Doctor Octavius is after all a scientist, and he doesn't think too highly of Harry.
Peter smiles awkwardly, noticing the people tailing them outside and reminding them that their meeting time is coming to an end. He repeats, "Doctor, I'll do my best to help you."
"Thank you, Peter. Don't worry too much, you've already done plenty," Doctor Octavius pats his shoulder and turns to leave.
Then, indeed, Peter meets with the official in charge. The latter has been monitoring his conversation with Doctor Octavius the entire time. Seeing that no agreement has been reached, the official decides to step in personally. This time, they are laying their cards on the table. Not only do they request Spider-Man to bring Harry Osborn, but they also hope to start formal cooperation negotiations regarding the Multiverse Defenders, an organization located in Spider-Man's world. Initially secretive, the organization's presence has gradually come to the attention of the authorities, especially since the appearance of quiz games has made the authorities very wary of and well-informed about these superheroes.
Initially, the authorities tacitly approved of this, partly because they did not want to conflict with an organization entirely made up of superheroes, and partly because they were pleased to see its formation and hoped to cooperate with it.
Unlike the worlds of Avengers and the Justice League, which are teeming with superheroes, here, there is only Peter Parker.
This time, Peter's action of hiding his friend using the Multiverse Defenders has given the authorities an opportunity to reach out.
Peter is in a difficult position, knowing that the organization's seniors, such as Batman, Captain America, Superman, and Wonder Woman, are all reluctant to deal with the authorities and prefer freedom without restrictions. However, faced with the authorities' repeated requests, Peter has no choice but to agree reluctantly, though he cannot guarantee that cooperation will be reached.
The authorities did not insist but decided to make contact first and discuss other matters later.
After being busy for a while, Peter arrives at the headquarters of the Multiverse Defenders, where a meeting is coincidentally taking place, with almost all superheroes present, chaired not by Batman but by Captain America.
After brief pleasantries, Steve presents the agenda of the meeting: "Regarding the recruitment of several new members."
According to the founding principles of the Multiverse Defenders, their goal is to save the worlds of the multiverse, naturally hoping for more companions. However, having too many members is not necessarily good, as different superheroes have their own personalities and tempers, leading to potential conflicts and inefficiencies.
Thus, veteran and powerful superheroes like Batman, Captain America, Iron Man, and Superman have jointly established regulations that require a senior member's nomination for each new member's admission and a majority vote for inclusion.
This time, there are three candidates for new membership: another Batman, Arthur, and Peter Parker's friend Harry Osborn.
Before the meeting officially starts, Peter raises his hand to speak, sharing the authorities' intention to cooperate with them. Steve frowns, "Haven't we decided from the beginning? The headquarters is not fixed and will move to other worlds after a period."
Although he does not directly say it, he is clearly reluctant to cooperate with the authorities.
Tony glances at Peter, saying, "Yes, the headquarters is indeed not fixed, but that doesn't mean we completely avoid external communication. If we have the support of local authorities, it could be convenient."
Bruce, neutral, shakes his head, "Perhaps it's not about convenience but about bringing us trouble. With our current abilities, we do not need the support of the authorities to gather the necessary information."
Like Captain America, he does not wish to establish ties with the authorities. Peter scratches his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed for presenting his seniors with a difficult problem, "Then I'll just refuse them when I go back."
Steve says, "Let's not rush this discussion and focus on the new members first. Bruce, I mean the other one, shall we vote on his admission?"
Tony, with arms crossed, comments, "I can foresee a future where everyone here shares the same name, which could be quite troublesome."
Diana, resting her chin in her hand, says, "It's indeed strange, but I personally welcome Bruce Wayne's admission. Having two Batmen is fine by me."
Aquaman rolls his eyes, "Really? I think one is enough."
Thor, with a gruff voice, agrees, "I also think one is enough. Don't you all feel it's cold enough here?"
Batman's stern demeanour is not exactly endearing, but after numerous battles side by side, no one will deny that having such a teammate is completely trustworthy.
The vote begins, and with only a few jesters casting opposing votes, the new Bruce Wayne is admitted into the organization with a high vote count. Then, the atmosphere becomes solemn.
Everyone knew that the real show was about the last two candidates: Arthur, who had already been exposed in future videos as becoming the terrifying Joker, and Harry Osborn, who was also suspected of turning into a villain. Even though it seemed both had reformed, the majority still felt they shouldn't be recruited into the organization.
Peter Parker spoke up first, as it was he who had suggested these two candidates. He affirmed Arthur first, "I can feel that Mr. Arthur has truly changed. He won't become the Joker again, which is good for him and for all of us. After their futures were exposed, people labelled them as villains. They need trust and companions!"
Tony supported him again, rubbing his chin and saying, "Peter has a point. They have the potential and suspicion to become villains, so they should be given a chance to reform, and we can keep an eye on them."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying we can't keep an eye on them if they don't join the organization?"
What a joke. He had already been secretly making plans against Arthur and Harry, with all the corresponding surveillance measures ready to go.
Tony chuckled, "Bruce, I know you've always been watching them, like Loki, but the question is, do you know where Loki is now, what he's doing? No, you don't. So, it's better to bring them in and keep them under our watch. That's better for everyone."
Bruce, with his penchant for spying on others, was well-understood by the superheroes present.
Steve coughed twice, interrupting their argument and directly starting the voting, but the vote ended inconclusively due to some unexpected developments.