Chapter 199: I Want Ten Girls
"Don't worry, Peter. Ned will be fine," Silas Parker said, glancing at Ned, who was sitting by the pond staring blankly into the water.
"Is he really going to be okay? I've... I've been through that experience too," Peter sighed, thinking of his own past heartbreaks.
Silas waved his hand dismissively. "Trust me, with his personality, he'll be back to normal in no time. Besides, Peter, your situation was just a one-sided crush, wasn't it?"
"..." Peter froze. Well, when you put it that way...
"Are we eating or what?" Misty asked, holding up a tray of freshly grilled meat skewers.
"I'm eating!" Ned appeared by Misty's side out of nowhere, grabbing a skewer. "I'm going to turn my grief and indignation into an appetite!"
"Now I finally understand why you're a bit on the rounder side," Peter remarked, watching Ned devour the food.
"Ah, love... it makes people ready to live or die together," Silas quoted a famous line from his past life.
"Please, that's not love. That's just Ned's hormones talking," Peter couldn't help but roast his friend.
"Just eat your meat," Silas said, grabbing a handful of skewers and stuffing them into Peter's mouth.
"Mmph—ghmm!" Peter shouted through a mouthful of grilled pork.
The Rival Camp
Less than a hundred meters away, Flash Thompson had finished setting up his tents. His group consisted of four boys and three girls, but with the addition of Audrey, it was now an even four-and-four split.
Initially, Flash had invited Liz, but she had turned him down without a second thought. Flash had no choice but to tell his friends Liz was "busy" and couldn't make it. He hadn't wanted to invite just any random girl, but poaching Ned's date had worked out perfectly—both for the group dynamic and his ego.
"Hey, Flash, should we go mess with them tonight?" one of his companions, Jaden, asked.
"Better not," Aidan, the more timid one, whispered. "Misty's dad is not someone you want to mess with. If he found out, he'd probably toss us into the ocean to feed the fish."
Flash paused to think. Aidan had a point. Misty Barron's family was far from ordinary. On the surface, her father was a high-end real estate developer, but rumors suggested he had deep ties to "gray" industries and possessed terrifying connections.
As recent high school graduates, they weren't ready to go to war with Silas and Peter—at least not while Misty was around. Flash just wanted to settle the score for the kick Peter had given him before. Once they went to university, he might not get the chance again. He was headed to Empire State University, and he didn't even know where Peter was going.
"Let's just focus on the food," Flash muttered.
Downtown New York
"This is one hell of a 'vacation,'" a police officer muttered, leaning against his patrol car while bullets whistled and pinged off the other side.
"Watch it! We might actually lose our lives this time," his partner shouted, popping out to fire a few shots before diving back behind cover. "We need backup! Now!"
It was a losing battle. They only had four patrol cars on the scene, and the officers were armed with mere handguns. The criminals, on the other hand, were wielding automatic rifles. They weren't superheroes; they were just beat cops.
"Please... I don't care who shows up. As long as it isn't the Hulk, any superhero will do," the officer prayed silently.
BOOM!
A grenade detonated, flipping the patrol car next to them and sending a ball of fire into the sky.
"Okay, never mind. The Hulk is fine too," the officer corrected himself.
In front of the precinct cars, dozens of thugs with rifles stood tall, slowly advancing and suppressing the police with constant fire.
"Is the job done yet?!" the leader of the thugs barked into his earpiece.
Behind them stood a bank. Inside, five more robbers were frantically stuffing cash into large bags.
"Almost! One more minute and we're out of here! Tell the drivers to get the cars ready!" one of the robbers yelled, his eyes gleaming with greed as he looked at the mountains of cash. "Move it! If the heavy hitters from the PD show up, we're toast!"
His subordinates moved even faster.
"Hey~ that's a lot of dough. Mind sharing some with me?" a red-clad figure suddenly appeared beside the robber, casually draping an arm over his shoulder.
"Spider-Man?!" the robber gasped in terror.
"Spider-Man?!" Deadpool screamed back, dramatically clutching his face in mock shock. "Sorry, his suit is a total knockoff of mine. One of these days, I'm going to apply for patent protection."
"You're not Spider-Man?" The robber realized his mistake and pushed the red-suited man away, raising his gun. "Then what are you acting so tough for?"
"Wait! A gun! Oh no~ I'm going to die!" Deadpool clutched his chest in exaggerated agony. "Remember to tell your wife... I love her."
BANG!
Infuriated, the robber fired point-blank at the red-masked head.
Deadpool reached back, drew a katana, and with a lightning-fast flick, sliced the bullet in two. Sparks flew as the lead split.
"Whew~ that was a close one," Deadpool said, sounding remarkably unfazed.
"What... what the?!" The robber looked at his gun, then at the man in front of him. At a distance of less than two meters, he had deflected a bullet with a sword.
"What are you idiots waiting for?! Shoot him!" the robber screamed to his crew.
The other four robbers turned their rifles toward Deadpool.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
A hail of bullets flew toward him. Deadpool drew his second blade and became a whirlwind of steel, deflecting the majority of the rounds into the floor. A few stray bullets were redirected, hitting the robbers in their own legs and shoulders.
"Ahhh!" One robber fell to his knees after taking a round to the thigh.
"Run! Get out of here!" The other four turned and fled. Anyone wearing a red suit in this city was apparently a freak.
"Hey! Leave the cash!" Deadpool threw one of his katanas. It soared through the air and embedded itself right in the backside of the robber carrying the largest bag.
"GAHHH!" The robber's face turned purple as he collapsed, his rear end pointed toward the ceiling with the sword sticking out like a flag.
"Oops~ sorry. I did that on purpose," Deadpool said, pulling the sword out and wiping it on the robber's back. He grabbed the heavy bag of cash and tested its weight.
"I've decided. Tonight, I'm calling ten girls." Deadpool sheathed his blades and prepared to leave, immensely satisfied with the haul.
However, as he reached the main entrance, he found himself surrounded by a sea of police officers with guns drawn. A helicopter whirred overhead.
"Relax, boys! I'm with the FBI. This evidence is under my protection. You can go inside and grab the bad guys now," Deadpool said, pulling a "Preschool Pass" out of his pocket.
"Drop the money and get in the back of the van," the police sergeant ordered, gesturing toward a transport vehicle already filled with six arrested thugs.
"Man, this really sucks. Looks like tonight's plans are canceled," Deadpool sighed. He took the bag of cash and heaved it high into the air.
Whoosh! Thousands of bills fluttered down like green snow. While the police were distracted by the raining money, Deadpool dove back into the safety of the bank.
"F***! Stop picking up the money! Get after him!" the police captain roared at his subordinates.
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