Stab--!
The high thermal energy instantly burned the right half of Reed's face to black, and the skin and flesh stuck together like molten plastic!
"Ah--!"
Reed screamed and flew backwards, and Johnny flew up to catch him. Doom was dragged into the portal by the tentacles, and then disappeared together with the closed entrance.
"Reed!"
Everyone gathered around. Reed fell into a coma. The right side of his face was disfigured and exuded a pungent burnt smell.
Peter stood aside, looking at Reed's ruined right face, and the blood in his body seemed to have completely solidified.
In his memory, Reed·Richards had such a scar only once.
That was in Ultimate Universe. Reed there fell into madness and went astray, almost destroying his own world, hurting Ben, Susan... and everyone.
Peter looked at the unconscious Reed, and his heart sank a little bit.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, medical cabin.
Outside the soundproof glass of the special care ward, Peter, Ben Gerry and Johnny stood side by side, their eyes all falling on Reed·Richards on the hospital bed.
Several S.H.I.E.L.D. top surgeons and Susan were working hard to treat the severe burns on Reed's face. Peter concentrated on listening to what was going on inside for a while. The doctors finally saved Reed's eyes, but the nerve tissue in most of his face was severely paralyzed.
Peter's thoughts moved slightly, and the mask of the battle suit faded away like running water, revealing his original face. Normally, he would never take off the mask on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s territory, but now... his identity has been completely revealed to the world, and there is no point in hiding it.
Johnny lowered his head in despair, grabbed his hair with both hands, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's all my fault... it's all my fault."
Ben turned to look at him, frowned harshly and said, "Boy, what does this have to do with you?"
"I should have stopped Reed at that time!" Johnny suddenly raised his head, his eyes red, "Or I should have rushed to save Doom! If it were me--"
"If it were you, Doom's energy impact would have blown your whole head to pieces." Peter interrupted him unceremoniously, with a low tone, "Reed was able to save a life purely because his body has rubber-like ductility, which offsets most of the explosion impact. But he can't resist the extreme high temperature."
The corridor once again fell into oppressive silence. Everyone's eyes turned to Reed in the ward who didn't know when he would wake up, and Susan who was working tirelessly on the side.
A steady sound of footsteps came from the end of the corridor.
Peter looked sideways and saw Nick·Fury and Tony·Stark walking side by side. Tony was wearing a beige slim-fitting suit with a purple shirt underneath, while Fury was still wearing his iconic long black windbreaker. The two of them nodded slightly towards Peter.
"I'm going out for a while." Peter whispered to Ben and Johnny, turned around and walked out of the rest area, gently closing the cabin door, "Tony, long time no see. How are you and Riri doing lately?"
"Hey, just so-so." Tony shrugged, "Raising a daughter is not as easy as imagined, but there is no way, who made her my seed. Sometimes she is so stubborn."
Tony rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly, "Did you know? That girl is actually clamoring to be a superhero."
Peter raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Seriously?"
"That's right." Tony glared at Peter angrily, "It is said that some 'good friend' gave her a bad idea, and even gave her a nickname - Ironheart."
Peter raised the corner of his mouth slightly. "It's a very handsome name."
"Come on, the last thing Avengers needs is another Stark flying around the sky doing chivalry and doing justice." Fury snorted coldly from the side, "It's enough for me just to serve you."
"But having said that," Peter joked, "In terms of responsibility, I trust Riri far more than I trust Tony."
"Hey, these words are really heartbreaking." Tony raised his hand and pressed his chest. The playful look on his face gradually faded away. He raised his hand and patted Peter's shoulder, "How are you, kid?"
Peter was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"Your true identity has just been exposed to the whole world." Fury stared at Peter with his one eye, "Stark probably wants to ask if you need a paper bag to put on your head and take a deep breath."
Peter rubbed his painful temples and let out a long sigh of relief, "Things came one after another. My mind was so confused that I didn't have time to digest them... To be honest, I didn't even know where to start next."
"I do have a suggestion." Fury said, "Your uncle and aunt are both on this aircraft carrier. Don't worry, they are unharmed. I sent agents to pick them out safely before the accident. But their minds are all confused now. You have to go talk to them, Peter."
Peter looked attentively. "Is my father here too?"
"They're all in the same room." Fury nodded and motioned for Peter to follow, "I'll take you there."
Tony followed him, his eyes falling on his brand new black and silver uniform. "Did you get a new outfit?"
"Well, the previous equipment really needs to be upgraded."
"Nano robot structure?" Tony looked at it with interest.
"Nanotechnology is just the basic skeleton." Peter explained casually, "The main material is a new invention called Unstable Molecule Fabric. It is tear-resistant, infinitely extensible, fireproof, and can be perfectly restored by any external impact."
Fury paused slightly. "Is it bulletproof?"
"It is not defensive in its normal form, but this set of mine has been strengthened." Peter tapped the armor on his chest, "And when necessary, it can achieve absolute bulletproofing by changing its molecular structure."
Tony's eyes lit up. "How does it work?"
Peter raised his hand and pressed the belt buckle, and a crisp prompt sounded, "Sassy, scan and copy Tony's outfit."
"Scanning completed." The voice of AI Sassy built into the suit immediately rang in my ears, "How should I name this plan?"
"Tony·Stark is the same suit." Peter gave the order, "Apply this appearance."
"Understood."
In an instant, nano-streamers rippled all over Peter. Under the surprised gazes of Tony and Fury, the originally heavy armor turned into a well-tailored beige suit in the blink of an eye. The style was exactly the same as the one on Tony, but the size perfectly fit Peter's figure.
"How do you feel?" Peter pulled at the collar and moved his shoulders, "It's quite comfortable. Sassy, give this suit a five-star rating."
"Recorded, Peter."
Tony couldn't help but stretched out his hand and pinched the fabric, his eyes flashing with surprise. "The touch is exactly the same as real textile fabrics... but this is not ordinary fabric at all, right?"
"It's Unstable Molecules." Peter smiled, "Its shape is changeable, similar to memory fabric, and the overall structure is completely taken over by AI. I can change its appearance as I wish. As long as the parameters are imported, it can even be instantly transformed into a fully covered alloy heavy armor."
Peter hit the Snap, and the suit instantly transformed into black and red classic metal armor, with a tightly fitted mask completely covering his face. Then he transformed back into the suit form.
"Incredible..." Tony marveled, "If this thing is introduced to the market, the clothing industry around the world will be subverted."
Fury goes straight to the point. "S.H.I.E.L.D. orders a batch, what is the price?"
"It depends on how much budget the director can provide." Peter shrugged, "The research and development cost is probably about 500 million US dollars."
Fury's one eye widened slightly. "Those vampire suppliers in the military charge double the price for any project. It's really beyond my expectation that you use such a small cost to create such a revolutionary thing."
"That's because Peter relies on his brains." Tony grinned, and then looked at Peter, "Boy, since your old friends are out, do you want to consider moving in with Avengers Tower, me and Banner? Baxter Building I took a look just now and it seems to be almost burned out."
"Thank you for your kindness, Tony, but no need." Peter shook his head, "Baxter Building can still be rebuilt. As long as Fantastic Four is still there, Baxter Foundation is still there. It's just..." His eyes were a little dim, "Some things can never go back."
"When you encounter this kind of mess, take it step by step." Fury stepped forward and reached out to push open the door of a lounge.
In the room, Aunt May, Uncle Ben and Richard are sitting around the round table.
"Peter!"
As soon as the door opened, Aunt May stood up suddenly and rushed over, hugging Peter tightly into his arms. Hot tears instantly soaked his shoulders. "Thank God... God bless you, just be okay, just be okay..."
Peter hugged her back gently, patted her back and comforted her softly, "I'm fine, Aunt May, I'm here fine."
However, the next second, Aunt May let go of his embrace, raised his hand and slapped Peter hard on the face.
Crisp applause echoed in the room.
Peter was stunned. The burning sensation on his cheek was far less intense than the shock in his heart. He covered his face and looked at Aunt May blankly. "Aunt May...?"
"You confused child!" Aunt May burst into tears and completely collapsed emotionally, "So long! What on earth were you thinking?! You ran out every night, risking your life! What if something happens to you... What should your uncle and I do?! Have you even considered for us for a second?!"
"Mei, don't be like this." Uncle Ben stepped forward and gently took his wife's arm.
"Ben! How could you--he--"
"He is a hero." Uncle Ben interrupted her, her eyes full of distress, but her tone was extremely firm, "He saved many people... countless lives."
"Then he paid for it with his own life! Ben, he is our child! How can you make such an understatement?!"
"With great ability comes great responsibility."
Richard's calm voice came from behind. He stood up and walked in front of everyone. "Peter is just doing what he thinks is right, doing what he firmly believes should be done... and he does it impeccably."
Aunt May glared at Richard: "You already knew that, right?!"
Richard met her gaze and nodded calmly. "Yes, I know."
"You know that and you still let him do whatever he wants?! What if he dies outside--"
"Sorry, let me interrupt, ma'am." Tony leaned against the door frame and spoke at the right time, "Your nephew is one of the most amazing heroes I have ever seen. Even if Captain America is included, I still stick to this evaluation."
Tony stepped forward with a very serious look on his face. "When Chitauri's army came to suppress the situation, Loki started to stir up dissension and made us Avengers fool around. It was your nephew who scolded us and told us to throw those arrogance and prejudices into the trash can and focus on saving the world. His actions that day saved thousands of people. A fifteen-year-old boy is more awake and mature than the five of us adults put together."
Aunt May and Uncle Ben stared blankly at Peter. At this moment, Spider-Man, who was flying into the sky and escaping from the ground in those news reports, finally completely overlapped with the frail young man in front of them who had watched him grow up.
Uncle Ben smiled happily, but Aunt May's eyes were still full of pain and fear. She didn't say anything more, turned around and rushed out of the room while wiping her tears.
"Mei!" Uncle Ben shouted, looking at Peter apologetically, "I'll go and persuade her."
Uncle Ben quickly chased out, leaving only Peter, Richard, Tony and Fury in the room.
Peter sighed and looked at Fury: "Director, what will happen next?"
Fury picked up the remote control and turned on the TV on the wall. The news channel was urgently broadcasting a special report:
"...United Nations has not yet issued a final statement on the matter of Victor·von·Doom being exiled to another dimension. However, according to people familiar with the matter, Doom' The designation of "quasi-public enemy" will not be revoked. Thanks to the massive video evidence released by Spider-Man to the entire Internet, public opinion has fully shifted to denounce the dictator. Some congressmen even proposed to take sanctions against Latveria..."
"Don't involve Latveria." Peter frowned, "No matter how bad Doom's character is, he does manage his country in an orderly manner."
"That's not something we should worry about." Fury turned off the TV, and the screen was fixed on a high-definition close-up of Peter taking off his mask, "Now the whole world is talking about you."
"I just want to know," Peter raised his eyes and looked directly at Fury, his eyes burning, "Why did Doom get United Nations's pardon in the first place? What project did he help S.H.I.E.L.D. develop?"
Tony also raised his eyebrows and looked at Fury: "Yes, Fury, I want to know too."
"This is confidential, Stark." Fury said coldly.
"Don't do this!" Tony took a step forward with an aggressive tone, "It was precisely because of some secret deal between you and Doom that you gave that guy the opportunity to push Peter to this point! S.H.I.E.L.D. has nothing to do with this account!"
"That's not my decision!" Fury slammed his fist on the table and shouted sternly, "I opposed this transaction from the beginning! I am Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I still have World Security Council on my head!"
Peter's eyes were slightly cold. "World Security Council's Doom?"
Fury took a deep breath and calmed down. "Yes. I can't comment on the specific details, but what I can tell you is... that project is to protect the earth. To ensure that the next time the alien fleet comes, we have enough chips to fight back."
After saying that, Fury didn't stay any longer, turned around and strode out of the room.
Peter looked at Fury's back and whispered to Tony, "I have a very bad feeling."
"Me too." Tony looked solemn.
"Can you hack into his private database to find out the details?"
Tony raised his eyebrows. "Are you instigating me to hack into the personal computer of Supreme Commander S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Facing Peter's expectant eyes, he smiled, "Leave it to me. Now let's talk about you. Once you become a public figure, everyone will have various expectations for you; once you do something inappropriate, everyone will stare at it."
Peter secretly thought. What could be the project that would make World Security Council so unscrupulous? Ultron? No, Ultron is too early in this timeline. Could it be the Project Insight from the Winter Soldier period - the three new Helicarrier equipped with absolute locking algorithms?
In the current timeline, the plot direction has been completely derailed. He can no longer draw conclusions based solely on the memory of his past life, and must be careful in everything he does.
An hour later, Peter came to the medical cabin again. Tony's long talk about how to deal with the public was finally over.
Reed's operation has been successfully completed and he is in a deep post-operative coma. The remaining members of Fantastic Four were arranged to rest in the rest cabin next door.
Peter pushed the door and walked in, only to see Susan leaning on the bedside tiredly, with Johnny and Ben standing beside him.
"Peter! Where have you gone!" Johnny complained as soon as he saw him, "There's not even decent food in this damn place, it's all those horrible military rations!"
"This is a combat aircraft carrier, Johnny." Ben rolled his eyes at him angrily, then turned to look at Peter, "Have you talked to your family?"
"Let's talk... the situation is not very optimistic." Peter smiled bitterly.
Peter noticed that Ben was still wearing the mage robe of Kamar-Taj: "This outfit suits you very well, Ben."
Ben looked down at the robe, scratched his head and said with a smile, "Really? Strange That guy also said that this color matches my eyes."
"Stephen·Strange?" Peter asked knowingly, "He is at Kamar-Taj?"
"You know him?"
"In another world I have been to, it was he who taught me Magic." Peter paused and remembered a certain figure, "Ben... have you seen a girl with blond hair and blue eyes in Kamar-Taj? She is about the same age as me, and she occasionally stutters when speaking..."
"You're talking about Tandy, right?" Ben took over the conversation directly.
Peter's heart moved slightly. "Yes, that's Tandy Bowen. Is she okay?"
"Very good, she is a close disciple of Ancient One." Ben grinned, "Strange and I often chat with her, after all, we are all fellow New York. She is now working hard to control the power of light in her body, and Strange and I sometimes help her."
"That's good..." Peter finally let go of his hanging heart.
Susan, who was sitting aside, noticed something keenly. His eyes turned on Peter's face, and his tone was filled with inquiry. "Who is she?"
Peter met Susan's gaze and said calmly, "A friend who once saved my life. But when she faced a difficult choice, I failed to help her."
"Don't worry, we all support you. You are also a member of the family." Johnny patted Peter on the shoulder. Ben and Susan also nodded.
Ben whispered at this time, "Peter, I just saw your uncle and aunt in the reception room at the end of the corridor. They seem to have been waiting for you to be free."
Peter nodded, stood up, said goodbye to a few people, and walked along the corridor to the reception room.
The door was ajar. Peter pushed the door open and walked in. He saw Aunt May sobbing softly in Uncle Ben's arms.
"Peter..." Aunt May raised his head.
"If you don't want to talk now, I can go out first."
"Come here, kid." Uncle Ben waved and motioned for him to sit next to him.
Peter walked over and sat down, lowered his head, and said in a tight voice, "I know you are angry, and I understand what you are afraid of. When I first got this ability, I never thought about being a superhero. I just wanted to work to make money, help my family pay off the mortgage, and then do scientific research honestly..."
"Then why did it change later?" Aunt May asked softly.
"Because of the catastrophe of Harlem." Peter took a deep breath, "On the day when Hulk and Abomination fought in the neighborhood, I saw countless people buried in the ruins, and there was blood and wailing everywhere. I was right there at that time Field, I have the power to stop all this. If I choose to stand by, who will be responsible for those who died because of me? I just wanted to deal with the robbers and gang members on the streets at the beginning, and never thought that I would go all the way to fight against the alien army. But I know... as long as I back down, someone will die."