Peter knocked on the door nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. The door creaked open, revealing a warm-looking woman with a kind smile.
"Hello," Peter began, flashing an awkward grin. "I'm Peter Parker, Ben's friend."
The woman smiled. "Oh, of course! Come in, Peter. Ben's upstairs in his room."
"Thank you, ma'am," Peter said, stepping inside.
As he climbed the stairs, he could hear the faint scratch of a pencil on paper. Pushing the door open, Peter found Ben hunched over a desk, surrounded by scattered papers filled with detailed sketches.
Ben looked up from his work and grinned. "Oh, you came at just the right time! Check this out."
Peter moved closer to the desk and picked up one of the sheets. The drawing depicted a vivid scene of heroes and villains, locked in an intense battle.
"Wow," Peter said, genuinely impressed. "These are incredible. Are these from the story you gave Ned and me to read?"
Ben nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Yep. I've been working on some new ideas for the comic. What do you think of the sketches?"
Peter studied the artwork. "They're amazing. You've got serious talent, Ben."
Ben chuckled. "Thanks. But I didn't call you here just to show off my drawings."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you?"
Ben leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "We've got a problem, Peter. People are trying to investigate us—our identities."
Peter frowned. "That's nothing new. I've been dodging reporters and curious people for weeks."
Ben shook his head. "This isn't the same. These aren't just random reporters or curious kids. These are government organizations—hidden ones. If it weren't for my AI, Baymax, they'd have already identified you by now."
Peter's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Government organizations? How do you even know this?"
Ben tapped a small device on his desk. "Baymax has been intercepting their attempts to trace us. They've been digging deep, Peter—real deep. But I've been erasing every trace they could use to connect us to our identities."
Peter sat down, his face pale. "This is insane. You're saying the government is actively trying to figure out who we are?"
Ben nodded. "Peter, the world isn't what it seems. There are people out there with powers, abilities—like us—but they're hiding. Some of them are working in secret, protected by the government. Others are off the grid entirely."
Peter ran a hand through his hair. "So what does this mean for us? Are you saying I should stop being Spider-Man?"
Ben shook his head firmly. "No. That's not what I'm saying at all. The world needs Spider-Man. What I'm saying is we need to be smarter about this. Always stay two steps ahead of everyone else. If they find out who we are, it won't just be us in danger—it'll be our families."
Peter's gaze dropped to the floor as the weight of Ben's words sank in. "So what do we do?"
Ben leaned back in his chair, tapping his temple thoughtfully. "We need to ensure our safety. That means tech—better tech. We need to research, build, and stay ahead of anyone trying to track us. And for that, we'll need resources. Money."
Peter looked skeptical. "Money? Ben, I can barely afford web fluid for my shooters."
Ben smirked. "That's where I come in. I've been working on some ideas—things we can sell, apps we can create. We don't need to be billionaires, but we need enough to stay independent."
Peter hesitated. "So you're saying we turn into tech developers?"
Ben shrugged. "Sort of. Look, Peter, I'm not saying we stop being heroes. I'm saying we prepare for the long game. If we're going to keep doing this, we need to protect ourselves and the people we care about. The world isn't going to make it easy for us."
Peter thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. We can't let anyone find out who we are. But how do we make sure we stay ahead?"
Ben grinned. "Leave that part to me. With Baymax and the Omnitrix, we've got all the tools we need. Now, let's make a plan."
Ben walked to his desk and picked up a spherical object, holding it carefully in his hand. The metallic surface gleamed under the soft light of his room.
"You see this little baby?" Ben said, holding it up for Peter to see. "This is Baymax's primary server. It's where he stores and computes all his data."
Peter leaned in, studying the object with curiosity. "That small ball is Baymax's entire server? How does that even work?"
Ben smirked. "Yup. All of Baymax's processing power, storage, and computational abilities are packed into this. It's compact, efficient, and ridiculously powerful. Unlike those giant server farms that companies spend millions on, this baby doesn't need a massive room or an insane power supply."
Peter's eyebrows shot up. "So, what's your plan with it?"
Ben's grin widened. "I plan to make more of these. Imagine a network of compact, energy-efficient servers like this. It'll revolutionize everything. While companies are burning cash to buy and maintain massive servers, we'll be light-years ahead. But that's just step one."
Peter tilted his head. "Step one? What's step two?"
Ben placed the sphere back on the desk and turned to Peter. "Step two is creating two social media apps. The first one will be called Twitter, and the second one will be Instagram."
Peter frowned. "Those are...interesting names. What's the idea behind them?"
Ben crossed his arms, leaning against the desk. "Twitter will be a platform for freedom of speech. People can write about their thoughts, daily events, or pretty much anything they want to share. It'll be all about words and ideas. Instagram, on the other hand, will focus on sharing memories—photos and videos. A place where people can visually connect with each other."
Peter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Those actually sound like solid ideas. But why do you need my help? Isn't Baymax smart enough to handle all of this?"
Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Baymax can build the apps, sure. But there's a catch. Baymax doesn't have enough data to work with. It needs real-world examples, references, and user behavior patterns to design something that people will actually use. Without that data, the apps will be clunky and full of errors."
Peter nodded slowly. "So, you're saying Baymax can't create something completely original without a reference point?"
"Exactly," Ben replied. "It's like trying to draw a masterpiece without ever seeing a painting before. Baymax needs data, and unfortunately, our current internet isn't advanced enough to provide what it needs."
Peter crossed his arms. "Okay, I get it. But where do I come in?"
Ben leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I need your help to gather that data. You're a genius, Peter. Between our coding skills and my tech, we can create something that no one's ever seen before. We'll build the apps from the ground up, test them, and refine them until they're perfect."
Peter hesitated. "Ben, this sounds...huge. Like, way bigger than anything I've done before.
Ben placed a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm not asking you to do it alone. Baymax and I will handle the heavy lifting. I just need your help to speed up the process . Together, we'll make something incredible."
Peter sighed, but a small smile crept onto his face. "Alright, I'm in. But don't blame me if I accidentally mess something up."
Ben laughed. "Don't worry. Baymax can fix your mistakes faster than you can make them."
The two spent the next hour discussing their plans. Ben explained how he intended to structure the apps, outlining features like timelines, hashtags, photo filters, and user profiles. Peter contributed ideas for improving user experience and ensuring the platforms were secure.
"We'll need servers to handle the traffic," Peter said.
Ben tapped the spherical object on his desk. "Already working on it. With enough of these, we'll have a network that can handle anything."
Peter shook his head, a mix of amusement and admiration in his expression. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"
Ben nodded. "This isn't just about the apps, Peter. It's about building something bigger—something that will give us the resources to stay ahead of anyone trying to come after us."
Peter extended a hand. "Alright, partner. Let's do this."
Ben clasped his hand, his grin widening. "Let's change the world."