AutumnXd
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CHAPTER 24
🕑 Added 2025-06-22 15:26:58 +0000 UTCThe doorbell chimed, a sharp, hopeful sound in the quiet, grief-stricken house. May ran to the door, her hand trembling as she turned the knob and pulled it open.
Standing on the porch, looking tired and dusty but very much alive, was Aidan. He spread his arms wide, a brilliant, sheepish grin on his face. "Aunt May," he said, his voice full of forced cheer. "I'm home."
For a moment, it was like a dream. May stepped forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him with a desperate strength, as if afraid he might dissolve into smoke. Aidan held her, patting her back gently as she trembled.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry I made you worry."
They stood like that for a long moment. Then, gradually, the frantic, relieved energy of the hug began to change. Her grip tightened, the desperation turning into something harder, something angry. She slowly pulled back, her tear-streaked face now a mask of cold fury. She didn't say a word. She just looked him up and down, her eyes scanning for any sign of injury. Finding none, her gaze sharpened into a death stare that could melt steel.
Aidan felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. His eyes darted around the room, frantically searching for a distraction, a shield, anything to save him from the coming storm. His gaze landed on Peter, who was standing in the hallway, holding the small robot Aidan had made for him. Salvation.
"Peter!" Aidan exclaimed, skillfully sidestepping the silent, simmering volcano that was Aunt May. "Little brother, did you miss me?" He lunged forward for an affectionate hug.
Peter took one look at Aunt May’s expression, then at his brother’s desperate maneuver, and made a split-second decision. He turned and fled up the stairs, shouting over his shoulder, "I don't want to!"
Aidan was left with his arms outstretched in an empty hallway. He slowly lowered them, a muscle twitching in his jaw. You little traitor, he thought, his mind racing. Just wait until you're swinging around Queens in red and blue spandex. I'm telling everyone you're afraid of spiders.
He slowly turned back to face his doom. "Haha… Aunt May. Hello."
"Really?" she replied, her voice dangerously calm. She took a single, menacing step forward.
"Wait!" Aidan yelped, holding up the large white case he'd been carrying. Thank God I came prepared. "I, uh, I brought back a present! A new friend!" He fumbled with the case, placing it on the floor between them and whispering desperately, "Help. Help me."
The start button on the case lit up. With a soft, mechanical hiss, a large, cute, inflatable white robot emerged, unfolding itself to its full, non-threatening height.
"Hello," it said in a calm, soothing voice. "I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. I heard you say 'help,' which indicates you are in distress. However, my scans do not show any physical danger to you." It turned its simple, black-eyed face toward Aidan.
"No, no, I'm fine," Aidan said quickly, using all his strength to turn the large robot around. "The beautiful lady behind you needs help. Scan her."
"Hello," Baymax said, now facing May. "I will scan you now." A soft blue light emanated from its optical sensors. "...Scan complete. I have detected elevated levels of mental fatigue and extreme emotional fluctuation. It is recommended you engage in an activity that brings you joy."
"I want to beat the boy hiding behind you," May said, glaring at Aidan. "That would make me very happy."
"I see," Baymax said placidly. "However, hitting someone is not a recommended form of stress relief and may result in physical harm to your person. If you wish, you may choose to hit me. I am soft, and I will not fight back."
The sheer, earnest absurdity of the offer broke through May's anger. She stared at the giant, huggable robot, and a reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "Okay…" she said, her voice losing its edge. She reached out and patted Baymax’s soft belly. "Is this the medical robot you made? It's so… squishy."
"I am a private healthcare companion," Baymax answered for himself. "My mission is to ensure your health and well-being."
"We're still standing in the doorway," Aidan pointed out, seizing the opportunity to de-escalate.
Baymax waddled into the house, politely nudging a stray shoe out of his path. May followed, her curiosity now completely eclipsing her fury.
"He's a new kind of family nurse," Aidan explained, his confidence returning. "He can disinfect skin trauma, monitor your vital signs daily, and give you the most appropriate health advice to prevent illnesses before they start. And," he added, "he can also play with children to help maintain a happy and stable mood. He's the most caring family member you could ask for."
At that moment, Peter, his own curiosity getting the better of him, crept back down the stairs, staring at Baymax in awe.
"Stinky boy," Aidan muttered under his breath. "So you dare to show your face now."
"Aidan… what have you been doing?" Peter asked, his eyes wide.
"Just building him," Aidan said, gesturing toward Baymax, who was now engaged in a conversation with May. "I had to go a long way to get the parts."
"Is he a balloon robot?" Peter asked. "He's so chubby."
"Go talk to him," Aidan encouraged. "He'll respond to you."
Peter cautiously approached the gentle giant. "Hi," he whispered. "My name is Peter Parker."
"Hello, Peter," Baymax raised a soft hand in greeting. "My name is Baymax."
"Can you… do my homework?"
Baymax tilted his head. "...If completing your homework would improve your emotional state, I will begin studying your curriculum immediately."
"Don't even think about it!" May said, giving Peter a playful swat on the head. "You have to do your own homework."
"It appears helping you with your homework makes her very angry," Baymax observed to Peter.
"Yes," May explained patiently. "Homework is an important part of a child's development. It cannot be delegated."
"Noted," Baymax replied. "I will add this to my database for future requests."
Peter stared, his mouth hanging open in amazement. This was too smart. He had a hunch his life was about to get very, very special.
With Baymax as the perfect, huggable shield, Aidan managed to escape the full force of May’s wrath. The rest, he knew, depended on Tony Stark.
True to his word, Tony never broke the cover story. In the face of intense questioning from government agencies and the media, he stuck to the tale of finding a lost, lucky teenager at a desert oasis. Obadiah Stane, upon seeing the new Arc Reactor in Tony's chest, immediately lost all interest in Aidan's medical robot. He was now obsessed with the revolutionary potential of the new energy source, even as he seethed over Tony's announcement that Stark Industries was shutting down its weapons division. He began making his own plans, moving the company's bloody business from the light into the shadows.
Aidan, playing the role of the traumatized but unharmed kid, was mostly left alone by the authorities. The press was a nuisance, but manageable. And in a quiet corner of Afghanistan, Dr. Yinsen began the long work of rebuilding his life and his village. As the news cycle moved on, the story of the attack in Afghanistan slowly began to fade, a dramatic but finished chapter in the lives of the people of New York.
