Brian pulped the Lizard's head with a single punch, finally venting suppressed frustration.
When he turned around, Gwen and Peter were staring at him wide-eyed, as if looking at an alien.
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Gwen's voice trembled. "Brian... you..."
Her mind was currently a total blank; the massive influx of information had caused her brain to stall. Peter's ability to process shock was slightly better, but judging by the width of his gaping mouth, they were both equally shell-shocked.
Ever since he'd gained his powers, Peter's confidence had skyrocketed. While he still held a modicum of respect for Brian it was mostly due to Angelina's presence and their social status. Individually, Peter felt he wouldn't lose to anyone and that his future was far brighter.
But Brian's punch had shattered that quiet confidence into dust.
Peter knew better than anyone how strong the Lizard was. His own fists couldn't even break the creature's skin, and even Stark's sentry drones had only managed superficial damage. To see such a thick-skinned monster get one-shotted by Brian was beyond surreal.
The fact that Brian possessed such freakish strength meant he was far more than just a rich heir!
But why hide it? Was he simply cold-hearted, unwilling to act as a hero like Peter? Or was there a deeper reason?
Peter slowly regained his composure, narrowing his eyes in suspicion as he looked at Brian.
"Peter! Stop zoning out and swap the serum!" Angelina urged.
"Right!" Peter snapped back to reality and sprang into action.
Brian walked to the edge of the terrace, his eyes scanning the streets below. The Lizard had plummeted hundreds of feet, hitting the pavement like a pancake—there was no coming back from that. Even with supernatural regeneration, he was dead.
THUD!
The Ganali Device launched the replacement serum into the sky, where it exploded into a cloud of blue mist. As the mist drifted down, the people infected by the lizard serum began to revert to their human forms.
Just then, a streak of light like a comet cut through the black sky.
The group looked up to see a brand-new suit of Iron Man armor.
"Hmph, perfect timing," Brian said. When did New York's guardian start arriving late like the NYPD?
"The Lizard is dead! Looks like I missed the show. Kids, did you take this thing down?"
The armor hovered in the air, and Tony Stark's voice crackled through.
"Uh..." Gwen cast a cautious glance at Brian but said nothing.
"Yeah, it was all thanks to New York's newest hero—Spider-Man," Brian said, introducing Peter.
Peter looked at him in shock. Brian was handing over all the credit, clearly determined not to expose himself. Did Brian have his own secrets, just like Peter? Countless theories flashed through Peter's mind, but he eventually decided to take the fall for him.
"You killed the monster?" Tony asked, seeking confirmation.
Peter stepped forward and gave a polite nod. "Yes, sir!"
"Not bad... You sound like a kid. The next generation future is safe," Tony said with a hint of admiration.
"Times are changing. The city needs fresh blood," Brian added with a cynical edge.
Tony caught the sarcasm, but he knew he was at fault. "Sorry. When you get to be my age, your legs tend to get a bit slow," Tony offered a rare apology.
Years of hardship had smoothed out Tony's abrasive personality. He wasn't about to get into a spat with a high schooler. "Regardless, as long as it's settled. Thank you, Spider-Man. This was supposed to be my job."
"It's my responsibility too, sir," Peter replied modestly.
Tony nodded, taking a liking to the polite boy. Before leaving, he extended an invitation: "Kid, come by my place sometime. Your suit is your pass."
After a quick sweep of the scene, Tony took off.
Only the four of them remained on the roof, the atmosphere suddenly turning awkward.
"Brian..." Gwen was the first to break the silence.
They had been dating for nearly six months. She had shared almost all her secrets with him, yet he had hidden something this massive. As his girlfriend, she felt she had the right to ask.
But before she could speak, Angelina cut her off.
"Gwen, everyone has their secrets. You're a couple, but you don't need to dig into every detail. A little mystery is a good thing. All you need to know is that Brian means you no harm—after all, he just saved us from the Lizard."
Gwen hesitated for a moment before finally falling silent. "Fine. I understand."
Peter nodded along, accepting the terms of the agreement.
A few minutes later, the four of them appeared on the street outside the cordoned-off zone.
"Brian, thanks!" Peter said before swinging away into the night.
Gwen hailed a taxi. "Brian, Angelina, I'll see you tomorrow."
Brian smiled. "Goodnight. Sleep well."
Gwen gave a weary laugh. "Tonight was a bit too exciting. I think I'll be an insomniac for a while."
The siblings were also a bit dazed by the night's events. They didn't call for their bodyguards, instead choosing to stroll through the empty streets.
Seeing Angelina silent, Brian assumed she was worried about their cover being blown. "Relax. Things went well. Gwen's tight-lipped, she won't sell us out. I saved Peter's life, he... Well, I'll deal with him later. As long as we keep it low-key, we'll probably make it through college."
Angelina turned to him, looking like she wanted to smack him. "You really can't go a minute without thinking about your 'happy life' in New York, can you? I wasn't even thinking about that."
"Then what were you thinking about so seriously?" Brian asked.
Angelina looked up at the night sky. "It took about two hours from the Lizard's appearance to the end of the incident. The sentry drones activated instantly, meaning Tony Stark knew about the situation from the start. But after the drones were destroyed, no other reinforcements arrived. Even Stark himself didn't show up until two hours later. Where was he all that time?"
Brian was stumped. He tried to analyze it: "Given the speed of the armor, he... might have been on vacation abroad? Or tied up with something?"
Angelina nodded. "Exactly. But I just contacted Uncle Stansfield—he says SHIELD has no record of Stark leaving the country. If he were on vacation, would he really need to smuggle himself out?"
Brian stopped smiling. "You mean Stark is doing something behind SHIELD's back?"
"I think it's very likely," Angelina said. "Stark showed a lot of interest in Peter, yet he didn't stick around to talk. He was clearly in a hurry to get somewhere, which is why he told Peter to find him."
Brian realized she was right. "Damn, we let him get away. If I'd known, I would've followed him."
"Don't worry, he won't get away," Angelina said confidently.
"You... you marked him!" Brian said, pleasantly surprised.
"Let's go!"
Angelina waved her hand, summoning a cluster of multi-colored elemental orbs. Under her precise control, they collided and combined, eventually bursting into a shower of starlight that settled over them. Their bodies became transparent, and even the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats vanished.
They thought Stark had retreated to some secret hideout, but tracking him led them straight back to the Stark base in the north. The siblings were a bit disappointed.
However, since they were already there, they decided to take a look around. They slipped into Stark's private residence.
Tony's house had top-tier security tech that hadn't even hit the market, but Angelina didn't care. She used her magic to walk through walls that could withstand a missile strike.
In the spacious living room, Stark had shed his armor for black loungewear. He was slumped on the sofa, drinking and chatting with Thor.
The siblings were stunned to see Thor. Somehow, they both felt that whatever was happening was tied to the God of Thunder.
"Is the business with the lizard settled?" Thor asked casually, clearly trusting Tony's ability.
"Yeah! But I was a step late. The monster was taken down by a bunch of kids!" Tony said with a proud smile, thinking of Spider-Man.
"Kids?"
"See for yourself!"
Tony swiped a virtual screen, playing videos of Spider-Man's street heroics. Thor watched for a while with a neutral expression, but Tony was excited.
"I've been watching this kid for a while. He's got potential. Just young, impulsive—needs some polishing."
"You want to train him as a successor?" Thor asked.
Tony laughed and shook his head. "Too early for that. The kid's got a long way to go."
Thor nodded and changed the subject. "Any luck tonight?"
"A little progress," Tony said.
Thor perked up. "What did you find?"
Tony took a sip of his drink. "Everything leaves a trail. The Sorcerer Supreme has been on Earth for a thousand years; she must have interacted with the outside world. I started looking into recent rumors, and one stood out."
"A man who was paralyzed from the chest down after an industrial accident. His hands were virtually useless. You wouldn't understand, but that level of paralysis on Earth is incurable. Even the best doctors couldn't help him, and he eventually gave up on physical therapy."
"But then, he suddenly vanished from the US for two years. When he returned, his spine was miraculously healed. He could walk, run, and jump like a normal person."
"So I found him and paid for the info. He told me the place that healed him is called Kamar-Taj, but finding it is incredibly difficult."
"He was right. I spent the whole day searching, and not a soul has even heard the name."
Thor asked, "You think the Sorcerer Supreme lives in Kamar-Taj?"
"Of course. Who else could perform a miracle like that?"
"Fine. I'll help you look tomorrow."
"Get Loki too. I don't house free-loaders, especially not him."
"Haha, fair enough."
The two finished a bottle of pure malt whiskey and headed to their respective rooms.
"They're looking for the Sorcerer Supreme? Why?" Angelina was baffled.
"Maybe they're in trouble," Brian said.
"What kind of trouble would require the guardians of Earth to seek help?"
The siblings thought for a moment, then their eyes widened. They looked at each other in realization.
Who else could make two superheroes so anxious they'd scour the world for the Sorcerer Supreme?
Only him.
"Quick, you track Stark, I'll track Thor."
"On it!"
Angelina moved swiftly after Thor. After a long, winding passage, a massive metal door appeared. Behind it was a vast underground world, divided into sections. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were living there, and they weren't speaking any Earth language.
When they saw Thor, they crowded around him, talking excitedly.
My God, were these people all Asgardians?
But weren't they Odin's subjects? Why were they on Earth? Angelina frowned in surprise.
Since she didn't understand the language, she knew tracking them further wouldn't yield much. She turned back to find Brian.
Back in the living room, Brian was already waiting on the sofa.
"That was fast. No luck?"
Brian looked awkward and shook his head. "Stark was with his wife..."
Angelina rolled her eyes. "Let's go. I found something."
On the way home, Angelina told Brian exactly what she'd discovered.
Brian was ecstatic. "This is huge! If we're right, we've hit the jackpot. Mom will actually be impressed."
Angelina nodded. "But now isn't the time to play the hero. We need to contact home immediately and tell the moms everything."
"I know. Let's move!"
Back at the Long Island estate, the party guests had all left.
The siblings entered the main house, dismissed the servants, and pulled out their specialized phone to contact their respective mothers.
Brian's line connected first.
"Son, what happened?"
Brian fought back the tremble in his voice, trying to stay calm. "Mom... we've found news of Father!"
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
200 power stones.
Top 100. All time.