Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 382 (Patreon)

In the last lesson, what Mark had to teach Doctor Strange wasn't complicated. Besides information about the Infinity Stones and some other hidden treasures in the universe, there was also information about the nine great realms within the Nine Realms and some of the deities in this universe. Most importantly, Mark left Doctor Strange a list.

This list documented all the information from Mark's memory about humans and other beings that could pose a threat to Earth and modern human civilization. Beings like the god of mischief Loki and the Green Goblin Norman Osborn, who had caused a significant crisis on Earth in the past, as well as the recently repealed Dormammu, were all listed.

Among them, at the top of the list, marked with the highest level of danger, was not someone else but the cosmic emperor who could potentially wipe out half of Earth and the entire universe's population in the future – Thanos.

The reason it's a possibility is that Mark isn't sure if the predetermined fate has shifted after he flapped his wings like a desperate butterfly, and if it has, to what extent.

Since his involvement in the events of the Battle of New York, Mark had been observing and analyzing how his appearance had affected the global situation and the destinies of others.

So far, his conclusions boiled down to "small trajectories can change, big ones are irreversible," meaning that the predetermined path of an individual's destiny might alter due to his efforts.

Just like Quicksilver, who was supposed to die in battle but had now joined the Avengers; the Sorcerer Mordo, who was expected to leave after Dormammu's retreat but hadn't shown any such inclination so far; or characters like the Green Goblin and Lizard, who shouldn't have appeared in this universe but did, causing significant trouble for everyone involved.

However, in comparison to the unstoppable tide of the world propelled forward by time-shapers, even if personal destinies undergo earth-shattering changes, it is still carried forward, unable to alter or hinder this trend.

For instance, Ultron being replaced by Max and the location of events moving from Sokovia to Seoul didn't prevent the conflict between humanity and artificial intelligence from occurring as scheduled.

From various indications, it's apparent that Mark's impact on this parallel universe isn't enough to change its pre-existing course of destiny.

But what isn't certain is whether after these minor variations in individual destinies accumulate, they could lead to a qualitative shift, creating an entirely new future trajectory; that remains unknown.

In any case, all Mark can do is stay prepared for crises at all times, ensuring he's not helpless when facing danger. This is why he's been heavily invested in various research projects and willing to help the Ancient One train Doctor Strange as her successor. All these preparations are for the potential crises of the future.

...

Having completed the final task in Kamar-Taj, after bidding farewell to Doctor Strange and the other two, Mark opened the portal and returned to the New York Sanctum.

In these almost three months, he gained quite a lot. First, he completed the task entrusted to him by the Ancient One, which could be considered as adding a powerful ally for the future Infinity War against Thanos.

Secondly, Mark's biggest achievement this time was completing the Two-Way Foil, from theoretical validation to practical testing, the whole process. And eventually achieving the desired effect, which gave Mark more confidence when facing future crises.

However, what Mark didn't know was that his positive mood would soon come to a complete end because of someone.

Leaving the New York Sanctum , Mark didn't use magic. Instead, he chose a brand-new Ferrari from the garage and drove it to the Avengers facility in the northern outskirts of New York.

"Hey, Jarvis, good morning!"

"Good morning, Master Mark. It's been a while. Welcome back!"

"Have others returned to the base?"

"Sir has already brought back the intended invitee to the base. Currently, Mr. Peter Parker is undergoing training within the base. And Mr. Pietro Maximoff has recently transmitted a message. He has just made contact with the target individual, Scott Lang. Progress seems somewhat challenging as Mr. Lang has the ability to disappear from his presence."

"It's not disappearing, Jarvis. He's merely utilizing the Pym particles' ability to shrink himself. Pete's perception isn't sensitive enough to detect him, creating the illusion of a grown man vanishing into thin air. By the way, since my old man is back, where is he now? I need to discuss something with him."

What Mark wanted to discuss with Tony wasn't something else but the technical issues regarding the Two-Way Foil. Mark hoped to create a special force field that would confine the foil's dimensional abilities within a regular technological environment.

This way, even after detaching from his own magical supply, the Two-Way Foil would remain in a relatively stable state, making it more feasible to mount onto weapons that have precise aiming and launching.

If Mark couldn't appear instantly due to unforeseen circumstances, Earth would still possess means to deter malicious enemies.

However, Jarvis didn't provide Mark with the answer he hoped for: "Sir hurriedly attended a commercial charity fundraising event a few days ago. He's not in New York right now."

"A commercial charity event? I remember he despises these ostentatious charity performances. Why is he so enthusiastic this time?" Mark asked in confusion.

"I think it's because Miss Potts is also attending the event. Sir seems to be hoping to mend his relationship with her through this encounter. Besides, Mr. Parker is just too noisy. Even I, as an artificial intelligence, find it a bit overwhelming. I believe Sir might want to escape for a while to have some peace and quiet."

"Uh..." Mark was momentarily speechless upon hearing Jarvis's speculation. He could fully imagine the scene where Tony, notorious for his sharp tongue, was driven to madness by the chatterbox known as Spider-Man.

He wasn't sure if there was an issue with the superhero costume design, because Peter Parker in his daily life was a quiet and reserved young man. He was so shy that he wouldn't even say hello to a girl he liked.

However, when he put on the Spider-Man suit and donned the mask, he seemed like an entirely different person! He wouldn't just crack jokes non-stop; he'd also be incessantly talkative.

It's worth noting that in the Marvel Universe, another superhero known for his excessive talking and comparable to Spider-Man is Deadpool, who also happens to wear a red skintight suit. Seems like this attire is truly contagious!

However, Mark's amusement didn't last long as he soon regretted why he chose this moment to return to the base. Because he had already spotted Spider-Man, Peter Parker, excitedly somersaulting and heading his way.

"Wow, Mr. Mark Stark, is that really you? Is it really you? I never thought I'd get to see you here today. You know who I am, right?

I'm Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. I heard from Mr. Stark, your father, that you recommended and invited me to join the Avengers.

It's such an honor, and I'm so thrilled because I never imagined I'd get to work with you guys, you know?

But the truth about this isn't known to May. May is my aunt, and she's also my guardian now. I didn't want her to worry, so I told her I'm studying at Stark Industries. She was over the moon with joy about it.

If I go home today and tell her I met you, she'll definitely be overjoyed. Both of us really admire you!

You and your father have been my idols since I was little, even though I couldn't afford any of the products you launched.

But I have dreamt of becoming someone like you guys since forever, using my own intellect to change the whole world. That's simply the coolest thing in the world.

Oh, and did you notice this suit I'm wearing? Mr. Stark himself had it tailored for me. Though, I think he might have taken some inspiration from me for the web shooter's design."

"I had made a suit for myself before, but Mr. Stark called it pajamas. Well, compared to the current one, it was indeed a bit crude. But the first web shooter I made independently, I think it's pretty good. Maybe one day I can show it to you..."

"Wait!" Mark saw that the young Spider-Man in front of him had been sharing his thoughts non-stop and showed no sign of stopping. Finally unable to bear it, Mark quickly reached out and covered Spider-Man's mouth.

"Mr. Peter Parker, first of all, I warmly welcome you to join our Avengers team as a member. As a congratulation, since you mentioned you haven't bought any of my inventions before, I'll compile a grand gift package for you, containing all the products from Mark Research Center, from the beginning until now, as a present. I hope you can become an official member of the Avengers after passing the final assessment.

"One more thing! If you want to become someone like me and Tony, the first thing you should learn is to keep silent. This is very important, especially for you."

"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you today. I suddenly remembered there are some matters in the company that require my attention, so I won't stay to chat. Until next time."

After saying this, Mark immediately released his hand covering Spider-Man's mouth and ran away at the fastest speed he had ever reached in his life. He left the Avengers facility without even saying goodbye to Jarvis.

Behind him, Spider-Man, Peter Parker, waved excitedly as if he hadn't understood a word Mark had said. He shouted, "I got it, Mr. Mark. I will remember the guidance you gave me today and learn from you. I won't let down your expectations!"

Seeing Mark's figure disappear, Spider-Man switched his attention to the artificial intelligence Jarvis. "Today was seriously the coolest experience I've ever had! You know, Jarvis, I once saw Mr. Stark wearing the Iron Man suit at a Stark Expo. That was super cool! But that's incomparable to today. Mr. Mark actually had such an intimate conversation with me. He must have high hopes for me, even recommending me for the Avengers. I'm so thrilled, so moved!"

"I believe if Master Mark knew the kind of verbal assault and noise torture he'll have to endure in the future, he definitely wouldn't have made this mistake..."

Facing the chatter from Spider-Man, Jarvis muttered silently. Unfortunately, the overly excited Spider-Man didn't hear a word of it.

If Jarvis had a physical expression now, it would probably be one of complete resignation. Due to its programming, it had to constantly receive Spider-Man's massive amount of babbling, even causing this resilient super artificial intelligence to verge on a breakdown.

...

"Terrifying! It's truly terrifying. Even when facing Dormammu, I never felt this awful. Spider-Man's mouth is truly the source of all evil.

No wonder Dad would rather attend a charity show than stay to guide Spider-Man. Thank goodness Strange isn't like this. Though he occasionally cracks some embarrassingly bad jokes, it's still better than dealing with this chatterbox kid."

Sitting in the car, Mark wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, still feeling a lingering fear from that sudden experience.

Although Spider-Man's appearance disrupted Mark's wonderful mood on his first day back in New York, it also served as a wake-up call.

He had designed a suit for Spider-Man before as well. Unlike Tony's gift, which aimed to nurture and protect Spider-Man's growth into a competent superhero, Mark's suit was designed purely for practicality and combat purposes. It even incorporated Pym particles, allowing Spider-Man to truly become a tiny crawler, capable of executing various tasks in different scenarios and terrains.

"Never mind, I'll let Dad handle the suit and pass it on. I don't want to subject my ears to torture again."

Mark shook his head vigorously; he'd put the matter of the suit aside for now. Currently, he was considering that Quicksilver might really need some assistance from him...