Chapter 130

[Third Person's PoV] 

On a late Friday afternoon…

"I don't understand, why are you making it with your hands? Why aren't you using the spiderbots?" Harry asked.

Peter stopped what he was doing and slowly turned towards him. "This will be my greatest invention–" 

Peter paused, exchanging a glance with Aria before refocusing on Harry. "This will be my second greatest invention yet," he restarted.

"There's no way I'm not doing this manually, and I'm almost done as well. Just have to do the final touches. And aren't you working on something too? Since the KOJ serum, you seem smarter and have been working on a few projects in your own lab."

"Fair," Harry said with a nod.

Peter then returned to concentrating on his project, his tongue subconsciously at the corner of his mouth.

"Alright, their mutual gravitational attraction combined with their orbital motion would keep them from colliding. This balance creates a stable orbit where the centripetal force, pulling them toward each other, is equal to the centrifugal force, pushing them away due to their motion. To maintain this, each core must have the correct velocity to keep a stable orbit; if they move too slowly, they would spiral into each other, and if they move too fast, they would fly apart. They must also stay at a sufficient distance to avoid disruptive tidal forces or other interactions," Peter muttered rapidly to himself.

"There's also the emergency shutdown where if anything happens to the reactor, instead of an explosion, all of its energy would just be safely dispersed—whether someone manages to get it in their hands and crush it or gets through its protective barrier and hits it with projectiles. I've already run all the simulations and made all the calculations. I repeated the calculations 100 times, and if anything was wrong at any point, I reset it until all 100 times gave the same answer," he finished muttering.

Peter took a deep breath. "Aria, summon everyone."

Soon, everyone gathered in Peter's workshop.

"What is it? Is it done?" Gwen asked.

"I'm about to start it. I want everyone to witness it," Peter said with a serious expression.

Felicia leaned against the door with an intrigued expression, Harry smiled as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed, while Gwen and MJ stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

Peter reached from his desk and grabbed a large red button, with an Arc Reactor displayed on the table.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Peter asked, eyeing the red button.

"What if it blows up and we end up dead?" 

Everyone slowly turned and stared at Felicia, who smirked as she leaned on the doorframe.

"Now why would you say that?" Peter shook his head.

"Alright everyone, count down with me," Peter said in excitement.

"3..."

"2, no one's counting, it's just me."

"And 1!" Peter hit the button, and they watched as the Arc Reactor slowly powered up.

They watched in anticipation as two tiny white balls of flame appeared inside the Arc Reactor—one at the top and one at the bottom.

Slowly, both balls of flame began to move in a circle, maintaining a distance from each other as they chased one another. Their spinning speed increased, becoming faster and faster.

Soon, they blurred into a single large circle of light around the Arc Reactor.

It made no noise, but if one paid close attention, they would hear a faint hum as it pulsated with energy.

After a full minute of watching, Peter asked eagerly, "Aria, what are the readings?"

"Readings indicate the Arc Reactor is operating at optimal efficiency with an energy output of 4.5 terawatts and an energy conversion efficiency of 98.7%. The dual-sun configuration is spinning at 150,000 revolutions per minute. The magnetic containment field is stable at 99.9%, with an ambient temperature of 5000 Kelvin. Radiation levels are 0.3 sieverts of gamma radiation, 0.1 sieverts of neutron radiation, and 1.2 sieverts of electromagnetic radiation.

The gravitational force between the two suns measures 1.8 x 10^12 Newtons, maintaining a relative distance of 10 centimeters. Each sun has a mass of 1.2 x 10^4 kilograms and a surface stability of 99.8%. Fluctuations in the magnetic containment field are minimal at ±0.01%, with energy output fluctuating by ±0.02% and rotational speed by ±0.005%. Harmonic oscillations have a frequency of 50 Hz and an amplitude of 0.001 Tesla, while the pulsation frequency is 60 Hz with a variance of 0.5%. All readings are within expected parameters, indicating the reactor is fully operational and stable, with no immediate risks detected."

"Congratulations, Father. You have successfully created a Fusion Reactor," Aria said formally, with a hint of pride in her voice.

"WOOOOOOOOOOH!" Peter celebrated loudly, thrusting his fists into the air. He then picked up Gwen and MJ and gave them each a big kiss before celebrating again.

Everyone grinned as they watched Peter's joyous celebration.

Peter closed his eyes and spread his arms. "I have transcended humanity..."

Gwen patted his back, shaking her head in amusement. "So, what are you planning now that you have basically unlimited energy?"

"Well, for starters, give Aria an upgrade. We already have plans for a quantum computer, but we needed the energy to do it."

"But right now, I'm making this the heart and core of our base," Peter said, carefully holding the reactor like a newborn baby.

They followed Peter through the rooms until they reached a meeting room with a black table and leather chairs. On the wall was a large dull blue spider design, with an empty space in the center. Peter inserted the Fusion Reactor into the design, twisting it until it audibly locked into place.

Light spread through the spider, transforming it from dull to neon blue. The light continued to spread like webs throughout the room and beyond into the base.

The table beeped and a holographic image of New York City appeared above it.

"So, Aria, how is it?" Peter asked.

"Everything is in order. Power has been successfully distributed throughout the entire base," Aria informed him.

"So, who has two thumbs and is the smartest guy around?" Peter said, smirking and wiggling his thumbs at himself. "This guy!"

"He's going to have a big ego about this, isn't he?" Felicia sighed.

Harry, MJ, and Gwen, who had known Peter for a while, nodded with a smile as they watched him brag and celebrate, doing Michael Jackson dances and moonwalks.

Felicia checked her phone and realized the time. "Damn, it's late. My mom doesn't like it when I stay out late. I have to go. See you later, guys."

Peter stopped playing around and asked, "Need me to drop you off?"

"Nah, I sometimes like walking. Thanks for the offer," she said, waving as she left. "Anyways, I'll see you guys tomorrow."

After saying their goodbyes, Felicia left the base. 'I hate lying to them, but I need to clear my head,' she thought to herself.

As she walked home, she thought, 'Although he said not to worry and to take my time, I can't help but feel like there's a timer to make my decision.' Staring up at the moon, she muttered, "I barely even know what I want to do for myself."

Deep in thought, she gained an idea. Seeing no one around, she sneaked into an alleyway and began to jump between the walls before grabbing the ledge of a building and flipping onto the roof.

Landing perfectly, she bowed. "A 10 out of 10 if I don't say so myself," she chuckled to herself. 'I see why Pete likes to make little quips here and there.'

She sat on the roof, staring aimlessly, lost in thought. After a few minutes of swinging her feet, she stood up and effortlessly jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

"Mmhmmmm" 

Hearing the muffled screaming, Felicia turned towards it and saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Up in another alley, a woman was pressed against a wall with a knife to her throat, her mouth covered by a man. She had tears in her eyes as she shook like a leaf.

The woman looked around, trying to call for help, but the man pressed harder, silencing her screams.

Felicia jumped closer and perched on the roof behind the man, 

"Stop squirming you bitch." The man then began to feel her legs up the woman's pencil skirt, "That's the reason you dressed up so provocatively in the first place right? You want to get raped, don't you?" He said with a nasty grin.

The man started to kiss the woman's neck, causing the woman to cry out, "move a muscle and I'll slice your throat. Your body will still be warm for me to have my fun, so don't think I won't do it" 

Felicia froze and started to hyperventilate a bit as she looked at the woman frozen with fear, unable to move. It reminded her of how helpless she felt that night, unable to call anyone for help.

The woman's eyes shifted as the man began to move his hands. She glanced up and saw Felicia looking down at them. When their eyes met, all Felicia saw was a plea for help in the woman's eyes.

Felicia felt her body move on its own. She dropped down on top of the man, wrapped her legs around his neck, moved his arm away from the woman, and flung him towards the brick wall, causing it to crack and dust to fly off.

The man was knocked out, hanging upside down against the wall. Felicia looked at him coldly.

Suddenly, she was tackled into a hug.

"Thank you! Thank you for saving me. I was so scared," the woman cried, clinging to Felicia.

As the woman held onto her, Felicia saw a silhouette of herself clinging to her mother.

"You're my hero," the woman continued, her cries turning into angry shouts as she approached the man and started stomping on him.

"You filthy animal!" she screamed, stomping on the man's groin, causing him to wake up in pain. As he stirred, she grabbed her purse and began beating him with it, venting her frustration.

The man, still in pain, managed to grab her swinging purse and snatch it from her hands. He stood up on wobbly legs, holding his knife threateningly.

Felicia acted swiftly and without emotion. She kicked the knife from his hand and delivered a powerful kick to his chin, followed by another to his chest that broke some of his ribs. He flew backward and crashed into a pile of garbage, knocked out once more.

The woman wiped her tears and looked at Felicia in amazement. "Wow, you're amazing."

She grabbed Felicia's hand. "Is there any way I can repay you?"

Felicia shook her head absentmindedly. "I was just passing by."

"Still... Thank you. Truly. I thought..." The woman choked up, tears welling in her eyes again.

Feeling uncomfortable with the emotions, Felicia said, "Call the cops. Don't worry, he won't wake up for a while." With that, she began to leave the scene.

The woman waved towards Felicia. "Thank you! I'll never forget you!"

Felicia hurried home and locked herself in her room. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the scene in her mind for an hour. Eventually, she climbed out of her window and sat on her rooftop, her silver hair flowing in the night wind.

She thought about everything—her powers, her trauma, her future—when she noticed a glowing figure rapidly approaching. Turning, she saw Peter dressed as Spider-Man swinging around.

Raising an eyebrow, she watched as he passed by and then stopped midair, turning back.

Peter landed on the rooftop and tilted his head in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I should be asking you the same question. Shouldn't you be off building something with your new reactor? What are you doing out?" Felicia asked, looking at him oddly.

Peter looked down, slightly embarrassed, and pressed his index fingers together. "Um... Let's just say there was a mutiny that occurred behind my back."

"You were kicked out because you were bothering everyone," Felicia replied matter-of-factly.

"I was kicked out because I was bothering everyone with my celebration," Peter confirmed with a nod.

Felicia covered her mouth, giggling and shaking her head.

"I mean, can you believe it? All I did was celebrate a bit, and even Aria got annoyed. She suggested I go on patrol to cool off. My own daughter... turned against me."

"Your bragging can be a bit annoying, so I can totally believe it," Felicia teased.

She scooted over and patted the space next to her. "Come sit down."

Peter raised an eyebrow but shrugged and sat next to her, crossing his legs. "Stargazing, I see?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed in confirmation.

There was a comfortable silence between them before Felicia leaned her head on Peter's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked, still staring at the night sky.

Felicia shrugged her shoulders. "Don't really know myself. Just felt like the natural thing to do."

"If MJ or Gwen found us like this, I'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Especially MJ, who's been a bit more possessive recently."

Felicia teased with a smirk, "I won't tell if you won't."

Peter scoffed, causing Felicia to giggle. After her laughter subsided, she let out a small sigh.

There was a brief pause before she said, "I saved someone today, you know."

"Really?" Felicia, still leaning on Peter, nodded. "Yup, walking home I heard muffled screaming and went to check it out. A woman was about to be raped."

Peter turned his head to look at her but remained silent, letting her continue.

"I'm not proud of it, but I froze. I saw myself in that woman, how helpless she was, unable to escape or defend herself."

"When she looked at me, all I saw was her pleading eyes, asking for help, asking me to save her. It reminded me of that night, silently wishing someone would come and rescue me."

There was another pause. "Then you appeared, busting through the door and saving me, just like I had hoped someone would. Remembering the relief, and having my hopes answered, my body moved on its own. I jumped down and took him out quickly and efficiently. It was almost anticlimactic, really," she said with a chuckle.

"But it felt good afterward. It felt nice to be someone else's hero, to have someone look up to you to save them and answer their prayers in their times of need. So I can see why you are a hero and why you like being Spider-Man."

"But I want to hear it from you. I want to know why you like being Spider-Man. I see you come to school exhausted sometimes, without much sleep. Is it really worth it?"

"So you want to know why I'm Spider-Man, huh?" Peter said with a nod.

"Well, it all starts with one simple reason. But as you do it more and more, the reasons keep accumulating. So there really isn't one specific reason why I like being a hero. There are multiple. My uncle has this saying... I've said it so much that others groan in annoyance every time they hear it."

"What's the saying?" Felicia asked curiously.

Peter cleared his throat. "You ready for this?"

Felicia nodded, growing more curious.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

Felicia looked at him in confusion. "What does it mean?" she asked, raising a brow.

"It means when you have great power, you have a moral responsibility to use it responsibly and help those in need. I possess amazing power, so it's my responsibility to use it for what's right and to help those who can't help themselves."

"That's what started my Spider-Man career. But as time went on, it became more than just doing the right thing. It became something I deeply love. It's not just about stopping the bad guys or saving the day; it's about making a positive impact on people's lives. Seeing relief on someone's face or gratitude in their eyes—it's incredibly rewarding."

"This journey has shown me that being a hero is not just about physical strength or extraordinary abilities; it's about compassion, empathy, and making tough choices for the greater good. It's about standing up for what's right, even when it's not easy."

"Sure, it may seem like it's all about me at times, but being a hero also means acknowledging our own humanity. We have feelings, doubts, and desires just like everyone else. Yet, despite the personal sacrifices and challenges, the ability to bring hope and safety to others is what truly drives me. It's about spreading joy, making people feel safe, and inspiring others to do the same."

Felicia closed her eyes, listening attentively. "Woah... You sure are passionate about this, aren't you?"

Peter scratched his cheek, embarrassed. 

"Well, I'm glad I listened, I really had no idea being a hero means so much to you." Felicia said as she stood up and stretched, smiling at Peter as he also stood up. 

She leaned forwards a bit and kissed him on the cheek. 

"You're doing a fantastic job as Spider-Man. You've even inspired me to be a hero," she said with a wink.

Peter held his cheek, looking at Felicia in surprise.

She turned around, arms behind her back, and walked away. Jumping down from her roof, she entered her window.

Peter chuckled, shaking his head. He let out a sigh. "Didn't I tell her not to fall in love with me?"

"Ha! You wish!" Felicia's head peeked out from her window.

Peter chuckled again as he jumped off the roof, did a flip, and continued swinging into the night.

'Looks like Felicia has made her decision... The others will be glad to know we can now begin.'

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