After finishing breakfast, Peter immediately called his "utility bestie," Harry Osborn, instructing him to prepare for a second massive wave of dip-buying in the coming days.
Having made a killing on the previous trade, Harry didn't hesitate for a second, beating his chest as he promised to handle everything perfectly.
With Harry's assurance, Peter clicked off the phone, stepped onto his Glider, and headed straight for the family home in Queens.
He'd stayed away the previous night mainly to avoid scaring Uncle Ben and Aunt May; now, appearing as if he'd just stepped off a flight made his return seem perfectly natural.
As he turned the key in the lock, Peter came face-to-face with Uncle Ben, who was just about to head out.
"Peter?" Ben blinked, startled, before grumbling affectionately, "You're back! Why didn't you call us ahead of time?"
Before he could finish, Aunt May shoved the old man aside with a huff, grabbing Peter's hands and showering him with concern. "Are you tired? Are you hungry? Should I call the school and get you a day off so you can rest?"
The warmth of it made Peter's heart swell. "I just wanted to surprise you both!" he said, pulling out a variety of exquisite souvenirs he'd prepared in advance.
As he produced the clearly expensive gifts, the look of pride on Ben and May's faces was slowly replaced by a subtle, heavy gravity.
They were touched that he had thought of them, but these gifts were far beyond what a family like theirs could afford.
In the original timeline, the Parkers were so strapped for cash that Ben's death left May and Peter agonizing over a mere $20.
For a kid to come back from a trip with luxury items suggested something dangerous—like predatory loans or worse.
Sensing the shift, Uncle Ben forgot all about work and put on his "Head of the Household" authority. "Peter, tell us the truth. Did you take out a loan?"
Seeing their panicked expressions, Peter felt both amused and touched. "Uncle Ben, do I look like a fool to you?"
"I earned this money. Harry and I started a company called 'Parker Tech,' and we made a fortune investing in Stark Industries stock during the crisis." Peter pulled out his phone, showing them an account balance with six figures. The old couple's eyes nearly crossed.
"Besides this, I have a monthly salary of tens of thousands, and I'll get sales dividends once our first phone launches. Basically... you two never have to worry about money again. You can retire and do whatever you love."
Ben and May stared at each other, their minds going blank. Before they could overthink it, Peter dropped a second bombshell.
"Also... I actually awakened a special healing ability recently."
He grabbed their hands, channeling the Horse Talisman's power to flush out years of accumulated aches and chronic ailments. "With this power, I've become a secret partner to Ghost-Spider."
Peter hesitated, deciding to keep the "Arbiter" persona a secret. He knew Ben too well—the old man's overflowing sense of justice would result in daily lectures about
"Great Power and Great Responsibility." He'd be urged to stop killing and spend his days helping elderly ladies cross the street like Gwen. The thought made Peter's head ache.
So, he forged a "gentler" identity.
"I'm her logistics and medical support. I provide healing and tech for her and her team." He held up the Bugle he'd bought.
"See this? Ghost-Spider, the Arbiter, and this new hero, 'Nightingale.' I'm friends with all of them. I even helped come up with the name Nightingale on the flight back."
As they listened, the couple—who both had minor heart issues—instinctively clutched their chests. But after a moment, they realized they felt... amazing. The warmth spreading through their bodies was physical proof that Peter wasn't lying.
The reaction that followed, however, left Peter stunned.
SLAM! Uncle Ben bolted the front door.
Aunt May hurried to the window like a secret agent, scanning the street before whipping the curtains shut. Once the house was secure, they sat Peter down on the sofa, their faces more serious than he had ever seen them.
"Peter," Ben whispered, "does anyone else know about this healing power? Aside from those three heroes?"
Plenty of people, Peter thought, but he simply shook his head. "No."
"Good!" They both exhaled in a rush.
"Son," Ben said, his voice low and urgent, "I know you want to help people, but you have to be careful. Your Aunt is right—you must never show this power unless it's a life-or-death emergency!"
"There are too many bad people out there," May added, gripping his arm. "If the medical conglomerates found out... My God, they'd do anything to get rid of you or drag you off to a lab for study!"
Ben nodded firmly. "By helping those heroes in the shadows, you're already saving countless families. There's no need to put yourself in the crosshairs."
They talked over him, reaching a joint conclusion: To avoid suspicion, the Parkers would keep up appearances.
They would keep their jobs until the phone launch provided a "public" excuse for their wealth. Peter's healing was now the ultimate Parker family secret—forbidden to be discussed with anyone. Not even Gwen or Captain Stacy.
Watching the two of them warn him with such grim intensity, Peter's expression was a masterpiece of irony.
Uncle Ben... you seem a bit too extreme...
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