27: Chapter 27 A Christmas Night Dream

"When do we start?" Peter asked.

"Now." Natasha handed him a S.H.I.E.L.D. tracksuit. "Change into this and head to the gym."

Peter changed and walked into the gym. A giant training mat covered the center of the floor, but Natasha was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, his Spider-Sense went haywire.

Peter spun around violently, catching Natasha as she lunged from behind at the last second, and clumsily tossed her aside.

Natasha landed steadily and narrowed her eyes. "How did you know?"

"It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have my full abilities on record." Peter grinned. "It's a sort of precognitive ability. Every time there's danger, my brain goes into overdrive, making my reaction time faster than a normal person's."

"So you're a psychic?"

"No, I think it has something to do with the spider that bit me. It could sense danger too."

"Perhaps you should study your own abilities."

"Isn't S.H.I.E.L.D. already doing that? I bet you've already stolen my DNA." Peter retorted.

"We don't experiment on our Agents' DNA without their permission." Natasha lied without changing her expression.

"Wow, you're a first-class liar. Can you teach me?"

Natasha assumed a fighting stance. "Let me see what you've got, Spider."

For the next hour, Peter was one-sidedly beaten. His reaction speed was extremely fast, but Natasha used technique to pin him to the ground and rub his face in it.

"Bang!" Natasha threw him onto the mat again and stepped on his chest. "You're still reacting passively instead of controlling the fight, Spider. Instincts should only be a last resort."

"You keep saying that." Peter scrambled up. "Again?"

"That's enough for today. Go work on the equipment; I need to think about how to teach you." Natasha took out her phone to record. "One hour of combat, one hour of homework, three hours of Agent training every day. Understood?"

"Spending three hours in the Underground Room with a beautiful woman every day? Aside from the fact that my girlfriend might get jealous, I have no objections."

After the training, Natasha slammed a two-thousand-page "S.H.I.E.L.D. Manual" on the table.

"Memorize it."

"The font is so small, is this really necessary?"

"Yes."

Then, she tossed down a French book. "If you want to be an Agent, you need to learn new languages."

Peter switched directly into fluent French. "I know a little French, so this part can be skipped."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, a flash of surprise in her eyes. "I didn't know you could speak French."

"There's a lot you don't know. For example, I love vanilla ice cream; remember to write that in my file." Peter continued to tease in French.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Fine, how many languages do you actually speak?"

"French, Spanish, a little German, and I gave up halfway through learning Japanese."

The language test was passed easily. At 7:00 PM, Peter went to the Baxter Building to help Reed and Susan Storm with their project. During this time, Felicia called to check on him, and he could only lie that he was training at a dojo.

At 11:00 PM, Peter put on his suit and went on a night patrol as Spider-Man.

While passing through Hell's Kitchen, he stopped outside Matt Murdock's window. The novice lawyer had become famous because of the Grass Stain Gang case. Matt seemed to hear his heartbeat, turned toward the window, and waved.

Peter waved back, then realized the other man was blind, making the gesture a bit silly.

After stopping two robberies, he saw a figure in a black bodysuit running toward the bank district.

Peter swung over and landed in front of her. "Hey, Black Cat! What a coincidence!"

"You again." Black Cat sighed. "Seriously, you're such a buzzkill. Can't this city let a girl quietly rob the rich?"

"No." Peter shrugged. "Instead of you stealing things, me catching you, and you running away again, why don't we go get a late-night snack? I'm hungry."

Black Cat snorted. "Sorry, Spider, I have a boyfriend."

Peter gasped dramatically. "Really? You don't look like the type to settle down and date."

"I thought I wouldn't either, but... life is unpredictable."

"Is it that hero who saved you?" Peter scratched his head. "I never asked for his name."

"You'll never know." Black Cat's eyes hardened. "Who I date is none of your business!"

Peter chuckled to himself but played dumb. "Fine, fine, just curious. So, have you confessed this getup to him?"

"Of course not!" Black Cat lowered her voice. "I'm not an idiot; he'd definitely be terrified!"

"I don't know, based on your description, he seems like a pretty good guy. Besides, starting a relationship with a secret... isn't very healthy. Believe me, my girlfriend is great too, but she likes to keep things hidden."

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?" Black Cat was surprised.

"Of course! You think I couldn't find a girlfriend with this physique?" Peter laughed.

"So... is she also a Spider-Mutant?"

"No, she's human."

"Really? Does she live in Canada?" Black Cat teased.

"Why would I lie to my nemesis?"

"I'm your nemesis?"

"If not you, then it's Electro. Honestly, I'm glad it's you; I don't want that much stress in my life."

Black Cat leaned against the edge of the roof. "So... you think I should tell him?"

"Absolutely. My girlfriend tried to hide it from me, but I found out. I think she thought I'd be terrified, but I don't actually care at all; that's even one of the reasons why I like her. But I don't want to force her; we've just started."

"So you know her secret, but you play dumb?"

"Yes. I want to wait until she trusts me enough to tell me herself."

"Does she know you're a superhero?"

"No." Peter smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid of losing her."

Black Cat smiled understandingly and patted his hand. "Give her some time. She'll come around."

"What about you? Do you plan on telling your little boyfriend your real identity?"

"I... I think so. But not now. We just confirmed our relationship yesterday, and I don't want to scare him off."

"Good luck. Oh, one more thing." Peter grabbed her hand, which was trying to touch his pocket. "Don't steal when you're being sincere; it really ruins the vibe."

"Hehe, sorry, occupational hazard." Black Cat fired her grappling hook and swung into the night sky. "See you, Spider!"

Peter sighed. He should have stopped her, but he could never send his own girlfriend to prison. Tonight, he'd give her a free pass.

Over the next month, Peter's life got on track.

School became his most boring daily routine, and he could only pass the time by secretly kissing Felicia.

Natasha's special training became increasingly brutal. She forced him to memorize that two-thousand-page manual within a week and taught him various combat arts like karate, as well as fashion, current events, and even art appreciation.

Once, while Peter was looking down at a text message from Felicia, Natasha suddenly reached out, snatched the phone, and smashed it on the ground.

"No distractions during training!" she said coldly.

Peter looked at the shattered screen, wanting to cry without tears, and could only obediently pay for a new phone, promising never to slack off during training.

At the Baxter Building, Peter finally started his core research. He hid the stolen Arc Reactor and drone parts in the lab and began reverse engineering them.

At the same time, he delved into studying Electro's blood. This blood was an excellent superconductor. Peter used the Fantastic Four's advanced equipment to analyze it and discovered that after Max was frozen at extremely low temperatures and then electrocuted, his entire body had become a superconductor. Even more miraculously, every mitochondrion in his body had mutated, allowing it to adapt and store immense electrical energy.

"Peter, you calculated the mitochondrial energy conversion rate wrong here." Reed pointed to the molecular structure diagram on the whiteboard. "If you add this constant, the superconductivity in Electro's blood can be stabilized."

Peter stared at the formula for a while, suddenly enlightened, and picked up a marker to quickly revise it. "Right, this way the energy can be locked in the cell wall..."

After spending an entire month, with Reed's help, Peter finally understood how to change the mitochondrial structure.

At the end of November, he invented a black superconducting liquid that could store and release electrical energy at will, with a transmission speed five times that of fiber optics. He named it "Parker Blood" and asked Susan Storm to apply for a patent for the superconducting liquid.

"Peter, you're amazing!" Susan Storm hugged him excitedly. "This thing will make us a fortune!"

"Sis, sometimes I think you only care about money." Johnny Storm remarked from the side.

"Someone has to manage the money!" Susan Storm glared at him, then turned to smile at Peter. "Seriously, this technology can be sold directly to the public. Google will definitely fight over it!"

"Thanks, but before that, can we apply for the patent first?"

"Of course. My god, you're only fifteen, and you already have two patents under your name." Susan Storm sighed, then handed him a check. "Almost forgot, this is your monthly salary."

Peter looked at it, his eyes almost popping out. "Ten... ten thousand dollars?!"

"This is your salary. You didn't forget we were paying you, did you?"

"The deal with Amazon for the smart reader is also settled." Johnny Storm interjected. "Each unit sells for a thousand bucks, you get 5% royalties, which is fifty bucks."

"Wow, so I get fifty bucks for every unit sold?" Peter whistled.

"So don't spend it all in one place, Spider-Man." Susan Storm winked and turned to contact the patent attorney.

That night, Peter slapped ten thousand dollars in cash on the dining table, giving Aunt May and Uncle Ben a shock. Uncle Ben even thought he had robbed an ATM.

After Peter explained everything clearly, the elderly couple hugged him tightly, their eyes reddening. Peter insisted that they use the money to pay off the mountain of bills.

That night, Uncle Ben told him privately that the family's finances were barely holding up, and this money was truly a lifesaver.

With his worries resolved, Peter started working on his new suit.

He used the S.H.I.E.L.D. black tactical suit as a base; this polymer material had excellent bulletproof properties. Next, he custom-made a miniature Arc Reactor, hexagonal in design, using "Parker Blood" to replace traditional wires inside; it not only glowed with black light but also reduced the volume to three inches.

He ran the "Parker Blood" wires all over the suit, covering them with a translucent red polymer. Once the reactor started, the wires lit up, forming a giant, glowing black and red spiderweb that spread from his chest to his limbs and waist.

The Web-shooters also received a major upgrade. Peter converted them into forearm guards, integrated an automatic reloading system inside, and added a microcomputer and smart screen. The knuckles of the gloves were reinforced with armor, and a small Impact emitter was installed in the palm.

As for the foot thrusters, because they were too bulky and would affect his balance, he had to give them up.

The helmet was designed with Johnny Storm's assistance; it could fold into a mask and integrated night-vision goggles confiscated from Rhino, while the surface was a color-changing panel. When not activated, it was a normal color; when activated, it became a red background with a black web.

In mid-December, the new suit was finished. Peter hung it on the lab wall and let out a long sigh of relief.

Just then, Susan Storm pushed the door open. "Hey, Peter, I want to talk about the Parker Blood patent..." She saw the suit on the wall and whistled. "Is this what you and Johnny Storm have been tinkering with?"

"Yes." Peter checked the folding function of the arm guards.

"He wasn't bragging; this design is genius." Susan Storm walked closer to examine it. "Are you sure Stark won't sue you for copying his technology?"

"Strictly speaking, it's not his. With the 'Parker Blood' unit added, it's a completely different machine. The reactor principle might be similar, but he wouldn't sue me over this."

"Whatever you say." Susan Storm handed over some documents. "Sign these. Also, do you mind if I look at the suit's blueprints? They're very... interesting."

"Go ahead, you know my terminal password." Peter looked down to sign. Watching Susan Storm seriously studying the blueprints, he couldn't help but marvel that she actually had a scientific side, just usually overshadowed by business affairs.

Just then, Peter's phone vibrated. It was a text from an unknown number.

"Peter, this is Norman Osborn, Harry Osborn's father. I cordially invite you and the Baxter Foundation to attend Oscorp's annual Christmas party. I guarantee that if you don't come, you will definitely regret it. Many renowned scientists will attend, and it's a good learning opportunity for you.

Each person can bring one guest. Note that this is not just a party; I will also use this stage to announce Oscorp's major goals for next year. I believe your scientific mind will be interested in the amazing new possibilities my company offers.

Please reply within a week. The party will be held the day before Christmas Eve.

Norman Osborn, CEO of Oscorp"

Peter rolled his eyes. This guy was narcissistic to the extreme; he mentioned "his" company and "his" achievements five times in the text.

He instinctively didn't want to go. But if Norman Osborn was plotting some conspiracy, he had to go and find out.

He showed the text to Susan Storm. Susan Storm made it clear that the Fantastic Four would never attend; Norman Osborn was too dangerous, and they couldn't get involved with him.

Peter agreed. But he wasn't an official member of the Fantastic Four and wasn't bound by this restriction. So, he accepted the invitation as an individual.

His intuition told him that this party would definitely not be peaceful, and Spider-Man would certainly have to intervene.

It looks like he'll have to ask Felicia if she's willing to be his date.