บท 87: Restart, Spider-Man! [87]
"Crackle, crackle, crackle~"
Max, Electro, couldn't stop in time and crashed straight into the web. The blue sparks dancing across his skin flickered as the web siphoned off his stored electricity, dimming his blue glow.
"What?!" Max was shocked.
Old Steve seized the opportunity, shooting out another barrage of webs.
"Hey, Spider-Kid, magnetized webs work!"
"Just magnetizing them wouldn't have been enough—you should thank Dr. Banner for his help," Xia Luo replied.
"ROOOOAR!"
Another Leviathan whale crashed to the ground as Hulk roared triumphantly from atop the creature's spine, his sheer presence causing the Chitauri soldiers around them to hesitate.
Old Steve shivered. "I'll thank him in person... if I get the chance."
Meanwhile, Xia Luo tightened his grip on the crystalline web, instantly triggering his trap. Hydra Steve was caught, his tendrils cut to shreds by the reinforced threads.
"Damn it! These webs again!"
As his tendrils were diced into pieces, Hydra Steve's face twisted with rage. Before he could regrow them, Xia Luo launched himself like a slingshot.
"BOOM!"
Xia Luo's foot slammed into Hydra Steve's skull, his claws digging deep into his spine.
"RIIIP!"
"AHHH!!"
Blood sprayed everywhere, causing both Old Steve and Max to freeze in horror.
"He's that brutal without even turning black?"
Max took the chance to slip free from the webs—he needed to recharge.
But Hydra Steve, with his spine torn out, only grinned wickedly.
"Xia Luo Parker, you fell right into my trap."
"What... Fine, I get it."
With his Spider-Sense blaring a warning, the barbs on the spine's surface had already punctured his nanometal defenses and pierced his skin.
Sharp pain flared in Xia Luo's fingers as his hand began to decay.
Spider-Man hadn't fallen for the same spine twice.
But he had still fallen for it.
Weakness spread through his body, and the shield slipped from his grasp.
Breath growing ragged, Xia Luo chuckled. "Bucky's rushed self-destruction lowered my guard, and the barbs from his spine were transplanted into yours. You banked on the fact that I wouldn't notice in the heat of battle.
"Well played. Looks like I'm about to lose my powers.
"Before that happens... who's your surgeon?"
"Hahahaha! Xia Luo Parker, you've lost."
Ignoring Xia Luo's banter, Hydra Steve shoved tendril remnants into his mouth to keep himself going.
"You don't have the strength to kill me now. Hydra's power is still mine—I win."
As he spoke, he picked up the blackened spine from the ground, preparing to reinsert it into his open wound, right in front of Xia Luo's eyes.
He wanted to see the look of absolute despair on Xia Luo's face.
But to his disappointment, Xia Luo remained unfazed.
"Hey, you seem to have forgotten something."
Suddenly, Hydra Steve's face went rigid as someone tapped his shoulder.
He had forgotten—they weren't alone.
Turning, he saw Old Steve smiling warmly.
"Kid, your memory's even worse than mine."
With that, he shot out a web, snatched up the shield, and, with a swift motion, severed Hydra Steve's arm. The black spine clattered to the ground.
"Argh! Damn it! You should be helping me!" Hydra Steve howled in despair.
"You're right—I'm helping you end your suffering."
Old Steve ended it with the shield, then rushed over to Xia Luo's side.
"You're hurt pretty bad."
Xia Luo was slumped on the ground, too weak to carry out the next stage of his plan. His face was pale, and he glanced at the incoming fire streaking across the sky.
"Knew it... This round's a bust."
"Hahaha, your little skirmish was pretty intense, huh!"
Norman arrived fashionably late, a satisfied grin hidden beneath his mask.
From the shadows, the green Lizard peeked out, baring his teeth.
"So now it's our turn. Spider-Man, you're done for."
"Seems like you're celebrating a bit early."
Old Steve rose to face them. A sudden gust of wind swept past, and his muscles began to swell beneath his uniform, ripping it apart as he transformed into a hulking figure.
His sudden show of strength left Norman and Lizard momentarily stunned, while Xia Luo blinked in surprise.
To Xia Luo, Old Steve's back seemed to glow with a holy light, radiating a sense of safety he hadn't felt before.
Old Steve turned and smiled. "I'm a man who's survived two Resurrection Matches. I'm a friend you can trust."
"A friend... tasty.
"An old friend... stuck in my teeth."
"What?"
The bizarre voice caused both of them to stiffen.
Before they knew it, a black, slimy monstrosity was hanging above them, foul goo dripping to the floor.
Xia Luo knew full well—even if Old Steve had been strengthened by two Resurrection Matches, he was no match for Venom Parker.
They didn't stand a chance. Not at all.
Restart!
[You've been eliminated. No resurrection slot earned. Reward: +1 Original Web Mode]
[18 Restarts remaining. Restart?]
Restart!
Second Resurrection Match.
Beneath the antenna tower in the night, Xia Luo's wrist shuddered, and webs exploded out, expanding several times larger than usual. By the time the thick, rope-like strands hit the iron frame, they looked absurdly thick.
Xia Luo: "?????"
It reminded him of a certain Spider-Man who built robots.
He tested the rope web's properties.
No flexibility, barely any stickiness, but incredibly tough—nearly indestructible without manual removal. There was no way to swing with it.
Yet another web mode that was practically useless.
But with so many restarts, he could afford to experiment with various web modes, provided he was confident in completing the challenge.
Except... he wasn't confident.
Raising his hand, Xia Luo input the coordinates he had gathered from the previous Resurrection Match.
"Buzz~"
A virtual map materialized, faint blue eyes marking the screen. Xia Luo leapt off the building, zeroing in on the coordinates of his targets.
Okay. Now he was confident.
"Whoosh!"
Wind roared in his ears as Xia Luo glided toward Electro's location, dropping down into a dark alley.
By the trash cans, Old Steve was rummaging for some cloth to wrap his shield.
"Hey, old man, your retirement looks pretty bleak. I've got three bucks—wanna grab a bite at Madonna's?"
"Spider-Kid?"
Hearing Xia Luo's voice, Old Steve turned, his face lighting up.
"Great, I get to team up with you aga—"
"For the Resurrection Match, yeah, I know what you're gonna say."
"Oh, I get it—that's your power."
Old Steve stepped forward eagerly. "But why should I eat at Madonna's?"
"Don't you like burgers?"
"No, I only eat McDonald's."
Old Steve's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Tell me what to do next. I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you for the next twenty-four hours."
"Sure thing. I can't wait to see those exaggerated muscles of yours."
With that, Xia Luo shot out webbing to form a web slingshot.
"Get on, I'll give you a lift."
Old Steve's eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to do this."
Together, they pulled back the webs.
Launch!
Meanwhile, Norman stood atop a roof, surveying the cityscape.
"Damn you, Xia Luo. I can't believe you won last time. This time, if I find you, I'll snap your neck!"
His face twisted with rage, he unwrapped a lollipop and bit down hard, as if the candy might help ease his fury.
Down in the street, a little girl was sobbing.
Suddenly, two shadows darted across the rooftops.
"Damn it, who took my lollipop?!" Norman bellowed furiously.
"It was me."
"No, it was us."
---
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