Maybe it was because people were used to seeing Peter in his high-tech suit, battling all sorts of villains. Or maybe it was because, despite being just a teenager, he had already fought in space and experienced life as an intergalactic warrior.
Either way, most people didn't really see him as "your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." No matter how hard he tried to present himself as down-to-earth, the truth was, people still viewed him as someone far beyond their reach.
So when they saw him struggling over something as mundane as a college application, feeling helpless and out of options, it was a strange realization—he actually had normal problems too?
Of course, everyone knew that this Peter wasn't an ordinary kid. Even without his powers, his connections alone made him stand apart. Unlike the previous two Spider-Men, he had access to resources most people couldn't even dream of.
With Tony and the Avengers in his corner, doors that were shut for others should have been wide open for him. And even without the Avengers, Tony had strong ties to MIT. Pepper and Happy, as the legal caretakers of Tony's legacy, should've been more than capable of solving a small problem like this.
Pietro analyzed the situation. "Peter is closer to Happy, but Pepper holds more influence at Stark Industries. She'd be able to help more, so I think the answer is B."
Stephen stroked his beard and waved a hand. "Hold on, I think C is a possibility too. I know it's not D—I wouldn't be much help. I don't have any pull at MIT, that's for sure. But Nick? He might step in to clear Peter's name."
Peter, scratching his head, asked in confusion, "I don't get it. Why wouldn't MIT accept us? Our grades are good enough!"
It was a bit of a naive question.
Stephen shook his head. "Getting into a top university like MIT just based on grades isn't impossible, but it's tough. First, you need strong recommendation letters. If Tony were around, that wouldn't be an issue.
"But in the future, Tony's gone, so who knows if your recommendations were good enough?
"On top of that, schools like MIT care about public perception. It's complicated, Peter. The world isn't as straightforward as you think. Bad guys don't wear labels, and good guys aren't always fair. You don't understand that yet—but you will."
Stephen wasn't great at lecturing kids, so he kept it brief.
The countdown for answering the question started soon after. With little time left, they stuck to their analysis and picked B.
Meanwhile, Erik's team, lacking enough information, made their choice based on the previous videos and went with A.
In the end, Team A won the buzzer race. But when the correct answer was revealed—D—both teams got it wrong. Team A lost 4 points, while Team B lost 1.
Stephen smacked his forehead. This outcome was completely unexpected. Sighing, he muttered, "What was this kid thinking? Why would he come to me? What does he expect me to do? Cast a spell to get him into MIT?"
But as it turned out, the truth was even more ridiculous.
The video resumed, showing Peter with Ned and MJ, all of them stressing over their college rejection. Ned and MJ tried to act indifferent, saying that MIT wasn't the only school in the world.
But Peter felt guilty—he knew they were only in this situation because of him.
Then, his eyes landed on a wizard-themed holiday decoration hanging on the wall. His expression shifted.
The scene cut to Peter arriving at the New York Sanctum. Clearly, he had come to ask Stephen for help.
The Sanctum was hidden in plain sight, but only certain people could actually find it—having the address wasn't enough.
Since Peter had fought alongside Stephen before, the two had a bond forged in battle. Before he even knocked, the doors to the Sanctum opened on their own.
Outside the screen, Stephen shook his head. "I have a feeling future me is really going to regret opening that door."
Pietro, seeing Peter's embarrassed expression, spoke up. "Come on, Stephen, it's not that bad. Peter came to you because he trusts you."
Stephen remained deadpan. "Please. He only thought of me because of that stupid lamp decoration. If he really wanted a practical solution, he should've gone to Happy or even that lawyer.
"I've got a bad feeling about this… and my instincts are never wrong."
Back in the video, Peter stepped inside the Sanctum—only to find the entire place covered in snow. The floors, stairs, furniture—everything was buried under a thick layer of ice.
Wong explained that a portal had been left open to Siberia, which, combined with an unfortunate bleeding incident, had turned the Sanctum into a winter wonderland.
Soon, Stephen appeared, casually bantering with Wong.
As they talked, Peter overheard something interesting—because Stephen had been dusted for five years, Wong had been made Sorcerer Supreme in his absence.
Now that Stephen was back, the title was still Wong's, at least officially. Of course, everyone knew that in terms of actual power, Stephen was still the strongest sorcerer in Kamar-Taj.
After some small talk, Stephen seemed genuinely happy to see Peter again. Having fought alongside him against Thanos, there was a sense of camaraderie.
Wanting to be friendly, he even told Peter to drop the formalities and call him by his first name.
That, however, was something he would soon regret.
After the pleasantries, Peter finally explained why he was there—he wanted Stephen to use the Time Stone to go back in time and stop Mysterio from exposing his identity.
Outside the screen, Stephen's face went blank.
Then, he palmed his forehead. "Oh my god… that's his solution? Did he really just—how does he even dare to ask that?"
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