Peter Parker's heart skipped a beat when he saw Nolan's indifferent expression.
He truly trusted Nolan's abilities, but that didn't mean he was oblivious to the situation.
To Peter, Nolan Rock was like Iron Man: the moment he donned his suit, he was a superhero on par with the extraordinary.
Without that armor, however, Nolan was just an ordinary man.
And ordinary men didn't stand a chance against the Vulture.
Sure, Vulture was technically a human too, but now he wielded a terrifying weapon.
Even Peter, who had faced the Vulture multiple times, couldn't find an opening to defeat him.
Nolan looked at the Vulture and smiled.
"Don't worry. He can't hurt me."
Before Peter could respond, the Vulture let out a cold, mocking laugh.
The mechanical wings on his back allowed him to do things he'd never dared before.
And now, this man in front of him had the audacity to act so arrogantly.
The more defiant he appeared, the more the Vulture wanted to strike.
His laughter escalated into a roar of rage.
"Dying's what's waiting for you!"
No one could mock him not Spider-Man, not Nolan Rock.
To prove it, the Vulture dove toward Nolan without hesitation, his massive wings serving as lethal blades.
"Mr. Rock!"
Peter shouted, lunging forward to block the attack.
But Nolan merely observed, his expression calm, almost playful.
At the moment the Vulture was about to strike, Nolan moved.
Yes, his main strength came from his mechanical suits.
But even with his body as a potential weak point, the danger depended entirely on the opponent.
The Vulture?
Such a so-called villain had never even registered as a threat in his eyes.
In the next instant, Nolan delivered a whip-like kick.
Boom!
The Vulture was sent flying faster than he had approached.
Peter froze.
Mr. Rock was that strong?
He would never have guessed that even without his suit, Nolan's strength rivaled that of a superhero.
Compared to him, Peter's own abilities and his web-shooters seemed insignificant.
Seeing the disappointment in Peter's eyes, Nolan immediately understood his thoughts.
Being a superhero didn't mean you were immune to doubt or insecurity.
Peter was still just a high schooler, proud of his powers.
But now, realizing his physical strength wasn't so different from Nolan's, that pride wavered, replaced by a creeping self-doubt.
"Hey, Spider," Nolan said, smiling, "what are you waiting for? Now's your turn."
He didn't pursue the Vulture, leaving the opportunity for Peter.
After all, Nolan had guided two Spider-Men before he was undeniably a mentor to them.
Peter hesitated, then nodded.
Even if Mr. Rock was powerful, Peter still had his own role to play.
"Damn it!"
The Vulture roared, realizing he'd been caught off guard.
Before Peter could act, the Vulture soared back into the sky.
That was his greatest advantage over Spider-Man: "I can fly. What can you do?"
Simple, yet effective.
Peter clenched his teeth.
"Damn!"
He felt frustrated. The opportunity Nolan had given him slipped through his fingers.
Vulture didn't care about Peter's thoughts.
Back in the air, a sinister grin spread across his face.
"This is my domain now!"
Energy began to gather on his mechanical wings.
They weren't just for flight their true power came from their weaponized modifications, adapted from advanced Chitauri tech.
After Nolan's kick, the Vulture's fury was uncontainable.
"Die!"
With that shout, his wings unleashed an energy attack.
Peter remained on high alert, but Nolan's expression stayed calm, as if the assault meant nothing to him.
"Sir, reinforcements have arrived," a voice called.
Before anyone could react, streams of light streaked toward the Vulture.
At the last moment, a bullet struck his wings.
Boom!
The sudden strike threw him off balance.
Looking back, he saw the approaching flying drones.
In the next second
Boom!
The Vulture crashed to the ground.
This time, it wasn't a mistake he had been decisively brought down.
Nolan, however, didn't focus on him. His attention turned to the drones.
Unlike the humanoid robots he had created before, these were designed with avian structures, maximizing their speed and agility.
Over the years, Nolan had focused on humanoid robots not for efficiency, but because Rock Tech needed them to build a reputation.
Humans instinctively trusted humanoid shapes, even if they were just metal constructs.
Now, however, Nolan's smile grew.
Rock Tech had clearly not been idle.
While causing chaos in the Fantastic Four's world, this iteration of Rock Tech had advanced enough to evolve to the next stage.
A dozen mechanical eagles landed before Nolan, like the most loyal sentinels.
Then a familiar, excited voice rang out.
"Boss, long time no see."
Nolan's smile deepened.
"Long time no see, Sharon Carter."
He hadn't expected the mechanical eagles to be under her control.
After greeting Sharon, Nolan turned to Peter.
"Peter, do you have a moment to talk? I mean, if you're free."
"Of course!"
Peter quickly responded. His urgent matters had already been resolved by Mr. Rock.
Nolan nodded.
"Then let's head to Rock Tech together."
Peter nodded, thrilled he felt honored.
Little did he know, he was also the perfect shield for Nolan.
Though Sharon sounded excited, Nolan wasn't about to be deceived.
He remembered his last trip back from the Spider-Man world, when the women had almost torn him apart.
This time, he'd be gone even longer. Without a shield, he dared not enter such dangerous territory.
Especially now…
He felt uneasy.
Last time, it was only a prolonged absence. This time, he had brought two "companions" with him.
Even if they didn't know it, Nolan felt anxious.
A small shuttle landed. Nolan led Peter aboard.
Seeing the shuttle, he realized his suspicion was correct: this mission wouldn't be easy.
After all, they were in New York. It wasn't a simple matter to warrant a shuttle.
Peter, however, remained unaware, marveling at the shuttle escort.
Within minutes, they reached the top floor of Rock Tech.
Before the doors opened, Nolan glimpsed the three women outside.
Their smiles were too perfectly timed Nolan felt uneasy.
"Alright, Peter. We're here."
Nolan stepped through the door.
"Boss, it's been a while," Daisy Johnson gritted her teeth.
"Nolan, you owe us an explanation," Jessica Jones said, expressionless but her strong, capable arms radiating anger.
"I think you're finished, boss," Sharon Carter added, a sly curve to her lips.
Among the three, her position was the most ambiguous.
Sharon's tension with the others had never fully resolved, despite Nolan's teasing.
As for Daisy, she had made remarkable progress since Nolan returned from the Spider-Man world, leaving her no grounds for anger.
Coughing, Nolan began to explain.
"I can explain. I only planned to be away for half a year, but I got trapped."
He tried to play the victim, but all three saw through it.
At that moment, Peter stepped out of the shuttle.
"Sorry to intrude, I'm Peter Parker…"
He sensed the tension but had no choice but to step forward.
The three women looked surprised, then quickly masked it.
Sharon was a trained agent, Daisy a natural performer, and even Jessica, a private investigator, had mastered expression control.
Nolan marveled these women deserved a Nobel for acting.
"Peter? Nolan mentioned you. You're Spider-Man, right?" Jessica asked.
Peter blinked, a bit flustered.
"Yes, I'm Spider-Man. I didn't expect Mr. Rock to mention me to you."
His secret wasn't much of a secret anymore, yet under Nolan's guidance, it quickly faded from others' attention.
It seemed unbelievable, but realistically, who cared about someone unrelated?
Even a superhero could remain unknown to most.
Daisy eyed Peter curiously.
So this was Spider-Man? He looked barely out of high school.
"I have some matters to discuss with Peter. Can we talk later?" Nolan smiled at the women.
They gritted their teeth.
"Of course," they said, leaving the lab in frustration.
"Jessica, didn't you say we wouldn't let him off?" Daisy asked.
Jessica hesitated.
"We should give him some face in front of Spider-Man. Once he leaves, we'll deal with him."
Hearing this, both Daisy and Sharon rolled their eyes.
Wait for Spider-Man to leave? Their pent-up anger wouldn't last that long.
Seeing their expressions, Jessica frowned.
"You weren't speaking up either."
The two fell silent, their frustration obvious.
"Fine, let's give the man some face for now. We'll settle this later."
Inside the lab, Nolan looked at the familiar instruments with a pang of nostalgia.
It had been a long time since he conducted experiments here.
He glanced at Peter. Today, Peter had helped him immensely.
And Peter had grown enough to be considered a competent superhero.
It was time to give him the gift he had long prepared.
"Peter, you seem uneasy today."
Peter didn't hesitate and shared his doubts, looking up to Nolan as his mentor.
Their interactions hadn't been extensive, but Nolan's guidance had shaped him more than anyone else.
"Mr. Rock, I've always felt my powers were strong. Even if I couldn't protect the world like you do, I…"
He trailed off, unable to finish.
Nolan interjected.
"Today, you realized the opponent a true superhero should face was handled by an 'ordinary man.' That hit you hard, didn't it?"
Peter was silent, his feelings laid bare.
"Yes, Mr. Rock. It makes me feel unworthy of being called a superhero."
He felt lost.
Nolan met his gaze.
"The challenges you face now aren't something I can solve they are yours alone. But know this: being a superhero isn't about strength alone. Even an ordinary person can be a hero."
He paused, then added:
"As for now… come with me. I want to give you a gift. I think it can help with what's troubling you."
…