Ch.39 This Round Is Lost Again

The masked man turned his gaze toward the fleeing red-and-blue figure of Charlie Parker. With a wave of his hand, dozens of enhanced soldiers spread out to surround the ruins.

Boom!

At this moment, the enhanced soldiers abandoned their firearms entirely, opting to use their metal arms to brutally smash through the rubble and debris. Wherever they went, stones shattered and scattered, leaving destruction in their wake.

In doing so, Charlie completely lost his advantage of using the terrain.

Perched atop an armored vehicle in the midst of the ruined street, Charlie crouched low, surveying the enhanced soldiers closing in on him. About thirty of them, and they were going to be a problem.

Not far away, the masked man gave him an ominous feeling.

In the past, Charlie might have accepted his fate. But not this time—he wasn't going to die!

As the enhanced soldiers charged at him, Charlie's eyes glowed red, and the red-and-blue suit covering his body morphed into a deep black, writhing like ink.

Venom Mode, Activate!

Click, click, click!

The once red-and-blue suit was now adorned with streaks of stark white webs against the black backdrop, while four black, venomous tendrils flailed viciously.

Bang, bang, bang!

In an instant, the first group of enhanced soldiers who rushed at Charlie were violently whipped to the ground by the tendrils.

Roar!

Three more enhanced soldiers leapt onto the armored vehicle, their claws extended, sharp and gleaming, intent on tearing Charlie to pieces.

In a flash, Charlie flipped into the air, avoiding the deadly claws. As he landed, the black tendrils shot forward, piercing the heads of the three enhanced soldiers, sending a gruesome spray of blood into the air.

This brutal scene didn't deter the rest of the enhanced soldiers. Their eyes remained cold, focused, and unflinching. They charged, fists raised or claws slashing, without any regard for defense.

Seeing the relentless charge, Charlie's blackened body swelled in size. At that moment, his immense strength surged, and with a single turn, he lifted the massive armored vehicle as though it were weightless.

Boom!!

Bang, bang, bang!

Under the cautious gaze of the masked man, Charlie swung the armored vehicle with devastating force, smashing the approaching enhanced soldiers into bloody pulp. The only thing left were twisted, sparking metal arms lying in the debris.

In Venom Mode, Charlie's strength surged to a crushing forty tons, overwhelming the enhanced soldiers entirely. Occasionally, one managed to break through the vehicle's defense, only to be mercilessly impaled by the black tendrils before they could strike.

These enhanced soldiers had bodies modified to be stronger than normal humans, with reinforced bones and incredible muscle strength. Their metal arms were capable of immense destruction, and their physical abilities were on par with the Green Goblin. It was a testament to Hydra's advanced modification technology.

However, they were no match for a rampaging Charlie, whose power was too overwhelming for mere numbers to bridge the gap.

Boom!!

The armored vehicle slammed down repeatedly, shaking the ruins and creating utter chaos. Soon, only a handful of scattered enhanced soldiers remained, writhing on the ground, their bodies broken and buried in rubble. They wouldn't last long.

As the now-scrap armored vehicle settled into the ruins, Charlie stood, breathing heavily, his chest heaving as he fought for air. His footsteps faltered, and the red glow in his eyes began to flicker.

Activating Venom Mode three times in two days had drained his body. He needed food—lots of it—and rest.

Still, with Venom Mode holding on a bit longer, Charlie fixed his gaze on the masked man.

He glanced at the man's metal arm, watching as deadly claws extended from his fingers. Taking a deep breath, Charlie's mind flashed back to the night Norman Osborne was killed.

Could it be him?

The masked man spoke, confirming Charlie's suspicions.

"Norman warned you, but you chose to remain Spider-Man," the masked man said coldly.

Charlie frowned.

"So, it was you who killed him."

The masked man's eyes grew even colder as he stepped forward.

Click, click.

The sound of stones crunching under his feet reverberated, and the familiar feeling of overwhelming pressure washed over Charlie once again.

"I didn't want to kill him. That was an accident," the masked man said. "He had unfinished business, and he wasn't supposed to die."

"But because of you, he's dead. Now we have to start over. It's your fault. You deserve to die!"

The masked man lunged forward with explosive speed, his metal arm cutting through the air, aiming directly at Charlie's heart.

Spider-Sense screamed in warning, and Charlie raised his fist to meet the blow.

Bang!!

A shockwave rippled outward, a low, rumbling thud echoing from the impact. It wasn't the sharp, screeching sound of metal clashing; instead, it was as if Charlie's strength had been absorbed, unable to unleash its full destructive power.

"What the…?"

Charlie's mind raced. He immediately summoned his black tendrils to strike back.

But before they could land, a surge of incredible force exploded from the masked man's punch, sending Charlie flying into the ruins.

Boom!!

Debris scattered everywhere as Charlie crashed deep into the rubble. He looked up to see the masked man closing in, his red eyes dimming as he muttered to himself.

"It's vibranium… his arm is made of vibranium."

Charlie fired a web to swing away, knowing a direct confrontation was unwise.

The masked man's arm, like Captain America's shield, was forged from vibranium, absorbing and storing kinetic energy to unleash devastating counterattacks. The more force Charlie applied, the more power the masked man could release.

Unlike in the movies, where vibranium was wasted on shooting guns, this man knew exactly how to harness its potential.

Charlie decided: no more head-on fights.

With that thought, he fired webs in every direction.

Thwip, thwip.

The webbing covered the masked man, who raised his arms to shield his face. He was quickly ensnared.

Roar!

Charlie's black tendrils glinted in the firelight as they lashed out at the masked man's head.

"Interesting," the masked man sneered. With a burst of strength, his metal arm broke free from the webbing and, with uncanny precision, caught all four of Charlie's tendrils.

Click, click, click.

The masked man had all the tendrils in his grasp, grinning victoriously. "Spider-Man, you're finished!"

But before he could act, his expression shifted.

The black tendrils wrapped around his arm like liquid, snaking around him. With a violent pull, his body was flung like a ragdoll, crashing back and forth into the ruins.

Boom!

Bang, bang, bang!

The ruins exploded with each impact. Though the vibranium arm remained intact, the repeated blows left the masked man's body wracked with pain.

"Damn you!" he roared.

Boom!

As the masked man slammed into the ground one last time, Charlie's black suit retracted, and the tendrils slunk back into his body.

Exhausted, Venom Mode shut down.

Weakness overtook him, but a small smile appeared on Charlie's face.

"I told you… I won't die this time."

He stepped forward, ready to detach the vibranium arm when the sound of a helicopter drew near, and a familiar figure dropped from the sky, shield in hand.

Bang!

Landing with a dramatic thud, Captain Steve Rogers stood in the dust, his expression serious.

"Sorry, I'm late," Steve said coolly.

Charlie blinked. "..."

That landing pose… Did he learn that from Black Widow?

"You're definitely late. The fight's over," Charlie shrugged.

Steve straightened up, taking in the sight of the masked man lying battered in the crater. Then, his eyes widened in shock.

"Bucky! You're alive?"

At that moment, Charlie's Spider-Sense screamed in alarm. He realized something was terribly wrong.

How did Steve know who the masked man was?

Before he could react, the iconic star-spangled shield flew toward him, and Charlie had only one thought as it whizzed by.

Sigh, this round is lost again.