Tony's hush money was hefty—enough for Quentin Beck to storm Hollywood.
At a roadside café, under the gaze of onlookers, Quentin and Charlie signed the contract.
"Thank you, Spider-Man. I'll work hard and won't let you down."
Quentin's face lit up as he held the contract.
But the crowd quickly sobered him.
Glancing at Spider-Man, he whispered, "Aren't we a bit too flashy here?"
Charlie eyed the phone-wielding spectators, nodding with satisfaction. "Looks like Spider-Man's still got plenty of fans."
He grinned at Quentin. "From now on, you're Spider-Man's friend. Everyone knows it.
You can cast me in your effects-heavy films. Of course, you're the star."
Quentin's gratitude deepened. "Yes, Spider-Man's my friend, and I'm his forever. Here's to a great partnership."
Charlie nodded. "Sure, but besides movies, I think you could have a side hustle."
"Side hustle?" Quentin blinked.
"Yup."
Charlie smiled. "If your movie effects could become reality, you'd be the next superhero. You'd be a global superstar."
Quentin pondered. He got it.
His tech needed work, but no problem. Years in the industry meant he knew plenty of skilled, down-on-their-luck friends.
With Spider-Man's funding, he could rally them to crack it.
Charlie tossed him a card. "S.H.I.E.L.D. commander's contact. If you pull it off, call her. She'll set up an assessment to make you a real superhero."
Quentin's hands trembled as he took the card. "Spider-Man, I don't know how to thank you," he said, voice thick.
"No need."
Charlie stood, his tone sincere. "With great power comes great responsibility. Don't let talents like yours go to waste."
With that, he leapt out the window, vanishing from sight.
Watching Spider-Man's direction, Quentin took a deep breath, eyes resolute. "With great power comes great responsibility… selfless Spider-Man, I won't let you down, friend."
After handling Quentin, Charlie took the remaining cash to Queens.
Blake Street's end.
He'd never imagined William Beck's wife and daughter lived next door's next door's next door's next door.
William Beck, this world's future Sandman, was likely still in prison.
His daughter was gravely ill—congenital heart disease, with sky-high medical costs.
Her condition left the mother and daughter struggling, all because of William.
An irresponsible father could wreck a family.
But a desperate father needing money for his daughter's treatment was even more dangerous.
If money could fix it, Charlie saw no need to skimp.
Spider-Man was a broke hero anyway.
The cash wouldn't stay in his hands long.
Mid-thought, Charlie knocked.
Knock, knock~
"Who's there?"
The door opened, revealing a haggard mother who gasped at the sight of Spider-Man in a Santa hat.
"Oh!! Spider-Man!!"
She covered her mouth. Charlie waved, grinning. "Hey, it's Spider-Man's welfare day. Your daughter's the lucky one."
He handed her Helen Cho's card and a few stacks of cash.
Tilting his head, he spotted the little girl behind her.
"Hey, you up for a nano-medical trial? It'll cure you completely."
Alice Beck blinked her big eyes, asking innocently, "Did Spider-Man steal Santa's job?"
Charlie scratched his head. "Uh, yeah. He's old, so I'm taking over."
Alice squealed with excitement. "Yay! Spider-Man heard my wish. Daddy must've sent you with gifts."
"Yep, your dad sent me. If you see him, make sure to praise Spider-Man."
Charlie crouched, gently pinching Alice's cheek.
He smiled, his inverted-triangle eyes narrowing to slits. "Remember, if your dad shows up, tell him to find me."
"Mm-hmm."
Alice nodded obediently, but her mother sighed helplessly.
She settled Alice, then stepped outside with Charlie.
"Mr. Spider-Man, did William cause trouble in prison?" Her face was etched with worry.
A superhero like Spider-Man wouldn't gift a criminal's family for no reason.
The only explanation was William stirring up trouble again.
She'd given up on him, hoping only that Alice wouldn't be dragged down.
Their life was hard enough.
Charlie waved it off. "Don't worry, it's really just Spider-Man's welfare day.
One thing, though—if William Beck comes back, have him contact me.
Yup, I'm helping him find a job."
Leaving Queens, Charlie visited Dr. Helen Cho at S.H.I.E.L.D.
She promised to treat Alice's heart condition, and Charlie agreed to lend her his nano-suit for research.
He didn't refuse.
It wasn't a bad deal.
If Cho's nano-tech advanced, it could upgrade his suit.
His current nano-suit was lagging behind Spider-Man's updates.
Venom mode only boosted twenty tons of strength, and the spider-arms and tentacles were mostly useless.
Losing the suit wouldn't affect his combat power.
But an improved suit might surprise him.
And so, Spider-Man's Sinister Six were mostly handled.
Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Rhino, Vulture, Electro, Mysterio, Sandman…
Wait.
Why were there seven in the Sinister Six?
Whatever, not important.
What mattered was he was being watched again.
Leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., Charlie felt eyes on him.
Magneto and Charles?
Or…
Under the night sky, Charlie swapped to his old knitted suit, quietly climbing a Gothic building's spire.
His black inverted-triangle eyes scanned the streets.
No anomalies, but his spider-sense screamed: he was prey!
Whoosh~
A gust froze briefly. Charlie sensed something.
Turning, he saw a strange figure by the fountain below, staring with greedy, excited eyes.
"Whoa, just a leopard-print uncle," Charlie quipped.
The man's eyes gleamed, his scarred face rugged, exuding a fierce aura. Clad in a lion-head vest and leopard-print pants, he held a bone spear, clashing with passersby and drawing stares.
At his feet, a lion yawned docilely.
"Hey! This is downtown. Your dog—er, lion—can't be here."
Two cops pushed through the crowd, pointing batons at him. Their eyes betrayed fear, their usual bravado gone.
The man glanced at them, then ignored them, fixating on the spire's figure, his excitement growing.
"Spider-Man, you'll be my greatest prey!" He grinned, his lion roaring.
ROAR!!
A foul wind swept through, the terrifying roar scattering pedestrians.
"Stop that beast!"
"Too dangerous!"
The spooked cops drew their weapons, ready to unload on the lion.
Bang, bang, bang
As bullets flew, the man casually swung his spear, deflecting them to the ground.
"Oh shit!"
"Superhuman!"
The cops paled, switching to electromagnetic guns.
Zzzzt…
Energy pulses fired. The man got serious.
ROAR!!
He roared like a beast, his spear spinning into a phantom shield, easily blocking the pulses.
Before the cops could fire again, the lion's roar spread sonic fear, overwhelming the cops and crowd, who fled in chaos.
"Ah!! Run!!"
"Get the Avengers!"
The street cleared, leaving Spider-Man and the beastly man.
"Hunter… Kraven?"
Charlie swung down, landing before him.
Sergei grinned. "Kraven's my title. Name's Sergei, from the Kravinoff family."
Charlie rubbed his chin, sizing him up. "I just ditched the nano-suit. How'd you find me?"
Kraven the Hunter, Sergei Kravinoff, Russian noble descendant, hunting to restore family honor.
Sounded… reasonable.
In his lore, this guy was a hunt-obsessed maniac aiming to beat Spider-Man to prove he's the world's greatest hunter.
Basically, a rich guy with too much time.
Professor X's intel didn't include Kraven.
He'd been in Africa, where a mysterious force blocked X's probes.
To Charlie's question, Sergei patted his lion's head. "Hunter's instinct," he said confidently.
Charlie shrugged. "Alright, you want to hunt me. I get it. One question."
"Speak."
Sergei was calm. "You're my prey, but I won't kill you—I'll tame you!"
Taming prey gave him more thrill.
Charlie scratched his head awkwardly. "That sounds weird. I know you're serious, but if you had a hot female friend with that hobby, I wouldn't mind. A rough guy like you? Hard pass.
Okay, you're impatient. My question: ten lions fly in the sky. Kraven kills seven. How many are left?"
Sergei: "???"
He snapped back, forehead creased. "Idiotic question! Lions don't fly!!"
"They do!"
Charlie fired webs, snaring the stunned lion.
ROAR!!
With a burst of strength, he flung the lion skyward.
"See? It's flying." Charlie pointed, clapping. "Look, it's so happy."
Lion: "!!!!"
Sergei: "…"
"Fascinating Spider-Man, I will tame you!!"
With a roar, Sergei's face turned feral. He lunged, his spear flashing like lightning.
"Whoa, your spear's not as cool as Proxima Midnight's."
The spear sped toward him, but Charlie tilted his head, dodging the tip.
Sergei, anticipating this, threw a net and drew a black axe.
"Surrender, Spider-Man!"
As the net fell, Charlie grabbed the spear, twirling it. "Hey, Kraven uncle, bet you haven't seen this move!"
He taunted, flicking the spear to deflect the net. His fist met the incoming axe head-on.
BOOM!!
The axe flew into the night, and Sergei, struck by Charlie's shoulder, soared a hundred meters, crashing into a garden.
Bang!!
Flowerbeds shattered, burying Sergei in foliage.
Fluid as water, Charlie dropped the spear, turning into lightning and streaking skyward.
Seconds later, he returned. The once-fierce lion now purred like a kitten, letting him rub its belly without resistance.
"Haha, thanks for the gift, uncle. This kitty'll fetch a good price." Charlie grinned ear to ear.
Rustle, rustle…
The foliage stirred. A battered Sergei staggered out, his excitement only growing.
"Hahaha, what a prize! You're making me more eager to tame you, Spider-Man!"
With a laugh, he pulled a vial of mysterious liquid.
Gulp~
He downed it. His lion-head vest tore as muscles bulged, a terrifying aura sweeping the scene. The sheer power made the lion under Charlie's feet roar uneasily.
"Whoa, beast mode?"
Charlie, feigning fear, ducked behind the lion, peeking out. "Uncle, old guys need pills to get fierce, huh? What brand? Send me the link.
I've got a friend…"
Before Charlie could ramble, Sergei, now towering, laughed. "Spider-Man, before me, you'll know only despair."
"Oh?"
Charlie sprawled on the ground, hands on the lion's belly, legs kicking playfully. "Actually, I've got bodyguards."
"What?"
Suddenly, the Gothic spire collapsed. Steel rebar shot out, forming a cage around Sergei.
A massive psychic force slammed his mind, dazing him instantly.
"Ah, damn, what's this?" Sergei clutched his head, cursing.