Nick Fury had been eagerly anticipating the sight of Peter being pinned to the floor and pummeled by Captain America.
But reality left him sorely disappointed.
Not only was Peter not being neutralized, he seemed to be getting more excited the longer they fought! He had realized that Captain America was the perfect sparring partner.
Daredevil was a master of technique, sure, but his physical stats were too low. Plus, Matt Murdock strictly adhered to a "no-kill" rule. While skilled, fighting him always felt restrictive to Peter—like he had to constantly pull his punches for fear of accidentally killing the man with a stray hit.
Captain America was different. Though the Super Soldier serum didn't make him as strong as Peter, he was leagues ahead of Daredevil.
Combined with his legendary "I can do this all day" passive ability to stay in the fight, Peter could finally let loose without worrying about breaking his opponent.
Furthermore, the Captain's skills were literal killing techniques forged on the battlefields of WWII. These moves perfectly complemented the gaps in Kyogoku Makoto's style.
Kyogoku was a martial arts prodigy, but he was an athlete, not a soldier. His Karate was exquisite but lacked that raw, lethal edge.
Leveraging Kyogoku's monstrous combat talent and the lightning-fast reflexes from the Lizard Serum, Peter was acting like a sponge.
He greedily absorbed the combat experience Steve Rogers had summarized through countless life-and-death struggles.
Every movement, every shift in weight, every tactical decision made by Steve was being seared into Peter's muscle memory and rapidly transformed into his own.
Peter's combat style was evolving at a rate visible to the naked eye.
On the other side, Steve was becoming increasingly shocked. He could feel his stiff body waking up, his strength and speed steadily climbing back to their peak. Yet, no matter how much he ramped it up, the boy across from him always stayed exactly one step ahead.
Amidst his shock, however, Steve felt a growing sense of admiration. Several times, he noticed that when Peter couldn't quite block an incoming strike, the force in the boy's fist would suddenly spike to repel him.
But as soon as Steve was forced back, Peter's power would eerily recede, maintaining a level just high enough to challenge him.
What did that mean? It meant the boy was suppressing his true strength and speed. He was... genuinely helping him with physical rehabilitation!
At this thought, Steve's gaze softened. Truthfully, his first impression of Peter hadn't been great, but through the clash, he realized that while the kid was sharp-tongued and arrogant, he was a good person at heart.
Especially when...
CLANG!
Peter's fist slammed into the Vibranium shield, the impact sending both of them back two or three steps. The moment they separated, they spoke almost in perfect unison:
"I can do this all day!"
Steve's eyes lit up instantly. You even know my catchphrase? You're definitely a fan!
The way Steve looked at Peter changed completely—it was now the look of an elder observing a brilliant, beloved successor with affection and pride.
Huddled in the corner, Nick Fury slapped his forehead.
It's over... everything is ruined...
Even the Captain couldn't handle this brat! And looking at the Captain's face, they were clearly bonding!
Is there no justice?! No law?! Why can this kid do this much without even using magic?! Is there anything on this planet that can actually restrain him?
Peter ignored Fury's internal crisis and looked at Steve. "Captain, want to keep going?"
Feeling the dull ache in his forearms, Steve smiled and shook his head. "No need. Your 'treatment' worked wonders. I feel like I'm back at my best.
While Fury was drowning in the mental background music of a tragic ballad, Peter quietly walked up to him.
"Mr. Nick Fury, I've handled the two things you asked for. Now, it's time to pay up."
Fury looked at Peter like he was facing a natural disaster. Despite knowing he was outmatched, he barked: "I'm telling you now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is broke! If you want money, look elsewhere!"
"Don't worry, I have someone else in mind for the money." Peter patted his shoulder and stroked his chin. "For the first payment..."
His eyes scanned the lab before landing on the Captain. "I want the Captain..."
"In your dreams!" Fury's voice cracked with panic.
"Look at you, getting all anxious again!" Peter rolled his eyes. "I want the Captain's uniform."
This was the original uniform Steve Rogers had worn for the entirety of WWII before being frozen for 70 years. (Wait... why did the system emphasize "original"? Never mind.)
Regardless, while the material wasn't anything special, sacrificing it to the system would surely be worth a fortune! At the very least, it was on the level of the original Decay Rate Algorithm papers.
Hearing that he only wanted the clothes, Fury breathed a massive sigh of relief. Clothes weren't expensive; S.H.I.E.L.D. could churn out dozens of replicas in minutes.
Meanwhile, Steve looked at Peter with a slightly excited, "grandfatherly" glint: And you still claim you aren't my fan?
"As for the second payment..." Peter stared at Fury's eyepatch for a moment before looking away. Fury was a weakling in the grand scheme of things; the eyepatch likely held little sacrifice value. Wasting a favor on a piece of leather wasn't worth it.
"I haven't thought of it yet. I'll let you know when I do!"
Fury had no leverage left, so he could only humbly indicate: Whatever makes you happy, boss.
Soon, Peter was handed the Captain's uniform. The moment his fingers touched the fabric, a prompt popped up:
[Detected Sacrificable 'Dark Blue' Item: Captain America's Original Uniform]
[Description: The first uniform of Steve Rogers. It accompanied him through the glory days of WWII and witnessed seventy years of solitude in the Arctic ice. Highly significant commemorative value.]
[Sacrifice for: 3,000 Points. Sacrifice now?]
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