I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 443 The Parker Brothers: A Loving and Harmonious Relationship

As the first rays of sunlight set in the morning, the once quiet New York City gradually began to bustle with its own unique energy.

Everything proceeded smoothly and without the slightest change. It was as if the chaos that had ensued yesterday had been digested and erased by the city's powerful self-healing ability.

Meanwhile, Riley, who has temporarily relinquished his superhero duties, is walking towards the school along Seventh Avenue with Felicia, Peter, and Jade.

"I still can't believe it, Riley. You suddenly called me, and you sounded so serious, telling me to come back to District 13 immediately. I thought some terrible crisis had happened... and you just sold me out like that? Leaving me to face Uncle Ben and Aunt May's 'double whammy' all alone?!"

Peter's voice echoed through the streets in the early morning, carrying a genuine accusation.

He rolled his eyes at his "good brother" next to him while gesturing wildly in the air with his half-eaten bacon and egg sandwich, almost throwing a lettuce leaf at Riley's face.

"The result is that Uncle Ben and Aunt May are sitting in the lounge, with the earliest newspaper article about 'Spider-Man' from the Daily Bugle in front of them, and a photo of me excitedly posing in the room when I first got my hands on the nanosuit, sneezing repeatedly halfway through! High-definition! I can guess with my toes that you secretly took this photo!"

"Rie Parker! I hereby declare that our brotherhood is now severely rifted! It will take at least three... no, six good meals to even slightly repair it!"

"Hey! I wasn't lying. Our identities have both been exposed. How can this not be a 'major crisis'?"

Compared to Peter, who was filled with grief and indignation, Riley had his hands in the pockets of his school uniform jacket, walked lightly, and had a smile on his lips that showed no remorse.

Even as Peter waved the sandwich, he seized the opportunity to deliberately take a big bite.

"Hmm, too much sweet and sour sauce, it's a bit greasy." He chewed, commenting seriously, "Peter, how many times have I told you, healthy eating starts with breakfast."

"Ah! My breakfast! Riley—!!!"

Peter looked at his sandwich, which had shrunk by more than half in an instant, and his tone became increasingly filled with grief and indignation.

"Is that the point?! The point is, you betrayed me! I'm your own brother!"

"That's called 'sharing the burden,' baby~ And you know, I gave a legitimate reason before I left."

"The legitimate reason you're giving is simply to catch up on homework?"

Seeing Riley's unrepentant and self-righteous attitude, Peter, possessive of his food, first ate the rest of the sandwich in one bite. After chewing and swallowing haphazardly, he glared at Riley through gritted teeth and asked, word by word, "I don't know."

"You mean, someone like you, a top-three student in your grade, capable of crafting nanotech suits by hand, and who last night spent just ten minutes updating the defense system algorithm for District 13, needs several hours to catch up on a mere first-year high school assignment? What kind of assignment is this? The specific algorithm for controlled nuclear fusion?!"

"Actually, if that's really the case, it might be simpler..."

"Um?"

"...Ahem, what I mean is...it's understandable that I've been skipping classes a lot lately and have a lot of homework to catch up on~"

At first, Riley tried to dodge the question, but seeing the hurt in Peter's eyes, the brother-obsessed Riley finally gave in and surrendered with his hands raised.

"Okay, I admit, last night's 'homework' was indeed a bit special... but the point is, because that wretched sandman launched a sneak attack, my identity was already exposed, so it can't all be blamed on me! As a 'bad student' who has missed too many classes recently and is already at risk of repeating a grade, I should obviously allocate my limited energy to..."

"Run away."

Peter coldly interrupted him.

"...It's a strategic shift."

Riley, feeling guilty, corrected himself and avoided eye contact with Peter.

"Besides, didn't I send you an encrypted message before I called you back? 'Parental mode activated, recommended to use Plan B: Sincere repentance and active guarantee!' and stuff like that... That's the culmination of my years of experience dealing with parental interrogations, all my best stuff, how can you say I betrayed my teammate!"

"How dare you say that! Your so-called 'essential summary' was only sent to my phone a second before I opened the door! And after that, I didn't even have time to see what you sent before Uncle Ben and Aunt May forcibly held me in place and made me listen to a heartfelt speech for over an hour about responsibility, safety, and 'Peter, do you know how heartbroken we would be if something happened to you?'"

Peter gritted his teeth, but the smile in his eyes betrayed him.

Clearly, it's like Harry unexpectedly finding out that Peter is Spider-Man...

With Sheriff Black as his trusted lieutenant and the safety of those around him relatively assured, Peter didn't really resist the idea that his acquaintances would know about his other identity. One could even say he was vaguely looking forward to it.

Moreover, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were not outsiders to Peter; they were irreplaceable family members.

Looking back now, when Peter and Riley were far less powerful than they are now, the brothers would sneak out in their battle suits and return covered in wounds. When they were discovered, the lame excuses they made up were full of holes...

But Uncle Ben and Aunt Mei always believed their stories.

So, they had always known, but were just waiting for the two brothers to be ready and willing to say it to each other in person.

Peter saw the constant chatter of his two elders as a testament to their concern and worry.

Not to mention, his previous journey in parallel universes made Peter keenly aware through his interactions with Tom Holland and others that the seemingly ordinary and warm life he now has is already an unattainable "dream" for "Peter Parker" in other universes.

How could I possibly get really angry over this?

So Peter stared at Riley for several seconds, then finally slumped his shoulders in defeat, unable to suppress a laugh: "...You jerk, you're such a blessing to have me!"

"Same here, you troublesome little brother."

Riley smiled and ruffled Peter's hair vigorously.

"However, six large meals are a must."

Peter regained some of his composure and nudged Riley on the shoulder.

"Aunt Mei's meatball noodles count as one meal, you still owe me five. I want to eat at that new Thai restaurant on the corner, that molecular gastronomy place Tony recommended—he said the armor's AI analyzed the recipes and found the optimal balance of nutrition and taste—and..."

Peter started counting on his fingers.

Riley listened with a smile, occasionally trying to bargain. All this was so that Peter could finally put down the burden of being "Spider-Man" and enjoy the leisurely life of "Peter Parker" during this brief moment of free time.

The morning light shone on the two brothers, and the tension and complaints of the previous night melted away in their ordinary bickering and smiles.

The precocious Xiaoyu, after glancing back and forth at the two figures, quietly tugged at Felicia's sleeve.

After exchanging glances, and as they spent more time together and gained a deeper understanding of each other, they suddenly realized what the other was thinking.

Clearly, they were all relieved...

Fortunately, Riley is Peter's brother, the kind of brother who is related to him by blood.

Otherwise, let's not even talk about them...

I doubt Gwen would even have the chance to get involved in this mushy world of brothers who value each other more than their own lives.

Unfortunately, this relaxed atmosphere, which was somewhat rare for them, was diluted by another voice as they turned the corner and merged into the main flow of people on Seventh Avenue.