The next morning, Peter was jolted awake by the insistent ringing of his phone. The caller was none other than Tony Stark, who had clearly spent the entire night embroiled in a diplomatic tug-of-war with the military and SHIELD.
"Peter! It's me! Tony!"
Tony's voice crackled through the receiver, sounding exhausted yet incredibly high-strung.
"I've grilled the military for you. Just as you suspected, last night's mess has their fingerprints all over it!"
"Oh?" Peter perked up slightly, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. "Tell me, what's the story?"
Tony, the former premier arms dealer, was likely relishing his first chance to truly play hardball with the Pentagon. He recounted the night's events with theatrical flair:
"How else could it go? Those old fossils tried to play the 'misunderstanding' card at first. They had the nerve to say it was a lapse in communication and that I wasn't being 'respectful' enough to their rank.
Do you know how I responded? I threw my coffee right at the General's feet! I pointed at his nose and asked him if he wanted me to level the building right then and there."
You should have seen that Lieutenant General's face—it turned green!."
Peter could perfectly visualize Tony's "fox assuming the majesty of the tiger" act. He couldn't help but find it amusing. "And then?"
"Then they got real honest, real fast!" Tony said, the sound of him munching on a Pepper-approved cheese-and-egg sandwich audible in the background.
"They admitted that Obadiah and the Sinister Six were being 'monitored and guided' by black-ops intelligence. But they claim their goal wasn't to kill you."
"They say they wanted to test your limits because they have a massive problem on their hands that they can't solve.
They realized their methods were... 'aggressive,' and they're practically begging for a sit-down."
Peter let out a cold snort. "Realized they were wrong? No, they realized they were vulnerable. Do those old geezers think I'm an idiot? Is that how they ask for a favor? By sending a hit squad?"
If it had been Gwen alone last night, she might have been captured and sliced into a thousand samples for the next iteration of the Super Soldier Serum. The military's "request" was a death warrant wrapped in a lie.
Tony slapped his thigh in agreement, accidentally hitting Pepper, who let out a sharp yelp and glared at him. Tony gave her a sheepish, charming grin before returning to the call.
"Exactly! Jarvis, record that—next time I see them, I'm using Peter's 'vulnerable vs. wrong' line. But listen, Peter, I saw the files they provided. There really is a 'Big Guy' causing them nightmares."
"Initially, they wanted to replicate your power to contain him. But after seeing you in action, they realized you're not a lab rat—you're a force of nature. So, they've pivoted to wanting a 'consultant' partnership."
"Big guy?" Peter narrowed his eyes. An image of a hulking, green-skinned behemoth with corded muscle and a temper to match immediately filled his mind. Bruce Banner.
"Yeah. Green, mean, and about fifteen feet tall," Tony confirmed. "In the footage, he's swinging a main battle tank around like a baseball bat.
He shrugs off high-caliber rounds like they're mosquito bites. The military calls him... The Hulk."
Peter felt a surge of genuine excitement. Since his transmigration, he hadn't truly felt the need to go "all out." Every fight had been a lesson in restraint.
Against the Hulk, he might finally be able to let loose and enjoy the thrill of the struggle.
Could he lose?
Unlikely. With his Horse Talisman for infinite stamina and healing, plus his massive chakra reserves, he could fight a war of attrition that would exhaust even a gamma-powered monster.
And if things got truly out of hand, the Horse Talisman's purification could theoretically soothe the Hulk's rage, forcing Banner back into control.
While Peter was strategizing, Tony's tone shifted, becoming more somber and advisory.
"Peter, look... this might be annoying to hear, but as a friend, I have to say it. We live in this country. Sometimes, you have to keep one eye closed. If you push them into a corner, nobody wins."
"If you were a loner, you could just burn it all down and disappear. But you have family, friends, and projects. I've dealt with these people for years.
Making them fear you while keeping them at arm's length is the best possible status quo. If you force a total war, you won't like how it ends for the people you care about."
Peter didn't get annoyed. He actually smiled. He wasn't the hot-headed kid of the original lore; he knew Tony was speaking out of genuine concern for his safety and his life.
After a deliberate silence to let the "gravity" of the advice sink in, Peter applied some "linguistic art":
"Fine, Tony. For your sake, I'm willing to overlook their little 'ambush' and help them deal with this Hulk problem. But I have conditions."
"I want high-level security clearance to monitor their 'Black Projects,' and I want absolute veto power when it comes to any future special incidents.
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