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"Boss, the explosion just now automatically triggered the convoy's distress signal. Stark Industries has reacted, and five Iron Legion robots are currently flying towards us... Estimated arrival in 5 minutes!"
Inside the truck, the warning lights on the signal detector flashed madly. Phineas Mason stared at the five red dots that suddenly appeared on the electronic radar and urged anxiously:
"Boss, we have to leave here quickly, otherwise..."
However, before he could finish speaking, Adrian Toomes' stubborn reply came from the communicator, with a hint of determination in his voice, "No, I'm not going back empty-handed!"
In mid-air, Adrian Toomes looked down and glanced at the burning wreckage of the transport vehicle below.
Flames wantonly licked the night sky, thick smoke rose, and the pungent smell of burning permeated the air.
He sneered disdainfully, "Little bug, I warned you before... This is all your own doing!"
With that, he manipulated his Mechanical Wings and flew towards the transport vehicle that had fallen by the roadside not far away.
Although that vehicle hadn't exploded yet, smoke was already rising from several places on its body, looking like it could explode at any moment.
"Bang bang—"
Adrian Toomes manipulated the blade-like 'feathers' on the edges of his Mechanical Wings, frantically cutting at the carriage.
"Screech—"
The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing echoed all around, and sparks flew.
Adrian Toomes easily cut a large opening in the carriage, big enough for him to pass through.
However, just as he was about to enter the carriage to drag out the box containing the chitauri energy stones, with a soft 'whoosh', like a red glow appearing in the dark night, a scarlet spider web instantly re-sealed the opening he had just torn.
At the same time, Gwen's cold voice came from behind him, as if from the netherworld, "It's over."
prestige points + 888
"What, you... you're not dead yet?"
Adrian Toomes looked surprised and turned his head sharply to look.
He saw Gwen slowly walking out of the blazing fire completely unharmed, as if surrounded by an invisible force.
And behind her, eight sharp'spider legs' slowly extended, terrifying and eerie, like mysterious creatures from ancient legends.
These'spider legs' seemed to be able to release some kind of invisible shield or energy field. They guarded Gwen's body, blocking all the surging hot temperatures from attacking her.
The heat waves impacted and twisted around Gwen again and again... until they dissipated!
Without much thought, the powerful Impact generated by the astonishing explosion just now was most likely also blocked by them.
And that was exactly the case.
From a perspective inaccessible to ordinary people, Hell Eight Spider Spears were releasing extremely powerful Khorne psionic energy.
These Khorne psionic energies intertwined, forming an invisible psionic barrier around Gwen's body, like an indestructible fortress, blocking all attacks from outside that attempted to harm Gwen.
However, Adrian Toomes, as an ordinary person, knew nothing about this!
Damn it?
Adrian Toomes thought to himself, when did Spider-Woman acquire such advanced technology?
Could it be custom-made for her by Vought Corporation?
It must be!
Presumably, that's why she joined that trashy The Seven, right?
Adrian Toomes, using his habitual way of thinking, immediately mistakenly took the Hell Eight Spider Spears behind Gwen as some kind of high-tech product provided by Vought Corporation.
And Adrian Toomes, who was clearly aware that things were going awry, did not rush to attack.
Because he knew very well that if he didn't find an opportunity to fly back into the sky, fighting on the ground, he would not be Spider-Woman's opponent at all.
So, while cautiously looking for an opportunity to fly into the sky, he spoke in a seemingly relaxed manner, "I have to say, Spider-Woman... I really, really admire your courage."
He shook his head slightly, pretending to be emotional, "I finally understand now why so many children like you..."
"Oh, it's worth mentioning that my daughter Lizz is also your fan."
He paused, his voice gradually becoming lower, with a hint of helplessness, "I have to say, there are indeed things about you worth her learning, such as... this persistence and tenacity!"
"Actually, I didn't intend to attack you before. After all, the people who 'provoked' me were Tony Stark and Damage Control... In the past two years, although I've been doing very badly, I've never laid a hand on ordinary people, nor have I done anything bad."
"I'm only doing this to save my wife, my daughter, and the families of all my subordinates... I'm forced to."
Adrian Toomes spread his hands forcefully, trying to show Gwen his innocent side and thereby move her.
"Spider-Woman, I know you have a strong sense of justice, but you are too young after all, you still don't understand how this World operates..."
Just as Adrian Toomes was endlessly using various rhetorical tricks to try and whitewash his previous despicable actions, Gwen interrupted him with a cold voice.
"Yes, I don't understand how this World operates right now, but I do know that selling those dangerous high-tech weapons to those criminals is wrong!" Gwen's voice seemed to freeze the air.
Upon hearing this, Adrian Toomes' mouth twitched slightly, and a ferocious look flashed across his face beneath the mask. He immediately retorted with some emotion:
"Okay, even if you're right, then I want to ask, the instigator of all this... Tony Stark, who is called Iron Man by the whole World, doesn't he have any fault at all?"
His voice suddenly rose by more than ten decibels, taking on a questioning tone, "If he hadn't used dirty tricks to steal my business back then, I would never have fallen to my current state."
"Do you think I don't want to be an upright person, a law-abiding good citizen, a competent and family-oriented good father?!"
His eyes were full of anger, "But... do I have a choice?!"
Facing Adrian Toomes' almost roaring shout, Gwen's originally firm steps suddenly paused. Her body stiffened slightly, and this subtle change was all seen by Adrian Toomes.
Adrian Toomes' eyes immediately lit up.
There's a chance?
If he could persuade Spider-Woman without fighting, he might save a lot of trouble.
Maybe even his identity wouldn't be exposed!
So he quickly struck while the iron was hot, continuing to speak with even more sincerity, "You just said I sold those weapons to street thugs... Yes, that's right, I don't deny that, but how is my approach any different from those licensed arms dealers?"
"Tony Stark's weapons have caused thousands of times more casualties than mine over the years, but why have I never seen anyone jump out and accuse him of being a murderer, an arms dealer?"
"And the Battle of New York before, it was clearly a mess created by these so-called Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., but after insider trading, taxpayers had to pay a high price to hire that bastard Tony Stark to clean up the mess?"
"Why?!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He clenched his fists, his voice becoming indignant again, "Why can that bastard openly do bad things, and then use the huge ill-gotten gains to build that landmark building, those Iron Man armors that cost hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars each, and those equally expensive Iron Legion?!"
"I don't understand why, as fellow'sinners', Tony Stark can become the high and mighty Iron Man and Avenger, admired and worshipped by the World, while we become despised street rats?"
At this point, Adrian Toomes paused briefly, then actively opened his helmet's faceplate, looking directly at Gwen, who was deep in thought, with his true face, and continued in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Spider-Woman, don't you understand yet?"
"The reality is that those people, including Tony Stark... those high and mighty, powerful and wealthy people... they can wantonly trample on the law without paying any price, they can do whatever they want!"
His eyes showed helplessness and indignation, "And people like us, like you and me... they simply don't care about our lives or deaths, even if we've built bridges and roads for them, built buildings and cities for them, fought for them 'with blood' in our ordinary ways... but no one cares about that, those high and mighty guys simply don't care!"
At this point, he took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm his emotions, "So... that's why I follow behind them to pick up scraps, to eat the leftovers they discard."
"This is how this World truly operates."
"Spider-Woman, I know you understand what I'm saying... but I'm not begging for your pity, I just hope you can understand that this World is too unfair to people like me."
Under Gwen's mask, a rare complex expression appeared on her beautiful face.
Her eyes intertwined with thought and struggle.
To be honest, she didn't sympathize with or pity Adrian Toomes' plight, because in this chaotic era, there were far more people whose fates were more tragic than his.
But when faced with the injustice of fate, not everyone chose to fall like the former!
So Adrian Toomes' words just now could not serve as a reason for his crimes, nor as an excuse for him to comfortably rationalize his actions.
However, what truly made Gwen hesitate, even abandon the idea of killing him on the spot, was an unintentional remark by Adrian Toomes: he also wanted to be a competent and family-oriented good father!
Gwen couldn't help but recall her deceased father, George Stacy.
The warm memories of time spent with her father flooded her mind like a tide. She knew better than anyone the taste and pain of losing a father!
Therefore, she didn't want another innocent, unsuspecting girl to also become like her, losing her father.
Furthermore, Gwen also strongly agreed with one of Adrian Toomes' points.
She never believed that Tony Stark and the other members of the Avengers were true heroes.
Because true heroes would never associate with criminals like Eddie Brock!
So, to put it plainly, whether it was the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D., they were nothing more than a group of exquisitely packaged, thoroughly self-serving egoists!
After a moment of silence, Gwen finally made her decision. She raised her head, her gaze firmly fixed on Adrian Toomes, who was lost in thought, and said in a deep voice:
"Don't let me see you or your people selling those high-tech weapons in New York again, otherwise, no matter how many reasons you have, I will absolutely not go easy on you next time."
It's done!
Seeing that Gwen on the opposite side had indeed chosen to give him a pass, Adrian Toomes' heart immediately swelled with joy. A barely perceptible hint of triumph appeared on his face, and he immediately vowed, "Don't worry, I will abide by this... agreement!"
Gwen glanced at Adrian Toomes, who was ecstatic, and thought to herself, somewhat speechless: I really don't know what you're so happy about. Peter should have already sent your subordinates to the police station, right?
So even if I let you go now, you will still not escape the law's punishment in the end!
What's more, what I meant by 'letting you go' was clearly that I wouldn't kill you tonight, right?
Forget it, no need.
Then Gwen ignored Adrian Toomes and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Adrian Toomes on the other side eagerly began to use the 'feathers' at the front end of his Mechanical Wings, trying to tear open the scarlet spider web blocking the opening in the carriage.
Clang clang—
However, who would have thought that against the sharp feathers that could easily cut through steel plates, the scarlet spider web remained motionless, as if it was harder than steel, and couldn't be cut at all...
Adrian Toomes' face instantly darkened, and veins bulged on his forehead.
Damn it, what kind of black technology is this?
In a fit of rage, Adrian Toomes picked up the Energy Shooter in his hand and fired several purple energy blades at the edge of the scarlet spider web.
The energy blades cut through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound, and successfully severed the scarlet spider web.