บท 23: Chapter 23: Tangled Webs
Alex sat at the edge of his bed in the dim light of his apartment, the conversation with the Ancient One playing over and over in his mind like a broken record. It wasn't just what she said—it was how she said it, how she made him feel so small, so insignificant. A single wrong step, and she'd erase him. Gone, just like that.
He rubbed his temples, trying to fend off the oncoming headache. He couldn't afford to mess up now. Not when things were getting so dangerous. Being half-visible to the Sorcerer Supreme was a red flag in itself. He had to be smarter. He had to play this game perfectly, or he'd lose everything, perhaps maybe when he is stronger with powers like than of Darkseid or even Superman he could at least have the ability to stand toe to toe with her.
His gaze shifted to the panel floating in front of him—the wheel, as always, silent but ever-present.
Points: 530/1,000. Silver Wheel: Available. Platinum Wheel: 1,000 points required.
"I can't afford to wait anymore for the Platinum," Alex speaks in his mind, staring at the silver wheel. He had hoped to save up his points and make a huge leap, unlocking powers from the Platinum Wheel. But with everything that was happening—the Hulk, the Ancient One, and whatever other hidden threats lurked in the shadows—he couldn't afford to take it slow anymore.
The silver wheel was still helpful, though. It had already given him Spiderman's abilities, and while he was no Peter Parker, those powers had made him far more than just an ordinary guy.
Alex crouched on the edge of a half-destroyed building, the wind whipping through his hoodie as he watched the chaos unfold below. He could feel the ground shaking beneath him, each thunderous impact between Hulk and Abomination vibrating up through his legs, reminding him of just how outclassed he was physically. But strength wasn't what he was relying on—he had powers now, and more importantly, he had brains.
But something wasn't right.
The Hulk was locked in a brutal, earth-shaking battle, and for a moment, Alex's mind flashed back to the scenes from The Incredible Hulk movie. In that film, Hulk had fought Abomination in a climactic brawl that ended with Hulk choking him out using a giant chain. It was messy, brutal, and straightforward. But here, things were... off.
The creature Hulk was fighting now didn't match the version of Abomination he remembered from the movie. The Abomination down there was bigger, sure, but he was also glowing. Bright arcs of electricity crackled around its muscular frame as it charged Hulk, moving with a speed that didn't belong to something that size. Sparks flew as it leaped through the air, landing blow after blow on Hulk.
"This is wrong," Alex muttered to himself, frowning as he scanned the battlefield. "This isn't like the movie. Why is this Abomination so... different?"
He watched as the creature swung a massive fist at Hulk, electricity coursing through its arm, hitting Hulk square in the chest. The impact sent the green giant flying backward, crashing into a building and causing an explosion of debris to rain down.
"That's... new," Alex whispered. In the movie, Abomination didn't have powers like that. Electricity? This was something else entirely.
Alex focused, reaching out with his mind and his new telekinetic powers. He could feel the rubble shifting beneath his mental grip, moving pieces of debris out of the way, clearing a path for people trapped inside buildings to escape. As satisfying as it was to save lives, the points he was gathering from these actions weren't as much as he hoped. Not enough to hit 1,000 yet.
He opened his system panel, eyes narrowing at the points displayed.
Points: 670/1,000
He sighed. It was progress, but he needed to do more—much more—if he was going to upgrade to the Platinum Wheel. The real game changer.
His gaze flicked back to the scene below. Hulk had managed to land a solid hit on the creature, sending Abomination tumbling backward, but the victory was short-lived. The beast rose again, electrical energy crackling through the air as it charged Hulk once more.
Alex's mind raced. If this wasn't like the movie, if this was real life, then maybe the rules were different here. Could there be two Abominations? Could this glowing monster be the "real" Abomination while the one from his encounter with the Ancient One, was something else entirely? A copy? A decoy? The more he thought about it, the more the idea of multiple Abominations didn't seem so far-fetched. After all, this world was full of strange tech, magic, and science experiments gone wrong. Why not more than one monster?
Still, he couldn't waste time speculating. The system was his priority now. Points. Power. Survival. He needed to hit that 1,000-point mark and upgrade the wheel. That Platinum Wheel would make him unstoppable. He'd be able to face anyone, even the Ancient One, without fear. No more hiding. No more avoiding her watchful gaze. He could finally play on his own terms.
But first, he needed to be smart about this fight. Jumping in headfirst would be suicidal. Even with his telekinesis and Spiderman's agility, there was no way he could stand toe-to-toe with monsters like Hulk or Abomination. But he didn't need to. He just needed to help in the right ways—ways that wouldn't get him killed, but still rack up points.
He looked down at the battlefield below. The civilians were running, scattered in all directions, trying to flee the destruction. Hulk and Abomination were locked in combat once more, their massive forms crashing through buildings like toys.
With a deep breath, Alex focused on the civilians first, projecting calmness into their minds, urging them to run in an orderly fashion. It was a subtle use of the power, but it worked. The frantic energy in the crowd started to ebb, and people began to flee more efficiently.
More points.
Points: 720/1,000.
Good, but not enough. He needed more.
His gaze shifted back to Hulk and Abomination. If he could find a way to manipulate the fight, to help without directly engaging, he might be able to turn the tide in Hulk's favor. But how? The two monsters were tearing through the city and steel like as if they were mere toys, and getting too close could be fatal.
As he mulled over his options, he felt a sudden surge of energy from Abomination. The creature raised its arm, and electricity shot from its body, arcing through the air toward Hulk. The green giant roared in pain as the electricity crackled through him, sending him crashing to the ground.
Alex's eyes widened. This was bad—if Hulk went down, there'd be nothing stopping Abomination from leveling the city.
Without thinking, Alex acted. He reached out with his telekinesis, grabbing hold of the electrical arcs, trying to pull them away from Hulk. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave. His mental grip faltered, but he held on, redirecting the energy just enough for Hulk to regain his footing.
The points ticked up again.
Points: 820/1,000.
It wasn't enough. He needed more, and fast.
Hulk roared, charging at Abomination with renewed fury. The two titans clashed once more, their blows shaking the very earth beneath them.
Alex gritted his teeth. He needed to find a way to turn this fight in Hulk's favor—without getting himself killed in the process.
The Platinum Wheel was so close. So close. Just one more push.
One more push, and everything would change.
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