[Below the stage, Peter was talking to the teacher. "Peter, this is a national competition! Can't you take a weekend off?"]
["I can't go to Washington! If Mr. Stark needs me, I have to be here!" Peter explained.]
[Flash, who was reading a book nearby, scoffed, "You've never even been in the same room as Tony Stark!"]
[A female student on stage overheard the conversation and frowned. "Wait! What's going on?"]
[A chubby girl lying on the floor responded, "Peter can't go to Washington!"]
["NONONO! Why not?" The girl and her classmates stared at Peter in disbelief.]
[Even Liz looked at him, confused. "Really? You're backing out just before the national competition starts?"]
["He already quit the marching band and the robotics lab," the girl from before also known as Michelle Jones, who had been sitting nearby, suddenly chimed in.]
[Hearing this, several students turned to look at her. Michelle Jones, noticing their stares, casually explained,]
["I'm not obsessed with him. I'm just observant."]
[Liz had no choice but to make a quick decision. "Flash, you're taking Peter's spot!"]
["I don't know if I can go. I need to check my schedule first. I have a hot date with Black Widow soon!"]
[Flash shamelessly boasted.]
["Ding! False statement!" another student, Abraham, hit the buzzer to call out Flash's nonsense.]
["Didn't I tell you not to use the buzzer for comedic effect?" The teacher shot him a disapproving look.]
"It looks like you're going to be the dream girl of a lot of guys in the future," Barton teased Natasha after hearing Flash's delusion.
Natasha smiled faintly. She had long since become a household name, especially since Iron Man 2 made her a global sensation.
But that kind of fame made it almost impossible for her to do undercover work anymore. Sure, she could disguise herself, but it was getting more troublesome.
"I think that girl likes Peter III. She's just using that 'observant' excuse," Uncle Ben II whispered to Aunt May.
Aunt May nodded. "Yeah, I think so too!"
[As time passed, Peter grew more and more eager to leave school. As the clock neared 4:45 PM, he could hardly sit still.]
[The bell rang on time. The moment it did, Peter shot up, rushed to the school gates, and, seeing no one around, jumped over the fence and dashed away.]
[He made his way to a familiar convenience store and greeted the owner warmly, "Hey, Mr. Delmar!"]
["Ah! Mr. Parker! Meal number five, right?" Delmar immediately recognized his usual order.]
["Yeah! And extra pickles! Could you squish them a little flatter? Thanks!" Peter said, gesturing toward the chef.]
["You got it, boss!" The chef got to work.]
[Delmar leaned on the counter and asked, "How's your aunt doing?"]
["She's good!" Peter replied, crossing his arms.]
["She's one hot woman!" Delmar teased with a smirk using his language.]
[Peter licked his lips before retorting back in the same language, "And how's your daughter?"]
[Delmar's face darkened instantly. He slammed his hand on the counter and said, "Ten dollars!"]
["It says five dollars! "Peter pointed at the menu.]
["Because of what you just said, it's now ten dollars!" Delmar shot him a glare.]
[Peter raised his hands in surrender. "Come on! I was just joking! Just joking! Here, five bucks!" He quickly handed over the money.]
[After paying, Peter walked over to the store's resident cat and crouched down to pet it. "Hey, Murph! How's my little buddy doing?"]
[As he scratched behind the cat's ears, Delmar asked, "So, how's school?"]
["Eh! Same old. Pretty boring. There are way better things to do," Peter shrugged.]
[Delmar spread his arms, motioning to his store. "Stay in school, kid. Stay in school! Or you'll end up like me."]
[Spider-Man glanced around the shop and replied, "This isn't so bad."]
[Just then, his sandwich was ready. Delmar handed it over. "Best sandwich in Queens!"]
"Hahaha! Boss, you're eyeing my aunt, and I'm eyeing your daughter! Let's call it even!" Otto laughed heartily at Spider-Man's quick comeback.
Rose chuckled, covering her mouth. "This Peter Parker sure knows how to defend his family! He clapped back at Delmar instantly."
"He also knows how to give people a graceful way out so things don't get awkward. Hahaha! Rose, I like this kid!" Otto grinned in approval.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Which Peter Parker do you not like? You say this every time."
"Hahaha, yeah! That's true!" Otto nodded.
Delmar, meanwhile, rubbed his nose awkwardly. Being exposed like this was embarrassing enough—thankfully, he hadn't flirted in front of Aunt May. Otherwise, he'd have a hard time explaining himself at home!
"His aunt is really hot. I won't lie," Tony commented, recalling how much younger Aunt May was in this universe. While she lacked the maturity and charm of the Aunt May from his world, she had her own unique appeal.
"You might not want to let Pepper hear that," Banner remarked dryly.
"Hey! Don't tell her! Okay?" Tony immediately turned to Rhodes, sensing a possible betrayal.
Rhodes just smirked and spread his hands. "What are you talking about? I was deaf just now. Didn't hear a thing!"
"Uh… good!" Tony exhaled and gave him a thumbs-up, before pouring him a drink as a silent bribe.
[After leaving the convenience store, Spider-Man crossed the street and hurried into a deserted alleyway. He couldn't wait to change.]
[He quickly kicked off his shoes, then pulled out his suit from his backpack. Without hesitation, he stripped off his jeans and shirt, slipping into the high-tech Spider-Man suit as if it were just another set of pajamas.]
[After putting on his mask, he stuffed his belongings into the backpack and secured it to a trash bin using a shot of webbing.]
[Just as he was about to head off, he suddenly realized something—his suit wasn't fully on yet. He patted his chest, activating the mechanism, and instantly, the loose fabric tightened into a perfect fit.]
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