Restart, Spider-Man!

December Double Drop!

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Betty invited Xia Luo and Lizard Parker inside.

"I'll just have milk," Lizard Parker murmured, instinctively hiding behind Xia Luo and eyeing Peter Parker with suspicion.

Betty didn't notice his apprehension and turned to Xia Luo. "And you?"

"Juice, please—make that two glasses."

"Uh… sure, just a moment."

While Betty headed to the kitchen, Xia Luo crouched down to play with a short-haired tabby cat that had come to investigate.

"It's my friend," Peter Parker said with a wide, dopey smile.

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "I'd have thought you were more of a rooster kind of guy."

"No, I like cats."

Peter sat on the floor, trying to pet the cat, which was squirming to get away.

Lizard Parker leaned toward Xia Luo and whispered, "Are you sure it's him? Doesn't feel like it."

Xia Luo nodded. "You're right; it doesn't. Otherwise, when we found him, both he and the cat would probably be missing their heads."

"Let me try something."

He pulled out a small spider emblem and held it out. "A gift. For you."

Peter's eyes lit up with surprise. "A gift? Thanks!"

Letting the squirming cat go, Peter carefully took the spider emblem in both hands. But even with the emblem in his grip, there was no reaction from the symbiote cells embedded in Xia Luo's suit.

"What are you doing?" Lizard Parker asked, watching closely.

Xia Luo shook his head. "Nothing much. Just confirming that this guy might not be the Peter Parker we know."

With that, he reached out and took the emblem back.

Peter's face fell in disappointment. "But… it was my gift."

"I changed my mind."

Lizard Parker: "…"

Shameless.

"He seems to have amnesia." Lizard Parker visibly relaxed.

Xia Luo nodded. "Yeah, which explains why he'd steal someone's pizza."

"Don't remind me. I'll end up punching him."

"Then let's get him out of here first."

"Why?"

"Because he still has your half-month's pay."

"Right, not a cent less!"

"What are you two whispering about?"

Betty returned with the milk and juice, and Lizard Parker immediately put on a bright smile.

"Oh, nothing! We just think it's time to take our poor brother off your hands."

Betty frowned. "Back to… your place?"

"Why not?"

"Your place is so small and messy. It's not good for his recovery." Betty's tone held a hint of concern.

Lizard Parker thought of his cramped, rundown apartment and then glanced around at this spacious, luxurious flat. His heart ached anew.

Why was he surrounded by people who weren't broke?

Noticing his reaction, Xia Luo stepped in. "He'll stay with me for a while instead."

"Your place? Where's that?" Betty asked.

Xia Luo pointed upward. "Upstairs."

Realization dawned on Betty. "Oh, right, that lovely girl lives up there. You must be her boyfriend."

"No way—he wishes!" Lizard Parker blurted out, incensed.

Betty raised an eyebrow. "Not her boyfriend? So…?"

"You're right, she's just… supporting me," Xia Luo said, deadpan.

Lizard Parker: "…"

Utterly shameless.

Betty: "…"

It seemed that Peter's brother might also be a bit… unhinged.

She didn't quite trust them but had no reason to refuse their request to take Peter away.

"Well, alright, but I'll be stopping by to check in on him."

"Anytime."

Xia Luo signaled for Lizard Parker to help Peter up.

"By the way, I didn't catch your names," Betty said as they turned to leave.

"Xia Luo Parker."

"Peter Parker," said Lizard Parker.

"Peter Parker?" Betty gave them both a confused look.

"No, he's Lizard Parker," Xia Luo clarified.

Lizard Parker: "???"

"Oh, that's… a strange name."

"I think so, too."

Before they left, Xia Luo downed both glasses of juice in one go.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Miss Betty."

---

Before long, Xia Luo and Lizard Parker returned to Gwen's new apartment, bringing Peter Parker along.

"Brother, I'm hungry," Peter Parker said softly.

"What?!"

Lizard Parker, suddenly hit by memories of a terrifying cave incident, felt a chill run down his spine. He darted behind Xia Luo, whispering, "He said he's hungry…"

"I want pizza," Peter Parker said, grinning like a goof.

Lizard Parker let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, right. I almost forgot—this guy isn't that guy."

Xia Luo shrugged. "Or maybe he is that guy, but we're just not sure yet. He could be this guy and that guy; we just don't know if this guy is that guy yet."

"Stop talking. You're giving me a headache."

"Fine. Order pizza. I want beef."

"I don't have money."

"I do. Just order it from your old job and make sure your boss delivers it personally."

"Haha, great idea."

Just like that, the "Rescue Squad" somehow gained a new member.

As they waited for the pizza to arrive, Xia Luo turned on the television.

"Good evening, viewers! This is your trusted friend, J. Jonah Jameson."

Seeing the familiar face on-screen, Xia Luo rubbed his temples. "Why is he everywhere?"

"I know him. He's Spider-Man's nemesis," Lizard Parker muttered.

Jonah Jameson began passionately promoting The Daily Bugle before shifting to the main story.

"Take a look at this. This masked figure here—Spider-Woman—was caught entering Captain George Stacy's patrol car. The two even hugged! I'm convinced they're hiding a scandalous secret. I wouldn't be surprised if Spider-Woman sold her…virtues to avoid police interference!" he declared, looking utterly self-assured.

Lizard Parker: "???"

Xia Luo: "…"

They exchanged an awkward glance and silently turned off the TV. Neither felt like discussing that topic. Something about it just felt… off.

Soon after, the pizza arrived, and the three of them had lunch, deciding to stay in for the rest of the day.

As evening approached, Old Man Steve and the others finally returned.

"Hey, Spidey, you'd never guess who we took down—wait… who's that? Peter Parker?" Old Man Steve did a double-take, staring at the two nearly identical faces before rubbing his eyes.

Xia Luo shrugged. "Yeah, Peter Parker. Looks like he's a participant too."

"What do you mean, 'looks like'?"

Curious, Gwen glanced back and forth between the two Peters and noticed the differences in their expressions and postures.

"I think I can tell. You," she said, smiling at Lizard Parker, "you're the Peter I know, right?"

Lizard Parker looked touched. "You recognized me right away. That means a lot."

"You give off a vibe of… abject poverty. I couldn't mistake you for anyone else," Felicia deadpanned, earning an indignant glare from Lizard Parker.

Ignoring the banter, Old Man Steve walked up to Xia Luo. "We found Norman Osborn, this world's version of him, near Oscorp. We took him down."

Xia Luo nodded. "Good work. If things keep going this smoothly, we should be able to wipe out the rest of the Sinister Six soon."

"Honestly, we shouldn't have killed Norman," Gwen added with a tinge of guilt.

Setting down her shield, Carter sighed. "I understand how you feel, but they're far from innocent. If we're serious about saving people, we can't afford to be lenient. There's no curing what they have."

Gwen knew she was right but still felt a pang of reluctance. In the end, though, she didn't dwell on it.

After all, it was Old Man Steve who had killed the Green Goblin. And he had said he had experience with these things.

Xia Luo didn't press the subject further. They gathered around the table as Carter spread out a map, marking several red Xs on it.

"Norman Osborn is down. From his suit's onboard computer, we found the locations of the other Sinister Six members. They're all clustered together in one area of Manhattan."

The area she'd circled was labeled—Hell's Kitchen.

Gwen frowned. "Hell's Kitchen? That's Kingpin's territory. So, he really did orchestrate their escape."

"Kingpin runs New York's largest underground empire. He has a ton of men. We'll need a solid plan to take him down," Old Man Steve noted.

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "After all these years, has any of your plans ever worked?"

"…No." Old Man Steve scratched his nose awkwardly. "Plans aren't always for following—they're for having."

"I agree," Carter said, pointing to a spot near Hell's Kitchen. "We'll need to figure out exactly how many men Kingpin has, and George should be ready to assist us if necessary."

"No problem. I'll speak to my father. He's wanted to take down Kingpin for ages," Gwen replied.

Carter nodded. "Good. Then, here's what we'll do next…"

They worked out the details and stayed up late strategizing.

Over the next three days, under Carter and Old Man Steve's guidance, Lizard Parker and the others honed their skills, learning advanced field tactics and recon techniques. They also mapped out the layout of Hell's Kitchen and Kingpin's security personnel.

On the fourth night, they launched their mission.

"Peter, you're staying here," Gwen said firmly to Peter Parker.

She had even bought him a cat to keep him company. He hadn't exhibited any strange behavior, so the group had gradually let down their guard around him.

"Stay home?" Lizard Parker shook his head. "No, I'm coming with you."

Carter's eyes narrowed. "Do you think you're being funny?"

Realizing she wasn't amused, Lizard Parker quickly lowered his head. "Sorry…"

Xia Luo entered from another room, holding the Black Order's weapons.

"Carter, you take the Ebony Blade. Old Man, you get the battle axe. I'll keep the trident." He wrapped the weapons in cloth. "The truck downstairs will transport these to Hell's Kitchen. Peter, you're driving."

"I don't know how to drive."

"I say you do, so you do."

"…Fine."

A short while later, the team was downstairs.

The truck roared to life, with Lizard Parker surprisingly showing decent driving skills as he maneuvered through the streets.

Inside the truck's cargo hold, Xia Luo had already donned his nano-suit. The others quickly changed into their gear as well.

"That suit of yours really is convenient," Gwen commented, her eyes glinting with envy.

Xia Luo shrugged. "It's alright." He was more curt than usual.

As Felicia adjusted her grappling hooks, she outlined the plan. "I'll distract Kingpin's men first. The Black Order weapons are too conspicuous, so I'll leave them here and come back to pick you up."

Gwen nodded. "I've already informed my father. He'll be in position to support you."

"Good."

With that, the team fell silent, conserving their energy.

Two and a half hours later, the truck came to a stop.

"We're here."

Lizard Parker opened the cargo door, and Felicia leapt out, her grappling hook carrying her into the nearby streets.

Soon after, commotion erupted as men in suits charged out of buildings, hot on her trail.

"Catch her!"

"She stole from the vault!"

"Hurry!"

Felicia darted down a side street, drawing more of Kingpin's men into pursuit.

"That should do it," Carter said, piloting a drone to scout the area. "According to the plan, we'll clear out the remaining guards, then regroup at this warehouse in ten minutes. The Sinister Five will all be gathered there tonight," she explained, pointing to a red dot on the map.

"Got it."

The team split up, taking down any guards they encountered with ease.

Ten minutes later, they regrouped outside the warehouse.

Felicia roared into the building, crashing through the doors in the truck.

With a loud "boom!" Carter and Old Man Steve swung in through broken windows, flinging pumpkin bombs they'd taken from Norman's stash. Explosions ripped through the warehouse, dismantling the large machinery inside.

As flames engulfed the space, iron bars shot down from the ceiling, forming an electrified cage around them.

"Crap, we've been set up!" Xia Luo hissed.

"No need to yell," Lizard Parker muttered, digging a finger in his ear.

Gwen scowled. "How did they know we'd come tonight?"

Carter's eyes narrowed. "There's no use wondering now."

The warehouse walls fell away, and clouds of dust billowed up as an armored vehicle rolled into view.

"Well, well, well, Xia Luo Parker. We meet again!" A smug grin stretched across Hydra Steve's face as he climbed out, flanked by none other than Norman Osborn and the Black Order—very much alive.

"What?!"

Xia Luo's fists clenched. "So that's why their weapons didn't disappear… They were never really dead."

"How did you pull that off?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

Hydra Steve sneered, leaping from the armored truck. "Now, now… I can't tell you that just yet."

"Then what do you plan to—"

Xia Luo's words cut off in a strangled gasp as sharp pain tore through his side.

"Hnnngh!"

He gritted his teeth, turning to see Felicia leaping back with a cold smile.

"Felicia!" Carter roared, her eyes blazing. "What did you do?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not that lazy cat."

Felicia's voice deepened as her face morphed, transforming into the colorful, scaly head of the Chameleon.

"It's the Chameleon!" Gwen's stomach dropped. "Where's the real Felicia?" she demanded.

Chameleon tossed an empty syringe to the floor. "Maybe you should worry about your friend here first."

"What?"

Gwen whirled around to see Xia Luo clutching his wounded side, crying out in pain.

"It… hurts… so much!" he groaned, collapsing to his knees.

Hydra Steve threw back his head and laughed. "I knew you wouldn't suspect those closest to you, not with things going so smoothly. That high-dose genetic disruptor will kill your mutated cells for good. This time, I win!"

Ignoring Xia Luo's suffering, Lizard Parker examined the cage, his hands gripping the electrified bars without flinching.

"If this is your entire plan, then I'm not worried," he muttered.

As he spoke, his muscles swelled, and purple veins snaked across his skin.

"Boom!!"

With a sudden surge of unimaginable strength, the bars of the cage twisted and shattered.

"What?!"

---

T/N: Xia Luo: Call an ambulance, call an ambulance! ...But not for me

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!

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