22

Two weeks later, Stark Tower.

Two men stood in the training room, lined with vibrantium sheets enchanted for strength. It was a mature teenager, one in whom few could recognise the scruffy Parker he had been. A trained body, a level posture, a more confident, attentive look, not the confused, guilty look that had never left his face in the past. Even his facial features had been changed by the bite of the genetically modified spider, making them more symmetrical and beautiful, eradicating teenage pimples and moles. No one would recognise him if he went to his old school now. The reason for such a metamorphosis was the transformation and the events that had happened to him.

The trial, the move, the job, and the new prospects in life. The guy looked more confidently into the future, knew what he wanted to achieve, and was sure he could achieve it. Of course, he was afraid that he would fail, fail, fail to live up to Mr Stark's expectations. And that was where training with the Asgardian Lady Sif came in handy every other day. Not to say that he had a friendly relationship with this blonde-haired, blue-eyed Valkyrie with the shape of a fitness model and size three breasts. Rather, she treated him as what he was - her teenage student. One who needed to be coached and who needed to be coached in sparring so that he didn't get too proud of himself and didn't get too bogged down. By the way, the sparring had another unexpected effect. Peter stopped being afraid and embarrassed by beautiful girls. At first, the compression uniform, tightening the body like a second skin, greatly embarrassed and distracted the teenager, causing quite an obvious reaction below the waist. And for this, he was beaten, very severely beaten. Sif had literally beaten it out of him, even though often, when they had pinned him in all sorts of grabs, they'd ended up in positions he'd never seen in pornographic magazines. So in sparring, he was now extremely serious. However, in normal life, he began to notice that he now quietly communicates with the same Betty Ross or Helena Cho, also very beautiful girls.

- Are you in the clouds again, Peter?

Spider sense, which called so himself, warned Parker, and he deflected his head in time, turned the body slightly to the right, missing the blow literally millimetres past the face. Studies of this phenomenon have shown that the human brain, with the help of all the senses, notices more than it can process. Still, it is stored in the subconscious, and sometimes the brain signals. That's what's called intuition. In addition, Mr Stark himself has said that some people with supernatural abilities develop real foresight, which can be developed, or special tools can be created to help increase foresight's "range" and accuracy. Finally, not only are Peter's senses much stronger than the average person's, but his intuition has been combined with foresight and a more expanded range of senses, allowing the guy to avoid danger or sense it even from inanimate objects. Because of this, Parker wasn't a punching bag for the much more experienced and equally strong Sif, who had also picked up the martial arts techniques the Earthlings had learnt in the Shield and practised them on him.

However, the woman had also learnt to fight the guy's instincts, so the missed fist unclenched, grabbing Parker by the back of the head and pulling his face forward, she kicked towards him. Peter twisted his neck at an angle that a normal person would have broken, broke free of the grip, pushed off the leg with both hands and flew backwards to take a stance.

- Not bad, Peter Richardson, but know that I'm far from the strongest in Asgard, and another ace wouldn't have let you escape the hold. Stay focused in battle.

- I'm sorry, Mistress Sif," Parker apologised. 'He tried to snap once... Woke up in the infirmary afterwards. - Shall we continue?

- Not today; with this attitude, training will be bad for you, and I have things to do, - the woman looked at her watch.

Today she had a meeting with the Midgardian warrior, which he called by the obscure word "date". And for some reason, it only made her feel good.

- Sort yourself out, Peter. A warrior's heart should be hot and free of doubt and fear. Even if it's broken.

Sif knew the reason why Peter was withdrawing into himself. He had never been able to let go of the lady of his heart, as Stark had told her in confidence. And here she knew from her own experience that only time...or a new lady, would help.

- I'm sorry, Lady Sif, let's do it again. I wanted to try a new move.

- All right, attack!

Peter burst forward from his seat with his arm out in front of him. Although the born princess of Vanaheim could have grabbed her, she dodged. Parker had awakened the X-Gene in addition to his abilities. It allowed him to "glue" himself to any object with his palms or feet. And this ability worked through thin shoes and gloves. The glueing force was equal to the diffuse penetration of materials into each other. That is, it removed the molecular repulsion between objects. That was why it was worth avoiding his palms and feet - glued so that it wasn't a problem for a mere human to rip off a scalp or half a face, but not much pleasant for Sif. Parker took a step behind him and was about to latch onto the woman's back, but she anticipated it and did a quick roll forward. Turning around, she suddenly didn't see the guy. The nearest walls were about twenty metres away, and he could not have reached them that fast. However, she wasn't stupid either, dodging a kick from two feet above at the last moment. There was a rumble. The kinetic energy was extinguished by the vibranium plates, so the guy didn't even kick his legs off. Only after that did Sif notice the two thin spiderweb-like intertwined ropes.

- How did you know I was on top? - Peter was annoyed again that he couldn't get the teacher.

That's not to say she never got it, though. The surprise effect had never been cancelled. But despite giving the appearance of relaxation, the woman never succumbed to it. A teacher must be an unattainable height or, if a student surpassed him, the learning was complete, and a strong student was not a disgrace but a pride for the teacher.

- Where else would you be? This is an empty room,' Sif answered him. - What are those ropes, your new ability?

- 'No, it's my invention,' Parker replied proudly, sticking his chest forward, rolling his sleeves and showing two wristbands with cartridges. - Studied the spider's web glands. Did you know spider webs are much lighter and five times stronger than steel? And I've created a biodegradable compound, so there's no need to clean it up!

- I'm... proud of you, apprentice," Sif had to overpower her upbringing.

The warrior in her screamed that she shouldn't be using any devices. Cold steel in her hand and armour was the maximum tolerated. But at the same time, she realised that this was a different world. And that a very young, even by the standards of the short-lived Midgardians, the child was genuinely pleased and waiting for her approval. For some reason, for a second, she remembered how she had expected the same from her parents and Thor. But she had only received it from the dark-skinned Midgardian.

- Thank you, Lady Sif. Look what else I've learnt to do!

And the boy started doing acrobatic tricks on the web. He literally flew on it like he was born to do it. The woman couldn't help but smile at such foolishness. She and her friends used to have such fun once too. Where were they, and what was in Asgard now?

- Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?

- Just a speck in the eye," the Valkyrie said, smiling, hiding deep sadness in her heart. It is not proper for a warrior to show his feelings. - Practice today without me, and then in battle, you can show me what you've learnt... Oh yes, Ser Stark asked me to remind you about what you call it... Ahem, school.

- Shit, I'm sorry, I've got to run!

Although Peter was no longer clumsy, his forgetfulness hadn't gone away. Or rather, he was easily carried away and put aside what he thought was uninteresting. Today was his first day at his new school. Before that, there was the red tape of interrogations, trials, exams, and applying for admission. Parker wouldn't have been accepted, even given his excellent grades in all subjects, if it weren't for the patronage of Stark, who was one of the sponsors of this school. It was for rich kids.

The school had its own uniform of dark brown colour, into which a rinsed Peter hastily changed out of his tracksuit. He then boarded the nearest flyer available to Stark Industries employees at a designated former helipad and flew to Manhattan Beach. There, amidst townhouses worth millions and tens of millions of dollars, was a school named after Peggy Carter. Who she was and what she was famous for, Peter did not know; he was more concerned with more prosaic questions. What would he be taught? What would his classmates be like? How they would accept him and other teenage questions like whether there would be pretty girls there. Peter made it in time, but there was no one in the lobby except for the security guard, who watched Parker open the turnstile with his student pass in a purely symbolic way. And the guard, who barely fit in the camera booth, couldn't tell him where to go. It was two minutes before the bell rang, and the poor teenager scurried back and forth until finally, he saw a slender girl with white, almost platinum hair arranged in a ponytail with split fringes. She looked stunning, dressed in a checked black and maroon skirt about five inches above the knee, a maroon jacket with a white blouse underneath that barely contained at least a size three and a half breast, and black high-heeled shoes. He was about to walk over to her when she called him.

- Are you Peter Parker? The new guy? I've been waiting for you for twenty minutes; I thought you'd never come! Come on, I'll take you to our class.

- And you are?

- I'm Felicia Hardy, your classmate, - the girl with a cold, expressionless face turned round and led him along.

Stunned by the girl's beauty, Peter initially lagged behind but quickly came to his senses and followed her. He looked around at his classmate. She looked the same age as Mary Jane, slimmer and taller, about six feet tall. Judging by her figure, broad shoulders, and smooth gait, she was into martial arts. Maybe a gymnast, which, given her large breasts, was a long shot. Those who are engaged in simple fitness do not have such flexibility and smoothness of walking; it takes some practice. Parker began to notice a similar change in himself. It was as if he began to flatten, walking smoothly and without jerks; only here, he also added a gait from the hip. Not a vulgar and demonstrative one, but rather a habitual and unconscious one. However, this is what models are taught to do. The face was also insanely beautiful, snow-white and without flaws, even more in keeping with the image of an "ice queen".

- I was sent by my teacher.

- I'm sorry, it's just that the training was from the morning, and I forgot that today is the first day, and in general... - not seeing any attention to his words, Parker interrupted: - Anyway, I'm sorry, that's not what I wanted to make a first impression.

- And what would you like? - The girl suddenly asked, causing Parker to falter.

He did not think that she would answer him.

- Well, I do not know... Not like this! I made you wait, almost late, well, in general, something like that - Parker martyrly excused himself, not realising that from the outside looks hilarious, squirming his face and scratching the back of his head.

The girl quickly hid the fleeting smile that appeared.

- We're here now," Felicia said, interrupting the stream of excuses and justifications. Having received permission to enter, she knocked on the door and went inside first. - 'Miss Peterson, I've brought the new boy.

- Yes, Miss Hardy, thank you," said a woman in her forties in a tweed jacket and knee-length black skirt.

She wasn't pretty, but she wasn't ugly either. The usual overweight teacher, judging by the wrinkles, smiling more than shouting. Her black hair is in a tight bun on top of her head.

- Mr Parker, why are you being modest? Come in and introduce yourself.

Peter stepped inside. Unlike Queens High, there weren't thirty or forty people in a class here. Just fourteen and, even more conspicuous, almost all white, unless you counted one mulatto and one Asian. However, the number of students varied because everyone could choose which subjects to take. The only thing that remained common was the course. Everyone was in uniform, but other than her, no one was restricted in self-expression. That's why the girls were wearing costume jewellery, judging by the glitter of the stones, and the guys were wearing Rolexes, the cheapest he'd seen. Only the trio of the same Asian and a couple of other guys stood out. One was thin, tall, and wore huge glasses that were at least plus seven. The other, on the other hand, was extremely overweight, short, and had a face covered in acne. He reminded him of a former mate of Ned's.

- Good afternoon. Erm, my name's Peter Parker. I'm interested in biology, genetics and astronomy... Something like that," Parker didn't know what to say about himself.

About your work for Mr Stark? It's a secret. About your family? I didn't want to. And he certainly wouldn't talk about his abilities.

- Briefly. Well, well, then, I'll add, Mr Parker passed all the entrance exams with top marks! - joyfully pronounced the teacher, not realising that he only buries the guy in a social "grave".

The thing is that the school had two, so to speak, categories of students. Children of businessmen, celebrities, millionaires, senators and other wealthy individuals who, in the future, would become the heads of their parents' companies or their own prominent politicians or artists. Studying is not the main reason for sending to this school; the main reason is to make connections in the circle of the future elite. Because it is difficult to compare school education with homeschooling in any case, even elite.

The second group were the "geniuses." Talented young people took on grants that not only reduced the tax burden on the school but also raised its prestige and average performance. And while the teachers treated or tried to treat everyone equally, the students clearly distinguished between the "golden youth" and the "nerds." Specific bullying, at least within the walls of the school came rarely, most often both groups pretended that they did not exist for each other. And so, will or no will, the teacher enrolled Peter in the group of "nerds", which would not be so bad if it were not for a fleeting smile on the face of Felicia Hardy, daughter of Lydia Hardy, a famous media magnate, multimillionaire and businesswoman. An enviable lot in every sense, not only because of her mother's wealth and connections but also because of her incredible beauty and unapproachability. And for her mere attention, many guys fought for it. And here, some newcomer and "nerd" from the first day caught her attention.

Peter did not think about these matters and intrigues; he looked around. His acquaintance was sitting at the first desk on the far right. Everyone had their own, and around Felicia, on both sides, were two guys looking at Peter negatively. One tall, sturdy blond man, his uniform nearly cracking, sat on his left. And behind her was a red-haired major with rings in his ears and freckles. Parker got a free seat next to a skinny guy in glasses, where he went, stepping on his foot. And if earlier he would have tripped over it, now he walked over it and kicked it off.

- Ah-ah-ah, watch where you're going! - exclaimed the redhead.

- Oh, sorry, you just put your foot out," Parker smiled, not knowing what to do.

He didn't want to spoil the relationship from the first day, so he went on, not noticing how Felicia again looked at his back, this time not as an odd newcomer, because she noticed that the reaction and agility of a simple-looking guy correspond to a well-trained fighter, and his look as if said: "Don't kill idiots on the first day. It was the mismatch of habits, body language, skills and facial expressions that interested her, which the "admirers" naturally misunderstood. And she'd also seen that the guy had flown in on a flyer that was still out of reach even to the richest people on the planet due to overwhelming demand. Even her mother got one just because of her good relationship with Stark.

- You shouldn't have done that," Peter sat down under the redhead's angry gaze. Still, the thin guy in glasses, who reminded him of himself before his transformation because of the spider bite, told him so, shaking his head disapprovingly. - Redford won't get off your back now.

- Why should I trip over his foot and smash my face in? - Parker grinned. - What's he going to do to me? Beat me up?

- His father, Michael Bogle, is a media tycoon with a huge fortune and opportunities and connections. He has no problem ruining anyone's life.

- A friend of mine," Peter said, referring to Lady Sif, "says that a true warrior should do what he thinks is right. Even if that path gets him into trouble, he has nothing to regret.

- I'm not a warrior," the boy said, shrugging shamefacedly.

- But you decided to warn me anyway, thank you. By the way, I'm Peter, Peter Parker.

- Michael Morbius," the boy introduced himself.

After that, they spoke at the end of the lesson. He had learnt nothing new from the functions of logarithms, though, since he had gone through them on his own five or six years ago. Mr Stark was right. His level was institute level, and biology, even a little higher in his field. It was unlikely that he would be a graduate student right now, but with the preparation, he could. However, Stark insisted on enrolling in the institute because if you study alone or only separate works with scientists, you miss a fundamental layer of knowledge. This does not mean that you should study everything, but you should try. Moreover, American top-tier institutes have flexible education, where you can choose which classes to attend and whether to attend them. Like in school, nobody demands anything from you except for passing exams and minimum attendance. But as soon as Peter went to the toilet at recess and came out after doing his business, he ran into Redford and a shoulder blond man who pinned him against the wall:

- Whoa-whoa, boys, I'm not into boys! - Parker picked up from Stark his stupid sense of humour and his own smirk, which pissed off the people around him. - Let's get our own way with each other.

- What are you talking about? - The blond man gritted his teeth, pissed off that the guy wasn't scared at all. He looked confident, and his grin was... annoying. Parker didn't even take his hands out of his pockets.

- Who's the active and the passive? Or do you take turns? One day you're his, the next day he's yours?

- I'll get you..." The blond swung around, ready to punch Peter, when his friend's hand fell on his shoulder.

- Patrick, not here," Redford shook his head.

- 'Yes, Patrick, not here,' Peter parodied them.

He wasn't scared; even his spidey sense didn't perceive the teenagers as threatening. At any moment, Parker could get out of the grip and just walk away, dodging all the blows. And by the way, with the first blow, the big guy could break his fingers or wrist because, in that case, he would hit the wall.

- It's supposed to be romantic, with flowers, in bed, not in a dirty toilet. Who taught you how to woo a bloke, right?

- And you, joker, if I ever see you around Felicia again.

- Blah, blah, blah, blah, I don't want to hear any more insults from morons! Send them to me in the mail! - Plugging his ears, the guy walked out of the bathroom, ready to be stabbed in the back.

There was another guy outside the door, but he could hardly interfere with the guy training to lift fifteen tonnes with a bench press. As he stepped further away, he smiled, almost laughing out loud. He could do it! He had really overcome his fears! Though it was Sif who had knocked them out of him, as well as Stark, who had brought him right down to earth and prevented him from becoming arrogant, at the same time, he instilled confidence in his strength and that he was not alone.

- Did something good happen? - Felicia asked him, who approached him somehow so quietly and smoothly that he, busy with his thoughts, almost didn't notice it.

Practically, because on a subconscious level, he felt everyone around him within a radius of five metres. It was just that since he didn't feel any danger, his senses didn't sound the alarm.

- It happened, - Peter continued smiling sincerely. Who didn't even know how this smile worked on girls, considering his handsome face, not bad even under clothes and confident look.

As they say, who you fall in love with is who you get from. And Peter "fell" with Tony Stark, known for his charisma and popularity with girls.

- Have you ever had it in your life that you are carrying a heavy load and suddenly dropped it?

- I have," Felicia grinned back. - Dropped a load in the toilet? I'll show you the room where the next lesson will be since I'm your guide today.

- I'd appreciate your help.

- How grateful? - she raised an eyebrow.

- Well, I don't know.

And Peter really didn't know. He didn't have any experience of socialising, except with MJ. And there it was, an experience with a friend... And was it really a friend? Mary was mostly talking, unloading all the emotional crap on him and not listening to what Parker was really interested in, calling him a bore. It was a one-sided friendship, a friendzone of sorts, only more "zone" than "friend."

- How about a cafe? My treat... If it's not too expensive.

Peter and his aunt have sued for the money, but it still needs to be there and will be paid gradually rather than all at once. Also, they recently bought a house closer to the centre, which took all the money, so it's not broken, but close to it.

- Ha ha ha ha! - The blonde laughed, covering her mouth, trying not to laugh outright. - You're inimitable, Mr Parker.

- What's the problem, you don't want to? I just don't have a lot of money on me...

- It's just the first time I've ever heard such an honest and straightforward offer," laughed young Hardy. - I usually get spongers who want to have fun at my expense, hoping to charm me. Or rich men's children, who, on the contrary, squander money and try to get my attention. But this is the first time I've ever done it.

- Is that a cancellation? - Peter was disappointed.

- It means yes. I haven't been to McDonald's in ages.

- A hundred years? - The boy exhaled and smiled with relief. - I can't tell from you; you're well-preserved.

- You're good at compliments, too, I see," Felicia said. - All women are witches, though.

- Do you make potions?

- From men's tears and blood, of course!

- Well, let's say I'll make blood, but tears...

Peter thought Felicia was a cold beauty, but she was not. Yes, she's quite prickly and doesn't go for a word, but he enjoyed talking to her. God, he was interested in talking to her! Even more so, when it came to science, she didn't wrinkle her nose or roll her eyes but listened attentively to him and his ideas for using the web, even suggested registering a patent and submitting it not only to manufacturers of heavy-duty ropes and body armour but also to... fashion brands and clothing factories. Nervous, stretchy, non-staining and yet can be incredibly thin artificial web clothing will be most appreciated there, especially in the travel and sports fields. Naturally, they talked at recess and in the café, or McDonald's, where they actually went in after class.

- Oh," Felicia smeared sauce on her face from a Big Mac and almost moaned with pleasure. - It's so good to eat at your own pleasure and not pay attention to which of the two dozen instruments you use and whether you follow all the rules of etiquette.

- Is your mum strict? - asked Peter, surprised that his order was only twice as big as Felicia's. And as a superhuman, he eats very, very much.

- Not that, just Nobless Oblige, the position obliges.

- I don't get it; I'm just a guy from Queens.

- A regular guy from Queens who, before he graduates high school, creates his own inventions and flies in on a Stark Flyer?

- Exactly! - He nodded, not knowing what to say to that.

- Well, all right, just a guy from Queens," Hardy was even more interested.

Her main weakness was curiosity, and she was torn with the desire to know everything at once. However, once she had solved all the mysteries of the people she was interested in, she usually lost interest in them, so now she savoured the feeling and tried to keep her cool.

- Do you have a girlfriend?

- Pfft," she said, almost spitting out the cola she had recklessly sucked in at that moment, but Peter managed to swallow it without choking on it. - Why ask questions like that all of a sudden?

- Like what? You invited a girl to a cafe. Naturally, a girl wants to know your plans for her," she teased him.

- Plans? - Peter frowned, losing his good mood all at once. - 'Since you're so straightforward, I will be. You're an insanely beautiful and pleasant girl, but I can see that you're not your equal. I had a childhood friend... I liked her; I had a crush on her since primary school, and she had the same look you have now, like a funny little animal that you can take pity on, listen to, and throw away when you get bored. Thanks for tonight, and I'm sorry if I did anything wrong.

To Felicia's surprise, the guy, unlike the other suitors, didn't kiss her, pester her, or hint at continuing the relationship. He really just got up and walked towards the exit. And unfortunately, as much as she hated it, he was right. She was interested in Peter, not as a boyfriend, but as a fun diversion and mystery to solve. Except that somehow made it even more unpleasant.

And on top of that, she had one rather unpleasant trait to her mother. The younger Hardy often did everything contrary to what she was told. She wiped her face with napkins and walked briskly to the exit, not knowing what she was doing. Whether to say it to the insolent man's face, apologise, or something else. And that's why she saw three leather-clad black guys step around Parker, a knife flashing, and they took him to the nearest alley. Felicia herself was into martial arts, but what about Peter? She had suspicions that he could stand up for himself, but they were only suspicions, not certainties. Now it was no longer a matter of wounded pride but of real danger to her life, so she ran quickly into the back alley despite her high heels.

- Hey, boy, they say you have a hearing problem, and you don't understand words? - Felicia heard the voice of one of the criminals. - So we'll clear your ears by breaking your legs.

- How's that gonna clear my ears? You guys didn't do well in school, did you?

"Idiot," Felicia thought. After all, provoking armed, marginalised people is something you shouldn't do unless you want to get extra holes in your body.

- And by the way, do you have insurance? You're gonna run up medical bills.

As the girl rounded the corner, she saw one of the thugs with a knife threatening Peter behind a rubbish bin, making it hard to see the group from the outside. One of the black bandits was on the lookout, and he was the one who saw Felicia.

- Pew," the lookout whistled as he gave her a lustful look. - Chick, what do you want here? Working?

- Fool! - exclaimed their chief, the biggest and standing a little aside, watching everything and holding a loaded Glock in his pocket. Dangerous, of course, but it's unlikely that the bandits had been trained to safely use firearms. - You see the uniform? It's the same as this prick's!

- So, baby, you're this snowball's girlfriend, huh? We won't break him too badly if you serve us," the lookout licked his lips and reached for the girl with his hand.

At this point, while everyone was distracted, Peter sprang into action. Of course, it was better to deal with the bandits without witnesses. Still, the situation had become too dangerous, and Felicia, who had followed him for some fucking reason, could get hurt. Abruptly moving his neck away from the knife blade, he used his left hand to strike the elbow of the knife-holding right hand and palm. Not only did such a move limit the arm's movement, but given the force applied, he dislodged the joint and caught the falling knife with the toe of his boot. Before he recovered, the shrieking bandit was struck on the back of the head with the edge of his palm and fell silent. It was a dangerous moment, too. Parker could break the occipital bone with one blow, but he didn't want to become a killer despite what was happening. He had fought with trained but ordinary people, so he had learnt to measure his strength.

At that moment, the leader pulled a gun out of his pocket and was already pointing it at Parker, causing his spine and the back of his head to tingle, his spider sense becoming apparent. The bandit was about three metres away, and he realised that he might not be able to make it, so, wishing he'd brought his web launchers with him, he sent the knife with the toe of his boot. His dexterity and coordination were good enough, but he was still somewhat fortunate that the knife stabbed into his hand just below the palm so that the severed tendons could no longer hold the gun, and it fell out of his hands. Without wasting time, Peter disarmed the second opponent with a blow to the chin, which caused a hundred per cent knockout thanks to the right angle and force of the blow. It doesn't matter how much muscle you have; you can't build a brain. Rushing to Felicia's aid, Parker stood stiffly as the girl kicked the ball-busting, drooling thug in the stomach. He felt sorry for him for a moment, especially considering the height of Hardy's heels and the sharpness of the toes of his shoes. But that pity faded as he remembered exactly what the bastard had offered to do to the girl.

- Felicia, what are you doing here? It's dangerous! Ouch, why?

Hardy slapped the guy.

- It's for leaving a girl alone, - and then the girl with eyes burning with excitement drew him and kissed him.

It felt like it was the fight that turned her on, and that was actually true, strangely enough. Felicia was aroused by danger and dangerous men. As well as women, though, given her bisexuality. The girl's lips were sweet and gave off... big Mac sauce.

- That's for not judging people right off the bat! Now take the lady home if you're a gentleman!

- Yes, my lady," said a dumbfounded Parker, who still couldn't believe his first kiss had been with such a beautiful girl.

No one noticed as the microdrone that had been following them all this time flew off in the direction of Stark Tower.