The people from the FBI arrived quickly. They were, after all, a national organization that had experienced countless battles. Everyone was an elite agent, long since accustomed to such bloody scenes. After sending the gangsters present to ambulances, they escorted Adrian away.
"I'll be back, with my anger toward Stark."
"Ah, yes, yes. Whatever you want."
Renzo casually walked away from Adrian's furious glare. There was really no need to pay attention to such a small character.
However, Renzo remembered that he had once seen a Spider-Man animation in which the Vulture was very powerful and could absorb the life force of others to make himself younger.
When he had watched that animation, he hadn't understood the principle behind it. It was a pity that such a powerful ability had appeared in such an inferior villain...
"Mr. Renzo..."
Peter finally straightened his expression at this time. Renzo could not see his face beneath the mask, so he turned to look at the embarrassed Peter.
"Can I become a full-time employee? That is... can I join the Avengers?"
Peter's pupils shone with the light of hope. He really wanted to be recognized by the government and the people and become a registered superhero. He no longer wanted to be dismissed as a street-level hero.
Children's vanity was always inexplicable, and they often compared themselves with others over insignificant things.
Peter often heard people at school say that Spider-Man was a third-rate hero, and it made him feel very uncomfortable. That discomfort had turned into an eagerness to prove himself.
"I'm sorry. I know the truth hurts, but your performance was truly terrible!" Renzo opened a portal and prepared to leave. Peter's approach had really disappointed him. It was even worse than in the original story.
"But I lay on that container all day," Peter shouted anxiously. He believed that the Vulture had been caught partly because of his efforts.
"Any other child could have stayed up there all day," Renzo said, turning to look at Peter. "You didn't listen to orders. You acted without permission, without evidence, and you almost died. Do you know that?"
Renzo's dangerous gaze swept back and forth over Peter's body. His tall figure kept approaching the little boy, scaring him so much that he backed away until he hit the container with a bang.
"I saw them trading. That's evidence!" Peter straightened his back, unconvinced, his face flushing as he argued with Renzo.
"Oh, before we collect exact physical evidence and photos, your eyes are useless. The law won't recognize that."
Renzo sneered. A naive boy had to be beaten by society before he could understand the rules of survival.
This was America, a place where you did not have to go to jail if you had money, a place where you could run for president if you had money. Money was everything here.
Why did Peter think Tony Stark was admired by so many people? Was it because he was Iron Man?
How strange. Iron Man had not saved every single one of those people's lives. Why should they worship him? Wasn't it because he was rich? Coupled with the halo of being a superhero, the number of fans had naturally increased, and most of them were female fans—money-worshiping girls who wanted to marry into a wealthy family.
Peter was so frightened by Renzo's serious expression that he backed away. He lost the confidence he had just now and looked like a frightened little white rabbit, full of childishness.
"Follow me!" Renzo looked at Peter disappointedly. This kid had no sense of what it meant to become a real hero. He just rushed around with passion. Reality was not a cartoon, nor was he a protagonist who could rely on love and courage to survive all the way and win.
Peter was immersed in the utopia he had drawn for himself, imagining illusory ideals and romance, which ran completely counter to the real world.
Renzo felt that he needed to educate him.
"Where are we going? Aunt May is still waiting for me at home... I still have to go to class..."
"I'll ask the school for leave and say you'll be going on a business trip with Stark Industries for a while. As for Aunt May, I'll tell her the same thing."
Renzo turned around with his back to Peter. "Follow me, and I'll teach you how to become a real hero."
Seeing Renzo step into the portal, Peter stared nervously at the dark blue doorway, hesitated for a moment, and decided to follow him in.
...
New York
Bucky was wearing a leather coat, his entire left arm tightly wrapped in a long leather glove. He stretched out his hand to lower the brim of his hat, only to find nothing there.
Bucky froze for a moment, then smiled helplessly. Only then did he remember that he was already in another world. He just did not know how Steve was doing.
Bucky pinched the fruit on the stall with his hand, smiled kindly at the vendor, and said, "Weigh me a pound."
The surrounding environment finally gave him a sense of belonging. Compared with the overly advanced technology and living standards of the Avengers' world, the environment of this world made him feel more comfortable.
Some old streets, retro buildings and residences, circus performances in the park...
It did not look too bad either.
Bucky slowly walked back to his house with the groceries he had just bought in his hands.
"Mr. Barnes, you're back."
Aunt May happened to be going out at this time. She smiled kindly at Bucky beside her, holding a cane in her hand. Over the past year, Aunt May's back had become more stooped, but her condition had improved a lot.
Peter worked very hard, and he and Mary Jane had successfully gotten married. The two now lived with Aunt May. Peter left early and came home late every day, maintaining the transformation between Peter Parker and Spider-Man.
Mary Jane took care of Aunt May's daily life at home whenever she was not performing. As the old woman grew older, it was inevitable that some things became inconvenient for her. The two women got along very harmoniously.
Aunt May was very considerate and did not make things difficult for Mary Jane. Jane was also a very filial girl. She might be a little vain, but she was essentially an excellent, independent woman. She did not rely on men to obtain a higher quality of life. Instead, she chose to work together with Peter and build their own warm home together.
Aunt May felt happier than ever before, with a smile on her face every day, and even her gray hair seemed much brighter.
Bucky responded with a smile and greeted Aunt May. He had moved into the house where Renzo originally lived and had become Aunt May's neighbor.
During this time, he had gotten along well with Otto and Peter.
Bucky thought back to when he had first opened his eyes and seen two strangers. He had thrown a backhanded punch, but the boy who looked quite young had easily caught it. Even when Bucky tried harder, he could not shake the boy at all. There was also a middle-aged man behind him with four metal tentacles. Those tentacles danced like snakes, shocking Bucky so much that he did not move for a while.
Thinking of that, Bucky could not help laughing. He opened the front door, changed into his slippers, and entered the house.
"Hi!"
"What!"
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