Restart, Spider-Man! [161]

[You have received an invitation to the Resurrection Match!]

[You have entered the Resurrection Match scenario.]

[Scene: Spider-Man’s Central Universe]

[Mission 1: Join Hydra, help Hydra conquer the world. Reward: 1 Resurrection Token.]

[Mission 2: Join Spider-Man’s team, help Spider-Man defeat Hydra. Reward: 1 Resurrection Token.]

[Bonus Rewards (choose one): Hydra’s Friendship / Spider-Man’s Friendship]

[Participants: Xia Luo Parker, Wade Winston Wilson, Logan Howlett, Professor X, Steve Rogers x2, Bucky Barnes, Ophelia Sarkissian x2, Norman Osborn, Peter Parker x4, Sinister Six, Black Order, TDK, Max Dillon, Loki.]

[Participants may choose their alliance freely!]

[Participants are eliminated upon death before mission completion.]

[Number of restarts: 45.]

[Mission begins in 30 seconds.]

[Mission ends in 24 hours.]

On top of the Empire State Building, Xia Luo glanced up at the glaring sun.

“It’s daytime… which means this match is going to be different from the last… not that it ever really stays the same,” he muttered.

He did a quick head count. Twenty-seven competitors, including heavy hitters like Deadpool, Wolverine, and Professor X.

Xia Luo nodded to himself, accepting that it made sense for Wolverine and Professor X to be here, but Deadpool?

How did that guy die? Xia Luo scratched his head.

Then there was “Spider-Man’s Central Universe.” Which Spider-Man’s universe was this supposed to be? Judging from the mission hint, it seemed the crisis in this world was similar to the one facing his own.

That meant it might give him a chance to solve his world’s crisis.

Lost in thought, he stood by the antenna tower, waiting for the older Steve Rogers to show up—just as they’d agreed.

But before Steve could arrive, Xia Luo’s nano-suit communicator buzzed.

Entering the Resurrection Match had automatically “refreshed” his nano-suit.

“What?”

Xia Luo frowned. Who could contact me in another universe? Had some channel crossed over by mistake?

He tapped the device, and a familiar voice came through.

“Xia Luo, can you hear me?”

“Carter?” Xia Luo blinked. “How’d you get here? Wait—your name wasn’t on the competitor list.”

“I didn’t die, and I didn’t join the Resurrection Match. I’m… I’m still in our world,” Carter paused. “To be exact, the Resurrection Match has descended upon our world. You understand, don’t you?”

“What?”

All at once, the tension he’d built up dissolved.

That meant he didn’t need a perfect score to clear the match in one go. He could use his forty-five restarts to manage the crisis without worry.

So much for high-difficulty mode… Guess they’re not giving me the option.

Xia Luo felt more than a little put out.

But Carter’s next words sent a chill through him.

“One more thing. Your identity’s been exposed—everyone knows.”

Xia Luo took a deep breath.

“Got it. Where are you?”

“We’re on our way to Blake Street. Your enemies’ first targets will be your family.”

“Understood.”

He hung up and summoned his Electro-Spider drone.

Looked like this Resurrection Match wasn’t going to be easy after all.

He needed to complete the mission to gain the resurrection token. But he also had to neutralize the repercussions of his identity being exposed.

The last thing he wanted was to return to a world filled with rabid fans—and even worse, vicious enemies who wanted to hurt him or the people he cared about.

A blue arc flashed through the air, surging through the skyscrapers with a rippling shockwave in its wake.

“Whooosh—”

Wind whipped through the streets below, causing skirts to flutter, and leaving a chorus of shrieks in its wake.

“Ahhh!”

Through the commotion, a grizzled man pushing a wheelchair trudged down the street, his gaze unwavering. He had no interest in the views along the way.

With furrowed brows, he was mulling over the meaning of this so-called “Resurrection Match.”

The frail old man in the wheelchair gestured for him to stop.

In that moment, the two came to a halt beside a shop’s window display, and the old man, seeing their reflection, gave a faint smile.

“Can you see it?” he asked.

The man nodded, looking at his own reflection in the glass. He raised a hand to touch his rugged, stubbled face.

“I can see it. I should probably shave.”

The old man chuckled. “You know what I meant.”

The man’s gaze grew distant, a flicker of his long-buried ferocity and pride glinting in his eyes—before it dulled once more.

“What can I do now?”

He held up his scarred fists, shaking his head. “I can’t do anything.”

The old man gazed at his companion in the glass, his smile never wavering.

“I know everything about you. And in this world, miracles do exist.”

The man remained silent for a moment.

At last, he spoke. “Eternal life is a curse. I don’t want to keep going.”

“But what about Laura? She’s under that same curse, you know. She’ll struggle, especially alone.”

The mention of her name made the man’s hands tremble.

“She… I heard her call me ‘Dad’ at the very end.”

For a fleeting moment, his hardened face softened, a rare, barely-there smile crossing his features.

Seeing this, the old man’s own smile grew satisfied.

“So, has Wolverine come home?”

“He has.”

In the reflection, their eyes met, both of them having silently come to a decision.

They turned toward the massive screen across the street, which displayed two faces—half Xia Luo’s, half Spider-Man’s.

[SPIDER-MAN IS XIA LUO PARKER!]

Scanning the words running across the screen, Logan narrowed his eyes.

“Do we join Spider-Man’s side? Looks like he’s in a tight spot.”

Professor X nodded. “Even to earn the resurrection, we must side with justice.”

“Is he a mutant?” Logan asked, his curiosity piqued.

Professor X closed his eyes, scanning the surrounding thoughts of passersby.

“Yes and no… it’s complicated. Some people love him, but some seem to despise him.”

Logan frowned. “Why’s that?”

“Because he’s living life his own way.”

At that, Professor X’s body suddenly went rigid, and his mental powers surged outward in a fierce wave, an uncontrollable burst sending a psychic shockwave through the street. All around them, people clutched their heads in agony, their cries of anguish echoing through the air.

“Ahhh!”

“My head!”

“Somebody help!”

In mere moments, hundreds of people within the area collapsed, writhing under the strain of the psychic blast. Only Logan, his senses and will hardened, managed to stay on his feet, though barely.

“Dammit, I shouldn’t have let you use your power.”

Fumbling, he retrieved a tranquilizer and injected it into Professor X, calming the psychic storm.

Breathing heavily, Logan took in his surroundings—the streets littered with civilians in distress. Old age had not been kind to the Wolverine or Professor X. Winning this match seemed daunting.

Apologizing under his breath, he lifted Professor X and hurried away, leaving the chaos behind.

Once, he’d been a hero. Now, he could barely protect anyone.

Meanwhile, on Blake Street…

"Steve, I couldn’t find his aunt and uncle," Bucky reported as he emerged from the house, cradling an infant in his arms.

Hearing this, Hydra Steve’s brow furrowed. His gaze fell on the baby in Bucky’s arms, who flashed an innocent smile. Hydra Steve tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Is this… his kid?"

The infant, secretly the notorious Kingpin, shivered slightly. What’s with that look?

Do I look like that guy at all? Internally panicking, he prayed they wouldn’t see through his act. If they figured it out, he was as good as dead. He stole a nervous glance at Hydra Steve and Bucky. Dead people coming back to life? He could only hope he was dreaming.

Yeah, he convinced himself, that had to be it. This was a nightmare, probably triggered by that guy terrifying him again.

Hydra Steve, however, decided against killing the infant Kingpin. Whether or not this child was Xia Luo’s, it definitely had a connection to him. It would serve well as a hostage.

"Steve, over there—that girl. I’ve seen her file," Bucky noted, spotting Mary Jane hurriedly leaving the house.

Hydra Steve’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Perfect. Spider-Man’s girl—detain her."

"Understood." Bucky dashed forward, blocking Mary Jane’s path.

"What do you want?" Mary Jane demanded, looking from Bucky to Hydra Steve in their strange attire. Then she noticed the baby in Bucky’s arms.

"This is kidnapping!" she protested. "Let him go, or Spider-Man will find you!" She stepped back, keeping a wary gaze on them, though her attempt at intimidation fell flat.

Only moments before, she’d discovered a shocking secret: Xia Luo was Spider-Man!

She’d intended to find him right away, only to run into these strange men. And then… she recognized one of them. Her eyes went wide as she took in Hydra Steve, remembering his face.

It couldn’t be…

She stammered, barely able to believe it. "Captain America… Steve Rogers! But you… you’re supposed to be…"

In her shock, she lost her footing on the steps, tumbling to the ground.

Hydra Steve sneered as he stepped closer. "Dead, right?"

He continued toward her, his tone ice-cold. "Thank you for remembering me. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that Spider-Man’s friends won’t be so lucky."

Bucky hesitated. "Should we take her as a hostage?"

"One hostage is enough," Hydra Steve replied, looking pointedly at the infant. "An adult would be more difficult to control than a baby. Kill her."

In her horror, Mary Jane’s gaze fixed on the approaching blood-red tendrils, her pupils dilating.

"No—!"

Her scream cut off suddenly.

Captain America had returned, but he was crueler than ever. He’d come back a demon from the depths of hell, ready to take revenge on Xia Luo, now known to be Spider-Man.

Not long after, Carter and the older Steve arrived at the scene.

"Mary Jane!" Carter gasped, her expression grim as she looked at Mary Jane’s lifeless eyes.

"They killed her… these marks are from a tendril."

"It’s Hydra Steve," muttered the older Steve, clenching his jaw. "Harming Spider-Man’s friends—what kind of cowardly scum are these people?!"

Regret weighed heavily on him. They were too late.

He could only imagine the pain and guilt Xia Luo would feel when he discovered his friend’s death. As Spider-Man, Xia Luo had always been destined to face loneliness.

Finally, it’s Xia Luo’s turn to suffer, huh? The older Steve clenched his fists, struggling to contain his anger.

Suddenly, a crackling sound filled the air.

"It’s Max!" the older Steve called out.

"No, it’s Xia Luo," Carter corrected as the electric charge dissipated.

Xia Luo approached Mary Jane’s side, looking at her expression of terror frozen in death. He let out a sigh.

"I’m sorry, Mary Jane… I’ll be here sooner next time. I promise."

A hand rested on his shoulder.

The older Steve tried to console him. "I know this is painful. Don’t hold back if you need to cry. I know what it’s like to lose a friend."

"I can’t cry." Xia Luo rose, his gaze shifting toward the school. His eyes narrowed.

"We need to split up to prevent more deaths," he said decisively.

They might not be able to stop these guys, but they could at least gather more information.

Carter nodded and sprang into action. "I’ll head to Hell’s Kitchen."

The older Steve thought for a moment. "Where should I go?"

"Find the old lady with the artifact known as the Time Monolith," Xia Luo instructed.

"Time Monolith?" Steve frowned. "What is it, exactly? Is it that important?"

"It’s very important," Xia Luo replied. "It has the power to reverse aging. What do you think?"

"Important? That’s an understatement!" The older Steve’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Tell me where she is right now!"

"Carter will fill you in—I’m headed to the school."

With that, Xia Luo turned into a crackling arc of electricity, disappearing in a flash.

Watching him vanish into the distance, the older Steve couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy.

"I wish I had that speed too."

"You’re not so bad yourself. Reward from the last resurrection match?" Carter asked curiously.

"Yeah." The older Steve nodded. "It’s good, but it’s got nothing on the kid’s agility."

Just then, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, catching his attention.

"Is he back already? Did he forget something?" he wondered aloud, stepping forward to greet him.

In the next instant, the lightning struck him directly.

"No—!"

Boom!

The older Steve was thrown back, crashing through the walls as Max Dillon, his body crackling with electricity, tore through the room in a rage, blasting everything in sight.

"Where’s Spider-Man? Where is he?!"

Rising slowly from the rubble, the older Steve clutched his lower back.

"Buddy… this isn’t Spider-Man’s place. You’re in the wrong house."

Max paused, looking around the thoroughly destroyed room. Realizing his mistake, he shifted uncomfortably.

"Where’s the owner?"

"Over there," the older Steve said, nodding toward Mary Jane’s body.

Seeing the lifeless owner, Max let out a sigh of relief.

"Ha! That’s great! No need to pay damages, then."

His expression darkened as he turned back to the older Steve. "I know you’re one of Spider-Man’s pals. If he’s not here, then you’ll just have to take his punishment for him!"

"Ah, hell! You want to play rough? Fine, I’ll show you rough."

The older Steve cursed, his muscles bulging as he prepared himself.

"Bring it! Just don’t hit the face!"

---

Empire University

In the sky above, thick clouds rolled over the entire building.

Down below, students looked up in horror as a colossal spaceship slowly materialized over the roof.

"Oh my God, it’s an alien invasion!"

"Look, who is that up there?"

"It’s Gwen! She’s been captured by the aliens!"

"No, not my goddess! Don’t take her away…"

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, a green-skinned brute managing the crowd lashed out with a metal tentacle, ripping a student in half, spraying blood across the scene. The horrified students dropped to the ground in shock, trembling where they sat.

"Hmph, anyone else who keeps yapping will end up just like him," Doctor Octopus sneered.

The Vulture flapped his wings, circling menacingly as he barked at the crowd.

"Now tell me—where is Spider-Man hiding?"

"W-We don’t know…"

Under their threatening stares, the crowd stayed frozen in place, all secretly cursing Spider-Man, the source of their troubles.

No, they corrected themselves—Xia Luo Parker. He was Spider-Man.

"Gwen is his girlfriend. She must know something."

Timmy, giving in to his nerves, raised his hand weakly, drawing a look of satisfaction from Doctor Octopus.

"Good. You’re the only one with an answer… but sadly, it’s only half of one."

With that, he let his tentacles ruthlessly tear Timmy apart.

"Quit fooling around, we’ve got movement," called Mysterio, who spotted a bolt of electricity speeding toward them.

"Is that Max?" he wondered.

"No," Vulture corrected him, holding up a smartphone with a smirk. "That’s not Electro; it’s Spider-Man."

"What?"

The Sinister Six exchanged dark looks.

"That’ll make him even harder to deal with."

"So, what are we waiting for? Let’s kill Gwen right in front of him—then kill Spider-Man himself."

"Agreed!" Mysterio grinned down at Gwen, who was barely maintaining her composure.

"In this world, you’re not Spider-Man," he taunted. "Such a shame."

With a final, vicious smile, he shoved Gwen from the top of the building.

"No!"

The wind howled in her ears as Gwen plummeted, weightless, staring up at the sky with terror, her mind lingering on faces she couldn’t bear to leave.

Her father…

And Spider-Man!

“Zzzzz…”

Electric arcs cut through the air as Spider-Man appeared in her line of sight.

"Hold on!"

Xia Luo reached out, and Gwen’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.

Xia Luo Parker!

But in the next moment, her smile froze.

"Rumble!"

Below, an enormous mound of sand began to roil and churn, coalescing into a colossal sand figure, towering tens of meters high.

"Spid-der-Man…"

The Sandman’s massive hand shot up, blocking Xia Luo’s path.

"No!"

Before Xia Luo could wrest himself free from the endless waves of sand, mechanical tentacles and disorienting smoke engulfed him.

"Get lost!"

"Boom!"

Red and blue magic energy exploded outward, allowing Xia Luo to break free, but he was too late.

Desperately, he fired a web at Gwen.

The web shot out in the blink of an eye, unfurling into a net just as it made contact with her body.

The net spread out like a hand reaching out for salvation.

"Got her!"

The web held Gwen just in time, and for a heartbeat, everyone’s breath caught.

But before the students could cheer, the tension of the web made her body snap downward.

"Thud!"

A sickening thud echoed as she hit the ground, her mouth opening to speak, only for blood to flood her throat, silencing her.

The light in her eyes began to fade.

In that instant, Xia Luo’s Spider-Sense—usually his greatest pride—forced him to feel every heartbeat of her death.

The shattering of hope. Her final goodbye.

And finally…

I don’t blame you.

Xia Luo stood frozen, numb.

Was this the fate of Spider-Man?

A tragic cycle replayed, an unbreakable curse of loneliness.

Again and again, without end.