Chapter 91 Pig Talisman
The sensation of stagnation on Mjolnir only lasted for a few seconds before it broke through the invisible restraint, instantly accelerated past the sound barrier, and flew toward the distance.
Thousands of meters away, a sweating Thor let out a deep breath.
Thor had never been so nervous, not even when the demon launched his strongest attack, but when he realized the demon was trying to control Mjolnir, he panicked...
A few seconds later, Mjolnir returned to his hand, and only then did Thor completely relax. However, he was now even more wary of the demon, and his resolve to eliminate the demon was strengthened.
Thor spun Mjolnir and flew out again, leaving the men and women in the hotel suite dumbfounded...
Arthur watched Mjolnir fly away and shook his head slightly. It seemed the psychokinetic power of the Rooster Talisman Lv11 was still unable to control Mjolnir.
After all, that was the divine artifact Mjolnir. Its origin traced back to the beginning of the Universe, to the Storm of the Gods, the ancestor of storms and thunder capable of destroying galaxies, which the young Odin sealed within a piece of Uru metal.
The Storm of the Gods possessed a degree of self-awareness, making Mjolnir extremely violent at its creation, and it took even the young Odin millions of years to tame it.
The divine hammer was forged by dwarf artisans on a planet using Uru metal and a branch from the World Tree, incorporating Odin's magic and the essence of the Storm Ancestor.
The forging process was so intense, or perhaps Mjolnir's inherent energy was too great, that the resulting fireballs scattered everywhere; those that fell to Earth caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Naturally, Mjolnir's power is immense. It is incredibly hard, nearly indestructible, and can be summoned back to its Master's hand from a distance, even flying and moving according to the wielder's will.
Furthermore, the divine hammer has the property of being able to attach various magic and energies.
However, Arthur did not completely give up. He was already thinking about trying again once the Rooster Talisman upgraded to Lv12... and the unsealed Ox Talisman was also something to look forward to.
After all, in Arthur's mind, the ultimate power of the Talismans surpassed Odin's divine power.
Wielding the Dragon Talisman, Arthur could sense a burst of violent energy rapidly approaching him—it was undoubtedly the Thunder God Thor, growing stronger with every fight!
Just as Arthur was about to react, a pleasant system prompt sounded:
[Detected 'Superhero Thor'. The 'Pig Talisman' has been unsealed and can be upgraded using villain points.]
[Try to make Thor generate negative emotions. More surprises await your exploration!]
As Arthur expected, Thor, as one of the three giants of the Avengers, possessed the qualification to unseal a Talisman.
[Pig Talisman Lv1, Laser Power: Grants the holder the ability to fire lasers from his eyes—instantaneous, ultimate power!]
[Pig Talisman Lv1, upgrading to Lv2 requires 150,000 villain points. This will greatly increase the laser's power and reduce the Pig Talisman's activation time.]
The Pig Talisman can be upgraded through the system to gain more powerful Talisman strength!
As the level increases, the activation time and cooldown time of the Pig Talisman will continuously decrease, while the duration of a single use will continuously extend.
When the Pig Talisman upgrades to Lv11, you will gain Penetration Power. The Pig Talisman's laser can penetrate most substances and ignore a portion of the opponent's defense and magic energy!
When the Pig Talisman upgrades to Lv12, the laser will be able to penetrate any substance, ignoring all physical and magic energy defenses of the target!
Furthermore, it will gain the power to penetrate space; for example, your laser can break through artificially created infinite illusion spaces...
The Pig Talisman was the eighth Talisman Arthur had unsealed and the second offensive Talisman, making up for his lack of diverse attack methods.
Sensing Thor rapidly approaching, Arthur didn't hesitate. He spent 2.2 million villain points to upgrade the newly unsealed Pig Talisman to Lv11.
Demon Project continued to harvest villain points, and his villain points had now broken the ten million mark. Having achieved villain points freedom, Arthur no longer had to worry about upgrading Talismans.
At this moment, he was somewhat glad he had revolutionized the way he acquired villain points, otherwise, the subsequent consumption of several million villain points for a single Talisman upgrade could not have been covered by hard work alone.
Today was a day of harvest. Soon after, Arthur's Talisman status received an update:
villain points amount: 13.299 million;
Rabbit Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Dragon Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Rat Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Snake Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Tiger Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Rooster Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Dog Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
Pig Talisman Lv11, cannot be upgraded;
... Thor had rushed to within a few hundred meters of him. Arthur could even see Thor's eyes wide with rage; Thorwas enveloped in lightning as he approached!
Thunder God Thor was the strongest enemy Arthur had encountered so far. Arthur was still very cautious facing this future King of Asgard, but now Arthur intended to use this King to test the power of the Pig Talisman...
The long-charged Dragon Talisman erupted. The experienced Thor immediately aborted his attack, spinning around to avoid the incoming energy beam.
Arthur's fighting style was quite scientific. He first used the Dragon Talisman's massive energy attribute to adopt an offensive defense, intercepting Thor's heavy strike.
Arthur activated the Rooster Talisman and the Rabbit Talisman, moving swiftly closer to Thor.
This was exactly what Thor wanted; compared to long-range attacks, Thor preferred and was better at close combat!
Thor swung Mjolnir, but suddenly he saw a type of totem sequentially lighting up in Arthur's eyes. Without any delay, two laser beams shot out!
Unlike the laser weapons fired by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Sky Carrier, the laser beams shot out by the Pig Talisman were not only more powerful but also did not suffer energy decay after being emitted, nor were they limited by severe weather like heavy fog, snow, or rain.
Air could not absorb the Pig Talisman laser's energy, and atmospheric disturbances causing energy decay, thermal blooming, or turbulence could not affect the laser attack!
Thor felt a dangerous aura. He tried to raise Mjolnir to block, but the speed of the lasers was clearly tens of thousands of times faster than him. Two powerful beams hit his shoulders, instantly penetrating his shoulder armor, and two jets of blood spurted out!
Thor was horrified. Did the demon still have unrevealed trump cards? And an attack so immensely powerful!
The intense pain coming from his shoulders constantly reminded him that the demon had penetrated the defenses of both his armor and his flesh!
Thor swung his hammer to attack again, but Arthurevaded him using spatial displacement.
Arthur maintained a distance of about a hundred meters from Thor. He continuously activated the Pig Talisman, his eyes constantly shooting lasers that struck Thor.
At this point, Thunder God Thor became even more disheveled. His armor was covered in cracks and holes, his chest and back were full of wounds, and he was drenched in his own blood.
Fortunately, Thor possessed vigorous vitality; as long as the attacks were not fatal, he would not die, and he could still exert fighting power even when severely injured.
Chapter 92 Saving the World
On Sky Carrier C, Captain America was desperately trying to find a way out of the deadlock!
HYDRA had taken control of three Sky Carriers to launch "Demon Project." Now, Ship A had been destroyed and was falling, and Spider-Woman had completed the replacement of Ship B's positioning chip. They were just waiting for him to replace Ship C's positioning chip so Nick and Hill could immediately halt "Demon Project" and crush HYDRA's conspiracy!
But the current situation was that his battle with Winter Soldier was locked in a stalemate, and Captain Americacouldn't even get close to the ship's chip storage area.
Captain America gradually became anxious, knowing that for every second he delayed, dozens of people would die... Although these people were only marked criminals and Terrorists, they deserved to be judged by the law, not perish in a massacre.
Suddenly, Winter Soldier seized the gap in Captain America's defense when he was distracted. He swung his metal arm with full force, knocking Captain America to the ground with a fierce punch.
Winter Soldier pressed his advantage, leaning down and slamming his right fist hard. Captain America blocked with crossed arms. Winter Soldier then swung his left metal arm, which the grounded Captain America narrowly dodged by tilting his head.
Winter Soldier smashed the floor with one punch; the resulting debris sliced Captain America's face. Captain America tried to break free from Winter Soldier's restraint, but Winter Soldier's next round of attacks had already arrived!
Suddenly, a whistling sound came from the side. The keen Winter Soldier raised his metal arm to block, as he was constantly aware of his surroundings!
"Tss!"
A nearly transparent web line stuck to his metal arm.
In that instant, Winter Soldier was confused. He had thought it was Hawkeye, who might have woken up mid-fight, launching a sneak attack, expecting an arrow or something... Winter Soldier looked up.
Suddenly, a huge force came from the web line, and the unprepared Winter Soldier was flipped onto the ground. Captain America, standing nearby, quickly got to his feet.
"Captain, hurry and carry out your mission! Leave this place to me!" Gwen shouted.
"Can you handle him?" Captain America asked skeptically. He pulled out the chip, preparing to throw it to Gwen. "Maybe I should be the one to stop him!"
Winter Soldier stood up and looked, seeing a stranger wearing a pink battlesuit charging toward him.
Winter Soldier pulled out his pistol and started shooting without hesitation!
Gwen's reflexes were extremely fast, and with the warning from her Spider-Sense, she dodged preemptively. The bullets undoubtedly missed.
Winter Soldier continued firing expressionlessly, emptying the magazine without adjusting his aim. But what surprised him was that as Gwen approached him, she continuously dodged left, right, and ducked, somehow managing to evade all nine of his bullets!
What kind of monster was this? Winter Soldier was shocked. The last time he faced an enemy fast enough to dodge bullets was a demon!
Seeing Winter Soldier stop shooting, Gwen also stopped in place. She belatedly slapped her forehead: "I forgot this battlesuit is bulletproof..."
Winter Soldier leaped forward, using his metal arm to attack with full force, slamming it hard toward Gwen!
"Hey!"
Captain America nearby was about to shout a warning, when suddenly Gwen casually extended her hand and blocked Winter Soldier's heavy strike. She grabbed Winter Soldier's metal arm with her backhand, instantly restraining him.
Winter Soldier tried to break free from Gwen's grip, but even using all his strength, Gwen showed no sign of loosening. That hand clamped onto his wrist like a vise!
"You actually have a metal arm?" Gwen said curiously. "Mine is just a layer of suit..."
Winter Soldier, who had maintained a cold expression, instantly couldn't hold back; his face was full of surprise!
Winter Soldier had carried out secret missions for decades without failure, but recently he had encountered one setback after another... Last time it was a demon, and now some person in a girl's battlesuit had popped up out of nowhere. Even though he was heavily exhausted from a previous hard fight, his combat effectiveness hadn't dropped significantly, yet the opponent could easily withstand the heavy strike of his metal arm!
"Captain?" Gwen turned to look at Captain America, who was standing still, feeling a bit strange.
"I'm going to change the positioning chip!" Captain Americasaid, running off.
Winter Soldier didn't surrender easily. He threw himself backward and kicked out, but Gwen nimbly dodged his attack.
Winter Soldier attacked again with a punch, but all his attacks were easily blocked by Gwen. When Winter Soldier faced Spider-Gwen, who was superior to him in both strength and speed, he instantly fell into a disadvantage!
He could only barely hold on thanks to his rich combat experience, avoiding being defeated by Gwen in a short time... Meanwhile, Captain America, having bypassed Winter Soldier, found dealing with the ordinary guards to be child's play. He quickly arrived at the chip storage room, entered the password, and replaced Sky Carrier C's positioning chip.
"Agent Hill? Ship C's chip replacement is complete!" Captain America said urgently over the communication channel.
The next moment, the two Sky Carriers, which had been firing at full power, instantly ceased their attacks. The long and short gun barrels on the exterior of the ships rotated sequentially, preparing to retract.
Inside the Sky Carrier's main control room, dozens of crew members were dumbfounded. They watched helplessly as the targeted ground personnel vanished and all long-range weapons on the ship stopped firing. Whatever maneuvers the crew members attempted were futile... They didn't know what had happened, but the Sky Carrier's operating program was absolutely infallible.
But clearly, the matter was not over yet... "Captain, evacuate Ship C immediately! Both Sky Carriers will be destroyed and crash in one minute!" Hill spoke rapidly. "I'll be waiting for you on the deck."
"Understood!" Captain America threw down his emptied firearms and sprinted away, rushing toward where Spider-Woman and Winter Soldier were fighting!
Although Captain America was mentally prepared, he was still somewhat surprised by the scene before him.
Bucky's hands were bound, and Spider-Woman had suspended him from the ceiling with a web line. Seeing him hanging there, head tilted, looking completely at her mercy, it seemed Bucky had fallen unconscious... "Can you put him down? Spider-Woman!" Captain America quickly said. "We need to leave this dangerous place!"
Captain America hoisted Hawkeye, who was still unconscious nearby, onto one shoulder, and caught Winter Soldier, whom Gwen had lowered. Carrying both men, one on each shoulder, his speed barely decreased.
Gwen swung through the corridor on a web line. "Hey, Captain! Did we complete the mission? Did I just save the World?"
"Yes, Spider-Woman!" Captain America replied to Gwenwhen he had a moment. "Thank you for your efforts! I will try my best to help you apply for a hero's badge and have the police lift the warrant for your arrest!"
"Cool!"
Gwen was very happy. She had originally intervened only to halt "Demon Project" and protect herself and her family. Even though she was effectively helping to save the World, she had never thought about compensation afterward.
But she would be even happier if there was a reward, as it was a form of recognition for her.
Not to mention having the police lift the warrant for Spider-Woman! If she could use this opportunity to have her father George clear up his misunderstanding of Spider-Woman, that would be even better!
Chapter 93: The Curtain Falls
"Director Nick?"
Hill saw Captain America and his group appear on the deck in the monitor and immediately called Nick Fury on the comms channel.
Hill received no reply, but she saw the long-range weapons of the two Sky Carriers begin to rotate rhythmically. Finally, the muzzles of the two Sky Carriers pointed at each other.
The staff on Ship B and Ship C also noticed this. After the ground target data captured by the positioning system disappeared, another Sky Carrier at the same flight altitude appeared on the screen!
A line of text appeared on the screen: "Targets Acquired: 2"
They had locked onto each other!
The staff were drenched in cold sweat. At this altitude, if the two Sky Carriers fired at each other, they would have no chance of survival!
For a moment, the control room was filled with the sound of keyboards clattering as everyone used all their knowledge to try and regain control of the Sky Carriers… "Boom!"
The two Sky Carriers fired at each other simultaneously. A volley of cannon fire erupted with astonishing power, causing even the massive Sky Carriers to tremble violently!
However, the main hulls and power engines of both Sky Carriers remained undamaged and continued to operate in orbit.
Hill looked at Captain America and his group running on the deck with some worry. Behind them, flames and black smoke rose dozens of meters high.
The Sky Carrier operated at an altitude of thirty thousand feet, where the air was thin. Captain America quickly began to experience oxygen deprivation from the strenuous activity.
"You look like you're about to collapse, Captain!" Gwensaid casually, running to his left. The Iron Spider Suit had a breathing system suitable for high altitudes, so Gwen was unaffected. "Do you need a hand?"
"No!" Captain America insisted, quickening his pace. "I can do it!"
The open rear hatch of the fighter jet Hill was piloting was close by… The two Sky Carriers continued to fire!
Compared to the Sky Carrier's formidable firepower, its hull's defensive capabilities were much weaker. Amidst rising flames, the hulls of the two Sky Carriers were blasted to pieces by each other!
Between the two Sky Carriers, the air was filled with dense traces left by missiles flying at high speed.
Then, the power engines on the side facing each other were damaged, causing the hulls to tilt significantly. Once the two power engines were completely destroyed, the remaining two power engines couldn't maintain balance, and the two Sky Carriers began to plummet from high altitude!
Their attacks didn't cease during the fall; the operational long-range weapons continued to fire… Gwen watched this scene. Hill turned to look at her and said, "According to the trajectory of these two Sky Carriers, they should fall into the North Atlantic Ocean."
No sooner had she spoken than a long-range missile streaked past the front of their fighter jet, constantly adjusting its flight path.
"HYDRA is still launching ground strikes at the end?" Captain America's voice came from behind. "Where are they targeting? The Pentagon?"
"Director Nick launched it," Hill explained. "The target is an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. Base in New Jersey… Captain, you once underwent Military training there, and S.H.I.E.L.D.was also established at that Base. Now, the supercomputer storing Dr. Zola's consciousness is also there."
"Who is Dr. Zola?" Gwen asked curiously.
"A high-ranking HYDRA member who surrendered after being captured in World War II and participated in multiple Military research projects. After his death, his consciousness was transferred to a supercomputer. He is the target of the long-range missile launched by Director Nick."
"A person's consciousness can be transferred to electronic components?" Gwen couldn't help but exclaim, "Cool!"
Demon Project was halted, and a major battle finally ended. Everyone's tense nerves relaxed. During their casual conversation, Hill continuously lowered the fighter jet's altitude.
"Where are you going now, Miss Spider!" Hill asked, "Do you need a ride?"
"No, no need! My house doesn't have a helipad," Gwenquickly refused. "Saving the World is really tiring! It's finally all over, I can get some beauty sleep tonight…"
"No, it's not over yet," Captain America said sternly. "The Demon is still at large! As long as he hasn't been brought to justice, the World will not know peace!"
"Uh…" Gwen fell silent, but she still nodded, indicating her agreement with Captain America's statement.
"This time it was Demon Project, which was going to kill twenty million people worldwide. HYDRA wants to destroy the current World order, but no one can guess the Demon's purpose. He's a complete madman!" Hill also complained, "And the Demon is a powerful madman. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to destroy Earth next time!"
Captain America was silent for a long time, his hands slowly coming together. "To fight the Demon, I think we should do something…"
"Look out!" Gwen suddenly shouted.
Just as the fighter jet hovered, preparing to land, a rapidly moving unidentified flying object struck the jet from the side!
Immediately, red lights flashed on the dashboard, and the damaged fighter jet lost control, beginning to spin in the sky… Gwen reacted quickly and grabbed the ceiling. No matter how the fighter jet moved, she was unaffected, but Captain America and the two unconscious people were miserable, sliding back and forth in the cabin, along with the unidentified flying object that had punched a large hole in the fuselage… and a hammer!
The unconscious Hawkeye and Winter Soldier also woke up after repeatedly colliding inside the cabin. Winter Soldier was still tied with spider webs, and Captain America held him tightly to stabilize him.
Hill's piloting skills were excellent. She stabilized the fighter jet before it crashed and pulled up again, preparing to land.
"Who told you not to sit properly and buckle up!" Hillgrumbled, "And what is this thing!"
Thor, covered in blood, slowly raised his hand… A team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents escorted Pierce out of the safe zone. Pierce stopped and looked at the Triskelion building, which had become a ruin. He remembered the scene of himself overlooking the ground from the top floor of the building.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will erect a new headquarters building in its place, but there won't be an office for you in the new building," Natasha said indifferently.
Pierce smiled. "Of course, my office will be in Northern Europe!"
Suddenly, gunshots rang out in the team. Most of the Agents turned traitor on the spot, raising their guns and shooting the people next to them.
As Natasha was about to move, Pierce raised his phone and pressed a button.
A silver badge on the chest of a Security Council member nearby exploded, and the member instantly fell to the ground, dead.
"If you don't want a three-inch hole burned in your chest, don't move!" Pierce maintained his smile.
Natasha frowned slightly; she could only throw down the gun in her hand.
But Pierce's smile didn't even last three seconds… The next moment, Pierce burst into flames. His suit and hair were instantly incinerated, and the phone in his hand couldn't withstand the high temperature and exploded. Pierce's face was filled with terror as the flames consumed his face.
The flames were intensely hot. Natasha retreated, terrified, away from Pierce, who was being consumed by the rootless inferno.
The group of rogue Agents looked at this bizarre scene with horror. Listening to Pierce's ghostly wail as he knelt, they trembled so much they couldn't even hold their guns… In just a few seconds, the mysterious and eerie flames vanished, taking Pierce with them… In the spot where he had stood, only a pile of black ashes remained. A gentle breeze blew, and the ashes scattered into the air, disappearing without a trace.
Natasha looked, and on the ground, only a chilling demonic imprint remained
Chapter 95: Spider-Woman is Exactly What I Want!
It was midnight, and Arthur was not asleep in bed. Perhaps it was the constant gunshots outside the window, or perhaps it was the continuous increase in villain points... Although all three Sky Carriers had been shot down, the impact of "Demon Project" on human society had not been completely eliminated. The chaos and social unrest would stir up human malice, especially in the wicked city of New York, where the crime rate had skyrocketed over the past few hours.
Police resources were limited, painting New York's glorious night a vivid red... Arthur turned his head to look out the window. Suddenly, a figure in black, hanging upside down, appeared on the closed windowpane. The Shadow looked at Arthur through the glass for a few seconds, then lightly tapped on the window.
It was Gwen. Arthur was very familiar with Gwen's energy source, and he had detected her the moment she approached the residence.
Or rather, Spider-Gwen. As time passed, the Spider Gene continued to strengthen Gwen's body. Naturally, the Spider Gene also influenced her habits and movements, such as when she was in combat, or even now.
Arthur reached out and turned on the room light. He waved his hand, and the closed window slowly slid open.
Gwen leaped into the room, landing lightly. She shot out a Web Line, pulled a chair toward her, caught it with one hand, and placed it down. She then sat down and unceremoniously propped her feet up on the desk.
Gwen was as casual as if she were back home... Throughout the entire process, Arthur's eyes were calm, until he saw Gwen prop up her long legs, and a faint glint passed through his eyes.
Gwen had a great figure, especially when wearing this white and black tight-fitting uniform. The waist-cinching design of the uniform perfectly highlighted her hourglass figure.
Her waist was very thin, and her legs were straight and slender, with a slight plumpness. The lower half of her uniform was black, making her look quite lithe.
Especially when paired with those blue Ballet Flats, it didn't look out of place at all; rather, it made her look more fashionable and charming.
"How can you sleep? 'Demon Project' has set the whole city of New York on fire. No one is sleeping tonight..." Seeing Arthur looking at her legs, Gwen stretched, showing off her good figure. "You don't mean you still don't know about 'Demon Project,' do you?"
"First of all, people should sleep at night. They are the abnormal ones." Arthur picked up the water cup beside him. "Secondly, I have browsed the news online. Various media outlets have reported that Spider-Woman, Captain America, and Iron Man teamed up to crush 'Demon Project' and save the World... Although I am more inclined to believe the The Daily Bugle's report, which says you and the Demon are in cahoots, and this was just an act to deceive the public."
Gwen was delighted, thinking it was truly difficult to get praise from Arthur! Of course, she automatically ignored the The Daily Bugle's report.
But she didn't expect Arthur to suddenly change the subject:
"But what does any of this have to do with me? I am not a weak civilian who needs protection from people in uniforms! Whether they are Superheroes or villains, they will regret crossing me." Arthur suddenly smiled. "And Miss Spider, how many times have you illegally broken into my house now? Perhaps I should give you a little punishment..."
"But you were the one who opened the window for me just now!" Gwen said, displeased and slightly wary. "What punishment? Are you thinking of something inappropriate?"
Arthur smiled and shook his head. "Need something to drink?"
"No!" Gwen suddenly remembered the purpose of her visit tonight. "I came to see you about something important. I need your help!"
"I possess many noble qualities, and being helpful is one of them!" Arthur nodded, extending his hand, signaling Gwen to speak.
"You know the current situation. The whole of New Yorkhas gone crazy. Gangsters and criminals are rampant. They are breaking into shops and residential homes to loot and smash, and gunfights frequently occur. The streets are constantly seeing crimes like robbery, rape, and shootings!"
Gwen grew more serious as she spoke: "All Policepersonnel have ended their vacations and returned to work, but the Police are helpless in the face of this chaos. Their resources are limited, and they cannot protect the innocent civilians..."
Arthur suddenly yawned, interrupting Gwen. "You know that fighting crime is the Police's job, right? What does that have to do with me? The government doesn't pay me a salary, and I'm a taxpayer."
"Didn't you say you were helpful?" Gwen widened her eyes. "Right now, many weak people need your help!"
"I thought your difficulty was needing a warm bed to rest in, or perhaps needing company during a long night... If it were those things, I could certainly lend a hand." Arthurshrugged innocently. "Regarding the suffering faced by ordinary civilians, I feel deep indignation, sympathy, and powerlessness..."
"I'm going to sleep now. Go save the World again, Miss Spider! I believe you can handle all of this... I'll be dreaming sweetly, and you'll be upholding justice. We'll both have a good night."
With that, Arthur lay down, and with a "snap," the light automatically turned off.
"Remember to take the window with you when you leave. I remind you every time, but you always forget."
Gwen lay back on the chair, looking helpless. She knew she wouldn't be able to smoothly persuade Arthur; his personality was aloof, but she wouldn't give up!
As his girlfriend, Gwen wanted to change Arthur's personality, making him more positive and sunny, and leading him onto the right path. She developed this sense of responsibility after being Spider-Woman for several months.
"Snap!" Gwen turned the room light back on.
"No sleeping!" Gwen walked towards the bed. "Just a few days ago, we were fighting the Lizard Man together, and we teamed up to send him to prison!"
"I was unilaterally thrashing the Lizard Man. Before that, a poor Little Spider was getting beaten up by him..." Arthurmumbled from under the covers.
"That's not the point!" Gwen reached out to pull the blanket covering Arthur. "What I mean is, since you possess great power, you should use it correctly, instead of wasting the gifts bestowed by heaven!"
"Heaven has no right to bestow anything upon me..."
Arthur sighed. He lay on his side, propping his head up with his hand, meeting Gwen's gaze. If Gwen dared to pester the Demon like this, Arthur would definitely give her an unforgettable lesson. But right now, he wasn't the Demon; he was just a mysterious middle school student... "Of course, I understand the principle: 'With great power comes great responsibility.'" Arthur smiled. "But that is not my obligation. Rather than saving those weak people who suffer, I prefer to respect their fate."
Gwen suddenly froze, her eyes losing focus... Arthur's phrase, "With great power comes great responsibility," brought her immense spiritual shock, as if striking her soul!
This sentence kept flashing through her mind, etched into her heart like a spiritual brand. She was deeply shaken!
The family Gwen was born into determined her way of thinking. George, who worked in the Police System, instilled in her the concepts of justice and the rule of law from a young age. Since Gwen became Spider-Woman, she had been striving toward the path of a Superhero.
But her style of action was somewhat arbitrary. Helping others was often just to satisfy her own sense of justice, and fighting crime felt more like playing a Police game, primarily for entertainment. She didn't care if she accidentally caused damage. She rarely worried about the consequences of her actions, otherwise, she wouldn't have been wanted by her own father... At certain times, she would also share Arthur's thoughts—after all, fighting crime wasn't her obligation; she was just a middle school student, and doing this much was already excellent!
But occasionally late at night, seeing the Police's Wanted Posters, the media's slander, and the insults of the crowd, Gwen would feel somewhat lost.
Gwen often felt confused, wondering if she had truly done something wrong. Sometimes she felt she didn't deserve the Spider Power or the title of Spider-Woman.
But now, a single sentence from Arthur instantly cleared all her confusion. She saw her path clearly, as if a sage had enlightened her and allowed her to comprehend her life's creed.
"With great power comes great responsibility!"
Gwen silently repeated the sentence Arthur had said, and a sense of mission instantly surged within her! This sentence felt as if it was born for her, lighting a beacon in her spiritual World.
"I never thought you could say something so philosophical..." Gwen said slowly, her tone gentle.
"Then I should feel heartbroken. I have always been profound, and yet you didn't know it at all." Arthurchuckled. "Of course, that saying doesn't suit me. My power is great, but my only responsibility is to eliminate those who annoy me. Right now, no gangsters or criminals are bothering me. On the contrary, you are the one constantly disturbing my sleep."
Gwen didn't pay any attention to the threat in Arthur's words. She didn't believe Arthur would hurt her.
"You understand the principle! But you just don't want to act on it..." Gwen grew anxious, grabbing Arthur's hand. "You possess extremely powerful abilities, and you only need to waste a little time to help many people, or even save their lives."
Arthur curled the left corner of his mouth into a cold sneer. Gwen instantly understood the expression. Arthurseemed to be asking what the lives and deaths of those people had to do with him. He was indifferent to the civilians and the weak, treating them like a swarm of ants.
Gwen had witnessed Arthur's indifference before, but this was the first time she had seen his cold-bloodedness... "The meaning of my existence is not to save or help unrelated people. Do what you like, but you shouldn't demand that others be the same as you."
Arthur said, stroking Gwen's hand, and then intertwined his fingers tightly with hers.
"You fight criminals and help the weak, but what have you gained? The Police are hunting you, the gangsters have put a bounty on your head, one Entertainment Newspaper transformed into a Daily News Journal just to smear you, and more and more people online are cursing you, even starting an offline Real-Name Signature Campaign to boycott 'Spider-Woman'... The Demon commits every kind of evil, yet people only dare to complain in the comment section and post accusation videos without even showing their faces."
Gwen fell silent. She had many righteous things to say, but she couldn't utter them because everything Arthur said was true.
Arthur also remained silent, patiently playing with Gwen's fingers.
A moment later, Arthur reached out to put his arm around Gwen's waist, but the moment his hand touched her waist, she immediately sprang away. Her reaction was quite intense.
"Then what about me?"
Gwen suddenly asked, standing in front of the window, with the light shining down from the front.
"What?"
"You ignore ordinary people; they don't deserve your help and salvation... Then what about me? Your girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, could you trouble yourself to lend a hand?"
As she spoke, Gwen suddenly pulled off her Spider Mask. A cascade of soft blonde hair fell down, gently moved by the night breeze coming through the window.
The warm light illuminated her delicate face. She hadn't been wearing makeup under the mask, but she was still exceptionally beautiful and moving, without a single flaw.
Gwen quietly looked at Arthur lying on the bed, and the two gazed at each other.
"Of course!" Arthur nodded affirmatively.
Looking at Arthur's calm eyes, Gwen whispered, "You're not surprised at all..."
"Oh, unbelievable!" Arthur said, his face full of shock. "My girlfriend is actually Spider-Woman. This is insane..."
"I know, you already knew!" Gwen interrupted Arthur's performance, stating confidently, "Since that night you kissed Spider-Woman!"
"Is that so? I recall that for the few days following that night, a certain person went radio silent, not replying to messages or answering calls..."
The style of the conversation suddenly shifted from Spider-Woman and Arthur to Gwen and Arthur.
"Stop!"
Gwen's face flushed. It seemed that the complicated little thoughts she had been playing out in her mind during those days had all been exposed by Arthur.
"Those are all your problems. You knew my identity, yet you kissed Spider-Woman for no reason. Gwen would definitely be angry if she knew, and you offered no explanation..."
Gwen was somewhat incoherent, but Arthur understood what she meant.
"Well, you didn't tell me you were Spider-Woman either," Arthur said with an innocent look.
Gwen decided to change the subject: "I forgot to ask last time, is your Superpower controlling objects?"
"It's not just controlling objects..." Arthur smiled and snapped his fingers.
"!!!"
First, her Spider Sense sounded an alarm. Suddenly, Gwenfelt her body flying uncontrollably, but strangely, she felt no force acting upon her!
It was like Gravity had disappeared, and she began to float freely... But she instantly realized that Arthur was demonstrating his ability, so she didn't react further.
In less than a second, Gwen dropped from the window to the bed next to Arthur. The mattress rebounded, bouncing her up, and she wobbled a few times before settling.
"Hmm... the bed is soft," Gwen commented after a moment of surprise.
Arthur rolled over and hugged her. "I thought you'd say something like how strong my ability is."
"It is indeed very strong, a Superpower similar to a BUG..." Gwen exclaimed. "How did you do that? I was controlled without feeling the presence of any force. Also, are there limits to the weight and distance of the objects you control? If not, that's truly monstrous! How did you obtain..."
Gwen's voice came to an abrupt halt; Arthur had already kissed her.
She also used some strength to hug Arthur. The two passionately kissed and tumbled, and slowly, Arthur's hand wrapped around Gwen's waist began to move upwards... A few minutes later, Gwen's face was completely flushed, and her blonde hair was scattered across the bed.
"Wait, let me take off the uniform first..." Gwen reached out to stop Arthur, her eyes somewhat glazed.
"No, don't. Your bodysuit is beautiful, sexy, and moving," Arthur said. "No one can refuse Miss Spider wearing a white and black bodysuit!"
Gwen: "???"
"What I mean is... Spider-Woman is exactly what I want!"
"Tear!" A sound of fabric ripping was heard.
"Now is not the time!" Gwen suddenly sobered up. "We still have important things to do... oh!"
"This is the most important thing..."
Chapter 96: Temporary Hero
At 4:00 AM, New York was still brightly lit. The streets were filled with an endless stream of traffic, headlights flashing, and the streets under the night sky were vibrant and colorful, exuding a bewitching beauty.
A figure swung up from the base of a building. In her hand, a transparent web could be seen connecting to the top of the building. She traced a perfect arc in the air, releasing the web after completing her acceleration, soaring until she reached the highest point.
In the moment of suspension, she shot out a web to connect to the next building, accelerated in her descent, and continued her pendulum motion, swinging back and forth between the closely spaced buildings.
Half a second later, another figure flew across the sky at a steady pace... By comparison, he was truly flying.
Arthur stood vertically in mid-air. When flying, he leaned slightly forward. At low speeds, there was no need to consider air resistance, making this flying posture more comfortable.
Sometimes, Arthur really admired Gwen. For instance, tonight, Arthur admired Gwen's sense of justice, her responsibility, and her unwavering persistence!
It was past two o'clock after Gwen and Arthur were done, and even then, a somewhat dazed Gwen hadn't forgotten her goal for the night! She dragged Arthur out to fight the criminals taking advantage of the chaos, uphold justice, and save the people...
Having just put on his pants, Arthur couldn't bring himself to refuse. After locking eyes with Gwen, Arthur had no choice but to agree to her unreasonable request.
After freshening up, it was already 3:00 AM. They headed out under the streetlights. Fortunately, neither Gwen nor Arthur were ordinary people; they were energetic and wouldn't feel tired even if they didn't sleep all night.
Gwen was right; the "Demon Project" had a far-reaching impact. The long-accumulated sins of New York were unleashed tonight. As they moved along the bustling streets, crime and depraved crowds were visible everywhere.
Junkies were everywhere, robbery and shootings were common, and even the shops with tightly locked doors could not escape the fate of being smashed and looted.
Along the way, the two had already stopped dozens of crimes and punished over a hundred armed criminals.
If the criminals encountered Gwen, it was fine; at most, they would just have a few broken bones or be hung up by webs for a few hours... But if they encountered Arthur, it would be truly miserable!
Some criminals were shot dead by their own handguns, some were sent flying ten meters into the air only to crash heavily onto the ground, and some were run over by parked cars on the side of the road...
Even Gwen had repeatedly accused Arthur of being too cruel and bloody, arguing that the correct approach should be to stop them, then hand them over to the police to let the law judge these criminals.
But her reminders were useless. Instead, she was mocked by Arthur for being too much of a saint, lecturing about mercy and the rule of law when facing armed, high-risk criminals who didn't deserve redemption.
"No wonder Mr. George hates the Spider-Woman you portray. If someone were constantly increasing my workload every day, I would find it hard to like her too!"
After hearing this taunt from Arthur, Gwen was furious. She swung her webs rapidly in front, not even looking back when she heard Arthur's voice.
Arthur followed his angry girlfriend at a leisurely pace, complaining in his heart.
As a demon, he was actually dragged out by his Superherogirlfriend to act as a temporary hero... I have to say, this World is truly absurd!
Suddenly, Gwen, who should have risen after swinging to her lowest point, flew out. During her flight, she kept falling, her trajectory in the air resembling a curve of horizontal projectile motion.
At the other end of the web, a large piece of the building's wall fell downward. It turned out that the wall could not withstand the tension of the web and had broken off.
Arthur reached out his hand and made an upward lifting motion.
Gwen, who was accelerating in her fall, suddenly stopped. It was as if an invisible hand in the air had scooped her up, sending her flying rapidly toward Arthur.
Gwen grabbed Arthur's extended hand. Just then, the falling wall crashed to the ground, flattening a car parked on the side of the road...
"Sorry, Mr. Car Owner... This building must have been poorly constructed; there are serious issues with its quality!" Gwen said, holding her forehead. She looked at Arthur, "It is definitely not a problem with my weight!"
Arthur shrugged helplessly, "I told you before, let me carry you when flying. It's ten times faster, a hundred times safer, and a thousand times cooler than swinging on a web."
"No, I refuse!" Gwen answered firmly. "Swinging on a web is very safe. I could have landed steadily just now, but you controlled me before I could even act... Also, there is no cooler way to move in this World than swinging on a web!"
Gwen genuinely loved swinging on webs. It wasn't just because of the influence of her spider genes; anyone who learned to swing on webs would fall in love with the freedom and thrill of the wind blowing on their face. Every rise and fall felt like completing a bungee jump, and every conversion between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy fascinated her...
By comparison, flying was much more mundane. In this World, many Superheroes could fly, but only Spider-Woman knew how to swing on a web!
"Where are we going now?" Arthur asked. "Maybe we should find a 24-hour pharmacy..."
Gwen tapped him. She said seriously: "Along this street is the central area of Brooklyn. I think there are many crimes happening there right now!"
"The New York of today is truly disappointing. Pornography and violence fill this city." Gwen said in a low voice, "It's not just New York; the entire World is chaotic right now. It was the 'Demon Project' that instigated all of this. If I had that kind of power, I would definitely arrest the demon!"
Arthur casually agreed, though he felt a bit smug in his heart. He was truly a gifted villain; the "Demon Project" he had casually planned and participated in could stir up such huge waves in human society.
"Perhaps our efficiency would be higher if we split up. If we split up, we could fight two crimes at the same time!" Gwen suddenly said. "We can patrol along two streets and meet at the center point."
"Captain Spider, I think your tactics are perfect... but there is one flaw." Arthur said with a serious face, "It would be better to make the meeting point my home. We can meet at my place tomorrow morning, and we can even have breakfast together!"
"Uh... You aren't going to sneak home to sleep, are you?" Gwen said, looking incredulous. "Leaving me alone to fight criminals on the streets in the middle of the night?"
"Of course... not!"
"That is exactly what you are thinking!" Gwen said with dissatisfaction.
"We have already fought many criminals, so I suggest we turn back home now and continue sleeping!"
The two began to argue while flying...
Suddenly, a burst of gunfire rang out, sounding particularly abrupt amidst the honking of car horns.
Without waiting for Gwen to remind him, Arthur lowered his altitude. The gunfire came from a 24-hour convenience store. Although the owner had the safety awareness to close early, the store had now been broken into by several thugs who were looting it.
Arthur and Gwen landed at the entrance. The criminals hadn't noticed them yet. One was standing in front of a shelf sweeping items, one was tilting his head back, chugging Budweiser beer, and two were gathered in front of the cash register at the counter.
"Boss, there's a jewelry store across the street. Why are we robbing a convenience store?"
"The jewelry store has equipped their security guards with AK rifles. Are you sure you want to go?"
"Uh... actually, I think the convenience store is pretty good too!"
As he spoke, he opened the cash register drawer, but there were only a few small bills inside. He slapped the register hard, and the keys were knocked flying!
"Fuck! That scumbag took all the money!"
Arthur had no patience. He waved his hand slightly, and a carton of milk from the shelf flew out at high speed, slamming into the back of a criminal's head and exploding instantly!
White milk splattered everywhere—on the ceiling, walls, and floor. The criminal also fell straight to the ground, unconscious from the heavy blow.
The lead criminal didn't know what had happened yet. He turned around to look at the people at the door and instinctively raised his gun.
The next moment, his expression changed drastically. He realized he couldn't control the gun in his hand. The pistol began to flip, and the muzzle was actually pointing at him! Terrified, he immediately raised his hands high, breaking out in a cold sweat all over.
"No!" Gwen hurriedly stopped Arthur. She pressed her hands against Arthur's chest, "Robbing a convenience store won't result in a death sentence."
Arthur waved his hand helplessly. The suspended pistol accelerated and slammed into the criminal's face. He let out a miserable scream, lowering his head to cover his nose as blood flowed from between his fingers.
Gwen shot a web to grab the pistol that had fallen to the ground and threw it aside. She wasn't afraid that the criminals would pick up the gun again and threaten their safety, but rather worried that Arthur would be annoyed by the sight of armed people and kill them...
Now, Gwen was even regretting bringing Arthur out to fight crime. As superpowered individuals, their viewpoints were too different!
However, Gwen was also a bit glad that she had discovered Arthur's superpowers early on. This way, she could try her best to correct Arthur's murderous intent, make him respect life, and establish a correct concept of the rule of law... But for now, this was just her fantasy, or perhaps her ideal.
"Spider-Woman?"
The criminals were stunned. When did Spider-Womanchange her outfit?
The person in front of them was wearing jeans and a hoodie that were several sizes too big, looking somewhat baggy and even masculine... Under the hoodie, however, was the familiar spider mask, and with that web-shooting ability, they could confirm her identity as Spider-Woman.
The other two black men didn't know what was happening. Suddenly, all the merchandise on the shelves floated up, and they backed away in terror.
Gwen seemed to have guessed what bad things would happen next, but before she could speak to stop it, all the merchandise shot out at high speed, carrying immense kinetic energy as it slammed into the criminals, especially the canned drinks and glass bottles, which were even more powerful after accelerating!
The sound of impacts merged into one, and the men were instantly buried by countless items.
Gwen closed her eyes and held her forehead, not wanting to look. She knew that the saddest person tonight wouldn't be these criminals, but the owner of this convenience store...
"I've taken down four more criminals," Arthur said with a smile. "Aren't you going to high-five me? Spider-Woman."
Arthur admitted that there was an element of intentionality tonight, hoping that Gwen would be sensible enough to stop pestering him to play Superhero in the future.
Before Gwen could speak, a sharp sound of tearing metal suddenly came from nearby.
Gwen and Arthur turned around simultaneously. An ATM shell had been thrown with great force, scraping a series of sparks across the asphalt road.
They looked and saw two strange-looking criminals standing in front of a destroyed ATM.
Arthur and Gwen exchanged a knowing look. It seemed these two were not ordinary criminals!
One was nearly three meters tall, massive in size, with cyan skin and silver metal armor exposed on his back. Of course, the most eye-catching feature was the sharp horn on his head. He looked just like a bipedal Rhino!
The other was about 1.9 meters tall, his whole body covered in green fur, with a muscular build. His back was slightly hunched, his hands had sharp claws, and his feet left marks on the road where he passed. From the side, one could see the sharp fangs in his mouth, and particularly noticeable were his wolf-like ears.
The ATM alarm sounded. Jackal ignored it, continuing to stuff U.S. dollars into a bag. Rhino was a bit impatient and smashed the alarm with a punch, causing cracks to appear on the wall as well.
Arthur was still thinking about which Marvel villains these two were when Gwen had already made her move.
Gwen started a running start. She shot a web to pull back the thrown ATM shell. Gwen leaped high into the air, spinning around. After a circular motion, the ATM shell was accelerated to top speed and slammed heavily into Jackal!
"Thud!"
The violent impact produced a loud noise. The ATM shell was smashed to pieces, and Jackal was sent flying!
Jackal rolled on the ground a few times before stopping. A teeth-grinding sound was heard as Jackal's sharp claws left deep gouges in the concrete.
The somewhat slow-reacting Rhino finally charged out. He lowered his body, attempting to gore Gwen with the sharp horn on his head. If it connected, she would definitely be disemboweled!
Gwen dodged nimbly. Actually, Rhino's speed wasn't fast; even without her Spider-Sense, she could easily dodge Rhino's headbutt attack.
Rhino didn't seem very intelligent; even though Gwen had dodged, he continued to accelerate, as if he were charging into thin air.
Gwen couldn't help but laugh, but the next moment, she couldn't laugh anymore...
"Boom!"
After running for dozens of meters, Rhino crashed into a wall. He punched through the wall without stopping, entering the inside of the building. With a loud crash, the massive wall cracked with countless fissures, spreading to the entire building...
The next moment, the shattered wall could no longer support itself and began to collapse, and then the entire building came crashing down in just a few seconds!
Gwen was dumbfounded. This criminal who looked like a Rhino had actually destroyed a multi-story building with a single headbutt?
"!!!"
Gwen instantly jumped three meters high. Jackal swung his sharp claws, slicing through her afterimage. In that instant, Gwen even saw the cold light reflecting off those sharp claws!
Jackal had been waiting for an opportunity on the side. He seized the moment when Gwen was distracted to attack, but unfortunately, facing Gwen with her Spider-Sense, his attack was destined to miss.
Gwen shot a web in the air, forcefully changing her trajectory to land on a wall. She stood on the vertical wall with both feet, looking down at Jackal.
Chapter 97: Destruction
A building was reduced to ruins in seconds, and all it took was a headbutt! Anyone who witnessed this scene would be shocked... except for Arthur, the man who tore apart the Sky Carrier with his bare hands.
The collapsed architectural rubble shook violently, dust flew up, and a few seconds later, the tall figure of Rhinoemerged from it.
Jackal took a running start and leaped from the ground. His sharp claws dug into the wall several times to accelerate, and he lunged toward Gwen!
Gwen quickly leaned back, dodging Jackal's claws, and punched him on the jaw.
Jackal felt as if he had been hit by a moving car. Unable to maintain balance in the air, he plummeted like a kite with a broken string.
Rhino on the ground naturally had no intention of helping his teammate. He didn't even react when Jackal fell beside him and hit the ground. In his eyes, there was only Gwenplastered against the wall.
Rhino naturally did not have the swift mobility of Jackal. He couldn't climb a ten-meter-high wall, but he could smash it down!
Rhino's method of attack was simple and effective. He raised the horn on his head and rammed the wall where Gwen was located again.
Frightened, Gwen quickly jumped to the ground. She did not want this Rhino criminal to destroy another building because of her!
But even after she reached the ground, Rhino did not change the direction of his charge. Gwen was already complaining about the Rhino's intelligence!
Gwen shot webs from both hands, grabbing Rhino's shoulders. She leaned back and dug her feet into the ground, desperately trying to stop Rhino.
Gwen's shoes scraped two blue marks across the ground. Eventually, the pavement couldn't withstand the force and shattered, leaving two deep trenches dug out by Gwen, and her Ballet Flats also split open.
But Rhino was still moving forward; Gwen couldn't stop him!
The webs were showing signs of tearing, so Gwen quickly added two more strands.
This was the first time Gwen had encountered someone so immensely strong that she couldn't stop him! She had once stopped a runaway train!
Before tonight, Spider-Gwen had never lost a strength contest when facing demons, Spider-Beastman, or Green Goblin. This was her first Waterloo.
Jackal, who was nearby, seized the opportunity again. He lunged at Gwen once more, opening his bloody maw..."!!!"
The Spider-Sense screamed a warning. At this moment, Gwen seemed to be in a desperate situation: Rhino was about to hit the wall in front of her, and Jackal was swinging his sharp claws from the side!
But Gwen wasn't scared at all. She didn't even let go of the webs she was pulling with all her might, because Gwenknew she wasn't fighting alone!
Suddenly, Jackal's pouncing figure stopped in mid-air. The fierce expression on his face instantly froze. Jackal waved his claws, but he could never reach Gwen; the one-meter distance between them was like an insurmountable chasm.
A second later, Arthur waved his hand as if tossing trash. Jackal was instantly flung sideways, tracing an arc across the night sky before finally smashing onto the road dozens of meters away, where several moving cars successively collided with him.
Rhino, whom Gwen couldn't stop even with all her strength, was forced to halt. No matter how strong he was, once he was lifted off the ground and suspended, he couldn't exert his power and was reduced to a mere sandbag.
Gwen dropped the webs, shook her wrists and her aching foot, and finally plopped down onto the ground.
Now, Gwen thought to herself again that it was a good thing she had called Arthur tonight. Otherwise, she would have had to swing away and flee embarrassedly, just like that night she first faced the Spider-Beastman... Arthur's hand pressed down hard, and Rhino accelerated with a "dong" sound, smashing into the ground, shattering all the floor tiles in that area.
Arthur raised his hand, and Rhino began to accelerate upwards until he reached dozens of meters in the sky. Arthur then pressed down hard again, and Rhino plummeted rapidly, creating a deep crater in the ground with a loud bang, like a small meteorite falling! Even Gwen nearby felt the earth shake.
Gwen looked back at the expressionless Arthur. Witnessing Arthur's immense strength at that moment, she actually felt a sense of security she had never experienced before... Arthur repeated the action, making Rhino continuously rise and fall. The craters he smashed into the ground grew deeper and deeper... and Arthurseemed to have no intention of stopping.
Even though Rhino's defense was very strong, possessing Polymer Skin that could withstand most attacks and was impervious to blades and bullets, he couldn't endure this continuous heavy beating.
Rhino began to let out screams, but soon even the sound stopped... Arthur controlled Rhino to rise into the air and accelerate down to the ground a few more times before finally stopping.
Arthur walked up to Gwen and held out his hand. "Miss Spider, defeated again? Why is it that every battle I witness, you lose? I advise you to give up the Superheroprofession. I don't want to lose my girlfriend forever one day."
Listening to Arthur's sarcasm, Gwen irritably grabbed his hand and stood up: "If you don't want to lose your girlfriend, then you should stick close and protect her at all times, instead of dampening her enthusiasm!"
The battle between Spider-Gwen, Rhino, and Jackal ended with Arthur's intervention. After the fight, Gwen was in a bit of a bad state; at the very least, her beautiful blue Ballet Flats were ruined.
Arthur planned to buy Gwen a pair of beautiful Ballet Flats tomorrow, as Spider-Gwen seemed incomplete without her blue Ballet Flats... When Gwen stood, her legs were slightly bent, appearing uncomfortable. It was unclear whether she was genuinely injured in the fight or if she subconsciously displayed a weaker side when facing Arthur... But Arthur never worried. Spider-Gwenpossessed a Self-Healing Factor, allowing her to fully recover from serious injuries that were incurable for ordinary people within hours to days. Minor injuries like this were nothing to worry about.
Arthur put one arm around Gwen's back and the other under her knee, lifting her up in a bridal carry amidst her gasp of surprise.
"I was fighting two criminals all by myself just now, so falling slightly into a disadvantage is understandable!" Gwen argued.
Arthur nodded: "Actually, you already knew that Lizard Man last time was your internship mentor. You didn't want to strike Dr. Connors hard, which is why you fell into a disadvantage during the fight with Lizard Man at the school."
Arthur and Gwen flew away from the area, bickering all the while.
Arthur looked down at the ground, observing the destruction they had just caused. A nearly ten-story building was knocked down by Rhino, Jackal flying onto the road caused a chain-reaction car crash, and then he made a huge hole in the ground... Rhino and Jackal had originally only intended to rob an ATM Machine, which wouldn't have caused such massive economic losses... No wonder so many citizens in this World disliked Superheroes!
"We haven't dealt with those two criminals yet!"
Gwen said belatedly after Arthur had been flying with her for a while... That's it for today. This counts as five chapters, a small burst of updates... Tomorrow is a Plot Point, continuing the daily 10,000-word burst!
Stop scolding, stop scolding. I checked the update volume of recently listed authors. Although I can't compare to some Tentacle Monsters, I'm not the worst.
Chapter 98: Anti-Demon Alliance
East side of Manhattan, United Nations Headquarters, World Security Council.
"Just read the speech," Coulson handed Captain America a slip of paper. "Though you probably won't need it... Superheroes all have a maverick side."
Captain America took the paper, shaking his head. "I'm not Tony Stark."
"It seems you know about that incident. Mr. Stark has a lot of personality." Coulson smiled, then looked at his watch. "Captain, you have a minute and a half to prepare."
The open door of the room was knocked upon, and a middle-aged man in a suit stood at the entrance.
"Chief George, hello!" Coulson quickly stepped forward to shake his hand. "I'm Phil Coulson, representing S.H.I.E.L.D.today to discuss the Spider-Woman issue with the New York Police... Please follow me."
George glanced at Captain America in the room before following Coulson, saying with some doubt, "Mr. Coulson, have we met before?"
"We had a brief encounter in the hallway of New YorkColumbia and Cornell Presbyterian Hospital. We both questioned Harry Osborn about the details of the Midtown Tech dance tragedy," Coulson said with a smile. "Mr. George has an amazing memory."
Only then did George realize that it was probably Harry's abnormal behavior that day that made his experience in the hospital so memorable... Inside the room, Captain Americawas still familiarizing himself with the speech. Today, the Security Council held a press conference regarding "Demon Project," with reporters from all over the Worldsetting up their cameras beneath the stage, and Captain America was to speak on behalf of the Security Council.
Captain America needed to answer media questions about "Demon Project." S.H.I.E.L.D. was a secret organization, but Captain America had been well-known to the public during World War II, and his image was deeply ingrained in people's hearts.
Captain America also participated in the mission to stop "Demon Project" and played a crucial role, so no one was more suitable to be the spokesperson than him.
"You should be very familiar with this kind of occasion. Your resume includes a long record of public appearances, and the Secretary of State even awarded you a medal," Hill's voice came from behind him.
"I don't know if it's familiar or unfamiliar. After all, I haven't done any publicity work for seventy years," Captain America looked up and said, "I heard you've succeeded as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., congratulations!"
"It's not worth congratulating. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.has never been an easy job..." Hill shook her head and said, "You should say 'good luck,' and I hope I don't die in some major event that follows."
In the past, Hill had been appreciated by several national leaders for her high work efficiency and strong principles, and was appointed as S.H.I.E.L.D. Executive Director. Now that Nick Fury had died in the "Demon Project" incident, she succeeded as Director without any obstacles.
Captain America fell silent after hearing Hill's words. Before he could say anything, Hill reminded him, "It's your turn to go on stage, Captain!"
The Security Council member hosting the press conference said, "Now, please welcome Steve Rogers to answer questions from the media and the public. The questions have already been drawn, and no on-site questions will be accepted. Thank you."
Captain America strode onto the stage. Standing at the podium, he took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over every reporter.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had specifically dressed Captain America in his legendary uniform, with its classic red, blue, and white colors, echoing the shield's palette. The entire uniform appeared sharp and battle-worn. This uniform had also been collected by museums, forever on display for people to visit and admire.
The flashbulbs continued to shine. Although videos of Captain America fighting kung fu panda had gone viral online long ago, and many people believed in Captain America's awakening, this was still his first public appearance since his awakening... "It's undeniable that Spider-Woman played a key role in stopping 'Demon Project.' She saved many people in the World, including me... I was also on that list," Chief George said. "But her previous criminal record is also a fact. The police can withdraw her arrest warrant, but the next time she obstructs police work, causes damage, and threatens citizen safety, we will still issue another warrant for her arrest!"
"Thank you for your support, sir!" Coulson was already very satisfied. "Although Spider-Woman has some flaws in her actions, she possesses an extraordinary sense of justice and responsibility. We will work hard to guide her onto the right path!"
"You mean?"
"That's right, the next time you see Spider-Woman, she might already be a government worker," Coulson smiled. "Of course, this work has no leads yet. If the police have any information about Spider-Woman, please share it with us, such as how to contact her."
"I'm sorry, I can't help," George said.
Coulson didn't mind, turning his gaze to the television in the room. Captain America was still reading his speech, which was good news.
"Everyone is familiar with the process of 'Demon Project.' The Demon filmed a short video and widely distributed it to the World... So now I'll just talk about the cause," Captain America said, looking at his script.
"This was all a conspiracy by an organization called HYDRA. They tried to rule the World during World War IIbut were defeated by us. However, after decades of development, they infiltrated many World security organizations, to the point where they had the strength to carry out such a large-scale terrorist incident. Now, our internal HYDRA members have been purged, but the organization HYDRA has still not been eliminated..."
"What if HYDRA launches another terrorist attack next time?" a reporter below shouted, asking.
Captain America looked at him, then continued his speech.
"Throughout the mission, we received support from many Superheroes. With their help, we were able to thwart the conspiracies of HYDRA and the Demon."
"For example, Spider-Woman and Iron Man, who respectively infiltrated two Sky Carriers controlled by HYDRA and replaced the carriers' chips, allowing us to halt 'Demon Project' and destroy the Sky Carriers."
"At that time, many Superheroes in the city also helped the police maintain public order and protect ordinary citizens. We thank everyone for their efforts..."
"Captain! An organization has tallied the death toll of this 'Demon Project' at 12,000, and the number of injured is countless. Is this data accurate?" Suddenly, a female reporter sitting in the front row loudly interrupted Captain America's speech with her question.
Captain America was silent for a few seconds. Seeing his reaction, some reporters quickly shouted questions.
"The mastermind behind 'Demon Project' is the Demon. Has the Demon been brought to justice, or is he still at large? What measures will the authorities take against the Demon?"
"In the live broadcast, we saw the Demon easily destroy a Sky Carrier. He possesses such powerful abilities, can the authorities really fight against the Demon?"
Captain America remained silent, the expression on his face growing deeper... In another room, Coulson felt a sense of unease at Captain America's expression.
"This is bad..." Coulson remembered Tony's performance at the last press conference.
"If the Demon launches another terrorist attack similar to 'Demon Project' next time, will everyone in the World just have to wait to die?" the reporter continued to shout questions.
The press conference descended into chaos. Some reporters even rushed forward to question Captain America. The Security Council had to interrupt the conference, and security personnel entered to escort the council members and maintain order.
"No!"
Captain America suddenly spoke, and the scene instantly fell silent. Even the council members who were preparing to leave stopped, waiting for Captain America's next statement.
"I will absolutely not allow the same thing to happen again!"
Everyone held their breath, staring at Captain America, their faces filled with shock... "The people should not live in fear, and the Demon should not go unpunished!" Captain America's tone was firm, as if he were declaring an oath: "We will establish the Anti-Demon Alliance!"
A huge uproar erupted below the stage, with questions and doubts flooding in.
"Captain, do you think anyone can defeat the Demon?"
"Will the Demon take this as a declaration of war? What will happen if the Demon is provoked?"
"Captain, does the Anti-Demon Alliance have an initial roster?"
Captain America ignored all the noise, picked up the microphone, and continued to speak loudly: "The Anti-Demon Alliance's purpose is: to resist the Demon, to defeat the Demon, and to bring the Demon to justice! To achieve this goal, I will do everything in my power!"
..."This is insane!"
Inside the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Tony said incredulously.
"Captain, what makes you think you can lead an alliance to fight the Demon?" Tony sounded like he'd heard the biggest joke ever. "Oh, right, you just came out of the ice, you don't understand this World at all..."
Captain America frowned: "Stark, I never said I wanted to be the leader of the Anti-Demon Alliance..."
"And you're not worthy!" Tony almost scoffed. "You're soft-hearted towards a killer. If Spider-Woman hadn't helped you hold him back, half of New York would have been destroyed, and you'd still be playing fighting games with your old friend!"
Captain America took a deep breath to stay calm. He never wanted to argue with anyone, especially not Tony Stark.
Tony was not only Iron Man but also the most outstanding scientist, weapons development expert, and energy expert. The miniaturized Arc Reactor and Iron Man Suit were enough to prove his intelligence and unlimited creativity.
If he could join the Anti-Demon Alliance, the Anti-Demon Alliance would have enough scientific and technological support. As long as Tony chose to join, the Anti-Demon Alliance would achieve a qualitative leap.
"Also, any organization needs a leader, a leader who can guide the direction and possess authority, otherwise it will disintegrate from within first, let alone if you still fantasize about fighting the Demon."
"Then it's destined that I'm not suitable for this alliance. I'm never constrained by others. Participating in team operations, reluctantly doing some missions..." Tony spread his hands and said, "Obviously, that's not my style!"
"Everything has to have style, doesn't it?" Captain Americasaid flatly.
"Who is sitting in the conference room right now still wearing a tight-fitting uniform?" Tony smiled slightly. "A few hours ago, an antique, wearing his antique uniform, shamelessly declared to the World that he would defeat the Demon..."
Captain America glared at Tony a few times. Natashasilently averted her gaze. After "Demon Project" ended, Stark Industries had fired this S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent employee.
Hawkeye sat sideways, looking out the window, as if he had never paid attention to what was happening at the conference table.
"Stark, the leader can be you, or someone with leadership ability whom everyone deems suitable," Captain Americasaid seriously. "Who becomes the leader isn't the point. The point is that we all have a common goal: my enemies are all demons!"
"No, I have a ton of personality flaws. Stark Industrieshasn't collapsed all these years thanks to Miss Potts. If you choose me as your leader, the Anti-Demon Alliance won't be far from disbanding," Tony said, lying back in his chair and looking at everyone. "Also, Captain, please don't force your beliefs on others. I've never considered the Demon an enemy... We're friends, the Demon admitted it himself! I think we'll always be friends, as long as he doesn't send a panda to beat me up and steal my armor."
"Tony Stark is also on the death list, and so is Pepper Potts," Captain America's face was full of black lines.
"That's a list made by HYDRA. Given the Demon's patience, would he specifically review the list to see if his friend Tony Stark's name is on it?" Tony chuckled dismissively.
"Anti-Demon Alliance? Now the whole World knows, and the Demon knows too! I'm wondering if I should issue a statement when I get back, declaring that Tony Stark will not join any official organization, or even state directly that Iron Man has nothing to do with the Anti-Demon Alliance?"
"You have great courage, Captain! You are the embodiment of justice, and your mission is to defeat the Demon." Tonystood up and picked up his suit jacket from the chair. "But I'm sorry, I can only silently support you from behind. I hope you can live safely. No one will join your alliance..."
"I'll join!" The conference room door was suddenly pushed open from outside. "I'll join the Anti-Demon Alliance!"
Tony looked at the man at the door with some confusion. He was wearing a vest and work pants, with long, golden hair, tall, muscular, and rugged, yet exuding a handsome charm.
"point break?" Tony said, somewhat uncertainly.
Mainly, Thor's appearance had changed too much. That day, he descended from dark clouds and lightning, wielding Mjolnir, with his cape and hair flowing, majestic and awe-inspiring... But now, Thor looked more like a construction worker.
"What?" Thor was stunned. Asgardian culture certainly wouldn't understand what "point break" meant.
"point break is a movie, released in 1991," Natashaexplained. "You and Patrick Swayze in the movie both have the same long golden hair."
Thor looked at Tony with some displeasure. He could tell that the nickname was a mockery of his appearance.
"Alright, point break..."
"My name is Thor Odinson!" Thor emphasized.
But Tony ignored him, "You just got beaten up by the Demon, so I can totally understand you wanting to join the Anti-Demon Alliance... Oh, and you crashed a S.H.I.E.L.D.fighter jet when you escaped, so you should stay and work to pay off your debt!"
More tonight, around eleven.