Chapter 303: I Like Anti-Heroes
"What's going on with them?" Silas asked, snapping back to attention.
"They've got their hands on some high-tech equipment—I don't know from where—but the power output is massive. Plus, they're dealing with the local gangs," Peter said.
This was a nightmare scenario. If weapons of that caliber were distributed among the gangs on a large scale, the consequences would be unpredictable. If every low-level thug had a laser rifle, superheroes would have a lot more than just bruises to worry about. The sheer destructive force was terrifying to imagine.
"And did you go to stop them?" Silas asked, though he immediately felt it was a redundant question. Knowing Peter, he obviously interfered.
"I managed to snatch some of the weapons and stash them in the Shadow Kingdom. I was getting ready to round them all up when this flying guy suddenly swooped down, grabbed me by the arms, and hauled me into the sky. During the scrap with that bird-man, I noticed he was wearing a pair of mechanical flight wings. They must be modified from the same tech," Peter explained, looking weary.
The biggest issue now was that Peter had no idea where the source of this high-tech gear was, or who was helping them modify it. This wasn't equipment that belonged to this era; without a serious engineering background, someone couldn't even repair it, let alone improve upon it.
"Are you going back tonight to investigate?" Silas asked.
"Yeah. I have to slow down my progress on the Venom case, and the Green Goblin situation too," Peter said, rubbing his head.
While petty crime in New York had quieted down, these more "monstrous" villains were popping up everywhere. First, there was the man-eating Venom, then the flying Green Goblin, and now this Vulture character.
The Avengers were currently too busy to help. They had just barely finished with Ultron and had their own problems to deal with. Steve, Natasha, and Clint were busy training Wanda and the new recruits. Thor was back in Asgard. Tony was in seclusion, upgrading his suits while trying to crack Ultron's final words. Bruce Banner was assisting Tony with the "Veronica" system, even building a smaller version of the Hulkbuster.
With the Avengers occupied, these neighborhood issues fell on Peter's shoulders. Fortunately, having Silas around allowed him to breathe a little easier.
"Honestly, I don't think Venom is entirely in the wrong. I heard he's making quite a name for himself in San Francisco as the 'Lethal Protector,'" Silas chuckled.
In recent weeks, Eddie Brock and Venom had made a much larger impact by eating criminals than Spider-Man had by webbing them up. In New York and Hell's Kitchen, criminals were still active in the shadows, but in San Francisco, the underworld had become remarkably quiet. Criminals were terrified!
If Spider-Man caught you, you'd get a few bruises and a trip to jail. If Venom caught you? You didn't have a life left to commit crimes with. They valued their money, but they valued their heads more.
"Venom only stays in line because Eddie Brock has a strong will," Peter countered. Through his research, Peter had learned that Eddie wasn't a bad person, but Venom was still a ticking time bomb.
"Let's drop it," Silas said, not wanting to argue. This was a fundamental difference in their outlooks.
Silas actually preferred the anti-hero style—someone with the flaws of a villain but the spirit or actions of a hero. It felt more grounded in reality. Peter's self-sacrificing "Great Responsibility" mantra felt more like a beautiful fantasy. In the Marvel world, figures like Deadpool or Logan (Wolverine) were the icons of this style. Their popularity proved that people related more to characters who mirrored their own messy thoughts.
"What do you plan to do about the Green Goblin?" Silas changed the subject.
"I'm still clueless. Besides, there's no way the original Goblin survived that explosion. This is definitely someone else," Peter shook his head. With too many enemies appearing at once, Peter had to prioritize the Vulture, as his weapon distribution posed the greatest threat to society.
"Good luck then," Silas said, patting Peter's shoulder.
"..." Peter was speechless. After all that explaining, he only got a "good luck"? He had been hoping Silas would offer to look into the Green Goblin while he tracked the Vulture.
Ring!!!
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students rushed out of the room toward the gymnasium for PE.
"What were you two whispering about in class?" Gwen asked curiously. Throughout the lesson, she had heard the Parker brothers' hushed chatter. She couldn't hear the words, but the constant buzzing was unmistakable.
"Uh... nothing much," Peter said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. For some reason, he always got jittery around Gwen. She wasn't scary, yet he couldn't help himself.
"Why are you so nervous?" Gwen asked, noticing his odd behavior. She quickly pulled out a compact mirror to check her face. Was there something on her skin?
Felicia Hardy, watching the scene, teased, "He's obviously just dazzled by how pretty our Gwen is."
"Oh, stop it, Felicia. You have a much better figure than I do," Gwen rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting toward Felicia with a hint of envy. Both girls were exceptionally beautiful, but Felicia's curves were in a league of their own. Since the start of the semester, almost every boy in class had tried to flirt with her, only to be rejected. Her popularity was through the roof.
"Jealous? If you want, we can go hit the gym together this weekend," Felicia said, playfully pulling her shoulders back to accentuate her silhouette.
Silas instinctively thought of Wanda. Comparing the two, they were neck and neck—and Wanda wasn't even an adult yet.
"Let's go." Felicia grabbed Gwen's arm and led her out of the room.
"Man, she's spicy," Ned said, appearing at Peter's side out of nowhere.
"If you think so, why don't you ask her out?" Peter asked, knowing Ned was just as attracted to Felicia as anyone else.
Ned sighed dejectedly. "I tried. She said I wasn't her 'type' physically."
"Then you should start working out! At least she didn't give you a flat-out no," Peter encouraged.
"Forget that." Ned suddenly grinned, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. "See Betty Brant over there? She's my girlfriend."
Peter's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He looked toward the equally stunning Betty.
"Holy..."
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