"Of course! I'll do my best!" Peter couldn't let the little girl down, but the window still wouldn't budge.
Peter started to panic, as the flames behind him wouldn't wait.
In the Park
"Why is Peter taking so long in the bathroom?" Ben Parker said, looking in the direction Peter had left.
Silas also sensed something was wrong. Rescuing someone shouldn't take this long.
"Uncle Ben, I'll go check the restroom." Without waiting for Ben Parker's reply, Silas ran in the direction Peter had gone.
"Hey!" Ben Parker wanted to say something, but Silas was already far away.
As Silas ran, he quickly scanned the surrounding surveillance cameras. In a blind spot, he swiftly changed into his suit.
A Shadowkhan minion, similar in size to him and wearing his clothes, appeared on camera, running towards the restroom.
"I have to hurry!" Silas kicked off the wall, leaping high and over.
Silas wasn't blindly searching for Peter. Since Peter was going to save someone, where was the nearest fire?
"Over there!" Silas jumped onto a high building and instantly spotted the smoke in the distance.
Silas moved like a leopard stalking its prey—swift and agile. In no time, he arrived at the scene.
"Where is Peter?" Silas didn't rush into the fire. Instead, he closed his eyes and used his ears to listen for Peter's voice.
"Faster! You have to break!"
"Hang in there, Peter!" Silas heard Peter's voice. He circled around to the outside of the window and realized the problem.
The outside of the window was covered with a large pile of debris that had collapsed. With Peter's newly acquired, yet undeveloped, strength, he couldn't kick it open.
Numerous Shadowkhan soldiers emerged from Silas's shadow and began to clear the debris outside.
"It's looser?" Peter noticed the kick was easier than before.
He walked over to the side of the bathroom, enduring the heat of the fire, shot a web line, and pulled the little girl close to his chest.
"Close your eyes!" Peter looked at the window. "We're going out!"
With a running start and a mighty kick, Peter burst through the window. He also inadvertently kicked a Shadowkhan soldier who was clearing debris, turning it into black mist.
"..." Silas's mouth twitched under his mask. He turned and left immediately.
With Peter out of danger, he needed to leave quickly, or he wouldn't be able to explain things to Ben Parker.
[Rescued a little girl and Peter, gained 201 Justice Points]
"Hmm?" Silas, mid-leap between high buildings, paused. Why did he get so many Justice Points for saving two people?
But now wasn't the time to think. Using the rooftops, he quickly made his way back to the blind spot.
Silas immediately recalled the Shadow Ninja he'd sent to the restroom. The Shadow Ninja followed the instruction and instantly returned to Silas's side.
"Good job." Silas gave the Shadow Ninja a high-five, and the Shadow Ninja melted back into his shadow.
This was an application Silas had recently developed: using the similar-sized Shadow Ninja to pose as himself and be seen, thereby establishing an alibi that he was present.
Silas returned to Ben Parker.
"Where's Peter?" Ben Parker didn't see Peter.
Silas shrugged. "I don't know where he ran off to. I just checked the restroom, and he wasn't there."
"Strange," Ben Parker stood up. He was starting to worry and wanted to search himself.
Aunt May also stood up. "Let's look for him together."
Just then, Peter appeared before them.
"Hey! Uncle Ben! Aunt May! Silas! What are you guys doing?" Peter asked breathlessly as he reached them.
Ben Parker asked suspiciously, "Where were you just now?"
"The restroom," Peter had already prepared his alibi.
Silas knew it was his turn to act. "But I just checked the restroom up ahead, and you weren't there."
"Well... that restroom was full, so I went to a different one," Peter quickly responded with wit.
"I see. You almost scared me to death, Peter." Aunt May had nearly cried. In her eyes, Peter and Silas would always be children who needed protecting.
Peter was embarrassed and fidgeted with his hands, feeling guilty for worrying Aunt May so much.
Only Ben Parker noticed the small burnt patch on Peter's trouser cuff and the sweat on his body.
Afterward, Ben Parker took the family to the main section of the amusement park, where they spent the rest of the day having fun.
Peter took many interesting photos, and finally, with the help of a passerby, they took a family picture.
"Did everyone have fun?" Ben Parker asked, turning around.
Peter was the first to answer. "Of course! But next time, if we have a car, a picnic would be even better!"
"Seconded!" Silas simply raised his hand.
"Hmm~ A means of transportation is essential~" Ben Parker mused. He knew he had to get another car, but it would have to be a used one.
Unbeknownst to Ben Parker, his comment about a means of transportation caused the two young men behind him to fall into deep thought.
"How can I come up with an excuse for the money?" Silas and Peter thought simultaneously.
Back home, Ben Parker and Aunt May, exhausted, went back to their room to rest.
"See you tomorrow, Peter," Silas said.
"See you tomorrow, Silas," Peter replied.
Click! Both doors closed.
"I gained 201 Justice Points for saving a little girl and Peter this afternoon."
Silas realized that anyone connected to the main storyline was incredibly valuable, whether he was saving them or killing them!
"It looks like no matter what I do next, I can't stray from the main characters, or I'll waste a huge amount of Justice and Sin Points."
Silas propped his feet up on his desk, his hands cradling his head, lying back in his chair.
The Marvel timeline was just at the end of Iron Man 1. He had many opportunities ahead to stir things up.
"The main thing is the Talismans~" Silas needed to get his hands on them.
Relying solely on Spider-Man's powers wouldn't guarantee his safety. Didn't even our Iron Man, Tony Stark, sacrifice himself by snapping his fingers?
"Snapping my fingers?!" Silas suddenly sat bolt upright.
A terrifying idea began to form deep within his mind.
If I acquired the Horse Talisman and the Dog Talisman, and used them to snap my fingers, saving half the universe or killing half the universe, how many Justice Points and Sin Points would I gain?
"Phew~" Silas's normally calm mind felt like it had been hit by a tidal wave.
"The Talismans!" Silas desired the Talismans even more now. With them, Justice Points and Sin Points would come flooding in.
He didn't even need the whole universe. The Earth alone, with its population of over seven billion people, could make him instantly powerful.
"Three more days!" Norman once again delivered the notice to Professor Connors, then turned and left.
Professor Connors nodded outwardly, but inwardly he was ecstatic. He cared more about his own limb regeneration than Norman's serum.
What he didn't know was that there was another lab underneath the company, which Norman had secretly set up.
Norman never fully trusted Connors. He was actually a participant in the experiment himself. Whenever Connors's research failed, the resulting serum would be sent to him for further optimization.
"Three days?" Connors was filled with excitement. He wouldn't need three days! He would grow a new arm very soon.
Professor Connors gently caressed his empty sleeve as if stroking the arm that would soon regenerate.
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