Ch: 91-98
Chapter 91: Self-destruct? I'll counter with a sacrifice!
Buzz!
As Obadiah started the self-destruct program.
The light of the arc reactor on the iron monger's chest instantly intensified, and visible arcs of blinding electricity crackled around the armor.
"Not good!"
Tony's expression in the distance changed drastically.
"Jarvis! Analyze the energy index!"
"Sir, the opponent's reactor has entered an overload state. The energy output is growing exponentially and is expected to reach the critical point in ten seconds, triggering a massive explosion!"
"The explosion is estimated to be sufficient to level everything within a five-kilometer radius!"
Jarvis's cold electronic voice caused Tony's heart to sink to the bottom.
This was the center of New York City!
Below the Stark Tower was the bustling Brooklyn neighborhood!
Even though they were currently a hundred meters in the air, the shockwave from the explosion would still cost the lives of countless innocent citizens!
"Damn it!"
Tony cursed, no longer content to just watch. He immediately controlled the mark iii and charged at full speed toward the "mobile bomb" that was about to explode.
"Obadiah! You lunatic!"
He tried to take the iron monger away from here, to a higher altitude to detonate it, in order to reduce the impact on the ground.
However, there simply wasn't enough time!
"Ten, nine, eight..."
The mechanical countdown from the iron monger armor sounded like the summons of the Shinigami.
"You can't stop me, Tony!"
Obadiah laughed maniacally in the cockpit: "Go to hell with me! Hahahaha!"
"Sir, it is recommended to evacuate immediately. The current distance cannot guarantee your safety!" Jarvis issued a final warning.
In Tony's mind, the image of Dr. Ethan carrying a submachine gun and charging forward to buy him time instinctively surfaced... He subconsciously gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes.
I can't retreat!
Right at this critical moment.
A hand lightly pressed on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal."
Peter's lazy voice seemed to carry a calming magic.
Tony was stunned. He turned his head and saw Peter, who had appeared beside him at some unknown time.
"It's about to blow up! How is this not a big deal?!" Tony was nearly frantic with worry.
"Calm down,"
Peter patted his armor, signaling him to stay calm:
"Just watch me operate and that's it."
The next second.
Peter's figure vanished into thin air.
Soru!
Before Tony could even react, Peter had already appeared in front of the iron monger's cockpit.
The moment he noticed Peter, Obadiah's wild laughter stopped abruptly, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
He only saw a blur before his eyes, and that demonic figure appeared right in front of him.
Peter didn't even bother to waste words with him.
He punched through the bulletproof glass of the cockpit, grabbed Obadiah by the collar, and hauled him out.
"Catch."
Tony subconsciously reached out to catch Obadiah, feeling utterly speechless in his heart.
With Obadiah removed from the cockpit, the iron monger, being unmanned, not only failed to move away from the city but instead began to plummet rapidly toward the ground.
Isn't this fucking making things worse!
While Tony's brow twitched as he heard the countdown reach "four, three, two."
He saw Peter suddenly reach out and press his hand against the scarred wreckage of the iron monger, which was flashing with light to the extreme.
When Peter touched the iron monger, the reactor's self-destruct countdown had also reached its final second.
"One!"
At this moment, Tony felt like he was about to pee himself.
Well, okay, he wasn't actually about to pee... but the expected world-ending explosion did not happen.
In its place was a strange ripple.
Under Tony's astonished gaze, the massive iron monger armor, along with the arc reactor that was about to explode, actually vanished into thin air.
It was just like... when Peter had confiscated his mark i!
[Detected sacrificeable Deep Blue item: "iron monger armor"]
[iron monger armor: A large mecha painstakingly built by Obadiah and installed with an arc reactor. The energy contained within is equivalent to a small nuclear power plant, possessing great lethality and energy development value.]
[Sacrifice can yield: 1000 points]
[Do you wish to sacrifice?]
"Sacrifice!"
That's right!
Facing the impending self-destruction of the iron monger, Peter did not choose to use his own Electro gene to forcibly absorb the remaining energy within.
After all, even Peter himself didn't know if his body could absorb all the electrical energy from the arc reactor.
That useless Electro could be blown apart by an excess of electricity!
Although Peter felt that because of his stronger physical fitness, he could certainly withstand more electricity.
But he didn't want to take that risk.
Instead of wasting that time and effort, it was better to just pull Obadiah out of the iron monger, let the iron monger become ownerless, and then directly sacrifice it!
Not only could he resolve the crisis, but he could also gain a large amount of sacrifice points—truly killing two birds with one stone!
On the other side, Tony and Obadiah stared blankly at Peter.
After a brief moment of daze, Obadiah went mad on the spot, laughing and crying in Tony's hands while muttering nonsensical things.
As for Tony, after swallowing hard, he couldn't help but ask:
"That iron monger..."
"You can understand it as being thrown into another space by me, so it won't have any impact on Earth," Peter gave an answer that Tony could more easily understand.
Hiss~
Tony instinctively took a sharp breath, and a conviction became increasingly firm in his heart:
In the future, he could offend anyone, but he must never offend Peter!
This guy was simply too terrifying!
If this kind of ability were used on a person, sending anyone he didn't like directly to another dimension... with such an overpowered ability, how could anyone play without it being nerfed?!
"Speaking of which, what do you plan to do with this guy?" Peter pointed at Obadiah.
Hearing this, Tony's face showed a conflicted expression. After a moment, he finally sighed and spoke to Obadiah:
"I will tell your wife and children that you died in a kidnapping, and I will take good care of them. So... farewell, Uncle Obadiah."
After saying this, Tony did not hesitate and snapped Obadiah's neck with a crack.
Seeing this, Peter couldn't help but nod in satisfaction, and then he spoke to Tony:
"I'll leave the Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. side to you to handle! Also, remember to help me ask the Military what their intention was in designing such a trap to lure me and Ghost-Spider here."
"If they can't give me a reasonable explanation, then I don't mind going to kill a few Generals for fun."
Hearing this, Tony couldn't even focus on his sadness.
Because he knew that Peter absolutely meant what he said.
Although he wasn't clear yet on what this incident had to do with the Military.
But Tony was certain that if the Military dared to show their usual thuggish attitude, they were probably going to pay a heavy price this time!
Chapter 92: Now~ Let's Make a Bet!
After instructing Tony to put pressure on the Military, Peter didn't waste any more time with him.
Instead, he stepped into the air and quickly dived downward.
In the blink of an eye, Peter returned to the top floor of Stark Tower.
The moment he landed, his expression darkened.
The rooftop terrace was a complete mess.
Scorpion and The Punishers Killer Brothers were all lying unconscious to the side.
Meanwhile, Gwen and Bullseye looked as if they had both suffered heavy losses.
Bullseye's limbs had been broken by the machine guns of the wheel of destiny, and he was currently pinned firmly to the wall by the spikes protruding from the front of the flying skateboard.
As for Gwen, her condition was also far from ideal.
Her body was covered in wounds, and a Metal Playing Card was embedded in her shoulder.
What made Peter even more nervous was a wound on Gwen's arm that had swollen significantly, with the surrounding area turning a visible shade of blue and purple.
It was Scorpion's neurotoxin!
Reaching out to beckon the flying skateboard, Peter placed his hand on it and quickly learned what had happened through the wheel of destiny.
Originally, with Gwen's current strength, she could have easily handled these four.
But the problem lay in her "no-kill" rule.
Because Gwen was unwilling to deal a lethal blow to Scorpion, he found an opportunity to graze her arm with his stinger.
Under the influence of the stinger's neurotoxin, Gwen's movements began to slow down.
This led to her being subsequently hit by The Punishers and Bullseye's throwing cards.
If the wheel of destiny hadn't intervened at the critical moment, Gwen might have even been mobbed to death by the four of them!
Seeing that these four pieces of trash had injured Gwen so badly, Peter naturally couldn't let them live.
His cold gaze immediately fell upon Bullseye, who, with his limbs broken by the wheel of destiny, could only squirm on the ground like a maggot.
Noticing Peter's eyes, which were so cold they lacked any trace of emotion, Bullseye's scalp tingled with fear.
He quickened his squirming, attempting to escape from this terrifying demon king, Peter.
But this was clearly in vain.
In the blink of an eye, Peter appeared before him, grabbing the guy by the neck and lifting him up.
Seeing that he had no chance of escape.
Bullseye steeled himself and spat out a blade he had been hiding in his mouth, trying to slit Peter's throat.
But... how could Peter be hit by such a petty trick?
With just a tilt of his head, he easily dodged the blade Bullseye spat.
Feeling death's approach, Bullseye hurriedly tried to beg for mercy:
"My Lord, I surrender! I'm willing to serve you! Besides, I know many of Kingpin's secrets, I can help you..."
Crack!
Peter didn't even bother listening to Bullseye's nonsense; with a slight exertion of force, he cleanly snapped Bullseye's neck.
Trash like Bullseye, who took pleasure in torturing and killing the weak, didn't deserve to enter the Fist of Shadow at all.
After casually sacrificing the suit on Bullseye's body and gaining 500 sacrifice points, Peter tossed the garbage onto the ground and walked over to Gwen's side.
"You, oh you..."
Peter pinched Gwen's pretty face, his voice filled with helplessness and heartache.
"How many times have I told you? Kindness to your enemies is cruelty to yourself."
"I... I just felt..."
Gwen's voice was intermittent; the toxin from Scorpion was no joke—just a few milligrams could take down an elephant.
That Gwen had lasted this long was already the result of the spider genes in her body working frantically.
"Alright, say no more."
A soft white light emanated from Peter's palm as he gently pressed it against Gwen's wound.
The power of the horse talisman activated.
The hideous wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even the strange neurotoxin in her body was rapidly purified under this magical power.
In just a moment, Gwen's injuries were completely healed.
After confirming Gwen was fine, Peter turned to look at the other three lying unconscious on the ground.
Just as he was about to snap Scorpion's neck like he did with Bullseye, Gwen rushed forward and held Peter's arm:
"Peter, don't..."
There was a hint of pleading in her voice.
Peter stopped, looked back at her, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly.
"They..." Gwen bit her lip and whispered, "They have no ability to resist anymore. Can we... hand them over to my father?"
Peter looked at her in silence, not saying a word.
The air seemed to grow a bit heavier because of it.
This was the first time Gwen had been stared at by Peter with such a gaze.
It made her feel as though she were drifting further and further away from him.
A sense of panic arose in her heart for no reason, but the voice deep inside still forced her to speak up.
"Hand them over to my father; the law will give them the punishment they deserve."
Hearing the word "law," a highly sarcastic smile appeared on Peter's face beneath his mask.
The law?
In this country, the law's deterrent effect on criminals isn't even as good as an execution line... While Peter was thinking this, Gwen's voice rang out again:
"More importantly..."
Her voice trembled slightly, and then she suddenly reached out and removed the mask from Peter's face.
Only after seeing that Peter's expression remained calm, without a trace of madness, did she feel a sense of relief, and she then hugged Peter tightly:
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid you'll become less and less like the Peter I know..."
Peter was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then he broke into a wry smile.
So that was the crux of the matter.
Gwen wasn't just a simple saint who couldn't stand seeing someone killed.
The girl was actually just worried that he would gradually lose himself in the process of killing repeatedly, his heart becoming twisted and mad.
Realizing this, the expression on Peter's face softened.
He gently stroked Gwen's back and said softly:
"Don't worry, Gwen. That kind of thing will never happen!"
"Don't forget, I received the recognition of the Divine Dragon to obtain this power."
"Who deserves death, who has the value to be reformed, and who can live to atone for their crimes—I have a scale in my heart for all of this. Otherwise, why do you think I established the Fist of Shadow?"
Hearing Peter's explanation, Gwen relaxed a bit at first, but then she couldn't help but raise a question:
"But... why can't you choose to let my father and the law punish them?"
Facing Gwen's incredibly naive question, Peter smiled helplessly.
He then gently broke free from the girl's embrace, placed his hands on her shoulders, and spoke in a slightly relaxed tone:
"Gwen, since you believe so strongly that the law will give them the punishment they deserve, why don't we just make a bet?"
Chapter 93 – A Bountiful Harvest, and a Grudge Comes Knocking
"A bet?" Gwen blinked. "Bet on what?"
"On them."
Peter pointed to the three unconscious men on the ground and, farther off, Rhino, who was already in shock from the pain.
"I bet the law you keep praising won't reform them. Within three months—aside from that big idiot—the other three will be busted out or escape on their own.
"Then they'll come back even worse."
"To prove it to you, not only will I not kill them today, I'll clear up the mental mess those outside forces caused."
At that, Peter turned and locked eyes with Gwen, speaking each word deliberately.
"If I lose, I'll be like you from now on—no killing, everyone goes to court."
"But if I win, you never stop me from killing again, and you owe me one unconditional favor."
After hearing the stakes, Gwen didn't hesitate.
"Deal. I'll take that bet."
She liked her odds.
In her eyes, the tech had simply warped their minds.
Strip away the power and add some legal justice, and they'd surely see their mistakes and repent.
"Perfect."
Seeing her take the bait, Peter nodded in satisfaction.
Tell someone a hundred times and they won't learn; let life teach them once and it's enough.
When Gwen watched these men walk the same dark path again, no lecture from him would be needed—she'd change on her own.
With that thought, Peter stopped twisting Scorpion's neck, yanking off the masks and hoods of The Punishers Killer Brothers and Rhino.
"Burn their faces into your memory.
"I promise it won't be long before you see their crimes splashed across the headlines."
With that, Peter began stripping their gear.
[Deep-green sacrificial item detected: Vulture's High-Tech Wing… Sacrifice!]
[Deep-green sacrificial item detected: Scorpion's Multi-Function Battlesuit… Sacrifice!]
[Deep-green sacrificial item detected: Rhino's Polymer Suit… Sacrifice!]
[Green sacrificial item detected: Spider-Slayer Exoskeleton… Sacrifice!]
Hmm?
Peter glanced at The Punishers Killer Brothers. So your suits are the Spider-Slayers JJJ built to catch Spider-Man in some other universe.
A glance at the 2,800 new sacrifice points in his system panel brought a satisfied nod.
Who knew how long it would take for the next Sinister Six to show up after these guys died?
Farming sacrifice points was a beautiful thing.
After offering up their suits, Peter used the horse talisman to cleanse the rage the chemicals and radiation had left in them.
Minutes later the four villains groaned back to consciousness.
Seeing Peter standing over them and finding their suits gone, they scrambled into a terrified huddle.
Gwen mistook their terror for remorse.
She stepped forward, voice stern.
"Turn yourselves in to the NYPD downstairs and swear never to hurt anyone again, and we'll let you live."
The four survivors nodded frantically, swearing on everything holy they'd go straight.
Watching them flee, Gwen preened and looked back at Peter.
"Hmph—get ready to lose!"
Peter could only shake his head helplessly.
What could he do? He'd picked this adorable fool himself. "All right, mess cleaned up—let's head home."
He offered his hand with practiced ease.
"Ghost-Spider, need a lift?"
Gwen tilted her head, smiling; this was the Peter she adored.
"Since someone's so eager to escort me, I'll graciously give him the chance."
They hopped onto the flying skateboard and flew off, laughing.
Tony descended, cradling Obadiah's corpse, surveyed the wrecked Stark penthouse and the departing pair, and groaned.
Screw this!
They get to ride off into the sunset while I'm stuck with the cleanup?
Wait… weren't they just helping out for free?
Never mind, then.
He glowered at Obadiah.
All your fault for stirring the pot.
…How Tony explained things to NYPD, the Military, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is another story.
After dropping Gwen off, Peter didn't rest; he headed straight for Hells Kitchen.
He hadn't forgotten the mastermind behind the Sinister Six.
Set a trap for me? Time for payback.
Boom!
The flying skateboard smashed through the top floor of Fisk Tower.
Inside, Kingpin paced, anxiously waiting for news of Bullseye.
Peter burst through the panoramic window on the board, clipping the crime lord and sending his massive frame stumbling.
Seeing the board hit him at nearly 200 km/h and only stagger him made Peter's eye twitch.
At that speed most men would be paste, yet Kingpin barely flinched—peak human physique on a ludicrous level.
Hit him with a Hulk-style gamma blast and he'd probably go toe-to-toe with Thanos-without-the-Infinity Gauntlet.
Kingpin snapped out of his daze, saw the iconic red-and-black suit, and paled.
Cursing Bullseye and the rest as worthless, he triggered his cane, belching a cloud of smoke at Peter.
Blinding smoke in place, Kingpin swung a fist the size of a ham hock.
"Die, Punisher!"
Chapter 94: Killing Kingpin, News of the Life Foundation
Kingpin's mental calculator was clicking away rapidly.
The office space was cramped, which could limit The Punisher's room to maneuver.
As a power-type tank, he could leverage his strength advantage and secure victory in one fell swoop!
A fist the size of a clay pot stirred up a vicious wind, hurtling straight for Peter's head.
Kingpin was very confident in this punch; he could punch through an ordinary steel plate with it.
Even if The Punisher could take this hit, he would surely be left dizzy and disoriented.
As long as he could force an opening, the rest of the fight would be Kingpin's turn!
Kingpin's thoughts were beautiful, but reality was incredibly cruel.
Facing Kingpin's incoming fist, Peter didn't dodge or evade; he simply raised a single finger.
Finger Pistol!
Puchi~!
Accompanied by a dull thud, the hideous grin on Kingpin's face instantly froze.
At this moment, he felt a piercing, heart-wrenching pain strike him!
If he hadn't fought countless battles and survived numerous knife and gunshot wounds in his early days, this sudden pain alone would have caused him to lose his fighting capacity on the spot.
Kingpin looked down in disbelief.
He found that The Punisher's finger had pierced through his fist like a nail, completely boring through his knuckles and even the back of his hand!
Enduring the agonizing pain, Kingpin retracted his fist and, without any hesitation, chose to kneel and surrender:
"I surrender, Punisher. I am not your match. I am willing to give you everything I own, just please let me leave alive."
"I promise I will never show my face in New York again."
"If you are willing to believe me, I can even work for you and conquer vast territories for you elsewhere!"
As a formidable hegemon, Kingpin understood the logic of 'a gentleman hides his weapon on his person and waits for the right time to act'.
Dignity, reputation, wealth—they were all empty!
Only by staying alive could one make a comeback!
As long as he could lul the opponent into complacency, he would one day return every bit of the pain and humiliation he suffered today!
However, as the saying goes...
Ideals are plump, but reality is skinny.
"You want to live?"
Peter looked down at Kingpin from above:
"Fine. If you survive three of my punches, I'll let you leave New York alive."
Glancing at the group photo on his desk, Kingpin grit his teeth and nodded silently.
"Very well, then... the first punch!"
Bang!
Peter's first punch landed squarely on Kingpin's left eye socket!
Kingpin's vision first went black, then red, as warm liquid instantly coated his face.
His left eyeball burst directly from the punch; the dark globe, mixed with blood and shattered skull fragments, splattered out of the socket.
Even a tough man like Kingpin couldn't withstand this!
He couldn't help but scream out, his heart filled with terror.
Forget three punches; he felt like he would die immediately if he took just one more!
"Spare me! Punisher, you can't kill me!"
"Do you have any idea that it's because I rule Hells Kitchen that the other areas of New York aren't as chaotic?"
If I die, the men under me will lose the chains around their necks, and they'll instantly turn into the craziest hyenas!
Not just Hells Kitchen, but all of New York will descend into chaos!
Countless gangs will fight for territory, many people will die, and many families will be broken!
And you will be the culprit who caused it all!"
Seeing that surrender was useless, Kingpin changed his tactic.
He tried to stop Peter through a form of moral kidnapping.
Unfortunately, while such words might fool a naive young girl like Gwen or a single-minded'Saint' like Daredevil, it might work.
But trying to fool Peter?
In his dreams!
Bang!
Another punch landed on Kingpin's right eye, blowing it out along with his nasal bone.
Peter had ultimately held back his strength for this punch; in fact, he hadn't even used twenty percent of his power for the first punch. Otherwise, how could Kingpin have survived until now?
"Do you take me for an idiot?"
"There is an old saying in China: 'Destroy first, then build'."
"Isn't a pile of loose sand much easier to deal with than a foul, stubborn iron plate like you?"
"Many people will die? What does the death of those gang scumbags have to do with me?"
"On the contrary, if I let you live, it's the truly innocent people who die every day!"
Kingpin wanted to argue back upon hearing this, but his body clearly could no longer support him speaking. He tried for a long time but could only produce raspy 'Heh... heh...' gasps.
Kingpin was completely desperate.
As he expected, The Punisher before him was indeed his greatest threat.
This guy was ten thousand times harder to deal with than Daredevil and the others!
Before this demon, all schemes and all threats were reduced to a complete joke!
"In your next life, try being an honest, good person!"
After leaning into Kingpin's ear to leave this piece of advice, Peter threw the third punch without any hesitation.
Bang!
The moment the punch landed, Kingpin's head completely exploded, leaving only his massive, headless body to crash to the ground, making the floor tremble twice... The uncrowned king of Hells Kitchen was dead, dying silently and without fanfare.
Looking at Kingpin's headless corpse, Peter felt not a shred of guilt.
He simply used the horse talisman to purify the blood on his hands, then activated his Byakugan to quickly search Kingpin's office.
Before long, Peter found what he was looking for.
[Detected deep green sacrificeable item: Kingpin's Family Photo]
[The photo of Kingpin with his wife Vanessa and son Richard is the softest corner of Kingpin's heart, possessing extraordinary collection and commemorative value.]
[Sacrifice to obtain points: 700]
"Sacrifice!"
After sacrificing the family photo, Peter found two more things.
One was a massive safe hidden within a wall cavity, filled to the brim with records of Kingpin's hidden assets and evidence of his bribes to various council members.
The other item was an encrypted computer.
However, before Peter's genius intellect, encryption of this level was not even worth mentioning.
After spending some time, Peter successfully cracked the password:
"Speaking of which, should I look for the future 'Quake', Skye, in advance? This girl is a genius hacker and has superpowers waiting to be activated. She's a rare talent..."
After making a mental note of this, Peter began to browse the contents of the computer.
As expected, the contents were all transaction records between Kingpin and major underground forces worldwide, as well as some shady secret projects.
Peter browsed quickly, and before long, a keyword caught his eye, causing him to subconsciously stop scrolling the mouse wheel:
Life Foundation!
The files showed that Kingpin had been secretly cooperating with the "Life Foundation."
Kingpin was responsible for providing homeless people from the streets of New York to serve as "volunteers" for the Life Foundation, used in various illegal live biological experiments.
Furthermore, another matter was mentioned briefly in this document:
The Life Foundation had recently launched a Rocket named the "Drake."
And this spacecraft was expected to return to Earth in half a month!
Chapter 95: The Impending Venom, a Betrothal Gift for the Father-in-Law
Life Foundation!
The Drake Rocket!
Returning to Earth in half a month!
When these keywords were linked together, a pitch-black, slimy thing with a mouth full of big white teeth instantly flashed through Peter's mind.
Venom!
And that large pile of colorful Symbiotes!
The moment he realized this, Peter's breathing became slightly hurried.
This was a 'heaven-sent fortune'!
In Peter's eyes at this stage, the status of a Symbiote suit was much higher than Tony's high-tech suits!
After all, the current Tony had not experienced the Battle of New York and had not received the gift of alien technology, so the level of technology he mastered was not much higher than that of other scientists at this stage.
The current Tony hadn't even invented the suitcase suit yet, let alone the subsequent nano-suits.
So, the Iron Man Suits at this stage could be said to have limitations everywhere.
They were far less useful than a Symbiote suit that could be worn at any time and could turn an ordinary person into a little Superman in minutes.
What was even more ridiculous was that Symbiote suits could also reproduce asexually through self-division.
Although this reproduction would cause the host to consume a large amount of energy, and the offspring produced were also unstable.
There was a high probability they would become more tyrannical and extreme.
But... the same saying applied!
If you have something to say, take it up with my horse talisman!
In Peter's view, with the horse talisman, most uncertainties could be made certain.
Even if the new individual produced was truly too rebellious and even the horse talisman couldn't purify it... couldn't it just be re-absorbed by the mother?
It could be said that as long as Peter could get a symbiote, or rather a Klyntar, he could create a whole batch of relatively stable symbiote suits himself!
If he could really manage to give every member of his Eye of Twilight and Fist of Shadow a Symbiotesuit.
Then the forces under Peter's command would undoubtedly be greatly strengthened.
They might even directly become an existence far surpassing the Avengers!
At that time, never mind S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Military.
Even if the Kree, the Chitauri, or even the 'Purple Sweet Potato' came, they would have to carefully weigh their own worth!
Thinking this way, the corners of Peter's mouth couldn't help but want to curl up:
"Speaking of which, a period of half a month is also quite coincidental for me!"
This period of time was just enough for him to handle a series of trivial matters, including the aftermath of Kingpin's death, Tony's press conference, coming clean to his father-in-law, high school graduation, and the launch of the unicorn generation 1!
It would even allow him to go through another round of store refreshes.
It was perfect for him to handle the symbiote matters without any distractions when the time came!
...After closing the file related to the Life Foundation, Peter flipped through the other contents on the computer.
After confirming that he had no interest in the remaining content, Peter decisively left Fisk Tower with the computer and the safe.
And his destination... was a dilapidated law firm in Hells Kitchen.
Boom!
Still a break-in, still not using the front door.
Karen Page, who had just finished her shower and was wrapped in a towel waiting for Daredevil to return from his heroic deeds, was startled by the noise of Peter breaking in.
She thought it was Kingpin's men coming for revenge!
While she was panicking and at a loss, she heard an incredibly gentle voice:
"Don't be nervous, ma'am. I'm just here to find Lawyer Matt, or rather Daredevil... could you help me give him a call?"
Before long, Daredevil rushed back to his law firm.
Almost the moment he opened the door, his expression changed, and he subconsciously blurted out:
"It's you?"
Because his other four senses were superior to ordinary people, Daredevil quickly judged a fact based only on Peter's heartbeat, breathing rhythm, and the subtle scent on his body:
This Punisher, whom he had heard Karen mention several times before, was the bastard who had stripped him of all his clothes at Pier 9!
"Relax, Daredevil."
Peter's voice was relaxed and lazy:
"I'm not here to find trouble with you. On the contrary, I'm here to help you."
Peter said, pushing the laptop in his hand toward Karen:
"You can have your assistant read to you what's inside this."
Karen, who had a pretty good impression of "The Punisher," instinctively leaned forward to look. After reading just two lines, she covered her mouth in shock:
"Oh my god, this is full of Kingpin's cooperation with various gangs, as well as detailed criminal data on his subordinates!"
Hearing this, Daredevil couldn't help but be startled:
"How did you get these things?"
Peter shrugged and spoke in a relaxed tone:
"To put it simply, Kingpin provoked me, so I killed him in passing."
"I originally wanted to burn Fisk Tower to the ground, but I thought this stuff might be of some use to you."
"I also happen to not have the time or energy to deal with those trivial matters... so, I'll have to trouble you to take care of it for me."
"Ah, this..."
Hearing this shocking news, Matt didn't know what to say for a moment.
The incarnation of evil, whom he regarded as a mortal enemy and who required his life's work to deal with.
Had actually died so simply at the hands of the other party... it must be said that this feeling was quite distressing.
However, Daredevil was, after all, a person of firm will.
He didn't give up on himself because of this, nor did he accuse Peter of meddling.
Instead, he quickly realized that this was a golden opportunity to save Hells Kitchen.
Although this victory was not in the form he had expected.
But since things had come to this, what he could do was try his best to achieve full success in one stroke, so that a second Kingpin could never emerge from Hells Kitchen again.
"I understand!" Finally, Daredevil spoke in a dry voice:
"I am very grateful that you are willing to give these things to me. Please allow me to express my gratitude to you on behalf of those families who are about to be saved by you."
"Let's skip that kind of thing~" Peter waved his hand casually, then instructed Karen to quickly take out a USB flash drive to copy a backup of the data.
As for the computer, he naturally had to take it away.
The things inside, as well as the bribery records in that safe... these were all betrothal gifts Peterprepared to give to his father-in-law.
Such a large political achievement.
As long as George could handle it and didn't end up "committing suicide by being shot eighteen times in the back"... then he could definitely move his position up several levels with such a large contribution.
Maybe he could go directly from Director to Mayor!
At the same time, he also believed that with this large betrothal gift as proof, Old George should feel relieved to let Gwen continue being a superhero, and by the way, feel at ease handing Gwen over to him.
This was the result Peter wanted most, damn it!
Thinking this way, Peter immediately turned and left dashingly with the computer and the safe.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to swipe Karen's glasses... after all, she was a named character in the original work.
Even a mosquito's leg is meat, no matter how small!
Chapter 96: News of Hulk
The next morning, Peter was awakened by the persistent ringing of his phone.
The caller was none other than Tony, who had been busy all night explaining the events of the previous evening to the Military and S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Peter! It's me! Tony!"
Tony's voice came through the phone, sounding slightly exhausted yet incredibly excited.
"I've already questioned the Military for you, and just as you expected, they were definitely involved in what happened last night!"
"Oh?" Peter perked up a bit. "Tell me, what exactly went down?"
As a former arms dealer, this was likely Tony's first time having the chance to act so tough in front of the Military. Consequently, his retelling of yesterday's events was exceptionally vivid:
"How else could it go?"
"Those old fogies tried to make excuses at first, saying it was a misunderstanding, that I wasn't showing them enough respect, and all that."
"Guess how I responded? I just threw my coffee right at them! Then I pointed at his nose and told him, 'Believe it or not, I'll blow this place sky-high right now!'"
"Even if I don't do it, The Punisher will be coming next."
"When that happens, every single one of you won't be able to run!"
"The old man's face turned green on the spot when he heard that! He's a damn Vice Admiral!"
"He used to brag to me every day about how many battles he won in Vietnam. I used to think he was so impressive! I didn't expect him to be like this!"
"Seeing that they were already cowering, I just played the recording of you tearing the iron mongerapart by hand."
"Then I told them, 'If you're not afraid of death, keep playing your bureaucratic games with me.'"
"See if The Punisher is as easy to talk to as I am the next time he meets you!"
Because Tony's storytelling was so animated, Peter could easily imagine him acting like a fox borrowing the tiger's majesty. For a moment, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
"And then?"
"Then they completely fell in line!" Tony said unhurriedly, taking a large bite out of a cheeseburger Pepper had brought him.
"They started explaining that this whole thing was a complete misunderstanding."
"They admitted they were guiding Obadiah and the Sinister Six's actions from behind the scenes, but their goal wasn't to kill you."
"Instead, they hoped you could help them solve a big problem."
"They even said they knew their actions might have been a bit reckless and hoped you could forgive them."
Hearing this "explanation," Peter couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"Know they were wrong? I think they know they're about to die!"
"Do those old geezers really think I'm an idiot? Is this how they ask people for help?"
It was only because Peter was strong enough that those old geezers hadn't succeeded.
If Gwen had gone alone yesterday, she might have been sliced into countless pieces by now and sent to various Military laboratories for a new round of Super Soldier Serum research.
Peter's reaction was perfectly to Tony's taste. He couldn't help but slap his thigh in delight, causing Pepper beside him to cry out in pain and then glare at him fiercely.
Wait? It seems I slapped the wrong thigh... Realizing this, Tony first gave Pepper a flirtatious smile before speaking again.
"You're absolutely right. Jarvis, help me record that. Next time I'll use that line to shut those old geezers up and see how they react!"
After the joke, Tony turned a bit more serious. "But seriously, Peter, from the footage they provided, I did discover a formidable big guy."
"According to my estimation, they indeed intended to mass-produce your power to restrain or even solve this big guy."
"But after realizing you weren't as simple as they imagined, those old geezers changed their plan to cooperating with you."
"Big guy?"
Peter narrowed his eyes, and the image of a muscular green giant instinctively surfaced in his mind—the Hulk, or rather, Bruce Banner.
"That's right, a big guy all in green, over four meters tall."
"In the footage, he can even swing a tank with one hand! And he remains unscathed even when facing large-scale explosions."
"The people in the Military call this guy... Hulk."
Hearing the name, Peter thought to himself, 'Just as I thought.'
At this thought, Peter couldn't help but get a little excited.
Speaking of which, since he had transmigrated, he hadn't yet felt what it was like to go all out with his combat power.
Perhaps this time, facing the Hulk, he could recklessly enjoy the fun of battle.
As for whether he would be unable to beat the Hulk... that wasn't much of a problem. With the horse talisman and his massive amount of Chakra, he could wear the Hulk down until he had no moves left.
If all else failed, he still had the horse talisman!
While the horse talisman probably wouldn't instantly 'cure' the Hulk's condition, as long as it caused the Hulk persona to recede and let Banner's persona take charge, the crisis would naturally be easily resolved.
While Peter was thinking about the Hulk, Tony suddenly changed his tone and began to advise Peter, perhaps because he saw someone.
"Peter, saying this might make you feel uncomfortable, but as a friend, I feel I must say it."
"Since we live in this country, sometimes we have to turn a blind eye."
"After all, if we really push them too far, it won't be good for anyone."
"If you were just a lone wolf, you could indeed kill indiscriminately without regard for consequences and then just leave."
"But if you still have family, friends, partners, and the like, then I suggest you quit while you're ahead."
"I've cooperated with them for many years, and I know a thing or two about their methods."
"Having them fear your power and be wary of collateral damage like they are now is already the best way to coexist."
"If you really push them to a dead end where they have to drop all pretenses with you, you won't want to see that outcome."
Hearing Tony say this, Peter didn't feel impatient as Tony had imagined.
Instead, he showed a somewhat gratified smile.
Again, he wasn't the green youth from the original story, so he knew very well that Tony was truly considering his interests by saying this.
He also truly considered him a friend.
With this in mind, Peter deliberately stayed silent for a while before displaying a bit of the 'art of language':
"Alright, Tony, for your sake, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones regarding previous events and help them deal with the trouble named Hulk."
"But as compensation, I demand high-level clearance to learn about secret operations, as well as absolute authority when handling certain special events in the future."
"Furthermore, if they ever dare to scheme against me or my family and friends again, don't blame me for flipping the table... Once it comes to that, I guarantee no one will have a good time!"
Chapter 97: Winning Hand, Direct Showdown
Sure enough, hearing Peter—a ruthless man who could easily tear apart mechas with his bare hands—say "I'm giving you face," Tony was immediately as happy as could be.
He felt that he had received immense respect.
It was no exaggeration to say that this feeling of being recognized by a big shot brought a sense of satisfaction no weaker than receiving a confession from a top-tier beauty.
So, without a second thought, Tony thumped his chest loudly:
"No problem, I guarantee I'll convey your demands to those old fossils in the Military exactly as they are.
Besides, I personally vouch for you! If they still dare to break the rules, you won't even need to lift a finger; I'll be the first to help you blast them, and then I'll take you and your family away from America together!"
Hearing these words, Rhodes, who was responsible for coordinating the matter beside him, felt his eyelids twitching wildly.
Buddy, I appreciate you not treating me like an outsider.
But... why do I feel like you're not treating me like a human being either!
To prove that he and Peter were on the same side, Tony specifically invited Peter to attend the press conference this Saturday afternoon at the end of the call.
However, Peter chose to decline, on the grounds that he had a date with his girlfriend.
In fact, Peter really did have a date with Gwen, and the location for this date was Gwen's house.
That's right, Peter intended to have a showdown with George on the very night Tony held his press conference!
Tony didn't feel angry or slighted by Peter's reason.
Instead, he became more certain that Peter was a kindred spirit.
After all, he himself was the representative figure of choosing women over friends.
At this moment, he was even thinking... No wonder Peter and I hit it off so well; these horny bastards just naturally attract each other!
After ending the call with Tony, Peter didn't stay idle.
Since there was no longer any need to hide things from Uncle Ben and Aunt Mei, he didn't go to school immediately after breakfast, but instead ran straight to Parker Tech.
Unsurprisingly.
At Parker Tech, the unicorn generation 1 had completed all preparatory work, and factories distributed around the world had already entered the phase of working overtime for production.
When Peter arrived, Herman, who had already received the news, directly pulled out four or five finished unicorn generation 1 units, intending for his boss to give them to his relatives and friends.
The finished unicorn generation 1 units were no different from the one Peter had assembled himself at the Osborn manor.
Except the appearance was more refined, and the system had become simpler and easier to use under Herman's refinement.
Additionally, the battery capacity had been cut in half again... This was Norman's suggestion, as he felt the previous capacity was still too large, which wouldn't be conducive to Parker Tech's future strategy of incremental upgrades.
To this, Peter had nothing to say, only that his conscience was ultimately a bit too much.
Harry also specifically chose to take the day off today, intending to discuss with Peter how to hold the phone's press conference and how to quickly build brand awareness.
To this, the suggestion Peter gave was simple and crude.
Just send a hundred unicorn generation 1 units directly to that playboy Tony later.
Let him help advertise when he holds the press conference in a few days, and while he's at it, give them out to his old flames.
Tony had hundreds, if not a thousand, lovers spread across all walks of life.
Having a few celebrities endorse it for free and a few female reporters help hype it up would build a massive wave of popularity in minutes.
When it came time for the press conference later, there would be no need to give any face to competitors. He currently had Stark on his left and Osborn on his right, and in his own pocket, he held billions in black industry assets accumulated by Kingpin over more than a decade.
He had the advantage in technology, capital, and connections, while also possessing overwhelming physical force.
In a situation like this where he held all the cards, how could his competitors even fight him?
Under such circumstances, why would he need to give competitors any face?
Just steamroll over them and be done with it!
The strong are meant to ruthlessly humiliate the weak~
...Time passed bit by bit amidst the unicorn generation 1 going viral across the entire internet.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday night.
Tonight, the entire American media went crazy.
Because Tony Stark had officially announced he would hold a press conference today to give a formal response to the public regarding the "terrorist attack" that occurred over Stark Tower a few days ago.
Countless reporters with cameras and microphones blocked the entrance of Stark Industries, hoping to grab the first-hand scoop.
Meanwhile, in a certain two-story house in Queens.
Peter was sitting at the Stacy family's dining table in a formal suit.
The atmosphere in the house was warm yet strangely tinged with a hint of tension.
Don't misunderstand, it wasn't Peter who was nervous, but Gwen.
Looking at Peter, who sat in his seat with a gentle smile, poised and calm as if he were in his own home.
Then looking at his own daughter, who sat there shaking incessantly, nervously looking around from time to time.
A large question mark couldn't help but appear over George's head.
He knew he had been a bit neglectful of his daughter lately, and he knew his daughter had specifically asked him to stay home today and brought Peter over for dinner likely to officially announce their relationship to him, the old father.
But... why did the two of them give him the feeling that it wasn't a nervous son-in-law visiting.
But rather more like a fiancée meeting the parents?
Which one of you is actually my child!
Under George's puzzled gaze, Grandma Pauline brought out four servings of lemon sea bass from the kitchen.
Well, different universe, but the same lemon sea bass.
"Alright, time to eat~"
With Grandma Pauline's announcement, this small family banquet began.
Since Peter was a child George and Pauline had watched grow up, the atmosphere during the meal wasn't particularly awkward.
Even when Peter took the initiative to say, "Oi~ old man, your daughter is already with me," George only paused his hands holding the knife and fork.
Grandma Pauline even said with a smile:
"This is a good thing. I've liked you since you were little, I approve of this marriage."
Seeing his own mother say this, what else could George say? He could only give a muffled "Mhm" to indicate he knew, and only after a good while did he add a warning:
"Don't get her pregnant, and don't fail Gwen, or I'll shoot you."
Just as this dinner was about to conclude successfully in this strange yet harmonious atmosphere.
On the television, the live broadcast of the Stark Industries press conference also entered its climax.
Colonel Rhodes had clearly prepared a cue card for Tony, and Tony only needed to read according to the content on it.
But Tony only read the beginning mechanically before tossing the card aside.
Then, facing the countless flashing lights below the stage, he revealed his iconic, cynical smile:
"Alright, the truth is... I am Iron Man!"
Pfft—!
At the Stacy family's dining table, George, who was drinking cream of mushroom soup, choked and couldn't help but cough violently.
It was at this moment that Peter and Gwen looked at each other with perfect understanding.
It was time to say the long-prepared words to her father/his father-in-law:
No more acting, I'm The Punisher/Ghost-Spider, I'm showing my hand~
Chapter 98: George: Family, the sky has fallen!
Because he was so excessively shocked, George didn't even care about confidentiality regulations anymore:
"What the hell? This playboy, this billionaire, is actually that red iron man observed that day?!"
"That's not what he said when he was making his statement that day!"
Just as George was getting angry at Tony for concealing the truth from the police and giving a false report...
He suddenly noticed the looks in Gwen and Peter's eyes.
For some reason, those looks caused a sense of unease to arise in his heart for no apparent reason.
"Dad, actually, Peter and I have also been hiding something from you for a long time."
Gwen had only just finished her opening line.
Grandma Pauline suddenly chimed in and asked:
"Am I about to hold a great-grandson?"
George:... Gwen:... Peter:... "Grandma, there's no rush for that. At the very least, we have to wait until Gwen is twenty-three or twenty-four."
Peter responded to the old lady while wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
It must be said that this answer was quite pleasing to the elders.
George's expression clearly softened a lot, and his gaze toward Peter now carried a hint of appreciation.
Grandma Pauline was a bit disappointed at first, but then she reached out and patted Peter's head:
"Good boy, I feel at ease leaving Gwen in your hands."
After that little interlude, Gwen finally took Peter's hand, took a deep breath, and looked at her father.
"Dad, what I actually wanted to say is... I am Ghost-Spider."
George:... Pauline: Ugh~!
Before the shocked George could react, Grandma Pauline suddenly clutched her chest.
Clearly, an elderly lady with some cardiovascular issues couldn't quite handle this kind of stimulation.
As for why an unexpected pregnancy wouldn't be considered a shock... one can only say that's how the older generation is.
Seeing the old lady's reaction, Gwen and George both panicked.
While George was scrambled to find the nitroglycerin tablets, Peter had already reached out and placed his hand on the old lady.
When George rushed back with the small pill bottle, he saw the old lady comfortably squinting her eyes while bathed in a gentle white light.
Clatter~!
The pill bottle in his hand instantly fell to the floor.
George looked at Peter in shock, suddenly feeling a bit of angina himself... he had seen this ability before.
The Punisher had previously displayed this kind of ability.
Only back then... what he restored was the school, not a human body... "Peter... so you are..."
Looking at his mother who, after being bathed in white light, was restored to her original state—even able to climb up from the ground without a cane, and even trying to jog and jump with a look of novelty—
George finally asked the second half of his question tremulously:
"You are The Punisher?!"
At this moment, George felt as if a hundred-year-old Vampire was picking up a steamroller and repeatedly crushing his worldview... His precious daughter was actually Ghost-Spider, who flew over the walls of New York and had several encounters with him?
And his daughter's boyfriend, the young man he had watched grow up, who was righteous and enthusiastic and seemed harmless, was "The Punisher" who had made several supervillains evaporate from the face of the earth!
After the brief shock, George's first reaction was to reach for the service pistol at his waist.
He almost subconsciously pulled out the gun and aimed it at Peter.
Mainly, in George's perception, The Punisher was a far more brutal existence than Ghost-Spider!
Unlike JJJ, who praised The Punisher to high heaven just because he restored the school.
As the New York Police Captain, George had his own standards of judgment.
Although Ghost-Spider was out of control, she at least hadn't killed anyone so far.
But The Punisher... from Shocker to Lizardman, Green Goblin, then Sandman, Electro, and the recently deceased Bullseye and Obadiah at the top of the Stark building.
These people were either missing or officially declared dead.
An existence that disregarded the law and had so many lives on his hands—even if those he killed deserved to die—George didn't dare entrust his daughter to such a person!
"Dad, don't do this!" Seeing George pull his gun on Peter, Gwen felt like her heart was about to break.
Even Grandma Pauline scolded from the side:
"George, Peter just saved my life! Do you want to anger me to death?"
Compared to the two who only tried to persuade him with words, Peter chose a more direct action.
To be honest, George's behavior indeed exceeded his expectations.
He originally thought George would try harder to stop Gwen from being Ghost-Spider.
He didn't expect that in reality, he would attract the vast majority of the fire.
But this actually made it easier to solve.
After all, as a daughter, Gwen found it hard to resist her father, but as a son-in-law, he didn't need to care about that much.
Thinking this, Peter used "Shave" under his feet, and his whole body instantly flashed in front of George, his two fingers clamping the gun barrel as fast as lightning.
Under Peter's immense strength, George's gun barrel was instantly bent.
Noticing this, George, who originally wanted to use the gun as a deterrent, went completely numb.
Now he couldn't even pull the trigger unless he didn't want his hands anymore.
"Uncle George, I'm doing this just to prove to you that if I wanted to hide my identity and be a villain, there's actually no one in this World who could stop me."
After Peter finished speaking, he used the power of the horse talisman to instantly restore the pistol and pointed the muzzle at his own forehead:
"If you want to try, you can also fire a shot and see."
Looking at Peter so close at hand, George ultimately gave up the plan to fire a shot.
He put down the gun, reached out to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and then deliberately made a cold, hard expression as he asked:
"Kid, tell me, where did Shocker, Lizardman, Green Goblin... where did all those people go? And those who died at your hands, why did you kill them?"
In response, Peter muttered in his heart, "I gave you a chance, but you're useless," and then directly said that Shocker and the others were working at Parker Tech.
"As for Electro and Bullseye..."
Before Peter could speak, Gwen couldn't help but stand up and choose to speak for her boyfriend:
"Dad, Electro wanted to take me away, even make me his slave... that's why Peter killed him.
Bullseye was in a similar situation; it was because he injured me that Peter killed him.
And Peter and I also have a bet, blah blah blah..."
After listening to Gwen's words, George finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
At least from the testimony of the two, Peter was not the kind of chaotic evil anarchist he had imagined.
Realizing this, George was about to say some harsh words to make Peter and Gwen give up their plans to be masked heroes, but Peter interrupted his'spellcasting' once again:
"Uncle George, before you state your decision regarding me and Gwen, I hope you'll take a look at this first."
As Peter spoke, he took out the backpack he carried with him and took out the "betrothal gift" he had prepared.
Looking at the computer and diary Peter handed over, George took them suspiciously.
As a result, after he had only taken a couple of glances, his expression completely changed...