Quentin's video completely flipped public opinion against Spider-Man. Almost overnight, Peter became the target of mass criticism. Things escalated further when authorities examined the wreckage of the drones—confirming they all originated from Stark Industries. This significantly increased suspicion around Peter, to the point where the FBI showed up at his door to arrest him.
At this point, the audience outside the screen reacted with either confusion or outright outrage.
"Seriously? I've seen Spider-Man's future, and I already thought this Peter was dumb. But the FBI, the government, the media, and all these clueless bystanders? They're even dumber! They got completely played by a dead con artist—this is ridiculous!"
"Honestly, I think the Avengers and Peter are even dumber. Can't they handle public pressure? Sure, Tony is gone, but Stark Industries is still around. Why haven't they stepped up for damage control? And what about Nick? He knows the truth—why isn't he clearing Peter's name?"
"To be fair, Mysterio's illusion was convincing, but verifying the truth behind that final edited video shouldn't be hard. Stark Industries has top-tier tech—it should be easy to restore the real footage! And EDITH's satellite should have recorded the entire fight. Peter could just use that as proof!"
"Honestly, Peter brought this on himself. This kid is too caught up in his love life—he needed a wake-up call. Or maybe he just doesn't know what he really wants. He enjoys the fame and admiration that come with being a superhero, but he also wants a normal, peaceful life. You can't have it both ways! Even Thanos had to sacrifice personal attachments to achieve his goal—why should Peter be an exception?"
Inside the Eternal Space, Pietro frowned. "I don't get it. What the hell is Nick doing? Shouldn't he be handling this?"
Stephen shook his head and replied indifferently, "Other than Tony, who else would go all out to clean up this kid's mess?"
Peter's expression darkened, but he lifted his head stubbornly. "Not anymore. I won't let anyone take the fall for my mistakes ever again."
Stephen smirked. "Kid, you still don't get it. Sometimes, people don't have a choice. When Thanos snapped his fingers, he didn't care if you were young, old, weak, or strong."
In his eyes, the Peter from this future video had grown too soft under Tony's protection. Compared to the other two Spider-Men, he was maturing too slowly. He had been through so much already, yet he was still naive and indecisive. He didn't know what he truly wanted, nor did he know how to get it.
Maybe when he got back, Stephen would have a little chat with Tony.
The video continued, showing Peter being taken in by the FBI for questioning. Fortunately, after an investigation—and with the help of a certain blind lawyer, Matt Murdock—Peter was cleared of all charges.
This wasn't surprising. As long as the authorities weren't deliberately targeting Spider-Man, uncovering Mysterio's deception wasn't difficult. But it was obvious they still wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Their real target was Tony's legacy. They seized EDITH, launched an investigation into Happy, and were clearly looking for an excuse to get their hands on Stark Industries' advanced tech.
And that wasn't the only problem.
Although the legal charges were dropped, public opinion hadn't changed. While Peter and Matt were discussing the case at home, someone hurled a brick through the window—wrapped in a newspaper with the words: "We believe Mysterio!"
Not everyone believed the lie, but the pressure on Peter was enormous.
He had faced terrifying cosmic threats like Thanos without hesitation, yet now, under the weight of public scrutiny—especially when his friends and family were dragged into it—he seemed utterly lost, just another victim of a social media witch hunt.
The next day at school, Peter, Ned, and MJ found themselves hounded by reporters and cameras, turning them into public spectacles. Their normal lives were officially over.
Peter was clearly struggling with this, but with the support of his friends, he held it together—at least for now.
Then came the real disaster.
The three of them had planned to apply to MIT together. Given their academic performance, they should have been accepted without issue.
But due to the controversy surrounding Peter, the university rejected them all.
Even Ned and MJ got caught in the crossfire.
Watching Peter's devastated reaction, some of the audience couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"After everything he's been through, this is what breaks him? This is nothing compared to what he's faced before!"
At that moment, the video paused, and a new question appeared on the screen:
[In order to get himself and his friends into college, who does Spider-Man ask for help?"
A: Happy Hogan
B: Pepper Potts
C: Nick Fury
D: Stephen Strange]
Outside the screen, Stephen's gaze lingered on option D before he raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? He couldn't figure something out on his own? Tony really spoiled him. Every time he's in trouble, his first instinct is to ask for help."
Pietro scoffed. "Oh, like you don't ask for help when you're in trouble? You're a doctor, but you still go looking for other doctors when you're sick."
Stephen's temple twitched. "That is not the same thing! Peter's problem is a minor inconvenience. After all this time with Tony, he should've learned a thing or two about handling these situations."
Tony had deep ties to MIT—he had graduated from there and continued supporting the school with generous donations. In one of Peter's past videos, Tony had even assured him that he'd arrange for him to attend MIT.
Even though Tony was gone, that connection should still be valid, right?
Stephen figured the answer had to be either A or B.
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Translator's Note
Dear readers, beginning next week, if we reach a total of 200 Power Stones, I will be releasing an additional bonus chapter as a token of appreciation for your continued support. Your encouragement means a great deal, and I look forward to bringing you even more content as we hit this milestone together.