“This is the Daily Bugle, I’m J.
Jonah Jameson!
Last night, our hero Ghost Rider didn’t show up.
But in the night of New York, there was another damn hooded mummy—those two bandage freaks had a massive brawl in Times Square last night…”
In front of the television, J.
Jonah Jameson was pontificating with righteous indignation, berating the wicked deeds of the hooded mummy—or rather, the bandage freaks.
“Oh, motherfucker!
What the hell is wrong with this world?”
Gaia Parker sat in front of the TV.
With one hand holding the remote, he used the other to rub his neck, which was stiff from sleeping in an awkward position, his face a picture of utter helplessness.
“It’s bad enough that New York has both Ghost Rider and Moon Knight in 2008, but there are actually *two* Moon Knights.”
He really had it rough.
When he transmigrated to Marvel, he had assumed he would unlock an invincible life where he could kick the One Above All and punch the One Below All.
Instead, right after he was born, the system abandoned him.
Though the system claimed to have left behind compensation, in reality, it was just a physical stat panel alongside the ability to grow stronger through physical exercise.
On the grand stage of New York, he was nothing more than a background extra.
At that thought, Gaia turned his head to look at his system panel:
[Name: Gaia Parker] [Grip Strength: 5.12 tons] [Arm Strength: 10.21 tons] [Leg Strength: 15.33 tons] [Speed: 68.41 m/s] [Reaction Speed: 0.01 s]
Little Gaia stood on Gaia’s shoulder, stroking his chin right along with Gaia as he looked at the physical stats, unable to resist complaining, “Hey man, you’re as weak as a Super Soldier.”
Gaia looked aggrieved and retorted, “What choice do I have?
I’ve been working really hard!
I’ve managed to survive in New York until now—what more do you want from me?
I even self-taught occultism and tried summoning Khonshu and Mephisto, but what came of it?”
Gaia pointed at the TV screen.
“Neither of them paid any attention to me!
I really wonder if my soul just isn’t pure enough.
Especially Khonshu—that guy picked *two* people in New York to be Moon Knight, but skipped over me.
It makes me cry tears from top to bottom.
I was even put in a mental institution by Mom and Dad because of all that!
Now everyone thinks I’m insane.”
Little Gaia jumped off his shoulder, landed on the coffee table, and put his hands on his hips.
“Neither of the two Moon Knights wanted you—haven’t you reflected on whether you’ve been working hard enough?”
“Reflect on what?
How am I not working hard?” Gaia raised an eyebrow and threw his hands up innocently.
“Sure, I’m a bit outspoken, but I’m still qualified, aren’t I?
I’ve stayed on the New York stage for so long, and I haven’t done drugs, gambled, or propositioned prostitutes, have I?”
Gaia slumped back into his chair, grabbed a half-cup of cold coffee, and took a gulp.
“Why is it so hard to be a superhuman these days?
Someone gets bitten by a spider and takes off, someone gets irradiated and becomes the Hulk.
Not only did my transmigrator system run away, but its ‘compensation’ was making me a high-level fitness enthusiast?”
As the saying goes, the unknown is dangerous.
It was 2008, Tony Stark had only recently gone missing, and the only heroes out in the open were Ghost Rider and Moon Knight.
This made Gaia severely suspect that the universe he was in was an individual comic run for one of those two.
Or perhaps a comic titled *Ghost Rider vs.
Moon Knight*.
Whichever it was, anyone in the know understood the danger.
Sigh.
There really was no hope in this life.
While Gaia was drowning in his gloom, a youthful voice sounded from the side.
“Gaia?”
Gaia turned his head to see Peter Parker—skinny and small, with his hair parted down the middle—holding a glass of water and a capsule, walking over with a smile on his face.
That’s right, just as you thought: Peter Parker, the future Spider-Man.
Only he hadn’t been bitten by a spider yet.
Though it was coming soon.
Oscorp’s science exhibition was scheduled for tomorrow.
Thinking of this gave Gaia an even bigger headache.
As everyone knew, the friends and family of Spider-Man never met good ends.
In this life, his identity was the son of May Parker and Ben Parker—an older cousin eight full years older than Peter Parker.
His fate could well be imagined.
Little Gaia: “We must never let Peter become Spider-Man!
Otherwise, we’re all doomed!”
Gaia nodded in agreement.
It was a bit selfish, but he was just an ordinary guy without much real power—he couldn’t withstand a multiverse-level curse like the Spider Totem.
Seeing Gaia talking to thin air again, Peter couldn’t help showing a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Although Aunt May and Uncle Ben said Gaia had issues of his own, Peter always felt that a big reason Gaia ended up like this was because of him.
If he hadn’t run around recklessly back then, Gaia wouldn’t have turned into this crazy, unhinged state.
Taking a deep breath, Peter suppressed the pain and self-reproach in his heart, forcing a smile as he looked at Gaia.
“Gaia, time to take your meds.”
“?”
Gaia couldn’t help giving Peter a strange look.
Little Gaia: “Hey, Peter, don’t say things that are so easy to misunderstand.”
Gaia nodded deeply in agreement and added, “That’s right, Peter.
He’s right, don’t say things that sound so suspicious.
Besides, I’m not sick and I don’t need meds.
It’s already eight o’clock—hurry up and go to sleep.
Don’t you have to go to the science exhibition tomorrow?
Oh, speaking of the science exhibition, I’m going with you tomorrow.
Did you check with Harry?”
Peter knew he couldn’t win an argument with Gaia, so he went along with it: “I talked to Harry.
Harry said it’s fine.”
Hearing this, Gaia nodded satisfied, stepped forward, and patted Peter’s shoulder.
“Is that so?
That’s good.
Harry’s a good kid, worth me looking out for him.
Honestly, you really make people worry.
Remember before, every time you went on a field trip, you had to get bitten by something?
I remember things like goats, dolphins, and whatnot…”
Seeing Gaia about to keep going, Peter gave a couple of dry laughs, casually stuffed the pill into a piece of bread on the table, and handed it to Gaia.
[Peter’s Time-Freeze Interlude: I really don’t get why Cousin Gaia has loved digging up my awkward memories ever since we were kids.
He has such a twisted sense of humor.
If I could beat him in a fight, I’d definitely teach Cousin Gaia an unforgettable lesson…
Well, I’m just thinking out loud.
Even if I could beat him, I wouldn’t actually do it.
We’re cousins bound by blood after all, but there’s no harm in imagining it, right?
(Little Peter wickedly grabs a goat, quietly creeps up behind Little Gaia, and lets the goat bite Little Gaia’s butt until Little Gaia leaps into the air screaming in pain.)]
Peter raised his hand, scratched his head, and backed up two steps.
“Ahahaha, you’re right, Gaia.
It’s getting late, I think I should go to sleep.
Good night, Cousin Gaia.”
Gaia took a bite of the bread, gave Peter a surprised look, and shrugged helplessly.
“Alright, good night, bro.”
Little Gaia waved at Peter.
“Good night, Little Ben.”
Peter waved and turned to walk upstairs.
Gaia watched Peter’s figure disappear at the corner of the stairs, glanced at the TV, then looked at Little Gaia.
“Let’s go to sleep too.
After all, we’re going to Oscorp with Peter tomorrow, so we need to save our energy.”
Little Gaia agreed.
“You’re right.”
Gaia picked up the remote, turned off the TV, looked around, and switched off the light.
Once back in his own room, he stripped off his clothes and jumped into bed.
Five minutes later, Gaia’s breathing stabilized.
Right at that moment, “Gaia” slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
White linen cloth grew out of thin air in sync with “Gaia’s” movements, wrapping around “Gaia’s” body like a living thing.
Strands of bandages climbed from his arms up to his shoulders, wrapped around his chest, and covered his face.
His eyes suddenly flickered with azure fluorescence, and a white hood and cloak unfolded behind him.
Moonlight poured in through Gaia’s bedroom window, bathing “Gaia” in a silver glow.
Moon Knight makes his entrance!