New York got hot earlier than usual this year.
It was only mid-June, but the days were already unbearably humid. Cicadas were chirping incessantly in the roadside trees, and the asphalt on the road was so soft from the sun that stepping on it felt like stepping on a lump of undercooked dough. Peter sat on a bench by the school gate, his sneakers laces undone, a half-empty bottle of soda beside him. He stared blankly at the closed ice cream shop across the street.
Summer vacation has started.
The five years brought about by the Snap were also restored. The world became whole again, even more whole than before. He could, as before, take the subway to the Queens Library, spend a whole day watching Star Wars with his best friend Ned, or wait for MJ to get off work outside the bakery where she worked. He had even wanted to ask MJ if she wanted to go to Europe for the summer.
The top floor of Stark Tower, the laboratory.
The air conditioning was on full blast. Tony sat at the holographic workbench, in front of him a projection of the Earth covering the entire surface.
The blue light made the laboratory feel cold, and it also made his no-longer-young face appear more angular.
He held a cup of cold coffee in one hand, while using the other to slide across the projector screen, constantly switching between satellite nodes, warning zones, and response times.
JARVIS.
"Yes, sir."
"How did EDITH's final track linkage test go?"
"Approved, sir." JARVIS's voice came simultaneously from the ceiling and desktop speakers, calm and composed. "The global early warning network has connected 4,716 nodes, and the response latency has been reduced to 0.4 seconds. There are no coverage blind spots over North America, Europe, Asia, and Antarctica. The system is ready for operational deployment."
Tony put down his coffee cup, lightly tracing a line of his finger across the Earth projection, causing the entire planet to rotate halfway. "Not for actual combat, but as a backup. We can't let anything else get in from outer space, and we're the last to know."
"But Mr."
JARVIS spoke as if crafting a suggestion that required careful articulation, "Currently, system privileges are still concentrated in your hands. If something unexpected happens, it could break the chain of command. I've completed a preliminary evaluation of the privilege decentralization plan you mentioned yesterday. Should we now present a shortlist of candidates?"
Tony leaned back in his chair, took off his goggles, and rubbed his eyes. "Don't pretend to be helpful by mentioning the list. You know I already have someone in mind."
"Besides him, who else?" Tony turned his head, looking out at the gray New York sky. " Lynn, I don't need to ask. He definitely won't want me. He'll say, ' Tony, was your head blown up in Afghanistan? How did you come up with the idea of sending me?'"
JARVIS offered no comment, only stating, " Peter has not received any operational training, nor has he formally studied any command system."
"That's why I'm giving it to him ahead of time," Tony said. He stood up, walked to the window, put his hands in his pockets, and turned his back to the blue projection of the Earth.
Silence fell over the laboratory.
A few days later, Peter received a message from Tony.
There was no content, only a location tag, marked on the rooftop of an old office building in Midtown Manhattan.
At 11 p. m., Peter climbed up the fire escape to the roof, the evening breeze making his T-shirt stick to his back.
He was carrying a schoolbag, inside which were two summer homework books with curled edges.
He thought Tony was going to give him some small task again, or take him to some lab to see the new armor. But there was only Tony on the roof, wearing only an old dark gray polo shirt, sitting on the edge of the roof with his legs dangling over the edge, and an unopened can of soda next to him.
Peter went over and sat down next to him.
"I have something for you," Tony said.
"What is it?" Peter asked.
Don't rush to reject it after you hear it.
" Mr. Stark, every time you talk like that, I feel like I'm either going to defuse a bomb or be used as bait."
You've done both of those things.
That's why I said that.
Tony chuckled. He turned to look at Peter. The lights shone up from below, making half of both of their faces appear unreal.
Peter noticed that Tony's eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept well for many, many nights.
After Thanos, it seems he never truly recovered.
" E.D.I.T.H.," Tony said.
"What?"
"EDITH—Even Dead, I'm The Hero. The name sounds a bit cringey, but I later realized that the abbreviation can actually form a proper word, so I just let it be."
"It was originally a defense system, but I made it a bit bigger. Now it's connected to satellites, radars, and network nodes worldwide. It can provide early warnings, mobilize drones, and, in extreme situations, gain access to any mech."
Peter opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"I'm planning to give you some of the authority," Tony said.
"A part... how big is that part?"
Approximately 99%.
Peter thought he had misheard. He looked at Tony, trying to find a trace of "I'm kidding" on that face.
Tony's expression was very serious, almost frighteningly so.
"This is insane."
"You don't need to do it now," Tony said. "I'm just letting you have it. You can use it in the worst-case scenario. You make the decision when I can't make a decision, or when other extreme situations come up. That's all I want."
Why me?
Tony picked up the can of soda from the side, opened it, and handed it to Peter. Peter took it and took a big gulp. The carbonation exploded in his throat, and he almost choked.
"Any plans for summer vacation?" Tony asked.
"I want to go to Europe," Peter said, his voice muffled, "With my classmates. And... I also want to ask MJ one more thing."
"Then go," Tony said. "Don't stay in Queens all the time. I didn't lock myself in the garage when I was young, although I did spend most of my time there."
"I'll take care of E.D.I.T.H. for you for now."
Tony continued, "When you get back from Europe, come find me whenever you're ready. I'm not forcing you to take over right now."
"But..."
"There are no 'buts'."
A breeze blew in from the other side of the city, carrying a hint of dampness.
"It's going to rain," Peter said.
"Yes." Tony looked up at the sky. "So hurry home and do your homework."
Peter immediately hid his schoolbag behind his back.
Lynn and Natasha were in the apartment with the floor-to-ceiling windows open. Lynn leaned back on the sofa armrest when his phone vibrated. He picked it up and glanced at it; it was a message from Tony, containing only one sentence:
"I've already spoken to Parker."
Lynn put down his phone without replying. He glanced at Natasha, who was collecting laundry on the balcony, and said, "It's going to rain in New York."
"Hmm." Natasha didn't even turn her head.