After Andrew and Finn finished their call, Andrew played the video he had recorded earlier.
In the video, Finn had found Steve Montgomery and Olivia; the young man, resting his chin on one hand, had his bright green eyes curved into a gentle arc—
[Let's call this theme 【Monet Garden】.]
[Full of the vibrant vitality of spring, surrounded by all kinds of beautiful flowers, with a visual feast of rich and healing colors.]
[There is a gentle undertone, there is fervent joy, there is pure sincerity, there is a romantic atmosphere..]
[And the anticipation and courage to welcome the blazing midsummer.]
Chapter 104: Ambushed and Injured
After the 30-day anniversary of officially being in a relationship, the lives of Finn and Peter seemed to have returned to normal.
Finn, who was already under immense pressure from the construction of the new brand and the amusement park, could not allow Peter to continue letting his emotions drain him; instead, his Young Master still had to constantly divert his attention to take care of his mood.
Seeing that Peter's mood had clearly improved, Finn simply handed over some of the affairs from the Study Tour Section to him to handle.
Peter froze on the spot, a string of polite question marks seemed to pop up over his head: "??"
“Aren't you Spider-Man?" Finn said. "You can think carefully about how to link the superhero identity with study tours. We want to instill positive values in children. Being a hero isn't just about fighting; it should also teach them the core of a superhero—for example, learning kindness, justice, responsibility, tolerance, the resilience to never give up. Moreover, knowledge, courage, hands-on ability, observation, teamwork.. these are not just superpowers; they are also part of a [Superpower]."
The current chapter is the Prologue.
We could definitely design some fun classes, like the Science Superpower Laboratory? Hero Teamwork Challenge? Customized Hero Badges? Or an urban rescue-themed escape room?" Finn threw out a series of novel ideas one after another. "Even better, you could participate personally as a star hero mentor. Of course, it would be best if we could invite the legendary moral compass, Captain America, as well. After all, everyone grew up hearing Captain America's glorious stories; it would be great even if we could just get the Captain to film an educational promotional video.
The current chapter is titled "The Beginning of the End." In the middle of the night, the lights in the Osborn Group Laboratory were still bright. Young Master Osborn sat in front of the computer, his eyes fixed on the screen, which was displaying the latest data from the Science Superpower Laboratory. "The results of the experiment are quite interesting," he muttered to himself. "Young Master Osborn, you should rest early. You've been working for too long." A voice came from behind him. It was Butler Joseph. "Not yet, Joseph. I need to finish this analysis," Young Master Osborn replied, his voice filled with determination. He was currently working on a project called "Human Challenge Battle," which was part of the Young Hero Growth Section. Suddenly, a notification popped up on the screen: "New Task: Hero Teamwork Challenge." Young Master Osborn's eyes lit up. He had been waiting for this. At the same time, at the Avengers Base, Tony Stark was looking at a report from S. H. I. E. L. D. "What is this?" Tony Stark asked, his brow furrowed. "It's a report regarding the recent sightings of an Alien Army," Agent Coulson replied. "An Alien Army? Again?" Tony Stark sighed. "Can't they just take a day off?" "It's not just that," Agent Coulson continued. "There are reports of unusual energy readings coming from the Stark Industries facilities." Tony Stark's expression turned serious. "I'll look into it immediately." Back at the Osborn Group, Young Master Osborn was deep in thought. He was thinking about his life-long nemesis and the challenges that lay ahead. He knew that the path of a hero was never easy, but he was ready to face whatever came his way.
"Shouldn't we finish the projects that have already been decided first?" Little Spider-Man couldn't help but suggest weakly.
Do you even know what a leader is? A leader is someone specifically responsible for coming up with ideas," Finn said to Peter with absolute confidence. "The person responsible for the project is what you call the person in charge. I am the leader, not the person in charge.
Speechless Peter: ".." He spoke with such conviction.
"Then why don't you take responsibility for this project?" Finn suggested, looking at Peter with a smile again.
The current chapter is the Prologue.
You are already a high school student and part of the student community, so you understand the thoughts of teenagers better than anyone. Moreover, you are a superhero; you are already a hero benchmark in the hearts of teenagers. This project is a perfect fit for you, isn't it?" Finn had already thought everything through for Peter. "Your motion capture work at Blake Studio is wrapping up, Dr. Vanessa's research project has also reached a temporary hiatus, so you can completely reallocate that time. Besides, you are about to graduate from high school, in the period before you enter university, I think your time will be quite abundant, it won't interfere with your career as a hero.
The current chapter is titled "The First Encounter with the Hero." In the bustling streets of New York, a young man with an innocent first love face was walking hurriedly. His name was Peter Parker. He was an intern at the Osborn Group, his daily life was filled with studying and part-time jobs. Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the street. People began to scream and run in all directions. Peter Parker's Spider-Sense went off instantly. He ducked behind a trash can just as a large, green figure smashed through a nearby storefront. "Is that.. the Hulk?" Peter Parker whispered to himself, his eyes wide with shock. Nearby, a sleek black car screeched to a halt. A man in a sharp suit stepped out, looking calm despite the chaos. It was Tony Stark. He looked around, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of the threat. "Jarvis, scan the area," Tony Stark commanded. "Scanning, sir. The target is identified as the Hulk, currently in a state of extreme aggression," a calm voice replied from his wrist. As the chaos unfolded, a small, nimble figure leaped from a rooftop, landing gracefully near the fray. It was Spider-Man. He swung through the air, his movements fluid and precise. "Hey, big guy! Calm down!" Spider-Man shouted, firing a web at the Hulk's arm to try and restrain him. The battle had only just begun.
Peter: ".." Have you already planned that far ahead!?
—Is this what they call a [Guiding Lover]??
"Andrew.." When Peter came out of Finn's office, his head was still buzzing.
"What's wrong? I've already been pushed to the limit by Young Master Finn, so why shouldn't you? " Andrew said with a calm expression. If Young Master Finn was like a device with ultra-long battery life that never drains, Andrew's state was likely like maintaining the battery life Young Master Finn required while operating on the lowest power mode. Andrew was now fully possessed by the mindset of a death-defying soldier: it was just one worthless life, so he might as well go all out; if he didn't die from the grind, he would just grind harder.
Young Master Finn has always liked providing opportunities for young people, it's not like you just found out today, right? Not to mention, you are his boyfriend." Having suffered from this himself, Andrew was now very happy to watch Young Master Finn push others, patting Peter on the back in encouragement, "Being the lover of a CEO isn't that easy either; show some of that energy you had when you were displaying yourself like a hamster earlier.
A high-society romance, a sweet burden.
Why struggle alone when it's much more interesting when everyone struggles together?
“You only need to come up with a few ideas; Malton is the one in charge of the study tour section.” Andrew was still afraid his best friend would feel too much pressure, so he went out of his way to comfort him, “When the time comes, just leave the coordination to him.”
Even Andrew felt that Malton, as another secretary, was incredibly useful.
But—" Peter frowned slightly, looking at Andrew with confusion as he asked softly in inquiry, "Finn clearly told me before that he would take time out during summer vacation to go out and have fun with me for a whole month. He hasn't forgotten about it, has he?
Andrew: ".." So that's what you care about?
As expected, no matter how you look at it, an eighteen-year-old high schooler doesn't have that much career ambition.
Not to mention, he is also a lovebrain.
Since it was something Finn had requested, Peter naturally took it to heart, thinking seriously about how he could fill this Young Hero Growth Section with richer and more meaningful content. Peter also took this opportunity to proactively communicate with the other Avengers, hoping to absorb more ideas from his hero colleagues to conceive innovative study tour projects that combined hero themes with fun interactions.
Peter didn't know if Captain America would be willing to film an educational promotional video, but in any case, as a family member, Spider-Man could certainly do it.
"Your Young Master seems to particularly enjoy focusing on matters within the Young Hero Growth Section," Black Widow pointed out with a smile.
"That's right." Peter paused and then nodded with a smile, but the smile curling at the corners of his mouth was tinged with bitterness.
Sometimes, Peter feels that Finn is making up for.. the childhood regrets that he cannot let go of in his subconscious.
It's also as if—only those who have been soaked by the rain truly understand how to hold an umbrella for others.
And it was precisely because Finn once lacked an umbrella that he wanted more children to hold an umbrella that could shield them from the wind and rain. Not only that, but Finn also meticulously drew this umbrella to be whimsical and beautiful, wanting only for every child to be able to run toward a bright, sunny day without a care under its shelter.
"By the way, regarding the investigation into Felix's whereabouts after his disappearance—" Black Widow mentioned the matter Peter had previously needed S. H. I. E. L. D.'s help with.
"No need." Peter immediately refuted, his body tensing up subconsciously.
Natasha froze for a moment, looking up at Spider-Man's sudden change in expression, which looked like unmistakable fear and panic.
"Sorry, no need for further investigation." Peter said in a hoarse voice; he was even afraid to hear the follow-up results from S. H. I. E. L. D.'s investigation.
Black Widow frowned slightly and stared fixedly at Peter, right at that moment, an emergency notification suddenly broke the tranquility of the Avengers Base—
Iron Man's private mansion was suddenly hit by a terrorist attack.
The incident happened without any warning. Iron Man Tony Stark and his secretary Ms. Pepper were at home, while Finn Osborn happened to be heading to Stark's mansion with Andrew and Max to further the project plans for the [Summer Neverland] theme park.
A real-time live feed from the scene was simultaneously cut onto the giant screen at the Avengers Base.
Missiles whistled through the air one after another, the entire luxury mansion collapsed with a roar under the violent force of the explosions, sending clouds of dust swirling as it was reduced to a massive pile of ruins.
Several more armed helicopters were also taking turns bombing from mid-air, creating a gruesome scene that made one's heart feel as if it were being suddenly squeezed tight.
Staring at the images on the video, Peter's face instantly turned pale, his breath hitched, he froze in place.
It's okay, Peter." Seeing that Peter had fallen into a state of intense panic, Black Widow calmly comforted him, "Tony will protect Finn, not to mention that Max and Andrew are by Finn's side; both of them are superpowered individuals.
Just as Natasha said, the situation in the scene reversed quickly.
Iron Man's red and gold armor appeared, unleashing full firepower. Max also went all out, with intense flashes of electricity. The armor's artillery and the superpowered electricity clashed and intertwined; in just a few moments, the three attacking armed helicopters were destroyed one after another, their wreckage plummeting straight into the sea.
But Peter couldn't see Finn's figure at all; the screen showed nothing but ruins.
Anxious, Peter hurriedly took out his phone, his hands trembling as he opened the real-time monitoring interface of Robot PP. In order to let the separation-anxious Peter know his movements in real time, Finn had always carried the spherical little Robot PP that Peter gave him wherever he went.
Fortunately, the communication connection was still working normally, the video loaded smoothly.
"Finn? Can you hear me? Finn!" Peter shouted urgently at the screen.
[I'm here, I'm here,] Finn replied quickly. [I'm okay.]
Finn looked quite disheveled on camera, but he was finally standing in a safe zone, his situation didn't seem to be critical. A layer of dust had settled on the young man's fair face, but a streak of bright red blood slid slowly down from his temple, looking particularly jarring on the screen.
"You're bleeding.." Looking at the blood on Finn's cheek, Peter's pupils contracted.
It's fine." Finn's smile remained bright as he shook his head. "I don't think I'm even feeling faint from the sight of blood anymore; it's just a minor injury.
Peter couldn't hear Finn's inner thoughts, so much so that in his panic, he couldn't tell if Finn had truly overcome his hemophobia or was just forcing himself to stay calm to comfort himself. But looking at that figure amidst the ruins, looking at that piercing smear of blood on the young man's forehead, all the unease, fear, guilt, the frantic dread of loss hidden deep within Peter's heart surged up all at once.
His fingers began to grow cold and tremble uncontrollably again.
Even though it was Finn who was injured and bleeding, at this moment, the one being engulfed by a suffocating sensation like hemophobia, almost unable to breathe, was..
Instead, it became him.
[Is this the robot? This thing! You actually rushed out to save this robot just now? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!] In the video, Iron Man, clad in his armor, landed beside Finn and scolded him, his tone clearly filled with uncontrollable anger and resentment. [If your secretary hadn't been there, you wouldn't have just ended up with a simple scratch on your face!]
Peter heard Stark's scolding of Finn, his body shuddered as the terror in his heart was once again violently amplified.
Through the video, he saw that Andrew, standing beside Finn, was also pale-faced, his eyes filled with lingering shock; clearly, he had also been terrified by the danger just now. Only Finn appeared as calm as ever, acting as if nothing had happened. It was as if the life-or-death crisis that had just unfolded before their eyes, the blood flowing down his face, were not worth mentioning.
Yes, Peter knew—
The carefree Finn has always been this way.
But Peter couldn't do that.
The cracks in his emotions were like a collapsing dam at this moment.
The young man's fists clenched tightly, a wave of fear and dread swept through his entire body, leaving him instantly in a state of tension and panic.
He had no way to comfort himself like before; as long as Finn was okay, that was all that mattered.
Because he was truly afraid—
afraid that cruel fate would repeat itself;
Afraid of missing the chance to protect Finn again;
Afraid that negligence would cause Finn to suffer irreparable harm;
Afraid that, without knowing, she would lose Finn forever once again..
Although Finn insisted that he only had minor superficial injuries, he was still sent to the hospital immediately for a full body checkup, Peter also rushed over in a frantic hurry.
In the hospital suite, Finn looked at Peter, who had a solemn expression as if facing a great enemy, curled his lips into a smile as he spoke to comfort him, "Why that look? I'm really fine, it's just a minor superficial wound, didn't you see? It'll scab over in a few days."
Mr. Stark said you did it to save Robot PP." Peter's gaze fell on the bandage on Finn's forehead, he said in a dry voice, "It's just a robot. Even if it were completely destroyed, I could just make another one.
[But, that was a robot made by Peter's own hands,] Finn subconsciously refuted in his heart, [and it was so cute, too.]
Finn certainly felt that this gift was extraordinary, the fact that the robot was named Robot PP gave it an even more special meaning.
"I know, I'll be careful next time." Finn looked at the deep lingering fear in Peter's eyes and compromised in a soft voice.
There won't be a next time." Peter's expression remained extremely grim as he reached out and tightly grasped Finn's hand, "Don't even talk about a next time.
You know what?" Feeling that the current atmosphere was exceptionally oppressive, Finn began to change the subject. "My hemophobia is cured! I don't get dizzy from seeing blood anymore. I've actually unconsciously cured another condition. Maybe my claustrophobia is cured too; how about we try going to a haunted house together next time?
Peter couldn't bring himself to be happy.
He actually didn't need Finn to work hard to overcome his hemophobia; he needed Finn.. to never get hurt again.
I'll tell you a secret, my wings are actually very useful." Seeing Peter remain silent, Finn changed the subject, "Not only can I fly, but I can also spread my wings to wrap myself up, just like the strongest protective shield in the world.
“So if I really encounter any danger in the future, I'll protect myself. Just like a very hard seashell, I'll curl up inside like a little pearl." Finn used both hands to mimic the opening and closing of a seashell, his tone quite confident. "Don't worry, as long as I don't open up, no one can hurt me. Besides, I have Max and Andrew by my side; they will both keep me safe."
Finn said these things to put Peter at ease.
After all, as the lover of a superhero, he couldn't naively believe that he would never be caught up in danger. Finn also wanted to prove that he had the ability to protect himself, as he didn't want Peter to constantly be on edge worrying about his safety.
However, when Finn finished speaking, he only saw Peter's eyes redden, hot tears rolled down like that.
The young man's suppressed emotions seemed to break through his defenses instantly because of his words.