"Excuse me."
"Sorry, coming through."
In the dazzling, chaotic party, a young Uncle Dragon stumbled into the strange scene.
Navigating the crowded throng, he raised his hands to avoid brushing against the glamorous women, snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter to quench his thirst.
Downing it in one gulp, Uncle Dragon savored the sweet aftertaste, reaching for another when a sultry woman beat him to it.
"Big nose, this drink's mine."
Ophelia drained the glass, then gazed at the man playing Ludo on stage, her eyes full of admiration.
"A man playing Ludo is just so charming."
Uncle Dragon gaped.
"What?"
Ludo? That's a flex? He stood on tiptoes, spotting Charlie on stage, and froze.
"This guy looks familiar," he muttered.
Ophelia glanced at him, smirking. "You're not S.H.I.E.L.D. That's Spider-Man. You wouldn't know."
"Spider-Man?"
Uncle Dragon was shocked. "No way! Spider-Man looks like that? He's just a kid!"
"You're not much older," Ophelia teased.
Uncle Dragon stammered, "I'm actually very mature."
As he spoke, the thrilling Ludo game was interrupted by pounding percussion.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
The spotlight shifted from Charlie to the other end of the stage.
Gwen, now a drummer, launched into her performance. Old Steve, decked in spiked black leather and shades, strummed an electric guitar, basking in the women's cheers.
"Hey, I'm Captain Thunder, remember me?!"
Charlie: "…"
Getting hyped this fast?
And when did this outdated old soldier learn to rock?
Then, the lead singer made a grand entrance.
CLANG CLANG CLANG~~
Carter, in a flowing red dress, hit the stage with the beat. "A song for you: A Woman's Tears!"
"No, let me take this."
Captain Thunder snatched the mic. "I've been inspired lately and wrote a song for the Invincible Spider-Man. Listen up!"
"Yo, yo~ Synthetic fibers pulse through veins~ Red-blue webbing weaves a second breath~ Moon-white light seeps from fingertips~ Stitching the gaps of collapsing skyscrapers~ Oh, no~ Aunt May's apple pie is frosting over~ The phone cracks into a spiderweb~ Unread messages sway in gravity's pull~ Parker, upside-down, grows fangs in symbiote slime~ When every kiss is trapped behind a web~ I'm consumed, growing in the suit's backlash~"
Charlie: "…"
Gotta admit, the old man's kinda cool now!
Then, a faint, eerie aura caught his attention.
"Hm?"
Charlie frowned, instinctively glancing at a shadow flickering across the ceiling.
Corrupted Charlie piped up. "It's Demon Chi."
"Demon Chi?"
Charlie was puzzled. "The Eight Demons?"
"Yep."
"But you absorbed their power. How's it here?"
"Who said I absorbed it?"
Corrupted Charlie sighed. "That's the cost of using the Book of Ages. The Eight Demons left my body, but I kept some of their Chi."
"That's a bit tricky."
Charlie grinned. "Just a bit."
"The real trouble's coming."
Ophelia approached with Uncle Dragon. "This guy's the troublemaker."
Uncle Dragon looked apologetic. "Sorry for the mess. I'll leave soon."
"Uncle Dragon?"
Seeing the young Uncle Dragon, Charlie smiled. "You're here too? I thought you guys went back!"
"Uncle Dragon?"
The name surprised Uncle Dragon, Tony, and the others.
Uncle Dragon waved his hands. "You've got the wrong guy. I'm young enough to be your brother."
As he spoke, the restaurant's lights and music cut off, plunging the room into darkness. The disappointed crowd cursed.
But Tony and the others sensed danger.
As everyone tensed, a faint glow streaked through the crowd, aiming for Uncle Dragon.
"Watch out!"
Tony's suit tracked the glow's path, but before he could act, a katana flashed, deflecting it.
CLANG!!
A black meteor dart embedded in the wall, sparking chaos.
"My God, it's dangerous! Run!"
"Superheroes are wrecking the place again!"
"My coat…"
The women, used to superhero battles, fled, only to find the doors locked.
Tony reacted first, suiting up and flying to the ceiling. "Don't panic! Get down!"
The women hit the floor, image be damned. Ophelia lifted Charlie's ducked head. "What are you looking at?"
Charlie shook his head. "Nothing. Just checking if they dropped anything."
Felicia, slipping through the dark, scoffed at Charlie. "Pathetic."
Charlie shrugged, pointing at Uncle Dragon, who was closely inspecting the ground. "If I'm pathetic, what's he? A creep?"
Uncle Dragon: "…"
He looked up awkwardly, chuckling. "Sorry, I've never seen such a fancy scene. Don't look at me like that—I'll feel inferior."
He stepped in front of Charlie and the others, shouting into the darkness, "Let the innocents go! Don't hurt them!"
As he spoke, the restaurant doors creaked open automatically.
The women rushed out, and Uncle Dragon exhaled in relief.
Then, shadows flickered in the dark, a cold voice echoing.
"Uncle Dragon, come back with me. It's your fate. You can't escape."
"Fate?" Charlie scratched his head. "Uncle Dragon's caught by fate too? Did we drag him into this?" he thought.
Corrupted Charlie snorted. "You dragged him into it. Not me."
Charlie nodded. "Got it. Let's figure out what's happening."
He pulled the Rat Talisman from his pants.
"Oh, my man's got something in his pants," Ophelia purred, satisfied.
Charlie's forehead twitched with annoyance, then he tossed a string of Spider-Man models at the ceiling.
Buzz~
The Rat Talisman's light flashed, and tiny Spider-Men merged into the darkness.
The shadows yelped, followed by bursts of magical light weaving through the space, high-heat rays illuminating the restaurant.
Everyone saw clearly now.
"Ninjas," Tony frowned, blasting one with an electromagnetic pulse.
Old Steve cracked his knuckles, Captain Thunder's power spreading, sealing the restaurant.
ZAP ZAP~~
CRACKLE POP
Arcs of electricity erupted, paralyzing the ninjas, who threw shurikens and darts, only to be stunned by Captain Thunder's hammer strikes.
BANG BANG BANG
The ninjas fell, twitching. Charlie waved, retracting the Rat Talisman's power, returning the models to his belt.
As the lights returned, Uncle Dragon gawked at the subdued ninjas, then grinned.
"You guys got unlucky. I got lucky—I ran into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s superhero team-building day."
Before he could thank Charlie, Carter cuffed his wrists with special restraints. "What are you looking at? Squat, hands on head, back to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Uncle Dragon: "…"
"Officers, I'm the victim!" he whined.
"We'll sort that out," Carter said, tapping her earpiece. "Coulson, get over here with backup."
"On it."
Soon, Coulson and agents hauled the ninjas back to S.H.I.E.L.D.
…
S.H.I.E.L.D. Interrogation Room
Harsh light glared on Uncle Dragon's face, making it hard to see his interrogator.
Scrape~
A chair screeched. Charlie sat, legs on the table, tone casual. "Alright, what's your name?"
"Uncle Dragon."
Charlie: "…"
Realizing this wasn't a joking place, Uncle Dragon gave an awkward smile.
"I'm A-Long."
"Really?"
Charlie picked up a file. "That's not what the ninjas said."
Uncle Dragon sighed. "They call me Xu Xiaolong, but I don't remember that. Friends call me A-Long. I think I'm an orphan."
"Think?" Charlie raised a brow. "You stand like a pine tree!"
He quipped, then continued, "Who's at home? What are your friends' names? Spill it."
Uncle Dragon answered honestly. "I've got a half-sister, Jade. And an Old Man, uh… I don't know his name."
"Half-sister…" Charlie rubbed his temples. "You know what you're saying?"
"I…"
Uncle Dragon massaged his forehead. "I'm sleepy. I didn't mess up, did I?"
"Fine, you're making perfect sense."
Charlie was about to press on when Coulson stopped him.
"Let me handle this."
Interrupting Charlie's amateur interrogation, Coulson glared at Uncle Dragon.
"Why are those ninjas after you?"
Uncle Dragon corrected, "They're not ninjas, they're assassins. They just dress like ninjas…"
"Answer the question," Coulson snapped.
Uncle Dragon hurried, "They want me to inherit their assassin business. They said my father wants me back."
"Your father? Assassin business?"
"Yeah, something called the Ten Rings. Sounds evil. As for my father…"
Uncle Dragon looked exasperated. "I think they got the wrong guy. I only have an Old Man."
Coulson was about to dig deeper, but Charlie waved him off. "That's enough for today. I get the picture. Get him a clean room and order some takeout."
He left, leaving Uncle Dragon touched.
"No wonder he's Spider-Man. He really cares about innocent citizens."
Coulson stood. "The food here's better than takeout."
Uncle Dragon: "???"
…
Midnight, S.H.I.E.L.D. Conference Room
"What? The Ten Rings?"
Tony, hearing Charlie's news, couldn't sit still.
"Those guys are back, and they're after me," he said confidently.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Chill, you're not the target."
"It's that big-nosed guy, A-Long," Carter said. "But I still don't get what you meant by Demon Chi."
Charlie thought. "Hard to explain. It's like a special power from demons. That make sense?"
"Demons? Mephisto?" Old Steve gritted his teeth. "That jerk's behind this. I'm taking him out!"
He stood, furious, but Harry stopped him. "Don't be rash."
"Let me go! I'm ending him!"
"You can't beat him."
"I'll borrow a hammer."
"One hammer's not enough."
"You're right." Old Steve sat back down. "Go on, Charlie."
Charlie nodded. "The Demon Chi I sensed comes from the Eight Demons—Fire, Sky, Moon, Thunder, Earth, Mountain, Wind, Water. Eight supernatural forces. Watch for weird events; they might be signs of the Demons."
He pulled out the Rat Talisman. "And there are talismans like this. Twelve of them, each with unique powers. I've got two."
"Twelve Talismans?"
The group was baffled.
Gwen studied the talisman, frowning. "Eight Demons, Twelve Talismans—these came out of nowhere. We had no clues before. Something's off."
Felicia was puzzled too. "How do you know about this stuff?" she asked Charlie.
Charlie shrugged. "You should always trust Spider-Man. It's hard to explain."
"Hard, not impossible," Tony said, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I've got time. Spill."
Charlie sighed, seeing everyone's eager faces.
"Alright, do you believe something can reverse the future?"
"Reverse the future?"
The group exchanged glances.
"Is that possible?"
As Carter spoke, Wade's voice came from the door.
"Hey, I know about that big event. Shame I missed it."
Wade struck a "cool" pose, blowing a kiss to the room.
"I know Spider-Man's from the future."
"What?"
Wade's words threw Carter and the others off balance.
"The future?"
Tony locked eyes with Charlie. "Tell me, what happens? Did my Godslayer Armor tech break through?"
"Oh yeah, it's awesome," Charlie said dismissively.
Then Old Steve chimed in.
"Little Spidey, how many hammers do I get in the future?"
"So many I lost count."
Next was Carter.
"What's my role in the future?"
"Captain Universe."
"Yes! I knew I'd make it!" Carter couldn't hide her excitement.
Then Harry.
"Buddy, who's my wife later on?"
"Spider-Man."
"What?"
"Don't look at me like that. A Spider-Man named Cindy. Watch out for her webbing."
"I'm finding her now."
Before Harry could leave, Wade's next words sobered everyone.
"Don't get too excited. In the end, all universes were destroyed. You all died, not a speck left."
The room went ice-cold, like they'd been doused with water.
Charlie's silence confirmed it.
Their instincts screamed: it was true.
"Little Spidey, he… he said…" Old Steve needed confirmation.
Charlie nodded. "It's true. But don't worry, I didn't see how you died, so I'm not sad at all," he said earnestly.
Carter and the others didn't laugh at his humor.
Their gazes on Charlie grew complex.
They couldn't imagine the despair and pressure their friend faced when all universes were about to vanish.
Reversing the future sounded easy, but they sensed the Invincible Spider-Man was no longer invincible.
That was likely his cost.
For them. And for the future.