Over the next few days, Peter went about his usual routine, working and being a superhero.
Meanwhile, Bant and Gwen spent a few days relaxing in New York. While exploring the city, they managed to track down Miles—the kid who was originally supposed to get the spider that would sacrifice Peter and turn him into Spider-Man.
Naturally, they didn't reveal themselves. They simply observed him from high above the city, catching a glimpse of an awkward exchange between Miles and his police officer father.
At this point, Miles was still just a scrawny, dark-skinned little kid. Aside from being short and thin, his personality was timid and overly accommodating.
Even though this kid was the Spider-Man who was supposed to rise to power over Peter's grave, Bant had no intention of altering Miles' life trajectory.
With him around, nothing was going to happen to Peter.
There was no reason Spider-Man and the black-suit Spider-Man couldn't coexist.
"Come to think of it, the abilities of that Number 42 mutant spider seem pretty strong."
Bant suddenly recalled that the spider which bit Miles possessed the ability to discharge and absorb electricity, as well as turn invisible.
These were innate gifts that he himself lacked.
The optimization function of his busted old watch had pushed Bant's base stats far beyond an ordinary Spider-Man, but it couldn't just create something out of nothing and conjure up superpowers that didn't already exist.
But now that the Number 42 spider was here, perhaps his arsenal could undergo one more evolution.
With that in mind, he left a miniature insect drone to shadow Miles.
Sure enough, later that very night, the drone returned carrying a dead, iridescent spider, dropping it right in front of Bant.
Just like last time, the watch couldn't directly scan and catalog the mutant spider's genes.
Because the mutant spider itself wasn't a sentient creature. However, this time around, Bant didn't need to eat the spider.
He simply crushed the spider, processed it into a serum, and injected it directly into his bloodstream.
Almost immediately, under the serum's influence, his genetic code began to collapse. But having been through this before, Bant didn't panic in the slightest.
After all, the watch had already kicked into gear.
[Repairing collapsing genes...]
[Repair successful.]
The genetic repair process was much faster this time around. Before his body could even undergo any physical changes, the collapse was completely resolved.
He raised a hand slightly, watching a faint electrical current flicker across his fingertips.
This wasn't primordial power; it was genuine bio-electricity. He had truly acquired the black Spider-Man's unique abilities.
"My raw strength hasn't gone up at all, though."
Bant clenched his fist.
This was well within his expectations. After all, his base stats were already practically maxed out for a Spider-Man. The Number 42 mutant spider shared the same foundational genetic makeup as the original spider, so getting a new spider wasn't going to stack his existing abilities.
If powers were that easy to stack, Bant wouldn't need to do anything else—he could just spend his time hunting spiders across the multiverse.
Wait, what? Am I part of the Inheritors now?
Bant shook his head, banishing the absurd thought from his mind.
"Let's test out the invisibility mode."
With a single thought, the color seemed to drain from his entire body. Even his clothes turned completely transparent.
"Bant."
Just as Bant was experimenting with his new powers, Gwen's voice suddenly echoed through the room.
A second later, the basement's trapdoor descended, and Gwen eagerly hopped down. "Bant! Blond Peter said Kingpin is planning to run the collider experiment again tomorrow night—huh? Where'd he go?"
Gwen poked her head around, scanning the area, but couldn't find a trace of Bant anywhere.
"That's weird. I swore I saw him come down to the basement."
The invisible Bant watched as Gwen rummaged around, even checking the trash can, and couldn't help but find it amusing.
"Looks like the Spider-Sense connection between Spider-People gets weakened while in stealth mode."
Case in point: Bant was standing right in front of her right now. Gwen was bent over, her nose just a millimeter away from bumping into Little Bant, but she was completely oblivious.
Bant casually stepped to the side to give her room.
After all, he had no desire to be accidentally dealt a fatal blow to the family jewels by a "delicate" girl who could lift tens of tons...
He slipped behind her and playfully smacked her on the butt.
Smack!
"Yeow!"
Gwen stumbled forward and sprawled onto the floor.
When she spun around furiously, she saw a now-visible Bant casually leaning against the computer desk.
"Nice bounce. You've been keeping up with your workouts, I see."
"I used to do ballet, you know."
Seeing that it was Bant, Gwen's anger subsided a bit. She rubbed her backside and stood up, hands on her hips. "How did you get behind me? I literally searched everywhere just now."
"Forget it, never mind that. Kingpin is definitely firing up the particle collider tomorrow night."
Remembering the real issue at hand, Gwen quickly added.
"He's bought off the Sinister Six, and he's got plenty of other goons on payroll. Stopping him isn't going to be easy."
Gwen said, her brow furrowing with worry.
"Don't worry. Remember the secret weapon I prepped for you?" Bant offered a faint smile.
Gwen blinked, then realization dawned on her. "You mean that thing you mentioned before? The Overkill Symbiote Suit?"
Bant nodded.
"Can it win?" Gwen asked.
"Guaranteed!"
Bant replied confidently.
It was just the Sinister Six. In Bant's eyes, they were barely qualified to sit at the same table as Zombozo the circus clown and his freakshow henchmen.
Judging from the movie, the Green Goblin and the rest in this universe were clearly pretty strong, but they still weren't even close to enough.
Especially after he had acquired his new abilities.
And Bant wasn't talking about the black Spider-Man's electricity or invisibility, either. He meant...
He raised his hand. The dial on his busted watch spun rapidly before finally settling between two black silhouettes.
One of them was Spidermonkey.
Spidermonkey needn't even be mentioned; he was basically a joke.
However, Bant figured his own spider-genetics might be able to enhance Spidermonkey just as they had enhanced Astrodactyl, overhauling Spidermonkey's pitifully frail, twig-like base stats.
But even so, compared to the other alien hero on the dial, he was still nothing to write home about.
After all, that other guy was a superstar!
Bant's gaze fell upon the silhouette with what looked like twin pigtails—Buzzshock!
A guy who didn't even debut until the fourth iteration of the series, yet had popularity off the charts.
Sure, canonically, Buzzshock was unlocked when Ben Tennyson was eleven, and the whole Buzzshock incident served as the plot justification for why the older Ben eventually took off the watch.
Accidentally unlocking Buzzshock made Bant even happier than getting the black Spider-Man's powers.
After all, Buzzshock was outright overpowered!
Who wouldn't love Buzzshock!
Bant was in a fantastic mood. Gwen, on the other hand, was feeling the exact opposite.
Her miraculous, cross-universe encounter with Bant, their shared mission as Spider-People, and the days they had spent together lately had brought Gwen a joy she hadn't felt in a long time.
She felt like a whale that had been separated from its pod since birth, crying out alone in an endless ocean for so long, only to finally find her family.
The loneliness and pain that had always clung to her seemed to have been left far behind after crossing the universe.
If she could, she would want to stay here forever, right by Bant's side, rather than return to her own bleak reality and endure the freezing atmosphere and crushing pressure of her city.
But that was impossible.
Once Kingpin was defeated, she would have to say a permanent goodbye to this fleeting happiness.
Without the particle collider, what else could possibly bridge the infinite multiverse and let her see Bant again?
The moment she thought about parting ways...
Gwen even felt a sudden, selfish urge to just let Kingpin be.
But she couldn't.
She was Spider-Woman.
She couldn't let her own selfishness lead to the destruction of multiple universes.
Especially this universe. The Peter here was so happy...
"What's wrong?"
Seeing her expression look a bit forced, Bant asked in a low voice.
Gwen took a deep breath, burying all her negative emotions deep down in her heart. Ever since becoming Spider-Woman, this was the thing she was best at.
"It's nothing."
She forced a smile, clasping her hands behind her back. Her right hand tightly gripped her left wrist, right over the white-and-pink Tiangong Guild emblem on her wristwatch.
"Want to come with me to the top of the Williamsburg Bank Building to get some fresh air?"
She held out her hand, issuing the invitation.
/-\
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