"I'll do it."
Matt paused, turning back. "But first, I need to change."
"Into your suit?" Charlie asked.
Matt nodded. "Yeah. Like you, I don't want anyone knowing who I am."
"Smart move."
Charlie reclined on his web hammock. "I'll wait."
Matt tilted his head. "Hope you keep your word."
"I hope you get your revenge."
Charlie closed his eyes, feigning a nap.
Matt adjusted his sunglasses. "I won't hold back."
With a flick of his wrist, his cane folded, and he leaped off the rooftop.
Charlie heard the faint sound of footsteps leveraging momentum and shook his head.
Sharp senses, perfect for close combat.
But Matt's physical abilities were average. He'd struggle against Kingpin in a straight fight, no wonder he'd been lurking in Hell's Kitchen, waiting for an opening.
Charlie stayed in the hammock.
Whoosh~
A breeze blew by, sending a newspaper fluttering into the air. A web shot out, snagging it into Charlie's hand.
Nothing better to do, might as well read.
"Shock! Spider-Man Turns Electro at Artificial Sun Experiment!"
Charlie: "."
What's the real Electro gonna call himself now?
His eyes scanned further.
"The Untold Story of Spider-Man and the Green Vulture"
"To Defeat His Old Foe, Spider-Man Trained Speed Techniques at a Power Plant…"
"Captain Carter Steals the Show at Artificial Sun Experiment, Radiating Red Allure"
"Tony Stark Caught Ogling Captain Carter, Playboy Falls in Love"
"Dr. Octavius and Ruth's Secret Love Story: Octopus Arms Inspired by Midlife Crisis?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury's Unmentionable Deal with Rhino, All for Love"
The more Charlie read, the worse it got.
He flipped to the back.
Yup, Daily Bugle Entertainment Edition.
Damn it!
No wonder it felt off.
Jonah Jameson, desperate to avoid bankruptcy, had cooked up this garbage.
Gotta admit, it was kind of entertaining.
Charlie skimmed the free paper with relish.
Time ticked by, and Matt still hadn't returned.
Whoosh~
A sharp whistle cut the air. Charlie tilted his head, dodging a glint of metal.
Thud!
A black, star-shaped dart embedded itself in a low wall. Charlie glanced back, spotting a red figure flashing across a nearby rooftop.
"Spider-Man, change of plans. I need your help."
Matt's voice rang out. In his arms was a petite figure. He dodged incoming shurikens, occasionally swinging a baton from his thigh to fend off shadowy attackers.
Charlie shot a web, yanking Matt and his passenger to his side.
"Weren't you changing into your suit? What, didn't pay for it and now you're getting chased?" Charlie teased.
Matt panted, refusing to let go of the woman. "My friend's being hunted. I can't let her die."
Charlie glanced at the woman in his arms. "Girlfriend?"
"Ex-girlfriend." Matt's half-mask couldn't hide his tension.
Charlie facepalmed. "Alright, Hell's Kitchen Casanova. Watch closely—the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man's going online."
He turned, spotting figures flickering under the moonlight. In a blink, they seemed to teleport, surrounding the trio with lethal intent.
"They're ninjas from an evil organization," Matt explained.
Charlie clapped. "I've only seen Naruto."
The shadows unleashed a barrage of darts.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh
Gleaming steel enveloped their space.
"Watch out!"
Matt gripped his batons, ready to counter the onslaught.
But Charlie casually tossed Matt and the woman aside, spinning mid-air.
His elegant twirl dodged every shuriken, each one striking his red-and-blue suit.
Clang clang clang clang~
Sparks erupted. Charlie landed in Black Widow's signature pose, scratching his backside.
Matt, listening intently, mapped the scene with his heightened senses. "What was the point of that?"
Charlie stood. "It looked cool!"
The masked ninjas closed in with kunai.
Zing!!
Their flickering forms dazzled under the moonlight.
Charlie just scoffed. "All flash, no substance."
He fired artificial webbing, bursting outward. The illusions vanished, and the hidden ninjas were ensnared.
"Nani?"
Amid their shocked cries, the webs' terrifying force yanked them, slamming them into the low wall.
Boom!!
Bang bang…
Bricks flew as the ninjas spat blood. The webs surged again with crushing force.
Boom!!
Boom boom boom
After several slams, the ninjas went limp.
The rooftop was a mess. Matt approached, sensing the ninjas in the webs reduced to pulp.
Their bones had been shattered.
"I heard Spider-Man rarely kills," Matt said, standing.
Charlie dusted his hands. "Don't believe every sketchy tabloid rumor."
Just cannon fodder, too weak for the resurrection match. This was their fate.
"Who are they, and why are they after your… ex-girlfriend?" Charlie asked.
Matt looked down at the woman, his expression complicated. "She's one of Kingpin's assassins. This might be tied to him."
"The current Kingpin can't send assassins after your ex."
Charlie reclined on the hammock. "Your job's not done."
"You can handle it now."
"No, I'd end it too fast. You're weaker—you'll take longer."
Matt: "."
"Fine, I'll go."
He set his ex down. "Please watch her. I'll be back soon."
"Sure, I'm happy to babysit someone else's girlfriend."
After Matt left, Charlie studied the "ex-girlfriend."
Daredevil's ex, Kingpin's assassin.
Elektra?
Probably.
As a Marvel assassin, her outfit was predictably skimpy.
Red crop top, ultra-short shorts, and red leg ribbons—matching Daredevil's color scheme.
Her brown hair was disheveled, but her features were visible.
Hard-edged, not Charlie's type.
But he could make do if push came to shove.
Crouching, he propped her up, pressing her philtrum.
"Ugh~"
Elektra woke, seeing glowing blue triangular eyes. Instinct kicked in.
Buzz~
A dagger from her leg sheath flashed, but Charlie dodged effortlessly.
Before she could act again, he snatched the dagger.
"My God, you're attacking the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Want me to knock you out with one punch?"
He fired webs, binding her, and returned to his hammock.
"Matt asked me to save you. Who's after you?" he asked.
At Matt's name, Elektra trembled, recalling her ex before she passed out.
She recognized Spider-Man.
Her boss's enemy.
But not hers.
She stayed wary of superheroes, but with Spider-Man, she felt she could talk.
In the underworld, few saw Spider-Man as a typical superhero.
After all, superheroes don't rob thugs' wallets.
"The Hand, an international assassin group. They want to use me to get to Kingpin. Their goal is Hell's Kitchen," she said.
Charlie shook his head. "Tell the truth. You're just Matt's ex."
Elektra's expression shifted. "How do you know I'm lying?"
"Pretty women are the best liars."
Elektra: "."
"Nice line. Who said it?" she asked.
Charlie shrugged. "A great mom."
Elektra fell silent, then spoke. "I'm actually part of the Hand, but I clashed with their ideology, so I escaped and became Kingpin's assassin.
They're after me and joining Hell's Kitchen's chaos. Kingpin's empire is a big prize—lots of factions want a piece. That's the truth."
Charlie nodded. "Thanks for being honest. When Matt's back, you two can leave."
"Really?"
Elektra studied Spider-Man, her gaze odd. "Long ago, I wanted to be a superhero."
"Stop lying. You still do," Charlie called out.
Elektra: "."
"I tortured criminals, so no one sees me as a hero," she said with a bitter smile.
Charlie's tone grew earnest. "Don't worry about their opinions.
With great power comes great responsibility. Heroes always face criticism.
Be your own hero, and the outside noise doesn't matter."
"With great power comes great responsibility…"
Elektra mulled it over, her dim eyes brightening. "Spider-Man, thank you. I'll consider it."
"No problem. It's what I do."
A commotion erupted below. Aleksei's wild laughter echoed.
"Hahaha, I'm Nick Fury's Thunderbolt! I'm Rhino, here to atone by wiping out Hell's Kitchen's criminals! You, curly-haired punk, don't run—I'm gonna crush you!!"
"Aleksei, don't go rogue!!" Fury shouted.
"Commander Fury, relax, that punk's toast!"
"No, your target's Kingpin's men, not that drunk!"
"What? Speak up, I~can't~hear~you~"
Boom!!
The street below exploded as Aleksei rampaged.
Charlie peeked over, seeing Fury and his agents chasing Aleksei, and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, this is good. Great show."
Elektra recognized the voice. "Aleksei, a musclehead thug. Barely qualifies as an assassin," she said with disdain.
Charlie waved a hand. "But he's a Thunderbolt now. Official."
Matt scrambled back to the rooftop. "Sorry, I couldn't handle those guys. Aleksei took them out."
He rubbed his temples, wincing at the memory of Aleksei's chaos.
"No worries. New mission."
Charlie nodded at Elektra. "A new dark force is rising. Take down the Hand, and I'll tell you where Kingpin is—er, I mean, his whereabouts."
"The Hand?" Matt eyed Elektra suspiciously. "The infamous assassin group?"
Elektra nodded. "Yes. They're after dragon bone fossils. That's a good starting point."
"Dragon bone fossils?" Charlie asked.
Elektra explained, "A mystical fossil that extends life. The Hand's founder needs it badly."
"Extend life…"
Charlie mused. "Then they're not just here to hunt you."
"They're after the Time Tablet?" Matt guessed.
"Compared to dragon bones, the Time Tablet's more tempting."
Charlie turned. "Alright, it's on you two now. When it's done, I'll tell you where Kingpin is."
"Wait, the Hand's a massive organization. You're not helping?" Elektra asked.
Charlie stood on the rooftop's edge. "If they're after the Time Tablet, they'll come to me. No need to hunt them. You go first—if you can't handle it, I'll step in.
Don't ask why. In New York, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man's the star."
He leaped off the rooftop.
"Big guy, let's have a real brawl!"
He shouted at the rampaging Aleksei.
Hearing the familiar voice, Aleksei looked up, spotting Charlie swinging down.
"Damn bug, I'll crush you!!"
"Oh, yeah, that's the spirit! Chase me, and if you catch me, I'll let you… heh heh heh…"
"Don't run!"
Boom boom~~
Aleksei's massive figure tore through the street, flattening cars and leaving chaos.
Fury, watching, was dumbfounded. "What's wrong with this guy? Doesn't he want to see his friend Charlie anymore?"
Coulson shook his head. "Commander, this is Hell's Kitchen, but this much damage will bring complaints. Figure out how to cover the costs."
At the word "costs," Fury's head throbbed.
He was still paying off Tony Stark's ruined building in installments. Now a whole street?
For the first time, he thought his Thunderbolts Initiative was a joke.
"Isn't Carter pushing her own Thunderbolts plan?" he asked.
Coulson nodded. "Yes, but without your approval, it won't get through."
"Fine. If she covers this damage, she can have the Thunderbolts Initiative—and that big idiot too."
Fury's eye narrowed. "Let Aleksei cause her some trouble. That'll keep her too busy to watch me."