Chapter 554, Terrible Story (Part 1)

In another laboratory of Stark Building, Peter was busy in front of the computer on his desk. Connors walked over, glanced at his computer, and asked, "What are you up to?"

As Peter was quickly typing away, lines and lines of code appeared on the screen. His focus on his work did not hinder his ability to respond fluently.

"The enemy Jarvis faces next is Ultron, who is likely a formidable artificial intelligence. Mr. Stark prepared a solid body for Jarvis, but I think we could be even more secure."

"What do you have in mind?" Connors moved to the opposite side of the workbench and started working.

"While enhancing Jarvis's physical abilities is critical, we can also consider ways to weaken his adversary. I got some information about Ultron from Dr. Pym. I want to see if I can create a virus targeted at him."

"That's a good thought, but would a virus really work on an AI of this caliber?" Connors asked while focusing on his work.

"A regular virus definitely wouldn't work, so I'm developing a super-virus, specifically designed to target advanced AI."

"It seems that your proficiency in computer science is not shabby. Do you want me to write you a recommendation letter?" Dr. Connors asked with a smile.

"Ah, no, I'm just scratching the surface. Mostly, I rely on Jarvis's processing power." Peter stolidly stared at his screen, seemingly reaching a critical stage.

Without any prompting, Peter spoke as if to organize his thoughts, "Moreover, if we can locate Ultron first, we will secure a strategic advantage. If we manage to hack into his system for information, that advantage becomes even greater."

"I'm building a tracking system to check for traces he might have left online. If we can compile these traces, we can uncover his path and monitor his location."

Peter's eyes reflected the glow from the computer screen, but it seemed more like a light of wisdom emanating from within. Connors watched Peter through the rack of test tubes on his lab table.

He couldn't remember when it started, but he saw less of Spider-Man donned in his Spider-Man suit and more of Peter Parker in shirts or sweatshirts tinkering with computers at his desk.

Now, whether it was Connors, S.H.I.E.L.D., or the rest of The Avengers, they no longer saw Spider-Man as a street-level vigilante of New York. Most of Spider-Man's duties consisted of helping Mutants equipped with symbiotes to familiarize with the environment and hone their abilities.

The reluctance of Steve and others to entrust Peter with overly dangerous tasks didn't stem from a lack of faith in his abilities or because they believed he was too young to handle them. Instead, it was out of a desire to protect a valuable researcher.

As time wore on, and with Peter approaching college age, his superhero career took a slight detour. Instead of swinging around New York most of the time, he's taken on more technological responsibilities for The Avengers.

For example, in tracking information and investigating cybersecurity, Nick once praised that Peter alone could outmatch the entirety of the cyber division at the S.H.I.E.L.D. The linchpins of The Avengers, like Steve and Matt, also came to rely heavily on him. The wiretaps, walkie-talkies, and surveillance devices they used during investigations were basically Peter's improved and manufactured products.

If this brought any changes for Peter, it was to realize that knowledge and technology were not just auxiliary, but often the key factors in determining the course of a battle.

So, in facing the battle between Jarvis and Ultron, Spider-Man didn't resort to swinging around New York in search of Ultron's whereabouts. Instead, he stayed in the lab of Stark Building to create an even more effective method.

After about a few hours, Peter eventually finished the program. By that time, it was already dark outside, and Connors, who had finished his work, had left the lab, leaving Peter alone.

Just then, a little robot came over with a tray of food at Peter's feet. Peter turned his head, and delightfully said, " ... Oh! This isn't my favorite pancake, is it? Thanks, Jarvis, you even went out of your way to get me takeout!"

Jarvis beeped twice, the lights flickered twice, then it settled.

Peter looked up, puzzled. He felt Jarvis had been pretty busy recently, and not interacting with him much, but considering that Jarvis had to prepare to deal with Ultron soon, he didn't give it much thought.

As Peter bit into his pancake, suddenly, the computer screen in front of him lit up. It seemed some programs had finished debugging. Peter hastily tossed his pancake aside, grabbed a napkin to wipe his hand, and returned to his work.

The screen began to flicker with light, Peter's focused gaze was even brighter than the screen. Suddenly, he struck the keyboard and said, "Found it! …Let's see, he indeed left quite a few traces. Are these his evolution pathway?"

"It seems his main body has been constantly moving … the direction is …New York? He went from Los Angeles to the West, then took a detour to the East Coast? Is he heading to New York? What's he up to?"