"What on earth are they talking about?" Natasha asked in confusion. "If I'm not mistaken, Selina took off her engagement ring. Are they calling off the engagement?"
Nick's expression wasn't good either. He said, "Evict them immediately, take them straight to the teleportation portal, don't let them return to the hotel. If they have a dispute at the hotel, our universe's reputation will be ruined."
Although Natasha hesitated, she was about to execute the order. But just then, the door was knocked on urgently. Both of them looked up, and a commotion could be heard outside. But soon the door was pushed open, and Peter burst in.
"Professor Parker!" Nick frowned deeply, "What are you doing here?!"
"I have something to tell you," Peter said. "This incident is not about Selina, I sent her for a reason. It's to protect Spider-Man."
"What exactly happened?!" Nick's voice sank as he realized this was indeed no coincidence.
"Gwen." Peter suddenly uttered a name, but the others looked confused. It had been so long, most people had forgotten about that unfortunate girl.
Peter seemed a bit anxious, not even knowing where to start, he said, "To Spider-Man now, I'm like my uncle. So I need someone to be Gwen, otherwise, innocent people will die..."
To those unaware, his words seemed incoherent, like the ramblings of a madman. But fortunately, Peter Parker's reputation was solid, and most importantly, now his skills were just as solid, so there were still people willing to wait for him to organize his thoughts before speaking.
"Don't rush," Natasha brought him a chair, "You sit here, have a drink of water, and think about how to say it."
"I'm serious!" Peter, though slightly anxious, still sat down. "Spider-Man will repeat my fate. He will lose the mentor he respects the most, the woman he loves the most, family, and friends..."
Natasha paused in her actions. "You mean, the current Bruce Wayne will repeat what happened to Peter Parker before?"
Peter nodded vigorously. "Remember the robbery I encountered before? That was the situation Uncle Ben once faced."
With his previous words, the two of them understood a bit. Simply put, Peter now is equivalent to Uncle Ben before, so he experienced a robbery just like Uncle Ben.
"Selina's experience confirms my point," Peter said. "She is completely different from Gwen, not even from our side of the world, but as long as she is involved with Spider-Man, she'll fall like Gwen..."
"But she..." Natasha was about to say that Selina didn't fall, but then she thought, Selina didn't fall because the Scarlet Witch happened to pass by and saved the entire building along with her, otherwise, it wouldn't have been certain.
There was surveillance footage at the time of the incident, and they had all seen it. Even though Selina timely jumped out of the window and was not killed by the assassin, the building soon collapsed, the hook slipped, and she plummeted straight down. Although she immediately flew up using her wings, if the collapsing building had fallen, she very well could have been killed.
These successive disasters seem like they were chased by the God of Death: first targeted by the assassin, then using her flying thief skills to escape, only to fall due to the building's collapse, even using magic wings to fly, she still nearly got hit by the falling building, it was all too coincidental.
Natasha glanced at Nick, becoming instantly alert. Nick's expression became a bit tense, not as grave or doubtful as before, but like he deliberately masked all emotion. This signified that the King of Special Agents had made a decision.
"I understand, Peter," Nick said. "You go back first, I will handle this matter properly."
Peter looked at him in surprise, he had actually prepared many arguments, even some evidence he collected on Spider-Man from various universes. But Nick just let him leave like that, as if treating him as a rambling madman?
Just as he thought of this, Nick spoke, "I believe what you're saying is true, very possibly the case. However, Professor Parker, I implore you, once you step out of this door, do not mention this matter again."
"Why?" Peter looked at him and said, "The heroes are facing unjust fates..."
"Peter Parker!" Nick raised his voice, coming around his desk to stand in front of Peter, looking at him with a firm gaze, "The weight of fate is heavier than you imagine, not everyone can bear it. Until we find a feasible solution, you cannot tell anyone."
Peter looked at him incredulously, taking two steps back. "You want to hide this news?!"
"I must hide it." Nick said, "And please don't tell anyone, otherwise I will have a diagnosis issued for mental illness for you."
Peter slowly clenched his fists. Nick continued, "I know you have powerful magic power, but that is precisely your weakness. Can you tell me where this power comes from?"
Peter's fingertips trembled suddenly. He couldn't say anything about his contract with the Black Sun because, in the eyes of others, it's entirely a contract with an evil god. Once they believe Peter Parker has become a follower of an evil god, they would inevitably stand in opposition.
"Don't forget, Doctor Strange will not let this slide." Nick said, "He returned to Kamar-Taj to recover, and the main reason you're still standing here is because you're more trustworthy than him. Don't let us down, Peter."
Peter left in a daze. Natasha looked at Nick's profile, watched his trembling lips, and slowly walked forward, patting his shoulder. "No one knows better than us, Captain Fury. The Long-life have always witnessed more than the rest."
"I watched how he became Spider Man, how he lost his family, his loved ones, how he changed from an ignorant young boy to the weathered figure he is now..." Nick clenched his fists, "And many others: Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and you, ma'am. No one knows better than I how you've come through. I've always stood behind you, watching each tragedy unfold."
"But I can't say anything." Nick's chest kept heaving, "No matter who's driving the wheel of destiny to spin like this, his strength is something we cannot resist. In this situation, ignorance has instead become a kind of bliss."
"But he has already realized it," Natasha said, "He didn't notice when he was caught in this destiny himself. But when he watched Bruce's destiny, he must have discovered something."
"It's useless." Nick shook his head, "Do you think when I realized it, I didn't take action?"
Nick was silent, but the silence said it all. Natasha's hand slowly slipped from his shoulder, and she turned to look out the window, sighing lightly. Who is the master of the heroes' destinies? Is it Eternity? Is it Adam? Or is it the Creator God?
Whoever it is, the heroes run desperately on the wheel he has set, thinking they are moving forward, but actually, they have never left the spot. Those earth-shattering separations and reunions are like hamsters shoveling wood shavings; no matter how grand the momentum, it's just a moment of leisure in a small cage.
The resentment between humans and gods always exceeds love, simply because, in the ears of gods, human wails and screams are like the chirping of insects blown by the night wind, too weak and insignificant. When their overwhelming passions, for which they sacrifice everything, are mere specks of dust before the gods, not worth a glance, that faith and love crumble instantly, leaving only unending resentment.
When Peter broke in, Shiller was tidying up the freshly delivered, neatly ironed clothes. As he rolled the tie on his hand, he turned his head and asked, "What's wrong? Peter? You seem very... distressed."
"I…" Peter didn't know where to start again. But he improved quickly, from his initial incoherence to now being able to express clearly in the briefest words, it only took less than a day.
"…That's it," Peter succinctly recounted his thoughts and then spoke of Nick's attitude.
Shiller slightly bowed his head and then turned to look at Peter and said, "Do you know my name?"
"What?"
"My name, my real name."
Peter looked at him, his gaze a bit confused. Shiller continued, "Different personality traits have different names. The one in the Central Universe is called Greed, and I am called Arrogance."
"Arrogance?" Peter repeated the word. The term is usually used to refer to pride, but in Old English, it originally meant "unbelieving in God."
Arrogance among the Seven Sins is not referring to the attitude towards others but refers precisely to disbelief in gods, or thinking oneself stronger than gods. Therefore, Arrogance is called the chief of the Seven Sins, and can be understood as the religious version of "the crime of great disrespect."
Peter seems to have understood something, his excited emotions, on the verge of exploding, are gradually cooling.
"Anger is because there is still expectation." Shiller continued to roll the tie, and said, "If from the beginning there is no expectation at all, then naturally there won't be any emotional fluctuations because of this."
"But should we just resign to fate?" Peter asked, "You knew from the beginning you would be toyed with by destiny, so did nothing?"
"How do you know I did nothing?" Shiller revealed a very faint smile, "If I did nothing, you would have been dead long ago, wouldn't you?"
Peter froze again. He didn't know which occasion Shiller was referring to, perhaps when he gave Spider Power to Bruce, perhaps when he got shot, but he knew Shiller was right. Had he not contacted the Black Sun, had he not obtained Magic Energy, he would have died long ago.
And Selina, if it weren't for her wings, if the Scarlet Witch hadn't arrived later, she might also have died. The Catwoman of the average universe doesn't have wings, and the Scarlet Witch might not care to handle such matters.
Peter suddenly understood. And Shiller had already tidied up the clothes, sat down opposite Peter, looked into his eyes, and said: "You're too tired, go rest a bit."
"No, I still have to..."
Peter paused again. He wanted to say he needed to do something, to stop these people from repeatedly enduring tragic destinies, but he realized it seemed there was nothing he could do anymore.
Someone had started planning years ago; everything happening in this universe now has a solution.
Whether it's his survival, Selina's safety, or the escape from danger of everyone else afterward, it was all decided years ago. God is omnipresent, but he is quicker.
Peter, sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly lay down, feeling a strange sense of peace. Having been Spider Man protecting others for so many years, when he first, as a mere mortal, felt the security brought by others' protection, he more profoundly realized that all his efforts were not in vain—how many people have peaceful, dreamless nights, just like his restful sleep this night.