Restart, Spider-Man! [125]
Clang, clang, clang.
Apparently still not satisfied, he drew in pieces of the bridge itself, twisting rebar and chunks of concrete around him as further protection against the fiery comet streaking toward him.
Vroom!
The blazing figure spiraled downward, creating a whirlwind of magical energy in its wake, like a raging tornado.
And it wasn't over yet.
With his kill count at 100, it was a guaranteed critical hit.
"BOOM!!"
In an instant, the streaking meteor exploded in brightness, warping the very night sky around it.
Ebony Maw's forehead glistened with sweat as he felt an unbearable pressure bearing down on him. Even Black Dwarf and the others shuddered, feeling the heat radiate through the air.
"Crap, get out of the way!!"
Without hesitation, the three scrambled to dodge, leaving Ebony Maw to face the incoming catastrophe alone.
"Damn it…"
He clenched his jaw, cursing his decision to shield his slower teammates instead of retreating himself. Now, it was too late to escape.
"All I can do is… hold my ground!"
He yelled, his telekinesis frantically reinforcing his makeshift shield.
But with an earth-shaking crash, the barrier shattered under the magical cyclone's force, shards of metal and concrete tearing through his defenses like paper. Car parts became deadly shrapnel, piercing Ebony Maw's body in an instant.
"Argh!!"
Wracked with pain, he could only scream as the searing light consumed him completely.
"Nooooo!!!"
"BOOOOM!"
The comet struck the bridge with a hundred tons of force, driving through steel and concrete like a drill, splitting the bridge clean in half.
Crash!
In the bridge's center, the impact sent cars hurtling into the air, spilling them into the river below.
"Shoot, looks like we're late."
Captain America and the others arrived just as the ground shuddered beneath them. They watched in awe as the bridge shook, the middle section teetering on the brink of collapse. Thankfully, the supports held, and the bridge settled.
Hurrying to the edge of the gaping hole, they gazed down in shock at the destruction left in the wake of Xia Luo's strike.
"This guy… he's stronger than ever," gasped Lizard Parker.
Gwen looked at the fractured bridge, wide-eyed. "Is he really Spider-Man? How…"
For her, the gap in strength between them was staggering.
Felicia snapped out of her daze. "Why didn't Xia Luo use this move against Kingpin?"
Carter shook her head, thinking. "Two options—he either forgot or underestimated him."
"Impossible."
Old Man Steve said confidently, "Our Little Spider obviously wanted to meet me in the revival match, so he did it on purpose. I'm so moved!" He wiped away a fake tear.
Carter sighed. "Enough. He's fallen into the river."
"Oh, right… I forgot about that."
Steve dropped his act and looked across the broken bridge, where Black Dwarf and the others were finally coming to their senses.
"That's Spider-Man?" Black Dwarf's axe slipped from his hand as he stared in shock.
Corvus Glaive's face darkened. "Not even Lord Thanos could withstand that hit."
Proxima Midnight tightened her grip on her spear. "What now? Ebony Maw is dead, and together we don't stand a chance against him."
"Maybe we should… join them!" Black Dwarf grinned. "We're neutral, anyway. If we can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?"
Corvus Glaive glowered. "A real warrior would never—"
Before he could finish, a vibranium shield flew across the bridge, hitting him squarely in the forehead.
"Ow! Who did that?"
The shield ricocheted back, and Steve Rogers swung over on a web, catching it effortlessly as he landed.
"Hello again, friends. My ally here is right—you're welcome to join us."
"You!" Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight's expressions soured, recognizing Steve instantly. He'd been the one who foiled their mission to steal the Mind Stone and kill Vision.
Although he was older and wielding a different shield, they'd never forget those piercing eyes.
Steve Rogers.
"What's with those looks?" Steve frowned, noticing their reactions. "It wasn't that long ago we met, right? Dark Strange didn't kill you then… so, how did you die?"
Clearly, he was confusing them with someone else.
In Steve's eyes, they all looked the same anyway.
"Bah! You think you can make us submit?" Corvus Glaive raised his weapon, preparing for a fight to the death.
But Black Dwarf raised his hand first.
"Wait! I'm on board—I'll join you."
Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight stared at him, aghast.
"You coward!" Proxima hissed. "You don't deserve to be in the Black Order."
Black Dwarf shrugged. "They're inviting us to join, not to kneel. You two are so dense. 'Can't beat them, join them'—why's that so hard to get?"
With a scoff, he strolled over to Steve's side.
Free from Thanos' control, he had no loyalty to anyone.
"Haha, I remember you. What happened to your beard?" he asked.
Steve rubbed his chin and noticed Black Dwarf's mechanical arm, piecing together the memory.
The arm that had been severed by Strange, that familiar bearded face…
"Oh, I see—I had the wrong guy all along."
Steve chuckled, then his face hardened.
"But I remember what you did on the battlefield… and I won't accept your surrender!"
"What?"
Black Dwarf's smile faded as Steve transformed, swinging his shield toward his face with brutal force.
"Wait! What are you doing?! You can't just attack a prisoner—"
Black Dwarf raised his mechanical arm in defense, sparks flying as vibranium ground against steel.
Clang!
The shield's edge embedded itself in his arm. Before Black Dwarf could react, Steve vaulted onto his shoulders, raining down punches.
"No! I surrendered, you crazy old man!"
"I told you—I don't accept your surrender!"
The unexpected onslaught left everyone stunned.
"Wasn't he supposed to be convincing them to surrender?" Lizard Parker asked, bewildered.
Carter frowned. "I've never seen him this angry."
"Look, the others are fighting too!" Gwen shouted.
Felicia swung a grappling hook, passing it to Lizard Parker. "Go for it! I'll leave this one to you."
Lizard Parker stared at her in confusion. "Huh?"
"Get in there!"
Carter fired her webs and swung across the gap, with Gwen right behind her.
Seeing them charge in, Lizard Parker hesitated no longer.
"How does this thing work?" he asked Felicia.
She smirked, pulling the trigger.
"It's simple. Just like this."
Whizz~
The hook yanked taut, launching Lizard Parker through the air. Mid-flight, his muscles swelled, his skin turning a scaly green as he transformed, ripping through his shirt.
In seconds, he was barreling toward Proxima Midnight.
"Sorry about this, lady, but I—ahh! So ugly!!"
At the last second, he saw her face up close and recoiled in horror, swinging his claws wildly.
"Get away from me! Go, go, go!"
Rip!
With a furious scream, Proxima Midnight's armor tore, and she headbutted him with a vicious snarl.
Wham!
Lizard Parker went sprawling, groaning as stars danced before his eyes.
The Brooklyn Bridge was in chaos.
"Whoosh!"
The next second, Proxima Midnight's trident sliced through the air, aimed directly at Lizard Parker, intending to split him in half.
"Peter!"
Gwen's voice rang out in alarm. She shot a web that snagged Lizard Parker and yanked him away just in time, swinging to land on Proxima's shoulders.
"Whoa! Big Sis, you've got some serious green hair."
"It's blue, you little—die!!" Proxima Midnight snarled, aiming her trident, which transformed into three deadly red beams, targeting Gwen above her.
"What?!"
Spider-sense blared a warning, but Gwen was too close—there was no way to dodge.
Her pupils shrank as she sensed death looming.
Bam!
Out of nowhere, magical webs shot out and exploded at Proxima's feet.
Whirr—Boom!
Caught off-guard, Proxima was thrown backward by the blast. The trident's red beams scattered as a red-and-blue blur leapt through the air, catching the weapon mid-flight.
"Hey, Proxima, looks like your trident skipped dinner."
Xia Luo landed gracefully, twirling the trident in his hand. Deep gouges appeared on the ground where it passed.
He'd guessed correctly—if Proxima herself was hit, the trident's beams would dissipate.
"Damn you, Spider-Man! That's my sacred weapon!" Proxima hissed, charging at him with her fist clenched.
But Xia Luo casually intercepted her punch with the trident, swatting her blow aside.
Proxima Midnight: "???"
Xia Luo: "???"
"How is this possible!" Proxima stared at her hands in disbelief.
Xia Luo raised a brow. "You're weaker than I thought."
"Curse you, insect!"
Proxima Midnight launched herself at him in a flurry, striking with a speed and precision designed to target every possible weak point.
But each blow was countered, almost as if Xia Luo had trained for this moment.
Watching, Gwen blinked in confusion.
Are they... play-fighting?
Meanwhile, Carter squared off with Corvus Glaive, quickly noticing something unusual about his technique.
Clang! Clang—Boom!
Shield and blade clashed repeatedly as Carter instinctively used a combat style Xia Luo had taught her.
Screech!
Tilting her shield just slightly, Carter twisted her arm, sliding behind Corvus Glaive and flipping him into a brutal suplex.
Crunch!
Glaive's head slammed into the pavement, and Carter seized his blade. Without hesitation, she slashed downward.
Slash!
Blood sprayed as Corvus Glaive's body went still, breaking apart into ash that scattered in the wind.
When struck by his own weapon, his regenerative abilities were completely nullified.
Xia Luo wasted no time, hurling the trident through the air and pinning Proxima Midnight to the bridge, sealing her fate.
Only Black Dwarf remained.
Watching Old Man Steve perform an elegant capoeira kick that sent his opponent sprawling, Xia Luo scratched his chin.
"Does that move... actually work?" he asked Carter.
Carter exhaled, catching her breath. "Depends on who's using it."
"Oh, by the way, that fighting technique you taught me—it feels… off."
"I know."
Xia Luo chuckled, pulling the trident free. "That's because Thanos taught it to me. I'm starting to think he did it on purpose."
"What do you mean?" Carter asked, intrigued.
Xia Luo glanced at the fallen members of the Black Order. "Though they're not from the same universe, their techniques and combat style bear Thanos' influence. He would've taught them how to fight, too."
Carter nodded slowly, connecting the dots. "So… you think Thanos taught you specifically to counter them?"
Xia Luo shrugged. "Maybe he worried that one day, his soldiers would cause even greater disaster after he was gone."
The more he understood about Thanos, the more Xia Luo sensed the contradictions within him. Thanos wanted to save the universe, but he didn't want his Black Order to follow a path of senseless destruction.
Thanos had chosen Xia Luo, knowing he'd step up if needed.
Though the meaning was lost on Carter, she didn't dwell on it. "Should we go help him?" She gestured to Steve.
Xia Luo waved it off. "Nah, he's got this."
Casually, Xia Luo launched a web to reel in the trident.
"Buzz!"
The trident transformed into three beams of red light, piercing straight through Black Dwarf's chest.
"No!!"
Boom!
As Black Dwarf collapsed, Carter raised a brow.
"Didn't you just say you wouldn't intervene?"
"I wasn't talking about me," Xia Luo replied, pointing to the trident.
Carter: "..."
With the Black Order defeated, the group gathered together.
Gwen exhaled in relief. "They're a lot stronger than the Sinister Six."
Lizard Parker rubbed his forehead. "So, the Six aren't a real threat to us?"
"To me," Xia Luo corrected.
"Oh, stop sweating the details, Spider-kid," Old Man Steve chuckled, gathering up the Black Order's weapons. He hoisted Black Dwarf's massive axe over his shoulder.
"These are some serious tools. With these, we'll be ready for any fight ahead."
Xia Luo hefted the trident, nodding.
"Especially with the glaive Carter's got—it can counter regenerative cells. That should work against our Hydra duo."
Hydra's duo, of course, referred to Hydra Steve and Bucky.
Xia Luo guessed those two would show up in this round of the revival match.
Norman was already dead, courtesy of Xia Luo himself.
That left Professor Connors, who wasn't much of a threat.
As for Thor and Loki, those two were probably somewhere on the sidelines, playing around with their lives. Hardly a concern.
There were two other contestants he'd noted, though—Peter Parker and Electro.
He suspected Parker was the Venom version, a frequent face in these revival matches. Electro, known for his speed, had probably learned to keep a low profile after his last encounter.
All things considered, neither seemed particularly threatening.
This gave Xia Luo a thrilling thought: he might just clear this match in one go.
Man, he was getting good at this.
"Spider-kid, you've got quite the silver-bullet grin there," Steve commented wryly.
"Huh?"
Xia Luo felt his face through the mask. "You can see I'm smiling?"
"I can just tell," Steve replied, his eyes glowing faintly blue.
"Well, you've got a pretty silver-bullet imagination yourself."
As sirens blared in the distance, Xia Luo waved to his team.
"Let's clear out. Next, we take down the Sinister Six and the rest of the contestants. We've got this match locked."
"You go on ahead," Gwen said, handing Xia Luo her apartment key. "Here, I just got this place. My dad doesn't know about it."
"What? You have an apartment?" Xia Luo's jaw dropped. "You don't deserve to be Spider-Man."
Gwen: "..."
Jealousy truly made Spider-Men hideous.
Lizard Parker's face clouded with concern as he warned her, "Your father doesn't like Spider-Man. You need to be careful."
"That was before."
Gwen shrugged, pulling out her phone. "He knows who I am now. He even gave me this to coordinate with the police."
Lizard Parker let out a sigh of relief. "Then congrats—he finally accepted Spider-Man."
If her dad could accept Spider-Man, maybe he'd accept Peter Parker, even in lizard form. After all, bugs and lizards weren't so different, right?
The group quickly left the scene.
When the police cars finally arrived, Captain George Stacy climbed out, his eyes scanning until they landed on Gwen.
He signaled to his team.
"Jerry, keep everyone back—no interruptions."
"Got it," Jerry replied, stepping out of the car and casually ignoring the Spider-Man now slipping inside.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd been on "watch duty" for this father-daughter duo.
Inside the car, Gwen gave a quick rundown of what had happened. George could only shake his head in disbelief.
"This is… troubling news. Visitors from a parallel universe? And they're here to save our world?" He looked skeptically at Gwen. "Can you trust them?"
Gwen nodded. "Absolutely. They even have a Spider-Man on their team. See that bridge over there? The damage? That was him. He's strong, Dad. He doesn't need to lie to me."
George took in the gaping hole in the bridge, his face creased with worry.
"If there really is a world-threatening crisis, then Gwen, my daughter, I don't want you getting involved. It's too dangerous."
"Dad, I am Spider-Man."
Gwen's face was resolute. "You taught me to protect the weak, bring justice to criminals, and do my best to keep this city clean and give people hope. I'm doing exactly that—and I need your support."
George sighed, leaning back, "Every parent teaches their kids that, because we know we can't do it ourselves. I'm no different, Gwen. But when kids really follow through… we just want them to stay safe. I'm terrified of losing you."
"At least… let me try," Gwen whispered, hugging him close. "Saving the world isn't just for everyone else. It's for you too, Dad. You're here too, and if the world falls apart… I'd lose you, too."
The soft murmur in his ear made George's heart ache, and his hand trembled as he hugged her back.
"Gwen, you… you be careful, you hear?"
"Thank you, Dad."
Outside the car, Eddie was grinning as he snapped pictures, barely able to contain his excitement as he made a call.
"Boss, I got it! Pictures of Captain George Stacy and Spider-Man hugging in the car!"
"What!!"
In his office, J. Jonah Jameson nearly choked on his cigar, bursting out with laughter. "Ha! I knew it! The two of them, thick as thieves! No wonder there's been nothing on Spider-Man lately. I'm going to make sure the whole city knows about this cozy little secret, just you wait!"
Just then, a knock at the door interrupted him. Betty walked in, holding a puzzled expression.
"Boss, did you hire a new reporter?"
Jonah scowled, hanging up the phone. "What? Not a chance—I wasn't planning on bringing anyone else in."
He was in such a good mood that, for once, he didn't yell.
Betty frowned. "But there's some guy here claiming he's from the team. He even has one of our press passes."
"A press pass?"
Jonah grabbed the pass Betty handed him and squinted at it.
"Peter Parker? Graduated from... Brew State?"
Jonah raised an eyebrow, then tossed it aside.
"What kind of no-name school is that? Tell him to scram!"
"Alright…" Betty sighed, picking up the discarded pass. She returned to her desk, glancing sympathetically at the young man sitting in a chair, looking lost and somewhat stiff.
"Peter Parker, I'm sorry, but we're not hiring, and you're not on staff here."
She handed him back the press pass, feeling a strange sympathy. He looked so blank, barely responding to nine out of ten things she said.
Honestly, he seemed like he might've wandered out of a psych ward.
For some reason, though, Betty couldn't shake the feeling that he was familiar… like she'd seen him somewhere before.
It made her want to help him.
"Do you have any friends?" she asked gently. "I can call someone to come pick you up."
"I…" Peter Parker thought hard. "I think I do. But… I'm not sure."
"That's alright. Take your time. Want some coffee?" Betty handed him a cup of hot milk.
"This… isn't coffee," Peter said, looking at the milk with wide eyes.
Betty chuckled. "Guess your condition isn't too bad."
"I'm not sick," Peter muttered, looking down, almost as if he was ashamed.
Suddenly, something seemed to dawn on him.
"I remember! I do have a friend."
"What's their name? Their number?" Betty asked, hopeful.
Peter rubbed his forehead. "His name's Peter Parker. He's…"
"Sir, you're Peter Parker." Betty's face fell, shaking her head in exasperation.
Peter nodded slowly, "Oh… right. I'm Peter Parker."
A small smile spread across his face. "And I remember where I live now."
Betty looked at him, torn between amusement and pity.
"Alright, I'll take you home since my shift's done."
"Thank you. But I'm hungry…"
Betty rolled her eyes but smiled, "Alright, dinner's on me."
Late at night, outside an old apartment complex.
Outside the door, Peter Parker was fumbling with his nonexistent keys when his landlord peeked through the door across the hall.
"Peter Parker! You're finally back! You're five months behind on rent!"
The landlord started to yell, but when he spotted Betty—a well-dressed woman standing beside Peter—he rubbed his bald head awkwardly.
"Oh, are you… another debt collector?"
Betty frowned, choosing not to respond.
"No wonder he's a little off," she muttered, glancing around the shabby building. "With a place like this, and that stress, no wonder he's on edge."
Her sympathy for Peter only grew as she walked him inside.
---
T/N: did he forget that he has his own apartment lmaoo
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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