Bab 113: Restart, Spider-Man! [113]
Bzzzz…
Xia Luo tapped the spider emblem on his chest, illuminating the area. A few rats scurried away, disappearing into cracks in the broken walls.
Though the stench was overwhelming, the nano-suit's air filtration shielded him from it, preventing his stomach from turning. He surveyed the muck-filled floor but didn't see any tracks left by Dr. Connors. However, claw marks on the walls pointed him forward into the shadowed depths.
"What could he want with Otto's octopus arms? And to just happen to be there?"
Curious but careful, he cast web lines to swing through the air, avoiding the sludge. He could only imagine how foul this place smelled.
The sewers of New York, like some vast underground maze, were notoriously treacherous in movies and comics, hiding dark secrets the public would never know. Before long, Xia Luo reached a junction where Connors' trail ended, leaving him momentarily disoriented.
"Chii chii chii~"
Just then, Little Spider scurried onto his shoulder. It scanned the area, then chirped, signaling left.
"This way?" Xia Luo asked, scratching his head.
"Chii chii chii" Little Spider nodded.
Trusting his tiny partner, Xia Luo swung down the passage, led by Little Spider through several sewer junctions, each filled with rising pools of stagnant water.
Drip drip…
The water noise grew louder as they reached a narrow passage, nearly submerged. Xia Luo hesitated.
No way he was jumping in there.
He could practically feel the thick, revolting grime below, and that was enough to turn him away. He imagined what Old Man Steve would say.
"Chii chii chii!"
Suddenly, Little Spider shot out webbing and swung overhead, disappearing into the dark passage above the muck.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, Xia Luo climbed up the tunnel wall, following Little Spider's lead.
Soon, he came upon a hidden opening, its edges scratched by claws. Crawling through, he emerged into a dilapidated underground lab, its metal equipment coated with rust.
In the dim lighting, the faint outlines of red-and-blue shapes flickered in a nearby rusted cage.
"Spider mutants…"
Xia Luo narrowed his eyes, finally understanding why Little Spider had found this place.
Then he spotted the makeshift lab nearby, where a huge green lizard was hunched over the octopus arms, tools sparking in his claws.
"Useless idiots. I practically handed them every detail they needed, yet they still triggered Otto's alarms. Absolute fools. And to make it worse, they let Spider-Man find them. If I hadn't intervened, Spider-Man would've claimed my prize…"
Connors muttered about the unreliable trio, his grotesque lizard face shielded by protective goggles as he worked, sparking with electricity as he modified Otto's mechanical arms.
Otto had shown him the lab before, so it was easy to recall the device that could enhance his combat strength. In no time, he was done, and as he adjusted the arms on his back, a disturbing grin spread across his face.
"Hahaha! Old Otto dared to steal my student, Xia Luo… Well, now I've taken something precious of yours. Bet that stings."
"Congratulations on your accomplishment, Scales."
The sudden voice made Connors jump.
"Who's there?" he hissed, whirling around.
"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," Xia Luo called from above, "New York's most iconic superhero, heartthrob of nine million girls…"
Click!
As Xia Luo introduced himself, Connors wasted no time strapping on the octopus arms. With a sharp snap and a whir of gears, they were attached, the limbs now ready to go.
Xia Luo: "…"
"Excuse me for giving an intro while you arm yourself. How rude."
Connors flashed a wicked grin, seemingly thrilled. "I didn't expect you to find me down here, but I guess this means less work for me—you're not leaving."
Xia Luo shrugged. "Before we start, can you tell me what this is all about?" He gestured to the unconscious "Spider-Men" in the cage nearby. "I mean, you'll explain, right?"
Usually, villains couldn't resist monologuing.
But Connors seemed to be the exception.
"Come closer, and I'll tell you."
Connors grinned wider, and with a powerful whoosh, the four mechanical arms lashed out toward Xia Luo, ends flaring like beastly jaws.
Thrum!
In a flash, the limbs surged forward, their tips glinting red as they locked onto Xia Luo.
Whoosh!
Connors' octopus arms struck with the force of a storm, but Xia Luo was already gone.
Boom!
A series of explosions rocked the lab as debris scattered.
Xia Luo's red-and-blue figure darted to Connors' back, reaching for his spine.
"Gotcha!"
Just as he was about to make contact, Connors twisted mid-air, his claws slicing through with lethal precision.
Crackle!
The air sizzled as the claws whooshed past. Xia Luo's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fist.
Boom!
With a resounding thud, Connors was thrown back, crashing into the concrete wall.
"Arghh!"
The wall cracked, and Connors, embedded in it, spat out green blood, his ferocity ebbing.
Xia Luo slowly lowered his fist.
"That's it? I barely used any strength." His pale blue eyes glinted, mocking Connors.
Connors was tougher than most mutants but still weak. A mere thirty tons of strength wasn't enough to faze Xia Luo.
Without pause, he shot webs to anchor himself, launching toward Connors like a cannonball.
Boom!
Realizing the danger, Connors' face twisted as his four arms whirled forward, their clawed tips fusing into blades to slash at Xia Luo.
Slash!
The walls cracked under the force, yet Connors grinned triumphantly.
"Finally… got you."
With a sinister grin, Connors flexed the octopus arms, clamping down on Xia Luo's arms and legs. With over twenty tons of pressure, the arms tightened around Xia Luo's limbs.
Crack… Riiiiip!
The mechanical arms tore away sections of Xia Luo's suit, exposing bare skin.
"You're done for," Connors declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
But Xia Luo only smirked, "Congrats, you've just broken my limiters."
"What?"
In Connors' stunned gaze, Xia Luo's muscles expanded, faint purple tendrils beginning to glow across his exposed skin.
Boom!
With a surge of titanic strength, Xia Luo's hands closed over the octopus arms, wrenching them into his grasp.
Sizzle… Crackle…
In an instant, with a powerful twist, his fingers dug deep into the mechanical limbs, contorting them like strands of licorice as sparks burst from the twisted metal.
"What… No!"
Dr. Connors gasped, scrambling to control the two remaining arms. But Xia Luo's suit was already shifting, tendrils of red and blue nano-metal streaming over the limbs in his grip.
Bzzt!
The glow of Connors' neural chip flickered briefly… then dimmed completely. His control over the limbs severed.
"What's happening?!"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Xia Luo chuckled, as the nano-suit's filaments coiled over the damaged limbs, consuming them to repair the suit. Meanwhile, he activated his wrist controls, sending the remaining two arms wrapping around Connors, immobilizing him.
Within moments, his suit was fully restored.
Chii chii chii
Little Spider climbed onto Xia Luo's shoulder, nudging him toward the cage. The mutant "Spider-Men" within had, with its help, permanently lost their powers.
"Good work, buddy."
Xia Luo patted Little Spider's head, then turned to Connors, who was straining against his restraints.
"What's your business with those mutants?" he asked.
Blood trickling from his mouth, Connors scowled. "You think I'll tell you?"
"Won't you?" Xia Luo grinned. "Or maybe I should take you back to campus—let your students see what their professor's become."
"No… don't!" Connors' face paled, horror flashing in his eyes. "They'll lose faith in me…"
"Then cooperate. I'll take you somewhere safe. No one will know who you are."
"I…"
Connors clenched his jaw. "Fine, I'll tell you. I don't know how you learned my identity, but… I have faith that Spider-Man wouldn't deceive me."
"You can trust me," Xia Luo replied with a nod, musing about his own reputation. Was he really that trustworthy?
Connors took a deep breath, his face shadowed. "There's something wrong with me… I needed their mutated cells to ease my pain."
Xia Luo's brow furrowed. "But why? Lizard genes don't overlap with spider mutations."
Connors shook his head. "I don't know… When the pain flares up, I just… crave them. My body tells me to consume them."
Xia Luo mulled over this and then asked, "Why inject the regenerative serum at all? Someone advised you to be patient, right?"
Connors stiffened, eyes widening.
"Xia Luo, was it…? You know him?" he asked, his gaze flickering with something between recognition and sadness.
"Of course. He's my contact—we've known each other for years."
Connors let out a bitter laugh. "He must have told you about me… that's how you figured out who I am."
Xia Luo nodded. "Yes. To him, you're an exceptional scientist. He wouldn't want anything to happen to you… if he knew about this, he'd want to help."
"No… don't tell him. Please."
"Then do as I say."
Connors gave a heavy sigh. "All right… I'll tell you everything. That night, I was attacked… seriously hurt, and no one would take me to a hospital. I was dying, and the only thing I had was my serum. I had no choice. To survive, I injected it, and… I turned into this." He grimaced in pain.
But Xia Luo simply shook his head. "You're lying."
"No, I swear."
"Professor, if you were telling the truth, then how did you find this place?"
Xia Luo gestured around. "If someone didn't arrange this, you'd never have found it."
Connors looked down. "I… found it by accident," he insisted, though his voice wavered.
"Then explain all this equipment." Xia Luo gestured to the makeshift lab. "All your funds went into your experiments; school equipment is still accounted for. You couldn't afford any of this."
Connors' gaze grew desperate. "Don't ask. For Xia Luo's sake, please… just let it go."
Seeing his plea, Xia Luo hesitated, realizing Connors' descent may have something to do with him.
Crackle…
Just then, a faint projection lit up the dim lab.
"Spider-Man… at last, I'm who you've been looking for."
The image revealed a huge figure shrouded in shadows, his form nearly monstrous in size.
Xia Luo's eyes narrowed, already suspecting his identity.
The Kingpin of New York's underworld—Wilson Fisk.
"What do you want to say?" Xia Luo asked.
"We need to talk," Fisk said calmly.
Xia Luo casually leaned back on his web, listening intently.
Fisk raised his hand, accepting a cigar from a nearby attendant.
"Spider-Man, I'm told you're a threat. But I've never thought of you as one. You see, we're not on opposing sides. The men you've apprehended are nobodies to me, easily replaced. You haven't touched my true interests."
"So what's your point?" Xia Luo asked.
Fisk took a drag from his cigar, exhaling slowly. "Because they paid well, I joined in their little vendetta. But they're dead now. I no longer need to target you."
"Then what's with Dr. Connors?"
"A minor incident. I offered him funding, but he declined."
"So you tried to kill him?"
"I only meant to scare him."
"And ended up turning him into a monster."
"A beautiful accident. He gained power from it."
"Not like this!" Connors growled. "I never wanted to be a monster."
Given more time, he might have perfected the serum without such tragic consequences.
Fisk glanced at Connors. "Work for me, and I'll fund your serum research. A fair trade—and your only option."
Before Connors could protest, Fisk continued, "But you've failed your first assignment. I had to threaten the people closest to you."
"Xia Luo Parker?" Xia Luo interjected.
"Yes." Fisk chuckled. "The kid's different, isn't he? Aleksei and Connors both favor him, which surprises me. Add you to the mix… and that makes things perfect."
"Threatening him to get to me?" Xia Luo's expression was unreadable.
Fisk shook his head. "Not a threat. I'm proposing a trade."
"You think that's possible?"
"Of course," Fisk said with a cold smile. "You and I can do business, just like any two merchants."
Taking a slow puff from his cigar, Fisk went on. "I don't like using hostages, but I'll make an exception for you."
Xia Luo smirked. "Unfortunately, I barely know Xia Luo. He's… intimidatingly competent."
Unmoved, Fisk continued, "The Black Cat stole something from me. Find her, retrieve what she took, and we'll be even. I'll leave you alone, and Dr. Connors will be free."
Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "So, I can't take Connors with me now?"
"Of course not. He hasn't completed the job I set for him."
"What if I insist?"
"He wouldn't want to go with you."
Dr. Connors lowered his head, his voice weary. "Spider-Man, I can't leave. Too much is at risk. My students, my friends, my research… Fisk could destroy it all with a word. One move, and all of New York would be in chaos, the government bowing to his whims."
Xia Luo was silent, knowing Fisk's influence was as much a web as his own, with tentacles reaching everywhere.
The only way to end it was to confront him directly, bringing him down.
Fisk's grin widened as Xia Luo considered. "Fine," Xia Luo agreed, "I'll retrieve what you want. Where do we meet?"
"I'll let you know," Fisk said with satisfaction.
Xia Luo sighed. "Considering your men's past… let's say, lack of success, I expect you'll be there in person?"
Fisk smirked. "Of course. I'll handle it personally."
"Not worried?"
Fisk chuckled, leaning forward. "Fear? I've faced worse than you, Spider-Man. Every victory has been snatched from the jaws of defeat. I don't lose."
Xia Luo gave a thumbs-up. "Hold on to that confidence. Otherwise, I'd be very disappointed."
The trade, then, was set, with Fisk himself planning to appear.
Xia Luo leaned forward, tapping his wrist controls to release the arms restraining Connors.
Connors stood, facing Xia Luo with a hard glare. "If you fail, I'll kill you. Xia Luo's life may depend on it."
"I won't fail," Xia Luo replied, activating his nano-suit's interface.
Click…
In a second, the octopus arms detached from Connors' spine.
"All right. You're free to go," Xia Luo said, then turned to the projection. "You can go too, Fisk."
With a faint hum, Fisk's image faded, and Connors climbed the walls, disappearing through a side tunnel.
Xia Luo, meanwhile, activated his nano-suit, which quickly absorbed the intact arms, analyzing their mechanical structure.
"Well, that's interesting."
Xia Luo nodded in satisfaction, then tapped the holographic model. Instantly, the structure of the octopus tentacles transformed, morphing into four sleek, dark-gold spider lances.
The exterior might've changed, but the underlying mechanics still carried Otto's brilliant design.
Much better, he thought, admiring the new look.
He shut down the virtual interface, slinging the unconscious mutants over his shoulder before making his way out of the underground lab.
Clang!
With a final clang, the manhole cover settled back in place as Xia Luo climbed back up to the surface, bringing the fresh air with him.
After fixing the manhole, he took the mutants to a nearby hospital before shooting a web to swing away.
[You played the Friendly Neighborhood Hero and saved innocent civilians. Restart chances +1]
Great. Even more backups, he thought, feeling a little more secure.
With his spider suit stowed away, Xia Luo headed back to Otto's to let him know how it all went down.
He didn't get the arms back, but Otto would surely be moved by the effort, he mused, walking cheerfully toward the villa.
Thunk!
Just then, a manhole cover not too far away flipped open again. Crawling out, battered and muddy, was none other than Professor Curt Connors.
He had taken a wrong turn somewhere below.
Lizards aren't made for sewers, after all.
Connors cursed his luck and, turning to leave, froze mid-step.
"Xia Luo…"
Xia Luo blinked. "Professor Connors?"
Wow. Talk about timing.
"N-no, I'm not! You must be mistaken!"
Connors' face went pale. He quickly covered it with a muddy sleeve and scrambled back down the manhole, not wanting anyone to see him in such a state.
Damn you, Spider-Man! You must have told my secret.
You lied to me! I swear, one day… I'll make you pay!
Connors seethed as he fled, plotting revenge.
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