Chapter 1030: Astounding the Worldly People (Part 7)_1

In the dimly lit corridor, only the light under the bar counter exuded a faint glow, casting a cold metallic hue on the technologically enhanced walls. This ambiance made everything seem too indifferent.

When footsteps echoed, Peter, sitting against the wall, immediately sprang up from the floor and headed towards the source of the sound.

Shiller rushed in front of Peter and asked, "What's the matter? Why did Steve suddenly fall ill?"

"I don't know." Peter seemed a bit overwhelmed, he recalled and then said, "In the morning, we met in the cafeteria. At that time, he was fine. We even talked about shuttle issues and I was planning to help him get a transit card. You know, he's a bit out of touch with the fully automated processes of today..."

"Didn't S.H.I.E.L.D give him an auxiliary phone?" Shiller pulled out his phone from the pocket of his white lab coat, which was nothing like current smartphones and seemed more like a smart terminal.

Although it was a thin metal slab, this smart terminal could hover in the air by itself. Also, by placing the tiny earphone on the side into one's ear or over the ear, immediate technological assistance could be obtained.

This auxiliary terminal of Shiller's was connected to Ultron, making it handy for him to electronically record all his patients' medical histories. Meanwhile, Ultron constantly reminded him of his daily work schedule, and sometimes provided theoretical support as well.

More importantly, Shiller, being a prescribing doctor, could have his prescriptions vetted by Ultron to ensure no errors in the types and quantities of drugs.

Beyond this, the range of tasks that a smart robot could accomplish in tandem with a smart terminal was even wider. However, due to the special nature of smart robots incapable of aiding with the psychotherapeutic process, Shiller hadn't availed many of the features.

Nevertheless, it was already an incredibly convenient tool for the average person. Even though it had not yet been widely promoted for public use, S.H.I.E.L.D. employees like Shiller, Natasha, and Steve had already been provided with this device to facilitate their work.

But Peter seemed surprised, saying: "Is that so? Did the captain already get a smart terminal? But I haven't seen him use it."

Peter shook his head, while Shiller looked into his eyes and asked, "What is different about you this morning?"

"What's different?" Peter was taken aback by his question. He looked around, then down at himself, thought for a moment and said with sudden enlightenment, "Oh... I got it! Look at my uniform!"

Peter was now wearing Spider-Man's battle suit, head mask aside. Shiller took a couple of steps back, gave it an overall look, saw no difference, to which Peter responded with slight frustration, "This was my original suit, the one made for the first generation Spider-Man..."

"Doctor, don't you remember? The first generation Spider-Man is dead. He sacrificed himself to protect the civilians in the area affected by the Nitro explosion. I got back too late and missed out on the second generation's spot, so now I'm the third-generation Spider-Man."

After Peter finished speaking, he found it absurd himself and let out a self-deprecating smile.

Indeed, as he said, in the plan laid out by Shiller previously, only Spider-Man was publicly confirmed dead, indicating the social death of the first generation Spider-Man's identity.

Subsequently, in order to infiltrate superhero circles, members of the Skrull race disguised themselves as superheroes and stood up for justice in New York City's skies. Among them was one disguised as Spider-Man, referred to as the second-generation Spider-Man by people.

Currently, of the remaining Skrulls lingering on Earth, some chose to stay on Earth and partake in human scientific research and development activities, while others traveled to the Dark Quadrant, earlier home to Thanos, planning to re-establish the nation following the path of the Ancient Skrull Empire.

The Skrulls who once posed as Spider-Man left too; hence, the second-generation Spider-Man disappeared. Meanwhile, the first-generation Spider-Man, i.e., Peter, was unable to resume operations under his previous identity after reviving, hence took up the designation of third-generation Spider-Man.

Peter initially had no intention to change his battle suit. However, Gwen feared that people might criticize him severely for wearing the first-generation Spider-Man's suit and suggested he alter his image slightly.

Fortuitously, a few years later, a more mature Peter felt his original battle suit was a bit juvenile, prompting him to redesign a set.

This time, Spider-Man's suit appeared to be more advanced, incorporating the latest technologies developed by both Peter and Stark Group. Compared to the prior generation, the suit was smoother and more reflective.

More crucially, Peter adjusted the hue of the blue, making it slightly darker, and the red appeared more subdued. He also added four invisible molten steel protective armors to the chest, vital areas around the neck and joints were reinforced with energy-to-matter conversion technology developed by Otto, adding an extra layer of safety to the suit.

As a result, Spider-Man's image was no longer youthful and lively but instead seemed more composed, akin to the likes of Captain America. Albeit his youth and agility were still evident among the superhero ranks, he came across as more technologically advanced and mature compared to before.

The acceptance level of subsequent generations of Spider-Man was not high among New York citizens; there were even rumors that the third-generation Spider-Man was a rich second-generation playboy who managed to don an advanced suit like Iron Man. However, except for certain hover power systems and safety systems, all the technologies used in the suit were Peter's patents.

After reminiscing, Shiller also noticed the subtle differences between the two suits. So, he looked at Peter somewhat puzzled and asked, "Why aren't you wearing the new suit?"

Peter smirked, saying: "All new technological outcomes need testing. Inevitably, various issues will arise during the testing process. This afternoon, I was patrolling New York's sky in my new suit..."

"The shuttle and Skylark train stations are my primary patrol locations; Doctor, you must've seen on the news, some lunatics strongly oppose these two modes of transport and even try to destroy them with bombs."

"Though both the shuttle and the sky train have crash protection devices, who knows if a critical part is damaged, it could lead to even more serious consequences. So, I've been patrolling near the route..."

Peter wore a somewhat troubled expression, "Just today at noon, I saw a man rushing into the shuttle with explosives. I wanted to stop him right then and there, but who would've thought, my new battle suit's safety protection system suddenly popped out, jamming my spider silk launcher …"

"Normally, I could have swung there in a matter of seconds, but with my launcher jammed and no spider silk, I had to run. Even though I got there quickly, by then everything had already been settled."

"So, I had to send the battle suit to S.H.I.E.L.D. for maintenance, to find out what triggered the safety system, why the unauthorized pop-out, and why my spider silk launcher was jammed ..."

Peter held his forehead and said: "Technological updates aren't as simple. The smart safety system is great; it's already helped me withstand two impacts. But if it keeps popping out randomly, it will delay important matters."

Shiller patted Peter's shoulder and said, "It's okay, the battle suit is just an aid. What's important is your own ability. Look, your combat power doesn't decrease, even when you wear the old suit ..."

Peter tugged slightly at the battle suit on his chest and said, "I am rather used to this suit, but it seems like the citizens of New York City are not. When I arrived, several people scolded me, accusing me of showing off and exploiting the deceased ..."

Shiller laughed a bit helplessly and said, "Alright, I admit, that's my fault. But honestly, I didn't expect you to throw yourself directly at Nitro. I had arranged for a mutant to handle the explosion."

Shiller shook his head, clearly dissatisfied with how his plan had turned out. Peter, however, tried to comfort him, "Doctor, I know all your plans are for the future of the human race. But the Amazing Spiderman's words before, they made me think a lot."

"The future of the human race is indeed important, but the lives of ordinary people also need consideration. If Nitro had really exploded like that, ordinary people under threat wouldn't be able to see their future anymore, wouldn't everything we are doing then become meaningless?"

Peter sighed, but it was not one of worry, more of determination after deep contemplation. He said, "You, Tony, Steve, and maybe even Natasha and Director Nick, all of you are fighting for the bright future of the human race."

"So, I also want to fight for every tomorrow of ordinary people because I'm just an ordinary person, I understand their joys and sorrows." Peter laughed and said.

"I've seen the star oceans and tasted the charm of knowledge, but I still prefer to be a commoner, protecting those as ordinary as myself."

Shiller smiled and patted him on the shoulder again. Peter's growth in just a few years had been astonishing to everyone.

But this was normal. Peter Parker could be said to be the most emotionally stable, mentally grounded, and socially suited superhero or agent Shiller knew.

Experience has proven that as long as the "software" is stable enough, the lacking "hardware" can be compensated for. Experience and exposure can be acquired over time, psychological qualities and willpower can be honed. As long as one has an open mind, there is nothing that cannot be learnt."

At this point, Peter, as if he'd remembered something, said, "Could it be that the Captain is acting like this because of my battle suit?"

He looked down at his own battle suit, reached out with both hands, crumpled the abdomen part, and then said, "Is there any problem with this battle suit? Although compared to the new one it looks a bit ugly, but it's not so bad that..."

Suddenly, Peter stopped, he looked at Shiller and said, "Is it because... of my previous death?"

"That may be part of the reason, but not the fundamental one." Shiller deduced, " Whether it's you or his own death, these are just triggers, not the root causes. The key lies in Steve's own contradictions."

Peter scratched his head in confusion and said, "Steve's contradictions? What contradictions does he have? I think, he's simply a perfect man!"

"And that's the problem. Is there really a perfect person in this world?" Shiller asked Peter, "Even you think of Steve as a perfect man, or subconsciously regard him as one. So, how do you think he demands himself to be?"

Peter stroked his chin in thought and said, "Doctor, I've just remembered something…"

"This morning at breakfast, I asked the Captain if he had a transit card. But he immediately led me to a nearby seat, unwilling to discuss this topic at the crowded cafeteria window…"

Peter was recollecting and speaking at the same time, "When I was explaining the principles of the transit card to him, he did not seem to be really listening. I said I would go with him to apply for one, but he said he already had an appointment with Miss Carter..."

"But today, when I was sending the battle suit to S.H.I.E.L.D for repairs, Miss Carter was complaining that Steve had turned down her invitation…"

Shiller looked sidelong into the rooms at the Avengers Base. He patted Peter's back and said, "Go ahead, Peter, remember not to tell anyone about Steve's current situation..."

Peter nodded. He saw Shiller walk into the room. He furrowed his brows and expressed a worry uncharacteristic of his age. Then he turned around and left.