"Have you received your internship driving license yet? Does that mean we can soon take off in my dad's car to the beach?"
In a small coffee shop by the Central District Shopping Street, Gwen slowly stirred her coffee with a spoon. Across her, peter said, "My uncle didn't have time. He recently found a shadow in his lungs at the hospital, but thankfully, it's just a case of minor inflammation. You know, he smoked when he was younger..."
"Of course, their generation is just like that. My dad too. Every time his coat smells of smoke, my mom would have an argument with him."
"Although I have my internship driving license, my uncle doesn't have time. Without a supervising adult, I can't drive on my own. I haven't even driven a car yet." Peter shrugged.
"In fact, I don't really know how to drive. The internship license just requires a written test, I can just barely start the car, as for how to drive..." Peter shook his head.
"I don't even know when I'll pass the road test. I hardly even ride in cars, let alone drive one."
The Parker family has only one old pickup truck for his uncle's commute. When Peter goes to Stark Industries for his internship, he swings from building to building with his spider silk.
In America, people Peter's age can only get internship licenses, which only require a written test. But if he wants to drive on his own, he must pass the road test. Peter hasn't even touched a car, even if he is a genius, it is impossible to conjure skills from nowhere. Passing the road test seems far off into the future.
Gwen sensed the disappointment in Peter's voice, so she changes the subject.
"I heard that the Stark Group has given you a hefty amount of money as an internship fee, and they are planning to hire you in the future?"
"Yes, although I told my Uncle and Aunt, they agreed to pay for my college tuition. But the expensive fees of some top-notch universities scare them. They want to save up all their money in case of any unforeseen circumstance."
"I think this is good as well. Sometimes, I feel like they are worrying too much. But when actual disasters strike, I realize that their worries are not unreasonable." Gwen said, her kindness and understanding always made Peter feel like he didn't deserve her.
"If your uncle can't accompany you to practice driving, doesn't he have any friends? Or do you have any other available elders?"
Peter thought about it. He said, "You reminded me, I do indeed have a few options..."
The next day, in the living room of a mental clinic, Peter said: "...It's like this, I think I need to touch the car first before taking the driving test"
Shiller startled a bit, thinking that it was not too much to ask. Given Peter's level of genius, he should learn everything after only a short round of driving.
So he said: "No problem, I'd be happy to help. I will drive first for a round, you can watch from aside. And then it's your turn. You could learn it all in an afternoon."
A few minutes later, Shiller was sitting in the driver's seat, pulling out a booklet from somewhere. He adjusted the steering wheel while reading the booklet, saying: "Let me see, the part about turning and merging... oh, here it is! Wait, isn't this rule quite weird?"
Pikachu and Peter were sitting in the passenger seat, Pikachu said: "I bet he didn't even glance over the New York Driver's Manual before he took the test."
"Isn't that obvious already?" said Peter.
"Then why didn't you wonder how exactly he passed the test?"
Peter stiffly stared forward, saying: "As long as I don't think about that, I feel safe for the moment."
Not long after, Peter and Shiller were standing by the car, shivering in the cold wind of early winter in New York.
Shiller was on the phone, saying: "Hello? Insurance company? I have just sent you the location information...oh, it's not serious, there's a scrape on the vehicle side..."
Then, he covered the mic, raising his voice to the owner of the white Audi beside him, shouting: "Shut up!! It's all your fault! Haven't you read the New York Driver's Manual? I was driving straight, you cannot..."
Twenty minutes later, a flashy red supercar pulled up on the scene of the accident. Stark was sitting inside, wearing sunglasses. He waved at Peter, saying: "Let's go! Your Uncle Tony will show you the scenic coastlines of New York!"
Then, he gave a disdainful snort, saying: "You should have come to me in the first place. Look at the doctor here, does he seem like a real race car driver? I bet he has never driven a car over 100 miles per hour in his life..."
Peter looked back at Shiller, who was still on the phone with the insurance company, gripped Pikachu, and got into Stark's sports car.
Before long, Pikachu was clasping his ears tightly, yelling at Peter against the wind: "Why on earth is he!!!!! Speeding!!!!! With the top down?!!!!!!"
"How am I supposed to know!!!!!!!" Peter yelled back.
"This is called!!! Fast and Furious!!!!!! Understand?!!!!!!" Stark joined in on the yelling.
A few minutes later, the sports car pulled over, and Stark fumbled out a small booklet from somewhere, muttering to himself: "Damn ... how do you put the top up again? I've hardly ever driven a car manually.... No, no, no, Jarvis, I don't need your help....."
"Let me see ... ah, here it is! What? The Vehicle Intelligent Management System??? Why does it have to be a 'smart' system again??? I want to drive manually! This is a teaching session, get it??? Isn't there a button or something??? "
Twenty minutes later, Steve met them on the side of the road. Peter's hair was blown into a bird's nest by the wind. Pikachu was busy straightening his knotted fur, complaining: "I should never have believed your nonsense about going for a drive! I'm just a rat, I don't need to learn to drive, why did I even come out with you?"
Peter comforted him, "Don't worry, Captain America will definitely not be as unreliable as they are!"
Indeed, Steve drove up in an unremarkable black Cadillac. Once Peter got in, Steve started the car with familiar ease. At least he didn't pull out a booklet to read while driving. Peter let out a sigh of relief.
But soon, he was no longer laughing. Steve was driving faster and faster. He didn't slow down for turns, and each drift left black tire marks on the road. Peter kept being slammed against the car door, and Pikachu, who he was holding, nearly flew out the window.
Then, approaching a speed bump, Steve didn't slow down at all. As Peter and Pikachu watched in horror, the car charged straight over it. The front wheels hit the speed bump and the whole front end of the car bounced up harshly.
Steve was relentless, the car all but flying over the speed bump. Peter was lifted right off his seat, his head smacking into the roof. When he landed, his back hit the seat, and he cried out: "Oh!!! My back!!!"
By this point, Pikachu was stuck to the windshield.
Still driving ruthlessly, Steve looked at Peter's miserable state and laughed, "The suspension system in this car is advanced. Back when I drove on battlefields, my arms and legs would bruise after just 20 kilometers..."
"There's always a learning process when learning to drive. Speed bumps on roads are much better than spike traps and anti-ram obstacles on the battlefield, right?"
Twenty minutes later, Coulson picked up Steve and Peter in a S.H.I.E.L.D. car. Steve complained, "I take back what I said about liking this car. What a piece of junk, why did it stall?"
Coulson said, "Captain, even if you are Captain America, you can't drive without a license and speed on New York's main roads..."
"Damn license-less driving, how could I not have a driver's license?!"
"Licenses from before 1940 don't count."
Steve pursed his lips and said, "Alright, but at least I didn't speed."
"Traffic regulations from before 1940 also don't count."
Pikachu gloomily said, sitting in Peter's arms, "….you really know how to make friends."
Peter likewise dejectedly said, "I thought at least one of them would be reliable."
"That was just what you thought."
Turning to Peter, Coulson asked, "So you're trying to get a driver's license? Why didn't you call us? S.H.I.E.L.D. can bypass DMV and issue you an official license. We do have that power."
Peter said, "If you'd told me that earlier today, I would have been overjoyed to have you print an official license for me on the spot."
"But after today, I've learned my lesson. I'll take my time practicing. Before I start driving, I'll memorize the driver's manual and the car's instruction book, and then I'll renew my license information every year."
Coulson seemed quite surprised. He looked at Peter appreciatively and said, "There aren't many young people who act uprightly and don't seek special privileges like you."
Peter, exhausted, replied, "That's probably because I really know how to make friends."