Chapter 244: Leaving San Francisco
"So, what do you think? Doesn't your Uncle Ben's school life sound incredibly exciting?" Ben Parker finally paused, asking Silas and Peter for their thoughts.
"Ben, if you added 'this story is purely fictional' at the end, the kids might find it easier to relate to," Aunt May teased from the side.
As Ben's former classmate, May knew exactly what he was like back then. To woo her, he had even tried acting like a "cold, mysterious loner" just to catch her attention.
"Hahaha!" Peter couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Aunt May's remark.
"Uncle Ben, if you became a screenwriter, you'd definitely be famous," Peter suggested with a grin.
Ben Parker huffed, looking at May with a bit of mock resentment. Why did she have to expose him in front of the kids? At least Silas was being well-behaved; he hadn't made a sound.
Ben turned around, ready to praise Silas, only to find that Silas had long since fallen asleep against the back of the bench.
"..." Ben Parker fell silent.
The family sat quietly on the bench, watching the time slip away. Soon, the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving only a faint red glow in the sky.
"Time to go! See you next time, beautiful San Francisco," Ben said with a touch of sentiment.
Silas woke up from his nap, feeling quite refreshed. The large tree had blocked the harsh sun, and a gentle breeze had brushed against his face—it really was a perfect spot for a sleep.
"Let's take one last group photo," Aunt May suggested, wanting to capture a memory under the beautiful sunset.
"Great idea, May." Ben Parker propped the camera on a sturdy branch, set the timer, and ran back to May's side.
Aunt May placed her hand on Silas's shoulder, while Ben put his on Peter's. The whole family smiled happily as the camera clicked.
"This will be a wonderful memory," Ben said, checking the photo on the small screen.
"Let's move, Ben. I'm tired after a whole day of fun." Aunt May stretched. She never would have imagined that their family could afford to go on such a vacation. Back when their finances were tight, they couldn't even afford a proper tour of New York, let alone a trip across the country.
"Next time we have a chance, we'll take a plane to go abroad," Ben noted. He felt that driving was a bit too exhausting; flying would be much easier. Although his current savings weren't quite enough to cover an international trip, after working at Parker Industries for another six months, he'd easily have the means to take everyone overseas.
"Going abroad? I'm looking forward to it," Peter said.
Silas didn't have much of a reaction. With his Shadow Kingdom travel agency, he could pretty much go anywhere in the world through the shadows, except for a few remote places that still required exploration.
After Ben took the family for a final dinner, they prepared to depart.
"Wait, what? Uncle Ben, I thought we were staying one more night and leaving tomorrow morning?" Peter was caught off guard; he hadn't expected to leave tonight.
"Nope. I plan to drive through the night. Plus, we can enjoy the feeling of camping in a tent later," Ben said as he hauled the luggage back into the car.
Peter stood there in stunned silence. If they left now, he wouldn't be able to investigate the Life Foundation tonight.
"Your Uncle Ben is just like that. I suggested leaving tomorrow morning, but he's stubborn," Aunt May comforted him, assuming Peter just wanted to stay in the city a bit longer.
"Silas, this is bad! Uncle Ben is leaving tonight. What do I do?" Peter whispered, rushing over to his brother.
"It's fine," Silas said with a smile.
"Fine? No, it's a big deal!" Peter still wanted to find out exactly what that black liquid was.
"Don't forget, I have the Shadow Kingdom." Silas pulled out a coin and flicked it into the shadows.
"Cool! Is the Shadow Kingdom working again?" Peter's anxiety vanished instantly. With the Shadow Kingdom accessible, everything became simple. He wouldn't even need to stay in San Francisco; he could just travel back here through the shadows whenever he wanted.
"Thanks a ton, Silas!" Peter gave his brother a quick hug.
After loading the rest of the bags, the Parker brothers hopped into the car and headed out.
"Boys, take a look at the final night view of San Francisco," Ben said, opening the sunroof so they could see the sky.
"Uh..." Silas was a bit speechless. He could come back whenever he wanted.
Peter, however, played along perfectly. He took out his camera and started snapping photos of the night sky. He was overjoyed that his "fast travel" method was back online.
Just as they were reaching the city limits, two police officers flagged them down.
"What's the matter, officer?" Ben rolled down the windows, looking at them with a friendly smile while keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
The officers were a tall white man and a black man. They turned on their high-powered flashlights and scanned the interior of the car, the blinding light making everyone squint.
"Leaving San Francisco?" the black officer asked.
"That's right. Our vacation is over, so we're heading home," Ben replied.
"How was your stay?" Both officers relaxed their hands, moving them away from their holsters.
"It was great, made some good memories," Ben chatted casually. After checking Ben's ID, the officers let them pass.
As they continued, they encountered police checkpoints at almost every major junction.
"What's going on today? Why are there so many police?" Aunt May asked, surprised.
"Not sure. Maybe they're looking for someone involved in a big case," Ben guessed. Fortunately, the officers had been professional, and there were no unpleasant incidents.
"I hope we get out of the city soon," May said, closing her eyes. The heavy police presence made her feel uneasy. In this country, when police are everywhere with their hands on their guns, it naturally creates a sense of crisis.
Only the Parker brothers in the back seat remained completely unbothered.
"What do you think they're up to?" Peter leaned over to whisper to Silas.
"How should I know? I'm not God," Silas replied, amused. Peter really seemed to think he was omniscient.
Eventually, Ben successfully cleared the city limits and reached the main highway before pulling over.
"It's too late now, so we'll have to make do with a long night in the car," Ben said, checking the time. If they hadn't been delayed by the checkpoints, they would have had plenty of time to pitch tents.
"It's okay, Ben. This car has plenty of space," May said, already feeling sleepy as she reclined her seat.
Ben cracked the sunroof and windows to let in some fresh air. He turned to the boys. "Want a snack? I've still got some crackers."
"No thanks, Uncle Ben. Not hungry right now," Peter and Silas declined in unison.
"Alright then. Get some sleep. Goodnight." Ben turned off the cabin lights.
Silas, however, wasn't sleepy at all. He used the Sheep Talisman to leave his body in astral form and entered the Shadow Kingdom.
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