Chapter 386: Gwen Captured
"Gwen!"
Peter's heart sank. The direction the Vulture was flying was clearly aimed at Gwen!
As the Vulture streaked over Peter, he naturally spotted the boy. Toomes hadn't expected Gwen and Peter to have this kind of connection, but this was a perfect "two birds with one stone" situation. He had come for Gwen—not because of Peter, but because they needed to exploit her identity.
He hadn't expected such a bonus. Toomes chuckled; being able to strike a blow against his number one enemy, Spider-Man, was a delightful prospect.
Inside the SUV, the driver noticed the situation through the rearview mirror. "Look out! Incoming!" he shouted.
Thud!
The sound of metal slamming onto the roof echoed through the cabin. Toomes, having landed atop the vehicle, produced his weapon. A laser beam erupted from the device, carving a hole straight through the roof.
"Ah!" Gwen covered her ears, terrified and confused. Toomes peered into the car, reaching out to grab her. The bodyguard sitting next to Gwen immediately pulled his handgun.
Bang!
The bullet struck Toomes' new "Obsidian" flight suit, causing nothing more than a few sparks.
"Tickles," Toomes grunted. He reached in, snatched the bodyguard by his collar, and hurled him out of the moving vehicle.
Crash!
Fortunately, the bodyguard landed on a pile of discarded cardboard boxes on the roadside, sparing him from major injury.
"Ah!" Having never faced such a scene, Gwen kicked out wildly at Toomes. However, her struggle was meaningless against the armored suit. Toomes easily caught her leg and, with a slight tug, hoisted her out of the car.
"Let me go!" Gwen hung upside down in the air, dangled by Toomes like a helpless chick. She was completely powerless.
"If I let go now, you'll have a very messy ending, haha!" Toomes tightened his grip and soared into the sky. He had to take her to their destination—there was quite a show about to begin.
"Gwen!"
In the distance, Peter was driven to a state of frenzy. He frantically pulled his spider mask from his backpack. While running, he snapped his web-shooters onto his wrists and tore off his outer shirt to reveal the spider-suit underneath.
"Vulture!"
Peter stuffed his clothes into his bag and webbed it high up on a wall.
Thwip!
A strand of white webbing shot out, and Peter began swinging between the buildings. He had to catch up.
"Spider-Man! You'll never catch me!" Toomes laughed. This suit was Mason's latest prototype. It was twice as fast as the previous model. At the speed Spider-Man swung through the city, there was no way he could close the gap.
"Dammit!" Peter was frantic. He was barely keeping the Vulture in his sights, and once they reached the residential areas with shorter buildings, he would lose his momentum entirely.
"Goodbye, Spider-Man! If you want to save her, go find her father. He'll know what to do!"
Toomes didn't plan on fighting Peter here. He had other designs. First, he had to deliver Gwen without any mishaps. The mechanical wings on his back rotated rapidly, creating a gale that propelled him forward until he vanished from Peter's view.
Thump.
Peter landed on top of a skyscraper, staring helplessly at the empty sky. In a fit of rage, he punched a water tank.
Crash!
The tank burst, and a torrent of water soaked Peter's suit. He quickly fired a web to plug the hole.
"Sorry," Peter muttered. He turned and left the roof, replaying Toomes' words in his head: Find her father, George.
In the Distance
"Didn't expect things to go down like this," Silas Parker noted, gazing toward the horizon where Gwen had disappeared.
"Aren't you going to help Peter?" Wanda asked. She knew Peter was Silas's brother.
Misty and Felicia had gone home early due to some personal matters, leaving only Silas and Wanda. They had been walking when they witnessed the abduction. Wanda had almost stepped in, but she remembered the fallout from Sokovia and lowered her hands. Perhaps she wasn't suited to be a "superhero"—being a person with powers who protects her loved ones was enough.
"I believe he'll solve it himself. He needs to grow," Silas told her. This was his core philosophy. He didn't want Spider-Man to become lazy or over-reliant on him just because he existed in this world.
"Grow? But what if something happens to Gwen?" Wanda didn't quite get it. Growth was fine, but if it cost the life of a friend or a girlfriend, it wasn't worth it.
"Don't worry, Gwen will be fine," Silas smiled. He had already dispatched several Shadow Ninjas to follow Toomes and see exactly what they were up to.
"Really? Can you tell me how you know?" Wanda was curious.
"Not yet. It's a secret." Silas strode forward. A secret told is no longer a secret.
"Hmph~ telling me wouldn't hurt." Wanda pouted, but then her eyes twinkled. She ran up to Silas, grabbing his arm and swaying it playfully. "Tell me~ I'm really interested!"
"No means no." Silas wasn't falling for it. Back during the Civil War era, he might have been fooled by her appearance, but he knew the real Wanda had a bit of a temper.
The Stacy Residence
"George, what do we do? Gwen..." Helen was frantic. She had been preparing snacks for her daughter when she received a ransom note from the Vulture.
George's face was a mask of shifting emotions. He gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to tear the Vulture apart. Gwen was his only child. And he, George Stacy, the Police Commissioner of New York City, had just had his daughter kidnapped. Did these criminals have a death wish?
"Don't worry. Since they sent a note, Gwen is safe for now." George remained much calmer than his wife; kidnappings were part of the job, even if he was the target this time.
"Why would they take her..." Helen wiped her eyes.
"It's likely one of my enemies targeting her because they can't get to me." George took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair.
"Those damn criminals!" Helen didn't blame George; she hated the monsters who brought chaos into the world.
"I promise I'll bring her back safe." George didn't actually have a plan yet, but he had to keep Helen stable. "I understand," Helen said, pulling away. "I'm going to the bedroom. You go do what you have to do."
George didn't waste another second. He grabbed his hat and prepared to head out. Vulture? I'll turn you into a featherless bird this time. As he turned to grab his sidearm, he saw a familiar figure standing by the window: Spider-Man.
"What are you doing here!" George drew his gun, aiming it at the masked hero.
Peter held his hands up. "Listen, I'm not here to fight. I just want to know where Gwen is."
"Gwen?" George's eyes narrowed. "What business do you have with my daughter?"
"She was taken by the Vulture. He told me that you would know where he's taking her," Peter explained. There was no point in hiding the truth.
"You were there?" George deduced.
"Yes. But I couldn't catch him." Peter's voice was dejected. He had watched her be taken right in front of him.
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