Evan floated up from the rooftop. The suit's built-in detection system and his Spider Sense quickly located the Vulture in the middle of a bank robbery.
If he and Gwen weren't from Queens, Vulture's fight with the Kingpin might have gotten them both killed. Vulture and Kingpin—he'd need to settle accounts with each of them!
With a rush of wind, he arrived at the bank Vulture was robbing.
But someone else was already there.
It was the Ghost Spider.
Gwen?
Evan watched as she squared off against Vulture. She had only recently become a superhero, so she was still inexperienced. Her web lines were repeatedly cut by Vulture's sharp metal wings, and she had to divert her focus to protect civilians. In the midst of this, she was nearly injured.
"Pesky spider!" Vulture hissed, lunging at Gwen with his metal claws, inches from her arm.
In a flash, a dark figure appeared, and Vulture's gear sputtered, throwing sparks.
Evan's powerful downward kick slammed Vulture to the ground.
The strength boost from his "Knight Spider" suit, combined with his Spider enhancements, didn't just double his power—it amplified it exponentially. His suit's template, combined with Jessica's "Knightress" module and Gwen's "Ghost Spider" module, provided immense power.
If he hadn't held back, Vulture might have been crushed.
"Who is that?"
The onlookers, who had run to a safe distance, were amazed. They recognized the Ghost Spider, but who was this dark Spider-Man? Her partner?
Not exactly.
Gwen was equally shocked to see Vulture suddenly downed!
"Um, excuse me?" she asked, mustering the courage to step closer. "Thank you for helping me… Are you a superhero too?"
In the back of her mind, she wondered why he was dressed in a suit so similar to hers.
Evan activated the suit's voice modulator and replied in a deep tone, "You can call me Spider-Man."
Yes, he shamelessly claimed the name first.
"Spider…" Gwen muttered, slightly taken aback. The nerve! Not only did he rip off my suit's style, but he even took the title!
If he hadn't just saved her, she'd probably say something.
"You jerk!" Vulture croaked beneath Evan's foot, his face twisted with anger.
Evan kept silent, pressing his foot down harder to make his point.
"Aargh! Alright, alright! I surrender!" Vulture gasped, feeling his cracked ribs press deeper.
"I'm taking him with me," Evan said to Ghost Spider. He hooked his foot under Vulture to lift him, securing him with one hand.
"Wait! Where are you taking him?" Ghost Spider protested. "You should turn him over to the police!"
"I'm no vigilante," Evan said as he turned to leave. He shot into the sky with Vulture in tow, disappearing into the night with the loud flapping of his cloak.
"Hey!" Gwen muttered in frustration, too late to catch him.
.
.
.
.
On the roof of an empty building.
Thud.
Evan tossed the battered Vulture onto the ground, crossing his arms as he asked, "Do you know where Kingpin is?"
"Kingpin?" Toomes' mind raced. So this guy's after Kingpin too?
Silently cursing, he thought, Damn Kingpin—he got me into this mess!
"Answer the question," Evan's icy tone pressed.
"What do you want with Kingpin?" Vulture asked, his eyes shifting. If Evan had bad intentions toward Kingpin, he wouldn't hesitate to spill everything.
"To teach him a lesson about littering the streets," Evan said nonchalantly.
This guy's strange, Vulture thought. He wants to take on the Kingpin over something so trivial? Who does he think he is—the head of the Environmental Protection Agency?
He didn't realize that by "trash," Evan meant criminals like him.
After a moment's thought, Vulture asked, "If I tell you, will you let me go?"
"I have limited patience." Evan cracked his neck, preparing to move.
"Alright, alright! I will tell you all I know."
Vulture had sized up Evan. Unlike Spider-Woman, this dark figure wasn't playing by the same rules; he was intense and ruthless.
"Kingpin and I have our own issues. I could lead you to him… once I've recovered."
"So you don't actually know his location?" Evan's suit glinted ominously in the dim light. "In that case, you're useless to me."
"No, I know!" Vulture quickly replied. "If you're going now, I can tell you a few places he might be—but hurry. I tracked him earlier today, so he might relocate soon."
Evan mentally noted the locations Vulture provided, gave him a final look, and turned to leave.
Just then, a message popped into his mind.
You have defeated Gwen Stacy's nemesis. As her [Ally], you may select one of the following rewards:
[1. Monetary Reward: One million U.S. dollars]
[2. Random Reward: Captain America Action Figure Collection]
[3. Servant Reward: Transform Adrian Toomes into a loyal subordinate]
...
If you find any mistakes in the chapter. Please point it out in the comment section and I will try to correct them as soon as possible.