◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 90 chapter ahead on P@treon of which 10 are free Chapters. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
"Heh heh, that's more like it."
Seeing the troublesome crimson spider web finally detach, Adrian Toomes couldn't help but reveal a greedy expression.
But just then, Phineas Mason's anxious voice came through the communicator again, "Boss, this is bad, Stark Industries' Iron Legion has arrived…"
"I know, Mason, don't be so nervous!"
Even without Phineas Mason's notification, Adrian Toomes had already seen five red signal sources, symbolizing Iron Legion robots, approaching their current area from the helmet's built-in HUD-UI interface.
However, as long as it wasn't Tony Stark himself, he didn't care about a mere five Iron Legion robots.
What's more, Spider-Woman was here helping him distract them.
So, ignoring his subordinate's warning, he directly entered the carriage to search for the box containing the chitauri energy stones.
"Whoosh whoosh—"
Just then, five Iron Legion robots, similar in design to the Mark Armor, flew rapidly from a distance.
They cut through the night sky, bringing with them a whistling wind.
Then they hovered above Gwen, who was preparing to leave.
The cold red light flashing in the robots' eyes quickly scanned the battlefield. Since Adrian Toomes was currently inside the carriage, and his Mechanical Wings were equipped with a small signal jamming device, the five Iron Legion robots immediately focused their attention on the 'only' living person at the scene… which was Gwen.
"Warning, warning… Your act of damaging the transport vehicle has violated the relevant regulations of Stark Industries and Damage Control. Please raise your hands immediately and cease resistance… Otherwise, we will take mandatory measures against you according to the law, including but not limited to attack methods that could endanger your life!"
As the cold mechanical voice sounded, the five Iron Legion robots almost simultaneously activated their weapon systems.
The Arc Pulse Cannons in their palms slowly lit up, emitting a faint blue light, aimed at Gwen below.
If Gwen didn't perform the specified actions as requested, the operating system would classify her as a dangerous target and initiate an attack.
"Hey, I said, can you guys at least figure out what's going on here…?"
Gwen raised her hand and pointed in Adrian Toomes' direction, trying to explain to the robots with a speechless expression:
"The person you're looking for is over there! He's the one who destroyed the transport convoy! He's the one stealing your stuff!"
However, her movement was directly judged by the five robots' built-in operating systems as a dangerous action indicating an intent to attack, so they launched their assault without hesitation.
"Boom boom boom—"
The roar of the Arc Pulse Cannons firing instantly resounded across the sky, like thunder exploding in her ears.
Gwen, reacting extremely quickly, immediately shot a web line at a large tree by the roadside, then used the web to swing nimbly around the tree trunk, her body tracing graceful arcs in the air, dodging the deadly beams from above again and again.
These energy pulse beams struck the ground, instantly kicking up clouds of dust and leaving charred, deep pits in the ground.
"Whoosh—"
The miniature missile launcher on one of the robots' shoulders suddenly opened, its eye scanner flashing a cold red light, precisely locking onto Gwen's figure.
Immediately after, a miniature anti-tank missile shot out with a "whoosh," dragging a long tail of flames, like a fiery tongue tearing through the night, streaking towards Gwen like a meteor.
"Damn it, these guys are really causing trouble!"
Gwen cursed inwardly. Facing this Iron Legion that attacked indiscriminately, a hint of anger flashed in her beautiful eyes.
However, thanks to the Spider-Sense's miraculous precise pre-cognition, her slender figure performed a beautiful sharp turn in mid-air, like a nimble swallow.
The miniature anti-tank missile, accompanied by a whistling wind, brushed past her side, almost grazing her suit. The scorching airflow made her feel a hint of heat.
"Boom—!!!"
The miniature anti-tank missile slammed into a nearby building, instantly erupting in flames that seemed to ignite half the night sky.
Bricks and stones flew everywhere with cracking sounds, and nearby window glass shattered under the powerful Impact, raining down like a shower of shards.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
Gwen reacted extremely quickly. In an instant, several crimson spider webs shot from her wrists, like agile red ribbons, drawing several arcs in the night sky, successfully sticking two nearby robots together.
Then, she exerted force with her arm, pulling hard towards the ground with enough power to move tens of thousands of pounds.
"Bang—"
The two Iron Legion robots in mid-air immediately lost their balance, spiraling downwards like broken kites, finally crashing heavily to the ground, creating two small craters and shaking the ground.
However, Gwen temporarily did not want to have a direct conflict with Stark Industries and Damage Control.
After all, she was here to stop Vulture, not to fight the Iron Legion.
If she were to be identified as Vulture's accomplice due to fighting the Iron Legion, wouldn't she be unable to defend herself?
To prevent becoming a 'scapegoat' afterward, Gwen didn't strike with full force. After successfully restricting the movements of the two robots, she merely glanced at the robots on the ground, which were sparking and crackling from their bodies, and once she confirmed they wouldn't attack her again, she chose not to rush over for a finishing blow.
"Biu! Biu! Biu…"
"Boom boom boom…"
The remaining three robots, based on the data feedback from their AI systems, quickly reacted. Their foot thrusters spewed blue flames, instantly rising to a height where Gwen's webs couldn't reach.
Immediately after, they converged on Gwen from different angles, like three beasts on a hunt.
Dense attacks such as Arc Pulse Cannons, Laser Beams, and Cluster Cannons rained down from the sky, shooting towards Gwen.
For a moment, beams of light crisscrossed, illuminating the night sky, and the ground was kicked up with dust by the attacks.
The three robots, controlled by their AI systems, cooperated seamlessly, instantly weaving a network of firepower that was difficult for ordinary people to break through.
"Damn it!"
Gwen gritted her teeth, relying on the divine warning of her Spider-Sense, dodging left and right amidst the hail of bullets. Her figure flickered like a ghost, narrowly avoiding attacks again and again.
Although her heart was full of anger and helplessness, she still held back from retaliating. While dodging the powerful attacks from the sky, she seized the opportunity during the robots' brief reload time to forcefully shoot a web line into the distance. The web, like a silver rope, instantly adhered to the wall of a tall building far away.
She used the strength of the web to swing towards the distant high-rise, her posture light yet somewhat disheveled.
Since she had already decided to 'let Vulture off the hook,' there was no point in staying here any longer.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
But the three Iron Legion robots were not prepared to let Gwen go so easily, still chasing closely behind her.
The thrusters on the robots spewed flames, tracing arcs in the air.
Laser Beams and Electromagnetic Pulse Cannons still raged and bombed behind her, the beams hitting the ground, kicking up bricks, stones, and dust.
However, when Gwen successfully leaped into the town, the three robots behind her were forcibly shut down their weapon systems under the constraints of the Robot Security Protocol.
"Just as I thought."
Seeing this, Gwen couldn't help but reveal a cunning smile on her pretty face beneath her mask.
But her figure didn't stop for a moment. Seizing this opportunity, she moved nimbly, constantly weaving through the buildings.
She ran on walls, jumped on rooftops, and swung between high-rises using her webs.
Farewell!
Soon, Gwen, relying on her familiarity with the urban environment and an unpredictable, flexible route that even AI couldn't forecast, successfully distanced herself from the three robots.
Finally, after turning a corner, Gwen's figure completely disappeared from the three robots' sight.
The three robots circled in the dark night sky a few times, then, having completely lost their target, had no choice but to temporarily stop their pursuit and return to the explosion site to continue their search and rescue mission.
While Gwen was escaping, Adrian Toomes had already successfully found the box containing the chitauri energy stones from the carriage lying by the roadside.
As he dragged the box out of the carriage, he happened to see Gwen being chased by three Iron Legion robots, 'fleeing in disarray,' in the distance, and couldn't help but reveal a smile with an unclear meaning.
The smile was mixed with a hint of triumph and mockery, as if ridiculing Gwen, the young person, for overestimating herself.
"Boss, we really need to go. Stark Industries has dispatched two more Iron Legion teams here."
His assistant, Phineas Mason's, slightly anxious and panicked reminder came through the communicator.
Phineas Mason's voice trembled slightly; it was clear that this timid fellow was genuinely scared.
After all, publicly damaging Damage Control and Stark Industries' property like this went somewhat against their previously established 'low-profile policy.'
Considering the powerful dominance Stark Industries' Legal Department had shown in past trials, Phineas Mason felt that if he were caught, he would likely be sentenced to life imprisonment!
"Little Spider, experience the true rules of this World… A kind-hearted person like you won't last long in New York!"
Adrian Toomes muttered to himself towards the direction Gwen disappeared, then used the eagle-claw-shaped exoskeleton mechanism on his feet to directly lift the box, which weighed several hundred kilograms. "Mason, let's go."
"With this box of energy blocks, we can at least live comfortably for three to five years!"
What he didn't expect was that their hideout had already been raided by Lizard Peter, who had also sent all of his subordinates to the doorstep of the Queens Police Station.
So even if Gwen let him go, he was still doomed!
...…
...
At the same time.
Stark Tower.
Security Department.
Happy Hogan, as the head of the Security Department, got out of his warm bed at home immediately after receiving news of the Damage Control transport convoy being attacked.
He was bleary-eyed, his hair disheveled, and he hadn't even had time to change out of his pajamas, which he was wearing under his suit. He rushed all the way to Stark Tower's command center.
"Huh?? What did you say? The person who attacked the convoy was… Spider-Woman?"
Happy Hogan looked at the staff member with an incredulous expression, his eyes wide like copper bells, his expression as if to say: Are you f*cking kidding me?
"That's right."
The staff member nodded heavily with certainty, "Director, this is the visual information sent back by the Iron Legion from the scene."
The staff member quickly typed a few keys on the keyboard, then brought up the video footage of the five robots attacking Gwen.
In the footage, Gwen was dodging left and right under the robots' attacks, a very dangerous scene…
"Ah, this…"
Happy Hogan's expression immediately became strange.
Although there was video evidence, he still found it hard to believe that Spider-Woman, the 'vigilante' who had recently risen to fame and was adored by countless young people, would openly attack a Damage Control transport convoy.
After all, there had never been any conflict between her and Stark Industries or Damage Control before, not even any interaction…
Also, he couldn't understand what she would do with the 'scrap' left behind by the Chitauri.
Spider-Woman was just a street hero, not a genius scientist like his boss.
Could she possibly develop a new type of Mark Armor using the stolen 'scrap'?
However, what truly made Happy Hogan feel somewhat tricky, even headache-inducing, was that Gwen had just recently joined The Seven, led by Homelander.
Considering Homelander's reckless style of action, Happy Hogan couldn't immediately determine whether Spider-Woman had committed such a 'misdeed' under his instruction.
After a moment of hesitation, Happy Hogan decided to report this sudden incident to his boss, so he pulled out his phone and called Tony Stark.
After a few rings, the call was finally connected. Tony Stark's slightly confused and tired voice came from the other end of the line, "Happy, I remember I specifically told you before I left that if there's nothing important, it's best not to disturb me during this time…"
"So, if you can't give me a convincing reason now, your position as Head of Security… will be gone!!"
Tony's voice carried a hint of impatience, as if annoyed at being woken from a pleasant dream.