"I think that address is fake." As they walked out of the conference room, Peter said to Shiller, "Pepper is very likely not in Jotunheim. How could Iron Man not think of that..."
"He knows, but he just wants to go there."
"Why? What's there?"
"Reed Richards," Shiller said. "After the Civil War ended, they probably haven't met face to face, and there are still many things to discuss."
"Such as?" Peter asked.
"As for Reed's situation, Iron Man has only heard about it. He can't be sure if Jotunheim is indeed a prison, so he has to see for himself to be at ease. After all, if there really is a reckoning, that ought to be his final destination."
"Hard to understand." Peter said, "If he's locked in, what difference does it make whether it's a prison or not? Or do you mean he can somehow fix things if he finds the conditions inside are bad?"
"You don't get it. Iron Man is eager to find himself an ally, and that person can only be Reed Richards, because the trouble the other party caused is greater than his. Whether it's to check out his current situation or to gripe and complain with him, it can greatly relieve psychological pressure."
"I get it now." Peter nodded, "I feel like he's just going there to vent with Reed Richards about the Rebirth Alliance."
"Pretty much. He thinks Reed will definitely stand with him, complaining about the Rebirth Alliance and Thor's meddling, and maybe even hoping Reed can help him avoid being held accountable."
"Then what about Pepper?" Peter felt a bit worried again, "She's been kidnapped. She could be in danger at any time. Are they just going to ignore that?"
"Same as before, Iron Man doesn't think Pepper will betray him, so he's not in a hurry to rescue her. However, the Rebirth Alliance will surely be making efforts," Shiller said, "Aren't the assassins already captured?"
"The employer definitely won't show up personally," Peter said. "Even if we have Professor X probe their memories, we might not find useful clues. I think we need to focus on the technical aspects."
"One is the technology that disrupts coordinates, and the other is the teleportation technology that makes two people suddenly vanish. Who could simultaneously possess these two technologies?" Peter pondered as he spoke.
"Might not be the same person," Shiller said. "Finding a hacker who knows magic is hard, but it makes much more sense if a magician and a hacker team up."
"Makes sense. From the perspective of a magician, it's definitely not Doctor Strange. No matter what, Steven wouldn't do such a thing, and his mages wouldn't likely be involved either. Could it be Loki?"
It wasn't surprising that Peter quickly suspected Loki, his appearances have been frequent lately, which makes it easy for people to think he's up to something.
"If the magician is Loki, then who could the hacker be?" Peter pondered, stroking his chin.
"Have you ever eaten at the Rebirth Alliance's cafeteria?" Shiller asked, "I think we could go have some breakfast."
Peter glanced at the sky outside; dawn was approaching. So he nodded and said, "I've eaten there a few times. They don't have any signature dishes, but the food is decent. I'll take you there, Professor."
They both walked towards the Rebirth Alliance's cafeteria. Shiller continued, "What do you think about the position of Strategic Security Minister?"
Peter was taken aback, then said, "Isn't it said that Luther Group wants this position?"
"Do you think Nick is sincere about giving it?"
"How could that be?" Peter sighed, "There's no way Nick didn't see through Luther's ill intentions. If he weren't so strapped for cash, he definitely wouldn't have agreed to let such a dangerous person take that position."
"Then you must be careful," Shiller said as he sat down. "Nick wants the money but doesn't want to do anything about it. The best way is to find someone to contend with Luther, and that person could very well be you."
"Me?" Peter was a bit surprised.
"When Luther hadn't shown up, word had already spread that Nick favored you for that position. Natasha's suggestion was merely a probe. Now, if he doesn't want Luther to rise, or if he wants to put some checks on him, the best way is for you to step forward."
"I really don't want to," Peter said, looking somewhat pained. "Although I don't like Alexander Luther either, if he's genuinely going to invest in the Rebirth Alliance, what reason do I have to cause trouble for him?"
"It's not just about whether you want to cause trouble for him or not," Shiller made it clear. "Nick will definitely appoint you as Deputy Minister, letting you hold real power and marginalize Luther. This way, he can take the money without worrying about trouble."
"I owe Nick a favor," Peter said. "If he truly wants me to go, I guess I can't refuse. But dealing with Luther..."
Peter sighed, showing little confidence. After ordering, he set the menu aside and said, "Do you think I should go to Superman? I heard they're archenemies..."
"Not necessarily," Shiller said bluntly. "If this develops the way it has been, his archenemy should probably be you."
Peter smiled wryly, "I hear he's the smartest person on Earth, and becoming the opponent of someone like that isn't a good thing. But if he happens to be a bad guy, then it's my responsibility."
"Being both Batman's teacher and Luther's opponent, I'm a bit worried about your health," Shiller continued.
"Can you tell me about him?" Peter asked curiously, "I haven't heard much about him in the Multiverse."
"The Luther of this cosmos should be quite young," Shiller thought for a moment and said, "He's probably about the age of a college student, just a few years older than Bruce. As for wisdom...he's probably smarter than Bruce. But even if he's clever, at this age, he won't be very experienced."
"People in that universe really seem a bit impatient," Peter commented, "During the civil war, many were reckless. Honestly, if they hadn't been charging around thoughtlessly, the war might not have been so intense."
"Weren't you the same in your teenage years?" Shiller smiled.
Peter also laughed along. Clearly, when he was Little Spider, he too recklessly charged around. But at that time, the environment was not as complex, so it naturally didn't lead to catastrophes like civil wars.
"I've heard Luther is a really skilled scientist," Peter paused for a moment before saying, "I hope he's like Iron Man, just talented in invention with no prowess in business or politics. Otherwise, I'll be in trouble."
"Talent's hard to say, but he's definitely very petty," Shiller cautioned, "If you want to compete for power with him, you must be wary of his back..."
Before he finished speaking, the phone suddenly rang. Peter answered, and his eyes widened, "What???"
After hanging up, he slowly put down the phone, looking as if he lost his soul. Shiller looked at him with concern, and after a while, Peter came to his senses and said to Shiller, "Professor, what were you saying before?"
"What?"
"'A hacker who knows magic is hard to find,'" Peter repeated Shiller's words, seeming amused, "I happen to be just that."
Shiller was also stunned, "They suspect you?"
Peter nodded and said, "I really am the only one with a high level of electronic information technology who also knows magic teleportation."
"But you're Spider-Man." Shiller raised an undeniable point, "If someone thinks Spider-Man would go around kidnapping people, then they should see a psychiatrist."
Peter didn't say anything like "I'm not now" or the like; he just slowly sat down, then thought and said, "This is definitely not a coincidence. The Rebirth Alliance wouldn't suspect me without evidence. They might have found something related to me, things that the behind-the-scenes manipulator fabricated against me."
"I do have quite a few enemies, but they wouldn't use such means. Recently, I haven't offended anyone, except..." Peter looked up, "Alexander Luther."
"Professor, if as you say, Nick wants me as the head of the Strategic Security Department, and Luther is also eyeing this position, then he has a reason to target me. Doesn't he?"
"Such tactics do seem like ones he would use," Shiller nodded, "He aims for a threefold scheme: kidnapping Pepper to obtain Iron Man's secrets; faking coordinates to sow discord between Iron Man and Reed, causing chaos; and framing you for the kidnapping, preventing your entry into the Rebirth Alliance, thus allowing him successful infiltration."
"It seems he is indeed quite clever," Peter's face turned somewhat serious.
Shiller sized him up. The Amazing Spider-Man was indeed mature. If it were another Little Spider, they would have already jumped with anger. Peter actually showed signs of being calculating.
But also, after experiencing so many things, even a banana should have gained intelligence, not to mention Peter Parker himself is very smart. Of course, Shiller also believed that his teaching career had smoothed off many of his sharp edges.
"The Rebirth Alliance won't investigate me," Peter said, "No superhero would believe I would go and kidnap Pepper. Carter called just to inform me of such an incident, without even asking me to come over, proving that everyone thinks it's nonsense, not even bothering with appearances."
"Because even performing appearances would make them seem foolish," Shiller said, "In this world where there are double the number of super villains to suspect, choosing Spider-Man as the first investigation target would indeed make people laugh their heads off. Even the Joker wouldn't want to be such a fool."
Peter chuckled and said, "This proves Luther isn't well-versed in our situation here; he doesn't understand just how much of a gold standard Spider-Man is. Even in the Multiverse, no one would suspect Spider-Man. His kind of framing only exposes his own lack of sophistication."
"Now it seems he hasn't hit any target," Shiller said, "Pepper won't easily betray Iron Man; he won't get information. Iron Man won't impulsively be a hero saving a beauty, but instead provides an opportunity for the two to reunite and conspire together; he hasn't had any impact on you, instead revealing his own details."
Peter lowered his head, cutting the food on his plate, "The most important thing is letting Nick Fury know his level of competence, which is extremely dangerous. That agent leader is not someone to be trifled with."
Shiller glanced down at his own phone; Natasha had sent him a message. Shiller put down the knife and fork, wiped his mouth, then said, "You should go rest first, I'll head upstairs."
After leaving the restaurant, Shiller took the elevator to the top floor. Arriving at Nick Fury's office door, he knocked. Natasha came over to open the door, and inside there was another person—Amanda Waller.
Apparently, she was also employed at the Rebirth Alliance, possibly as a member of the Security Department, but Natasha and Nick didn't introduce her to Shiller, and even Amanda didn't introduce herself, just came over for a handshake. However, Shiller wasn't surprised; many agents are confidential personnel, and he, being an outsider now, had no need for introductions. But he turned to glance at Natasha.
"Professor, we strongly suspect it was Alexander Luther who kidnapped Pepper and attempted to frame Peter Parker," Natasha directly stated the conclusion.
Shiller nodded; it wasn't surprising the Rebirth Alliance could find out. Luther's scheme wasn't sophisticated, somewhat akin to a real-name system character assassination, lacking the credentials to compete with this universe's old fox Nick.
"What do you need me for?" Shiller asked.