Bab 69: Restart, Spider-Man! [69]
He only had the ability to shoot webs.
In a split second, Xia Luo's mind was made up.
He pointed dramatically at Jenny, who was still sprawled out on the ground.
"Oh my god, it's Spider-Man!!"
His voice was loud, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"What?"
"Spider-Man?"
"No way!"
"Did Spider-Man come to our school?"
As curious students quickly gathered, Jenny's face paled with panic.
"I'm not—"
"Look at this!" Xia Luo raised the white strand of web in his hand, pointing at Jenny with exaggerated excitement. "This web came out of his wrist! He's Spider-Man!"
"What?!"
The crowd erupted, and they all turned their gaze to Jenny, eyes wide with excitement.
Feeling the intensity of the crowd's gaze, Jenny looked uneasy. He opened his mouth to explain, but Xia Luo had already moved in closer.
"Oh my god, you're actually Spider-Man! This is unbelievable!"
"I'm not—"
"Yes, you are."
Xia Luo's tone left no room for doubt. As he spoke, he casually grabbed Jenny's wrist.
No one knew more about shooting webs than he did.
Thwip!
Suddenly, a web shot from Jenny's wrist, clinging to the wall. The entire crowd erupted.
"Oh my god, Jenny is Spider-Man!"
"Am I seeing this right?!"
"No way!!"
In an instant, everyone swarmed around Jenny, fascinated by his newfound "identity." Some were poking and prodding him, and a few girls even started confessing their feelings right then and there.
Jenny's expression slowly morphed from panic to smug satisfaction, basking in the attention.
"I'm not— Fine, okay, I am Spider-Man."
Once he said the words, a strange sense of relief washed over him.
"I am Spider-Man! Hahaha!!"
From the edge of the crowd, Xia Luo watched with a satisfied smile.
"Perfect. With all this evidence, no one's going to doubt my identity anymore."
"He's not Spider-Man."
Suddenly, a soft voice came from nearby.
Xia Luo turned to see a blonde girl with delicate features staring at him with certainty. "What did you say?"
"He's not Spider-Man," she repeated, shaking her head. "No way."
Xia Luo frowned. "Have you seen Spider-Man before?"
"No." The girl took a deep breath and spoke with conviction. "But Spider-Man wouldn't reveal his identity to the public. He's always been hiding who he is."
"But this is the truth," Xia Luo countered.
She looked at him skeptically. "I know who you are, Xia Luo Parker. Time will prove that he's not Spider-Man."
With that, she hugged her books tightly and walked away.
Watching her retreating figure, Xia Luo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"She's definitely one of my die-hard fans," he mused with a grin.
Whistling a cheerful tune, Xia Luo took a step forward, but then a faint sound beneath his foot caught his attention.
"Huh?"
He looked down and saw a crushed pink spider.
"So there really are mutated spiders at school. Who knows how many people have been bitten..."
His heart sank.
After leaving school, Xia Luo received a call from Carter.
"This is Xia Luo Parker."
"I know. I heard that Spider-Man showed up at your school."
"That wasn't me."
"I know. It's those mutated spiders that Steve released. Let's meet."
"Sure."
Half an hour later, in a café near the school.
With a roar, a sleek black motorcycle pulled up by the curb, the rider's entrance turning heads.
"Hey, over here!"
Xia Luo waved from a shaded table.
Carter removed her helmet, shaking out her golden curls, and her stunning looks drew admiring glances from passersby.
Dressed in a tight black leather outfit, she took a seat across from Xia Luo, who hesitated, looking like he was about to say something. Noticing this, Carter's lips curved into a teasing smile.
"What's the matter? Captivated by my beauty?"
"No," Xia Luo said, shaking his head seriously. "I was just wondering... are those leather pants breathable?"
"What?"
"I mean, if you can't hold in a fart—"
"Stop. Just stop talking."
Carter's face darkened. "You're not a kid anymore, yet you have zero appreciation for beautiful women. I'm worried about you."
Xia Luo shrugged. "Thanks for the concern."
"Alright, let's get to the point."
The waiter brought over a cup of coffee, and Carter thanked him.
"You said something about another Spider-Man?" She asked, her expression turning serious.
Xia Luo nodded. "Barely qualifies as Spider-Man."
"What do you mean?"
"He can only shoot webs. Nothing else about him is enhanced."
"Is that so?" Carter exhaled with relief.
"It's possible we'll see more Spider-Man knockoffs popping up soon."
"No, correction. They're not knockoffs—they're the budget version."
"Don't sweat the details."
Carter leaned back. "With these fake Spider-Men around, it'll be easier to hide your identity."
"But if you're meeting me in public like this, how do you plan to explain that?" Xia Luo asked with a smirk.
"I've already got it covered."
The sunlight grew harsher, prompting Carter to slide on a pair of sunglasses.
"Since I returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., I've taken over Steve's role as the new Captain. I've adjusted your file in the official system, so they won't get the wrong idea."
"Captains don't usually have that kind of access," Xia Luo remarked, surprised.
Carter nodded. "True, Steve didn't have that authority. But I'm different."
"I have the entire Carter family behind me, and they see my return as a chance to restore their lost prestige. They've secured a lot of power for me."
"Oh, I get it. If Steve had succeeded in overthrowing the world's order, your family would've been affected too."
Xia Luo nodded in understanding. "So, what's my new backstory?"
Carter adjusted her sunglasses, her tone turning wistful. "Seventy years ago, I lost my closest sister during the war. When I woke up from cryosleep, the first thing I did was search for her. But she's been dead for a long time. All I could find were her descendants."
Before she could finish, Xia Luo felt a bad feeling in his gut.
"So?"
"So, Xia Luo Parker... I'm now your elder."
Xia Luo: "..."
"What is it with all these mother... I mean, grandmother's friends popping up like this?" he grumbled. "Can't we go with a different story?"
"Too late, Xiao Xia Luo. This is what all the elders call you, right?"
Carter reached out, trying to ruffle his hair, but Xia Luo swatted her hand away.
"Knock it off."
Rolling his eyes, Xia Luo retorted, "If you're going to play the elder card, you better hope you don't end up in another revival match."
Then he paused. "But if you promise to give me New Year's money every year, I might consider it."
Carter: "..."
She had overestimated this guy's moral standards.
"Fine, that motorcycle's yours," she said, tossing him the keys. "And there's one more thing—someone's been wiping out all traces of Hydra. The only leads left are those bitten by the mutated spiders. I need you to keep an eye on them."
"No problem." Xia Luo agreed without hesitation. "Helping you means helping myself."
As soon as he finished speaking, a blood-curdling scream echoed from above.
"Watch out!"
Xia Luo's instincts kicked in, and he lunged forward, pushing Carter out of the way just as a red-and-blue figure came crashing down, ripping through the café's awning and smashing into the spot where they had just been.
Crash!
Tables and chairs shattered on impact, blood spraying everywhere as the person—dressed in a Spider-Man suit—lay dead on the ground.
Wiping blood off his face, Xia Luo looked up at the high-rise building, his expression twitching with frustration.
Jumping off a building to imitate Spider-Man? What an idiot.
---
T/N: Carter is blonde whaaaaat...Oh and R.I.P. Spider-Person.
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