Charles could understand why Peter acted the way he did in the video. After all, people tend to let their guard down around familiar faces.
But for those who knew Nick Fury well—like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Hawkeye—it wasn't surprising at all that Peter got into the car without suspicion.
Fury had always carried himself that way. Thanks to his top-tier intelligence network, he often seemed like he could predict the future, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
Honestly, it wasn't just Peter—if it had been someone else, they might not have realized right away whether the man in front of them was the real Fury or an imposter.
Of course, if it had been Cap, Natasha, or others with more experience, they would've been much more cautious. Compared to Peter in the video, they certainly had better instincts.
In the footage, Peter got into Fury's car without hesitation and was about to reveal Mysterio's deception.
However, Fury was sharp enough to stop him, signaling him to hold off until they reached a safe location.
The two of them soon arrived at a towering office building. At that moment, the video paused, and a new question appeared on the screen:
[Can Night Monkey (Peter Parker) defeat Mysterio (Quentin Beck)?]
[A: Yes
B: No.]
Seeing the question, Pietro scratched his head. "The answer should be A, right? That guy Mysterio is just a con artist. Whether he finds Peter first or Peter finds him, as long as they get into close combat, I don't think Mysterio stands a chance. Peter should be able to take him down easily."
Strange folded his arms, furrowing his brows before relaxing again. "That's what I thought at first too. But now… look closely. The question specifies 'Night Monkey,' not Spider-Man. And everyone expects Spider-Man to defeat Mysterio, not some 'Night Monkey.'"
Peter looked confused. "What's the difference? Spider-Man, Night Monkey—they're both me, right? I mean… future me."
Strange glanced at him. "Of course, it matters. First, Night Monkey's gear isn't as advanced as Spider-Man's, right?
Meanwhile, Mysterio already has control over E.D.I.T.H.—Tony's high-tech defense system. He's got an army of drones at his disposal. With Night Monkey's limited equipment, facing a Mysterio at full power… it doesn't seem like he stands much of a chance."
Pietro thought for a moment. "So you're saying the answer should be B? To be honest, I really hate guys like Mysterio. Peter got played so badly—I'd love to see him beat that guy to a pulp. It'd be satisfying."
"Uh… I don't get it, Why are you so mad? You weren't even in the video," Peter asked, puzzled.
Pietro rolled his eyes. "As a viewer, I got tricked too. Am I not allowed to be pissed? According to the timeline, I've been dead for years in that future. And Peter, you really don't know how to talk to people!"
Peter's words accidentally hit Pietro's sore spot.
The way Pietro saw it, all these future clips revealed so many superheroes, yet even though he managed to appear in a few shots, he was still a minor character. If people remembered him at all, it was probably just as Scarlet Witch's brother.
It felt unfair. Meanwhile, Spider-Man—this kid was the definition of a protagonist. Three different versions of him had already been shown, each with a unique but equally dramatic life story.
And thanks to these omnipresent video clips, Spider-Man's fame had spread across countless worlds.
Pietro couldn't help but feel a bit envious. It was a complicated feeling—on one hand, those whose futures were exposed, like Tony, Bruce, Steve, and Peter, weren't exactly thrilled about their privacy being put on display.
But on the other hand, they were also the center of attention, recognized across dimensions.
For heroes with less screen time—like Pietro or Rhodey—it was hard not to feel a little jealous.
It was like a fortress: those inside wanted out, while those outside wanted in.
Back to the question—ultimately, under Strange's lead, Team B chose B. On the other side, Erik's team also went with B.
The countdown began, and this time, Team B won the buzzer race. When the timer hit zero, the correct answer was revealed:
[Congratulations, Team B for Answering correctly. Player Stephan Strange, player Peter Parker, and player Pietro maximoff each earn 4 points]
[Congratulations, Team A for Answering correctly. Player Erik lenhenserr, player Charles Xavier, and player Logan Howlett each earn 1 point.]
Despite answering correctly, Peter didn't look too happy. Pouting, he muttered, "So… none of you have any faith in future me, huh?"
Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, kid, the way you were acting in that video didn't inspire much confidence. You've got some work to do."
Peter sighed. Though, if he knew that over 80% of the Marvel universe's viewers also bet on B, he might be even more discouraged. Or maybe he'd be relieved that at least 20% still believed in him.
With the question resolved, the video resumed.
Fury led Peter into a secure office, where the young hero immediately pulled out the holographic projector device and demonstrated its function.
Fury and Hill acted shocked, playing their roles convincingly. Then Fury asked, "Besides you, who else knows the truth?"
By this point, any observant viewer would've already suspected that this Fury was an imposter.
Now, it was practically confirmed.
After all, they were watching from a third-person perspective, giving them an advantage over Peter, who was living through the moment.
On screen, Peter's spider-sense finally kicked in. Instead of answering Fury's question, he cautiously scanned the room, sensing Mysterio's presence.
But by then, it was already too late.
A streak of blue light flashed—suddenly, the pristine office, along with the entire skyscraper, transformed into an unfinished construction site.
Before Peter could react, a bullet was fired, striking Fury and knocking him to the ground.
The battle drones had already taken their positions.
_____
Hey you. Yeah, YOU.
Sitting there scrolling, thinking, "Hmm, should I cast a Power Stone?"
Well, guess what? If we hit 100 Power Stones, I'll drop a Bonus Chapter so juicy it'll make even Thanos snap twice.
You support the story—I give you content.
Simple deal. No magic hammers, no super-serums, just your clicky little finger and some internet love.
Now stop reading this and start casting. I'm watching.