Restart, Spider-Man! [71]
In the low-rise residential area...
Next to the water tank on the rooftop, Mary Jane, wearing a homemade red-and-black Spider suit, stood up and stretched, the tight fabric highlighting her curves. She switched off the portable radio beside her and took in the city's distant skyline.
"If I want to become Spider-Man, then I'll give it everything I've got!"
Pulling on her mask, which covered only the upper half of her face, her distinctive red hair flowed freely in the breeze. She cautiously stepped toward the edge of the roof.
The building was just three stories high, but it felt like she was standing at a crossroads of destiny.
Real Spider-Men swing from webs! And it's not even that high up—it should be fine.
Taking a deep breath, she fought the tremor in her legs and carefully shot a web at a nearby billboard.
After tugging on it a few times to ensure it was secure, she prepared to jump from the roof.
Just then, a shadow flickered faster than her eyes could follow, leaping to the same billboard she was aiming for.
"What?!"
Startled, Mary Jane nearly lost her footing and tumbled off the roof. She quickly crouched down to steady herself, her heart racing as she glanced toward the red-and-blue figure across from her.
"Hey, nice suit! Looks like you've got a knack for sewing," Spider-Man called out, waving cheerfully before firing another web and swinging gracefully toward her, landing with ease right in front of her.
Mary Jane eyed this Spider-Man skeptically. His suit was clearly homemade, knitted in the classic red-and-blue pattern, just like hers. He definitely wasn't the real Spider-Man.
She felt a pang of disappointment.
Everyone knew Spider-Man's suit was now made of a special metallic fabric, with glowing blue eyes. This guy, like her, was just another lucky person bitten by a mutated spider.
"Hey, what's your name?" he asked suddenly.
"I'm Mary Jane," she blurted out, then immediately caught herself.
"No, I'm not Mary Jane. I'm... I'm Xia Luo Parker!" she said, trying to cover her mistake.
Xia Luo froze.
He scrutinized Mary Jane, noting that unlike most Spider-Men who wore full-face masks, she opted for a lacy eye mask. Was she trying to make sure villains were extra enthusiastic? He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Tonight, he had purposely donned his old suit, using a voice modulator to alter his tone so he could get close to Mary Jane and figure out if her mutated abilities differed from the others.
What he hadn't expected was that while she was cautious, she wasn't exactly bright.
And she was kind of... annoying.
"Xia Luo sounds like a boy's name, so Mary Jane must be your real name," he continued.
"No! I am Xia Luo. Mary Jane is... my favorite girl," she insisted, flustered.
Xia Luo sighed inwardly. Really? Was she seriously that clueless?
"Okay, Mary Jane. Do you want to learn how to web-swing? I can teach you."
"No, I'm Xia Luo!"
"Sure, Mary Jane."
Xia Luo grabbed her hand and raised his wrist to demonstrate.
"Watch closely. You press here, using this hand gesture—kind of like a rock-and-roll sign. This controls the length of the web. Once the web locks onto a target, you'll feel a tug. That's when you stop shooting and jump immediately."
As he prepared to demonstrate, Mary Jane interrupted him.
"Wait! The web is too thin. I might not be able to hold onto it."
Xia Luo nearly stumbled off the roof.
"The web is sticky enough to grip your palm, and Spider-Man's fingers can produce tiny barbs—like a spider's—that help cling to walls and hold the web securely."
"Oh, I see!"
"I get it now," Mary Jane said brightly.
"I haven't even demonstrated yet, and you've already learned?" Xia Luo asked, surprised.
"That wasn't me," Mary Jane said, confused as she glanced around.
Xia Luo turned around to see another figure climbing up onto the rooftop.
Wearing a black-and-white Spider suit, the slender newcomer had pink webbing decorating her elbows and a distinctive hoodie with a pink inner lining. Her green ballet shoes made it clear to Xia Luo who she was dealing with.
"Hey, were you bitten by a spider recently too?" he asked, waving casually.
Without answering, she sprinted forward, launching herself off the roof. With a quick flick of her wrist, she shot a web, gracefully swinging toward a neon-lit billboard.
Her movements traced a perfect arc through the night sky.
Whoosh! Thud!
In the blink of an eye, Gwen glided between two buildings, landing with a slight bend of her knees to absorb the impact. She moved like a moonlit dancer, light and elegant, every move precise and practiced.
It seemed both innate and endlessly rehearsed.
Clap clap clap
Xia Luo applauded, nudging Mary Jane with his shoulder.
"See her? Now look at you. Tsk, tsk."
"Don't look down on me! I... I can do it too!"
Angered, Mary Jane mimicked Gwen's jump, shooting a web and squeezing her eyes shut.
"I'm jumping!"
"Then jump!"
"Did I... did I really jump?"
"Are you going to jump or not?"
Xia Luo kicked her lightly, sending Mary Jane swinging toward the opposite rooftop with a shriek.
"Aaaah! Help! Am I there yet?"
She looked around in disbelief after landing safely, a huge smile breaking across her face.
"I did it! I actually did it!"
"Not quite. You have to stand up for it to count."
Xia Luo swung down in front of her, staring at her with a smirk.
Mary Jane blinked, realizing she was still kneeling, hands braced on the ground in an awkward pose.
"My... my legs are numb. Help me up."
"Sure thing, Mary Jane."
"My name's Xia Luo!"
A minute later, the three of them lay sprawled on a giant web suspended in an alleyway.
Xia Luo looked to his left and right at Mary Jane and Gwen. "I'll go first. I got bitten by a spider last night, and when I woke up, I had Spider-Man's powers."
"Same here. I even accidentally hurt my dad, but he deserved it," Mary Jane muttered. Her gambling-addict father had long been a disappointment to her.
Gwen hesitated, then said, "I got bitten at school today. My body changed a lot—my speed and strength increased, and I gained the ability to shoot webs and climb walls."
Mary Jane rubbed her sore shoulders and knees. "My body got stronger too, but it's not a huge difference."
Xia Luo's thoughts churned.
He'd spent enough time with them to realize his Spider-Totem wasn't reacting at all.
Their abilities were similar to his initial state, but... too weak to possess a Spider-Totem.
Gwen turned to Xia Luo, eyes narrowing. "Your learning ability is way faster than ours. For a second, I almost thought you were the real Spider-Man."
Xia Luo chuckled. "It's a natural gift. You did pretty well too, picking it up on the first try."
"Look, there's another Spider-Man!" Mary Jane suddenly pointed.
A figure swung past above them, dangling upside-down. The movements were awkward, but fast.
"What the heck?"
Xia Luo's jaw dropped. Why was that guy shooting webs from such a weird place?!
This world was getting crazier by the minute.
"Who are those people in black?" Gwen asked, sitting up. She watched several dark figures vaulting over the rooftops in pursuit of the strange Spider-Man, frowning.
Those shadowy figures didn't look like any Spider-Men she'd seen.
As they approached the alley, the group split up, several diving straight toward them.
"They've changed their target to us," Xia Luo said with a wry smile.
More clones of the Winter Soldier, and he'd nearly forgotten about Bucky.
Looks like tonight's the night...
At midnight, the Spider-Man Trio will rise!
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