Chapter 25: The Peter Parker Problem
April 2009. The Stark Industries youth science fair transformed the building's main atrium into a carnival of adolescent ambition. Poster boards displayed volcanos, solar systems, and biology experiments with the earnest dedication only children could muster. Tony had pitched it as "inspiring the next generation," though Pepper's more cynical assessment was "scouting for future talent."
Ben wandered between exhibits, trying to look appropriately interested for the cameras documenting Tony Stark's philanthropic son. His Spider-Sense hummed at low level, cataloguing the crowd's movements, when something made it spike unexpectedly.
Not danger. Recognition.
He turned toward the sound—a small, earnest voice explaining chemical reactions with an enthusiasm that bordered on desperation. At a corner booth, largely ignored by passing judges, stood a boy with messy brown hair and clothes that had seen better days.
The name tag read: PETER PARKER, AGE 9.
Ben's adult mind short-circuited. This was him. THE Peter Parker. Future Spider-Man, Avenger, the hero who would one day help save the universe. Currently a nine-year-old whose homemade volcano project was held together with duct tape and hope.
"Jesus Christ. He's just a kid."
Ben approached on unsteady legs, his social anxiety ironically real despite his adult memories. Meeting your future superhero colleague when they were still in elementary school was not covered in any reincarnation handbook.
"Um, hi. Your volcano is cool."
Peter's face lit up like Ben had just offered him a million dollars. Someone was actually interested in his project.
"Really? It's based on the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption! See, I used baking soda and vinegar for the basic reaction, but I added red food coloring and dish soap to simulate the pyroclastic flow viscosity, and—"
Peter's explanation was sophisticated, far beyond what most nine-year-olds could manage. His raw intelligence shone through every gesture, every precisely chosen word. Ben found himself genuinely impressed.
"The viscosity simulation is brilliant. Most people don't think about how lava actually behaves."
Peter practically glowed. "Exactly! Everyone just thinks it's hot rock, but it's really complex fluid dynamics! Are you in middle school?"
Ben forced himself to match Peter's apparent age. "No, I just... read a lot?"
"Me too! Aunt May says I read too much, but I don't think that's possible!"
The easy rapport forming between them felt natural—two genius kids finding common ground in a world that often didn't understand them. But Ben's heart ached with knowledge Peter couldn't share. This boy would lose his uncle, gain impossible powers, carry the weight of responsibility that would nearly crush him multiple times.
"Can I change that? Should I?"
"Peter, don't talk the nice boy's ear off."
The voice belonged to an older woman approaching their conversation—tired but kind eyes, silver-streaked hair pulled back practically. Aunt May, looking exactly like Ben remembered from movies, but more real, more human.
"Your project is wonderful, sweetheart, but—oh my."
May's smile faltered as she noticed Ben's name tag.
"Parker? That's funny, so is Peter's last name. Are you related to—"
Ben's mouth went dry. In his original life, he'd been Mo, no relation to anyone named Parker. In this life, he was Ben Parker, orphan of unknown parentage adopted by Tony Stark. But the name Parker was intrinsically tied to Spider-Man's legacy in ways May couldn't possibly know yet.
"Different Parkers, I think."
Tony's voice cut through Ben's panic as his adoptive father appeared at his shoulder, having spotted the conversation from across the room.
"New York's got millions of us! This is my son, Ben."
May's expression shifted as she recognized Tony Stark, her eyes widening slightly.
"Oh! Mr. Stark, I didn't realize... Peter's such a fan of your work."
Tony's charm activated automatically. "Well, Peter's volcano is genuinely impressive. You've got a smart kid, Mrs. Parker."
The interaction was pleasant, polite, but Ben caught May studying him with curious intensity before they moved on. His Spider-Sense tingled—she'd noticed something off about him, the way perceptive adults sometimes did when children didn't quite act their age.
After the fair, Ben sat quietly in the car as Tony drove them back to Malibu. The Pacific Coast Highway stretched ahead, but Ben's thoughts were trapped in an ethical maze.
"You okay, kid? You looked... I don't know, sad? Meeting that Parker boy?"
Ben struggled to articulate the weight pressing against his chest.
"What if you know something bad is going to happen to someone, but you can't stop it without making things worse?"
Tony glanced at him through the rearview mirror, noting the unusual seriousness in his son's voice.
"That's the hero's dilemma, Ben. Sometimes you can't save everyone. You do what you can and live with the rest."
But Ben was thinking specifically about Uncle Ben Parker's death—the defining tragedy that would transform Peter into Spider-Man, teach him that with great power comes great responsibility. If Ben prevented that death, would Peter become the hero he was meant to be? Or would Ben's interference rob Peter of the crucible that forged his character?
[TIMELINE BRANCH POINT DETECTED: PETER PARKER'S FUTURE ALTERABLE]
[NO RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDED]
[USER CHOICE]
The System offered no guidance, leaving Ben to wrestle with moral complexity beyond his years. That night, lying in his workshop-adjacent bedroom, he made a decision that felt like carving pieces from his soul.
He would watch over Peter from a distance. Be ready to help if needed. But he wouldn't deliberately change Peter's path. Some destinies might need to unfold naturally, no matter how much it hurt to stand aside.
But he added Peter's name to a growing list in his System interface: "People to Protect When the Time Comes." It was the best compromise his conscience could manage.
[NEW CHARACTER CONNECTION ESTABLISHED: PETER PARKER (FUTURE ALLY/BROTHER FIGURE)]
[QUEST ACTIVATED: THE PARKER LEGACY (LONG-TERM, REWARDS: UNKNOWN)]
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: PROTECTIVE INSTINCT (PASSIVE, C-RANK, LV. 1)]
['SENSE WHEN DESIGNATED ALLIES ARE IN DANGER, EVEN AT DISTANCE'']
[SPIDER-SENSE RESONANCE: PARALLEL DESTINIES DETECTED]
[TOTAL POWER: 14,400]
Three weeks later, Ben found a hand-delivered envelope slipped under his workshop door. Inside, written in careful nine-year-old handwriting:
Dear Ben, Thanks for liking my volcano. Most kids think science is boring. Maybe we can be friends? I don't have many. -Peter
Included was a crude drawing of two figures in lab coats, labeled "BEN" and "PETER" in block letters. Ben pinned it to his workshop wall, right next to Kate's archery competition certificate and his official adoption photo with Tony.
His found family was growing, expanding to include people he'd need to protect. His adult mind knew what was coming for Peter—the spider bite, the powers, the loss that would define him. But for now, Peter was just a lonely kid who loved science and needed friends.
Ben could be that friend, at least.
His Enhanced Hearing picked up Tony's voice from the hallway, speaking quietly to Pepper.
"Did you see how Ben looked at that Parker kid? Like he knew him from somewhere. The kid's got the strangest intuitions."
Pepper's response was thoughtful. "Maybe they're kindred spirits. Both too smart for their own good, both a little lonely."
"Yeah. Maybe I should arrange more meetups. Ben needs more normal kid friends."
Ben smiled despite the irony. There was nothing normal about Peter Parker's future. But maybe, just maybe, having Ben in his life early would make that future less lonely.
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