Triskelion – Debrief
The briefing room hummed with tension. Maria Hill tossed a file on the table, pages spilling with theoretical schematics, half-legible field notes and blurry satellite captures of drones moving like a black swarm over the Atlantic.
"Vibranium. Ninety tons. Gone." She exhaled sharply. "And Parker has it. All of it."
Fury sat at the head of the table, steepling his fingers. "I saw the boy's family. They're not naive. They know exactly what he's doing."
Maria's brow furrowed. "That house wasn't a home. It was a fortress. Mobile energy shielding, automated defense grids. The tech looked like it belonged in some Sci-fi setting, not Queens. Parker's building for war. The absurdity is, he's not just building. He's succeeding."
Fury's single eye narrowed. "Which means he's operating on a level Stark never dared. Stark was reckless but he was predictable. Parker is something else. His machines aren't just advanced. His entire production is adaptive. They learn. Cloaking Vibranium from our eyes? That's not possible. Yet he did it."
Maria's voice dropped. "Then we should consider him a threat."
Fury tapped the table once, sharp enough to silence the room. "A threat is someone you cannot control. Parker isn't uncontrollable. He's unpredictable. Difference is subtle but critical. The boy has a line. Question is… when does he cross it and what makes him cross it."
He leaned back, shadows cutting across his face. "Keep an eye on him. If he stumbles, the world burns."
Parker Household – Return
The garage doors parted with a hiss. Peter stepped out of his armor, metal plates folding back into the storage rack. He wiped the salt from his hair, exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders. The travelling part was annoying.
Gwen leaned against the hood of the car, arms crossed. She didn't greet him with a kiss this time. She glared.
"Do you know what it's like being followed by Wakandan bodyguards in civilian clothes while drinking nothing but pumpkin spice lattes. Every café I walk into, they're there. My dad goes out for groceries, they're there. Do you know how creepy it is to be stalked by women in immaculate leather jackets who pretend to blend in but somehow all order the exact same latte?"
Peter blinked, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, they're bad at spying."
Gwen threw her hands up. "They're worse than Instagram influencers. At least influencers don't carry spears under their trench coats."
Peter sighed, sinking into the chair by his workbench. "They're observing us. Seeing how much we notice. It means Wakanda already suspects us after what I bought from Klaue. We'll need to stay sharp."
Gwen softened a little, sliding onto the bench beside him. "You always talk about staying sharp. But Peter, do you even hear yourself anymore? You bought ninety tons of the most dangerous/precious metal on Earth like you were buying groceries. Now we're being stalked by elite warrior women who apparently have an addiction to pumpkin spice. And you're sitting here saying stay sharp."
Peter looked at her, weary but resolute. "Because if I don't stay sharp, people I love dies. It's that simple."
The weight of his words silenced the room. Gwen leaned her head against his shoulder, her frustration slowly giving way to reluctant understanding. She knew he wasn't exaggerating.
"Fine." She muttered. "But if they keep following me into coffee shops, I swear I'm switching to tea."
Peter smirked. "That'll throw them off more than any counter-surveillance tech I could design."
I know this chapter is a little small but they're going to get bigger. I promise.
Read 52 chapters ahead on P.A.T.R.E.O.N
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