"Hey, Peter."
Alex Reed pushed his wheelchair forward and waved to Peter from a short distance away from the ambulance.
Peter's eyes were slightly red, and he was panting heavily. In his extreme panic, he had even subconsciously used his abilities—moving like a shadow, swift as lightning. In almost the blink of an eye, Peter appeared in front of Alex.
Ignoring the slight surprise in Alex's eyes, Peter immediately looked toward Aunt May.
She sat in the back of the ambulance while paramedics treated her injuries. Her face was deathly pale, drained of color, with flashes of unbearable pain crossing her features from time to time.
The bloodshot veins in Peter's eyes stood out even more starkly. Even with his fist only slightly clenched, one could sense the terrifying power contained within.
Peter turned to Alex, making no attempt to hide his violent aura. His body trembled faintly—whether from grief over Uncle Ben's death and Aunt May's injury, or from the forced suppression of his rage.
He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word forced through gritted teeth.
"Who did it?!"
Before Alex could finish responding, Peter roared.
His anger and murderous intent could no longer be contained; they erupted without restraint.
He clenched his fists and grabbed Alex by the collar.
Peter's face was very close. At that moment, Alex felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. A strong sense of unease urged him to get away quickly.
But despite facing Peter in this state, Alex quickly regained his composure.
Their eyes clashed—and it was Peter who yielded first.
A glint of clarity flashed in Peter's eyes. He lowered his head slightly, and his aura softened instantly.
"I'm sorry, Alex."
"I lost control for a moment."
"But Uncle Ben just left me, and now I can't stand by and watch Aunt May get hurt."
Peter cupped his face in his hands. His crimson eyes peeked out from between his fingers, chilling to the bone.
This boy—who had lost so much in such a short time—was teetering on the edge of an abyss. One wrong step, and he would fall forever.
He needed an outlet.
Looking at Peter like this, Alex nodded inwardly.
But on his face, he still showed hesitation.
Though it lasted only a moment, how could it escape Peter's enhanced senses?
"Alex, you know who it is, right?"
"Tell me—you saw his face clearly!"
Peter looked at Alex with an almost pleading tone and expression.
At this moment, nothing else mattered to him.
He—no, Spider-Man—was going to bring the person who hurt Aunt May to justice!
Seeing the hesitation on Alex's face, Peter subconsciously assumed Alex was worried he would act impulsively.
Peter's expression turned serious. He looked straight at Alex and spoke earnestly.
"Alex, don't worry. I will never abuse my power."
"Criminals should be punished by the law!"
But upon hearing those words, Alex's brows furrowed even deeper.
He looked at Peter with an almost incredulous gaze and stated a fact Peter found hard to accept.
"But the person who robbed us... and the person who killed your uncle... are the same person."
"What?! You didn't see wrong?"
Even Spider-Man, with his powerful physique, felt powerless in that moment.
Peter's body swayed slightly.
He already had a guess deep down, but he still pressed on.
"I'm sorry, Peter. But after personally drawing the suspect based on the description you provided, I will never forget his long blond hair."
Alex's tone was low. He lowered his gaze slightly and spoke with absolute certainty.
Seeing Alex's deadly serious expression—no trace of a joke—Peter felt as if struck by lightning.
His spider-sense activated instantly!
A sudden, inexplicable surge of excitement raced from the base of his spine to the top of his head.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
Every pore stung as if pricked by needles.
"I will find him."
"You know what I'm capable of."
Peter uttered the words coldly, gave Aunt May one last deep look, then turned to leave.
But Alex's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Let me help you."
"I know where he is."
Peter turned around, looking puzzled at Alex—whose fingers were calmly interlaced in his lap.
...
"How could you install a tracking device on your phone?"
Facing Peter's question, Alex pointed to his legs and gave a small shrug.
"In the U.S., if you don't have some way to protect yourself, you'd probably have been robbed blind a long time ago."
"Sorry, Alex, I didn't mean—"
"No need to apologize. The most important thing is to find that man."
"Isn't that right?"
"Yes!"
Peter nodded emphatically.
The thought of Uncle Ben being shot—and now Aunt May not being spared—filled Peter's heart with renewed rage.
Even with his abilities, Peter had never seriously considered killing.
But this top-tier, predator-like demeanor—emerging at the genetic level—was far beyond what ordinary people could withstand.
If anyone else had been standing in front of Peter instead of Alex, they would probably have collapsed in terror.
Half an hour later.
The two arrived at an abandoned building.
Peter gave Alex a quick nod, pulled on a balaclava, and scaled the wall.
In an eerily silent and fluid motion, he clung to the surface and vanished into the night.
He made no sound the entire time.
Watching Peter disappear, Alex removed his glasses, wiped them clean, and lightly tapped his temple with his fingertips.
He looked thoughtful.
But five seconds later, Alex pushed his wheelchair straight through the door.
His eyes gleamed with resolute determination.
Humanity.
This was something Alex had always overlooked.
He hadn't anticipated it at all.
Even after everything Danny had done, Peter still wanted to punish him through the law.
"Sure enough, he's still too influenced by Uncle Ben."
"But what if I add fuel to the fire?"
"Let me see what you choose..."
"Peter Parker."
...
The building was deathly quiet.
The only sound was the faint creak of Alex's wheelchair wheels.
Building materials and trash lay scattered everywhere.
It looked as though no one had been here in years.
But Alex knew better.
In some dark corner,
Danny—and Peter—were waiting.
Clang—
One wheel accidentally struck a steel pipe.
The crisp sound of metal rolling across the concrete echoed endlessly.
But Alex didn't care.
He continued pushing forward.
A thin sliver of light seeped in from outside, illuminating half of Alex's face.
Finally, alone in the abandoned building, Alex heard Peter's hoarse, furious voice:
"Why won't you let them go!"