[At the edge of one of Venice's many canals, Mr. Harrington has decided to document his Italian adventure with some tourist photography. He carefully positions his camera on the stone railing of an ancient bridge, setting the timer function before rushing back to pose with the picturesque Venetian architecture as his backdrop.]
[The camera's timer counts down, and Mr. Harrington strikes what he hopes is a sophisticated traveler's pose. The moment the photo is taken, he hurries back to retrieve his camera, but in his enthusiasm, he nearly fumbles the device right over the edge into the canal below.]
[Catching the camera at the last second, Mr. Harrington breathes a sigh of relief and immediately begins reviewing his photo. However, his relief is short-lived - as he examines the image on the camera's display screen, his grip loosens and the expensive device slips from his hands, plummeting directly into the murky canal water with a definitive splash.]
["NO! NO! NO!" Mr. Harrington cries out in dismay, frantically patting the stone railing in frustration as he watches his camera sink beneath the surface of the water.]
Back in their viewing timeline, the observers found this sequence of events both hilarious and predictable.
"I totally saw that coming, but then when it didn't happen the first time, I thought maybe he was safe! Then boom - it falls anyway! He completely subverted my expectations!" one viewer commented with amusement.
"That teacher is a complete disaster magnet! How does someone manage to drop a camera in the most predictable way possible?" another added.
"This whole sequence of near-misses and false security almost gave me whiplash watching it!"
The audience erupted in laughter and commentary, but Mr. Harrington himself was far from amused. In his current timeline, he had returned home to find divorce papers waiting for him, courtesy of his wife's reaction to the Sky Curtain's revelations about their future.
[Meanwhile, in the famous Piazza San Marco, MJ stands surrounded by a small flock of pigeons that have gathered around her with the fearless confidence that comes from years of tourist feeding. Several of the birds have actually perched on her shoulders and arms, creating a scene that's both charming and slightly surreal.]
[Brad Davis positions himself at the perfect angle to capture this moment, his camera clicking away as he directs her like a professional photographer.]
["Just hold perfectly still like that! The lighting is absolutely gorgeous on you! You look incredible!"]
[From his position inside a nearby souvenir shop, Peter watches this impromptu photo session with a mixture of longing and determination. The sight of Brad so effortlessly interacting with MJ only strengthens his resolve to execute his own romantic plan.]
[Following the directions he had researched before the trip, Peter locates the specific glass shop he had identified online and enters with carefully practiced Italian phrases.]
["Buongiorno!" he greets the shopkeeper with what he hopes is acceptable pronunciation.]
[The elderly Italian proprietor responds with the warm enthusiasm typical of Venetian merchants dealing with young tourists.]
["Buongiorno, ragazzo! Welcome to my shop!"]
[Peter begins to explain what he's looking for, but before he can finish his sentence, the shopkeeper's eyes light up with understanding.]
["Ah! You are looking for this, yes?" The man reaches behind the counter and produces an exquisite black glass dahlia necklace, clearly a specialty of the shop.]
[Peter examines the delicate piece of Venetian glasswork, and his face breaks into a genuinely pleased smile. The necklace is exactly what he had envisioned - elegant, unique, and perfectly suited to MJ's sophisticated tastes.]
["Perfect! This is exactly what I was hoping to find!"]
[After completing his purchase, Peter emerges from the shop carrying a small velvet bag containing the black dahlia necklace, feeling confident about his romantic strategy for the first time since arriving in Europe.]
[Just as he's savoring his successful shopping expedition, MJ appears seemingly out of nowhere behind him.]
["Boh!" she exclaims, startling him.]
[Peter immediately spins around and instinctively hides the gift bag behind his back, his voice coming out higher than usual in his surprise.]
["What? What was that?"]
[MJ's expression shows delighted amusement at his reaction.]
["Boh! It's honestly the most perfect word in the entire world!"]
[She continues with the enthusiasm of someone who has just discovered a linguistic treasure.]
["It's an Italian invention! I just learned about it from a local woman at the café! It's absolutely brilliant!"]
[Peter's confusion is evident as he tries to process this unexpected cultural lesson.]
["What does it actually mean?"]
[MJ's explanation reveals her appreciation for linguistic complexity and cultural nuance.]
["That's the beautiful thing about it - it can mean so many different things depending on the context! It can mean 'I don't know,' or 'get lost,' or even 'I don't know, so get lost!' It's basically the most versatile response in the Italian language! I think it's their greatest invention, second only to espresso!"]
[Peter immediately seizes on this detail as a potential conversation starter.]
["Oh, so you're a coffee enthusiast! I didn't know you were into espresso!"]
[Before MJ can respond to his observation, their conversation is interrupted by a persistent Italian street vendor who has spotted them as obvious tourists.]
["Scusi! American? German? Beautiful rose for the beautiful lady! Very good price!"]
[Without missing a beat, MJ responds with her newly acquired linguistic weapon.]
["Boh!"]
[The effect is immediate and dramatic. The vendor's hopeful expression completely disappears, and he turns and walks away without another word, clearly understanding that his sales pitch has been definitively rejected.]
[Peter watches this interaction with genuine admiration.]
["Wow! That was incredibly effective!"]
[MJ grins with obvious satisfaction at her cultural adaptation.]
["Boh! It's like my new superpower! Think of it as the complete opposite of 'Aloha' - instead of welcoming everyone, it politely but firmly keeps people at a distance! I honestly feel like I was born to use this word!"]
[Her attention then shifts to the small bag that Peter has been attempting to conceal behind his back throughout their entire conversation.]
["So! What's in the mysterious bag you've been hiding from me this whole time?"]
[Peter realizes that his attempts at secrecy have been completely unsuccessful. MJ has clearly noticed the bag from the beginning but has been politely waiting for him to volunteer the information.]
[After a moment of internal debate, Peter decides to use MJ's own linguistic discovery against her.]
["Uh... Boh!"]
[MJ narrows her eyes with amused appreciation for his clever deflection.]
["Nice move! I see you're learning to use my own weapons against me!"]
Back in their current timeline, this Italian word had already begun spreading like wildfire among the viewers.
"Boh! That does sound incredibly useful!" Tony said, swirling his wine glass thoughtfully before taking another sip.
Rhodes nodded with approval. "Boh! I can definitely see myself using that!"
Steve Rogers covered his face with his hands in mock despair. "Why is everyone immediately adopting this word? What is wrong with you people?"
Scott Lang shrugged with characteristic casualness. "It's called following a trend, Cap! Boh!"
The word "Boh" quickly became a phenomenon, spreading not just through their current viewing group but apparently across the entire globe. Within hours, people could be heard using it in casual conversation throughout the world.
[Back in Venice, the romantic atmosphere is suddenly shattered by an ominous disturbance in the canal. What had been perfectly calm water suddenly erupts with violent splashing, as if some massive creature is moving beneath the surface.]
[Peter and MJ, who had been walking along the canal's edge, both notice the unusual activity. MJ crouches down near the water to get a better look, her journalistic curiosity overriding any sense of potential danger.]
[Peter, meanwhile, has been watching MJ with a fond smile, but his spider-sense suddenly begins tingling with urgent warning signals. He turns his attention away from MJ and notices that water from nearby storm drains and manholes is flowing backward - a phenomenon that defies both gravity and logic.]
[Other tourists and locals along the canal begin pointing at strange disturbances moving beneath the water's surface. On a nearby gondola, Ned and Betty feel their boat begin to rock unexpectedly.]
["What's happening? Why is the boat moving like this?" Betty asks nervously, looking down at the water beneath them.]
[They watch in alarm as a massive wave passes directly under their gondola, creating turbulence that shouldn't exist in the normally placid canal.]
[Without warning, the calm surface of the canal explodes upward in a tremendous geyser of water, sending torrents cascading down onto the surrounding area and causing panicked tourists and locals to flee in all directions.]
[Peter witnesses this impossible eruption with growing alarm, his expression shifting from confusion to serious concern as he realizes they're facing something far beyond normal natural phenomena.]
[The initial explosion of water crashes down onto the canal-side walkways, sweeping away several tourists and vendors. The force of the water pushes Ned and Betty's gondola directly onto the stone walkway, depositing them practically at Peter's feet.]
["Betty! Are you alright? Are either of you hurt?" Peter immediately rushes to help them climb out of their stranded boat.]
["Oh my God! What was that?" Betty exclaims, her voice shaking with shock and fear.]
["Come on!" Peter grabs Ned, who seems transfixed by the continuing disturbance in the water, and physically pulls him away from the canal edge.]
["We need to run! Now!" Betty's terrified voice cuts through the chaos of screaming tourists and crashing water.]
[But Peter can no longer focus on evacuating his friends. His attention is completely captured by what's happening in the canal - the water itself is rising up and taking shape, forming into something that resembles a massive humanoid figure made entirely of liquid.]
["Peter! What is that thing?" Ned asks, looking to his best friend for answers with the assumption that Spider-Man would understand supernatural threats.]
[But Peter has never encountered anything like this before, and his voice carries genuine uncertainty.]
["I honestly have no idea! I've never seen anything like this!"]
["What are you going to do? How do we stop it?"]
[Peter's response reveals the full extent of his current helplessness.]
["I left my suit back at the hotel! I don't have any of my equipment!"]
[Ned's surprise is evident in his voice.]
["Why would you leave your Spider-Man suit behind?"]
[Peter's explanation carries both frustration and desperation.]
["Because I'm supposed to be on vacation, Ned! I was trying to be a normal student! But if I fight this thing without my suit, everyone will see my face and my secret identity will be completely blown! You need to get Betty and everyone else out of here! Go! Run!"]
[After shoving Ned toward safety, Peter turns his attention back to the water creature, which has now fully formed into a towering giant made entirely of canal water.]
[The water giant draws back one massive liquid arm and delivers a devastating punch to a nearby Renaissance-era building. The impact sends torrents of water cascading through broken windows and doorways, flooding the ground floor and terrifying the residents trapped inside.]
[The creature then pivots and brings both fists down onto another historic structure, causing significant damage to the centuries-old architecture that forms the heart of Venice's cultural heritage.]
[A tourist yacht attempts to escape the immediate area, but the water giant notices the fleeing vessel. With movements that seem both fluid and deliberately malicious, the creature brings both hands down toward the boat. While it doesn't strike the yacht directly, the massive waves generated by its attack completely engulf the small vessel.]
["Everyone get away from the water! Move inland! Go!" Peter shouts to any remaining civilians before turning to face the creature directly.]
[To his horror, Peter realizes that the water giant has somehow focused its attention specifically on him. The creature's liquid head turns in his direction, and while it has no discernible facial features, Peter feels unmistakably like he's being stared at by something with malevolent intelligence.]
["Oh my God..." Peter takes several instinctive steps backward, his heart racing as he realizes he's become the primary target.]
[The water giant launches another devastating attack in Peter's direction. He manages to dive out of the way just in time, feeling the rush of displaced air as the massive liquid fist crashes into the stone walkway where he had been standing moments before.]
[Finding temporary shelter behind a overturned gondola, Peter quickly straps on his web-shooters - the only piece of Spider-Man equipment he has with him.]
["Come on, Peter! You can do this!" he tells himself, taking several deep breaths to steady his nerves.]
[After psyching himself up for the confrontation, Peter emerges from his hiding spot and fires his web-shooters directly at the water giant. However, his webs pass harmlessly through the creature's liquid form without having any effect whatsoever.]
[Peter stands there feeling completely helpless, realizing that his primary method of subduing enemies is utterly useless against a creature made of water.]