Coulson gave a dry laugh.
"Li, I won't deny it. If someone like you stands outside the system, that's a risk. But if you stand with us, that's hope."
Li Jie turned his head slightly, watching the armored convoy roll forward through the ruined streets.
Hope?
Or control?
He didn't expose the thought. Instead, he asked calmly, "Where is Spider-Man?"
Coulson tapped the tablet mounted on the dashboard. A holographic map flickered to life.
"Queens. Near Midtown. We've tracked unusual web patterns and high-mobility movement across rooftops. He's avoiding open combat, stealing supplies, and… protecting civilians."
Li Jie raised a brow. "So he's still playing hero."
"Yes," Coulson replied softly. "That's why we want him alive."
Queens – Rooftops
The convoy stopped three blocks away.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents spread out in tactical formation.
Firefox stepped out of the armored vehicle, now unshackled. She had been given a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. sidearm, though she clearly preferred something quieter.
Coulson adjusted his tie.
"Remember," he said into comms, "minimal damage. We're not hunting a criminal. We're recruiting an asset."
A red-and-blue blur swung between buildings.
There he was.
Spider-Man landed lightly on a traffic light, head tilting as he looked at the armored vehicles below.
"Uh… guys? I don't know if you noticed, but SHIELD-branded tanks aren't exactly subtle."
His voice, young. Alert. Nervous—but controlled.
Li Jie stepped forward into the open.
"Kid," he called out, "they just want to talk."
Spider-Man crouched lower.
"Yeah, that's what the last heavily armed government agency said."
He shot a webline—
—but before he could swing away, Li Jie's telekinetic force snapped the web midair.
Spider-Man flipped, landing on a wall sideways.
"Oh. Great. You're the floaty-knife guy."
Li Jie smirked faintly.
"I prefer 'efficient.'"
Spider-Man fired rapid web bursts toward S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—not to harm, but to entangle.
In seconds, three agents were stuck to a patrol car.
Firefox watched carefully.
"He's holding back," she muttered.
"Of course he is," Coulson replied. "That's why we need him."
Rooftop Engagement
Spider-Man leapt skyward—
—and suddenly froze midair.
Invisible force gripped him.
He struggled, muscles straining.
"Okay—this is officially worse than Doc Ock."
Li Jie lifted him gently, not crushing—just restraining.
"Relax," Li Jie said calmly. "If I wanted you dead, this would've ended already."
Spider-Man's mask lenses narrowed.
"That's… not comforting."
Coulson stepped forward beneath them.
"Peter," he called out.
The name made Spider-Man go still.
"You know my—"
"We know who you are," Coulson said gently. "And we know what you've been doing. Saving survivors. Delivering food. Avoiding infection zones."
A pause.
Li Jie slowly lowered him to the ground but kept the telekinetic restraint light—enough to prevent escape.
"We're trying to bring infected heroes back," Coulson continued. "There's progress. Real progress."
Spider-Man's breathing slowed.
"You mean… a cure?"
"Something close," Li Jie answered smoothly. "I've seen it work."
Spider-Man looked between them.
"And you need me because…?"
"Because," Coulson said, "this world still needs symbols."
Silence lingered.
In the distance, a zombie horde wandered aimlessly through the avenue.
Spider-Man looked at them.
Then back at the agents.
"If I say no?"
Li Jie released the restraint completely.
"Then you swing away," he said simply.
Spider-Man didn't move.
Firefox studied him carefully. Not fear. Not arrogance.
Responsibility.
Finally, Spider-Man spoke quietly.
"If there's even a chance to fix this… I'm in."
Coulson exhaled in relief.
"Welcome aboard."
Later – Inside the Convoy
Spider-Man sat across from Li Jie, mask still on.
"So," he said cautiously, "you're not actually with SHIELD, right?"
"No."
"Then why help them?"
Li Jie looked out the window at the collapsing cityscape.
"Because I need something."
Spider-Man tilted his head.
"That doesn't sound very heroic."
Li Jie's lips curved faintly.
"I never said I was."
Across the convoy, Coulson received a secure transmission.
"Director," an agent reported. "Energy signature spike detected. Stark-level."
Coulson's smile faded slightly.
"Location?"
"Thirty miles east. Desert region."
Li Jie's desert base.
Coulson glanced toward Li Jie thoughtfully.
"So," he murmured under his breath, "how many games are you playing, Li?"
Li Jie, as if sensing the look, turned his eyes slightly.
Two masterminds.
Both smiling.
Both calculating.
The apocalypse wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about positioning.
And the board was getting crowded.
....
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