Tony frowned as Peter failed to shoot his spider web yet again. His concern deepened, and he turned away from the Screen. "Jarvis, are you absolutely sure Peter Parker is okay?" he asked.
"Sir, through analyzing Peter Parker's body movements and facial expressions, he is no different from before and does not show any physical abnormalities." Jarvis compared it over and over again many times to make sure there was no problem.
At that moment, Nick Fury entered the room, having overheard Tony's question. Tony opened the door wider, letting him in.
Fury wasted no time. "Our analysis suggests Peter Parker's powers are failing due to extreme psychological stress," he said. "Mary Jane has had a significant impact on him. If he can't reconcile his identity as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, his powers may continue to fail, possibly permanently."
Tony sighed, pouring himself a drink. "That's terrible news. What's the solution?" he asked, eyeing Fury over his glass.
"Three options," Fury replied evenly. "One: Give up being Spider-Man, follow his heart, and pursue Mary Jane. Two: Sever all ties with her and fully embrace Spider-Man's responsibilities. Or three: Reveal his identity to Mary Jane and hope it resolves his inner conflict. If he tries to hold onto both without making a choice, he risks losing everything."
"Classic Parker," Tony muttered, shaking his head. "No money, no time, no balance. He's late for everything—work, school, and relationships. Being Spider-Man eats up all his time."
Fury nodded. "Our psychologists also suggest Peter may eventually abandon Spider-Man altogether to live a normal life—attending school, working a steady job, and pursuing Mary Jane."
Tony drained his glass. "With great power comes great responsibility," he murmured. "But if Peter loses his powers, maybe he won't have to bear that weight anymore."
Fury crossed his arms. "It's not that simple. Responsibility doesn't vanish with power."
"Let's put a pin in it," Tony said, pouring another drink. "Peter's choices are his to make. Now, what did you want to talk about?"
[On the Screen, gold coins spilled from the bag Peter had caught. One coin rolled to the feet of the loan officer, who picked it up and tried to pocket it discreetly. Aunt May noticed and slapped his hand. "Ouch!" the man yelped, dropping the coin loudly onto the floor.]
"The audacity!" the bank president exclaimed, watching the chaos unfold. "Fire him immediately!" That employee was promptly dismissed by the end of the day.
[Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus grabbed Peter with his tentacles, his voice seething with rage. "You've made me angry, Spider-Man!"
Peter stared back defiantly. "I specialize in catching bad guys."
"Then you're dead!" Otto growled, clamping Peter's head between two of his tentacles. Peter groaned in pain, his vision blurring.]
[The intense pain triggered Peter's powers to return. With a surge of strength, he shot webbing from both hands, yanking tables on either side of him. The tables flew toward Otto, forcing him to release Peter.]
[Otto used his tentacles to block one table, tearing it apart. But the second table struck him full force, knocking him out of the bank and into a taxi idling at a red light. The tentacles absorbed much of the impact, leaving Otto unharmed.]
[Peter pursued Otto, only for Otto to rip off the taxi's doors and hurl them at him. Peter dodged the first door effortlessly, but Otto anticipated his landing and threw the second door, hitting Peter mid-air. The force sent Peter crashing back into the bank, eliciting gasps from the onlookers.]
[Police cars arrived, sirens blaring. Armed officers confronted Otto, but he reacted instantly, grabbing a hostage from the crowd. To Peter's horror, the hostage was Aunt May.]
[Aunt May screamed and struck the tentacles with her umbrella, but her efforts were futile. The police held their fire, unwilling to risk harming the hostage. Otto, now holding Aunt May and two bags of money, escaped the bank.]
"Oh, God! I must have been so scared!" Aunt May looked at her frightened self on the screen with red eyes. She couldn't believe that she had lost her husband and was being taken hostage. Ben hurried to comfort her.
[Outside, Otto fled through the city, his tentacles carrying him across buildings. Passing a high-rise office, one of his tentacles smashed through the window, startling the employees inside. Aunt May dangled helplessly, her face pale with fear.]
[Peter intercepted Otto, landing squarely on his back. "Leave her to me!" Peter demanded.
Otto smirked wickedly. "No problem!" he replied, lifting Aunt May higher. Just as Peter reached for her, Otto threw her down.
Aunt May's scream echoed through the city as she plummeted toward the ground. Peter shot out a web, catching her just in time and pulling her back like a bungee cord.]
[Otto lunged at Peter, using his tentacles to deliver a brutal blow. Peter reeled but managed to steady himself. Aunt May, meanwhile, swung into the side of a building. Her umbrella caught on a statue, leaving her dangling precariously.]
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