Chapter 38: Taking in the Little Spider

“Hey, buddy, got anything fun planned for today?” Early in the morning, Peter Parker arrived at Luke’s house, pushed open his door, and greeted him.

“You’re here. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere,” Luke said, putting down the data chip he was fiddling with and standing up with a smile.

“Alright!”

Luke had called Spider-Man over today for something important.

He had decided to reveal a bit of his secret to Spider-Man.

This was a decision Luke had weighed for a long time. After all, no secret can be kept forever.

Compared to unreliable Tony, Spider-Man was much more trustworthy.

Honestly, Luke had already considered Spider-Man his little brother. He planned to let him gradually accept the real Luke, paving the way for the future.

He thought, forget the Avengers, Spider-Man—hang with me and you’ll have everything: the best food, the coolest gear, the girls, and the suits!

The two rode their skateboards, with Luke leading the way, taking Peter to a secret warehouse.

Luke pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. Once inside, Peter was immediately stunned by what he saw.

On a huge lathe, robotic arms were automatically machining a metal plate. Beside it, a furnace glowed with molten steel. Nearby, several computers displayed dense streams of data, countless cables tangled across the floor.

Peter Parker felt as though he had stepped into the workshop where his uncle used to work.

“What is this place?”

Before he finished, his eyes caught something else.

In the corner, resting quietly, was a silver-white suit of armor. Peter’s eyes nearly popped out.

He recognized this suit!

Just days ago, the fights on the Monaco circuit and the French highway had gone viral online. The media had been buzzing about them nonstop.

This suit had fought Iron Man to a standstill!

The sudden appearance of this silver armor, unsurprisingly, had attracted countless fans.

Some called it the “White Meteor” because it was so fast—faster than French fighter jets! Some even speculated it was faster than rockets, capable of flying beyond the atmosphere…

Others simply called it the “Apostle.” After Tony declared himself Iron Man last year, “Apostle” became the latest hot topic among superhero enthusiasts!

Peter Parker was one of them.

Spider-Man had originally been an Iron Man fan. But when the “Apostle” appeared, its Gundam-like design immediately won his heart!

The “Apostle’s” form, combat stance, and the release of that orange energy shield all fit the definition of a true mecha.

Iron Man’s suit was just that—a suit, not a battle mech.

Comparing the two, Peter Parker felt he liked mechs better.

As a new fan of mechs, seeing his idol before him, Peter Parker’s feelings were easy to imagine.

“Cool…”

His usual catchphrase couldn’t even begin to describe his excitement.

“Lu-Luke… Don’t tell me this is the ‘Apostle’? It—it looks just like it…” Spider-Man could hardly believe it.

Luke chuckled, said nothing, and walked over to open the cockpit, sitting inside. He closed the hatch, and the mech came alive.

Peter was utterly mesmerized.

Luke piloted the suit, jets blasting from beneath his feet as he flew two laps around the warehouse. Then he deployed the psychic shield, and Peter’s doubts vanished.

No question—this was the “Apostle”!

No one else used that kind of shield. Not even Iron Man.

At this moment, Peter Parker felt not anxiety or fear, but overwhelming excitement. His suspicions were confirmed; his best friend, his buddy, was just as he’d hoped… All of Luke’s mysterious behavior now made sense.

What he hadn’t expected was that Luke was the Apostle!

Luke landed the suit steadily. Unable to contain his excitement, Peter ran up and exclaimed, “Buddy, this—this is amazing! It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! Can I touch it?”

Spider-Man asked eagerly.

“Of course, touch all you want.” Luke’s voice came from the suit’s speakers.

Peter reached out and ran his hand over the suit’s shell, then circled Luke a few times, marveling. “A bit cold… but, man, this is so cool! I’m running out of words…”

Luke, sitting in the suit, smiled. Everything was going smoothly. Spider-Man had a big heart—it looked like he’d accepted it.

With Spider-Man as his backup…well, as his support, Luke figured he could make headlines whenever he wanted. Spider-Man’s future abilities were well-known; he’d be a huge help.

Spider-Man was so moved he could barely speak: “Oh, buddy… You told me such a huge secret, oh man, I don’t even know how to express it…”

“I get it, buddy.” Luke climbed out of the suit, patted Peter on the shoulder and smiled. “Keep this secret for me.”

“No problem! Not a word to anyone. Not even Uncle Ben or Aunt May.” Spider-Man beat his chest, serious as could be.

“Good man!” Luke patted his shoulder again.

The system notified: Peter Parker’s favorability +35

Luke was delighted.

Peter Parker’s favorability was now at 95—just a bit more and Luke could learn a Spider-Man skill. What he wanted most was Spider-Sense; it would help him immensely.

Peter Parker kept circling the battle suit, fascinated.

Then he spotted Rotus sleeping in the suit’s aquarium. Peter thought, That octopus looks odd…

As he stared, Rotus suddenly opened one eye and fixed it on Peter.

Peter jumped, retreating two steps.

“Kid, what are you staring at? Never seen an octopus as handsome as me?” Rotus said.

Peter’s jaw dropped. He stammered, “Oc—oc—octopus—can talk?!”

Luke shrugged and explained, “Well… this guy’s a bit special.”

True to his strong heart, Peter’s curiosity quickly replaced his shock. He approached Rotus and tried to converse, “Um, Mr. Octopus, hello. Whoa…”

“I’ll remember you,” Rotus said, then closed his eyes again.

“What does that mean?” Peter turned to Luke.

“Nothing, he’s known you for a while,” Luke replied, subtly rubbing his face.

These days, Rotus wasn’t as noisy as before; he spoke less and spent most of his time napping in the tank. Luke wasn’t sure why.

“Oh…” Peter was still confused.

“Come on, buddy, we’ve got work to do today.” Luke planned to have Spider-Man help paint the food truck he’d repaired. Once painted and dried, they could use it next week.

When Peter saw the old food truck parked out back, his surprise was obvious.

So, the two kids grabbed paint buckets and started painting the truck. Spider-Man offered his own ideas for the paint job. Luke thought they were great and gladly accepted—after all, Spider-Man’s hands-on skills were legendary.

All morning, the two enjoyed themselves immensely.

Evening.

Luke walked alone down the street.

Spider-Man had gone home at noon; the food truck was finished, now looking brand new. Luke had stayed at the warehouse until now, making final preparations for the manufacture of the G-0 War Lord.

Tony had already wired the $5 million advance as requested. Luke had Christina deposit it in a secret Swiss bank account, then transfer it out in batches to buy the materials he needed online.

Lost in thought as he walked down the sidewalk, Luke suddenly heard a loud engine roar behind him. Turning, he saw a speeding sedan racing straight for him.

The car aimed right at him!

Luke dodged quickly, agile as a leopard, diving onto the grass nearby.

Immediately, he looked back at the car.

When he saw the driver, he froze.

Was he seeing things?

The driver was… Natasha Romanoff?