Ch.167 Spider-Man's Future

On the other side.

By the time Ronan returned to the car, Skye and the others had already completed their mission.

Peter Parker had successfully stolen the relevant data, but instead of taking the physical documents, he had photographed them.

This way, he could obtain the information without alerting anyone.

It was a win-win solution.

Peter, who had secured the data, had already retreated via another route, while Skye had been waiting in the car for Ronan.

She wanted to know the answer she had been longing for.

"Looks like you guys were quick."

"I was only gone for a few minutes, and you've already finished."

Ronan glanced at the red dot on the computer screen moving further away, indicating that Peter had left.

The Oscorp building in the distance showed no signs of disturbance, meaning they hadn't been discovered.

"Right, he's taken the data."

"Now, I want to know if our deal can be fulfilled?"

Skye looked at Ronan with burning eyes.

Ronan nodded, formed a hand seal in front of his chest, and then, with a motion too fast for Skye to follow, tapped her forehead.

"I'm not a fan of storytelling, so I've placed everything I know about your origins directly into your mind."

"Whenever you want to access these memories, just silently recite, 'One! Five!'"

"Then, the memories will automatically unlock."

Ronan smiled and withdrew his hands.

One? Five?

Hearing these two numbers, Skye looked at Ronan in confusion.

Was this some kind of special incantation?

Ronan shrugged, not answering her question, and instead waved at Skye.

"Our deal is only halfway done, but I've already given you the reward in advance."

"I hope you'll fulfill the second half of the deal in the coming days."

With that, Ronan disappeared from the car.

Staring at the now-empty seat, Skye's heart was anything but calm.

Although she didn't understand what Ronan meant by "One! Five!", she knew it was the key to unlocking the door.

And behind that door lay something she had been dreaming of for so long.

Several times, she wanted to silently recite those two numbers, but she didn't dare.

She had thought that when the time came to learn about her past, she would be ecstatic.

But now that the moment had arrived, she found herself too afraid to act.

This fear was hard to describe.

"Phew..."

Skye exhaled softly and turned the car key.

She needed time...

Time to prepare herself for this "surprise"!

——

Half an hour later.

Ronan whistled as he rode his bike back to his apartment.

When he reached the door, he found Peter Parker sitting there, waiting for him.

"Peter?"

"Why didn't you go inside?"

Ronan asked, surprised.

"Uh..."

"I tried to get in through the window, but I got electrocuted."

"Mr. Stark's security system is really impressive."

Peter forced a bitter smile. If he could have waited inside, who would want to sit outside in the cold?

Hearing this, Ronan suddenly remembered.

Back when he had asked Tony Stark to upgrade the apartment's security, aside from the surveillance cameras, many other improvements had been made.

The windows were designed so that no one could see inside from the outside, yet sunlight could still enter, and those inside could see out clearly.

Moreover, Tony had installed electrostatic charges on all the windows.

After all, people trying to break in through windows usually weren't up to any good.

Plus, with the U.S. claiming that citizens have the right to defend their homes with any means necessary, even if someone got electrocuted and fell to their death, Ronan wouldn't face any legal consequences.

"Alright, let's get inside."

Ronan quickly opened the door.

The two of them stepped inside, and the warm air immediately enveloped them.

"Did you get everything?"

Once Peter sat down, Ronan asked about the data.

Peter nodded and handed over his camera.

Ronan immediately connected the camera to his laptop, and soon, clear images began to appear on the screen.

"They've already conducted human experiments?"

When Peter saw the contents of the images, he couldn't help but exclaim.

Earlier, due to the time constraints, he hadn't had the chance to go through the documents page by page.

But now, as he had the time to examine the images, he was shocked.

In his memory, their research team's experiments were still at the stage of testing on mice.

How had they already moved on to human trials?

"Why are you so surprised?"

"If the human trials hadn't failed so many times, why would Dr. Connors' lab have been shut down?"

Ronan put down the mouse. He wasn't the least bit surprised by this.

The reason was exactly as he had said.

If the human trials had been successful, Dr. Connors would still be as confident as before, continuing his research and waiting for the day his work would bring him fame and fortune.

He definitely wouldn't have ended up as a giant lizard.

What a huge difference!

"If the human trials failed, why did Dr. Connors dare to experiment on himself?"

"Wasn't he afraid..."

At this point, Peter stopped himself.

Again, if the experiments hadn't been shut down by Oscorp, Dr. Connors would never have gone down this path.

What he wanted to prove was that his experiments were flawless!

"Let's not discuss this for now."

"After seeing all this, do you have any ideas on how to create what you need?"

Ronan was referring to the antidote Peter wanted to make—the one that could turn Dr. Connors back into a human.

"I'll need to study it a bit more."

"Also, the experimental equipment is a problem."

"Maybe I can use the lab equipment from my internship, but I'd have to do it secretly."

Peter frowned as he looked at the formulas on the screen.

Although he had been interning with Dr. Connors for a while and had some experience with this, creating an antidote was no easy task.

"I have a suggestion, if you're willing to listen."

"To be precise, Tony Stark has a proposal and wants to make a deal with you."

Ronan took the opportunity to relay Tony Stark's request.

Although he didn't know what Tony wanted, he still brought it up.

"Mr. Stark?"

"He... he knows about me?"

When Peter heard Tony Stark's name, he immediately became nervous.

Or rather, he was utterly shocked that Tony Stark knew who he was.

"Yes, he not only knows your name but also knows you're Spider-Man."

"He asked me to ask you if you'd be willing to sell this data."

"Or rather, he wants this data, and in exchange, he can provide you with a scholarship from high school all the way through college."

"After you graduate, if you want to work at Stark Industries, he can also offer you a good position."

"He wants to know your thoughts."

Ronan laid out Tony Stark's proposal.

To be honest, this offer was incredibly tempting for Peter.

Right now, his education was being funded by the hard work of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, with Uncle Ben even taking on odd jobs to make ends meet.

Most of the family's expenses went toward Peter's schooling.

With Peter's abilities, he could certainly apply for student loans in college and easily pay them off after graduation.

He might even qualify for scholarships from prestigious universities.

But all of that was still three years away.

For the next three years of high school, Uncle Ben and Aunt May would have to continue working tirelessly to support him.

"I don't have any objections, but some parts need to be adjusted."

"I can cover my college expenses myself; I just need the scholarship for high school."

"As for the job, I don't need it, but I'd like to get Uncle Ben a better job."

Peter looked up. He didn't seem opposed to making a deal with Tony Stark.

As always, this Peter Parker, while kind-hearted, was also sensible.

Though he occasionally displayed the rebelliousness typical of teenagers, most of the time, he was level-headed.

"Also, I'd like to ask Mr. Stark to help me create the antidote."

"If that's not possible, he could lend me a lab so I can make it myself."

Peter was still thinking about Dr. Connors.

It was clear that after exchanging this data, Peter wasn't seeking any personal gain.

Everything was for the benefit of others.

Even the scholarship for his high school years was to ease the burden on Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

"I can relay your requests to him."

"I think these things shouldn't be too difficult for Tony Stark."

Ronan nodded. In a normal negotiation, one party makes an offer, and the other counters.

But the deal between these two was far from a hard bargain.

In fact, both sides seemed very restrained.

"Then I'll leave the data with you."

"If Mr. Stark agrees to my terms, you can hand the data over to him directly."

Peter smiled, showing no attachment to the materials.

"Peter, do you know how much this data could fetch on the black market?"

"Not only could it secure you a job, but it might even set you up for life."

Ronan glanced at Peter, proposing an even more tempting option.

He wasn't wrong. If this data were sold on the black market, especially with the notoriety of Dr. Connors' giant lizard, the price would be astronomical.

It could easily fetch millions.

A few million dollars could instantly lift Peter's family out of their current struggles and into wealth.

Of course, taxes would still need to be paid.

"I didn't get this data to make money."

"Uncle Ben always tells me that even though our life is tough, we shouldn't take what isn't ours."

"Honestly, I've already gained a lot from this data."

"A stable job would make Uncle Ben and Aunt May very happy."

As he spoke, Peter's face lit up with a genuine smile.

Seeing this, Ronan couldn't help but smile as well.

"No, what will make them happy is your growth."

"Peter, keep this up, and you'll become a truly qualified superhero."

Ronan patted Peter on the shoulder. For the first time, he felt he hadn't misjudged this kid.

At the very least, seeing someone grow while dedicating themselves to helping others was a rewarding experience.

Why was there such a big difference between kids of the same age?

Ronan thought of another kid around the same age.

"No, it's all thanks to your guidance."

Peter smiled shyly.

Seeing him like this, Ronan shook his head.

"Alright, I was planning to wait a bit longer before starting your training."

"But it seems you've already met the minimum requirements."

"Starting this weekend—no, next weekend—during your free time, I'll begin training you in close combat."

"With your strength, some proper training could make you even more formidable."

Ronan glanced at Peter's slender frame.

Only he knew the immense potential hidden within that body.

After all, in many parallel universes, Spider-Man was on par with the veteran superheroes.

He was very curious to see how far Peter could grow under his training.

"Great!"

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"

Hearing this, Peter's face lit up with excitement.

Ever since being bitten by the spider, he had been relying on instinct in fights.

What instincts?

On one hand, there was his Spider-Sense, which allowed him to anticipate danger—something he heavily relied on.

On the other hand, there was his physical strength and agility.

Even without training, his current strength and speed were enough to outmatch trained soldiers and agents.

Of course, this only applied to strength and agility.

When it came to combat skills, he was still lacking.

While there's a saying that "strength can overcome all," Peter's "strength" wasn't quite at that level yet.

So, how far he could grow would depend on Ronan's training.

And Ronan was equally eager to find out.