“Your pumpkin bombs are all gone.”
Charlie tugged on the webbing binding Norman.
“I think I’ve got the advantage again.”
Wrapped inside a giant web cocoon, Norman rolled across the ground as the devices on his wrists suddenly fired a barrage of Green Goblin razor bats.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In an instant…
The webs were sliced apart.
The massive web trap was shredded as the spinning blades carved through it, filling the narrow alley with flashing steel.
“Hahaha!”
“My boy…”
“You’ve underestimated how cunning a real demon can be.”
Norman stood up and activated the controller on his wrist.
The razor bats immediately locked onto Charlie.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The blades repeatedly severed every web Charlie fired, preventing him from using his web lines to maneuver.
A storm of razor bats slashed across his Nano Spider Suit.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Fortunately…
None of them managed to penetrate the armor.
Charlie quietly let out a sigh of relief.
The blue glow flickered inside his mask.
With the assistance of the suit’s AI…
Every razor bat around him was instantly tracked.
His muscles tensed.
Without any fancy techniques…
He simply punched.
Again.
And again.
One fist after another.
The flashing blades were smashed into useless scrap metal before clattering onto the ground.
“…What?”
Norman’s eyes widened.
Before he could react—
The red-and-blue figure had already closed the distance using a web swing.
“W-Wait!”
“I’m not ready—”
BOOM!!
Charlie threw a textbook right hook.
The punch carried well over ten tons of force.
Norman screamed as he was blasted straight through a brick wall.
BOOM!!
Broken concrete rained everywhere.
Dizzy…
Norman barely managed to pull his head out of the hole he’d created—
Before Charlie grabbed him by the head…
And repeatedly slammed his face back into the wall.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
“No…”
“Stop…”
“I’m getting dizzy…”
Thud after thud echoed through the alley as Norman wailed.
Without all of his high-tech gadgets…
His raw strength was slightly inferior.
If not for the Goblin helmet…
His skull would’ve already split open.
“Really?”
Charlie grinned.
“Then I’ll be considerate of an old man’s feelings.”
He casually slapped the Goblin helmet away.
Scooped up a handful of broken concrete dust…
And smeared it directly across Norman’s face.
“I’m just going to throw a little dust in your eyes.”
“Damn it!”
“Stop!”
“I’m the most terrifying demon!”
“You can’t treat me like this!”
Three minutes later…
Norman leaned against the wall.
His face was covered in blood and stone dust.
His expression was completely lifeless.
“…How did it come to this…”
After enduring inhuman abuse…
Confusion finally appeared in Norman’s eyes.
“I…”
“Hiss…”
“It hurts…”
“You’re…”
“Charlie…”
“What…
did I just do?”
He looked at Charlie as clarity suddenly returned.
“My boy…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m really…
so sorry.”
“That wasn’t me.”
“I never wanted to become a monster.”
“I only wanted to work with you.”
“I never truly wanted to kill your family.”
“Please…”
“Believe me.”
Norman broke down in tears.
Clearly…
He hadn’t forgotten threatening Charlie’s loved ones.
Charlie dusted off his hands.
“I’m sorry too.”
“But that’s not something I can forgive.”
He looked at Norman.
“Is there any way to suppress your condition?”
Norman lowered his head.
Tears streamed down his face.
“No.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ve done too many terrible things.”
“There’s no going back.”
“So…”
“My boy…”
“If you really want to stop me…”
“Then…”
“DIE!!”
Norman’s face instantly twisted back into madness.
At that exact moment—
Charlie’s Spider-Sense finally came alive.
A chill shot down his spine.
The danger…
Wasn’t coming from Norman.
It was behind him.
Norman has an accomplice?
“What are you waiting for?!”
“Kill him!”
SHING!
A blade extended from Norman’s wrist.
Charlie twisted his body instinctively.
The blade barely missed him.
Using the momentum…
He flipped cleanly over Norman’s head and landed behind him.
The movement flowed as naturally as breathing.
Anyone who’s ever been Spider-Man knows…
Mid-air spins like that aren’t learned.
They’re instinct.
Slash!
Then—
Everything changed.
Warm blood splashed across Charlie’s face.
His vision blurred.
Before him…
Steel claws burst through Norman’s armored back.
Blood erupted from a gaping hole in his chest.
“…What?”
Charlie’s face turned pale.
He instinctively stepped backward.
He’d avoided Norman’s sneak attack…
But Norman himself had been killed by his so-called “partner.”
The irony couldn’t have been greater.
RUMBLE!
Lightning flashed across the night sky.
Rain began pouring into the alley.
The mysterious figure slowly withdrew the steel claws from Norman’s body.
Blood mixed with rainwater…
Flowing across the ground.
Norman slowly turned around.
Blood poured from his mouth.
The madness faded from his eyes.
For a brief moment…
He almost looked relieved.
Then…
Relief became fear.
And regret.
“My boy…”
“Don’t…”
“Don’t tell Harry…”
“And don’t…”
“Don’t be Spider-Man anymore…”
“RUN!!”
With a desperate roar…
Norman threw something into Charlie’s hands.
Then…
Without hesitation…
He charged toward the dark silhouette waiting in the rain.
RIP!
The sound of torn armor echoed through the alley.
Blood stained the pavement crimson.
Rain poured relentlessly.
Within the darkness…
The shadow resembled a monstrous beast hunting its prey.
[You defeated a supervillain.]
[Restart Attempts +9]
Splash…
Splash…
Rainwater streamed off Charlie’s Nano Spider Suit as he fired web after web, racing across the rooftops.
His heartbeat thundered.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
But Spider-Sense amplified that fear to an instinctive level…
Forcing him to flee.
He didn’t dare stop for even a second.
Who…
Who killed Norman?
Spider-Sense had reacted with overwhelming intensity.
Which meant…
That person was unimaginably dangerous.
Someone Charlie couldn’t possibly defeat.
Norman clearly knew who that person was.
That’s why he’d warned Charlie to stay away.
So…
This wasn’t random.
Realizing that…
Charlie felt his scalp go numb.
The Marvel Universe…
Was far more terrifying than he’d imagined.
Terrifying enough that he couldn’t even guess who the real enemy was.
Just then…
His entire body suddenly weakened.
No more webs came from his wrists.
“…Damn.”
Weightlessness overtook him.
Still suspended high above the city…
Charlie froze.
He already knew what was coming.
He’d used too much webbing.
His body could no longer produce enough web protein.
Even his strength had dropped dramatically.
As expected…
After several seconds of free fall—
He crashed straight through the balcony of a nearby apartment.
“Motherf—”
“What kind of psycho keeps a giant python on their balcony?!”
The apartment owner heard the crash and hurried outside.
Opening the balcony door…
He stared in delight at Spider-Man being wrapped up by a massive golden python.
“Oh!”
“It’s Spider-Man!”
“Yep.”
“Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Charlie calmly grabbed the snake behind its head.
Carefully unwound it from his body…
Then noticed the pizza the man was holding.
“Hey, Jack.”
“Is that your dinner?”
He casually tossed the giant snake aside.
Walked over as if greeting an old friend…
And smoothly took the pizza from the man’s hands.
The nanometal around his mouth retracted.
Charlie shoved an entire slice into his mouth.
“N-No…”
“I’m not Jack.”
“My name is—”
“Alright, Jack.”
“Have a good night.”
Charlie picked up every pizza box nearby.
Chewing happily…
He walked toward the apartment.
“Mmm…”
“Beef.”
“Nice.”
“Wait!”
“That’s the bathroom!”
“The front door’s on the left!”
the stunned man shouted.
“Thanks, Jack.”
“Say hi to Rose for me.”
Charlie waved without looking back.
The moment he disappeared—
A woman walked out of the bedroom.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“…Who’s Rose?”
The man blinked.
“I…
don’t know.”
“Jason.”
“You’ve exposed yourself.”
“W-Wait!”
“Listen to me—”
Out in the hallway…
Charlie heard the argument starting inside the apartment.
He scratched his head.
“…Weird.”
“Do people really fight just because Spider-Man hid in their apartment?”
(End of Chapter)