After visiting Dr. Otto, Charlie returned to his rented apartment.
The newly renovated apartment didn't have any strange odors, thanks to Harry using only the best materials.
This was definitely a win for the landlord.
On the table, a brand-new contract caught Charlie's eye.
Yes, Harry was now Charlie's landlord.
Charlie looked at the sticky note on the side.
[My friend, I know you wouldn't want to accept this apartment, so I bought it. From now on, be polite to the landlord, or I'll raise the rent.]
Charlie: "..."
The least intimidating threat ever.
He poured himself a glass of water, then tapped his wrist-mounted nanodevice to contact Felicia.
This was Spider-Man's way of communicating.
Charlie Parker used his phone.
Thus, Charlie and Spider-Man had no apparent connection.
Ring ring~
The other side didn't answer, and after several attempts, it was the same.
Charlie's frown deepened.
If he couldn't reach Black Cat, then he couldn't retrieve what Kingpin said was stolen.
But it didn't matter—Charlie said he'd find it, so he'd find it.
After all, his ultimate goal was to take down Kingpin, not actually help him find his item.
With that thought, his brow relaxed.
Taking out Kingpin was part of his plan.
But he couldn't completely kill him.
After all, he needed to prevent Kingpin from making a comeback and causing trouble during a revival match.
The only solution was to incapacitate him—leave him unable to care for himself.
With that, Charlie went online to research how to turn someone into a vegetable.
Yes, that seemed feasible.
Late at night, Charlie concluded his research on the human body and went to bed.
The next day, he attended classes as usual.
The day's lectures ended quickly, and Charlie didn't immediately make contact with Kingpin.
Instead, after putting on his nanometal suit, he went to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Retrieving the item would take time, and to gain Kingpin's trust, he decided to wait a while.
S.H.I.E.L.D Training Room.
Under Carter's grueling training, Harry was drenched in sweat, sprawled out on the ground.
"Captain, I... I need a day off. There's a lot of work at the company waiting for me," Harry raised his hand.
Carter frowned. She didn't want to let him go, but Harry's contract with S.H.I.E.L.D clearly stated that he had the right to a certain level of freedom and wasn't under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s complete control.
Harry being willing to cooperate with her was already a great outcome.
"Alright, you can leave, but you can't miss tomorrow's training."
"Of course, I still want to get stronger, and I won't miss it."
Harry felt like he had been given a reprieve and quickly got up to change in the corner, not even taking the time to shower.
It would be bad news if Carter changed her mind.
Knock knock~
Suddenly, a red and blue figure appeared in front of the window, Charlie hanging upside down and tapping on the glass.
"I'd like to borrow your training room for a bit. We're all good neighbors, so you wouldn't refuse me, right?" he said.
"Spider-Man!"
Seeing Spider-Man take the initiative to visit S.H.I.E.L.D., the people present were somewhat surprised.
Natasha mused, "If he's coming to us on his own, it means his view of us has changed."
Barton wiped his arrow case, his gaze indifferent.
"Doesn't seem like the kind of guy who doesn't hold a grudge. Maybe it's because Nick Fury no longer fully controls S.H.I.E.L.D."
Hearing this, Natasha frowned.
"He's here because of Captain Carter?"
"That's my guess."
Barton glanced at Spider-Man, who was being welcomed into the training room by Carter, his eyes flickering.
"I think there's a secret between them."
"A man's sixth sense?"
Natasha teased, "Either way, Spider-Man isn't our enemy—this is the best outcome. Nothing else matters."
Barton shook his head. "This isn't the end, because everything is just beginning.
Spider-Man has too many secrets. His apparent immortality will inevitably make him everyone's target.
Nick Fury wants to know that secret, the council members want to know it—this truce can't last long."
Natasha shrugged. "That's a matter for the future. Captain Carter should be able to hold off the pressure for a while."
"The captain's authority isn't as great as it seems—you and I both know that," Barton still wasn't optimistic.
"She might not have much authority now, but that doesn't mean she won't later."
Natasha and Barton's views diverged.
She watched Spider-Man's figure, smiling faintly. "Over the years, I've learned that to climb higher, one needs both ability and support from someone behind them.
The Carter family might be in decline, but they're still quite influential. You can see their power from the way Captain Carter was immediately placed into S.H.I.E.L.D after being unfrozen.
If Spider-Man also supports her, she could easily push Nick out of the picture."
Barton frowned, looking at Natasha in surprise.
"You're one of Nick's people—aren't you worried about that actually happening?"
"What's there to worry about?"
Natasha looked relaxed. "I said it before—climbing higher requires ability and someone's support.
Do you think Nick became director without someone backing him?"
Barton was curious and set down his arrow case.
"If the one backing him is an ordinary person, no matter how powerful they are, it'd be hard to threaten Spider-Man."
"I know."
Natasha took a sip of water. "I've probably mentioned the alien incident to you before."
Barton's expression changed.
"You mean the incident where an alien warship was destroyed by a mysterious superhero before it even reached Earth?"
"Yes, she's an incredibly powerful person—Nick's good friend. She alone is strong enough to match Earth's entire armed forces. Do you think Spider-Man has a chance?"
With that, Natasha set down her water bottle and left the training room.
Behind her, Barton seemed thoughtful.
"Strong enough to match the world's armed forces—sounds exaggerated. But if it's true, Spider-Man doesn't stand a chance."
Thinking this, he also left the training room.
Meanwhile, Charlie took the water Harry handed him.
"Thanks, my friend."
"You're welcome, my friend."
Harry looked at Natasha and Barton leaving, somewhat puzzled.
"What were they talking about? I feel like it's related to you," he said to Charlie.
Charlie shrugged. "I heard it, but it's not important."
Carter, standing nearby, had heard their conversation as well.
Her return from the revival match wasn't just about a strengthened physique.
She looked at Harry. "Weren't you going to take care of company matters? Or do you still want to keep training?"
"No, I'm leaving right now."
At the mention of training, Harry felt his scalp tingle, and after saying goodbye to Charlie, he hurried out of the training room.
Watching Harry leave, Carter finally asked, "Natasha said Nick has a friend who's an incredibly powerful superhero—enough to match the whole world. Is that true?"
Charlie nodded. "It's definitely true."
Carter's face changed. "There's really such a powerful superhero?"
Her instincts made her believe it was just smoke and mirrors from Natasha, but Charlie's powers left a deep impression on her. She had to believe it.
"You don't need to be so tense."
Charlie reassured Carter, then moved to the equipment area, picking up a high-density dumbbell to test its weight.
This equipment was made for superhumans, but still didn't meet his needs.
"If there's no earth-threatening disaster, that person won't come back," he added.
"But for a friend, she'd definitely return, right?" Carter followed behind Charlie.
Charlie nodded. "Probably. But as long as you don't go too far, Fury won't call her back. He has his own cards to play—he won't be obsessed with the director's chair."
He looked at Carter. "So you really plan to push Fury out of his position?"
Carter nodded without hiding her intention.
"Yes, Nick Fury and I disagree on too many things. As long as he's there, I can't operate freely, and his abilities aren't as strong as I thought.
Most importantly, you heard it yourself. Just because they haven't come after you yet doesn't mean they won't."
"They don't need to say it—I already know."
Charlie tried a heavier dumbbell. "So I'll support you. With you in charge, I'll have far fewer troubles."
Carter raised an eyebrow, not expecting Charlie to agree so readily.
"You trust me that much?"
"What do you think?"
Charlie didn't continue that topic. He put down the dumbbell.
"My body still has untapped potential, so I need customized training equipment. Can you arrange that?"
Carter thought for a moment. "Of course, but it will take some time. Your training data can't stay at S.H.I.E.L.D., so I'll use other resources to complete the equipment."
"Not bad, Agent Carter—you've got good ideas."
Charlie praised her and added, "I learned some pretty good moves from Thanos—I'll teach you a few, and Harry too."
"You saw Thanos again in the revival match?" Carter was surprised.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, I asked him for a lot of advice. His combat skills are among the best in the universe, and definitely better than yours."
"Cosmic-level combat skills?"
Carter admitted she was intrigued.
She was a soldier—any advanced combat skills were an irresistible lure.
"Should we start now?"
"Of course."
Thus, Charlie taught on the spot, pulling Carter in as a sparring partner.
Of the people he knew, Carter had the best combat skills, and only in sparring with her could Charlie make greater improvements.
Provided he held back his strength.
Two hours later.
On the rooftop outside the training room, Carter handed Charlie a cup of coffee after their session ended.
"Thank you." Charlie took a sip.
Carter looked out over the city, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
"The number of spider mutants has stopped increasing. Now it's just a matter of using your small spider to turn them back to normal."
She turned to Charlie. "I asked Dr. Banner. The last spider mutation incident was caused by a sudden decrease in mutated cells in their bodies. The mutated cells were desperately trying to reproduce, so they started consuming healthy cells, which led to them mutating out of control."
Charlie set down the coffee. "It's pretty much what I expected. Is there a way to gather those mutants together? They're too scattered—it's hard to catch them all quickly."
The mutated spider incident needed a conclusion.
Leaving those mutants alone would just lead to future trouble.
As for Charlie's request, Carter already had a plan.
"I've notified the television networks. Tonight, there's going to be a Spider-Man impersonation contest, with a prize of one million dollars and a chance to star in a movie as Spider-Man—become a celebrity. How many mutants do you think will sign up?" She smiled.
Charlie: "..."
"If that's what you're saying, then I want to join the contest too."
"Good, hope you get a good score."
"I'm getting first place!"
...
"Hey, who's gonna win first place in tonight's Spider-Man impersonation contest?"
Under the night sky, bright lights lit up the open-air stage, and the host passionately shouted from the stage while thousands of people in the audience shouted along.
"It's gonna be Johnny!!"
"It's definitely me! I'm gonna be a star!"
"John, go for it! We love you!!"
"Don't lose, Katie!!"
Among the crowd, Charlie and Carter were pushed around by the packed audience.
"What the heck, are these all Spider-Man fans?" Charlie was not used to being around so many crazed people.
At this point, he had put on a regular suit, and most of the other participants were dressed similarly.
But some mutants stood out—they wore flamboyant costumes that drew attention and even seemed to have a following of fans.
Carter's face was stiff as she pulled Charlie towards the backstage.
"The contest hasn't started yet—no entry."
A staff member tried to stop them, but Carter took out her badge, allowing them to escape the crowded area.
"Phew~"
She exhaled, looking at the mass of Spider-Men, and shook her head helplessly.
"The real Spider-Man doesn't do this fan-service nonsense, so some impersonators take advantage of his fame to attract a bunch of crazy fans."
Charlie scratched his head. "What a niche thing."
"It's not that niche anymore."
Just as Carter said this, the host on stage announced that the contest had officially begun.
As one impersonator after another took the stage, Charlie finally relaxed.
"Luckily, their performances are terrible."
Carter laughed. "Don't worry, the judges we brought in are fair."
Three hours later.
It was Charlie's turn.
After his performance, it was time for the judges to score.
"I think this contestant's web-slinging was not smooth—five points."
"Three points. Spider-Man's a hero, and all your rambling disrespects Spider-Man."
"Six points. The web slingshot idea was good, but your body is too scrawny—a hero should be strong."
"Your performance was a disaster. I was going to give you three points, but your effort moved me, so I'll give you four."
"Alright, final score is eighteen points. This contestant didn't reach twenty points, so unfortunately, you're eliminated."
All the judges gave low scores, and the host announced the elimination.
Charlie's face turned dark on stage.
Spider-Man was eliminated from a Spider-Man impersonation contest.
This was a sad story.
This malicious world... might as well be destroyed!!
This Spider-Man impersonation contest will have no winner!
Because everyone will be eliminated!
After coming off stage, Charlie didn't hesitate to switch to his nanometal suit.
"Captain Carter, no need to wait for the contest to end. I'm taking down all these mutants now—charge!!"
Chirp chirp chirp-
With that, Charlie and the small spider charged into the scene, and Carter could only helplessly facepalm.
That's it—Spider-Man had turned dark.