Peter B laughed at my ideas and said, "So you're saying we should teach this kid how to be Spider-Man?" He pointed at Miles.
Miles, confused, pointed at himself as if asking me for confirmation.
I looked at Peter B and said, "Yeah, we have to teach him."
Peter B laughed again, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? This kid?"
I looked at him seriously, my expression firm. "Yes, we are going to teach him."
Peter B's laughter subsided as he realized I was serious. "So, you're dead serious? I thought you were joking."
"I'm serious," I said, my voice steady.
Peter B suddenly laughed again. "You're a funny guy, Michael. You want to teach this kid to be Spider-Man when you know Spider-Man is nothing but misery."
He turned to Miles and said, "If I were you, little one, I'd think about going back to being a normal guy."
Miles shook his head, his determination clear. "No, I can't. Peter Parker wants me to stop the collider."
Miles then pulled something out of his pocket and said, "This... he gave this to me because he wants me to finish it off." He pointed to a key that he held tightly in his hand.
Peter B's expression softened as he looked at the key. "That's the goober," he said, using the slang term for the device.
Miles, puzzled, responded, "Goober? He said it's an override key."
Peter B nodded, a smirk forming on his face. "Well, there are many types of keys: a bypass key, a virus key, a who-cares key. I can never remember, so I always call it a goober."
Miles looked at the key in his hand, then back at us, still processing everything.
"Alright," I said, breaking the brief silence. "Regardless of what we call it, that key is crucial. We need to make sure it's used properly."
Peter B glanced at me, his expression a mix of annoyance and seriousness. "So, we're really doing this, huh?"
"Yes, we are," I confirmed. "Miles needs to be ready. We can't afford any mistakes."
Peter B said, "We can do this without Miles. We can stop it ourselves."
Suddenly, Peter B started glitching, clutching his chest in pain. "Aurg! Aurg!" he groaned, before the glitching stopped.
I looked at Peter B, who was panting heavily, and said, "Seriously, you want to stop it in your current state? You're glitching because you're in the wrong dimension."
Peter B, still catching his breath, replied, "Okay, okay, I get it. Damn, it's like having diarrhea from eating expired Chinese food."
He looked at me, puzzled. "But how are you fine?"
I glanced at myself, realizing I wasn't affected. "Yeah, now that you mention it, maybe it's because I'm me?"
A voice from my system chimed in my mind, "Host, it's because you weren't bitten by a radioactive spider. You're different from them."
I responded internally, "I know, that's the reason I came up with for not being affected by this dimensional thing."
Peter B interrupted my thoughts, "Me? Wh-what does that even mean?"
I looked at him, trying to simplify. "It's complicated, but let's get back to the topic. We're going to teach Miles, and that's final."
Peter B sighed, rubbing his neck. "Fine," he conceded. Then, he turned to Miles, a hint of a annoyance on his face. "Alright, kid. Looks like you're in for some training."
Miles looked between us, his eyes wide with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Training?"
"Yeah," I said, smiling reassuringly. "We'll show you the ropes. You'll learn everything you need to know about being Spider-Man."
Miles stood a little straighter, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Let's do this."
However, Peter B interjected with his doubts. "This is a bad idea," he remarked, his tone tinged with skepticism.
I turned to Peter B, addressing his concerns head-on. "And yet you agree with me. Maybe it's because you feel guilty about not helping a kid save his world," I suggested, probing gently.
Peter B scoffed, attempting to brush off the accusation. "No. No, it's not..." he started, but his muttering revealed his inner conflict. "No! No! No! Do not let him win!"
After a moment, Peter B reluctantly conceded, meeting my gaze with a begrudging acceptance. "Fine. You win. I do feel guilty," he admitted, his admission hanging in the air.
I grinned slightly at Peter B's reluctant agreement before redirecting my attention to Miles, getting back on track. "Miles, give me the override key. I need to it check if it's broken," I requested, extending my hand.
Miles handed it over, looking nervous. "Oh, here. I give it to you."
As I scanned the key, my suspicions were confirmed – it was indeed broken, further complicating our mission and adding urgency to our plans.
Peter B peered over at the key, his brow furrowing. "It's broken?"
He turned to Miles, raising an eyebrow. "Did you break this?"
Miles shook his head, looking confused and a bit defensive. "No, it broke... well, I don't remember what happened."
Peter sighed deeply, a mixture of annoyance and resignation evident as he rubbed his temples. "See, this is why I never had kids," he muttered, a hint of humor in his exasperation.
Miles looked at me, hope in his eyes. "Can't we make another one?"
I nodded, speaking more gently. "Well, we have to re-steal what your guy stole from Alchemax," I explained, pointing at the broken key. "And make another one of these."
Peter B nodded, his expression turning serious as he processed the plan. "That's a good point. That's what I thought too."
In my thoughts, I chuckled. "Well, it's your line from the Spider-Verse. I just copied it."
Peter B raised an eyebrow at me, catching my amusement. "What's so funny?"
I just smiled, brushing it off. "Nothing, just thinking ahead. Alright, Miles, let's get to work. We've got a lot to do."
Miles nodded, determination replacing his earlier confusion. "Okay, Lets do this.
Peter B looked at us, sighed, and said, "Come on, we don't have a second to lose."
But then, clutching his stomach, he added, "But first, let's eat."
I couldn't help but laugh at the sudden change in priorities, agreeing wholeheartedly, "Yeah, let's eat."
Before we headed to the fast food restaurant, I said, "Hero off." Suddenly, my Spider-suit retracted, transforming into a sleek watch on my wrist.
Peter B's eyes widened in astonishment. "Whoa, I don't have this kind of technology. All I have is this spandex I wear every day and every night."
Miles looked at Peter B, his expression a mix of disbelief and mild disgust.
Peter B noticed and defensively added, "Hey, I wash my suit too. Well, not every time, but I wash it!"
Miles sighed then turned to me, his eyes wide with excitement. "It's so cool, man. Your suit, like, when you say 'hero off,' it just...damn."
I laughed at their reactions. "hahahaah, let's go. We can't afford to waste time."
With that, we made our way to the fast-food restaurant, eager to eat some food to have some energy before tackling our mission.
Afterward, we found ourselves in a fast-food restaurant, enjoying a brief but much-needed break. Peter B, Miles, and I sat around a small table, savoring our meals.
Peter B, biting into his burger, declared, "Mmm. I love this burger. So delicious." He took another bite and continued, "One of the best burgers I've ever had."
I nodded in agreement. "This is indeed delicious."
Peter B looked at us with a nostalgic smile. "In my universe, this place closed six years ago." He licked his fingers and added, "Hmm. I don't know why. I really don't."
As we continued eating, a server approached us with the bill. "This is your bill."
Peter B looked at us and said, "Do you have money? Because I'm not very liquid right now."
I glanced at Peter and said, "I'll pay for all of us." I discreetly summoned my wallet from my inventory into my hand, making sure they didn't notice.
Miles, looking a bit annoyed, said to Peter B, "Can we focus?"
Peter B, eyeing Miles' uneaten burger, asked, "You gonna eat that?" Without waiting for a response, he grabbed it and took a big bite.
Miles stared at him, his face expressing disbelief.
Peter B, noticing Miles' reaction, said, "I'm listening. Okay?"
Miles sighed and asked, "So, what's our training for today? I mean, got any Spider-Man tips you both can tell me now?"
I began to respond, "W—" but Peter B interjected.
"Yeah, I got plenty," he said. "Disinfect the mask. You're gonna wanna use baby powder in the suit, heavy on the joints. You don't want any chafing, right?" He continued talking through bites of his burger.
I looked at Peter B and asked, "Anything else?"
Peter B shrugged. "Nope, that was everything."
I shot Peter B a skeptical look. "Seriously? That's all you've got?"
He smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I couldn't help but chuckle at his laid-back attitude. "Fair point, I guess."
Miles turned to Peter B and said, "I think you're gonna be a bad teacher." Then, looking at me, he asked, "How about you, Michael? Any tips?"
I met Miles' eyes and said, "Look up where Alchemax is."
Miles pulled out his phone and searched for Alchemax. As he did, Peter B, without missing a beat, kept devouring his burger like it held the secrets of the universe.
As the location appeared on Miles' screen, I leaned in and shared the information. "A private technological campus in Hudson Valley, New York," I said with a smile, "I can teach you to swing on the way there."
Miles' eyes lit up. "Really?"
I smiled and nodded. "Yep, really."
Peter B interrupted, "Hello... excuse me, I'm not swinging to the Hudson Valley. Not after a hearty burger breakfast."
I sighed and said, "Let's go."
With that, the three of us took a bus. As we settled into our seats, Peter B looked at Miles and said, "Keep your legs fresh. You're gonna thank me later."
Miles nodded, taking Peter B's advice seriously. I chuckled at their exchange, appreciating the camaraderie forming between us.
After a while, we arrived at a secluded spot, perfect for Miles to train and conveniently close to Alchemax. Peter B and Miles began to prepare themselves for the training session. I decided to show them something special.
"Hero on," I said, activating my watch, which transformed me into Spider-Man right before their eyes.
Peter B and Miles watched in awe as the transformation unfolded.
Miles couldn't contain his excitement. "Whoa, when you do it the second time, it's even cooler! I wish I had that kind of suit," he exclaimed, marveling at the sight.
Peter B added, "How did you... have this kind of stuff?"
I smiled and explained, "Well, my universe is advanced, and I created this."
Miles' eyes widened. "Really? You created this?"
I nodded, smiling. "Yep." In my thoughts, I acknowledged, "Well, I didn't create it myself; it was the system that did. But technically, it's mine, so yeah, I still know how to create it."
Miles interjected, "Can you create me this kind of suit?"
I looked at Miles and said, "Yep, don't worry."
Peter B, looking hopeful, asked, "Um... can I have one too?"
I laughed and replied, "You can have one too."
I looked at them both and said, "Now, be ready. We can't waste more time."
Both nodded and then got ready, putting on their suits. Miles' suit was simple for now, the kind you could find in a store.
Peter B noticed Miles wearing a cape. He immediately took it off and said, "And it's a no on the cape."
Miles looked disappointed but said, "I think it's cool."
Peter B shook his head. "Nope. Take that off. It's disrespectful. Spider-Man doesn't wear a cape."
I laughed at their interaction and said, "Let's do this."
Peter B and Miles nodded, determination evident on their faces. We were ready to begin Miles' training and head towards Alchemax. The journey ahead was challenging, but we were prepared to face it together.
To be continued