Chapter 13: The Weaponsmith
The workshop was empty at 3 AM—Tony passed out upstairs after a 40-hour work binge, Pepper gone home, Happy off-duty. Ben stood before a workbench he'd claimed as "his," surrounded by parts he'd "borrowed" from Tony's spare components. His Arc Reactor Technology at Level 28 hummed in his mind, showing him possibilities that would have been impossible weeks ago.
"Time to get serious."
The silence felt heavy with anticipation, broken only by the distant crash of ocean waves and the workshop's ambient hum. Ben's Enhanced Hearing confirmed the mansion's sleeping state—Tony's snoring from the master bedroom, the automated systems cycling through their routines, nothing else stirring.
He'd been hoarding tickets: 23 Standard, 9 Premium, waiting for this exact moment. The confrontation with Obadiah was coming—his adult knowledge screamed it like a countdown timer he couldn't ignore. He needed every advantage possible.
Ben activated all thirty-two tickets in one desperate session, praying for combat abilities that could keep him alive against a full-grown man in a weaponized suit.
The gacha interface exploded into activity, results cascading across his vision:
[TACTICAL ANALYSIS (B-RANK, LEVEL 1)]
[ENHANCED DURABILITY (C-RANK, LEVEL 1)]
[ENERGY PROJECTION BASICS (B-RANK, LEVEL 1)]
[QUICK THINKING (C-RANK, LEVEL 1)]
The knowledge flooded in—combat assessment skills, improved physical resilience, basic understanding of energy manipulation. But none of it was enough. He needed something bigger, something that could—
The fourteenth pull glowed gold, and Ben's heart stopped.
[SPIDER-MAN'S WEB-SLINGING (A-RANK, LEVEL 1)]
[SOURCE: SPIDER-MAN (S-RANK HERO, +25% EXP)]
Ben had to physically cover his mouth to avoid shouting. Web-slinging! Non-lethal capture potential, mobility, tactical options he hadn't dared hope for. The knowledge flooded in like a dam bursting—web formulas, shooting mechanics, swing physics, the intricate balance of tension and trajectory that made Spider-Man's movement possible.
At Level 1 it was weak—webs breaking under 50 pounds, 10-foot range maximum—but it was upgradeable. More importantly, it was a signature ability, something with real superhero potential.
The irony crashed over him like cold water. He was becoming Spider-Man while being raised by Tony Stark instead of Uncle Ben. The cosmic joke would have been funny if his hands weren't shaking with adrenaline.
"Focus. Build first, philosophize later."
Using Gadget Crafting at Level 15, Arc Reactor Technology, and Advanced Engineering, Ben began his first real invention: web-shooters. They were crude compared to Peter's future designs—bulkier, less efficient, powered by modified watch batteries instead of elegant chemical reactions—but they would work.
He tested them in the workshop's far corner, JARVIS watching silently through omnipresent sensors. The first web fell apart after five seconds. The tenth held for thirty. By dawn, he had functional prototypes that wouldn't win design awards but could restrain a human temporarily.
His second project demanded even more finesse: a small EMP device using scaled-down Arc Reactor principles. It wouldn't stop Iron Monger—nothing he could build would—but it might disrupt systems long enough to matter. His child hands struggled with the delicate work, but his enhanced abilities compensated, muscle memory from the System guiding precise movements.
JARVIS finally spoke, the AI's calm voice cutting through his concentration. "Should I alert Mr. Stark to your activities?"
Ben froze, screwdriver halfway to a circuit board. This was the test. How much did JARVIS understand? How much would he report?
He made a gamble based on the AI's core programming. "Please don't. It's... it's a surprise. For protection. Just in case."
JARVIS processed this for a long moment, artificial synapses weighing priorities and protocols. "Very well. I will maintain discretion. However, I am obligated to intervene if you endanger yourself."
Ben could live with that. It was better than exposure, better than having to explain things he couldn't explain.
"JARVIS gets it. He knows something's coming."
As dawn light crept through the workshop windows, Ben needed to test his web-shooters properly. Field testing. Real-world application. He snuck to the mansion's exterior, morning mist rising from the ocean, and tried web-swinging between the architectural supports.
Disaster struck immediately.
His Level 1 Web-Slinging didn't account for weight distribution, and he face-planted into a decorative hedge with a crash that sent birds scattering.
Second attempt: the web broke mid-swing, dropping him ten feet into the pool with a splash that echoed across the grounds.
Third attempt: finally, a successful swing between two posts. The rush of movement was intoxicating despite the short distance—pure freedom, physics made personal, the closest thing to flight he'd ever experienced.
That's when Happy found him.
"Kid, what the hell?"
Ben turned, soaking wet, covered in mechanical webbing, looking guilty as sin. Happy's expression cycled through confusion, concern, then something approaching respect as he noticed the web-shooters clearly visible on Ben's wrists.
"I was trying to... uh... invent stuff like Mr. Stark?"
Happy studied the devices with professional interest. They were obviously homemade but functional, the kind of engineering that shouldn't come from a ten-year-old's bedroom workshop.
"Did you BUILD those?"
Ben nodded, water dripping from his hair.
Happy sighed, but it was the sound of someone impressed despite himself. "Tony's going to lose his mind. Come on, let's dry you off before he wakes up."
But Happy didn't confiscate the web-shooters. He was too impressed, too curious about what the strange kid had accomplished. Ben's cover as "gifted kid inventor" had just gained serious credibility.
[NEW ABILITIES ACQUIRED:]
[SPIDER-MAN'S WEB-SLINGING (A-RANK, LV. 1)]
[TACTICAL ANALYSIS (B-RANK, LV. 1)]
[ENHANCED DURABILITY (C-RANK, LV. 1)]
[ENERGY PROJECTION BASICS (B-RANK, LV. 1)]
[WEB-SHOOTERS CREATED (CRUDE PROTOTYPE QUALITY)]
[TOTAL POWER: 4,100]
[QUEST PROGRESS: BUILD 3 DEFENSIVE ITEMS (2/3)]
Tony found out about the web-shooters at breakfast when Happy "accidentally" mentioned it. Ben braced for anger, lectures about safety and supervision, the kind of parental concern that would shut down his preparations.
Instead, Tony's eyes lit up like Christmas morning.
"You built functioning web-shooters? At ten? Kid, that's... show me the schematics."
They spent the morning in the workshop together, Tony helping Ben refine the design, teaching him principles of miniaturization and efficiency that would take the crude prototypes to the next level. It was a bonding moment—father and son working side-by-side, even if neither could name it yet.
[RELATIONSHIP LEVEL INCREASED: TONY STARK]
[GUARDIAN → MENTOR FIGURE]
But under the warmth of shared creation, Ben's adult mind stayed cold with calculation. Obadiah was moving. The pieces were in place. Soon, very soon, everything would explode into violence.
And Ben would be ready.
The web-shooters on his wrists felt heavier than their actual weight, loaded with the responsibility of protecting the man who'd become his father in all but name. Tomorrow would bring the test of whether he was strong enough to change fate.
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