Chapter 27 Early Morning
"Alright, listen to me, this is actually a misunderstanding!" Gwen continued to argue.
"Clearly this isn't a misunderstanding, it's a crime." Arthurwas relentless.
"Alright, I'll tell you the truth!" Gwen began her performance, "Actually, I just stopped a crime. They were dealing drugs, and one party has already been apprehended and tied up with my webs, but the other party escaped. During our chase, he fled into your house."
"That sounds pretty reasonable…"
"Of course it's reasonable!" Gwen sighed, "You know, those guys are vicious, and I was afraid they'd do something to innocent people, so I followed them in. I just mistook you for one of those criminals, but now that I've been entangled with you, they've probably already run far away!"
"I interfered with your pursuit of criminals? I'm truly sorry." Arthur said cooperatively.
"No need to be sorry, you didn't know. I didn't want to say anything, but you kept pressing me!" Gwen said, "Otherwise, why would I enter your house? Spider-Womanis righteous; she even helped the police deal with Lizard Man a few days ago. Did you read the newspaper?"
"I did, but the newspaper said, 'The Devil and Spider-Woman allied with Lizard Man to launch a terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge'." Arthur said calmly.
"Which newspaper is so black and white? Oh, right! I forgot you read The Daily Bugle!" Gwen slapped her forehead, "Next time, remember to read some proper newspapers, like The New York Daily. And don't ask me why I know you read The Daily Bugle; Spider-Woman is omnipotent!"
"Alright, I'm done messing around with you. Omnipotent Spider-Woman, can you please leave my house now? I'm going to sleep." Arthur said, grabbing his pajama drawstring.
"Many people want to see me but don't get the chance, yet you don't know how to cherish it! Alright, I'm leaving now, don't regret it."
Gwen turned to leave, then looked back and said, "Are you sure you don't want my autograph or a photo to show off to your friends?"
"Show off that Spider-Woman snuck into my house late at night?"
"You're terrible at conversation! You definitely lied to me just now; you don't have a girlfriend!" Gwen said with a frown. As she was about to leave from the balcony, her eyes suddenly went black, and she felt a dizzying sensation. Her entire body lost strength and she collapsed, finally falling into an embrace.
Fortunately, Arthur caught her. In the last moment of her fading consciousness, Gwen only remembered that the embrace felt very secure.
Arthur was a bit confused by the situation, but after holding Gwen, he felt the blood and wound on her back. He slowly pieced together the events.
Arthur laid Gwen face down on the sofa and casually removed her Spider-Man mask. A cascade of blonde hair spilled out, and her exquisite, captivating face indeed looked much more pleasing than the mask.
Arthur brought a basin of hot water and a clean towel. He first simply cleaned the bloodstains around Gwen's back wound.
He pressed his finger on the wound, and a faint light flowed at his fingertip.
"Horse Talisman · Healing!"
The wound healed at a visible rate. After the wound scabbed over, Arthur stopped the healing power of the Horse Talisman. He did not continue to activate the Horse Talisman to remove the anesthetic components from Gwen's body.
Such a scene would be quite awkward even after Gwenwoke up, right? So Arthur thoughtfully let her continue to sleep until tomorrow morning.
Arthur prepared to return to his room to sleep. Before he left, he didn't forget to bring Gwen's Spider-Man mask back to her.
"Goodnight." He said as he turned off the light… The first ray of morning sun shone on the streets and alleys of Queens, entering through the French window and hitting Gwen's face.
Suddenly the door was pushed open, and Gwen was startled awake. Lying on the sofa, she sprang up, instantly flipping and sticking to the ceiling.
"I just came to wake you up." Arthur said, leaning against the doorframe.
Gwen instantly dropped from the ceiling. She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, her posture elegant and charming.
"This is your house. I was injured and fainted in your house." Gwen was a bit dazed when she woke up and saw Arthur. After a moment, she pieced things together by recalling them.
"No need to pay for lodging." Arthur said, then turned and left, "I've made breakfast. If you want to eat, go downstairs yourself. If you don't eat breakfast, then hurry up and leave. Be careful when you go, don't let the neighbors discover you. I don't want to hear any bad rumors about myself."
Gwen followed Arthur downstairs, "What happened last night?"
Arthur stopped on the stairs. He turned and looked at Gwen, saying, "You want to ask what I did to you last night, right? I didn't do anything. If you feel regretful, it's not too late for us to do something now."
"Don't you have a girlfriend? And I'm Spider-Woman…"
Arthur ignored the chatterbox. If he didn't know that the person under the spider mask was Gwen, he would have given her a Dragon Talisman long ago.
"Are you sure you don't want to eat something?" Arthurasked while spreading butter on bread.
"Of course not! Superheroes don't need to eat. You'll know when you become a Superhero one day!" Gwen bluffed.
The main reason was that eating would require taking off her mask, which would expose her to Arthur. She couldn't just take off half the mask, right? That would be too unladylike while eating.
"What I wanted to ask is, you didn't take off my Spider-Man mask, did you?" Gwen said with some concern. However, if Arthur knew the truth, he probably wouldn't still be so calm and indifferent, right?
"The more you know, the less safe you are; I understand that principle." Arthur said, "I'm just an ordinary, good citizen, whose hobbies include caring for classmates and helping others. I didn't take off your mask to look at your face either.
"So, please don't come looking for trouble with me in the future, don't bother or harass me, otherwise I'll write a letter to The Daily Bugle, telling them that a strange woman in a weird spider costume frequently illegally enters my house and sexually harasses me, Miss Spider. You wouldn't want people to know these things, would you?"
"Who would harass you?" Gwen said dismissively, "I'm the most popular person on social media lately. My fans are all over Queens!"
"Correction, the most popular is The Devil." Arthur said calmly while eating his sandwich.
"It's Spider-Woman!" Gwen turned and left. She exited through the window, "Goodbye!"
Swinging through New York in the early morning, Gwenstill felt a lingering fear recalling last night's experience. That suddenly appearing Spider-Beastman was simply the strongest opponent she had encountered recently… Well, except for The Devil!
If she hadn't met Arthur, last night would have been terrible… It was also fortunate that Arthur was by her side after she fainted, otherwise her identity as Spider-Womanwould have been exposed.
Arthur's reason for not taking off her mask was very convincing, and Gwen actually believed it. After all, it also fit Arthur's personality; he wasn't an overly curious person.
Chapter 28 Graduation Ball
Inside Midtown Tech, the teacher announced the start time of the graduation ball.
The students shrieked with excitement, already exchanging glances with potential dance partners.
Gwen also looked at Arthur, but received no response at all... Arthur was distracted, or rather, he didn't think the graduation ball would be very interesting.
When the bell rang, the teacher left the classroom, and some brave students immediately began to look for dance partners.
"Hey Gwen, will you be my dance partner?"
As a beautiful, wealthy and studious girl, Gwen had many admirers at school.
In just a few minutes, Gwen received invitations from several boys, but she rejected them all; after all, her relationship with these boys was only casual, just knowing their names.
Arthur had already packed his backpack and was waiting for her at the back door.
"Arthur, who will you invite to be your dance partner for the graduation ball?" Gwen saw someone talking to Arthur; it was Hanna, who had a good relationship with him.
Did Hanna also want Arthur to be her dance partner? Their relationship was good, would Arthur agree to her directly?
Gwen quickly got rid of the entanglement, she walked up and took Arthur's arm, clearly asserting her ownership.
Seeing Gwen and Arthur's intimacy, Hanna and Gwen's many admirers were heartbroken.
"Sorry, I'm not very interested in balls or anything like that," Arthur rejected Hanna's invitation.
Hanna walked away dejectedly, and Gwen looked at her retreating figure and said, "You should find a better excuse."
"This isn't an excuse, it's the truth. I'm really not interested in balls," Arthur said.
"Alright!" The two walked out of the classroom.
Arthur's words made Gwen not know how to speak; she had originally mustered the courage to invite Arthur to be her dance partner.
Coincidentally, her family had collected many dance songs, and the two of them could practice in advance so they could amaze everyone at the graduation ball.
But unfortunately, Arthur didn't seem to have this intention. He was truly not interested in the graduation ball, or was this just an excuse to reject them?
Gwen couldn't help but wonder, besides her and Hanna, who else could Arthur invite to be his dance partner?
Mary Jane? Betty Brant? Gloria Grant? There were only a few famous beauties at Midtown Tech. Thinking about these things inevitably caused a headache!
Suddenly, Gwen heard someone nearby talking about college admissions, so she stopped thinking about it.
"Which university will you apply to? Do you have a preferred school?" Gwen turned to look at Arthur.
It was already October, and usually, twelfth graders who had completed their credits would apply to universities at this time. Early application deadlines were in early and mid-November, while regular applications were usually completed by the end of December.
"Not yet. There's still plenty of time. I want to look around more," Arthur looked at Gwen, "What about you?"
Arthur didn't even have the idea of going to college; after all, many major events would happen in the Marvel Universe later, and it would be difficult for a student to balance academics with a demonic career.
"Stanford University, Cambridge University, University of London... that's about it, or New York University?" Gwenlooked at Arthur, her eyes flickering, and she explained, "If I stay in New York, I can continue to work in Dr. Connors' team. That's a very good social practice position, with both research and management aspects."
Arthur understood her meaning.
He leaned close to Gwen's ear and said, "Stay in New York."
"I'll think about it carefully," Gwen's face was slightly flushed.
"No, you can make that decision directly," Arthur was not satisfied with Gwen's answer.
"OK! I'll stay in New York, I love New York!" Gwenpromised.
The two arrived at the parking lot and found Arthur's old Ford car. Gwen got into the passenger seat and skillfully threw her backpack onto the back seat.
Recently, New York had been very unstable, with gangs rampant, demons and Spider-Woman still at large, and the new Lizard Man not yet dealt with. The crime rate was constantly rising, with people being robbed and killed in shootings every day.
In this environment, Mrs. Stacy was very worried about Gwen's safety, but George was delayed by police station matters and couldn't pick up and drop off Gwen every day. Even though Gwen repeatedly emphasized that she could go home alone, Mrs. Stacy still asked Arthur to take on this job.
The little old car started, and Gwen lay comfortably in the passenger seat, turning her head to look at Arthur.
It was strange that Arthur hadn't talked to her about Spider-Woman today, nor had he shared his experience of Spider-Woman sleeping at his house last night.
Could it be that Arthur really had no feelings for Spider-Woman? Did he think he had only rescued an ordinary citizen last night and there was no need to show off?
Or perhaps he really regarded Spider-Woman as a criminal, and mentioning it to others would only cause trouble.
This made Gwen a little disheartened; after all, the Superhero she played couldn't attract Arthur's affection... Suddenly, Gwen thought of another possibility: could it be that Arthur thought Spider-Woman was also a girl, and he didn't want her to misunderstand that a girl had stayed at his house last night?
The more Gwen thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Arthur must have thought this way, which is why he chose to conceal it!
"I saw online that someone saw Spider-Woman in Queenslast night. You also live in Queens, did you see Spider-Woman?" Gwen probed.
"Queens is very big, and I went to bed very early last night," Arthur said.
Gwen couldn't find any fault. She understood Arthur's montage-like lie; Arthur hadn't deceived her, nor did he want her to know what happened with Spider-Woman last night.
"That's a shame," Gwen stopped dwelling on the topic, "Good luck. Stay up a little late tonight, I hope you can meet Spider-Woman."
"Then tonight will be a terrible night..."
"No! It will be wonderful! Spider-Woman will bring you good luck!" Gwen grabbed Arthur's hand, which was shifting gears, and said.
Arthur looked at the black Mercedes following far behind in the rearview mirror. He silently opened the system store and spent 2500 villain points to exchange for "Driving Mastery."
In his hands, the old Ford car instantly became agile. It was pushed to its full performance by Arthur, quickly weaving through traffic.
Soon, Arthur shook off the people following him.
"Why are you driving so fast?" Gwen gripped the handle and said, "Your driving skills are a bit beyond my imagination. I think you could participate in underground races, but you'd need a better car!"
"I didn't violate any traffic rules!" Arthur said casually, "I'm driving fast and steady."
A few minutes later, Arthur parked the car downstairs from Gwen's place. "You're here."
He needed to rush back to deal with those people. He couldn't think of anyone else it could be besides Osborn's men.
"Are you coming up for dinner? My mom made roast chicken."
"Roast chicken is delicious, but maybe next time," Arthursaid, "Wait for me downstairs tomorrow morning."
Chapter 29 Green Devil
Outside the Osborn Group headquarters building, a green figure hovered in the air, riding a glider and performing various difficult aerial maneuvers.
He wore a high-tech green Iron Armor and a terrifying demon mask, none other than the villain Green Goblin.
The identity beneath the first-generation Green Goblindemon mask was actually the chairman of the Osborn Group… Norman Osborn.
At this moment, Norman had shed his usual calm and gloomy demeanor; he was like a bird just released from its cage, enjoying the freedom of the sky, fully unleashing his long-suppressed emotions, even to the point of madness.
The reason he became so excited and mad was simple: he had resolved his hereditary disease.
From then on, he no longer needed to fear the God of Death daily; that long period of a gray life had finally ended.
The truth of the matter was also quite dramatic; his subordinate, Reddi, died at the hands of the demon, and after Reddi's death, the "Lizard Serum" project was declared a failure.
At this point, Norman's hereditary disease had become terminal, and he had no time to start another round of research; to prolong his life, Norman could only seek a solution from his previously failed products.
Before him were two vials of serum: one was the Lizard Serum, which Dr. Connors injected and turned into the Lizard Man; although he became a monster, his severed arm was healed.
The second was the Spider Serum; although this project, which he had placed high hopes on, ended in failure, the team did produce results.
The Spider Serum could cure his disease and extend his lifespan, but the drawback was that the serum contained a huge amount of toxins that could not be cleared; almost all experimental subjects died from the Spider Serum's toxins.
After much thought, the bedridden Norman still chose to inject the Spider Serum; before that, he put on a mechanical life support device to neutralize the Spider Serum's toxins and maintain his bodily functions, which was the Green Goblin Armor.
Thus, Norman began his life-extension plan, and the results showed he was lucky; God had favored him once again.
The plan succeeded; Norman not only extended his life, but the combination of the Spider Serum and the Green GoblinArmor created a powerful individual… the Green Goblin!
Norman stood on the bat-wing glider, flying at high speed with exhilaration, turning back and forth and performing several flips; he felt the continuous life force re-irrigating his parched body, as if he had been reborn!
Due to the long-term torment of his illness, his psyche had become twisted, and coupled with the biological armor's catalysis, genes of violence and destruction erupted within him; the persona of Norman the businessman receded, and the Green Goblin, who now reoccupied his body, only wanted to release his accumulated negative emotions.
The Green Goblin laughed maniacally; he turned back from the sky again, controlling the glider to drop several small Green Goblin bombs.
The Green Goblin bombs fell into the crowd; people were still curiously watching when suddenly, those tennis-ball-sized Green Goblin bombs exploded, and shrapnel instantly tore through the bodies of nearby people.
Flames rose more than ten meters high, and the instant the explosion occurred, it caused countless screams; the crowd panicked and fled in all directions, unlucky people were engulfed by the flames, only able to emit continuous screams in the last few seconds of their lives.
The bustling metropolis instantly turned into a living hell; the Green Goblin watched the living hell he had created with his own hands without any psychological burden, feeling pleasure amidst the screams of the crowd, becoming even more excited.
"Hello, my dear friends!"
The Green Goblin controlled the bat-wing glider to catch up with the scattered crowd and threw Green Goblinbombs again.
The Green Goblin had never felt so exhilarated; although he was once the chairman of the Osborn Group, possessing endless wealth and power, he was also tormented by illness, never having experienced this unrestrained, tyrannical, and uninhibited joy.
The Green Goblin indulged in destruction, turning the bustling streets into ruins, and countless innocent people died.
Suddenly, the Green Goblin saw a figure standing in mid-air, looking at him expressionlessly; that was Arthur, who had just arrived at Osborn to cause trouble.
Arthur calmly watched the Green Goblin cause destruction, without making any move to stop him.
He felt nothing towards bullying ordinary people; Arthurfound no pleasure in them; comparatively, he enjoyed teasing Superheroes and evil villains.
Of course, Arthur also respected any tragic fate that ordinary people might encounter, such as being crushed by a car casually thrown by a Superhero, or being blown up by the Green Goblin for amusement, like this.
The Green Goblin looked at the observing figure, who was wearing a proper suit and a demon mask on his face… that demon mask looked more high-end, more terrifying, and more demonic than his Green Goblin mask.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to the Green Goblin: he wanted to rip off that face.
"Who are you?" The Green Goblin controlled his glider to slowly approach Arthur, and then he suddenly remembered many media reports.
"Are you the demon?" He was no stranger to the demon; his subordinate Reddi had died at the demon's hands.
"That's right, I am the original demon; you are the knockoff Green Goblin," Arthur said indifferently.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" A series of Green Goblinbombs flew out from the glider.
"Go to hell, demon!" The Green Goblin's face was ferocious.
Arthur calmly extended his hand, and those high-speed Green Goblin bombs instantly stopped; the next second, those tennis-ball-sized bombs quickly turned back and shot towards the Green Goblin.
"Rooster Talisman · Float!"
With Arthur's current control over the Talismans, he easily dispersed the power of the Rooster Talisman onto these bombs.
"Damn it!"
The Green Goblin quickly maneuvered his glider to dodge; most of the bombs exploded in mid-air, and the aftermath of the explosions shattered the glass walls of nearby office buildings; in just a few minutes, the damage caused by their destruction was immeasurable.
"Dragon Talisman · Incinerate!"
Arthur conjured a powerful pillar of flame from his palm, but due to the long distance, the Green Goblin skillfully dodged it.
It seemed the Green Goblin also realized that he was not the demon's match; he quickly controlled the bat-wing glider to escape.
During this process, he continuously threw Green Goblinbombs at the crowd, wanting to use the lives of the civilians to delay Arthur's actions, but he miscalculated; Arthur was surprisingly indifferent to the lives and deaths of ordinary people!
Arthur activated the Rabbit Talisman to increase his speed; he instantly caught up with the Green Goblin, and Arthur threw a punch.
Under the immense force, the Green Goblin's body shook violently; he almost lost control and fell.
At this moment, the Green Goblin already felt the threat of death, which instantly filled him with dread and plunged him into boundless fear.
He had just managed to escape the illness and feel freedom; now he was going to be killed by the demon? He found this outcome unacceptable.
Chapter 30: Chase
Another explosion of flames streaked past Green Goblin's ear, the terrifying high temperature scorching his face.
The demon was too powerful, simply unconquerable for him.
Green Goblin felt the fear of death; he created destruction while fleeing the scene.
Arthur did not directly kill him; as a minor villain, Green Goblin could provide him with many villain points.
Arthur would make him repeatedly feel the fear of death, thereby earning a large amount of villain points.
After all, he now needed a large amount of villain points to upgrade the Dragon Talisman, and he also had to prepare for the villain points required to upgrade the next talisman. His current demand for villain points was too great, and he could not waste any villain or Superhero that appeared.
"Damn demon, I won't let you get away!" Green Goblinmuttered to himself, planning to add more weapons to his Green Goblin armor to deal with the demon once he returned to Osborn.
He continued to throw demon bombs into the crowd, feeling a sense of balance only when he witnessed their panic.
Suddenly, two webs shot out from the side of a building, precisely wrapping around the Green Goblin bombs, then flinging them towards Green Goblin in the air.
"Boom! Boom!" Two incredibly powerful fireworks exploded.
Green Goblin, unable to dodge, was instantly sent flying by the bombs' shockwaves. He fell to the ground with a scream, and his bat-wing glider lost control, crashing into a nearby high-rise building.
Arthur stopped, looking towards the street, where an agile black and white figure swung out from between the tall buildings.
"Good afternoon, Miss Spider," Arthur greeted her.
"I'm not good at all, Mr. Demon! This ugly monster has caused so much destruction and slaughter, and you just stood by and watched," Gwen accused the demon. "You had the power to easily stop him!"
"Sorry, but I'm not a Superhero. Whatever destruction he causes or how many people he kills has nothing to do with me. In fact, according to faction alignment, I should be helping him," Arthur said with a smile, without a trace of guilt on his face.
Gwen rubbed her forehead; she must have been out of her mind to say that. It was because the demon had helped her on the Brooklyn Bridge last time, leading her to believe that he might turn over a new leaf.
"Miss Spider, since you're here, I'll leave this guy to you," Arthur slowly flew away. "Tonight, I still have to bring fear to others…"
Arthur had already harvested a lot of villain points from Green Goblin. In a short time, it would be difficult for him to make Green Goblin feel greater fear. With his sustainable development philosophy, he decided to let Green Goblin off this time, to continue harvesting villain points next time they met.
He indeed had other plans for tonight; he was heading to Stark Industries.
"Oh, someone else is going to have a bad night…"
It was unclear if Gwen was referring to the person the demon was targeting or Green Goblin, who was about to face her.
"Who are you?"
Green Goblin slowly emerged from a pile of rubble and dust, his controlled bat-wing glider hovering beside him.
"The citizens' friendly neighbor, street friend, Superhero… they all call me Spider-Woman," Gwen said, crossing her arms. "You don't know me? You're truly ignorant!"
"I've heard of you, Spider-Woman. You're supposed to be an experiment," Green Goblin said.
Gwen couldn't help but frown, sensing a hidden meaning in the villain's words.
"Even if I'm an experiment, I seem to be a successful one. At least I don't need to ride a flying wheelchair and wear an ugly mask like you. Are you cosplaying a demon? Is that an admirer of the demon?" Gwen retorted.
"Damn, stupid demon! He's just a knockoff. A true demon would never be friends with a spider. I am the demon… Green Goblin, remember that name!"
Green Goblin leapt onto his bat-wing glider. "The demon actually left you alone to fight me. He'll regret it. When he sees you tomorrow, it will be your corpse!"
"First, you've got one thing wrong: the demon and I are not friends. Also, no one else will die today. I'll hand you over to the police, and let the judge sentence you for your crimes!" Gwen said, firing webs at Green Goblin.
Green Goblin dodged, throwing bombs while maneuvering his glider to approach Gwen.
Gwen easily avoided Green Goblin's bomb attacks. Green Goblin steered his glider towards her, its two sharp bat-wings like blades.
After this period of training, Gwen was already a competent street hero. Her combat skills had greatly improved, and she handled Green Goblin's attacks with ease.
She dodged Green Goblin's attack, and just as he was controlling his bat-wing glider to turn back and attack again, Gwen shot a web and grabbed the bottom of the glider.
"Ever played on a carousel at an amusement park?"
Gwen gripped the web and started spinning. Under her immense strength, the glider also began to spin. Green Goblin swayed precariously on it, almost getting knocked off again.
"Damn Spider-Woman!" Green Goblin's hatred for Spider-Gwen reached its peak as he frantically threw Green Goblin bombs.
One person on a glider, the other swinging on webs, they chased each other through the streets.
Spider-Woman was a tough opponent; her speed was extreme, and her strength was great. Green Goblin's attacks almost all missed.
Moreover, Spider-Woman's combat skills were very agile; not only could she dodge Green Goblin's bombs, but she would also use webs to entangle the bombs and attack Green Goblin. Several times, the residual shockwaves from the bombs almost knocked Green Goblin off his glider again.
However, after the recent battle with the demon, Green Goblin felt that Spider-Woman was not that powerful. At least she was beatable, killable, unlike the terrifyingly powerful demon.
In Gwen's eyes, Green Goblin was not that strong either. The demon, Lizard Man, and Spider-Beastman she had encountered before were all more troublesome than Green Goblin, but Green Goblin's destructiveness was the highest; his bombs seemed endless.
It was Gwen's first time encountering such a frantic opponent. Green Goblin not only attacked her with bombs but also frequently attacked crowds and destroyed buildings.
This also greatly drained Gwen's energy, as Gwen was not a cold-blooded demon; she could not stand by idly when innocent citizens were harmed.
Their chase had been going on for a long time. Green Goblin, seeing that he couldn't escape, also became somewhat frantic, as police helicopters would arrive if he delayed any longer.
"Die!" Green Goblin swept past a crowd, dropping several bombs. He looked at the nearby train tracks and the train speeding in the distance, and a crazy idea was born.
"Spider-Woman, their deaths are caused by you!" Green Goblin threw all the bombs he had onto the train tracks. The immense power of the exploding bombs instantly destroyed the bridge section of the tracks.
"No!" Gwen exclaimed, seeing the train about to crash. She knew she had to do something!
Chapter 31 Mark 4
Inside the Stark Industries Building, Tony Stark was calibrating his Iron Armor, Mark4.
The Mark4 Iron Man Suit was finally completed after a week of work. While Jarvis was installing the system into the armor, Tony Stark stared at the progress bar, lost in thought.
The Mark1 "Iron Can Armor" was the first-generation armor he and Dr. Ethan built in the cave. Although crude in craftsmanship and ugly in appearance, Tony Stark piloted this armor to defeat the Terrorists and successfully escape their stronghold.
But unfortunately, Dr. Ethan sacrificed himself to buy him time to activate the armor, dying under the Terrorists' gunfire… The Mark2 was the first Stark Industries-grade armor, primarily used for testing and exploring the armor's various performances.
Wearing this silver-white armor, Tony Stark flew freely in the sky for the first time, and during the flight, he discovered the problem of the armor icing up at high altitudes.
In the Mark3, the genius Tony Stark easily solved the problem of the armor icing up at high altitudes. He sprayed the Mark3 with red and yellow paint and equipped the armor with a large number of combat weapons on its shoulders, legs, and other parts.
Tony Stark piloted the Mark3 to clear out several Terrorist strongholds and even accidentally engaged in a battle with two Military fighter jets, ultimately emerging victorious.
However, Tony Stark never expected that his proud Iron Man Suit would be so vulnerable in front of that demon. It could even be said that the demon utterly crushed the crystallization of his wisdom and technology.
First, regarding flight speed, the Iron Man Suit's hands and boots could simultaneously release arc pulses, creating ultrasonic waves that allowed the armor to fly or fly at high speeds.
But even if he increased his speed beyond the speed of sound, he couldn't shake off the demon. Jarvis detected that the demon's speed reached Mach 2, a speed that the Iron Man Suit Mark3 could not achieve.
Next was weapon attacks. As the world's largest arms dealer, Tony Stark had been involved with weapons since childhood. He equipped his armor with a large number of weapons, as well as the most advanced dynamic tracking and targeting system.
But even so, he couldn't harm the demon, yet the demon's attacks could easily breach his armor. When the armor's damage exceeded 60%, he had no choice but to land… "Sir, the system installation is complete."
Jarvis's prompt interrupted Tony Stark's thoughts. He came back to his senses and refocused on the ready Mark4.
The Mark4 still sported the classic red and yellow paint scheme. The armor's chest, shoulders, and abdomen featured new designs, and a filtration system was added.
Although there weren't many external adjustments compared to the Mark3, the internal changes were numerous.
Firstly, Tony Stark optimized the energy output systems of the armor's four main parts, greatly increasing the output power of the arc pulse in pursuit of higher speeds.
Secondly, Tony Stark equipped the armor with more weapons: palm repulsors, mini-missiles, built-in arm missiles, flares, and micro-missiles built into shoulder-mounted auxiliary compartments.
To fit more weapons on the armor, Tony Stark even sacrificed the armor's maneuverability. The current Mark4 was practically a mobile arsenal; even with a saturation attack, it could sustain combat with an enemy for over half an hour.
Not only that, but Tony Stark also specifically added close-range weapons to the armor to counter close-quarters attacks from the demon or other enemies.
For example, the Iron Armor was equipped with a single-use laser weapon that could cut through anything for a short period. High-power energy lightsabers were also equipped on both arms, capable of easily cutting steel; no carbon-based life form could withstand its cutting with their bare flesh.
Finally, Tony Stark also enhanced the Mark4's defensive system. Now, facing the demon's "palm repulsors" and "laser eyes" again, Tony Stark was confident he could handle them with ease.
"Sir, shall we begin testing?" Jarvis inquired.
"Start testing. Arc pulse test initiated, high-speed flight stability test initiated," Tony Stark issued commands continuously.
The Mark4 was activated by Jarvis, and red and yellow high-temperature flames ignited beneath its palms and boots. The number displaying the armor's maximum achievable speed on the screen continuously rose.
"High-speed flight stability test, test successful!" Jarvisreminded him.
Tony Stark's expression was grim. He stared intently at the armor, which was still continuously increasing its output power.
Finally, the number on the screen continued to climb, reaching twice the speed of sound.
"Arc pulse test successful, maximum speed Mach 2."
Tony Stark suppressed his excitement and continued to issue commands:
"Weapon test, laser weapon test, dual-arm energy lightsaber test…"
An hour later, with Jarvis's help, Tony Stark finally completed all tests for the Mark4. Browsing the data report, Tony Stark couldn't help but cheer, but unfortunately, there was no one to share his joy with at the moment.
"Demon, I look forward to our next encounter!" Tony Starksaid in his heart.
Suddenly, the alarm lights flashed, and Jarvis issued an alert amidst the blinking lights: "Sir, radar scans detect someone invading the Stark Industries Building, but the surveillance system has not alerted. System analysis indicates a 90% probability that the intruder is the demon."
"Damn it!" Tony Stark was about to have Jarvis's robotic arm help him don the Mark4, but the laboratory's automatic door had already opened.
"Good evening, Tony Stark."
As the voice fell, a figure slowly emerged.
Tony Stark's expression was somewhat unnatural; he had been constantly recalling that night's encounter lately, and this voice was practically becoming his nightmare.
The demon was still dressed the same, normal attire paired with a demon mask, both flamboyant and composed.
"Good evening, my friend!" Tony Stark greeted with a smile. He stepped out of the laboratory and walked over to a nearby bar. "Care for a whiskey?"
"No, thank you. Please, help yourself," Arthur also said with a smile. He walked directly towards the Iron Man Suitdisplayed nearby.
The unactivated Iron Man Suit was still full of technological flair: a streamlined body, reflective metallic texture, and the classic red and yellow color scheme, looking incredibly cool.
Seeing Arthur approach the Mark4, Tony Stark's expression became even more unnatural; even the villain system had already captured Iron Man's nervous negative emotions.
"Is this your new toy?" Arthur ran his hand over the Iron Man Suit.
"Clearly, it's not a toy. It's called Mark4," Tony Stark said, tilting his head back to finish the drink in his glass, suppressing his emotions. "I believe one day you'll take it seriously."
"Do you want to put it on before we talk? I can give you time," Arthur said mockingly. "It seems you feel safer Shrink inside this Iron Man Suit."
"No, clearly not! Aren't we friends?" Tony Stark said, rubbing his forehead. "You can tell me what you need to say now."
In fact, he thought the demon's suggestion was good; wearing the Mark4, he even had the confidence to defeat the demon.
But he couldn't gauge the demon's true intentions. After all, the Mark4's power came at the cost of its maneuverability; it would take him a few minutes to put it on, and who knew if the demon would suddenly change his mind during those few minutes…
Chapter 32 Spider Suit
The TV screen on the wall in the lounge was broadcasting the evening news when suddenly a report caught both Arthur and Tony's attention.
"Killer Freak Appears on New York Streets, Spider-WomanRescues Out-of-Control Train."
The video footage first showed the Green Goblin on his glider throwing bombs, then the scene shifted to Spider-Woman standing at the very front of the train, constantly shooting webs to connect to buildings on both sides, finally weaving a large net of webs to successfully stop the out-of-control train.
At the end of the video, Gwen, who had briefly fainted from exertion, fell from the front of the train, but a moment later a web shot out from below, and a figure leaped back into the sky, followed by a strong cheer from the rescued passengers, who shouted Spider-Woman's name in unison.
"Is she also your friend? She looks cool, can you introduce me to her?" Tony said, putting down his drink. "I think you should learn from her and side with justice."
Arthur withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "Upholding justice comes at a price."
"It's the evil side that has to pay the price, to be judged by justice or something," Tony chuckled. "That's how it's written in literature."
"You want to judge me too?" Arthur smiled. "Before that, you have to defeat me, but it seems you don't have that ability yet."
"It's time to state your business, Mr. Devil," Tony said, manipulating his wristband, sending commands to Jarvis.
Jarvis could basically control the Iron Armor, such as aiming and firing the miniature missiles on the armor, so Tony would at least have a means of retaliation if the Devil attacked.
Tony was never one to sit idly by, although if the Devil discovered his little maneuvers, it might escalate the situation... "I'm here to ask for your help with something, or rather, a collaboration would be more accurate!" Arthurtossed a USB drive to Tony. "Open it and take a look."
Tony took the USB drive with a look of suspicion; he didn't think he and the Devil had any overlapping business.
One was a CEO of a publicly listed company and a playboy, while the other was a criminal wanted by the New Yorkpolice and still at large. Tony couldn't imagine what kind of cooperation he and the Devil could have.
Tony plugged the USB drive into the computer's data port on the bar and found that it contained blueprints and design parameters.
"A multi-functional spider suit, I call it the Iron Spider Suit Generation 1. All the detailed blueprints and design parameters are inside. You have one week to complete its manufacturing."
The spider suit Arthur chose cost 40,000 villain points in the mall, which was enough to upgrade his Dragon Talisman once, but the blueprints and data for the spider suit only cost 7,500.
At that time, Arthur looked at his system panel and fell into contemplation:
"villain points: 50927;
Rabbit Talisman Lv8, villain points required to upgrade to Lv11: 16500;
Dragon Talisman Lv6, villain points required to upgrade to Lv11: 225000;
…"
Fortunately, in the early Marvel storyline, he wouldn't encounter those powerful Superheroes and villains. Currently, Arthur felt that the unsealed Talisman powers were sufficient, and he didn't have an urgent desire to upgrade the Talismans to increase his strength.
villain points were earned quickly, but spent even faster, and Arthur also didn't know if upgrading after the next Talisman was unsealed would cost more villain points, so he had to be frugal.
Buying the spider suit directly from the mall was certainly not as cost-effective as buying the blueprints and then having Tony do the grunt work to produce the physical item.
Of course, Arthur hadn't considered whether Tony would be willing to do this grunt work, after all, Tony currently didn't have the ability to refuse. If he wasn't willing, beating him until he was willing would suffice!
"Did you make all these things? While I would praise your intelligence, I'm sorry, but I still have to refuse this collaboration," Tony said, looking seriously at Arthur. "Because you don't have anything that attracts me."
"You should say that calmly, not with your eyes shining as you look at the blueprints," Arthur said with a smile. "I know these blueprints and data are of great help to you. This spider suit has many outstanding features. You can plagiarize these designs to improve your terrible Iron Armor. This alone is enough as compensation for you to manufacture the spider suit."
"I admit many of your ideas are perfect, for example, your designed defense system is simply genius, but I never thought of plagiarizing, OK?" Tony was a little agitated. "Also, my Iron Armor isn't terrible, I'm very satisfied with it, especially the Mark4. I was just about to put it on and go for a spin if you hadn't suddenly visited."
Arthur just smiled and said nothing.
"I really didn't plagiarize your ideas, I promise!" Tony said, spreading his hands. "When you leave, you can destroy this computer, so there won't be any trace of browsing files. Also, you can give me some magic to erase part of my memory, that way it'll ensure I won't plagiarize. Aren't you the Devil? These things should be simple for you, right?"
"Besides the value of the blueprints themselves, I can also offer a condition you cannot refuse," Arthur said coldly.
"What is it?" Tony, lacking the talent for reading expressions, continued, "Money? You know I'm a billionaire. Power? Sorry, I'm not interested in that!"
"Your life!"
Arthur extended his hand and aimed at the assembled Mark4 armor nearby, and a dragon-shaped pattern lit up in his palm.
Explosive Flame!
Arthur fully activated the Dragon Talisman, and a huge pillar of dragon flame shot out. High-temperature energy permeated the air, and even Tony, not far away, felt a burning sensation.
The bombs loaded on the Iron Armor were detonated, instantly turning the entire laboratory into ruins. Fortunately, the Mark4 was still in the testing phase and not fully loaded with ammunition, otherwise, the entire Stark Industries Building would have been affected.
As the flames and dust dissipated, the once gleaming Mark4 in the ruins became a pile of scrap metal, with half of its iron body melted away, and a large hole blasted in the wall behind it.
Arthur was very satisfied with the power of the Lv6 Dragon Talisman. He turned to look at the stunned Tony.
Tony's shock was hard to calm. His tests had shown that his Iron Armor was sufficient to withstand the Devil's attacks, but who knew that the Devil had held back last time? With a casual strike from the Devil, the Mark4's defense system was completely destroyed, and the ammunition loaded inside was even detonated. This scene had too great an impact on him... However, after seeing the "Iron Spider Suit Generation 1" blueprints and data the Devil gave him, he also realized that his armor still had many areas that could be upgraded and improved.
The upgraded Iron Armor would have a qualitative leap, but he couldn't be sure if he could contend with the Devil even after putting on the upgraded Iron Armor...
Chapter 33 Invitation
Tony couldn't imagine what kind of being the Green Goblintruly was; immense power, coupled with a spider suitdesign that he himself admired… behind those brilliant ideas lay an extremely strong talent for scientific research and profound scientific knowledge.
Tony never believed that those blueprints and data were stolen by the Green Goblin from elsewhere; if they were, then it could only be from some advanced alien civilization, because Tony considered himself to be unmatched by any human on Earth in terms of talent and accomplishment in weapon design.
Many designs in the blueprints did not exist on the market, with a technological level at least several years ahead of the World's development.
Tony was sure of this, because he was a first-class scientist and inventor.
"Now then? Make your choice." Arthur looked at Tonyquietly, though he had already received the answer.
The villain points on the system panel were rapidly fluctuating:
[Detected 'Iron Man's' severe fear, villain points +400, +400, +400...]
[Detected 'Iron Man's' mild anger, villain points +200, +200, +200...]
[Detected 'Iron Man's' severe tension, villain points +300, +300, +300...]
…The Green Goblin stood in place like a graceful gentleman, but Tony felt the threat of death.
It seemed as if the next moment the Green Goblin would raise his right hand and kill him with his powerful "Palm Cannon."
"Cooperation! I like cooperation! Cooperation leads to a win-win!" Tony gulped down strong liquor to calm his nerves.
"I told you, there are many ingenious designs in the blueprints that gave me a lot of inspiration, for example, these 'Web-Shooters,' they seem to have a lot of variations.
"Maybe I'll add two Web-Shooters to the Mark 5, after all, my carefully researched Mark 4 has already been blown into a pile of scrap metal by you… I mean, swinging around the city is quite interesting… whoosh whoosh!"
Tony was flustered and somewhat incoherent; he had never been so afraid even when facing Terrorists in the cave, as if the Green Goblin symbolized the unknown and fear.
But this was a normal reaction for him; two months ago, he hadn't even worn the Iron Armor, he was just a wealthy playboy, and even now that he wore the Iron Armor, he never thought of becoming a hero…
"Alright, you choose to cooperate, and we'll still be friends." Arthur threatened lightly.
"Of course, friends! This 'Iron Spider Suit Generation 1,' are you giving it to your other friend, Spider-Woman?" Tonyasked gossiping.
"Otherwise, with my abilities, would I still need to shrink into an Iron Armor shell?" Arthur retorted.
"It doesn't seem like you need to." Tony said through gritted teeth, enduring the Green Goblin's mockery, after all, his "Iron Armor shell" had been blasted into scrap metal.
"So don't even think about tampering with the spider suit; although it wouldn't affect me, it would make me angry."
"One week!" Arthur finished speaking and turned to leave, "As a friend, I must remind you, your body is already having problems."
"No, friend, my body is perfectly fine!" Tony shouted at his retreating back, "As the Green Goblin, don't just curse people! And you just destroyed my laboratory, aren't you going to compensate me?"
Arthur stopped in his tracks, and as soon as he turned around, Tony quickly said, "Just kidding, my friend, I'm a billionaire, this little loss is nothing!"
The Green Goblin continued to leave, and Tony chose to keep quiet until Jarvis reminded him that the Green Goblinhad left the Stark Industries Building, only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Jarvis, book me a personal physical examination for tomorrow…"
…At midnight, Arthur, in his sleep, was once again woken by a piercing ringtone.
"I'm sure you have something important, Miss Gwen!" Arthur said irritably into the phone; he didn't even need to check the caller ID to know who it was.
Because Arthur's social circle was very simple, few people knew his phone number, and only Gwen dared to disturb him late at night.
"You sound angry, you haven't gone to bed this early, have you?" Gwen said weakly, "Alright, it's certainly annoying to be disturbed right after falling asleep, but I didn't intentionally choose this time to call, because I've been thinking and hesitating for a long time… you know, some decisions are very difficult to make."
"You should talk about the reason for your call, instead of constantly spewing irrelevant nonsense." Arthur said helplessly, "Is there something you're eager to share with me? Did Spider-Woman stay at your place tonight? Did the Green Goblin come knocking? Or will Mrs. Stacy make sandwiches tomorrow morning, telling me not to buy breakfast at the convenience store?"
"Unfortunately, none of those." Gwen said with a laugh, it seemed Arthur wasn't really angry, "But speaking of Spider-Woman, did you hear about her feat today, stopping a runaway train? There were hundreds of people on that train, she saved hundreds of lives, she's simply amazing!"
"I saw it on TV, but I also saw that the train lost control because of her battle with the Green Goblin, and in the end, the Green Goblin still managed to escape…" Arthursaid faintly.
"That was just an accident, and the fault lies with the evil Green Goblin, not with the justice-upholding Spider-Woman." Gwen assured, "Also, Spider-Woman will definitely catch the Green Goblin next time! I'm going to talk about what happened, don't interrupt…"
"Mm, I'm listening."
"The reason I called you tonight is about the graduation prom that the school is holding next week!" Gwen tried to keep her tone calm, although saying these words had already consumed a lot of her courage:
"Will you be my prom date? Arthur, for the last graduation prom in high school…"
There was a brief silence on the phone, Gwen was sure she hadn't been this nervous even when facing the crazy Green Goblin and stopping the runaway train this afternoon!
"Don't tell me you've been agonizing over this until now, and then disturbed my sleep just for this…"
"I haven't been agonizing over it until now," Gwen quickly retorted, "It's just that I just finished all my studying and work, and then I entertained myself a bit and called you before bed, you know, top students are very busy.
"And this isn't a small matter, in my opinion it's very important, of course, if someone else has already invited you and you've already accepted, then never mind, after all, many people are willing to be my dance partner, Harry, Noah, William, Ricardo, Danny…"
"I accept." Arthur interrupted her before Gwen could finish, "To be your dance partner, I accept. Also, are you sure those names you just listed aren't just random? How come I heard my name?"
"It's just a coincidence of names, having the same name is very normal!" Gwen also noticed something was off, but she still stubbornly retorted, "Then come to my house tomorrow afternoon after school, I'll tutor you, and after dinner, we'll practice ballroom dancing at my house, I'll guide your dance steps!"
Chapter 34 Dance
Night fell, and the auditorium of Midtown School of Science and Technology lit up. Looking through the giant floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the lights were dazzling, revealing an atmosphere of luxury and extravagance everywhere.
Undoubtedly, Midtown Tech is a famous aristocratic academy in New York, and most of its students are either rich or powerful, often the children of political executives or wealthy businessmen.
For example, Harry Osborn is the sole heir of the Osborn Group, and Gwen Stacy is the daughter of the New York City Police Director... This aristocratic academy also attaches great importance to its annual graduation ball, after all, it means that every prospective university student is about to bid farewell to their high school days and prepare to enter higher education.
This graduation ball was still very luxurious, sponsored by various famous groups in New York, and jointly organized by the school and student clubs, striving to make every detail perfect and leave every student attending the ball with a deep and unforgettable high school memory.
Upon entering the campus, students knew where to go... The only brightly lit building on campus had a strangely shaped, technologically-styled glass exterior. On this special night, all the lights of this building were lit, making it exceptionally brilliant.
The student council cadres were uniformly dressed in black formal wear. They stood in two rows at the entrance to greet guests. Tonight's guests were only familiar classmates and invited faculty and staff. Whenever they met an acquaintance, they would chat for a few words before calmly returning to their positions.
They carried white handkerchiefs or dark red roses in their breast pockets. Everyone's expressions and movements were full of solemnity and dignity, but a hint of youthful awkwardness still showed through their carefully feigned mature actions.
This small display did not faze the rich young masters and ladies who were accustomed to high-end occasions. Even if the student council members flamboyantly laid out a red carpet, they could still casually walk arm-in-arm with their companions, moving with ease.
But there are always lower echelons everywhere, and this aristocratic academy is no exception... Like Gordon, who hadn't invited a dance partner, he could only sneak around to the back door when he saw the grand scene at the main entrance from afar.
Such things often vary from person to person; for example, Peter Parker, who was also from the "lower echelons," was much more at ease.
Peter actually took on the role of the ball photographer, not only taking many pictures of the lavishly decorated venue, but now he stood at the entrance, pressing the shutter at the passing students, and everyone would give him a smile they thought was dashing and beautiful!
The roar of a supercar engine, a silver-white Aston Martin, like a sharp sword, pierced the night and sped rapidly.
Pedestrians on the road panicked and dodged. When they were about to curse in anger, they saw clearly the person in the driver's seat and could only clench their fists and suppress their rage.
The supercar screeched to a halt, leaving two black tire marks on the road. After slowing down, the car swerved and directly blocked the middle of the road.
A sharp-eyed student cadre was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs. After the car stopped, he leaned over and opened the door.
A person wearing an Armani black suit stepped out. He gave a fake smile and nodded to the people, and as he buttoned his suit, his cuff pulled up, revealing a Constantin watch on his wrist.
Harry Osborn, he was very popular in school. Even though not many people liked him, many were still willing to surround him.
Because he had a nickname—Green Goblin. Harry was generous, always using green U.S. dollars to reward his subordinates.
Harry walked around the front of the car to the passenger side. After the door opened, a lavishly dressed young lady stepped out.
Glory Grant, also one of Gwen's good friends, was lucky enough to be Harry's dance partner tonight. Being able to ride in Harry's luxury sports car to the campus and the venue, she was the object of much envy tonight, which greatly satisfied her vanity, so her face was full of smiles at this moment.
Harry walked into the venue arm-in-arm with Glory. The student council president immediately came up to greet him, after all, the Osborn Group was one of the main sponsors tonight, and satisfying Harry, as the heir of the Osborn Group, was also the student council president's main job tonight.
The student council cadre who opened the car door for Harry naturally became a valet, but no one looked down on him for being obsequious. After all, rich young masters also have different ranks, and people like them would also clarify their position in social interactions.
"Hey Harry! And the beautiful Glory, look at my lens!" Peter said, holding his camera and leaning slightly at the entrance.
"Peter, long time no see!" Harry greeted him after he finished taking the photos. His attitude towards Peter was much more enthusiastic than towards the student council president.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time, Harry," Petersaid, looking intently at his camera without raising his head.
"You look a little different, is it a new style for the ball?" Harry said, looking at Peter's flamboyant hairstyle and attire, "But it looks great, who is your dance partner? MaryJane?"
"No, I don't have a dance partner tonight," Peter said with a smile to Harry, without a hint of embarrassment on his face, "I'm not here to dance tonight, I have other things to do."
"Photography? Or what... Well, none of that matters, I wish you a good night."
"I should be saying that to you," Peter raised his eyebrows, gesturing to Glory beside Harry, "I wish you a good night..."
Harry suddenly looked a little embarrassed: "Well! You've really changed, Peter, you used to not be so... improper!"
...At the same time, an old, broken Ford car slowly drove onto campus and finally parked in a side parking spot outside the auditorium.
Both car doors opened simultaneously, and Arthur and Gwen stepped out, walking arm-in-arm towards the main entrance.
Arthur wore a fitted black suit, with no superfluous accessories. He also didn't comb his hair in a classical, elegant style like other boys, using olive-scented pomade until it shone.
He simply washed his hair, blew it dry with a hairdryer, and then styled it slightly, making it look much more casual.
Gwen's attire was much more elaborate and meticulous: a silver, crystal-encrusted gown, a full set of custom gold and amethyst jewelry reflecting the streetlights, making her exceptionally dazzling. Her soft, golden long hair was neatly combed, and she wore ten-centimeter high MaryJane heels.
From these details, one could see each person's personality and attitude towards the ball. Arthur was too lazy to bother, while Gwen took it very seriously.
"You should have walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for me after getting out of the car, that would be gentlemanly enough!" Gwen said with a smile, but her mouth was complaining.
"Is there a possibility that you got out first?" Arthur said.
"That's because I knew you wouldn't open the door for me!" Gwen said fiercely.
I discovered a divine book, "The Great Demon Holmes." I need to study this book, not just write casually, and strive to improve the quality of my work!