You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 8
Restart?
[Yes]
For the third Resurrection Match, Charlie followed the exact same opening.
He ducked into the alley first.
“Holy shit, there’s a perv—”
Before the couple could finish shouting, Charlie expertly snatched their clothes and hung them atop the high wall.
“I warned you before.”
“Next time, cover your faces.”
With that, he vaulted onto the rooftops, leaving the stunned couple staring at one another.
“When did he ever warn us?”
“I’ve never even met him.”
“Oh crap…”
“That was Spider-Man.”
“He recognized us!”
“Relax.”
“It’s not like he’s your husband.”
After that brief interruption, Charlie reached the clock tower without incident.
By then…
The chaotic battle over who would save Gwen first had already begun.
The situation wasn’t much different from last time.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions echoed endlessly around the clock tower.
Tony continued showing off the capabilities of his nanotech armor while casually keeping an eye on Peter Parker.
To him…
This Resurrection Match almost felt like a game.
The Chitauri soldiers ignored everyone else.
Their only target was Tony Stark.
Winning the match meant nothing to them.
They were simply carrying out Lord Thanos’ orders.
Destroy Iron Man.
Meanwhile…
Harry kept Peter completely occupied.
Every time Peter managed to push Harry back and tried to rescue Gwen…
The Chitauri immediately intercepted him.
Spider-Man had been an Avenger too.
He was just as high on their kill list.
Just like the previous run…
Lizard Parker was the one who caught Gwen at the last possible second.
Before the two could hit the ground—
Charlie landed on a nearby balcony.
Thwip!
Two web lines shot out, suspending both of them in midair.
“Hey, handsome lizard!”
“Hurry up and hand her over!”
“She’s going to die if you keep holding her like that!”
“Peter!”
In Lizard Parker’s arms, Gwen lit up with joy the moment she saw Charlie.
She had clearly misunderstood who he was.
Charlie strained with all his strength, every muscle in his body tightening as his feet slid helplessly across the floor.
“Now isn’t the time to reenact Beauty and the Beast!”
“Work with me—”
SNAP!
The web suddenly broke.
Charlie was thrown backward.
At that exact moment…
A falling gear slammed directly into his head.
Charlie:
“…”
These webs are terrible quality…
“…Whatever.”
“Restart.”
You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 7
Restart?
[Yes]
The fourth Resurrection Match.
Same strategy.
Charlie rushed into the alley and, with practiced efficiency, stole the couple’s clothes.
“Next time…”
“Cover your faces.”
The battle at the clock tower unfolded exactly as before.
At the crucial moment…
Instead of trying to pull both Gwen and Lizard Parker…
Charlie fired his web directly at Gwen.
“Quick!”
“Hand her over!”
“She’s going to di—”
RIP!
The web tore away a piece of Gwen’s clothing.
She and Lizard Parker continued falling together.
Charlie:
“…”
Right.
Never use webs to rescue someone.
Especially if you’re Spider-Man.
“Restart.”
You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 6
Restart?
[Yes]
The fifth Resurrection Match.
Charlie entered the alley once again.
This time he skipped the jokes.
Two quick webs sealed the couple’s mouths before cocooning them upside down beneath a billboard at the alley entrance.
As fiery streaks roared overhead…
He swung after them.
Everything unfolded exactly the same.
When Lizard Parker caught Gwen…
Charlie fired multiple webs, securing both of them.
This time…
The webs didn’t break.
Success—
Or so he thought.
Another explosion erupted above the clock tower.
A damaged Chitauri glider spiraled out of control.
It crashed directly into Charlie.
The explosion swallowed him instantly.
You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 5
Restart?
[Yes]
Charlie:
“…”
After five restarts…
His strength had increased to 1.5 tons.
Yet…
He still wasn’t qualified to properly join the Battle for Gwen.
The slightest mistake…
And he’d immediately become collateral damage.
Maybe…
He should stop Harry before Gwen was kidnapped.
That would save her.
But the mission specifically required him to save Gwen after she fell from the clock tower.
Even if he prevented the kidnapping entirely…
The Resurrection Match still wouldn’t count as cleared.
As he thought things over, Charlie noticed another pattern.
After so many retries…
He realized the Chitauri only attacked Tony and Peter Parker.
Harry’s sole obsession was Peter.
Tony seemed more interested in observing Spider-Man than completing the mission, causing him to miss the best opportunity to rescue Gwen.
To be precise…
Tony wasn’t taking the Resurrection Match seriously.
Peter didn’t need explaining.
The battlefield was even more chaotic than it had been in the movie.
He simply had no chance to save Gwen.
Which left…
Lizard Parker.
Charlie could tell.
The Lizard wasn’t trying to save Gwen for the Resurrection Token.
He genuinely wanted her to live.
With his immense durability…
He also had the highest chance of surviving the battlefield long enough to rescue her.
Maybe…
That was the angle to exploit.
Charlie pressed [Restart].
The story repeated itself once again.
Charlie reached the clock tower.
The battle resumed.
Locking onto Lizard Parker as he climbed the outer wall…
Charlie immediately landed beside him.
“Hey, handsome lizard.”
“I’ve got a tiny business proposal.”
“Let’s talk about how we’re going to save Gwen.”
“You’ve got time, right?”
“I mean…”
“It’s not like anyone’s hiring you looking like that.”
As he spoke, Charlie mimicked the Lizard’s climbing movements, scrambling rapidly up the wall.
“GET LOST!”
Lizard Parker roared.
His massive tail whipped sideways.
BOOM!
Charlie was smashed straight into the wall.
His Spider-Sense…
Had failed again.
Half-buried inside a human-shaped crater, Charlie helplessly watched Gwen die all over again.
He sighed inwardly.
This guy completely loses the ability to communicate once he gets emotional.
BOOM!!
Moments later…
The Chitauri arrived.
Charlie’s consciousness faded once again.
Seventh Resurrection Match
The countdown reached zero.
This time…
Charlie abandoned every previous strategy.
He sprinted directly toward the clock tower.
No stopping.
No waiting.
Thwip!
A web shot forward.
Charlie swung straight into the tower itself.
CRASH!!
Almost instantly…
A massive green figure smashed through the window and charged toward him.
“Spider-Man?”
Lizard Parker lunged forward, bouncing between walls and machinery as he cut Charlie off.
Charlie shrugged.
“My name’s Charlie Parker.”
“Our goals are the same.”
“We can work together to save Gwen.”
“Fake Spider-Man…”
“You don’t deserve—”
The Lizard’s eyes became increasingly dangerous.
Charlie had expected that reaction.
Without another word, he fired another web and swung to a higher level.
If talking won’t work…
I’ll have to try something else.
“I’LL TEAR YOU APART!!”
The enraged Lizard gave chase, smashing through enormous gears as he barreled across the inside of the tower.
One after another…
Massive gears broke loose and crashed downward.
Focused entirely on Charlie…
Lizard Parker never noticed Harry throwing Gwen from the tower.
BOOM!
A pumpkin bomb detonated.
The tower’s upper floors exploded repeatedly.
As the Chitauri arrived…
The blast shattered every nearby window.
Tony’s nanotech platform caught Gwen and carried her into the tower.
“Peter!”
Terrified, Gwen cried out.
Both Spider-Men answered simultaneously.
“Gwen!”
“Gwen…”
Peter abandoned Harry and dove after her.
Lizard Parker leaped toward her without hesitation.
Huge gears rained from above.
The two met in midair.
“Move!”
Lizard Parker shredded the gears ahead with his claws before sweeping his massive tail toward his rival.
He intended to crush this fake Spider-Man once and for all.
“What?!”
Caught completely off guard, Peter used his webs to weave through the falling gears, narrowly avoiding the Lizard before charging toward Gwen again.
“Hahaha!”
“Peter!”
“You’ll never make it!”
The Green Goblin swooped in.
Harry’s glider launched a volley of miniature missiles.
The battlefield disappeared beneath another chain of explosions.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
“NO!!”
Both Peter Parker and Lizard Parker watched in horror.
A web shot through the smoke.
Another red-and-blue figure…
Ignoring the explosions…
Ignoring the flames…
Dove straight toward Gwen.
Slash…
Slash…
Flying gear fragments tore into Charlie’s back.
By the time he caught Gwen…
His back had already become a bloody mess.
Gritting his teeth through the agony…
Charlie grabbed a web with one hand while holding Gwen securely with the other.
He landed safely on the ground.
The instant his feet touched down…
His knees buckled.
Beside him…
Gwen’s body convulsed violently.
Blood poured from a deep wound across her abdomen.
Her eyes filled with overwhelming terror.
She tried to speak…
But her mouth filled with blood instead.
Then…
She turned toward the dying Spider-Man lying beside her.
The fear in her eyes slowly faded away.
At that moment…
Charlie witnessed every final detail…
Of Gwen Stacy’s death.
(End of Chapter)