automatically before abruptly stopping. His eyes widened. The Empire Strikes Back. Special 25th Anniversary Re-Release.
He remembered that..He'd gone to see it with—
Ned.
Peter quickly shook the thought away before it could settle. Turning toward Wanda, he pointed excitedly at the poster. "Look, Wanda, that's the best Star Wars movie ever made. You should absolutely see it as your first theater experience." His grin grew wider. "You're going to be amazed."
Wanda narrowed her eyes at the poster before continuing forward with a faint, slightly nervous smile, leaving the theater behind them. “Yeah, maybe. I think I’d like that. It would feel... normal, I guess. If someone from the team agrees to come with me, then why not?”
“You don’t have to wait for them. I could go with you,” Peter offered before realizing how eager he sounded, quickly shifting his tone into something more casual—though no less enthusiastic. “I mean, you could go with them too, but it’s my favorite movie, and I’d love to see it again. Plus, I’d kind of like to see your reaction—”
“Peter.” Wanda cut him off before he could continue rambling.
“Yeah?” Peter asked, turning toward her.
One of her eyebrows was raised suspiciously, though there was still amusement lingering on her face.
“It’s just something I noticed. When I mention the team, you react surprisingly normally. Most people get really excited when they hear about them, especially teenagers.”
Peter glanced at her before turning his attention back to the path ahead. He shrugged, fiddling with his hands as they stepped inside the Tower. “Yeah, I know. I mean, when I was younger, I was a huge fan too. Honestly, I still am, a little. But I’ve seen a lot and been through a lot, and I guess I realized this whole hero thing isn’t as glamorous as it looks from the outside. There are much heavier things happening behind the scenes. Real sacrifices. Real consequences.” He paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t know. I just can’t get as excited about it as I used to.”
Noticing Wanda fall silent as she seemed to think about what he'd said, Peter quickly tried to lighten the mood.
“I’m still a fan, though,” he added with a grin. “The next time you come to the café, I’m bringing a picture for you to sign.”
A smile appeared on Wanda’s face. “You want my autograph?” she asked, lifting a single eyebrow. “Not Iron Man’s or Captain America’s?”
The mention of Tony hit Peter like a punch to the chest, and for a brief second he froze before swallowing hard and forcing himself to recover. “They’re pretty cool too,” he said with another smile, “but they’re not my favorite customers at the café. Besides, you’re pretty awesome yourself.”
Wanda smiled, though there was something undeniably sad behind it. After a moment, she nodded and swallowed.
They arrived in front of the elevators, and she pressed the call button. “I guess this is where we split up,” Peter said, glancing toward the elevator doors. “I have to meet the other interns in the lobby. When they called to confirm everything, they told us to check in at reception and wait wherever they directed us.”
Wanda nodded absentmindedly as though considering something before turning back to him. “Hey, Peter.” She took a breath. “I’d actually really like to go see that movie with you.”
Peter blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“That's awesome! Seriously, that's— that's going to be great, Wanda. You're going to love the movie. And the theater.” Wanda simply nodded. Maybe the conversation had never really been about the movie or the theater at all.
“Not this week,” she said. “Maybe when I stop by the café next week, we can figure something out. This week would've worked too, but I have a work trip.”
“Oh, sure. That sounds great.” Peter hesitated before asking, carefully hiding his curiosity. “Where are you going?”
“A country in Africa,” Wanda replied as the elevator arrived and its doors slid open. “Can’t say much more because of confidentiality.” She stepped inside. “Good luck, Peter. I hope the internship goes really well.”
As the doors began to close, she winked at him.
But Peter barely noticed. Because his mind was still stuck on what she'd said.
A country in Africa.
At this point in time.
A work trip.
Africa—
Lagos.
He had to stop this somehow. The problem was figuring out how.
First, he needed to find out when they were leaving and come up with a plan. Taking a deep breath, Peter decided that could wait until after the internship orientation. It would probably be bothering him all day regardless, but he couldn't afford to rush into something this serious without thinking it through.
He had to be careful.
After telling the receptionist why he was there and showing his ID, the woman directed him toward a room near the elevators. Before he left, she handed him a temporary badge and warned him not to lose it under any circumstances because their head of security was apparently obsessed with them.
Trust him, Peter knew that very well.
Ignoring the uncomfortable weight settling in his chest, he headed inside. The room contained a small seating area, and there was already someone there—a boy lounging casually in one of the chairs with an arm stretched across the backrest.
To anyone else, he probably looked completely relaxed. Peter's instincts immediately told him it was an act. A mask.
The boy looked around Peter's age, though broader and probably taller. It was hard to tell while he was sitting, but Peter was fairly certain. He had sandy-brown hair and, aside from that, looked like a perfectly ordinary guy in a button-down shirt and slacks.
When Peter entered, the boy glanced up and attempted a hesitant smile that barely made it onto his face. Peter tried to return it. Both of them failed miserably.
Peter took a seat nearby, leaving one empty chair between them. A few seconds later, they accidentally made eye contact again. Both immediately looked away. The boy chose one of the windows and began staring outside as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
Since arriving in this universe, Peter had spoken to a few people, but even in his old life, Peter Parker had never exactly been a social butterfly.
Especially around people his own age. Mostly around people his own age.
Still, he pulled himself together, cleared his throat, and forced himself to speak. "Hey. I'm Peter. I'm here for the internship. You too?"
No shit, Sherlock.
Of course he was there for the internship. Ten points to Peter Parker for asking the world's most obvious question. Really, socializing as Peter Parker had never been one of his strengths.
Fortunately, the boy simply shrugged and answered as though it weren't a ridiculous question. "Yeah, that's right. I'm here for the internship too. My name's Harry. Nice to meet you."
The conversation stalled for a moment before Harry seemed to decide someone had to keep it going. "What did you think about the exam?"
And just like that, they started dissecting the test.
Peter found himself genuinely drawn into the conversation. He was talking science with someone who actually understood science, which was surprisingly rare. Especially after everything that had happened and all the loneliness he'd been carrying around, he'd spent months trapped inside his own nerdy little world.
Talking with Harry flowed as naturally as a river. And the strangest part was that Harry felt familiar.
It made absolutely no sense, but Peter couldn't shake the feeling that he knew him somehow.
That he'd met him before.
While they were still talking, the door opened again.
A girl stepped inside.
She had bright blonde hair and vivid blue eyes. That same feeling of familiarity hit Peter again. For a moment he couldn't place it. Then it clicked.
She was the girl he'd seen on exam day—the one who'd smiled at him while they were heading toward their assigned rooms. Remembering that made him smile despite himself. The funny thing was, she'd seemed oddly familiar even back then. Had he seen her in a dream? No. That was ridiculous.
The girl noticed him smiling and apparently took it as encouragement. "Hi," she said. "You must be here for the internship too. The staff member was pretty clear about it, but—" She gestured toward the hallway outside. She was wearing a blue short-sleeved dress that reached her knees along with a white jacket, and her hair hung loose around her shoulders. "I'm really nervous and just wanted to make sure I didn't get lost."
"Yeah, don't worry. You're in the right place. We're waiting for the same thing," Harry replied, motioning toward himself and then Peter. "I'm Harry, and that's Peter." Peter nodded in agreement.
For some reason, he had a feeling he was going to get along with this people.
"I'm Gwen. Gwen Stacy. Nice to meet you." She took a seat across from them. And just like that, the three of them settled into conversation while waiting for the rest of the interns to arrive.
Peter hadn't forgotten. Not about Lagos. Not about what he needed to do.
The thoughts were still there, racing through his mind in an endless chase, vivid and impossible to ignore. But for a moment, he let himself focus on something else. On the present. He laughed with them. They weren't friends. Maybe they never would be. Maybe all of them would end up dead. A horibble thought but realistic either.
But for that brief moment, they were just three teenagers with things in common, sitting in the same room and talking. And somehow, that felt good.
After everyone had arrived, a staff member collected them and led them into an elevator that carried them to one of the higher floors. The fifty-third floor.
When the doors closed behind them and FRIDAY remained silent, Peter had to force himself to shove his disappointment aside. Missing an AI was a weird thing to do, wasn't it? It didn't matter how many times he'd ridden this elevator before. He was just like everyone else now. As far as this universe was concerned, this was his first time.
There wasn't much to say about the other internship candidates. The two boys were quiet, reserved types, and despite Peter, Gwen, and Harry's attempts to include them, they gradually drifted into their own conversation instead. Apparently they attended the same school and were already friends.
Peter found himself wondering whether he and Ned would have been like that if they'd ended up at the same internship. Not that it mattered.
They were both guys, both clearly on the quieter side, though they seemed comfortable around each other. One had jet-black hair, while the other's was a sandy brown that bordered on blond. They were obviously college-aged, though neither looked particularly old, so Peter guessed they were either freshmen or sophomores.
When the elevator doors opened, another employee was already waiting for them, and both groups immediately fell silent. The employee was... Happy.
Peter's breath caught. Even though this wasn't the first time he'd seen him, the fact that he was still affected this much made him feel ridiculous. Get over it. You're Spider-Man. Get over it.
He forced himself to calm down. If merely seeing Happy got him this worked up, he'd probably pass out the second he saw Tony. The thought alone made him flinch, and somehow that helped him regain control. Still, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop looking at Happy with a mixture of happiness and longing. He knew it. He just wasn't trying very hard to stop it.
Happy began reading off names one by one. Their identities had already been verified downstairs, so he obviously knew they were all present, but apparently he wanted to confirm it personally. Classic Happy. He always had to see things with his own eyes.
"Peter Holland." Peter nodded. "Here."
Hearing his name in Happy's voice again felt nice after so long, even if it was delivered in the most professional tone possible. "Gwendolyn Stacy." So Gwen's full name was Gwendolyn. Wow.
"And Harry Osborn."
Osborn. Peter was sure he'd heard that surname somewhere in his own world before. He just couldn't place it.
As Happy continued, Peter learned the names of the remaining candidates..Daniel Grint was the boy with black hair and green eyes.
Marshall Olsen was the one with sandy-brown hair and hazel eyes.
Once he finished the roll call, Happy gestured down the corridor.."We'll be going this way. I'll be escorting you today, but after this you'll need to find your way around on your own. It's not complicated, but pay attention anyway."
He motioned toward the employee who had brought them upstairs, and the woman stepped back into the elevator, offering them a smile and a quick goodbye before the doors closed.
Happy immediately started walking. "First of all, don't lose your security badges. If you do, you won't be allowed inside for a week. No exceptions. The badges are important," he said with a deep frown. "You have clearance for this floor. If you decide to wander somewhere else, the AI in the elevators will stop you. There are security systems in the stairwells too, so don't get any bright ideas. You'll eventually get access to other areas, places like the cafeteria, but your instructors will explain all that later. Probably."
After entering the corridor, he took the first right.
The wall to their left was lined with numerous doors stretching down the massive hallway. The right side, however, contained only a single door despite being just as large. It was an automatic glass door. The center section was transparent, allowing them to see inside, while the surrounding panels were made of frosted glass.
"Inside, there's your doctors waiting to train you and help supervise the program," Happy said, swiping his badge through the scanner beside the door. "All of your badges have access to this room." He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter first.
Once everyone had gone through, he followed behind. The moment they stepped inside, Peter could practically hear every jaw dropping—including his own. The laboratory was enormous. Almost as large as one of Tony's.
For an intern program, having access to a facility this massive was honestly absurd.
Without paying any attention to their reactions, Happy turned toward the two people waiting for them. "Doctor Octavius, Doctor Octavius. I brought the team. They're all yours now." Peter followed his gaze.
A woman and a man, both dressed in white lab coats, were smiling at them.
By this point, Peter had experienced enough shocking things since arriving in this universe that he really should have gotten used to them. Unfortunately, being surprised was still one of his greatest talents.
Because the man standing there was none other than Doctor Octopus. The same Doctor Octopus who had come through with the group during the battle at the NY. The same man Peter had fought almost immediately after arriving in his universe. The same man who had eventually joined their side.
Someone Peter Two had known personally. The only thing missing were the metal arms. And Peter absolutely wasn't complaining about that. This universe was insane.
Thankfully, Octavius belonged in the redeemable former villain category, and Peter knew the tentacles had been responsible for most of the damage.
One point for this universe. At least.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Otto Octavius, and this is my wife, Rosalie Octavius." He smiled warmly at his wife as he spoke. The woman returned the smile and stepped toward them with her hands tucked into the pockets of her lab coat. "You can just call me Doctor Rose," she said with a friendly grin. "We're all very excited to have you here." She punctuated the sentence with a wink.
Otto nodded and continued. "We're definitely excited. You're our very first group of students, and we'll be overseeing your internship from start to finish. Through this program, you'll have the chance to grow closer to the world of science, and hopefully, with what SI teaches you, you'll go on to do great things in the future. But more importantly, the goal here is to learn and create something meaningful." He was strangely friendlier than the Otto Peter remembered. Hopefully, this version never turned into a mad scientist. That would have genuinely upset him.
Doctor Rose picked up where her husband left off. "The internship officially begins the day after tomorrow. Today is about getting to know one another, understanding what we'll be doing, and becoming familiar with your workspace.".She gestured toward the rows of workstations behind them.."It's actually pretty simple. To start, you'll come up with a project idea. Then you'll present it. If we like it, you'll continue developing it. Once a proposal is approved, one of our advanced teams will help you refine and expand it. After that, we have plenty of other plans, but you'll learn about those when the time comes." The two doctors then went into greater detail, explaining the process, how they would be involved, and what the coming weeks would look like.
Once the lengthy explanations were finally over, they sent the interns off to explore their stations. "You can take a look around now," Doctor Rose said. "Stay excited. Each of you has a computer assigned to your workstation, and you'll be able to take it home and continue working there. Consider it a gift from SI." Peter nearly screamed. He'd just been handed a laptop. That represented weeks of work and savings. He really, really loved Stark Industries.
The intern group spread out across the laboratory and began examining their stations. As Peter had expected, the workspaces were enormous. Part of the lab was stocked with various chemical supplies, and Peter was almost certain he had already spotted materials he could use for web fluid. He immediately decided he was going to take advantage of that during his first few workdays.
Everyone eagerly picked up the unopened Stark-branded laptop boxes sitting inside canvas bags and carefully inspected the rest of their stations. "It'd be good if you started developing ideas within the next couple of days," Doctor Octavius called out. "You don't have to commit to a single project right away. You can move between ideas, collaborate with other people, and change direction if something better comes along. We're always open to development and new ideas. Honestly, saying we're hungry for them would probably be more accurate. So don't be shy."
Doctor Rose clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.Once they gathered around her, she smiled.."Now that you've seen the lab, why don't we head down to the cafeteria so everyone can get to know each other a little better and ask whatever questions they have? Young people these days keep leaving home without breakfast. Come on, let's go."
As Peter walked home later that day, he found himself replaying everything that had happened. The Octaviuses were genuinely good people, and Peter had a feeling he was going to end up keeping secrets from them and working behind their backs. That made him feel guilty. For about five seconds.
Gwen and Harry were definitely fun to be around.
Marshall and Daniel seemed pretty great too. Honestly, it hadn't been a bad day.
After they'd gone down to the cafeteria, the doctors had spent time speaking with everyone individually, and each intern had shared a little about themselves. For a brief moment, Peter had felt like a normal intern.
But he wasn't.
Because right now, he was in the middle of setting up KAREN on his brand-new computer. Thanks to Ana, who had enthusiastically informed him the moment he came bursting into the café that he could connect the laptop to the café's Wi-Fi.
And just like that, an endless treasure had opened up before him. The internet.
They needed to come up with an idea for their projects. In addition to that, the doctors planned to teach them through existing Stark Industries technology. They would analyze finished products, identify potential flaws, revisit previously documented issues and propose improvements, all while learning the engineering principles behind them.
The rest of their time would be spent developing their own projects under supervision. Doctor Octavius and Doctor Rose would guide them through the process. What came after that was a problem for future Peter.
As Peter tried to figure out both his project and how he was supposed to handle the Lagos situation, an idea suddenly formed in his mind. It was risky. Extremely risky.
Possibly one of the dumbest ideas he'd ever had.
You absolute idiot, Spider-Man.
But with everything Tony had taught him over the years, combined with the skills he'd developed from being Spider-Man... It might actually work.
So Peter started building KAREN.
Maybe he could eventually create a safer, more professional version and submit it as his internship project. Tony had been a genius when it came to artificial intelligence, and Peter had no doubt Stark Industries would love something like that.
But right now, KAREN being Spider-Man's partner was far more important. With the limited time he had, Peter intended to build only the essential parts.
The Lagos incident would happen two days after his internship workdays officially began. Peter remembered it vividly. It had happened right after everyone had been complaining about having school the next morning. Then the bombing happened, and the next day the entire school had talked about nothing else. Peter and Ned had discussed it for hours. Thank God for photographic memory right now.
That left him with three days. His plan was simple in theory and completely insane in practice.
He would finish KAREN's core architecture, connect her to Stark's network, and give her access to the same public and internal systems that FRIDAY could reach.
For an ordinary person, breaking through Tony Stark's security infrastructure would have been impossible.
Peter wasn't an ordinary person.
Tony had personally taught him the logic behind advanced AI systems. He'd shown him how neural architectures interacted with databases, how security layers were designed, how AI managed permissions, and most importantly, how Tony himself thought when building technology.
With three days of nonstop work, Peter knew he could pull it off. And somehow, he did. Even while working shifts at the café, he found himself mentally writing code. The moment he got home, he rushed back to programming. During breaks, he scribbled logic trees and system pathways onto napkins and scraps of paper.
The first day of the internship went surprisingly well. Everyone had started working on their projects and was still amazed by the resources available to them.
The Octaviuses spent part of the day explaining how power fluctuations affected various Stark technologies, which evolved into a long discussion about how similar systems could be adapted for other applications across SI's product lines. The entire group participated.
The conversations he shared with Gwen and Harry throughout the day were genuinely enjoyable, and by the end of the afternoon the five interns—including Marshall and Daniel, though somewhat reluctantly—had agreed to grab coffee together after the next internship session.
Peter's real objective, however, began whenever they were left alone to work. Using the network access available at his workstation, he started establishing communication between KAREN's developing framework and Stark's internal systems. Piece by piece, he built bridges, tested pathways, and created hidden access points.
The primary reason Peter was building Karen again was for Spider-Man. He needed her for patrols, but even more than that, he needed her to help him research this universe.
With an AI assisting him, he could gather information far more efficiently, organize everything he learned, and avoid accidentally saying something that didn't belong in this reality. The more he understood this universe, the better he could adapt to it without drawing unwanted attention.
But without Tony, creating a fully independent artificial intelligence from scratch in such a short amount of time was beyond even Peter's abilities. So, for now, he settled for something more realistic.
Instead of rebuilding Karen in her entirety, he developed a lightweight support system designed to run alongside FRIDAY's existing architecture. It couldn't match the original Karen—not even close—but it was capable of interfacing with portions of FRIDAY's framework and carrying out limited autonomous functions without interfering with the primary AI.
Considering the time constraints and the resources he had available, Peter had done an impressively solid job.
An hour later, he was in.
Completely undetected. Not a single trace left behind. He'd learned from the best.
And since then, he'd only gotten better. When the day finally ended and he returned home, he finished connecting the system to his phone.
After receiving a few paychecks from Ana, he'd finally upgraded to a smartphone with reliable internet access, allowing him to manage KAREN remotely.
Which was precisely what had led him to his current situation.
A few hours later, Peter stepped off a bus near the Avengers Compound. He changed into his suit and quietly made his way forward. Getting past security was almost laughably easy. Years of being Spider-Man meant he could bypass cameras, sensors, and patrol routes without anyone noticing. He moved silently across walls and rooftops until he reached a position overlooking the aircraft hangars.
Several Quinjets sat parked inside. Thankfully, only one appeared to be scheduled for deployment.
Without wasting time, Peter approached. He crouched near the aircraft and waited.
Listening.
No voices.
No footsteps.
Nothing.
Silence.
Taking a deep breath, he carefully attached himself to the side of the Quinjet. He paused once, forcing himself to breathe. Nothing was going to happen. Everything would be fine.
Slowly, he climbed upward along the hull until he reached the upper section of the aircraft. From there, he moved toward the rear assembly near one of the engine housings.
Using his phone, Peter quietly issued commands to KAREN. Several maintenance panels unlocked.
After finding the compartment he'd identified earlier through the aircraft schematics, Peter squeezed himself into a cramped maintenance cavity located between structural supports near the engine assembly.
Not inside the engine, obviously—that would be suicide. But close enough that the surrounding machinery would mask any accidental sounds he made.
Once he was wedged inside the narrow compartment, he finally exhaled. The jet would probably depart sometime before sunrise.
Peter had arrived the night before as a precaution. He was actually doing this.
Oh God. If the Peter from three months ago could see him now, he'd probably laugh himself unconscious at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Current Peter, meanwhile, was busy wondering how exactly he was supposed to survive a transcontinental flight without moving, sleeping, eating, or needing a bathroom. For the universe.
Everything for the universe.
Why was he hiding beside an engine instead of somewhere reasonable? A fair question.
The answer was actually pretty simple.
The mission team included a highly trained soldier, an elite spy who could spot something suspicious in seconds, and a powerful telepath.
If Peter tried hiding anywhere obvious, they'd know something was wrong almost immediately.
And surprise ending— Peter gets caught.
The cargo bay was too risky. Most hiding spots were too risky. Anyone with even a little common sense would have abandoned this plan. Unfortunately, Peter Parker had never been accused of having an appropriate amount of common sense.
So he chose the one place nobody would think to check: a cramped maintenance compartment beside the engine housing, where the constant vibration and mechanical noise would cover any sounds he accidentally made.
With that settled, Peter leaned back against cold metal panels, adjusted his position as comfortably as possible, and began preparing himself for an intercontinental journey.
And hopefully, a chance to stop Lagos before it ever happened.
🕸🕸🕸
Peter was genuinely starting to get bored listening to them. How much longer was he supposed to wait? The worst part was that he didn't even have a plan. He was almost certainly going to have to improvise. Fortunately, improvisation was one thing he had never been particularly bad at.
He let out a quiet sigh, then went back to watching them and listening in through their comms—thank you, enhanced hearing.
Wanda took another sip of her tea, and Steve asked what she could see.
"Standard police presence," Wanda reported immediately. "A small precinct on a quiet street." Steve nodded. "There's an ATM on the south corner."
"There'll be security cameras, too," Wanda added.
Peter had already expected that, and he'd known Steve would think of it as well.
Without missing a beat, Steve continued, "The man inside doesn't care about being seen. And he isn't worried about making a scene on the way out."
"See the Range Rover in the middle of the block?" Steve asked. "Yeah. The red one?" Wanda replied. "Cute."
Natasha, sitting nearby, didn't even look up before speaking. "It's armored," she said. "Which means private security, heavier weapons, and a bigger headache for us." Wanda glanced toward her. "Do they know I can move things with my mind?"
And Peter continued listening—or, well... trying to. It was honestly getting tedious. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. This was the first time he'd ever watched the Avengers operate together in their prime. Their teamwork was almost effortless, every movement flowing naturally into the next. It was... impressive. More than impressive.
A moment later, Natasha turned toward Sam.
"You hearing anything?" Steve answered before Sam could.
"Stay on Rumlow. This is our first real lead in six months, and we're not losing him." At least, that was how Peter interpreted it. Sam instructed Redwing to perform an X-ray scan of the truck. A few seconds later he glanced over the results.
"Loaded almost to maximum capacity. Driver's armed."
Peter was having a much harder time following the conversation now. As powerful as his enhanced hearing was, the streets were packed with people. Engines, voices, sirens, footsteps—every sound fought for his attention at once. Filtering that much sensory input into something useful took an incredible amount of concentration.
Thankfully, months of forcing himself to adapt to his Spider-Man abilities had made him better at it. It was still difficult. Just... manageable.
"The driver hasn't fired on the police," Steve said. "Move in." The moment the order left his mouth, Sam launched himself off the rooftop.
The garbage truck pulled alongside a building. As soon as the driver jumped clear, the truck slammed into the structure and rolled onto its side.
Two more trucks arrived seconds later.
Armed men poured out, firing gas canisters into the building. Peter took one final breath.
Then, carefully, he started moving toward them. Steve dropped into the middle of the fight, kicking a parked car into one of the attackers before sending his shield flying into another. "Body armor," he called out. "AR-15s. Seven hostiles."
Sam landed on a rooftop, quickly taking down two men before dropping a third. "Five left."
Wanda descended to street level, telekinetically hurling one attacker toward Sam, who immediately knocked him unconscious. Following Sam's command, Redwing scanned the building.
"Rumlow's on the third floor," Sam reported. "Wanda," Steve said, "get me up there." She lifted him without hesitation.
At the same time, Wanda began clearing the gas from inside the building while Sam fired two miniature missiles, eliminating another pair of hostiles.
Rumlow burst out of the building moments later. Steve's attention immediately locked onto something. "He's got a biological weapon."
Peter had no idea what exactly Rumlow was carrying, but he knew enough to understand that nothing described as a biological weapon could possibly be good.
"I'm on him," Natasha said. She accelerated on her motorcycle before leaping off it mid-motion, landing directly in the middle of another group of armed men and dismantling them with brutal efficiency.
Rumlow caught her by the throat. He activated the electrified gauntlet on his arm, then hurled her into a truck before tossing an explosive in after her. But Natasha escaped the situation almost immediately.
Rumlow turned his weapon toward Steve, firing several rounds that forced him back. Two more shots followed, sending Steve crashing from the building onto the street below. Rumlow handed the vial to one of his men.
"Take it to the airfield. They won't catch you." Then he turned to the truck driver. "Lose them."
The truck barreled forward, smashing through several market stands. One of Rumlow's men looked at him.
"Where do we rendezvous?" he asked.
She did.
Then Wanda began clearing the gas from inside the building while Sam used his missiles to eliminate two more armed men. Rumlow emerged from the building. Steve immediately noticed a missing container. "He's got a biological weapon."
Natasha announced that she was moving. She leapt from her motorcycle and tore through a group of men with frightening efficiency. Rumlow caught her by the throat.
He tried to shock her, threw her into a truck, and tossed a grenade inside after her.
Natasha escaped anyway. Rumlow opened fire on Steve, forcing him back. Two more shots followed, and Steve fell from the building to the street below.
Rumlow handed the vial to another man. "Get it to the airfield. They won't catch you." Then he ordered the driver to lose the truck.
The vehicle smashed through several market stands.
One of the men asked Rumlow where they were supposed to meet afterward. Rumlow told him they weren't. Sam landed on top of one of the stands. "They split up. Four targets." Natasha took two. "The two on the left are mine."
Steve found the van and realized they'd intentionally left equipment behind. "It's a shell game," he said. "Only one of them has the payload."
A bomb landed on his shield. Before it detonated, Steve threw the shield away. Rumlow punched him. Meanwhile, Sam slammed one man into the ground and kicked another through the wall of a building before searching him."Not here."
Natasha fought her way through a crowd, located one of the couriers, and engaged him. A second man joined the fight. She swept his legs out from under him and took them both on at once.
Natasha kicked one of them away and caught the gun he'd dropped. The remaining man threatened to drop the vial if she didn't lower her weapon. Redwing shot him. She shot the second man.
Then, just before the vial hit the ground, she snatched it out of the air. "Payload secured."
Steve and Rumlow were still fighting. Rumlow roared and drove Steve into a wall. The fight continued. He pinned Steve against the concrete and drew a knife from one gauntlet. Steve elbowed him in the face and knocked it away. Rumlow reached for another blade with his other hand. Steve kicked him back.
Rumlow tore off his mask. Steve advanced. "You look good, all things considered," Rumlow said. "Who's your buyer?" Steve demanded. Rumlow laughed. "Bucky knows you"
Bucky must be Winter Solider Peter thought.
Steve froze. "What did you just say?"
"He remembers you," Rumlow said. "And he cried when they wiped him again."
Slowly, carefully, hidden from everyone else, Rumlow began pulling out the detonator attached to the explosives on his chest. Well. Hidden from everyone except one person.
Rumlow smirked. "He wanted me to tell you something, Rogers. He said when it's time to go... it's time to go."
He revealed the detonator. "You're coming with me."
And then something happened that shocked both sides.
The detonator suddenly shot out of Rumlow's hand, yanked away by a strand of webbing.
"Trust me," a teenage male voice called out. "Nobody wants to watch this happen again."A figure dropped from above.
His suit looked strange—homemade in some places, advanced in others. In one fluid motion he swept Rumlow's legs out from under him. Rumlow hit the ground. A second later the newcomer drove a fast, powerful punch into his head.
Rumlow went limp. Peter immediately crouched beside him and started tearing away the tactical vest. Just like he'd feared.
There was a timer. "Hey, telepathic girl!" Peter shouted. "I've got a bomb here that's about thirty seconds away from ruining everyone's day! Think you can send it somewhere high up and far away from the buildings?"
By the time he finished speaking, Wanda had already recovered from the shock of his sudden appearance and switched fully into mission mode.
She took the explosive device from Peter's trembling hands and launched it skyward. The moment it left her grip, the countdown reached zero.
Peter swallowed.
Please work.
Please.
Wanda pushed it even higher..A deafening explosion echoed across the city. But the important word was echoed. Because it happened in the air.
Far away from the buildings.
Far away from the crowd.
Peter's shoulders sagged with relief.
For about three seconds.
Then he realized everyone was staring at him. The Avengers. The police. The civilians. The cameras.
While everyone was still trying to process what had happened, Peter forced himself to move.
He fired a webline at the nearest building and launched himself away without looking back. He didn't stop until his spider-sense finally stopped screaming at him.
When he finally landed, breathless, he leaned against the wall of a building and tried to catch his breath.
Okay. Now what?
He had to figure out how to get home. Maybe he could sneak back onto the Avengers' Quinjet.
Then again, they were probably looking for him.
Actually, they were definitely looking for him. He could already hear voices behind him. So he kept running.
And running.
And running.
Until something abruptly interrupted every thought in his head.
White.
Everything was white again.
For one ridiculous second Peter wondered if Captain America had thrown his shield hard enough to kill him. That would've been a pretty ironic way to die.
Then a figure appeared in front of him. A man.
Standing calmly in the endless white space. "Hello, Peter Parker. It's good to see you. Again." The man smiled, looking exhausted in a way that suggested he had been tired for centuries, and extended a hand toward him. "Would you like to talk?"
Peter stared.
His breath caught in his throat. "Agamotto..." he whispered.
🕸🕸🕸
All of the Avengers were gathered in the common room, reviewing every piece of camera footage they had managed to collect of Spider-Man.
"So basically, we know nothing about him," Steve concluded.
Honestly, it was unsettling. It was as if Spider-Man knew exactly where every camera was positioned. Whenever he appeared on footage, he moved with almost professional precision, revealing nothing about his identity, his fighting style, or even the full extent of his abilities. "Unfortunately," Tony agreed.
The thing that was currently driving Tony Stark insane was the fact that the only thing he knew about Spider-Man was that he knew absolutely nothing about Spider-Man. Under normal circumstances, he would've let Fury complain about the mysterious vigilante and stayed out of it.
But if he was being honest, he was curious too.
He wanted to know who Spider-Man really was.
He wanted to know why he did what he did. Why he kept helping people.
There had to be a story behind that, didn't there?
On top of that, the kid had practically saved the Lagos mission from turning into a complete disaster. The public was already treating him like some kind of hero.
And how had he even gotten there? Spider-Man was supposed to be a new vigilante operating out of New York. Yet somehow he'd appeared in Lagos at exactly the right moment, prevented a catastrophe, and vanished before anyone could stop him.
The fact that Tony couldn't figure it out was slowly killing him.
He'd always been the kind of person who became obsessed with a mystery until he solved it.
Around him, the rest of the team continued discussing Spider-Man. Tony took a sip of his coffee before forcing himself out of his thoughts and back into the conversation.
"We know he's a good fighter," Natasha said. "And we know he uses some kind of technology that lets him... stick to things."
"And there's the web-like material that shoots out of his wrists," Clint added.
Bruce leaned forward slightly. "So what's Fury planning?"
Tony snorted. "The thing he does best. If we don't find Spider-Man first, Fury's going to send an entire army of SHIELD agents after him. And if that still doesn't work..." He sighed. "The target gets escalated." The room fell noticeably quieter.
"I'd rather things didn't reach that point," Tony continued. "I'll find him my way. I've got the UN situation to deal with this week, but once that's handled, I'll start digging into this properly. I managed to convince Fury to give me some time."
"Yeah," Wanda said softly. "I hope it doesn't come to that either." Everyone looked toward her.
She was staring down at her hands, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I actually want to meet Spider-Man someday," she admitted. "After everything he did."
A few heads nodded. No one disagreed.
Whatever else Spider-Man might be, he had saved lives in Lagos. That counted for something.
Finally, Steve looked around the room and brought the discussion to a close. "Then it's settled. "Everyone's attention shifted toward him. "We find Spider-Man before Fury does."
"I'll do it," Tony said.
When everyone turned to him with tired, exasperated looks, he sighed and added,
"For now, leave it to me."
There were forced murmurs of agreement around the room.
Meanwhile, Tony's focus had drifted back to the coffee sitting in front of him. His teammates continued talking, but he barely heard them.
Instead, he found himself replaying the footage yet again. The way Spider-Man had appeared out of nowhere. The way he'd known exactly what was happening. The way he'd disappeared before anyone could stop him.
There was something about him. Something that didn't add up. And Tony Stark had never been particularly good at letting mysteries go.
Sooner or later, he was going to find out exactly who Spider-Man was.
And when he did, he had a feeling the answer would be far more interesting than any of them expected.