Beneath the moonlight, the pure white silhouette appeared once more.
Blake stood atop the Empire State Building, looking down at the city below where police sirens served as the background score.
Whether it was the physical enhancements shared when Gaia became Spider-Man or the power absorbed from Khonshu and Moon Knight, his strength had taken a massive leap forward.
Withdrawing his gaze, Blake looked up at the crescent moon hanging high in the night sky.
Ever since Tony Stark uttered that iconic line a few days ago, the criminals of New York had leveled up in both power and numbers.
Before, it was mostly ordinary humans committing robberies and the like.
Now, mutants, vampires, and werewolves alike were crawling out of the gutters to commit crimes.
To this day, he still couldn’t fathom what kind of universe this was.
Tony Stark looking like Robert Downey Jr.
and Wolverine looking like Hugh Jackman—and wearing his classic suit no less—was one thing.
Peter Parker and his parents were roughly similar to the *Ultimate Spider-Man* animated series.
Yet Gwen in this universe was Silk.
The only thing that brought Blake comfort was that Gotham and Metropolis didn’t exist here.
Life really was like *Breath of the Wild*: the wind blows from all directions, and paths stretch in every way.
After waxing poetic in his mind, Blake turned around to look behind him.
“I heard you guys have been looking for me lately.
If I recall correctly, you’re Blade, right?
It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
From the darkness stepped a Black man wearing sunglasses alongside a werewolf clad in a black tactical suit.
The werewolf took a step forward:
“We’ve been waiting for you here for three nights.”
Blade chimed in right behind him:
“We need your help, Knight of the Moon.”
Blake raised his eyes to glance at a spot in the sky:
“Aren’t you going to have the big guy in the sky come down?
While you’re at it, introduce yourselves.”
Blade and the werewolf looked at each other, then turned their heads toward the direction Blake had just pointed out.
A massive, monster-like airship slowly uncloaked in the sky and glided over before halting beside them.
With a loud *clack*, the hatch opened.
A three-meter-tall Frankenstein’s monster holding a Gatling gun and a mummy wrapped entirely in bandages descended from the ship.
The werewolf stepped forward and said:
“We are the Howling Commandos, a team specialized in handling supernatural incidents.
This is Blade, and as for me, you can call me Werewolf by Night.”
Frankenstein’s Monster: “I am Frankenstein’s Monster.
You can just call me Frankenstein.”
The mummy stared fixedly at Blake: “The Living Mummy.”
Blade said to Blake in his distinct voice:
“A massive surge of vampires has appeared in New York recently; I trust you’ve noticed.
As New York’s most active warrior, we hope to enlist your help.”
Blake shook his head and turned around.
Just as Blade and the others thought he was declining, Blake casually tossed them a crescent dart:
“When you need me, just channel magic into it.
I imagine that shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
With those words, Blake leaped down, his cape spreading wide into crescent wings as he glided toward robbers speeding down the avenue.
Catching the crescent dart, Blade walked to the edge of the building and watched Blake’s departing figure.
The Living Mummy stepped forward: “Can we trust him?
Based on recent events and my intelligence, he betrayed the god he worshiped.
This vampire uprising is serious business.
If he’s unreliable, New York is going to suffer.”
Blade’s sunglasses reflected Blake’s back as he shook his head.
“Betrayal?
I don’t see it that way.
We’ve met twice before; he’s an excellent and trustworthy warrior.
If we want to resolve this quietly, we need his help.
Let’s go.”
Blade put away the crescent dart and turned back toward the monster ship.
The Living Mummy, Werewolf by Night, and Frankenstein’s Monster looked at each other before stepping forward to follow Blade.
…
Seven days had passed since the charity gala.
Gaia was exasperated with his unreliable parents.
They were supposed to return quickly, but then they claimed a relative was having a baby and detoured halfway.
At the dining table, Gaia looked at Peter sitting opposite him and couldn’t help asking:
“Peter, you’ve been running over to Harry’s place constantly these past two days.
You didn’t tell Harry about your powers, did you?”
Peter paused mid-chew on his sandwich.
[Little Theater: *Oh god, am I really that easy to read?
Why can both Gwen and Cousin Gaia instantly tell what I’ve done?* (Little Peter weaves through a crowd wearing a mask, but no matter where he goes, Gwen and Little Gaia’s gazes remain fixed on him.)]
Gaia shook his head helplessly.
Sharing secrets between best friends was understandable, and Harry was indeed an irreproachable friend.
Still, Gaia felt Peter needed to be more cautious.
Just as he was about to say a few words, the doorbell suddenly rang.
“Why is Gwen here?”
Having detected Gwen long ago with his Spider-Sense, Gaia got up to open the door.
“Hi, Gaia!
Happy weekend!”
Remembering how she had hugged Gaia from behind last time, Gwen gave a self-conscious wave.
Gaia led Gwen into the house.
As soon as Peter saw Gwen, he immediately put down his sandwich.
“You finished it?”
Gwen raised her chin proudly.
“Of course.
Don’t tell me you haven’t?”
Peter crossed his arms with a stern face.
“As if!
I was specifically waiting for you.
Let’s settle this!”
“You’re on!”
Gaia watched the raging flames of competition igniting between Gwen and Peter.
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he looked at Little Gaia beside him.
“Did I miss something?”
Little Gaia shrugged.
“Who knows?
But right now, you should grab a handful of melon seeds and watch these two seals slap each other around.”
Gaia thought about it and nodded in agreement.
Just as he was about to do as Little Gaia suggested, he heard Gwen and Peter shout in unison: “Gaia, whose do you pick?!” × 2
Gaia: [・_・?]
…
Sitting on the sofa, Gaia stared blankly at the suit each of them held in their hands.
How should he put it?
In Peter’s hand was the classic Spider-Man suit.
In Gwen’s hand was a black-and-white outfit split distinctly at the waist—white on top, black on the bottom, with a spider emblem on the chest.
Gaia could tell at a glance that it was modified from a wetsuit.
Well, familiar skin-tight spandex—every comic superhero was basically Might Guy in a bodysuit.
Who could hold back a laugh?
Little Gaia laughed until tears came out, rolling around on the floor: “Hahaha, I can’t take it!”
After a long pause, Gaia couldn’t help asking, “Is this tights business absolutely mandatory?
And when did I ever agree to team up with you guys?”
Hearing this, Gwen instantly shot Peter a fierce glare: *Didn’t you say Gaia agreed?!*
Peter caught her drift and guiltily looked away.
He had been so caught up researching web-shooters and making suits that he completely forgot to ask.
Seeing Peter turn away, Gwen humph-ed and looked at Gaia with an expectant gaze.
“First tell us, whose suit do you like better?”
Gaia noticed her gaze and really couldn’t bring himself to lie.
He spoke honestly: “I don’t like tights, okay?
Wearing them makes me look like I’m in lingerie.
Even though I don’t plan on being a superhero, if I went out dressed like that, people would probably think I’m flirting with the criminals.”
Gaia’s words froze Gwen in her tracks.
Her neck flushed deep red instantly, the blush spreading all the way to the top of her head.
She stammered for ages without making a sentence, unsure if she was embarrassed or angry.
Peter, on the other hand, felt as refreshed as eating an ice cream cone in thirty-nine degree summer heat.
[Little Theater: *You know what, guys?
Even though Cousin Gaia lumped me in too, this feeling of equal-opportunity criticism feels pretty great.
Though Gwen looks like she’s about to explode.* (Gwen turns into a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.)]
Seeing Gwen remain silent for so long, Gaia vaguely felt something was wrong.
Little Gaia leaped high, spun 720 degrees in the air, and delivered a flying kick to Gaia.
“Say something nice quickly, you idiot!”
After a brief silence, realizing he had misspoken, Gaia rubbed the back of his head where he’d been kicked and took the suit from Gwen’s hand while her attention was scattered.
“You!”
Tears welled in Gwen’s eyes as she pouted at Gaia.
Having her hard work dismissed by someone important left her utterly heartbroken.
Gaia raised a hand to ask Gwen not to speak yet, holding the suit up to his chest for size.
“Alright, I sincerely apologize.
Your design is actually pretty great—at least three levels above Peter’s.
Black and white is my favorite color scheme, though adding a few accents of other colors might make it even better.
A mix shows off more personality.
Thank you for the suit; you’re really talented at design.”
“Gaia…”
Hearing Gaia say he preferred Gwen’s design, Peter instantly felt Gaia’s aesthetic judgment might be questionable.
Gaia spoke up to interrupt Peter and continued: “However, I still have to say one thing: being a hero isn’t a game.
It comes with heavy responsibilities.
You two just got your powers and don’t even fully understand yourselves yet.
How can you take responsibility for others?
You must realize that once you become a hero, you become a pillar of support for people, even their hope in dire situations.
If you aren’t prepared, you’re not just being irresponsible to yourselves, but to everyone else as well.
And how can someone who lacks responsibility ever become a true hero?”
Gwen and Peter stared blankly at Gaia.
Seeing their expressions, Gaia let out a soft sigh, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped away Gwen’s tears.
“Being a hero is too hard, and human capability is limited.
I’m satisfied just doing my part and taking care of the people around me.
You two are still young and need time to mature.
Come on, I made pineapple pizza.
Want to try some?
See if it measures up to your standards.”
Gwen looked at Gaia with red eyes.
After a moment, she turned her head away, pursing her lips petulantly.
“Hmph!
I’m certain yours is definitely, absolutely, one hundred percent not as good as mine.”
Gaia chuckled, took Gwen by the wrist, and pulled her toward the kitchen.
“Won’t you know once you try it?
If it really isn’t as good as yours, I’ll just have to ask you to cook for me often in the future.”
Feeling the warmth on her wrist as she stood close to Gaia, Gwen blushed and looked away, imagining who knows what.
Her tone sounded like a proud white doe standing atop a rocky cliff with its neck held high: “Hmph, in your dreams.”
Peter stood frozen on the spot, looking confused as Gaia pulled Gwen into the kitchen, disappearing from the living room.
[Little Theater: *Guys, I feel like something is very wrong here.* (Little Peter rides a unicycle and juggles balls on a circus stage wearing a red nose.)]
Little Gaia strolled past Peter with his hands behind his back.
Listening to the conversation coming from the kitchen, he cast a contemptuous glance at Peter.
“So your day has finally come, huh?
Karma really comes full circle, no one gets spared!
Tsk tsk tsk.”