*Click!*

Norman Manor. Norman Osborn opened the door.

"Dad?"

Harry, who was struggling with the essay assigned by his chemistry teacher, looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw Norman walking towards him.

"I got a call from your teacher, Harry," Norman said, approaching him.

"Well, I don't think I did anything wrong," Harry replied with a shrug. "Except maybe punching Paul, but that wasn't my fault. He's one of those arrogant jerks who flips me off for no reason, so I gave him a punch in the eye."

"The reason I transferred you from private school to Midtown High was so you wouldn't get into trouble anymore," Norman said, his expression darkening. "You need to grow up and stop being so impulsive."

"Okay, that's on me," Harry admitted, more out of obligation than sincerity.

But then he added, not quite willing to back down, "Or maybe... I'm just not a predator."

Norman had once explained to Harry the difference between predators and scavengers. Predators hunt their prey directly, while scavengers wait for their prey to be weakened or defenseless. The Osborn family, Norman had said, were scavengers.

Harry now saw himself as a "herbivore," admitting that he might not live up to his father's expectations.

Norman frowned at Harry. "You're not old enough to understand yourself yet."

Changing the subject, he asked, "Peter Parker is your friend, right?"

"Yes," Harry answered, his previously dull expression lighting up slightly at the mention of Peter.

"He's a good friend. Really smart, and he's super into science," Harry said, setting down his pen. "We're working on some research projects together. You could say we're partners."

"I'm glad you've made a new friend at school," Norman said, his expression softening. He walked over and patted Harry on the shoulder. "You should invite Peter and his family over sometime. I like kids like him."

Harry perked up at his father's suggestion.

"Are you serious, Dad?"

"Of course. Do you think he'd accept the invitation?"

"Absolutely! I'm sure he'd be thrilled."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Harry wanted to pull out his phone and invite Peter and his family right then and there.

"Good. Let's plan for tomorrow," Norman said, patting Harry's shoulder again before turning to leave.

---

*The next morning.*

Peter was sitting in the living room, flipping through the newspaper. Since arriving in the Marvel universe, he had developed a habit of reading the news, hoping to spot clues from the world he remembered.

Stories like "Stark Industries CEO Kidnapped by Terrorists" and "Mysterious Hammer Found in New Mexico" caught his eye.

In addition to tracking familiar events, Peter was also on the lookout for "scientific" ways to make money, both to help his family financially and to repay the $10,000 he borrowed from Gwen. He had to figure things out on his own.

"There's a biology exhibition at the Museum of Natural Science this weekend. Peter, would you like to go?" Uncle Ben asked from the sofa.

"Sure," Peter nodded. "How did you know about it, Uncle Ben?"

"You mentioned it a month ago," Aunt May chimed in as she came out of the kitchen with a plate of food. "You're always excited about science."

Uncle Ben smiled and added, "Peter's as smart as his father."

But his expression quickly grew somber. "I wanted to go with you, Peter, but I have plans this weekend."

Before he could finish, Aunt May exposed his fib.

"Your uncle has plans to go fishing," she said with a smile.

Peter put down the newspaper and looked at Uncle Ben. "I didn't know you liked fishing."

Uncle Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, I'm going with some friends. Actually, I don't enjoy it that much."

Aunt May interjected again, "Don't listen to your Uncle Ben. The friend he's referring to passed away a while ago. I think his name was Joe, wasn't it?"

Uncle Ben's face turned nostalgic as he sighed. "Yes. Last year, he went fishing in the swamp with his high-top waterproof boots. He was found drowned. The police said when they found him, there was still a fish on his line."

"Maybe it was a trout, or a rainbow trout, or maybe a bass, I can't remember. The police said he died of a stroke."

"A stroke?" Peter asked, surprised. "What a coincidence."

Uncle Ben nodded. "Yes, a stroke. The police think he got too excited when he caught the fish, and a blood clot burst somewhere in his body. He passed out and fell into the water. With no one around to help, he drowned quickly."

Peter blinked, speechless. Another bit of strange knowledge about fishing added to his mental files.

Aunt May put a plate of pancakes on the dining table and said, "So you see, fishing can be a risky activity too."

"We live in a world of coincidences," Uncle Ben mused. "From the day we're born to the day we die, our lives are intertwined with a series of events. Every action we take, every moment we spend—whether it's a kind word or an angry gesture—creates ripples in the stream of life. Eventually, one of those ripples triggers the alarm clock of our lives, and when it rings, our time is up."

Peter and Aunt May exchanged a glance after Uncle Ben's philosophical speech.

Uncle Ben's life lessons had begun again.

"You're being too dark, Ben," Aunt May said with a slight glare. "Peter's still young. You should focus on more positive topics."

Uncle Ben smiled at Peter. "Peter's grown into a mature young man."

Faced with Uncle Ben and Aunt May directing their comments at him, Peter pretended not to notice.

"That's a profound truth, Uncle Ben," he said with a smile. "But as for the biology exhibition, the school is organizing a trip, so you can go fishing with your friends without any worries."

Just as Peter finished speaking, the phone rang.

He answered, and Harry's excited voice came through.

"Peter! Are Aunt May and Uncle Ben free tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think they have any plans. What's going on, Harry?"

"My dad wants to invite all of you over to our house!"

---