"Hey guys, what's up today?"
Early in the morning, Peter Parker arrived at Luke's place, pushed open the door, and greeted him.
"You're here. Come on, I'll take you somewhere." Luke put down the data chip he was fiddling with, stood up, and grinned.
"Alright!"
Luke had called Spider-Man over for something important today.
He had decided to reveal some of his secrets to Peter.
This was a decision he had weighed for a long time. After all, no secret could be kept forever.
Compared to the unreliable Tony, Spider-Man was still someone he could trust.
In fact, Luke already saw Peter as a younger brother. He planned to subtly let Peter accept the real him, laying the foundation for their future.
Little Spider, don't join the Avengers. Stick with me—I promise you'll have all the food, gear, and girls you want!
They skated along the street, with Luke leading the way. Soon, they arrived at a secret warehouse.
Luke took out a key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
The moment Peter stepped inside, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
The massive lathe in the room had an automated robotic arm processing a metal plate. An electric forging furnace nearby was filled with molten steel, bubbling like lava. Several computers displayed dense streams of data, and countless cables crisscrossed the ground.
For a second, Peter felt like he had stepped into his Uncle Ben's old workshop—if Uncle Ben had been a genius engineer with a secret lab.
"Where is this place?"
Before he could finish asking, his eyes landed on something in the corner.
A sleek, silver-white mecha stood quietly in the dim light.
His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He knew this mecha!
The internet had been exploding for days with footage from the Monaco Grand Prix and a highway battle in France.
Tied with Iron Man?!
The silver mecha had become an instant sensation. Some called it the "White Meteor" because of its insane speed—rumors even said it was faster than a French fighter jet, maybe even a rocket! Others called it "Apostle," a name that had quickly become legendary among superhero fans—right up there with Iron Man himself.
And Peter Parker was one of those fans.
Sure, he'd always been an Iron Man fanboy. But the moment Apostle appeared, he was hooked.
Compared to Iron Man's suit, this was a true mecha—with its massive frame, fluid combat moves, and that badass orange energy shield.
Iron Man had a battle suit.
But this? This was a goddamn war machine.
As a new mecha fan, Peter couldn't contain his excitement. His idol was standing right in front of him.
"Cool…"
That word didn't even begin to cover what he was feeling.
"L-Luke… you're not telling me this is the 'Apostle,' right? It looks just like it…"
Luke simply smiled and walked up to the mecha. He climbed into the cockpit, closed the hatch, and powered it up.
Flames blasted from its feet, lifting it smoothly into the air. After circling the warehouse a few times, Luke activated the telekinetic energy shield.
Peter was speechless.
That shield was Apostle's signature move. Even Iron Man didn't have anything like it.
There was no doubt about it.
Luke… was the Apostle.
But Peter wasn't scared. He wasn't nervous.
He was freaking hyped.
His best friend was a legendary mecha pilot. His instincts had been right all along.
All the weird, secretive stuff Luke did finally made sense.
The only thing he hadn't expected… was that Luke was this badass.
Luke landed the mecha with a soft thud. Before Peter could even process everything, he blurted out, "Dude, this is so freaking cool!! This is the best thing I've ever seen in my life! Can I touch it?"
Luke chuckled through the speakers. "Go ahead."
Peter eagerly reached out and ran his fingers across the metal surface. It was cool to the touch. He circled the mecha, admiring every inch of it.
"Man, this is insane! I can't even put it into words…"
Luke, still seated inside, smirked. Things were going well.
Spider-Man was on board.
With Peter by his side, Luke knew he could pull off some serious stunts in the future.
Peter was practically shaking with excitement. "Bro, you just told me the biggest secret ever… I don't even know how to—"
"I get it," Luke interrupted with a grin. He stepped out of the mech and clapped a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Just keep this between us."
"You got it! Not even Uncle Ben or Aunt May will hear a word!" Peter puffed out his chest, his expression serious.
"Good man!" Luke patted him again.
[System Notification: Peter Parker's Favorability +35]
Luke grinned.
Peter's favorability had hit 95—just a little more, and he could unlock a Spider-Man skill.
He was especially looking forward to Spider-Sense—that ability would be a game changer.
While Peter continued admiring the mecha, his eyes landed on something else.
Inside a nearby fish tank… was an octopus.
A weird-looking octopus.
Before Peter could question it, the octopus opened one eye and stared right at him.
Peter jumped back in shock.
"The hell?! That thing just looked at me!"
The octopus blinked lazily and muttered, "What're you staring at, kid? Never seen an octopus this handsome?"
Peter's jaw dropped.
"D-D-Did that thing just TALK?!"
Luke scratched his face and shrugged. "Yeah… Ross is a little special."
Peter, to his credit, recovered quickly. His curiosity took over, and he leaned toward the tank.
"Uh… Mr. Octopus? Hi there…"
Ross yawned and muttered, "I'll remember you." Then he shut his eyes and went back to sleep.
Peter turned to Luke, confused. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing. It just means he knows who you are."
Luke wasn't sure why, but lately, Ross had been a lot quieter. He mostly napped in his tank instead of his usual non-stop chatter.
Peter just shrugged it off.
"Alright, man, let's get to work," Luke said, changing the subject.
He planned to take Peter to finish painting the old food truck he had restored. Once the paint dried, it'd be good to go by next week.
When Peter saw the beat-up food truck parked outside, he couldn't believe his eyes.
The two of them grabbed paint buckets and got to work.
Peter suggested some design ideas, which Luke happily accepted. Damn, the guy really did have perfect hands.
They spent the whole morning working, laughing, and having a great time.
---
Later that evening…
Luke walked down the street alone.
Peter had left at noon. They had finished painting the truck, and now it looked brand new.
Luke had spent the rest of the day in the warehouse, making final preparations for the G-0 War Lord.
Tony had already received the $5 million advance payment. Per Luke's instructions, Christina had deposited the money in a Swiss bank account and was transferring it out in small batches to buy raw materials.
As Luke walked, lost in thought, a loud engine roar suddenly echoed behind him.
He turned around.
A car was speeding straight at him!
Luke's instincts kicked in. He leaped out of the way, rolling onto the grass.
As he got up and turned toward the car, his eyes widened in shock.
No way…
Behind the wheel was…
Natasha Romanoff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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