"You've got the wrong person. I'm not Spider-Man."
The boy in front of him looked about sixteen or seventeen—someone who should still be in school.
Quicksilver, following Steve's suggestion, had come to Midtown to find a boy named Peter Parker.
There were many people with the same name, but too many details matched—age, school, background—so it was unlikely he had the wrong person.
Fifteen years old. Midtown High School. Peter Parker.
Facing the boy's denial, Quicksilver didn't believe him.
In the next instant, he vanished.
When he reappeared, he was holding clothes from Peter's backpack—red and blue.
"I'm curious—why bring this to school? Got some kind of hobby? Like cosplay or something?"
Quicksilver smirked, waving the outfit in his hand.
Peter's expression darkened. He reached out to grab it.
Unfortunately, to Quicksilver, Peter was far too slow. With the slightest movement, the clothes slipped out of Peter's reach.
"Give it back."
Realizing he couldn't get it, Peter frowned. He actually felt a bit like fighting back.
Quicksilver said, "Come with me to Stark Tower. There's an internship program you need to attend."
"What? You're kidding, right?"
Peter looked stunned.
Stark Tower? Of course he knew what that was—it was Iron Man's headquarters, home of the Avengers. Getting in there was incredibly difficult, let alone being invited for an internship.
It was obvious—they had discovered his identity.
Peter couldn't help but suspect this was about recruiting him into the Avengers.
"Come on. This is Captain America's order."
Quicksilver tossed the clothes back to him.
Peter caught them, stuffed them into his bag, and followed Quicksilver out of the alley.
They took a taxi to Stark Tower.
"Wow… you're not lying? I can't believe I'm actually interning here! Did the Captain really send me? You know, I see him all the time at school—well, in videos…"
Peter chattered excitedly the entire way.
Quicksilver's face gradually turned sour. This kid was driving him insane—constantly talking, asking questions, even muttering to himself.
"Alright, quiet down. This place is serious."
Quicksilver forced down his irritation, speaking stiffly.
Seeing his expression, Peter leaned closer and whispered, "Who else is here? I've never seen you before. Are you new too? Have you met Superman? I really like him—he's so cool! And Iron Man—he funds tons of research. Our school even benefits from it…"
Quicksilver pressed the elevator button.
When it arrived, he shoved Peter inside, pressed the floor button for him—
—and disappeared.
He'd had enough.
Left alone in the elevator, Peter looked around awkwardly, unsure what to do with his hands.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then quickly fixed his hair.
"Peter Parker… don't be nervous. They invited you. You have to show your best side. Don't let them think you're lame…"
Ding!
The elevator doors opened.
Peter stepped out, nervous yet excited, and looked around.
The space was huge, furnished with sofas and other amenities—it felt more like a living room than a high-tech headquarters.
This wasn't what he expected at all.
He thought it would be full of advanced technology, or at least very serious-looking.
But this… was beautiful.
"Scanning participant's appearance…"
The sudden voice startled him.
He looked around—no one was there.
"Scan complete. Welcome, Peter Parker!"
Prepared this time, Peter wasn't scared—just more curious.
"Hello? Anyone there? Captain America told me to come for an internship. My name is Peter Parker! What do you need me to do? Hello?!"
No answer.
Feeling bored, Peter put his bag on the sofa, glanced around the empty floor, and walked upstairs.
The second floor looked like a bar, filled with all kinds of wine and even a pool table.
Since no one was around, Peter picked up a cue and started playing pool by himself.
After only a few minutes—
Ding!
The elevator rang again.
Panicking, Peter quickly pocketed a ball, put down the cue, and forced himself to walk calmly downstairs.
Tony saw him awkwardly holding the railing and asked flatly, "Peter Parker? What's going on here? Shouldn't you be enjoying getting scolded by your teachers at school? Has Steve lost his mind?"
Peter hurried down, excited.
"Mr. Stark! I know you—you're Iron Man! Captain America told me to come for an internship, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Where is everyone else? Why haven't I seen anyone?"
"Hey—sit down, kid," Tony said. "You're here to hear my opinion. Captain America isn't an employee of my company—he doesn't get to decide who interns here. So… grab your bag and go home. Do your homework."
Tony looked at Peter seriously.
He wasn't interested in recruiting a kid who just wanted to join—especially a fifteen-year-old. The Avengers weren't a playground.
Peter froze, unsure what to say.
After a moment, he spoke up:
"No, Mr. Stark… I want to join you. I have powers too. I'm strong, and I can stick to things—"
"Stop."
Tony cut him off.
"I've looked into your background. But this place is dangerous. Go home. What you should be doing is homework—otherwise your teacher will 'take care' of you again tomorrow."
Tony wasn't surprised by Peter's reaction.
People always made excuses when facing rejection.
"I'm not afraid of danger. I can help—"
"No, no, no. Petty thieves and robbers aren't the kind of danger we deal with. That's not even in the same league. So—take your bag and leave."
Peter fell silent.
He picked up his backpack, lowered his head, and prepared to leave.
Tony didn't stop him.
Instead, he quietly went upstairs.
This was a test.
To see whether rejection would push Peter toward wrongdoing—or whether his mindset would change.
Tony silently swore: if the boy failed, he would never contact him again.
Peter left Stark Tower, dejected.
He called a taxi and headed home.
He had come full of excitement, thinking he might join the Avengers.
Now, he just wanted to sleep.
Standing by the glass wall, Tony looked down.
"Friday, activate all surveillance. Monitor Peter Parker."
What is a hero?
It's a responsibility. A state of mind.
Not the freedom to act recklessly just because you have power.
Becoming a hero is difficult.
If you fail, in the eyes of others—you become a villain.
Just like what happened in Africa.
The Hulk had nearly destroyed a town. If Carl hadn't intervened, the situation would have been irreversible.
To ordinary people, what difference was there between that and a villain?
Even if Hulk acted unintentionally—
It didn't matter.
People were still hurt.
Tony had become more cautious.
Anyone who joined the Avengers had to be carefully chosen.
Otherwise, the Avengers' symbol itself would become their chains.
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