Restart, Spider-Man!

"What's the plan now?" Peni Parker asked.

Xia Luo opened a glowing portal. "I'm sending you home."

Peni blinked, puzzled. "??? What about you?"

Xia Luo rubbed his chin, scrutinizing the soul of the giant absorbed into the monster's body.

Mephisto clearly anticipated his soul-based magic, making it impossible for Xia Luo to locate Mary Jane's soul through simple spells.

Since he couldn't predict Mephisto's schemes, Xia Luo decided to approach the situation as if it were the hardest level of a game.

"So..."

"I'm coming with you," Xia Luo declared.

Peni blinked again. "That's it?"

"Yep, that's it."

With that, Xia Luo led Peni through the portal.

Whirrrr~

In a flash of light, the two returned to their normal sizes.

"The octopus monster is still alive, hiding in the school park's lake," Xia Luo instructed Peni. "Tell Norman to capture the injured creature."

"Uncle Norman's probably on it already," Peni replied.

"Then it's settled."

After sending Peni off, Xia Luo stayed in his room, deep in thought.

From time to time, he lowered his head, appearing to deliberate on something.

Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, Norman watched Xia Luo's odd behavior, unsure of his intentions.

Regardless, with Xia Luo here, it was time for the Spider-Man from another universe to play his part.

Determined, Norman entered new commands into the virtual console.

"The last creature is tricky, but once it's dealt with, everything will have been worth it."

---

Days later, another monster appeared in the city under cover of night.

Screeech!!

A vampire-like, bat-shaped beast wreaked havoc, and Peni Parker piloted her Spider-Mecha to battle the creature code-named Morbius.

Screeeech~

Boom!!

The Spider-Mecha's spinning arm blades gleamed coldly, severing the beast's arm in a spray of green blood that rained down onto the streets.

But before Peni could press her advantage, Morbius's severed arm grotesquely regrew.

"What?"

In shock, Peni watched the monstrous vampire swipe at her. Sparks flew from the chest of her mecha as the creature's overwhelming strength hurled it into a nearby building.

Crash!!

The red-and-blue mecha was embedded deep in the building, rubble cascading around it. Morbius pounced, claws tearing into the machine's frame, sending shards of metal flying.

"Warning! Warning!"

"Hull integrity: 50%."

"Hull integrity: 79%."

"System failure imminent. Please activate the escape pod immediately."

As the Spider-Mecha struggled against Morbius, the control room was in chaos.

"What a terrifying creature! Its strength and speed completely overpower Peni," Aunt May said grimly. "Its regeneration is monstrous—Peni doesn't stand a chance."

Ben Parker was frantic. "Find Xia Luo Parker! He'll save Peni for sure!"

Norman shook his head. "This is our fight. It's up to us to defeat these creatures."

"But—"

"I've already deployed Annie. She's piloting the Symbiote Mecha."

Aunt May frowned. "The Symbiote Mecha's test results were promising, but is Annie really ready?"

"It doesn't matter if she's ready. Saving Peni comes first."

Ben left the control room in a rush, Aunt May close behind.

"I'm coming too," she said firmly.

As the control team monitored the Symbiote Mecha's data, the battle in the city reached a turning point.

The black mecha descended with a resounding crash, forcing Morbius to retreat into a crumbling building.

Clang~

The sleek black machine landed in the rubble, its elongated golden eyes glowing ominously.

"Are you okay?"

Inside the cockpit, Annie operated the Symbiote Mecha, digging out the battered Spider-Mecha from the debris.

"You..."

In the smoke-filled cockpit of her damaged machine, Peni stared in shock at the Symbiote Mecha. Hearing Annie's voice, she was stunned.

"Congratulations, Annie," Peni said, her voice weak. "You've officially earned the right to pilot the Symbiote Mecha."

"Thank you," Annie replied coolly. "This will be my first fight to surpass you."

Without another word, Annie turned and charged at Morbius.

Screeeech~

Boom!!

Bang, bang, bang~

Under the gaze of reporters, the Symbiote Mecha's punches landed with precision and overwhelming power, matching Morbius in both strength and speed.

The black machine's eerie tendrils bound the vampire, and Annie's combat skills temporarily suppressed the beast.

"Oh my God! Now this is a true mecha hero!"

"Incredible! I thought the Spider-Mecha was powerful, but this new machine is on another level. Who's piloting it? I need an interview!"

"She's going to become a superstar, even bigger than Peni Parker!"

"Yeah, Peni Parker is old news."

The reporters dismissed Peni, their attention fixed on the black mecha's pilot.

Watching this unfold, Peni felt a twinge of disappointment—but mostly relief.

Finally, she could rest.

This was her first crushing defeat, but the outcome wasn't so bad.

After all, she had never wanted to be a hero.

The cost of heroism was losing loved ones. She could never forget her father's dying moments as he entrusted the Spider-Mecha to her.

Now, with someone better suited to the job, Peni felt genuinely happy.

She opened the damaged cockpit, stepping out with her mutated spider.

"Peni, are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Aunt May rushed to her, scanning her anxiously, while Ben Parker broke into a nervous sweat.

For the first time, they realized how close they'd come to losing Peni.

Seeing their worried faces, Peni smiled and hugged them both.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "You don't have to worry about me anymore. Annie will take over as the new hero."

Hearing this, Aunt May sighed in relief.

"I thought you'd be upset. I'm glad you're at peace," she said, stroking Peni's hair.

Ben chuckled. "She's grown up. She can make her own choices now."

If the Symbiote Mecha proved itself in battle, it would soon enter mass production.

With more Symbiote Mechas, Peni's Spider-Mecha could finally retire.

This was what they'd worked toward for years.

No longer would they fear losing Peni in battle.

The family could finally live a peaceful, happy life.

As they dreamed of this future, the battlefield took a sudden turn.

Snap~

Crack, crack...

The black mecha froze mid-attack, its system seemingly malfunctioning.

Morbius seized the opportunity, launching a brutal counteroffensive.

Screeeech!!

Boom!!!

As the beast launched a ferocious attack, the black mecha was violently flung into the rubble.

"Annie!" Aunt May's expression changed instantly. She suited up in her rescue gear, the flight device on her back releasing jets of white gas as she flew swiftly toward the black mecha's cockpit.

"Hold it off!"

Ben Parker directed the fighter jets to intercept Morbius, but the weapons proved useless against the monster.

Screech~

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the beast pounced, fighter jets plummeted from the sky one by one. Escape pods shot off in every direction, landing across the chaotic city.

"Run for your lives!"

"The monster's coming this way!"

Screams echoed as panicked citizens fled in every direction.

Morbius, however, had already set its sights on Peni Parker again.

Before it could act, a sudden flash of dazzling light caused its green, beast-like pupils to contract.

"What is that?"

Peni, drawn by the light, turned to look. The others followed suit, spotting a seemingly ordinary young man calmly walking against the tide of fleeing people. His hand crackled with bright arcs of electricity.

"Xia Luo Parker!" Peni's face lit up with joy.

Ben let out a breath of relief. "That old scoundrel Norman! He said we'd handle this ourselves, but when push comes to shove, he still called for help. Shameless!" he grumbled.

"I didn't call him. He came on his own," Norman's voice cut through on the earpiece, making Ben grimace.

"Ah, sorry, didn't realize you were listening. Next time I'll make sure to turn off the comms before talking behind your back," Ben joked awkwardly.

Norman: "..."

Meanwhile, in the corner, reporters trained their cameras on the approaching figure.

"Who's this guy? What's that thing in his hand?"

"Reliable sources say that the giant from that night was a young man. Could it be him?"

"Look at Peni Parker's face—there's no doubt they know each other!"

"It must be him! He's finally shown up. Who would've thought it'd be some kid?"

"Wait... Eddie? Weren't you covering the Symbiote Mecha?"

Eddie's face was blank. "The pilot is my sister."

"Annie?"

"No way—it's Annie? I never would've guessed!"

"But wait... if your sister's still in the cockpit, why are you here?"

Eddie replied coldly, "She won't die. As a good journalist, I'm willing to sacrifice everything to serve the public."

"Impressive!"

The surrounding reporters gave him a thumbs-up. Outwardly, they praised his professionalism, but inwardly, they sneered at his lack of loyalty.

Crackle, crackle~

Suddenly, amidst a reporter's shout, Xia Luo's body was completely enveloped by electric arcs.

Zzzzt~

As the electricity surged, nanometal spread rapidly across his form, causing his body to grow explosively in size.

Thoom, thoom~~

The ground trembled as the electrified giant took his first steps forward. Each step sent tremors through the earth, his height increasing with every stride.

Finally, he stood fifty meters tall, towering over the neon-lit cityscape.

The mirrored glass of the skyscrapers reflected his massive frame. His triangular eyes gleamed like the brightest stars in the city, a dazzling display of power.

Thoom, thoom, thoom~

Without warning, the giant broke into a sprint, scattering debris in his wake.

Morbius, significantly smaller in size, gazed at the approaching titan with a flicker of fear in its eyes.

Screech~

The beast turned and fled without hesitation, but the giant's web shot out, binding its ankle and halting its escape.

Screeeee!!

With a pitiful cry, the giant lunged, pinning the monster beneath his massive frame. His bus-sized fists rained down on Morbius's head, one blow after another.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Crack, crack.

The sound of shattering bones reverberated through the streets. Morbius's regenerative powers couldn't keep up with the severe damage to its skull.

Crack, crack, crack.

To everyone's horror, the giant grabbed the beast's head and ground it into the rubble like a mop, then scooped up debris and flung it into the monster's eyes.

Screeeee!!

The beast's cries grew more anguished as the onlookers exchanged baffled glances.

"What kind of tactic is this?"

"Why is he throwing dirt into its eyes?"

"I get it—he's trying to blind it to gain an advantage."

"No way. He could just rip its head off. Why bother?"

"He's enjoying this. He just wants to torture it."

"What a sinister guy."

While Morbius endured its brutal beating, Aunt May discovered a horrifying truth in the Symbiote Mecha's cockpit.

Annie was gone—consumed by the Symbiote Core.

All that remained was an empty battle suit.

"No!"

With a scream of despair, Aunt May vanished into the black liquid of the cockpit.

"May!"

Sensing something was wrong, Peni and Ben rushed to the Symbiote Mecha.

Inside the cockpit, now overrun with writhing black liquid, they found only two tattered uniforms.

"May... she's been consumed by the Symbiote Core."

Peni clenched her fists, her eyes welling with tears.

"No!!"

She lunged for the black liquid, desperate to find any trace of Aunt May, but Ben held her back with all his strength.

"Get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

"No! I need to save her! She's not gone—she'll be okay!"

"Leave, now!"

As the black liquid began to surge ominously, Ben dragged a struggling Peni away from the cockpit, retreating at full speed.

"Norman, you bastard! The Symbiote Core has gone rogue! Where did you find this thing? Activate the contingency plan and save May and Annie!" Ben shouted angrily into the comms.

In the control room, Norman remained calm.

"Relax, Ben. They're not coming back," he said with a smug grin.

"What?"

Something in Norman's tone sent a chill down Ben's spine.

"You... you monster! You planned this! Why? Why would you do this? Aren't we friends? Is this because May rejected you back then—"

"Shut up! I'm not that petty!"

Norman roared, then burst into laughter. "Anyone who can feed the Symbiote Core's hunger is fair game."

"The Core is eating—that's good. Unfortunately, it only got two useless people this time."

"But if it devours Xia Luo, that strong bug, it'll grow beyond imagination."

"And when that happens, this cursed world will finally be destroyed. Hahaha!"

Norman's face twisted with manic glee.

"The great Mephisto promised me: if I destroy this world, he'll bring Harry back to me. My poor boy must miss his father terribly. We'll be reunited soon. I will succeed. I will succeed!"

With that, Norman's true intentions were fully revealed.

Meanwhile, the rogue Symbiote Mecha began moving autonomously, even without a pilot.

Clang~

From beneath the shattered bridge, the sleek black form emerged like a demon, spreading its writhing black liquid in all directions. The liquid consumed every living thing in its path.

Yet, this was only the beginning of its transformation.

---

T/N: It's morbin time

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨