บท 15: Restart, Spider-Man! [15]
As for his missing father or the dangers posed by S.H.I.E.L.D., these mysteries would reveal themselves over time.
For now, all he could do was grow stronger, cherish the people around him, and live each day to the fullest.
And growing stronger would inevitably involve some risky decisions, but he'd first need to gather enough restart opportunities.
Thinking about it, he flipped off the roof with a backflip.
Just as he landed, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Hey, Queens, are you here for the Green Goblin too?"
"Hmm?"
Xia Luo turned around to see Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, both in civilian clothes, eyeing him curiously.
"Hi, what brings you two here?" Xia Luo asked, feigning ignorance.
His Spider-sense wasn't always reliable, making it hard to detect how many agents might be lurking nearby.
Steve stepped forward, "We know Norman was the Green Goblin, so we're here to find him."
Xia Luo raised an eyebrow, "That was two days ago. Took you this long to get here?"
Natasha crossed her arms with a smirk, "Spider-Man, don't underestimate our intelligence network. Now is the perfect time to be here."
Hearing that, Xia Luo knew he couldn't hide it anymore.
"All right, is there anything I can help with?"
"Yeah, by staying out of our way," Steve said, glancing at the approaching cars entering the neighborhood. He turned back to Xia Luo. "We've received word that Norman is dead, so we're taking over from here."
Xia Luo scratched his head, "Well, if that's the case, I guess I don't have a reason to stick around. But you know how curious young people are… The Goblin is already dead, so what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're planning to take his body. That's inhumane, not to mention illegal. As a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, I can't allow that to happen… Alright, I'm leaving."
He slowly raised his hands in surrender, then glanced at Natasha. "Can you put your gun down?"
Natasha twirled her gun, smiling, "Care for a chat?"
"What are you up to?" Xia Luo crossed his arms defensively. "I just turned eighteen, you know. Can't you leave me alone?"
"No, no, sorry," Xia Luo added hastily, "I didn't mean it that way. I heard someone call you that—an old… never mind, it wasn't me. You should be pointing that gun at him," he said, pointing at Steve, who looked bewildered.
"What?" Steve asked.
"Steve, is that true?" Natasha's expression darkened.
She hated it when people brought up her age.
Although Steve always seemed like the upright type who wouldn't say such things, Natasha knew he used to be a soldier—American soldiers, especially grunts, weren't exactly known for being refined. Hang around them long enough, and even someone like Steve could be influenced.
Sensing trouble, Steve quickly raised his hands, "No, no! It wasn't me. Let me explain."
"Don't listen to him!" Xia Luo said, one hand on his hip, the other pointing at Steve. "You can't trust a man's words."
Steve gritted his teeth, "Queens, don't start."
"I swear, I didn't say anything. I'm just a kid, and good kids don't lie."
"Spider-Man, you're such a jerk."
"See? He's getting angry."
"I am not!"
"Steve Rogers, you better explain yourself."
"I am explaining! I didn't say that!"
"He said it in his heart, though. I can swear on my Spider-Man honor," Xia Luo said, raising his hand.
Before anyone could react, Xia Luo shot webs from his wrist, snatching Natasha's gun and hanging Steve's shield on the roof.
"What the—?"
Caught off guard, both were left without their weapons, and a sense of foreboding filled them.
The next second, Xia Luo charged at them, his red-and-blue figure moving swiftly.
"Boom!"
Xia Luo punched Steve, who barely managed to cross his arms in defense. The immense power—at least ten tons—surprised Steve as he was hurled into the wall.
"Damn it."
Natasha's face darkened. Before she could try her Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves, Xia Luo shot webs at her ankles, hoisting her upside down from the roof.
With everything done, Xia Luo dusted off his hands. "Sorry, turns out I'm a bad kid after all."
"Damn sneaky spider punk."
Steve crawled out of the wall, covered in dust, glaring at Natasha. "Do you believe me now? I really didn't say that."
Natasha turned her head away, "You may not have said it, but you thought it. Thinking is still a crime."
Steve: "…"
Meanwhile, Coulson and a team of agents burst into the mansion.
"Mr. Harry Osborn, these are our credentials. Norman Osborn has been charged with endangering public safety and eleven counts of murder. We're here to take his body."
"What?"
Before Harry could react, the agents stormed into the room, preparing to seize the body.
"Wait, you can't do this! He's already dead. You can't take him—I'll sue you!"
"Sorry, we have the proper paperwork," Coulson replied.
"You bastards!"
Harry rushed forward to stop them, but was mercilessly pushed aside. He watched in fury as the agents moved to take his father's body, his bloodshot eyes brimming with rage.
"I know what you're going to do with my father's body!"
He shouted angrily, "While he was alive, he was tormented by disease and exploited by the company's board. Now that he's dead, you still want to take him to some lab for research. Why can't you leave him alone? He's dead—DEAD!"
Harry charged at the agents again, only to be restrained once more.
"Please, no! I'm begging you, please…"
Pinned to the ground, tears streamed down Harry's face as he watched helplessly while his father's body was taken away. The feeling of powerlessness was suffocating.
Coulson hesitated, his face conflicted, but he remained resolute in carrying out his orders.
"Sorry, it's my mission."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a red-and-blue figure suddenly flashed by the window.
"Hey, are you guys the infamous Men in Black?" a voice called out.
"Spider-Man!"
The agents were stunned.
Before they could act, Xia Luo shot webs, snatching the body from their grasp.
Coulson's face darkened, "Spider-Man, are you really going to oppose us?"
The agents didn't hesitate, drawing their weapons and aiming at Xia Luo.
Xia Luo shrugged, his tone dismissive, "Who cares?"
He looked down at the disheveled Harry. "If your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man helps you get your father's body back, will you give me a follow on my socials?"
Hope flickered in Harry's eyes, and he exclaimed, "Thank you, Spider-Man!"
"No problem."
The next moment, gunfire erupted. Xia Luo raised Steve's shield to protect himself.
Clang clang clang!
Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off the shield. Using the impact of the shots, Xia Luo flipped backward and leapt out the window, carrying the body as he swung towards the nearby woods.
"After him!"
"Yes, sir."
The agents sprang into action, but Xia Luo had already vanished into the trees.
Whoosh!
Wind whistled past as Xia Luo swung from branch to branch, contemplating how to evade S.H.I.E.L.D. and return the body to Harry.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling came from above. Although his unreliable Spider-sense didn't warn him, Xia Luo could feel the presence of death.
"Crap!"
Boom!!
In the next instant, the forest erupted in a massive explosion. Flames engulfed the ground, obliterating everything in sight.
"Mission accomplished. The annoying Spider-Man is gone for good."
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20+ Advanced Chapters [P@treon.com/WiseTL]
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