Chapter 99: Peter is in the Stratosphere
The dense accounts and transaction records on the computer screen were like countless venomous snakes flicking their tongues, making George Stacy's scalp feel numb.
As for that diary... it wasn't a venomous snake anymore; it was a fucking time bomb, a death warrant from the Shinigami!
The contents inside were enough to cause a massive earthquake in the politics of New York and even the entire United States!
The bribery content in the first half was just child's play; what was truly earth-shattering was the tip of the iceberg Kingpin touched as a "transporter."
Those things were a slippery slope that one simply must not touch!
George guessed Peter's intention almost instantly, and along with it, where these things came from:
"Kingpin... did you kill him too?"
Facing George's questioning, Peter acted nonchalantly, even taking the time to pour himself a glass of juice.
"It was just a side task."
After taking a sip of juice, he looked back at George:
"Uncle George, do you think these things are enough to move your position up a bit?"
"Fuck!"
George was actually angered into a laugh by Peter's words.
To sit in the position of New York Police Commissionerrelying solely on one's own ability in a class-stratified America... this track record alone was enough to indirectly prove George's capability and political intuition.
He wasn't some useless fool who got there through political correctness or ancestral influence, but someone who could truly get things done and possessed a flexible enough mind and means.
Because he had the ability to sit in this position, he didn't have even half a second of hesitation or fantasy.
He gave a negative answer directly without leaving any room:
"What kind of pipe dream are you having! After exposing this stuff, I'd be lucky not to be'suicided' in my own office, and you're expecting me to get promoted?"
If George really chose to hand this over to the Supreme Court or recklessly publish it all,
He could guarantee that the ones who died wouldn't be the people on that list, but George himself, his mother, and his daughter!
George looked at Peter and Gwen with a headache, thinking about how to speak so these young people would realize what a terrifying time bomb they held without making them completely lose hope in their country:
"Peter, you and Gwen are still very young. Many things aren't understandable for people your age..."
"Take these things you brought out as an example. It's not that having this evidence means those people will step down immediately and I'll be promoted for my merit... On the contrary, these things will only make me die faster!"
George tried his best to explain the complex upper-level collusion involved in the simplest terms possible.
But Peter didn't give him the chance.
He interrupted George directly, then pulled something else out of his bag and placed it on the table:
"Then what about this?"
George looked down and saw Peter push forward an emerald-green injection, the crystal-clear liquid shimmering with an eerie and tempting light under the lamp.
"What is this?" George couldn't help but ask.
"lizard serum, the kind used by the Lizardman."
Peter's tone remained relaxed:
"Of course, this is just a diluted version, ten times weaker, so you won't lose your mind or go into a frenzy on the spot after injection.
At the same time, combined with my healing ability, it's enough to make you, or rather many people, stably become superhumans a level weaker than Captain America."
Peter reached out and tapped the injection lightly:
"Uncle George, is this enough to move your position up a bit?"
George's breath hitched!
A stable Super Soldier Serum!
This was something the Military had dreamed of and researched for decades without success!
If he could hand this over, it would indeed serve as incredibly rich political capital.
For a moment, George really felt his long-extinguished desire for power flare up like wildfire.
But soon, George suppressed that impulse and answered truthfully:
"Yes, but I'd have to do it on my knees!"
George knew very well that this serum could indeed let him quickly accumulate a large number of political allies.
But those people wouldn't truly value him or entrust him with heavy responsibilities. To put it bluntly, this merit was only enough to make him a watchdog for the congressional lords.
"Then..."
Peter first pushed the notebook to George, then placed the lizard serum on top of the diary:
"This, plus this—can we get promoted while standing tall?"
Hiss!
George took a sharp breath.
He suddenly realized he had become the Joker.
He thought Peter was on the first level and he was on the second; in reality, Peter was on the fifth!
This kid's heart was too black!
Using the lizard serum to win over one party while using the dirt to threaten the other!
This... this was fucking playing the entire American political scene in the palm of his hand!
George's Adam's apple bobbed. After hesitating for a long time, he tentatively threw out a final question:
"What if... I say this still isn't safe enough, that it's still missing something?"
Hearing George's question, Peter suddenly smiled, a smile that was somewhat... sinister:
"Then wait until those lords are hopelessly addicted to this power, and tell them, 'Gentlemen, you wouldn't want your voters to realize that the congressmen and leaders they elected are actually the legendary Lizardmen, would you?'"
Boom!
At this moment, George felt the hair all over his body stand on end!
He was wrong, incredibly wrong.
He thought Peter was only on the fifth level.
But in reality, Peter was in the stratosphere!
This kid was simply a demon in human skin!
He never thought about getting protection from anyone; what he wanted was to put a dog leash on everyone who could possibly pose a threat to him!
To make all those who tried to control or threaten him become lackeys who had no choice but to work for him!
At this moment, George felt his ambition and morality engaged in a battle of heaven and man.
On one side was a bottomless abyss, on the other a path to the heavens!
He seemed to be standing at a crossroads of life again after a long time!
Just as George felt parched because of everything Peter said and didn't know how to choose, Peter's voice rang out again.
This time, his voice was more sincere than ever before:
"Uncle George, actually, I don't have the slightest interest in power."
"What I want is just for Gwen, Aunt Mei, Uncle Ben, you, and Grandma Pauline—for all of us—to live a stable life."
"So that no bastard can ever threaten me with your lives again."
"That's all."
These words were like a heavy hammer, striking the softest part of George's heart.
He looked at Peter in front of him, then at his daughter and mother, who couldn't quite keep up with the pace of their conversation.
After a long time, George finally let out a long sigh:
"Peter, you've really put me in a difficult spot!"
Chapter 100: Grandma Pauline: Young People Really Know How to Have Fun
Although he had already made up his mind to embark on this "crazy plan" with Peter for the sake of his family...
In George's heart, he still held onto his sense of justice as an old police chief:
"Since I'm already on the same side as you, I naturally have no right to ask you and Gwen to just be ordinary people anymore."
"So... help me protect Gwen! Also, I will use my connections to grant Gwen the status of a masked vigilante, so she won't be troubled by the police in the future."
"But the prerequisite is that you two can't make things too difficult for me either."
"As for you, Peter... I'll be keeping an eye on you! If I find any sign that what you do in the future doesn't match the promises you made today, our cooperation will end immediately!"
"I, George Stacy, will never associate with demons who endanger national security!"
To this, what else could Peter say? He just smiled and reached out his hand to George:
"Wishing us a pleasant cooperation in advance, future Mayor George... Also, if there's anything you need help with, just ask."
"You know, in dealing with certain matters, I am much more convenient than you."
...After dinner, on the rooftop of Gwen's house.
Gwen snuggled in Peter's arms and couldn't help but whisper:
"I really can't believe Dad agreed so easily to let me continue being Ghost-Spider."
Peter thought to himself, you think it's easy because you haven't realized how much preparation I've done behind the scenes so that you can have it easy.
But on the surface, he just put on an affectionate look and said:
"I told you, as long as your father knows I can protect you well in his stead, he will naturally be at ease."
Listening to Peter's sweet words whispered in her ear, Gwen subconsciously swallowed.
She couldn't help but think to herself, since Dad and Grandma have already agreed to the relationship between Peter and me...
Maybe we... can also take things a step further?
Thinking this, Gwen suddenly spoke with a somewhat dry voice:
"Peter... I, I have an idea."
Peter was taken aback: "What idea?"
"Close your eyes first, and then wait for me a moment."
After making sure Peter had indeed closed his eyes, Gwen nimbly climbed onto the top of her house's water tower.
Then, she shot out a web and slowly slid down upside down, cupping Peter's face with both hands.
And then... it has to be said, this was indeed a very novel experience.
Even Peter, after realizing what Gwen was doing to him, unconsciously started letting his thoughts wander.
He suddenly thought of Mr. Yee and Wang Jiazhi... the paperclip pose, oh the paperclip pose... *Creak~*
Grandma Pauline, who was about to call Peter and Gwendown for some hot cocoa, pushed open the balcony door and happened to see this stimulating scene.
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then took a look at Gwen, who was being quite proactive, and silently turned to leave.
Young people really know how to have fun... Hmm, and she really is my granddaughter, having quite a bit of my style from back in the day.
Although Grandma Pauline didn't want to disturb the young couple's World...
Unfortunately, both of their hearing was too sharp.
With this interruption, Peter was fine, but Gwen's face was flushed all the way to her ears.
No matter what Peter said, she resolutely refused to do it again.
Just then, Tony, who had just dropped the bombshell "I am Iron Man" at the press conference, called.
"Hello, Tony, why are you calling me at this time?" Peterasked curiously.
To Peter's surprise, the voice on the other end wasn't Tony's, but a deep voice with distinct Black characteristics:
"Mr. Punisher, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Marine Corps Colonel James Rhodes, and also a liaison between the Military and Stark Industries."
"The reason for this intrusion is mainly that my superiors have commissioned me to convey some information regarding the 'Hulk' to you."
Hearing that the other party was Tony's good buddy, Colonel Rhodes, and that he was here to report on things related to the Hulk...
Peter thus had a bit more patience with him:
"Please, go ahead."
"It's like this: just a few hours ago, General Ross led a team to corner the 'Hulk' at Culver University in Virginia, and the result... was a total defeat."
"In this operation, not only did we fail to catch the Hulk, but we also lost an attack helicopter, several armored vehicles, and one of our special forces aces suffered comminuted fractures throughout his body."
"Now the Hulk has kidnapped General Ross's daughter, Betty, and they've escaped into the deep woods together; we've temporarily lost track of them."
Hearing this news, although Peter had already guessed that the Military was likely playing the victim on purpose to gain sympathy and take the opportunity to let him show off his abilities, he still couldn't help but feel tempted.
Mainly, Rhodes' account allowed him to successfully identify the plot point from the original story.
The Battle of Culver University... Bronski being crippled and injected with the inferior Super Soldier Serum copied from Isaiah... Banner running away with Betty, and during their attempt to get intimate, Banner bluntly says 'I can't'... Oh, by the way, Liv Tyler's long legs in this part of the movie are really something... Back to the point, if it follows the movie timeline, Hulk and Betty will hide out for a while, then find a way to contact Mr. Blue, who is the future Leader, Samuel Stern, and finally come to New York.
This process will take at least half a month, at most a month.
If that's the case, I don't know if it will clash with the Life Foundation's Rocket landing... While Peter was thinking about these things, Colonel Rhodes, as expected, requested that Peter go with them to help treat the injured elite soldier.
That is, the future "Abomination," Emil Bronski.
To this, Peter naturally chose to refuse without a second thought.
If he heals this guy now, he won't be able to inject the rest of the Super Soldier Serum.
Without injecting the remaining serum, he wouldn't be able to withstand Hulk's blood and turn into the Abomination.
If the Abomination is butterfly-effected away, how will Peter enjoy the thrill of battle? How will he reap benefits from him?
Therefore, Peter stated directly that he was only helping to deal with the Hulk for Tony's sake.
He had no reason or obligation to help the Military save anyone; besides, who knows if the Military was secretly plotting something against him again?
So, he refused to help!
Seeing Peter refuse so bluntly, although Colonel Rhodesfelt helpless, he knew that they were indeed in the wrong.
Rhodes, who had a strong sense of justice, did not make things difficult for Peter. He simply said politely that if there was news of the Hulk, he would contact Peter and hoped Peter would cooperate with the Military's actions then.
After ending the call with Rhodes, a thoughtful expression appeared on Peter's face.
To avoid a clash between fighting the Hulk and capturing Venom, Peter felt he needed to make some preparations in advance...
Chapter 101: Inviting Quake
To avoid being forced to choose between the Symbiote's arrival on Earth and the clash between the two Hulks, Peter felt it necessary to determine the Life Foundation's specific movements in advance.
Peter felt it was necessary to first determine the specific movements of the Life Foundation.
It would be best if he could constantly monitor the status and timing of the Drake Rocket's return to Earth.
And this... would require Peter to hack into the Life Foundation's internal network for monitoring.
With this thought in mind, Peter immediately attempted to do so at home after parting ways with Gwen.
The result was a bit embarrassing.
The Life Foundation's network security department had experts; he had barely been hacked in for less than half an hour before he was discovered and his access was blocked.
Although Peter could certainly break through their firewall again if he spent some time cramming network security knowledge...
Doing so felt somewhat "inefficient" for Peter.
Compared to teaching himself hacking skills, Peterpreferred to directly recruit a genius hacker to work for him.
Right?
Future senior S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent "Quake," Ms. Skye?
For the current Peter, finding someone wasn't a difficult task.
Setting aside private methods, just looking at public means, there were two paths: S.H.I.E.L.D. and the New York police registration system.
To avoid his father-in-law asking endless questions upon hearing the female name Skye...
Peter chose to contact S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pulling out his long-unused secure phone, Peter directly placed a call to "Black Widow" Natasha Romanoff.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"Peter? How rare. So you actually remember me?"
Natasha's voice remained lazy and sexy, sounding inexplicably like she was flirting with him.
"What? Is there an empty-nester old lady who needs my care?" Peter joked with Natasha in a light tone.
Hearing Peter call her an "empty-nester old lady," Natasha's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of feigned annoyance:
"Don't go too far! I'm only seven years older than you!"
"Only, seven, years," Peter emphasized the keywords for her, causing another long silence of annoyance from the other end of the line.
After a long while, Natasha spoke again, but this time the seductive tone was gone, replaced by a cold, business-like manner:
"Speak. What do you want?"
"It's nothing big, I just need a small favor." Peter rattled off everything he remembered about Quake in one breath:
"I need detailed information on a hacker from the organization 'Rising Tide'."
"Her name is Skye, but her real name... should be Daisy Johnson."
"Please help me find her current specific address."
"Oh?" Natasha on the other end suddenly perked up:
"You want me to help you find a woman? Aren't you afraid your little girlfriend will be jealous?"
"A real man has to learn time management."
Perhaps because he didn't have much desire for Natasha, Peter spoke very casually, mainly focusing on how to boast.
"Xiao Chunnan sure knows how to talk a big game," Black Widow on the other end couldn't help but roll her eyes, retortingly without being polite.
Perhaps because Peter acted so casually, even though Natasha knew he was strong and had the power to control her life or death at any time, she still felt strangely relaxed when communicating with him.
She even subconsciously stretched while talking to Peter.
Her proud bust, which even loose silk pajamas couldn't hide, became even fuller because of this movement, and even the fastened buttons bore the "unbearable weight of life."
Unfortunately, because her room was empty, no one could appreciate this beautiful sight.
"Will helping you find this Daisy cancel out one of the favors S.H.I.E.L.D. owes you?" Natasha asked while opening her Agent laptop to search for the information.
"You're dreaming!" Peter couldn't help but complain:
"Doesn't your conscience hurt, trying to cancel a favor with such a simple task?"
"Ah~ if it's not official business, then it's a personal favor~" Natasha suddenly changed her tone, returning to that seductive persona:
"Since I'm personally helping you with this small favor, how should you repay me... how about taking me to dinner?"
What a vixen; has she already leveled up her seduction skill into a passive ability?
Peter complained in his heart, but said aloud:
"Friendly reminder, Gwen's punching power is over 20 tons. If you're confident you won't be killed by one of her punches, I don't mind inviting you to dinner."
Hearing this somewhat ridiculous number, Natashasecretly stuck out her tongue, and the image of Gwenpounding her chest with small fists involuntarily popped into her mind... Even if she had two high-quality airbags, she wouldn't be able to withstand that!
After a brief silence, Natasha finally gave up on her teasing and reported the search results seriously:
"There are fourteen people with that name in New York City, and only three are between the ages of 10 and 20.
Two live at xxx and xxx... and one has no fixed address but attends a church school in Brooklyn."
After committing the name of the church school to memory, Peter nodded with satisfaction and, after a moment's hesitation, offered a polite remark:
"Thanks. I'll buy you a coffee next time."
"Forget it. I prefer vodka over coffee."
"Unfortunately, I'm not 21 yet. If you don't mind waiting three years, I can buy you a vodka then."
...After having Herman send an internship invitation to the church school where Daisy Johnson was located under the name of Parker Tech, Peter soon obtained Skye's current address and contact information.
Thus, the next morning, Peter, wearing his suit, arrived at a van in a Brooklyn park on his flying skateboard.
He pulled open the unlocked van door.
Peter's gaze met that of an Asian girl who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features like a porcelain doll.
The girl, who was typing on a keyboard, first stopped her movements and looked at Peter with a wary expression, which was then immediately replaced by surprise and joy:
"You... you're The Punisher?"
Seeing her fan-girl attitude, Peter couldn't help but whistle in his heart.
It seemed she was a fan; if that was the case, things would be much easier.
It made sense; Skye's organization, 'Rising Tide', was originally a political hacker group that advocated for 'freedom of information and speech.'
For hackers like them who loved breaking rules, it was quite reasonable to admire a "Punisher" who disregarded laws and regulations.
With that thought, Peter didn't hesitate and decisively extended his hand to her:
"Ms. Skye, are you interested in working for me and becoming a member of the Fist of Shadow?"
Chapter 102: Carlton's Plan
Serving The Punisher?
Joining the Fist of Shadow?
Although Skye didn't know what the Fist of Shadow was at this time.
But the name sounded cool, perfectly fitting her chuunibyou fantasies of a superhero organization.
Skye was incoherent for a while before finally adjusting her speech module and looking at Peter with expectation.
"You mean, we can become partners like Batman and Robin?"
"Emmm, you could pretty much understand it that way." Peter pondered for a moment before deciding to paint a grand vision for Skye:
"But you won't be adopted by me; after all, I'm not much older than you. Besides, your role won't just be an assistant."
Peter pointed at Skye's chest and spoke in the characteristic tone of a Riddler:
"There is a strange potential hidden within you. If it can be perfectly developed, perhaps you too can become a superhero."
Normally, a teenager like Skye would hate this kind of Riddler-esque talk.
But facing her "idol," Skye didn't find it annoying; instead, she thought her idol was incredibly cool.
Especially when she heard Peter say she had the potential to become a superhero, she trembled with excitement.
Well, one can only say Aizen was right.
Admiration is indeed the emotion furthest from understanding.
"Oh my god, this is so cool!" Skye felt she couldn't wait to become My Lord Punisher's assistant.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Peter, her mouth firing off questions like a machine gun:
"So what do I do now? How do I awaken the power inside me and become a superhero like you?"
"Awakening the power inside you is a major undertaking and needs to be done slowly. As for what we're doing now... have you heard of the Life Foundation?"
...While Peter was coaxing Skye, his little fangirl, into becoming his assistant, in San Francisco, thousands of kilometers away.
At the Life Foundation headquarters, inside an office filled with a sense of futuristic technology.
A refined-looking man in a high-end suit and gold-rimmed glasses stood before a giant floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city's night view.
He was the founder of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake.
In the public eye, he was a genius scientist and philanthropist who solved medical puzzles at 19 and founded the Life Foundation at 24.
He was a great pioneer dedicated to helping humanity solve resource shortages and promoting space exploration.
But in the shadows, he was a madman who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, inhumanely using the homeless for live experiments.
"Dr. Carlton."
The female assistant, Doris, pushed the door open and reported excitedly.
"The 'Drake' has entered its return orbit. Our communication with the astronauts is normal. They claim they have successfully contained four unknown alien life forms."
"And it's expected to land in Houston in fifteen days."
"Very good."
Carlton Drake turned around, a near-obsessive fanaticism flickering in his eyes.
No one knew that his body had long since been parasitized by an alien Symbiote called "Riot" during an extra-terrestrial expedition.
Now, he and Riot had reached some kind of consensus.
Or rather, his mind had been unknowingly twisted by Riot.
To the current Carlton, Earth's resources were depleting, and human civilization was nearing its end.
Only by bonding with Symbiotes and evolving into a new species could humans gain the ability to acquire resources in space and sustain Earth.
And he was the chosen one, the prophet who would lead humanity into a new era!
He had unwittingly become a traitor to his own planet without even realizing it... "How is the recovery team's preparation going?" Carlton asked.
"Everything is ready, Doctor."
"What about the screening of hosts?"
This was Carlton's primary concern.
To successfully implement the Symbiote Project and show the World the bright future of bonding with Symbiotes, they had to prioritize selecting the most perfect hosts and creating several powerful "Symbiote Soldiers" as benchmarks.
Only then could his plan gain government support, making it easier for him to bring back more Symbiotes next time.
"Doctor, we conducted a preliminary screening based on the list of 'volunteers' provided by Mr. Kingpin, but... the results are not ideal."
Doris looked troubled.
"If, as you say, the Symbiote has extremely high requirements for the host's physique, then the bodies of the homeless probably won't be able to withstand the cellular assimilation brought by the bonding."
Hearing this, a hint of unnoticeable tyranny flashed in Carlton's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
He adjusted his glasses and said coldly, "If ordinary people won't do, then find extraordinary ones."
"In this World, there is no shortage of lucky ones who have gained 'talents' through accidents, is there?"
As Carlton spoke, he opened an encrypted file.
On the screen, several files slowly unfolded.
The first file at the top was a man in a green bodysuit, dragging a huge Scorpion tail behind him.
["Scorpion," Mac Gargan, mutated and gained special abilities through biological experiments. Imprisoned in Baker Island Prison due to the Stark Kidnapping Incident.]
["Rhino," Aleksei Sytsevich, gained special abilities through polymer condensation and radiation experiments. Imprisoned in Baker Island Prison due to the Stark Kidnapping Incident.]
["Executioner Twins," Luke and Henry, gained physical enhancement through biological experiments. Imprisoned in Baker Island Prison due to the Stark Kidnapping Incident.]
Looking at the four people presented in the files, Carlton's eyes erupted with unprecedented greed and desire!
"Look at them. Are there any more suitable hosts in this World?"
"But..." Doris's fearful voice came from the office:
"Doctor, they are currently serving prisoners. And because of the influence of Stark Industries and some high-level government officials, these people have been denied bail. It's impossible for us to get them to cooperate with the experiments."
Carlton suddenly turned his head. For a moment, his pupils turned a strange grayish-white, but quickly returned to normal:
"There will always be a way, Doris. There will always be a way."
"You take care of cultivating some backup hosts first. As for those four... I will personally find a way."
Noticing Carlton's neurotic behavior, Doris swallowed hard and, out of her own kindness, suggested tremulously:
"Doctor, I don't recommend you..."
"Get out!" Carlton suddenly let out a roar filled with tyrannical emotion.
Doris was so frightened she fell flat on her backside. Now, she no longer cared about any suggestions and scrambled out of Carlton's office...