[At school, Ned walked alongside Peter, still buzzing with excitement. "So, you were bitten by a spider? Can you let it bite me too? A bite shouldn't hurt that much, right?"]
["No matter what, even if it hurts, I'd still do it! Maybe... how painful was it, really?" Ned kept chattering beside Peter, unable to hide his curiosity.]
[Peter, holding his books, looked at him helplessly. "That spider is dead, Ned." Hearing this, Ned clicked his tongue and pouted.]
[Then, they arrived at the scene of last night's destruction. "Oh my God!"]
["You were here?!" Ned scanned the wreckage, his face full of shock.]
["Yeah."]
["You could've died!" Ned finally realized just how dangerous Peter's situation had been.]
[Then, out of nowhere, he blurted out, "Wait… do you lay eggs?"]
[Peter frowned, giving him an incredulous look. "What the hell? Screw you!"]
[As they made their way into school, Ned continued his relentless questioning. "Can you spit venom? Can you control an army of spiders?"]
[Peter groaned, shaking his head. "NO! NO! Ned!"]
[During class, as the teacher explained the material, Ned leaned over and whispered into Peter's ear.]
["How far can your web shoot?"]
["I don't know! Shut up!" Peter glared at him, exasperated.]
["If I were you, I'd stand on the roof and shoot as far as I could!"]
["Shut up, Ned!" Peter hissed, raising his voice slightly. The girl sitting in front of them frowned and turned around to glare at them.]
"Hahaha! Ned is such a troublemaker! He asks way too many questions!" Otto chuckled, clearly entertained. "Look at how close Peter is to losing it!"
The First Generation Spider-Man, who had come to observe, smiled faintly. He was grateful that Harry hadn't bombarded him with questions when he found out his identity.
In his case, Harry hadn't even asked how he became Spider-Man. Instead, he had immediately helped him find a place to hide. After Peter told him the truth, Harry kept the secret to himself, never revealing it to anyone.
It wasn't until The Sky Screen exposed the truth that the Columbia University Genetic Research Center confirmed it. But because of The Sky Screen's warnings—and the tragic fate of the Second Generation Harry after his poisoning—no one dared to dig any further into the matter.
[Inside the gymnasium, the PE teacher played a video for the students. "Captain America's Health Challenge!"]
["Hi! I'm Captain America. Whether you're in the classroom or on the battlefield..." The Captain appeared on screen, speaking seriously into the camera.]
[Ned leaned toward Peter. "Do you know him too?" He was so focused on their conversation that he didn't notice Michelle Jones sitting behind them, absorbed in her book.]
["Yeah! We've met before. I stole his shield."]
[Ned's mouth dropped open. His eyes widened as he processed what Peter had just said.]
["Today, my good friend, your PE teacher, will be leading the Captain America Health Challenge!" Captain America saluted the camera, and the video ended.]
["Thank you, Captain! I'm pretty sure he's a war criminal now, but I still have to show this video. State regulations, let's get to it!" The PE teacher blew his whistle, signaling the start of class.]
Steve sighed, covering his face with his hand. Even after all these years, these embarrassing PSA videos were still haunting him.
"Hahahahaha! This reminds me of when Steve used to perform on stage to raise funds for the war effort," Natasha teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
Steve shot her a helpless look. "Hey, can we not bring that up?"
"Alright, alright! I won't say another word!" Natasha waved her hands in mock surrender.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged amused glances, smiling at Steve's discomfort. Though they recognized Captain America's unwavering sense of justice, they still found these little moments amusing.
Unlike Tony Stark, Steve had always prioritized people over politics, which made Wanda and Pietro naturally gravitate toward him.
Steve had originally rented his own apartment, but considering Wanda and Pietro's safety, he had agreed to move into a residence provided by Tony within Stark Tower.
Tony had insisted, saying he needed to atone for his past mistakes. Wanda and Pietro knew he was sincere, so they accepted his offer.
Meanwhile, Tony had bigger plans—he intended to build a new facility modeled after the Avengers Tower to serve as the team's headquarters. But first, he needed to establish a clear separation between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Tony strongly believed that the Avengers shouldn't be subordinate to S.H.I.E.L.D.; they had to operate independently while cooperating as equals. That was why Stark Tower was temporarily serving as their base.
["Do the Avengers have to pay taxes too? What does the Hulk smell like? I bet he smells great!" Ned fired off questions while helping Peter stretch his legs.]
["Shut up, Ned!" Peter groaned, looking at him in disbelief.]
["Is Captain America as cool as people say? Or is he just a grumpy old man?"]
["Ned, shush!"]
["Hey! Can I be your guy in the chair?" Ned asked eagerly.]
["What?" Peter blinked, confused as he continued his sit-ups.]
[Ned's eyes sparkled with excitement as he explained, "You know, the guy sitting in front of the screens with a headset, guiding you on missions!"]
["Like, let's say you're trapped in a burning building, and I can tell you exactly where to go! I'd have multiple screens in front of me, switching between them as I track your movements. I'd be the guy in your chair!"]
[Ned, inspired by scenes from action movies, was eager to take on the role of Peter's backup.]
["Ned! I don't need a guy in the chair!" Peter rejected the idea without hesitation.]
[The PE teacher happened to walk by, noticing Peter's form during sit-ups. "Nice work, Parker!"]
"Good thinking, kid, but do you actually have what it takes?" Tony mused as he watched Ned's enthusiasm.
He had seen plenty of action movies and spy thrillers, but he wasn't convinced that human assistants could outperform artificial intelligence.
Unlike people, AI could instantly access and process vast amounts of information, providing answers and solutions without the risk of human error.
Tony planned to eventually integrate AI into the Avengers' operations, ensuring they had access to real-time data and rapid decision-making capabilities.
Providing all Avengers with AI assistance would streamline their missions and help prevent mistakes.
Ned's dream was ambitious, but Tony knew the future of superhero operations lay in technology—not in someone sitting in a swivel chair yelling directions
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