Ever since he was bitten by a mutated spider, Peter had gained extraordinary physical abilities and strength.
He could fall from a ten-story building and only cough a few times, withstand the impact of a speeding train, and travel hundreds of miles in a flash. His skin was tough, his body resilient—but he was still made of flesh and blood. He could feel pain, and stitches without anesthesia hurt just as much for him as they did for anyone else.
After suffering a crushing defeat, he dragged his battered body to Happy. Standing before this familiar friend and mentor, he could no longer hold back his emotions.
Peter leapt from his seat, shouting as he vented his frustration to Happy:
"I messed up big time! How can I just relax? I trusted Beck! I thought he was my friend! I gave him the only thing Mr. Stark left me, and now he wants to kill my friends and half of Europe! So don't tell me to calm down, okay?!"
It was clear that Peter was on the verge of breaking down. He had faced Thanos head-on before, had even been 'killed' by him once. But nothing had ever hit him as hard as Mysterio's illusions—every cut went straight to the heart.
After venting his emotions, he felt slightly better. His eyes reddened as he murmured an apology:
"I'm sorry, Happy. I really am. I shouldn't have yelled at you… It's just… I miss him so much."
Anyone who had seen the videos about Spider-Man and Iron Man's father-son-like relationship knew exactly who Peter was talking about.
In the video, Peter looked as if he was about to cry. He held his forehead in one hand, grief and pain evident in his expression as he said:
"Everywhere I go, I see his face. It's like the whole world is asking: Who will be the next Iron Man? I don't know if that's supposed to be me, Happy. I'm not Iron Man!"
At that moment, Peter was truly living in Iron Man's shadow.
Happy shook his head and said, "You're not Iron Man, and you never will be. No one can reach Tony's level—not even Tony himself."
At this point in time, Tony had single-handedly defeated the seemingly invincible Thanos. Just like during the Battle of New York, when he had unhesitatingly carried a nuclear missile into space, he had once again made the ultimate sacrifice.
To many, Tony Stark was a sharp-tongued, arrogant, and stubborn playboy. But no one could deny the nobility of his heart—the heart of a man willing to sacrifice himself to save the world.
Marvel fans watching the video were deeply moved. Just a while ago, people had protested against Stark Industries, accusing Tony of violating citizens' privacy and rights. But now, more and more people were gathering, calling for a statue to be erected in his honor, commemorating his dedication and sacrifice for the world.
If Tony were here to see it, he'd probably put on his sleek Iron Man suit, soar into the sky, and put on a show for everyone.
But at this moment, Tony was in his own home, staring at the screen with furrowed brows.
"Did I put too much pressure on that kid?" he muttered.
Pepper shrugged. "Raising a child has never been easy, Tony. Don't tell me you've actually started seeing yourself as a father figure?"
She looked at him with amusement and added, "I have to say, you're not ready to be a father yet. More importantly, you haven't even figured out how to be a good husband."
Tony sighed. "In every parallel universe, I end up mentoring that kid, teaching him how to be a proper superhero. But in the end, I was never really… a good teacher."
The ever-proud Tony Stark would never admit that he saw Peter as a son. At most, he'd acknowledge their relationship as teacher and student.
In the video, Peter was still in a low mood, and Happy—who was not exactly the best at giving pep talks—tried his best to encourage him.
But when it came to Tony, he had plenty to say.
"Tony was my best friend," Happy said. "A lot of times, he was a complete mess. He constantly doubted himself, questioned everything he did. His mind was always in turmoil.
But the one thing he never doubted was choosing you! I think Tony did that because he knew that when the time came, you would step up!"
The true legacy that Tony left behind wasn't about being Iron Man. It was about having the heart to stand up against danger, to face hardships and challenges with unwavering courage.
In that sense, Tony and Peter were alike.
Tony had his flaws, plenty of them. But when it mattered most, he always stood up and made the impossible happen.
Peter still had a long way to go, but his heart—the fearless spirit of a hero—was already there.
Happy's words reignited Peter's determination. He decided to fight back.
First, he used Happy's phone to confirm the location of his friends. They had gone to the UK. Then, on the plane, he began crafting a new suit.
It had to be said—Tony's legacy was indeed generous. Even the plane Happy was piloting had a built-in high-tech forge. In no time, Peter successfully created a brand-new Spider-Man suit.
Meanwhile, Mysteri was setting his plan into motion.
Now that he had gotten Peter to reveal the people who knew the truth, his next step was to eliminate them. And while he was at it, he planned to create as much destruction as possible to solidify Mysterio's image as a heroic savior.
This ruthless and deceitful con artist was willing to go to extreme lengths for his own glory. He even ordered more casualties this time, believing that a large-scale tragedy would make Mysterio's reputation shine even brighter.
Seeing such shameless behavior, the audience watching the video was furious.
And in comparison, it became even clearer just how selfless true heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Captain America were.
If every member of the Avengers were like Quentin Beck—obsessed with their own popularity and willing to sacrifice innocent lives to boost their image—then they wouldn't be superheroes at all.
(T/N: True They'd be no better than the so-called "heroes" from The Boys.)
No matter what, Mysterio still had the advantage of time. With the help of E.D.I.T.H., he had already set everything up in the UK. The moment Ned, MJ, and the others arrived, they were immediately taken away by a bus driver under Mysterio's orders.
At the same time, Mysterio met with Nick Fury, telling him that there were more Elementals causing chaos nearby.
Nick Fury, still unaware of the deception, had no idea that the man standing before him—wearing that ridiculous fishbowl helmet—was nothing more than an illusion created by drones.
Seeing this, Peter finally felt a bit relieved.
"Look," he said, "even Nick Fury fell for it. That means I wasn't the only one tricked, right?"
Stephen chuckled. "Sounds like you're just trying to make yourself feel better, but… you're not wrong. Nick Fury's performance has been a bit off. I haven't interacted with him much, but I do know one thing—he never trusts anyone.
He's as paranoid as Batman, always second-guessing people. But this time, he believed Mysterio far too easily. Honestly… I'm starting to wonder if he's been replaced by someone else."
______
Hey you. Yeah, YOU.
Sitting there scrolling, thinking, "Hmm, should I cast a Power Stone?"
Well, guess what? If we hit 100 Power Stones, I'll drop a Bonus Chapter so juicy it'll make even Thanos snap twice.