Kapitel 149: Restart, Spider-Man! [149]
At that moment, in the park on Hamlet Street…
A red-and-blue figure swung through the air on webbing.
"No!"
Hearing a blood-curdling scream from the bushes, Xia Luo dove headfirst into the shrubbery.
"Hey, sounds like you could use a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man… Oh, no, sorry. Didn't see a thing! In fact, I'll even give you guys a dollar for some... equipment, and maybe a free lecture on health class."
He shook his head, stepping back. "Alright, judging from those embarrassed, terrified looks, you don't need my help. Next time, remember the underwear."
The bushes rustled, and Xia Luo swung back into the night.
Kids these days, with zero sense of timing.
Another scream of terror echoed from a nearby alley as he passed a bar.
The faint blue glow in Xia Luo's eyes pulsed, and he decided to leave this one be.
After all, sometimes the best thing he could offer was not interfering.
Whoosh!
He swung across the city, but suddenly, a flash of green shot out from the alley, passing by him in an instant and disappearing into the night.
"That's… fast!"
A gust of wind rattled Xia Luo, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.
He reeled in his web, swinging back to the alley.
Whirr
He tapped the spider emblem on his chest, casting light across the dark alleyway. A woman with a striking figure lay unconscious by a trash can.
Taking a few steps closer, he caught the scent of alcohol on her.
Probably drunk from the bar next door.
And judging by her outfit, she was likely either a paid dancer or, uh… "community-oriented."
Was that green thing here for a little robbery?
Fast and shameless.
Though, he figured a little love and compassion went a long way, so he wasn't going to judge.
"Hey, miss, need a helping hand from your friendly neighbor—"
Xia Luo reached over to help her up, patting her shoulder.
But then, as he got a good look at her face, he jolted back in shock.
"What the heck? Lady, you're a little too old to be wearing that little, especially after drinking so much! Let me guess… heartbreak?"
He jumped back as the elderly woman sagged to the ground, her wrinkled face even paler.
"Help me…"
She raised a trembling hand, only to let it drop as if too weak to keep it up.
This wasn't a simple matter.
Whoosh
Before Xia Luo could make a move, a green shadow zipped back through the night sky.
"Well, well, well. So you're the famous Spider-Man I almost ran into?"
Xia Luo looked up to see a green vulture perched on the wall, gazing down at him.
Actually, no… not a vulture. Just some strange guy in green wings.
The man's face was young, though bald, with a sharp chin and a head shaped like a buzzard's. In dim light, it was easy to mistake him for a massive, green vulture.
Adrian Toomes!
In a flash, Xia Luo connected the dots.
"Green-feathered gentleman, would you happen to be responsible for this?" He gestured to the elderly woman.
Adrian smirked, ignoring the question.
"Well, well, I never thought I'd run into Spider-Man here. If I could drain you dry…"
The greed in his eyes became unmistakable.
Whoosh
In the blink of an eye, he launched himself, green wings slicing through the air.
Xia Luo's spider-sense flared, giving him just enough time to raise his hands in defense.
Boom!
A powerful blow sent the red-and-blue figure crashing into the wall, bricks crumbling down to bury him.
Where Xia Luo had stood, Adrian now loomed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Too slow, Spider-Man. I expected more."
Adrian stood with arms crossed, green wings twitching, sneering as he flaunted his speed.
But while he gloated, a glimmer appeared on the wall behind him as red-and-blue webbing quietly shot out.
Splurt
The sound caught Adrian's attention, and with a quick flap of his wings, the web was thrown off course, missing him entirely and splattering on the trash can by his feet.
Buzz
Boom!
Magic energy burst out, sending filthy trash flying in all directions. Adrian shielded himself, his wings glowing to deflect the magical energy and debris.
Chitter-chitter-chitter
Xia Luo's small spider-bots scaled the wall, their eyes glowing.
Adrian, however, wasn't planning to let them off easy.
"Amusing little critters. But you're not getting away."
He flapped his wings, sending a powerful gust spiraling toward the spiders, sweeping them away.
Splurt, splurt, splurt
With a sudden heave, Xia Luo broke free from the rubble, shooting webs everywhere to try and catch his elusive enemy.
"Huh?"
Adrian showed no sign of panic.
Whirr
Swoosh!
He suddenly accelerated, his wings slicing through the scattered webbing, leaving trails of webbed "snowflakes" fluttering in the air.
"What?"
Xia Luo narrowed his eyes, swinging from the wall with the small spiders still in tow, astonished by Adrian's speed.
Not even Tony's Mark armor came close.
Could this guy's suit really be the Vulture suit? Or had he somehow gained the power of the Time Monolith?
As he pondered, his spider-bot bit down on his hand, magic energy rippling through his suit.
"Going to try the same tricks you used on the Hulk?"
Adrian's mocking voice drifted down as he circled above.
"Too bad, though. I'm not some brute who enjoys mindless brawling."
With that, Adrian dove like a green arrow, sharp as a lance that could pierce any armor.
Xia Luo's spider-sense went haywire, and he narrowed his eyes, bringing his hands to his waist as a radiant blue energy gathered.
"Friendly Neighborhood Kamehameha!"
Boom!
The night sky lit up with a burst of blue energy as Xia Luo unleashed a barrage of magical webs, filling the air with a near-impenetrable wave.
Last time, he'd used this move to knock out hundreds of mutated spiders.
This time, though, he only needed to take down one enemy.
But he'd underestimated Adrian.
Buzz
The green blur dodged easily, slipping through the wave of blue webs as they dispersed in a mile-wide radius.
The entire area was showered in glowing blue strands as the green vulture tore through, gale-force winds scattering the webs without even a feather touching them.
"Hahaha! Too slow, too slow! Come on, Spider-Man! Go faster if you want to touch me! Hahaha!"
As Adrian laughed, Xia Luo decided not to waste more time.
His organic web supply had nearly run dry, but he still had synthetic webs.
He launched himself forward, rocketing through the air like a shooting star.
Boom!
A massive red-and-blue totem exploded in the night sky, casting waves of magical energy that reached for Adrian.
But his speed was insane; he slipped through the energy in the blink of an eye.
"Pathetic little bug! Come on, throw everything you've got at me. I don't mind a few more rounds."
Adrian swooped back, still circling above.
Xia Luo scowled.
Without his natural webbing, he'd have to rely on his artificial webs to maneuver at these heights.
Launching another web-swing, he set up a web slingshot and fired himself into the air.
Boom!
Shooting upward, Xia Luo's golden Doc Ock arms extended, weaving webs to try and trap Adrian's flight path.
Clang, clang
The arms flailed through the night, but Adrian easily dodged each strike, his razor-sharp wings slicing through the webs with ease. Sparks flew as his wings clashed against Xia Luo's arms, but the red-and-blue figure began to fall.
"Poor little bug. My turn."
Adrian's gaze turned cold, his form plunging like a green missile, creating sonic booms that cracked through the air.
Spider-sense blazing, Xia Luo tried to react, but he wasn't fast enough.
Boom!
The green missile hit, driving both figures through a rooftop and into a crowded bar below.
Crash, crash
Boom!
The two smashed through the floor, disrupting the music and plunging the room into chaos.
"Run!"
"Is it a bomb?"
"Oh my god, look! What is that?"
"It's Spider-Man!"
"And some… big green bird?"
"Wait, this looks kind of familiar."
"Yeah, Spider-Man used this move to beat that green monster."
"Now he's getting taken down the same way by another green monster."
"No, Spider-Man's not beaten yet."
"It's not over."
Amid the wreckage, green and blue sparks flew as metal clashed.
Clang, clang
Adrian's wings sparked as he slashed down, but the red-and-blue figure stood firm, parrying the blows with each palm, showing no fear.
Buzz
With a surge of green light, Adrian's wings burned brightly, only for Xia Luo to withstand each strike, unscathed.
"Too weak. Too weak. Is that all the strength you have?"
Xia Luo taunted, while Adrian shrieked, flying back in shock.
"How… How can you be… I thought I…"
Hovering in the hole in the ceiling, Adrian stared down, face pale, as Xia Luo stood unharmed.
What kind of Spider-Man is this?
How did they even manage to kill him the last time?
"Sorry, but this body is all mine."
Xia Luo patted his chest as the nano-metal reformed over the tear in his suit.
After advancing to the second stage of the Titan Physique, his durability had leveled up again.
Unless Adrian's suit was made of something like vibranium, it wouldn't scratch him.
Though Adrian's speed was unreal, he had ways to work around it.
He just needed time.
But as Xia Luo prepared his next move, Adrian's body began to weaken. His youthful face rapidly wrinkled as the mysterious energy within him faded.
"No! Why? I was supposed to have new life… why is this happening?"
He covered his face in horror, then turned and bolted into the night.
Watching him flee, Xia Luo pieced things together.
Ignoring the curious stares around him, he leapt back up through the ceiling hole and swung down to the alley.
There, the woman was just waking, reaching up to touch her now smooth face.
"Oh, thank goodness, I'm okay! That must have been a nightmare…"
Just then, Xia Luo landed beside her.
"Spider-Man!"
The woman's eyes lit up with realization. "That wasn't a nightmare. You saved me, didn't you? Thank you, Spider-Man! I have to repay you!"
Her face aglow with gratitude, she started toward him, arms outstretched.
"Hold on, miss. Let's keep things professional here. Please… cover up, and no autograph hunting." He smirked, waving her off. "Besides, I only go for the younger crowd."
The woman's smile froze, her face turning red as she shouted:
"Spider-Man, I hate you!"
---
On TV, J. Jonah Jameson was chomping on his cigar, his voice booming over the broadcast.
"Hello, dear viewers! Last night, something very interesting happened.
"Yes, Spider-Man was defeated! And by a giant green bird! It took him down the same way he took down that last green monster, so this bird has got to be in cahoots with the Hulk!"
"So Spider-Man isn't invincible after all, folks. That green bird is going to finish him off soon…"
In his living room, Xia Luo scowled and turned off the TV.
"Are you people blind?! The Invincible Spider-Man doesn't lose!" he shouted, fists on the couch in a defiant pose.
"Hey, little cousin, you seem upset," Aunt May said, coming out of her room. She glanced at the empty crib in the corner.
"Wait, where's the baby?" she asked, pausing.
Xia Luo froze.
"Oh, uh… right…" He scratched the back of his head, eyes shifting.
Aunt May sighed, already guessing what happened.
"Please tell me you didn't leave him somewhere, Xia Luo."
"No! No way! A friend just, uh, borrowed him… to, you know, hang out," he said with a forced grin.
Aunt May just stared at him, completely unconvinced.
Ding-dong
The doorbell rang.
Aunt May opened it to find two police officers standing there.
"Hello, we're looking for Xia Luo Parker," said one, holding out his badge.
"He's under investigation for child abandonment. We have a warrant to bring him in," the other said with a grim expression.
Aunt May: "…"
Xia Luo: "…"
Three minutes later, Xia Luo was in the back of a police car.
Inside, Carter was already waiting for him.
Chapter 150: Spider-Man's Tutorial—How Not to Do It
Seeing Carter, Xia Luo looked around and asked, "So… is this an undercover thing?"
Carter raised a brow, confused. "What?"
"I mean, this feels like something out of a spy movie."
Carter shook her head. "No, I just needed to talk to you and decided to give you a lift so you could meet someone."
Xia Luo glanced at the two officers in the front seats. "And them?"
"They have their job, I have my own mission. Hitching a ride doesn't interfere with either." She shrugged.
"Exactly," one officer chimed in with a smile. "Captain Carter was really cooperative. Thanks to her, we managed to catch you without any trouble."
Xia Luo: "…"
"So am I going to jail or to wherever you're taking me?" he asked Carter.
She smiled. "I arranged a lawyer for you. As long as Kingpin doesn't press charges for abandonment, you won't be facing jail time."
Xia Luo's jaw clenched. "And he's supposed to accuse me with what, a diaper?"
"So, you'll be fine," the officer reassured him.
Xia Luo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "None of this is funny."
"Wah!" A small cry came from the corner of the car—Baby Kingpin's sound of protest.
Not that any of the adults cared.
Xia Luo glanced over, giving Baby Kingpin a wicked grin.
"Until you grow up, you're just like a doll—a toy. Grown-ups decide where you go."
Hearing this, Carter shivered a little.
Baby Kingpin, meanwhile, went pale.
The two officers exchanged thoughtful looks.
"I get the humor," said one.
"Agreed. In fact, it's less humor and more… philosophy."
"Agreed."
"You're driving next time."
"We have a driver."
Vroom
The car sped out of Blake Street.
One hour later, in Brooklyn…
Xia Luo followed Carter into a seaside villa, carrying Baby Kingpin in one arm.
"When Steve was the Captain, he only got employee housing," Xia Luo commented.
"If I weren't the Captain, I could be living in a castle," Carter replied as they continued toward the lab.
She led him in and called out, "Professor Connors, guess who's here?"
At her voice, Professor Connors instinctively turned around, catching sight of Xia Luo. He immediately looked down, trying to hide his appearance.
"Professor Connors, why are you hiding?" Xia Luo chuckled.
Hearing his familiar voice, Connors's shoulders stiffened, and he reached up to touch the bandages on his forehead—covering up the remaining lizard scales.
Taking a deep breath, Connors looked up.
"Xia Luo! It's been a while. How have you been?"
He managed a small smile, then glanced at Baby Kingpin in Xia Luo's arms, smiling warmly.
"Congratulations, Captain Carter, Xia Luo—you two have a beautiful child! But… maybe it's best if you keep this a secret, given…"
"We're relatives," Carter corrected, her face darkening.
Connors looked confused, then his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Ah, sorry, my mistake."
He turned to Xia Luo. "Congratulations to you and Gwen, then. Your child is adorable…"
Xia Luo: "…"
"Professor, I've only been away for a month."
Connors hesitated. "Yes, well… you and Gwen keeping this quiet is wise, given your youth."
"What are you talking about?"
Xia Luo put a hand over his face, then glanced at Carter.
"What's wrong with him?" he asked.
Carter thought for a moment. "I think it's side effects. His brain might still be a bit scrambled. He was already like this when I brought him here. He's forgotten a lot, but somehow he remembers everything he should."
"Got it."
Xia Luo put Baby Kingpin on the lab table and looked around. "So, what's the reason for bringing me here? It can't just be a social call."
Carter nodded. "There's something important to show you."
She clicked on the computer, displaying footage of last night's fight.
"We've installed the S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence system. All the data from your fight with that green bird is recorded."
Xia Luo glanced at his less-than-graceful moments on the screen, rolling his eyes.
"Since you've got the footage, then you probably know who he is."
Carter nodded. "Yes, he's a young Adrian Toomes. But that's not enough as evidence, and even if it were, it's not very useful.
"Nick Fury is already trying to downplay the negative impact caused by Adrian. We'll stick to the original plan, but we also need to take Adrian down—he's too dangerous."
When she'd seen the footage the night before, she'd been floored.
Someone who could outpace Spider-Man posed a threat as big as the Hulk.
Fortunately, Xia Luo was durable enough. Even if Spider-Man couldn't catch Adrian, Adrian couldn't kill Spider-Man either.
A stalemate, essentially.
Xia Luo had guessed Carter's intentions for calling him here.
"So Adrian's newfound speed is linked to the Time Monolith he stole?"
"Yes," Connors interrupted. "Captain Carter brought me lots of data on the Time Monolith, and I found that it doesn't just make someone younger; it can also age a person rapidly."
Now that they were on his favorite topic, Connors's eyes shone with clarity.
"I also researched Walter's condition. His cells aged naturally, but I found something strange among his belongings."
Connors instinctively raised his right hand but stopped when he saw his empty sleeve.
In human form again, he was back to being an amputee.
Still, better to be himself than a monster.
Brushing his thoughts aside, he clicked on the computer with his left hand.
The screen showed Walter's ring—dull and covered in rust.
"I asked Felicia about this. She bought it only three months ago as a birthday gift for Walter," Connors explained.
Xia Luo raised a brow. "Felicia went bankrupt?"
"What?"
"Walter's birthday, and Felicia only gave him an iron ring?"
Connors: "…"
Carter: "…"
"Not the point," Connors said with a cough. "From the rust, I deduced that Walter's body wasn't the only thing aging—his belongings aged alongside him."
"So I suspect the Time Monolith doesn't act on cells directly but alters the flow of time itself, making us think it's restoring youth or accelerating aging."
Xia Luo pondered.
"So Adrian's incredible speed might be due to time acceleration from the Monolith?"
"That's possible," Carter said. "By applying time acceleration to himself, he could move faster than anything else. Otherwise, his suit alone couldn't keep up—not even with Spider-Man."
Xia Luo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Still, something doesn't add up. Toward the end of the fight, Adrian started aging rapidly again.
"Even if he was speeding himself up, such a short time wouldn't cause him to age that drastically."
Connor's brow furrowed. "He aged?"
Carter elaborated, "Yes, from the intel we have, I think Adrian can absorb life energy from others to regain youth.
"But it only lasts briefly. He probably hasn't fully figured out how to use the Time Monolith."
With the pyramid destroyed, Adrian's partial mastery of the Monolith made him a rare genius.
Or maybe he was just lucky.
Either way, Adrian with the Time Monolith was a serious threat.
Carter sighed.
"If Adrian is using time acceleration, he'll be nearly impossible to catch.
"But if he's draining life to temporarily restore his youth, it's a lot more manageable."
Xia Luo shrugged. "Burning through life isn't much different than burning through cash."
He looked at Carter. "So what's your plan for catching him?"
Carter hesitated. "I… haven't figured that part out."
Xia Luo: "…"
"So, you brought me here just to analyze Adrian?"
"I thought hearing this might spark an idea for you. Don't tell me your superpowers are malfunctioning."
"Let's not bring up my 'superpowers,'" he deflected. "One thing's certain: Adrian needs to drain life to stay young.
"Everyone wants youth—he's no exception. He'll be back.
"So, Captain Carter, keep a close eye on Fury. Don't let him erase Adrian's traces before you get there."
"I understand," Carter said, nodding firmly.
---
Nick Fury sat in his office, watching the footage of Xia Luo's battle with Adrian over and over again, his single eye deep in thought.
"Spider-Man couldn't handle him… Was it the power of the Time Monolith?" he muttered, calling in Coulson.
"Phil, I need you to locate Adrian. I want to meet him personally."
Coulson frowned. "Director, shouldn't we issue a warrant for his arrest instead?"
Fury shook his head. "The guy nearly took down Spider-Man—what makes you think we'd have any better luck?"
Coulson's frown deepened.
"With the Time Monolith in his hands, he's not going to hand it over willingly."
"That's not the primary concern."
Fury took a steadying breath. "Remember that program we discussed?"
"Which one?"
"That one."
"Oh… understood," Coulson said, nodding. "The Suicide Squad initiative?"
Fury shook his head. "No, I didn't like that name. I'm calling it the Thunderbolts Project."
"The Thunderbolts?" Coulson raised an eyebrow. "You're planning to recruit Adrian?"
Fury nodded. "Yes. None of our current candidates can match Spider-Man, not even the Hulk."
"The Hulk?" Coulson looked alarmed. "You want him on this team?"
"Nothing's been decided yet."
"Best not to," Coulson said seriously. "Banner is one of us. He's an Avenger."
Seeing Coulson's expression grow unusually stern, Fury stayed silent for a moment.
"Never seen you like this."
"I'm like this every day."
"I mean about this particular matter."
"Because I don't want to be disappointed again."
That night, Xia Luo returned to Blake Street with Baby Kingpin in his arms.
"Hey, you're back!" came Mary Jane's voice from her window as she waved at him.
"It's been a while. Has Spider-Man been keeping you busy?" She squinted at him with a teasing smile.
Xia Luo looked up. "About last time—are you alright?"
Mary Jane chuckled. "Of course. I'm fine, thanks for checking in. It's a bit late, but I forgive you for that."
She glanced at Baby Kingpin in his arms. "Moving in?"
"Not yet. Just staying here for a bit."
"Well, be careful. Your new neighbors seem… a little odd."
"What do you mean?"
"I see them coming and going at night a lot."
Xia Luo chuckled. He knew exactly what that meant—they were moonlighting as Spider-Men.
Though after tonight, they'd be back to being regular people.
"When are Aunt May and Uncle Ben getting back?" Mary Jane asked.
Xia Luo shook his head. "No idea. Probably not for a while."
As he took out his keys to open the door, he added, "Hey, tomorrow, let's grab dinner. Bring Harry—I'm treating you both to something nice."
Mary Jane's eyes lit up. "Even though I know Harry's footing the bill again, I miss the steak at that place."
"Then that's where we'll go."
"Great! I'll call Harry right now with the good news," she said, running off to find her phone.
Xia Luo entered the house. It was dark, and as he turned on the lights, he heard a noise coming from Aunt May's room.
They're back? Probably changing out of their spider suits.
Smiling, he tossed his pet spider up to the ceiling and placed Baby Kingpin in his crib.
"There's food in the fridge. Help yourself," he said, heading toward his room.
Baby Kingpin: "…"
This guy has no heart!
"Wahhhh!" he cried, as Aunt May hurried out of her room at the sound.
"Oh! The baby's back!"
Seeing Baby Kingpin in this state, Aunt May guessed he was hungry.
While she went to prepare a bottle, the little spider on the ceiling seized the opportunity to sneak into her room.
A moment later, Uncle Ben's startled yell rang out, and Aunt May dropped the bottle and dashed back inside.
"What happened?"
"May, it's Spider-Man's pet spider!"
"Oh no… it bit me!"
"Argh, me too. We're not going to be Spider-Men anymore…"
Their voices rose in a chorus of despair while Baby Kingpin stretched out a tiny arm, struggling to reach his bottle.
He'd always known life was tough.
But he'd never thought it would be this tough.
Tears stung his eyes the moment his little fingers finally touched the bottle.
Just as he was about to bring the nipple to his mouth, a fresh round of shrieking from the other room startled him, and the bottle slipped from his hand.
Baby Kingpin: "…"
At this rate, I'm going to starve!
Then, suddenly, from the bedroom came joyful shouts from Aunt May and Uncle Ben.
"Haha! Our powers are still here!"
"I feel lighter than ever."
"Yes, look at these muscles!"
"So Spider-Man didn't want to take our powers back. He was helping us get stronger!"
As they celebrated, Xia Luo's pet spider skittered into his room.
"Ch-ch-ch!" It waggled its front legs furiously, as if trying to complain.
Xia Luo's ears perked up, catching the sounds of Aunt May and Uncle Ben's conversation.
"Our powers are still there?"
His brow furrowed—this wasn't right.
He dialed Carter's number.
"Hey, I've got a weird situation involving my aunt and uncle."
"I figured as much," Carter replied. "They've been quite… active lately. I've observed their abilities steadily growing."
"So?" Xia Luo felt a suspicion creeping over him.
As he expected, Carter continued, "The mutated spider program was specially designed for the Parker family. You know what I mean."
Xia Luo exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I get it."
The mutated spider's alterations could affect anyone, but the Parkers' DNA was particularly compatible.
Once the mutation matched them beyond a certain threshold, Xia Luo's spider could no longer absorb their altered cells.
In short, Uncle Ben and Aunt May's new powers were here to stay.
It was official: the Parker home had turned into a spider's nest.
Now that Aunt May and Uncle Ben were Spider-Men, there was no way they'd just sit around at home. Both Mary Jane and Carter had hinted as much.
To make sure his loved ones stayed safe, Xia Luo figured it was time to give them a little Spider-Man crash course.
He tapped his chest, activating his nano-suit, and vaulted out the window.
Meanwhile, Uncle Ben and Aunt May—amped up after the spider's bite—were thrilled to try out their new strength. Of course, this meant they couldn't resist suiting up again.
They slipped back into their spider suits, leaving Baby Kingpin alone in the house, still struggling to reach his fallen bottle.
---
New York at Night.
On top of a high-rise, Ben Parker gazed down at the neon-lit cityscape below.
He took a deep breath. "May, are you ready?"
"Ready!" Aunt May replied eagerly.
"Alright, let's begin!"
Ben was about to leap off the edge when, out of nowhere, a red-and-blue figure swung past, catching their attention.
"Hey, new neighbors! Care to join me on a little patrol?" Xia Luo called out, perching on a nearby billboard and waving at them.
Ben and May's faces lit up at the sight of Xia Luo in his sleek, metallic suit.
"It's Spider-Man!"
"And he's inviting us to team up!"
"Fantastic!"
The two shot webs and swung over to the billboard.
"Spider-Man, thank you for letting us keep our powers," Ben said sincerely.
He'd pieced together from the news what Spider-Man's pet spider was capable of.
Xia Luo waved it off. "No need to thank me."
He tapped his nano-suit. "Just got word there's a shooting incident in Sector 13."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
With that, the three red-and-blue figures leaped from the billboard, swinging from building to building. Their webs painted arcs across the night sky as thrilled onlookers pointed and shouted.
"Oh my God! It's Spider-Man—three of them!"
"Whoa! That's his metal suit—it's the real Spider-Man!"
"The other two must be infected with the spider virus. Spider-Man actually let them keep their powers!"
"No fair! Damn you, Spider-Man! I want my powers back!"
Ignoring the jeers, Xia Luo called back to the two.
"Hey, you two are just doing basic web swings. Watch this."
In a flash, Xia Luo launched himself from a "web slingshot," his speed surging.
Ben and May, inspired, started mimicking the move, trying out their own web slingshots.
"Whooosh!"
Caught in the rush of wind, the city blurred past them. Ben and May couldn't contain their excitement and let out joyful whoops.
"Ben, we're flying!"
"Yes, May, we're really flying—this is incredible!"
As soon as they'd mastered the web slingshot, Xia Luo introduced the next lesson.
"Now, a Spider-Man has to be more than just good with webs. You've got to know when to land and always have a good perch in sight."
He demonstrated, using his web to soften his landing before swinging toward a nearby balcony, then seamlessly gliding to a streetlamp.
Ben and May followed, copying his movements until the three of them hung upside down from their webs over a streetlight.
"Spider-Man, your tips are really helping," May said, grinning.
Xia Luo chuckled. "That was just the basics. Now comes the tricky part."
He pointed toward the scene of the shooting down below. "While Spider-Man's body is strong, you're still not bulletproof. So here's the question—how would you handle intervening in this kind of situation?"
Ben looked at the armed criminals and police officers exchanging gunfire and scratched his head.
"Do we really need a lesson right now?"
"If we wait too long, someone could get hurt," May pointed out.
Xia Luo shook his head. "Wrong. The first rule of being a hero is to protect yourself."
"When I first became Spider-Man, back when I didn't fully understand my powers, I'd never jump into a gunfight like this."
Ben and May exchanged puzzled looks.
"Then what should we do?" Ben asked.
Xia Luo answered, "In a situation like this, you wait."
"Wait?" they echoed, still confused.
"Yes, wait. Or, if you prefer, call it something fancier—like an ambush, watching from a distance, or letting the others tire themselves out first."
The two stared at him, speechless.
So, this is the real Spider-Man...
Xia Luo went on, gesturing at the shootout below.
"See those criminals? They've still got plenty of firepower. Rushing in now would just get you hurt."
"So, our goal is to find a hidden spot and wait, watching the situation. When they're reloading, or when they're out of ammo, that's when we make our move."
Ben raised his hand. "But what if someone gets hurt while we're waiting?"
Xia Luo crossed his arms. "Like I said, step one to being a hero is keeping yourself safe. If you can't protect yourself, how can you protect others?"
May thought for a moment. "But what if it's someone you care about? Do you still wait?"
"Someone close to you?" Xia Luo straightened up. "If that's the case, I'll give you a demonstration."
With that, his pet spider crawled onto his hand, its magic flowing into him.
"Buzz!"
He launched himself with a web slingshot, a blazing streak of energy shooting him straight into the midst of the chaos.
"BOOM!"
In an instant, the gangsters were engulfed by a wave of magical energy.
Watching from above, Ben and May exchanged looks.
"I'm pretty sure that's not what he was just teaching us…"
"Yeah, that definitely seemed like the wrong example."
---
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein