"Wanda, are you saying that because you're new here and don't know much about this place's history, you want me to tutor you?"
On the lounge chair, Fenris, who had been hugging an arc reactor and sleeping soundly, looked at the two beautiful figures who had suddenly appeared and took off his sunglasses in confusion.
"Yes, Professor Fenris."
Wanda blinked and gently handed the thick history book in her arms to Fenris. "Professor Logan, who teaches history, just left the academy. I heard he went to Asia to look for an old friend."
"Everyone says you're very knowledgeable, so…"
Wanda brushed the hair from her forehead, seeming a little embarrassed, then pushed the book toward him again.
"But I just saw Logan carrying Victor past here not far away."
Fenris scratched his head. "When did he say he was leaving the academy? How come I didn't know?"
"Well…"
Wanda blinked and quietly poked Emma beside her.
"Logan is probably taking Sabretooth with him in the next couple of days. He said he wants to recover his old memories."
Seeing Wanda's slightly stiff expression, Emma covered her mouth with a cheerful laugh and helped smooth things over. "Wanda just wants to study that badly."
"Right, right!"
Wanda nodded repeatedly, indicating that was exactly what she meant.
"Fenris doesn't know a damn thing about history. He's just as illiterate as me. Sis, you'd better stay away from him."
Pietro's voice suddenly drifted past behind the three of them, bringing a gust of wind with it before fading into the distance again.
"Pietro!"
Wanda flushed with anger and spun around, only to see a single falling leaf.
"All right, let me take a look."
Fenris chuckled and finally took the book from her.
"Mm-hm."
Wanda's eyes lit up at once.
Oh, no.
The moment Fenris opened the book, regret hit him.
The yellowed pages were covered in dense, tadpole-like writing. Just one glance was enough to make Fenris's head ache.
He had been too busy enjoying Pietro's joke and had forgotten that he was, in fact, a brute.
"Fenris!"
The two gazes beside him were far too piercing. Just as Fenris was growing restless in his seat, a voice suddenly called out from the distance.
"Peter?"
The instant he saw the tall, thin young man, Fenris sprang up from the chair. "Why is he here?"
"Wanda, we'll do the lesson next time. I have something to handle right now."
Bang!
The heavy history book flew up, setting off the helpless expression on Wanda's face.
"Emma, everyone says he's even stronger than my father, but why do I feel like he's kind of unreliable?"
"Powerful people are all like that. You'll get used to it."
"What a weirdo…"
"You're the one who insisted on getting curious. Serves you right."
"Hehe."
…
That night.
Manhattan, New York. Harlem.
Atop a skyscraper hundreds of stories tall, two figures quietly appeared.
"Fenris, that's basically what happened…"
Peter sat quietly with Fenris on the edge of the building and told him everything that had happened earlier.
"I've seriously been losing my mind lately!"
Peter let out a weary sigh and looked up at the low, heavy clouds overhead. "If I want to be Spider-Man, I can't be a good Peter Parker."
"Because I'm always thinking about helping other people, I messed up the part-time job I finally managed to find, and I've fallen behind in school…"
"Since I'm always late, Dr. Otto has been getting more and more disappointed in me too."
"Gwen has stayed by my side this whole time, but after Captain Stacy learned how I've been doing, he's been against me and Gwen being together."
"Sometimes, I think Captain Stacy actually has a point."
At the mention of Gwen, Peter's expression shifted again and again.
He grabbed at his own hair, his voice tangled with frustration. "Gwen keeps comforting me and helping me, but the enemies I've been running into lately are getting stronger and stronger."
"Reason tells me I should keep my distance from her, but I've realized I just can't do it…"
"I really love her. I can't leave her!"
"Fenris, what am I supposed to do?"
Peter grabbed Fenris's sleeve, and his whole body seemed to collapse in on itself.
"Ah…"
Fenris did not speak. He simply listened in silence.
Looking at Peter's hunched back, Fenris gently helped him sit up and patted him on the shoulder.
These difficulties all came from Peter's own lack of certainty. No matter what anyone else said, it would be useless. He could only get through it on his own.
Without a firm will, no one could become Spider-Man.
Of course, even if Peter chose to return to being himself, Fenris would only be sincerely happy for him.
"Oh, right."
After a moment of silence, Peter spoke with some difficulty. "My best friend, Harry Osborn, is going to die soon because of his hereditary disease."
"But because Dr. Connors still resents being kicked out by Oscorp, he refuses to help him, so…"
"So you want me to put in a good word with Dr. Connors?"
Fenris raised an eyebrow.
"Mm-hm."
Peter nodded repeatedly.
From Connors's words, it was obvious that he was extremely grateful to Fenris. If Fenris was willing to help, then maybe he could persuade Dr. Connors.
"Well…"
Fenris furrowed his brow.
Just as he was wrestling with how to answer Peter, several blocks away, a few deafening explosions suddenly rang out.
Boom!
Towering flames erupted in the distance, mixed with the roaring crash of colliding cars. With their extraordinary senses, Fenris and Peter stood up from the rooftop almost one after the other. Their gazes turned in the direction of the noise at the same time.
Chaotic car horns, shrill wails and screams, and the unfamiliar roar of some unknown creature rang out together. For a time, the night was filled with a jumble of noise.
"Something happened over there."
His spider-sense kept warning him. Peter frowned and immediately began rummaging through his backpack.
In just a few breaths, the familiar red-and-blue suit was on.
With a sharp thwip, he shot out a strand of webbing and secured his backpack in a patch of shadow. Then Peter turned and gave Fenris a deep look. "Fenris, I hope you'll help Harry. He really is a good person."
The moment his words fell, Spider-Man's agile figure leapt straight from the building.
Webbing fired, and the red-and-blue figure swung rapidly toward the commotion in the distance.
"It's not easy being a good person."
Fenris curled his lip and sighed helplessly.
He understood Peter's feelings perfectly well. After all, Harry was his best friend, the guy he had grown up with.
But if Fenris really went to plead with Connors, it would be no different from putting him on the spot.
Help, and it would be difficult. Refuse, and it would be even harder. Either way, Connors would be trapped.
"What a pain. I'd rather hide somewhere and sleep."
After shaking his head helplessly, Fenris casually took out a pair of glasses and put them on. "Titan, find out what's happening over there."
Only a few minutes later, the unrest from the distant blocks had grown louder and louder, spreading across a wider and wider area.
Several armed military helicopters were flying in from afar, heading straight toward the area. At the same time, countless fully armed soldiers and armored vehicles had already moved in.
"Don't tell me Abomination has already been born."
(End of Chapter)
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