Ten minutes later.
Having obtained the exact coordinates, Peter walked slowly out of a sea of flames.
He was a man of his word; he didn't kill the leader of the terrorist organization. He simply shattered the man's limbs and tossed him into the Cave.
Then, as an afterthought, he tore down the iron bars of the cells and gifted the jagged metal rods to the captive girls to use as "crutches."
As for what happened next... that was none of Peter's business.
Taking to the air once more on his Glider, Peter followed the directions provided and successfully reached the Ten Rings' main stronghold in Afghanistan before dawn.
Using the X-ray capabilities of his Byakugan, he quickly located a crude laboratory deep within the mountain caves.
Inside, a middle-aged man with a stylish mustache and a glowing "LED light" embedded in his chest was sweating profusely, swinging a hammer against scattered metal plates.
Beside him, a balding man with glasses was diligently acting as his assistant.
These two were, naturally, Tony Stark and Dr. Ho Yinsen. The metal plates laid out before them were the exterior armor for the Mark I.
Peter watched the focused Tony for a moment, then looked at the Mark I, which was clearly in the very early stages of fabrication. Without hesitation, he turned and left.
Rescuing Tony now would only net him a "billionaire's favor" and a verbal promise from S.H.I.E.L.D. That was a losing trade. The play that maximized profit was to wait until Tony finished the suit, and then "coincidentally" pass by.
As for Tony's safety? The man had plot armor; he wouldn't die that easily. According to Marvel's logic, Tony was a universal anchor; if he died before becoming Iron Man, the entire timeline might collapse.
With that in mind, Peter flew to a nearby city. He found a mall, bought a phone with recording capabilities, and some simple spare parts.
After a bit of tinkering in the desert, using one of Herman's super-button batteries as a power source, he finished a simple "Spider-Drone" barely larger than a button with four mechanical legs.
He maneuvered the drone into the cave, using the Byakugan to avoid patrols, and soon had it crawling into Tony's lab.
With the drone monitoring Tony's "work progress," Peter left Afghanistan entirely and flew to Dubai to enjoy the decadent luxury of the city of gold. He was carrying Nick Fury's black card, after all—why eat sand in Afghanistan when he could swipe the Director's credit?
Wasn't it better to relax at the Burj Al Arab while remotely watching Tony's "40-dollar hammer" strikes?
While enjoying life, Peter didn't forget to fleece the system to the max. After a game of beach volleyball, he found a moment to call Harry.
"Harry, it's me."
"Peter? Aren't you in Saudi Arabia for that exchange? How do you have time to call?" Harry's voice sounded surprised.
"That's not important. What's important is a massive investment opportunity. How much capital do you and the company have left?" Peter asked.
Harry did a quick calculation. "About 50 million?"
"Good. Throw it all into the stock market. Buy as much Stark Industries stock as possible."
"What?!" Harry felt his vision go dark. "Stark Industries?! Peter, haven't you seen the news? Tony Stark is missing, presumed dead! The stock has been hitting the floor for days. Buying now is just throwing money into the ocean!"
As Harry ranted about Peter's perceived recklessness, Norman's voice suddenly cut in from the side: "Harry, listen to Peter. Also, I'll personally give you another 10 million in pocket money—put that into Stark stock as well."
Harry didn't know Peter's secret identity, but Norman knew exactly who the "Arbiter" was. He had guessed the "Saudi exchange" was related to Stark the moment he heard about it.
Hearing Peter's confident tone, the veteran businessman knew exactly what kind of game was being played.
If using Oscorp's massive funds wouldn't draw too much suspicion, Norman would have jumped in himself. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. When Peter returned with a "King" Tony, these stocks would skyrocket seven or eightfold.
Harry stared at his father in disbelief, secretly wondering: Should I find some of my dad's and Peter's hair and do a paternity test?
"Alright then!" Harry finally sighed, abandoning the thought of being whipped by his father for such a suggestion. "I'll have someone handle it."
After hanging up, Peter took a sip of iced cola. This move would net him hundreds of millions. With that money, Parker Tech could break its reliance on Oscorp and build its own production lines.
He could also finally improve Ben and May's lives openly; he was tired of seeing them worry over a few hundred dollars in bills.
While Peter was masterminding the future in Dubai, back in Queens, New York...
Gwen, in her suit, was distractedly dealing with masked thugs who had hijacked a truck transporting radioactive materials.
First day Peter's gone, missing him already~
Because of her wandering mind, a glass container of radioactive material almost shattered on the ground. Shaking herself awake, she quickly subdued the thugs and secured the containers. In the process, she saved a Black engineer from Oscorp.
"Oh, you're... Ghost-Spider?!" The engineer, Max Dillon, gasped, shaking with excitement. "I'm your biggest fan."
"I can see that, Mr. Max Dillon," Gwen replied distractedly, glancing at his phone wallpaper and ID badge.
"You... you know a nobody like me?" Max's voice trembled.
Gwen noticed his low self-esteem. She kindly straightened his lopsided glasses and patted his shoulder. "Hey, listen. You're not a nobody. Everyone is the protagonist of their own life. Plus, you can be my eyes and ears in New York, helping me fight crime."
She swung away into the night, leaving Max staring in worship. As she passed a newsstand, her eyes caught a headline in the Daily Bugle:
"Flash Bulletin: Inmate William Baker escapes Ryker's Island, currently missing..."
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