"Sandman? Flint? You're the one who robbed the cash truck earlier today," Otto said, his tone tinged with surprise. Although he rarely went out, he kept up with the news. The daytime robbery by a superpowered individual had caused such a stir that it was impossible to ignore.
"Hmph." Flint crossed his arms, putting on a fierce expression, though his eyes quietly studied Otto. The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, not particularly imposing—aside from the four mechanical arms extending from his back, writhing like living claws.
Flint lowered his guard slightly. After all, this was the man who might be able to save his daughter.
"Stay here for now," Renzo said, patting Flint's shoulder—his hand sinking slightly into sand. "Don't show yourself in public until things settle down. We'll talk about next steps after that."
"Uh… sorry…" Flint said awkwardly.
"It's fine." His arm quickly returned to normal.
"I've got to go. I promised Aunt May I'd come over tonight, and it's about time." Renzo waved to the two of them and hurried out.
...
Peter and Mary Jane stood anxiously as doctors and nurses rushed Harry into the operating room. When the red light above the door flicked on, Peter's heart seemed to stop.
"He's going to be okay," Mary Jane said softly, placing a comforting hand on his back.
Even though she had broken up with Peter, they were both close to Harry—she had even once been his girlfriend. It was only natural for her to stay.
"It's my fault… If I'd stopped him sooner, maybe he wouldn't…" Peter sat heavily in a chair, clutching his head, his voice filled with pain.
"It's not your fault, Peter." Mary Jane gently stroked his hair, then cupped his bruised face with concern. "Harry doesn't know the truth. He's just in too much pain."
"I hurt him… I did this to him…"
...
"Hi, Aunt May! Where's Peter?" Renzo was already seated at the table. Warm light filled the room, casting a gentle, comforting glow. Aunt May walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of turkey. At his question, a trace of worry appeared on her face.
"I don't know. He said he'd be back early tonight… but Brooklyn's been so chaotic lately, and it's getting late. What if…" She sat down, clearly uneasy. It wasn't idle worry—her husband, Ben Parker, had died at the hands of a robber.
"Peter will be fine," Renzo reassured her. She didn't know Peter was Spider-Man, so her concern was only natural.
In truth, Renzo felt that anyone foolish enough to try robbing Peter would be the unlucky one.
Renzo also knew that the surveillance he had placed in Harry's home had gone dark. Harry had most likely gone after Peter—but Renzo wasn't overly worried. Even with enhancements, Harry wasn't a match for Peter. The real question was whether Peter was willing to fight him.
"It's okay, Aunt May. Why don't you get some rest? I'll go look for Peter," Renzo said gently. He helped her back to her room and, using the power of the Mind Stone, eased her into a deep sleep.
"They should be at the hospital by now…"
Stepping outside, Renzo quickly accessed nearby surveillance feeds. Within minutes, he located Peter and hailed a taxi.
...
"Peter!" Renzo hurried over, nodding briefly to Mary Jane before focusing on him. "What happened to Harry?"
"You knew?" Peter suddenly looked up, his expression dark and intense. "You knew Harry would come after me, didn't you?"
He grabbed Renzo by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "You must have known! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Renzo's expression hardened. Something was wrong with Peter's mental state—perhaps the corruption had already begun to take hold.
"Peter! Calm down! Harry's still in surgery—why are you acting like this?" Mary Jane grabbed Peter's arm anxiously. She knew Peter was Spider-Man, but she had no idea Renzo was also a superhero. To her, it looked like Peter was lashing out at an ordinary person.
Neither Peter nor Renzo spoke. They stared at each other in silence.
Suddenly, a golden light flared from Renzo's forehead, enveloping Peter.
"Ah!" The light of the Mind Stone surrounded him. A wisp of black energy rose from Peter's head, drifting into the air before dissipating completely.
Mary Jane had no idea what had just happened. All she saw was Peter collapsing to the ground.
"What did you do to him?!" she demanded, gripping Peter's clothes in panic.
Renzo said nothing. He simply looked at Peter, his expression serious, a trace of frustration in his eyes.
Over the past year, those monsters had appeared again and again. Renzo had the Mind Stone to protect him, and Otto had used its power to stabilize his own mind. But Peter… Peter had always stood on the front lines, relying solely on his willpower to resist the corruption.
And in the end, it had still affected him.
Renzo clenched his jaw. He should have noticed Peter's abnormal behavior sooner.
...
Eddie Brock had been in a terrible mood lately.
The photos he had worked so hard to take of Spider-Man had been rejected by the Daily Bugle. They claimed they wouldn't accept his work—despite the fact that he specialized in photographing Spider-Man. That stingy old editor, J. Jonah Jameson, had even mocked his shots as cliché.
And then there was Gwen. They had shared a meal, laughed together—he thought things were going somewhere. She should have been his girlfriend. But instead, she kissed Spider-Man in public and kept rejecting his invitations.
Eddie smashed a bottle against the ground in anger. Who did she think she was? If her father weren't the police commissioner, would he have even bothered with her? Acting like she was so important…
And Spider-Man—stealing his spotlight, flaunting his powers like that. Did beating up a few criminals really make him a hero?
Eddie kicked over a trash can and began shouting at a streetlight. Nearby residents turned on their lights, yelling at him to stop, but Eddie hurled a rock through a window, silencing them.
"Haha… bastards… all of you…" he muttered drunkenly as he staggered down the street. His unsteady movements soon attracted attention—some shady figures had been watching him for a while now, eyeing him with clear intent.
Eddie wandered unknowingly toward the outskirts of the city. His stomach churned. Leaning against a tree, he bent over and vomited.
"Ugh… blegh…"
The men lurking in the shadows had been waiting for their chance. Seeing the opportunity, they rushed forward, ready to rob the vulnerable man.
__________________________________________
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