Peter's next target was none other than the Kingpin—the emperor of New York's underworld. Although Kingpin didn't kill Mei with his own hands, her death was deeply tied to him. After all, the murderer who killed Mei was a member of Kingpin's gang.
So from the beginning, Kingpin had been on Peter's list for revenge. Now, the true killer of Mei had died by Peter's hand, and Curt Connors had also been sent to hell. All that remained was Kingpin—the mastermind.
But Kingpin wasn't just anyone. As the criminal overlord of New York, his influence was no joke. Peter needed to make full preparations before taking action. At the very least, he needed a strong ally. That would increase his chances of successfully taking down the underworld emperor.
As he considered who could help him, a striking figure came to mind—short white hair, blue-gray eyes, a black eye mask, a gothic black dress, and knee-high leather boots. Her figure was seductive and deadly. She was 2B Miss—the general-purpose combat android from Neil: Mechanical Era.
2B Miss wasn't just beautiful. Her combat ability was terrifying. Even in the Marvel Universe, she could rival many superheroes. Most importantly, Peter could keep upgrading her as long as he had the money. If she were to have a Vibranium body one day, her strength would be unimaginable.
Of course, Vibranium was out of reach for now. Even titanium alloy would be a major accomplishment. But if Peter could really build her, she would become a powerful ally and boost his plans considerably.
Creating a combat android wasn't simple. It required high-precision materials—titanium alloy for the frame, advanced chips to simulate brain functions, synthetic skin, and more. Every component was extremely expensive, and some couldn't even be bought with money—especially the ultra-high-end chips needed to replicate brain activity. These were tightly controlled by nations across the Marvel Universe, since chips represented high technology.
Before, it would have been nearly impossible for Peter to obtain such materials. But now, he had a channel—Tony Stark.
As the chairman of Stark Industries, Tony had access to more resources than almost anyone on the planet. With his help, getting the necessary components—especially the chips—would be much easier.
Still, Peter didn't intend to rely entirely on Tony Stark. For safety reasons, he only planned to get the most crucial part—the chip—from him. He glanced at the business card Tony had left, which only had a phone number on it. But that was enough.
While Peter began working on the concept of 2B Miss, across town at a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, footage of his battle with the Lizard—Curt Connors—had already reached Director Nick Fury.
"When did New York get someone like this?" Fury asked, eyes fixed on the screen showing Peter's brutal fight. "Have you found out who he is?"
"Not yet," replied Natasha Romanoff. "This guy is careful. He didn't leave any clues at the scene. But Daredevil seems to know something."
"I thought the news said Daredevil killed the Lizard. Is there more to it?" Fury frowned.
"Killing isn't Daredevil's style," Natasha explained. "He's more about stopping crime than delivering fatal justice. In extreme cases, sure, he might kill, but it's rare. And the way the Lizard died—stabbed with such force and pinned to the ground—that doesn't fit Daredevil. It seems more like what this new masked man did."
"So Daredevil covered for him?" Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Daredevil took the blame and hasn't said a word about the masked man's identity."
"Tight-lipped, huh? Since when has Daredevil ever been afraid of someone? I thought the guy feared nothing."
"Maybe someone has leverage on him," Natasha said thoughtfully. "That would explain his silence."
"Hmm… regardless, we need to identify this new masked figure as soon as possible. Too many strange events are happening lately. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to step up. Otherwise, my superiors will want answers." Fury sighed. "What about the big green guy? Any updates?"
"Still missing," Natasha replied. "Dr. Banner has vanished for two years now. General Ross has been searching worldwide. So far, no one's found any trace of him."
"I see. Both cases need priority." Fury's tone grew darker. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling… like chaos is coming."
The night passed without incident, and soon, it was noon the next day.
At Tony Stark's luxurious cliffside villa, a young visitor arrived—Peter Parker. He had called Tony that morning and suggested meeting at a coffee shop. But Tony insisted Peter come to his home instead.
Because Peter had helped him the night before, Tony held him in high regard. Inviting him to the villa was his way of showing sincerity.
Even though Peter already knew Tony's villa was lavish, he was still stunned by the interior. From the living room, a massive floor-to-ceiling window offered a breathtaking view of the endless ocean. The vast seascape created an indescribable visual impact.
Thinking of Tony spending time here with supermodels made Peter secretly envious. This was the life every man dreamed of! It made him realize just how amazing it was to be rich.
He had once dreamed of joining the elite circle. But without a diploma, a good job—let alone elite status—was no longer possible.
Still, none of that mattered anymore. He was already a millionaire. Now, his goal was to multiply that wealth—to become a multimillionaire, maybe even a billionaire!
Just as he was lost in thought, Tony Stark descended the stairs, dressed sharply in a suit, swirling a glass of red wine.
"Is it just me, or did you get even more handsome since last night?" Tony joked. "Red wine or coffee?"
"No, thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter replied, getting straight to the point. "I came here because I need your help."
"I like that—you're direct." Tony sat down and waved casually. "You helped me yesterday. I owe you. What do you need?"
"I want to buy a chip from you," Peter said.
"A chip? That's it?" Tony laughed. "There are hundreds of tech companies for that. Why me?"
"Ordinary chips are easy to find. But I need your 1-nanometer atomic chip," Peter said with a knowing smile. "It hasn't been released yet, so it's not on the market."
Tony's expression changed instantly. "You want that chip? What for?"
The atomic chip was Stark Industries' most important technological breakthrough. Abandoning traditional design, it used atomic transistors—shrinking the process down to 1 nanometer.
It could integrate over 200 billion transistors onto a silicon wafer the size of a fingernail—four times the performance of the 2-nanometer chip.
Its commercial release would transform global technology. But for now, it was intended only for advanced weapons systems. Stark Industries remained the world's largest arms dealer, after all.
So when Peter asked for it, Tony was visibly surprised.
But Peter had expected that. Calmly and sincerely, he explained.
"I used to be a grad student at Empire University, studying genetic engineering. But I was expelled. Still, the school can't take away my passion for tech. I'm developing an AI system, but the chips on the market can't handle the processing load. I need better hardware—and only you have what I need."
Peter spoke honestly. He knew Tony Stark's personality. Lies would be exposed immediately. But sincerity might work.
Tony paused, then smiled. "I expected you to lie. But you told the truth. In fact, before you came, Potts gave me your file."
He picked up a folder. "Peter Parker. Master's student. Expelled for plagiarism. Even your bachelor's degree was revoked. Normally, I'd believe this. But after last night—and now—your actions say otherwise."
With that, he tossed the folder into the trash.
Seeing this, Peter was moved. Tony had just met him, yet trusted him deeply.
"Thank you for your trust. So… are you willing to sell me the chip?" Peter asked.
Tony shook his head. "No."
Peter was stunned.
But Tony grinned. "I said I owe you. So I'm not selling it—I'm giving it to you. Jarvis, bring the chip."
"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied.
Moments later, a robotic arm emerged, holding a sleek metal box containing the atomic chip—Tony Stark's gift to Peter Parker.
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