Ben, Peter, and Ben's parents sat in the living room, the television tuned to a news broadcast. The familiar face of J. Jonah Jameson filled the screen, his expression as fiery as his words.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Jameson bellowed, "we've seen geniuses, and then we've seen reckless, hot-headed kids. Today, we're talking about one Ben Tennyson—the so-called genius behind Twitter—who thinks it's appropriate to attack the press! Is this who we want leading the next wave of innovation? A teenager who throws shoes at reporters?!"
Ben's mother sighed, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "Honey, this is getting out of hand. We need to do something before this escalates."
Ben's father leaned forward, his face serious. "He's trying to drag your name through the mud, Ben. You can't ignore this forever."
Peter, sitting beside Ben, frowned. "Jameson's like this with everyone. You should see how he treats Spider-Man."
Ben chuckled dryly. "Yeah, he's consistent, I'll give him that."
His mother shook her head. "This isn't funny, Ben. Your reputation is on the line."
But Ben's face remained calm, even amused. "You don't have to worry. By tomorrow, they won't even remember this."
His parents exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean?" his father asked.
Ben stood, gesturing for Peter to follow him. "I mean, people's attention spans are short. All we have to do is give them something else to talk about. Trust me."
Peter closed the door behind them as they entered Ben's room, where Baymax's holographic interface hummed to life. The walls were covered with sketches, prototypes, and mockups of apps and gadgets.
Ben sat at his desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "Alright, Peter. We've got a PR problem, and I've got a solution."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
Ben smirked, pulling up a file on the hologram. "Instagram. Remember how we planned to launch it a few weeks after Twitter? Well, we're moving up the timeline."
Peter blinked. "You want to launch Instagram... now?"
"Not the full app," Ben clarified. "Just a trailer. Something flashy, something viral. We'll upload it to Twitter and let the world focus on that instead of my shoemanship."
Peter crossed his arms, thinking it over. "A distraction. Makes sense. But do we even have a trailer ready?"
Ben grinned. "Baymax, show the Instagram promo draft."
The hologram shifted, displaying a sleek video clip. It featured vibrant transitions, dynamic text, and eye-catching visuals of people sharing photos, videos, and moments. The tagline at the end read: "Instagram: Your World, Your Story."
Peter's eyes widened. "That's... actually amazing. How long have you been sitting on this?"
Ben shrugged. "Baymax and I whipped it up a while ago. I just didn't think we'd need it so soon."
Ben leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Here's the plan. We upload the trailer to Twitter with a simple caption: 'Something big is coming. Stay tuned.' The curiosity alone will shift the conversation."
Peter nodded. "And when people start talking about Instagram, they'll forget about the shoe incident."
"Exactly," Ben said, pulling up the Twitter interface. "Baymax, prepare the video for upload. Optimize it for maximum engagement."
"Video optimized," Baymax confirmed. "Ready for upload."
Ben typed a quick caption:
"Your next favorite app is almost here. Stay tuned. #Instagram #ComingSoon"
He clicked "Tweet," and the post went live.
Peter leaned over his shoulder. "Now what?"
"Now," Ben said with a smirk, "we wait."
It didn't take long. Within minutes, notifications began pouring in. Likes, retweets, and comments flooded the post, and the hashtags #Instagram and #ComingSoon started trending.
Peter whistled. "That's fast. People are eating this up."
Ben grinned. "Told you. People love new things. By tomorrow morning, every tech blog and news outlet will be talking about Instagram, not me."
Ben and Peter returned to the living room, where his parents were still discussing the situation.
"Did you figure something out?" his father asked.
Ben nodded. "Handled. Just watch the news tomorrow. You'll see."
His mother looked skeptical. "Are you sure, Ben? This seems like a lot to gamble on."
Ben smiled confidently. "Trust me, Mom. I know how people think."
As predicted, the following day brought a completely different media storm. News channels, websites, and social media were buzzing about the Instagram trailer.
On one channel, a tech analyst exclaimed, "The team behind Twitter is at it again! Their next app, Instagram, promises to change the way we share our lives online. This could be the biggest innovation since, well, Twitter!"
Even Jameson begrudgingly mentioned it on his show. "Now, I'm not one to praise these kids, but it seems they've got another app up their sleeves. Instagram, huh? Let's just hope it's not as reckless as their CEO."
Ben's father turned to him with an impressed look. "I don't know how you did it, but you were right. They've completely forgotten about yesterday."
Ben shrugged, hiding a grin. "Told you. People just need something new to talk about."
Peter leaned over. "You're scary good at this, you know that?"
Ben smirked. "It's not about being scary. It's about staying ahead of the curve."
Ben and Peter sat in the backseat of Ben's father's car, scrolling through the flood of tweets and comments about the Instagram trailer. The video had gone viral, and the reactions were pouring in.
Ben chuckled, tilting his phone to show Peter. "Look at this one: 'Instagram looks like it's about to change the game! Can't wait to see what Ben Parker cooks up next.'"
Peter smirked. "Here's another: 'First Twitter, now Instagram? Are these guys even human? Absolute legends.'"
Ben laughed. "I like that one. Oh, this one's good: 'Instagram: Your World, Your Story. Finally, an app that's going to make my boring life look interesting.'"
Peter shook his head, scrolling through his phone. "Not all of them are praise, though. Here's a spicy one: 'Another social media app? Great, just what we need—more ways to pretend our lives are perfect.'"
Ben shrugged. "Haters gonna hate. They'll still download it."
Peter read another comment aloud: 'If Ben Tennyson is behind it, I'm sold. The guy's a genius, even if he does have a shoe-throwing habit.'
Ben snorted. "Hey, I stand by that throw. The reporter deserved it."
Peter chuckled. "Yeah, but now it's a meme. Look at this tweet: 'Ben Tennyson: Inventor, Innovator, Sharpshooter. #ShoeGate.'"
Ben rolled his eyes, though a grin tugged at his lips. "Let them have their fun. The important thing is, Instagram's getting the buzz it needs."
As the car neared the school, the scene outside the gates came into view. Reporters crowded the front entrance, cameras flashing, microphones waving in the air. Several NYPD officers stood in a line, holding the crowd back.
Peter groaned. "Great. It's a circus again."
Ben's father frowned as he slowed the car. "I thought the cops were supposed to keep them off school property."
"They are," Ben said, his tone resigned. "But reporters can be persistent."
The car stopped near the gate, and two officers approached to escort them. As Ben and Peter stepped out, a swarm of questions erupted from the reporters.
"Ben, what inspired the Instagram trailer?"
"Peter, are you involved in the development too?"
"Ben, do you think Instagram will surpass Twitter in popularity?"
One particularly loud reporter shouted, "Ben, how do you respond to claims that you're too young to handle this kind of responsibility?"
Ben stopped, his expression calm but firm. He raised his hand to signal for quiet, and the crowd momentarily hushed.
He smirked slightly, his voice steady as he said, "Instagram: Your World, Your Story. You'll see it soon enough."
Before anyone could ask a follow-up, Ben and Peter moved toward the school entrance, flanked by the officers.
Inside the classroom, the buzz was no less intense. Students crowded around Ben and Peter's desks, firing off questions before they could even sit down.
"Ben, is Instagram really going to be as big as Twitter?"
"Peter, did you help code the app?"
"Can we see the trailer again? I missed it last night!"
Ben held up his hands, laughing. "Alright, alright, calm down! One question at a time."
Gwen leaned on her desk, raising an eyebrow. "What we all really want to know is, when do we get to use it?"
MJ smirked from the seat next to her. "Yeah, Ben. You can't just drop a trailer like that and leave us hanging."
Ben exchanged a glance with Peter, who shrugged as if to say, Why not?
Ben grinned. "Alright, here's the deal. Since you're all my classmates, you'll get early access to Instagram. Think of it as a beta test."
The class erupted in cheers and applause.
"Seriously?" Gwen said, her eyes lighting up. "That's awesome!"
MJ crossed her arms, pretending to be unimpressed. "It better be good, Parker. I've got high standards."
Ben chuckled. "Don't worry, MJ. You'll love it."
Peter added, "Just remember, it's still a test version, so if you find any bugs, let us know."
-------------------------------
As the final bell rang, Ben, Peter, and Ned headed out of the school together. The scene outside was even more chaotic than in the morning. Reporters had pushed past the initial police barriers, their cameras and microphones aimed like weapons.
Ben sighed. "Here we go again."
The trio moved toward Ben's father's car, but the reporters surged forward, breaking through the security line.
"Ben, are you planning to launch Instagram globally or just in the U.S. first?"
"Peter, how do you feel about working with someone as controversial as Ben ?"
"Ben, how does your family feel about all this attention?"
One reporter's voice rose above the rest, dripping with disdain. "Ben, are you using your family's Shaddy reputation to boost your career?"
Ben froze. His jaw tightened, and his face turned red with anger. Without thinking, he slipped off his shoe and hurled it at the reporter, hitting them squarely in the chest.
The crowd gasped, and a murmur rippled through the group.
"Maybe learn some manners next time!" Ben snapped, his voice sharp.
Before he could do anything else, his father appeared, grabbing him by the shoulder. "That's enough, Ben," he said firmly.
Ben's father ushered the boys into the car while security and police pushed the reporters back. The car sped away, leaving the chaos behind.
The ride home was quiet at first, tension hanging in the air.
Ben's father finally broke the silence. "Ben, I know you're frustrated, but you can't let them get to you like that."
Ben crossed his arms, staring out the window. "They crossed the line."
Peter tried to lighten the mood. "At least your aim is good."
Ben smirked slightly. "Yeah, maybe I should join the baseball team."
Ned laughed nervously. "Well, if this whole tech mogul thing doesn't work out, you've got a backup career."
Ben's father sighed but couldn't help a small smile. "Just... try to keep your shoes on next time, alright?"
Ben nodded, his expression softening. "Alright, Dad. I'll try."
As they drove off, the boys began discussing plans for the next phase of Instagram, their determination undeterred by the day's events.
(its only a joke these part of him throwing shoes again is just for fun)