Chapter 387: Rescuing Gwen
George slowly lowered his pistol. Spider-Man truly wasn't an enemy; at least according to the current situation, he was just an over-eager superhero.
"I know where Gwen is, but you can go home now," George said, not wanting Spider-Man to interfere in this matter.
"Why? I have the ability to save her!" Peter couldn't believe George was rejecting him. He was Spider-Man; he had the power to rescue Gwen.
"The ability to save her?" George let out a disdainful smirk. "Or the ability to expose your position, cause the police rescue mission to fail, and provoke the kidnappers into killing the hostage?"
"It sounds like we have a very deep misunderstanding," Peter said, realizing what George was thinking, just as he had the night he went to George's house for dinner.
"Misunderstanding? No, Spider-Man, we have no misunderstanding. I'm only refraining from acting against you out of respect for your past actions. Why don't you think for yourself about how much economic damage you bring to society while catching criminals? I have every reason to arrest you for crimes against the social economy, but I'm giving you a chance, Spider-Man. Don't let that chance vanish."
George agreed with the concept of punishing evil, but being a superhero wasn't just a hobby. Did Peter know how much trouble vigilantes like him caused the police? Often, when undercover officers were close to wiping out a criminal organization, a superhero would swoop in and ruin the operation. This caused heads of criminal organizations to escape multiple times. What was the use of catching the small fry? One "big fish" could make thousands of small fry disappear!
George gave Spider-Man a cold glance, holstered his sidearm, and turned to walk out the door.
"I don't understand why you hate superheroes so much, but I have to save Gwen." Peter didn't want to argue. Normally, he would have debated George, but not now. Gwen's life was at stake. Since George wouldn't give him the location, Peter decided to follow him secretly and wait for an opportunity.
The Abandoned Warehouse
"Mmph! Mmph!" Gwen was currently tied to a chair, a mechanical device gagging her mouth.
"Don't be afraid, little girl. Your daddy will be here to save you soon," Toomes said, tapping the device on Gwen's face with a laugh.
"How is it? Does the new suit fit?" Mason walked over, holding a cup of coffee. He was wearing a mask that only showed the lower half of his face to keep his true identity a secret.
"The new suit is fantastic. Performance across the board is excellent—much better than the last one," Toomes said delightedly. Mason was truly a master of machinery; given enough time, he could probably replicate the Iron Man armor.
"As long as it works," Mason said, feeling a hint of pride. Every creator wants their work to be admired. "Though I still think kidnapping Gwen was too risky." He took a sip of coffee and sighed. He had been nervous since Toomes suggested taking the Police Commissioner's daughter. The city was likely crawling with cops looking for them.
"It's fine. With this suit, I'll make sure they have nothing to say," Toomes said confidently. He was feeling incredibly emboldened; the new suit had even left Spider-Man in the dust. "The most important part of taking Gwen is to make the police lose their guard so we can complete our plan."
If someone were paying close attention, they would notice that their companion, Schultz, was missing. He wasn't actually gone; he was executing a separate part of the plan.
"I'm only interested in the money. Your plan is secondary to me," Mason said, finishing his coffee.
"No, Mason, the plan is brilliant. Once it succeeds, we'll have much better odds of dealing with Spider-Man," Toomes said, placing his hands on Mason's shoulders.
Mason looked up. "I'm going to get more coffee. You want some?"
"I'll pass," Toomes waved him off. Mason always changed the subject at times like this. But even if Mason didn't explicitly agree, he still supported the plan, or he wouldn't have improved the suit.
Sitting nearby and hearing their conversation, Gwen felt a deep sense of dread. She wanted to escape, but as an ordinary person, there was no way she could break ropes as thick as her arm.
"Behave, little girl. If you cooperate, we won't hurt you," Toomes reminded her. He was telling the truth; every time he looked at Gwen, he thought of his own daughter, Liz. For a moment, their shadows overlapped, so he didn't want to harm her—he just wanted to use her and let her go.
Gwen nodded weakly. She didn't believe him. If they wouldn't hurt her, why kidnap her and threaten her father? She concluded that the Vulture was George's enemy and was using her as leverage. However, from their conversation, she realized she was just bait for an even larger plan.
Once Gwen calmed down, Toomes turned and left the empty room, shutting the lights off on his way out. In the darkness, Gwen's anxiety began to flare again.
Suddenly, Grip! A pair of cold hands grabbed Gwen's ankle.
"Mmph! Mmph!" Feeling the icy touch on her leg, Gwen struggled frantically.
Meanwhile, on the streets of New York, police cars were speeding toward the destination provided by the kidnappers. Peter followed from above.
"The direction they're going... it seems like the place I fought the Vulture before." Peter remembered the abandoned warehouse. Were they really still there?
As time passed, Peter followed the convoy to the front of the warehouse. He landed on a nearby building. "It really is here. I didn't think Toomes would be that arrogant." He assumed the Vulture would have abandoned the place after Peter discovered it.
Inside the Warehouse
"How interesting... so many little mice," Mason said, watching the monitors clearly.
"Toomes, we have mice slipping in, and one little bug," Mason reported immediately.
"Need help?" Toomes asked from outside, where he was confronting the police.
"No need. I'll handle it." Mason immediately began typing on his keyboard.
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