Chapter 524: Schiller's hospital routine (2)
"So... you're actually still in school? Can you reveal which school you attend?" The bearded scout, Bob, took a bite of his taco and asked.
"Sorry, that's not possible." Spider-Man across from him declined, saying, "If my teachers, classmates, or parents find out I'm doing this in my spare time, I might as well not leave the house."
"It sounds like your family is pretty strict. When I was in high school, I used to party all night and my family didn't care either." Bob chuckled and continued, "Even though I know asking this might ruin the mood a bit, but I still want to ask, how are your grades? Which university are you planning to attend?"
"Oh, well, my grades are pretty good. Several PhDs and professors are willing to write recommendation letters for me. But I don't want to be too far from home. I think New York University or Columbia University would be nice..."
Bob's eyes widened. He heard a relaxed and carefree tone in Spider-Man's voice, but both New York University and Columbia University were good schools. He was quite surprised and said, "That means your grades are really good."
"Actually, the mentor from the laboratory where I'm interning wants to introduce me to Harvard. This winter, I might be following him to continue working in the laboratory at Harvard. Of course, I might also go to Los Angeles, depending on the progress of our experiments..."
Peter then talked about his life in the laboratory. But Bob understood that the audience probably wasn't interested in that. So, he asked with a touch of gossip, "So, do you have a girlfriend?"
Even with his mask on, Bob could see the shyness on Spider-Man's face. Peter nodded and said, "Actually, I was about to meet her. Luckily, I left early, or else I might have been late."
"Oh, it seems like I interrupted your date. I'm really sorry, after all, I'm kind of malicious towards all the sweet loves in the world, because... I don't have a girlfriend!" Bob intentionally made a comically sad face, and both of them burst into laughter.
"Does your girlfriend support you doing this? Does she know about your identity?"At this, Peter sighed and said, "Actually, I used to keep it a secret from her because I felt a bit ashamed. Or rather, I worried that she'd think I'm not mature enough. You know, girls tend to like the party types, and if I acted too serious, she might find me boring."
"But..." Peter paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, I gradually changed my perspective. I felt that she's not that shallow of a person. My concern shifted to the possibility that she might find this kind of thing dangerous. I was worried that she'd be anxious for me every day..."
"Indeed." Bob affirmed this point and said, "I've encountered a middle-aged superhero before. He had a loving marriage and a happy life. He never publicly revealed his identity to his family because he knew his wife would be really worried..."
Peter continued, "Perhaps I was impulsive for a moment, but in the end, I told her. I'm grateful that she didn't blame me for keeping it from her for so long. Honestly, after opening up about this, our relationship actually got better..."
Maybe it was because the local TV station in New York had relatively stable ratings and didn't need excessive hype, Bob's questions were all quite gentle. They mostly revolved around Spider-Man's life and family situation. Sometimes he would give advice from an elder's perspective. So far, the interview had been going very well, and Schiller didn't understand why Peter had that complex expression.
Soon, Bob on the TV switched to another topic. He asked, "Citizens in New York have witnessed you spending time with Iron Man. Are you two friends?"
"Yes."
"You two probably met due to your superhero work, right? Could you share the specifics?"
Peter gave an affirmative answer, but he wasn't foolish. He knew that discussing topics related to Iron Man could bring more controversy to Stark, even if this scout wasn't being malicious. His answers might be taken out of context and used to attack Stark.
So, Peter provided a courteous response, saying that both of them were inspired by justice and became good friends. He didn't delve into the topic much and instead talked about his other superhero friends.
"Compared to Iron Man, there's another superhero I have a better relationship with. You've probably heard of him. He operates in Hell's Kitchen, and he's Daredevil. I prefer to think of him as my guide and mentor..."
"In fact, after he appeared in Hell's Kitchen, the security situation there improved. I won't hesitate to use any words to praise him. It's not because of any ulterior motive."
"He's a very noble person—strong, brave, steadfast, and incredibly patient. He..."
Just as he was saying this, a loud bang echoed, and both Bob and Peter turned their heads. They saw a car being lifted high into the air on the skyline of Hell's Kitchen, only to crash back down to the ground.
The distant horizon stirred, and two black figures leaped among the buildings. Soon, the figure at the forefront began to grow larger in their field of view. Peter saw that it was Venom, rushing furiously.
With sharp teeth and a wide grin, Venom dashed across the rooftops of the high-rise buildings in Hell's Kitchen. The figure chasing after him was also familiar—Daredevil, Matt, wearing his uniform.
Even though they were far away, Peter heard Daredevil's deafening roar:
"Venom! How dare you clog up my toilet! I'm going to kill you!"
Even with his mask on, Peter's expression revealed shock. He turned to look at the camera, his face showing a hint of panic, and said, "Um... Hell's Kitchen is like that. The sewage system here isn't great, which can be quite irritating. And it's not all Daredevil's fault..."
At that moment, a rainbow light flashed across the sky, and a warrior dressed like a goddess—Sif—landed on the rooftop of Hell's Kitchen. From her mouth came the voice of Phantom:
"Venom! You better explain the Sakaar Star situation to me, or we're not done!"
"Kazaa!" A thunderbolt struck the rooftop as well, and Thor stepped forward, advising Sif, "Sif, calm down. If you're still angry at Loki, I'll apologize on his behalf. I've already put him in 1300 years of confinement..."
Peter watched the two of them arguing on the rooftop and explained, "Uh, they're mutants with teleportation abilities. Maybe they're having a lovers' quarrel, yes, a lovers' quarrel..."
"Swoosh," with a magical gleam, Loki appeared behind Thor, holding a stack of parchment scrolls and said as he read, "Thor, I seriously doubt whether you've grown a brain. Look at this edict you've written. Where did the 305th fleet come from?"
"Come back with me quickly. Your duties after your coronation are piling up to 200 years later. You make an average of two mistakes in your edicts every day. When will we finish reconfiguring the fleet's defense network?"
"Crackle," a portal appeared in mid-air, and the Supreme Sorcerer Strange poked his head out, shouting angrily at Loki, "Do you realize how many days you've skipped? Do you remember that you're a shareholder at Sanctum Sanctorum? Do you want to work me to death?"
"You and Schiller can just kill without worrying about the aftermath, and I'm the one doing all the work at Sanctum Sanctorum. Get back here and start working!"
On the other side of the camera, Spider-Man struggled to think, then said, "They're part of a secret magical society, you know, the kind that... studies, uh... magic formations and things like that..."
"Boom," a heap of cars was lifted into the air on the horizon, followed by spikes piercing through the sky, chaotic shadows flying, and golden thunderbolts. The combination of symbiotes and mutant students descended before Venom. Blue Spirit spoke up with an authoritative voice.
"Venom! You've violated Article 1118 of the Spacesymbiote Parasitic Code three times within three days! Come back with us for trial!"
"Keep dreaming!" Venom grinned widely, sneering, "You think you can catch me? Maybe in your next life!"
With that, he jumped in place and landed on a nearby high-rise building. Matt, who was chasing him, was helpless, but Sif, who could fly, and the other symbiotes quickly caught up.
Sif stormed out in anger, and fearing that she might actually cause damage on Earth, Thor had no choice but to follow. Once Thor left, Loki was sure to chase after him. And when Loki left, Strange thought he was trying to escape his responsibilities again, so he flew out of a portal to chase him down.
This group of people were running like in a race, weaving through the skyline of Hell's Kitchen in New York several times. After causing a big mess, a meteor streaked across the sky, and Stark's voice came from the midst of the battle:
"Stop it! This is New York! If you want to fight, go fight in outer space!"
But Stark wasn't alone. Just as he hesitated in mid-air, a shield came hurtling towards his head. Captain America stood on a rooftop behind him, saying, "We're not done yet. Where are you planning to run to? Are you trying to desert the battle?"
"Shut up! Can't you see I'm maintaining law and order?"
Stark swooped down to confront Captain America, and they grappled with each other again. Peter gestured with his hand and said, "Actually... uh, this is a maneuver called flanking. It's an emerging tactic, so it looks a bit unique..."
Bob squinted his eyes and looked at Captain America and Iron Man. He said, "Why do I feel like they're just innocently brawling?"
"Impossible!" Peter denied with a serious face, "We're partners united by justice. How could we be fighting? We must be... we must be..."
On the TV screen, Spider-Man continued to gesture and explain in front of the camera, while in the background, various devils and monsters were dancing in the New York skyline.
"Venom, go back and unclog the toilet!"
"Sif, calm down. Sif, we'll talk in Asgard..."
"Come on, Thor, can't you be more serious about your work?"
"Loki! Do you even have the nerve to make others work seriously? Have you even done any work yourself? Get back to Sanctum Sanctorum!"
"Your combat skills are as ancient as you are! Rotten to the core!"
"If you're so tough, take off your combat suit before saying that!"
"Who hit me with that thunder? Thor, why did you hit me?!"
"It wasn't me! It was that symbiote!"
"Because Venom hid with you. Make him come out!"
"Boom! Crash! Sizzle... Target locked..."
"Oh no! My new clothes!"
"My wrist! My waist!"
Schiller hurriedly grabbed the remote control. "Kazaa," he turned off the TV screen, then covered his ears, which were ringing from the noise.
He exchanged a glance with Peter, and they both sighed.
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