Restart, Spider-Man! [83]
Xia Luo lightly tapped the spider symbol on his chest, and the metal mask retreated, revealing a young face.
In this world, there was no need to hide his identity.
After all, he wouldn't be staying long.
"Oh, I didn't expect you to be just a kid." Pepper Potts was visibly surprised, her initial tension easing a bit.
"Yes, and I'm a good kid."
Xia Luo took the coffee and examined it carefully.
"Is this Black Ivory? Or maybe Kopi Luwak? It could even be from St. Helena."
"What?" Pepper looked momentarily confused.
"Sorry, I just learned about it online."
Xia Luo took a sip, his face lighting up in delight.
"This must be really expensive, right?" he asked casually.
Pepper pointed to a small garden outside the window. "Tony grows it himself. If you like it, you can have as much as you want—he doesn't usually drink it."
Xia Luo: "..."
"Cough, no need, thank you. I don't drink it often either."
Feeling a bit awkward, he set the cup down and picked up a nearby piece of horn art, examining it absentmindedly.
"If you like it, you can have that too," Pepper offered.
"Really? Then I—"
Xia Luo's eyes drifted to a photo on the wall, and he quickly put the piece back.
Turns out it was something an African friend of Tony's used for... modesty.
Uh, that's... really something.
"Uh, actually, I'm here to see Tony."
"I've already notified him."
"Alright, I'll wait."
With that, they both fell silent.
"Um, if you want to try some really fancy coffee, I have some here too," Pepper ventured.
Xia Luo nodded. "Thank you very much, I only drink the finest."
"Definitely a kid," Pepper chuckled, then went to prepare some coffee beans.
"Can you tell me why you saved Tony?" she asked curiously while grinding the beans.
Xia Luo relaxed into the couch, "No special reason. He was just lucky."
"Really?"
Pepper seemed distracted. "Since he came back, he's been talking to himself a lot, but he won't tell me anything. I'm worried he's having... mental issues."
"Tony does have a tendency to stress out."
Xia Luo thought for a moment. "But you don't need to worry. He just made a new friend, that's all."
"A new friend?"
"Yes, a very... new friend," Xia Luo said with a smile.
The symbiote was Tony's new friend, after all.
With the symbiote, Tony's reactor was externalized, and his heart issues were no longer a concern.
Plus, the symbiote's enhancements meant Tony had some self-defense capabilities even without the suit.
A much better situation than the other Tony, that's for sure.
Suddenly, Xia Luo turned his gaze to the night outside the window, his brow furrowing.
He had just felt the sensation of being watched.
Seems like a contestant was planning to target Tony.
Or perhaps—
Boom!
At that moment, a flash of light lit up the night sky. A Quinjet hovered just outside the window.
The hatch opened, and Old Steve waved. "Hey, Spidey! Hop in!"
Beside him, Tony grinned and waved with a hamburger in his hand.
"Nice to see you again. Care to join me for a meal?" he offered.
Xia Luo shot a web and swung into the cabin.
"No, thanks. I only eat McDonna's burgers."
Tony scratched his head, looking confused.
"Since when did she sell burgers?"
As the hatch closed, Tony piloted the Quinjet into the night sky.
Old Steve's expression turned serious. "Spidey, you need to use your—"
"Wait, I don't have that kind of superpower yet," Xia Luo interrupted him.
"You don't?"
He knew exactly how troublesome Loki and Doctor Strange could be.
Doctor Strange wasn't so bad, being the Sorcerer Supreme.
But Loki's moral compass was... questionable.
"Have they made any moves?" Xia Luo asked.
Old Steve thought for a moment. "Aside from the ones chasing you, there's the Peter Parker we encountered before—he killed someone and then vanished."
"And Loki... he caused a scene at the opera house, only to bump into another version of himself. They fought, then both disappeared."
"Venom Parker?"
Xia Luo recalled his showdown with Venom Parker during the second Resurrection Tournament.
There were moments when Peter Parker managed to break free from the symbiote's influence and regain his sanity.
But most of the time, he had given up, letting the symbiote control his body.
Peter Parker had abandoned himself entirely.
Winning the Resurrection Tournament didn't matter to him anymore.
What mattered was keeping "himself" well-fed.
As for the other Loki...
Xia Luo asked Old Steve, "Where's the opera house where Loki caused that scene?"
"On Hamlet Street. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, just so I can answer if you ask me next time."
"Next time?"
Old Steve looked puzzled—this kid always said the oddest things.
But it could be an important clue, so he jotted it down in his little notebook.
Xia Luo: "..."
The more effort, the more disheartening.
Soon, the Quinjet ascended through the clouds, revealing a colossal aircraft carrier that uncloaked before them.
"We've arrived. This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters."
Tony turned with a smile. "So, what do you think? Impressive, right?"
Old Steve remained unfazed. "It's alright. I've seen better."
Xia Luo observed the immense carrier and nodded.
"It's definitely got a higher cool factor than my world's S.H.I.E.L.D."
Boom!
The Quinjet touched down on the runway, and Tony led the two of them down the ramp.
"Hey, Agent Coulson, is the meeting set up?" Tony asked the man waiting to greet them.
"It's all ready. Please follow me."
Coulson glanced at Xia Luo and Old Steve, then led the group down the hall toward the meeting room.
Along the way, the passing agents shot curious glances their way.
"That old guy looks awfully familiar."
"Yeah, I swear he looks just like Cap."
"No, I mean the other one."
In the hallway, overhearing the agents' chatter, Xia Luo glanced at Old Steve.
"Do you know who you look like?" he teased.
Old Steve shrugged. "Aside from a younger me, who else?"
"No, I mean you've got a campaign-ready face."
"Campaign?"
Tony's steps halted at the mention of that word, and he turned to look at Xia Luo.
"Can I count on your vote?"
"Sorry, I'm not a legal resident here."
"Ah, well, that's a shame."
Soon, they arrived in the meeting room, where Nick Fury and several others were waiting.
"You finally made it."
Nick Fury stood and greeted them. "Hello, I'm Nick Fury, the commander here."
"I know. We're old friends," Old Steve said as he shook Nick's hand, then gestured toward Xia Luo.
Xia Luo scratched his head thoughtfully. "Actually, we're old friends too."
Hearing this, Nick Fury smiled slightly.
No surprise—I get along with superheroes in any universe.
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