Kapitel 114: Restart, Spider-Man! [114]
After meeting with Dr. Otto, Xia Luo returned to his small rental. The place had just been remodeled and had no strange odors—probably because Harry had insisted on the best materials. Nice perk for the landlord.
On the table, however, sat a fresh contract.
Yes, Harry was now officially Xia Luo's new landlord.
He noticed a sticky note on the side.
[My friend, I know you wouldn't want to take this apartment for free, so I bought it myself. Remember to be nice to your landlord, or I'll raise the rent.]
Xia Luo: "..."
What an adorable little threat.
He poured himself a glass of water and tapped his wrist device to contact Felicia.
Using his Spidey network, of course—Xia Luo Parker stuck to his cell phone, keeping his civilian and hero lives separate.
Beep beep.
No answer. He tried a few more times, but still nothing. Xia Luo frowned slightly.
Without reaching Black Cat, the item Fisk mentioned was still out of reach, too.
But, well, he'd just have to tell Fisk he found it anyway. After all, his main goal was taking down Kingpin, not actually helping him recover a lost trinket.
With that in mind, he smirked a bit, his irritation melting away. Taking Fisk down had been on his agenda for a while, but he'd have to be careful not to push the guy straight into some kind of revenge plot.
Taking out his phone, Xia Luo began researching methods of non-lethal knockouts. Yep, he thought, scrolling, this will work perfectly.
After some intense reading on human anatomy, he finally called it a night.
The next day, classes went by as usual. Xia Luo decided to delay his report to Fisk and instead, suited up and headed to S.H.I.E.L.D.
This mission would need some time. And if Fisk were to buy his lie, he'd need to wait a while.
In the S.H.I.E.L.D. training room, Harry lay on the floor, drenched in sweat after an exhausting session under Carter's drill-sergeant-like training.
"Cap… I think I need a break… I have so many business matters to handle." Harry raised his hand, practically begging for a timeout.
Though Carter looked unimpressed, she knew S.H.I.E.L.D. only had a partial claim on Harry's time. It was spelled out clearly in his contract, after all, and Harry had already shown her a good deal of cooperation.
"Fine, you can go," she said. "But tomorrow's training? Non-negotiable."
"Absolutely, Captain! Can't wait to get stronger!" Harry nearly sprinted to the locker room, changing without even taking a shower—just in case she changed her mind.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a red-and-blue figure appeared upside down outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, tapping to get someone's attention.
"Mind if I borrow your training room? We're all neighbors here, right?" Xia Luo asked, cheerful as always.
"Spider-Man!"
The crowd around was visibly stunned to see him here in S.H.I.E.L.D. of his own volition.
Natasha arched an eyebrow, muttering to herself, "So he's open to us now. That's a positive shift."
Barton, cleaning his arrows nearby, was less optimistic. "He's not really one to let grudges slide. Maybe it's just because Nick Fury's not calling all the shots anymore."
Natasha frowned. "You think he's here because of Captain Carter?"
"I'd bet on it." Barton glanced over at Xia Luo and Carter's exchange, his gaze steady. "There's something going on there."
"Man's intuition, hmm?" Natasha teased. "Anyway, Spider-Man's not our enemy, so whatever they're hiding doesn't matter."
Barton shook his head. "It's not that simple. If anything, things are just getting started. There are too many secrets surrounding Spider-Man, and his, well, 'immortality' is bound to attract attention."
"He won't get away with it for long. Fury will keep digging, and so will the senators. Carter will have to work hard to keep them off him."
With a shrug, Natasha left it at that. "That's tomorrow's problem. Carter has more support than you think."
Barton, skeptical, replied, "Sure, but her power's not limitless. Not now, anyway."
Natasha watched as Spider-Man and Carter moved into the training room. "You know, I've learned over the years that it takes more than skill to climb ranks. It takes support. Captain Carter may have stepped out of obscurity, but the Carter family is still strong enough to help her. If Spider-Man's in her corner, well… that could leave Fury out of the picture altogether."
Barton's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Aren't you Fury's operative? Doesn't that worry you?"
"Not really." Natasha's expression was light. "If Fury's in command, it's not because of talent alone. He's got people behind him."
Barton, curious, put down his arrows. "But if his backers aren't strong enough, they'll never keep Spider-Man contained."
Natasha sipped from her water bottle, "Oh, I'm talking about an 'old friend' Fury once mentioned to me."
Barton's eyes widened. "You mean… the one who intercepted that alien fleet before it even reached Earth?"
"Exactly," Natasha confirmed. "An unstoppable force, almost like a planetary defense. Think Spider-Man has a chance against that?"
Setting her water aside, she left the room, leaving Barton in thoughtful silence.
"A one-woman army… It sounds absurd. But if it's true…" he muttered, walking out with a faint frown.
Inside the training room, Xia Luo gratefully accepted a water bottle from Harry.
"Thanks, my friend."
"My pleasure." Harry glanced at Natasha and Barton as they walked off, curious. "What were they talking about? Seemed like it was about you."
Xia Luo shrugged. "I overheard, but it's nothing important."
Captain Carter had overheard as well, though she kept quiet about it. Since her return, her physical enhancements had improved her senses, too.
Glancing at Harry, she cut in, "Weren't you going to take care of business? Not staying?"
"Oh, right, heading out now!" Harry stammered, giving Xia Luo a quick wave and dashing out the door—any more training might just break him.
Left alone, Carter turned to Xia Luo. "So, the rumor's true?"
Xia Luo grinned. "It's legit."
She raised an eyebrow, trying to read him. "So there really is such a powerful hero out there?"
She'd assumed Natasha's mention was some kind of diversion. Still, Spider-Man's abilities had left her wondering, so she had to take it seriously.
"Relax," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Then he moved to a set of high-density dumbbells, testing the weight in his hands. "As long as there's no real planetary threat, she's not showing up."
"...But if it involves a friend, she'd show up, wouldn't she?" Carter guessed.
Xia Luo nodded. "Probably. But if you're fair in your methods, Fury's not going to call her in just to keep his title. He's got cards of his own and won't obsess over leadership."
He tilted his head, asking, "So, you're really set on taking him down?"
Carter nodded, her tone resolute. "Yes. We clash on too many things. And with him here, my hands are tied. Plus, his effectiveness isn't all it's cracked up to be. Most importantly, they may be leaving you alone now, but we both know that won't last."
"Oh, they'll come around eventually," Xia Luo remarked, trading the dumbbell for a heavier one. "I'll back you up. Life's easier with you around."
Carter looked slightly taken aback at his straightforward support. "You're really that confident in me?"
"What do you think?"
Setting down the weights, he continued, "I've got a lot of potential still, and I need a custom set of equipment. Can that be done?"
Carter considered. "Sure, but it'll take a bit. We'll use other channels, though, so nothing gets saved in S.H.I.E.L.D. files."
"You're thorough as ever, Agent Carter," he complimented, and then added, "I've picked up some advanced techniques—thanks to a certain purple alien. I can show you some, and maybe you can pass them on to Harry."
"You met Thanos again?" Carter asked, surprised.
Xia Luo nodded. "Yep, got a personal lesson. His combat skills are among the best in the galaxy. I'm betting he's got better moves than anyone you've seen."
"Galactic-level combat?" She whistled, trying to hide her interest.
"Now?"
"Why not?"
So, Xia Luo gave her an impromptu training session, going as far as sparring with Carter, whose skills were second to none. If he wanted to improve, it had to be with someone as skilled as her—granted, he'd have to hold back a lot.
Two hours later, they sat together on the rooftop overlooking the city as dusk fell. Carter handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thanks." Xia Luo took a sip, gazing out at the skyline.
Carter sighed, surveying the city below. "The spread of spider mutations has slowed down. Next step is for you and your little spider to help bring them back to normal."
She glanced at him. "I spoke to Dr. Banner. Last time, the spider mutation spread because their cells were starved of mutation cells and split out of control, devouring normal cells instead."
"Thought so," Xia Luo murmured, setting his coffee aside. "Can we gather them together somehow? If they're scattered everywhere, I'll never catch them in time."
The spider mutation issue needed an endgame.
Carter smirked. She'd thought it all through.
"I've arranged for a 'Spider-Man Impersonation Contest'—broadcast live tonight. One million dollars in prize money, and the winner gets to star in a Spider-Man movie. How many mutants do you think will show up?" she asked with a smirk.
Xia Luo: "..."
"Well then, I guess I'll be entering this contest too."
"Great! Hope you get a good ranking."
"I'm aiming for first place!"
---
"Who do you think will win first place in tonight's Spider-Man Look-Alike Contest?"
Under the night sky, the open-air stage glittered with lights, and the host's voice boomed across the stage, riling up the crowd of thousands.
"It's gonna be Jenny!!"
"No way, it's me! I'm going to be the next superstar!"
"John, you've got this! We love you!!"
"Don't lose, Katie!!"
In the middle of the crowd, Xia Luo and Carter were swept along by the wave of excited fans.
"Are these all Spider-Man fans?" Xia Luo muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the intensity of the chaos around them.
Dressed in a low-profile Spider-suit, he blended in with the other contestants, who all sported similar outfits. But some more flamboyant participants, especially a few mutants, showed up in eye-catching variations of the costume—and even had fan clubs cheering for them.
Carter's expression was equally tense as she tugged Xia Luo towards the backstage.
"You can't come back here yet—the show hasn't started!" said one staff member, blocking their path.
Carter flashed her ID, and they managed to slip free from the mass of people.
"Phew."
Relieved to be out of the crush, she glanced at the crowd filled with Spider-Men and shook her head.
"The real Spider-Man isn't into this fan economy nonsense, so these knock-offs took advantage of his popularity to pull in some real superfans."
Xia Luo scratched his head. "Niche fanbase, huh."
"It's bigger than you think," Carter replied. Just then, the host announced the official start of the contest.
As one knock-off Spider-Man after another stumbled through their routines, Xia Luo felt himself begin to relax.
"Good, their performances are terrible," he observed, somewhat reassured.
Carter chuckled, "Relax; the judges here are tough but fair."
Three hours later, it was finally Xia Luo's turn.
After his performance, the judging began.
"I think this contestant's web-swinging wasn't smooth enough—five points."
"Three points. Spider-Man is a hero, and you're just dragging his name through the mud with all that babbling."
"Six points. Nice try with the slingshot maneuver, but you're too scrawny. Heroes need muscle."
"That performance was a disaster. I was going to give you three points, but your effort impressed me, so…four."
"Well, that's a total of eighteen points. This contestant didn't reach twenty points, so unfortunately, he's eliminated," the host declared.
On stage, Xia Luo's face darkened.
Spider-Man… had just been eliminated from a Spider-Man Look-Alike Contest.
A tragic tale, indeed.
This world is full of malice. Burn it down!
This contest would end with no first place.
Because he was going to eliminate every last contestant.
Storming offstage, Xia Luo activated his nanotech suit without hesitation.
"Captain Carter, no need to wait for this 'competition' to finish. I'm taking these mutants down now. Onward!!"
"Chirp chirp!" his spider-bot echoed as Xia Luo charged towards the crowd, leaving Carter to bury her face in her hand.
Great. Spider-Man had officially gone dark.
---
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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