Restart, Spider-Man! [190]

The street lay in ruins.

From the gaping hole in the ground, searing flames erupted, followed by a blazing Harley-Davidson roaring out onto the street.

“It’s him!”

“It’s really him!”

George and the other officers paled at the sight, scrambling to retreat to the sidewalks as the infernal motorcycle sped past.

Moments later, a streak of electricity zipped through the air after it.

“It’s Spider-Man!”

“And the Avengers—they’re following him!”

Behind them, a swarm of flying metallic shards emerged from the ground, converging into a strange formation.

“There,” Charles said, pointing toward the fiery trail leading to the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Understood,” Erik replied, but he hesitated, frowning.

“Wait. Why are we chasing it?” he asked Charles.

Charles blinked. “Aren’t you curious?”

“No, not at all.”

Erik grabbed Charles and flew in the opposite direction.

“The Brotherhood’s plans have been derailed. We need to regroup and find more mutants.”

“Erik, the mutants you’re gathering are unstable. Most of them are criminals!”

“So what? It’s just business.”

The metallic shards vanished from the battlefield as Erik and Charles retreated.

Meanwhile, Gwen swung down on her webbing, landing in front of George.

“Well, that was anticlimactic. Nothing happened to me, George. Looks like your dramatic warnings will get cut in editing,” she said with a smirk.

George scratched his head awkwardly. “This wasn’t what I expected.”

“Nothing ever is.”

Suddenly, a feral howl echoed from the battlefield.

A man wearing a lion-emblazoned vest stepped forward, guzzling a mysterious vial.

“I’ve found you, Spider-Man. My prey.”

Gwen’s symbiote-enhanced Spider-Sense went wild, and her expression darkened.

“Kraven the Hunter.”

The name surfaced from the symbiote’s fragmented memories, sending a shiver down her spine.

—

Elsewhere, between towering skyscrapers, Peggy Carter and her team followed the fiery motorcycle from a helicopter.

Civilians screamed and scattered as the infernal Harley tore through the streets, trailed by a streak of electricity that quickly closed the distance.

Swish!

Spider webs shot toward the flaming figure, only to disintegrate in the heat before they could reach him.

Johnny Blaze glanced at his pursuer through his rearview mirror, then swerved to head out of the city.

—

On a desolate highway, the fiery motorcycle roared through the countryside. Alongside it, the electric streak of Spider-Man kept pace.

“Hey! Ever heard the story of Spider-Man?” Xia Luo called out as he ran.

Johnny glanced at him before turning back to the road.

“I have a license. Chasing me won’t hold up in court,” he said flatly.

Xia Luo panted as he ran. “Can we talk? I’m curious—who turned you into the Ghost Rider?”

“I prefer the name ‘Spirit of Vengeance.’”

“Okay, fine. Ghost Rider.”

“Spider-Man, stop chasing me. I don’t want to kill you.”

“Then stop running.”

“You chase, I run.”

“You run, I chase.”

“Great. Let me guess: a strange guy made you sign a strange contract, turned you into a strange knight, made you do strange things, and now a strange Spider-Man is chasing you.”

“Strange Spider-Man, you talk too much.”

Johnny shook his head, the flames on his skull flickering in the wind.

Boom!

Johnny suddenly performed a fiery skid, his Harley’s wheels leaving a scorched ring on the ground.

Xia Luo leapt into the air to avoid the attack, landing gracefully behind Johnny on the motorcycle.

“Whoa! Hot seat!” he exclaimed, shaking his hands as if swatting at a fly.

Tiny arcs of electricity scurried across his arm, his spider emblem glowing faintly.

“Ah, much better,” Xia Luo muttered as a protective layer of magic energy enveloped him, insulating him from the hellfire.

Relieved, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Johnny.

“Wanna be friends?”

“No. Get off. I’m late for work.”

Annoyed, Johnny gunned the throttle, the Harley popping a wheelie, but he couldn’t shake Xia Luo.

—

Above, Hawkeye lined up a shot at the fiery motorcycle.

“Hold your fire,” Carter said, raising a hand. “They’re talking.”

Hawkeye frowned. “That thing has killed people.”

Carter’s tone was cold. “Those mutants were criminals. They’d spend the rest of their lives in prison anyway. Nothing to debate.”

Natasha Romanoff raised an eyebrow. “Nick Fury would never say something like that.”

“So?”

Carter shot her a sharp glance.

“Want me to play by his rules? Sorry, my job is to protect the innocent, not follow rewritten regulations. That’s how I operate.”

Turning to the others, she asked, “Any objections?”

Harry and the others quickly raised their hands.

“None here!”

“Captain, we’re with you.”

In the corner, Aleksei shivered. “I-I’m a good guy now!”

—

On the highway, the infernal motorcycle sped past a lizard, which instantly turned to ash in the hellfire’s wake.

“Lizards are cute! How could you?” Xia Luo scolded.

“Shut up!” Johnny snapped, the flames in his eye sockets flaring.

With a sudden brake, the Ghost Rider sent Xia Luo flying.

Crack!

Johnny unwrapped his chain, the hellfire crawling along its length.

Boom!

The fiery chain lashed out, slamming into the ground and leaving a burning trench in its wake.

Xia Luo twisted mid-air, avoiding the strike, and shot webs to hoist himself higher.

Spider silk won’t cut it here, he thought grimly.

—

The Ghost Rider’s powers originated from Mephisto, the demon lord of hell. How strong a Ghost Rider was depended entirely on how much power Mephisto granted.

Judging by Johnny’s display, Mephisto had given him plenty—enough to overwhelm both the Avengers and mutants.

Johnny’s hollow voice rang out as he glared at Xia Luo.

“Leave me alone, or I’ll burn your soul.”

Xia Luo narrowed his eyes but ignored the warning, landing once more behind Johnny.

“Do me a favor,” Xia Luo said.

“Get lost.”

“I’ll pay you.”

Johnny hesitated. “What kind of favor?”

Xia Luo smirked. “I own a movie effects studio. Your bike tricks are amazing. Want to be a star?”

The flames on Johnny’s skull dimmed slightly, betraying his interest.

“How much?”

“Enough to cure cancer.”

“You’re sick?”

“No, but someone I know is.” Johnny quickly averted his gaze, unwilling to share more.

Xia Luo shrugged. “You made a deal with the devil. You know you can’t trust him.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying,” Johnny said, the fire in his eyes burning fiercely.

He remembered his past: a desperate stunt rider, watching his father waste away from cancer. A mysterious stranger had offered a cure in exchange for his soul.

Johnny had signed the deal, only to realize too late that the price was far greater than he imagined.

As the fiery Harley roared into the desert night, Johnny asked, “What’s this favor you need?”

“Find me a soul,” Xia Luo replied.

Johnny shook his head. “Not my line of work.”

“You can.”

Xia Luo leaned closer. “Mention Iron Man’s name to your boss. See how he reacts.”

Johnny hesitated.

Tony Stark’s failure to resurrect had long puzzled Xia Luo. He suspected someone—or something—had intercepted Tony’s soul. Mephisto was at the top of his suspect list.

Johnny considered Xia Luo’s words, then sighed.

“Fine. I’ll try.”

“Great!” Xia Luo leapt off the bike, vanishing into a swirl of magic sparks.

Watching him go, Carter, who had been following from above, made her decision.

“Stand down,” she ordered.

“What about the fire guy?” Hawkeye asked.

“Leave him. Trust me.”

—

On the deserted road, Johnny Blaze parked his motorcycle.

“Great. Now I’m late for work.”

The flames receded, his skeletal face reforming into flesh.

“Damn magical Spider-Man. You could’ve teleported me with you,” he muttered, glancing around the barren landscape.

—

The next day, a massive screen lit up in the city square.

“Hello, folks! Remember me, Jonah Jameson from The Daily Bugle?”

On the screen, Jonah puffed on a cigar, enthusiastically recounting every recent incident involving Spider-Man.

After losing his job due to Spider-Man’s decline in popularity, Jonah was back in the spotlight, courtesy of the public’s renewed fascination.

The chaos of recent events had undone the semblance of order established by the government’s energy weapons. These weapons, while effective against standard criminals, were no match for the rising number of mutant villains. Worse, criminal organizations had also started using them, creating a spiral of unpredictable, localized chaos.

And so, the world’s attention shifted back to superheroes of old—Spider-Man included.

In this new era of mutants and chaos, other Avengers emerged to fill the void. But none carried as much intrigue or controversy as Spider-Man, making him a valuable source of headlines for Jonah.

The screen transitioned to footage of the ruined mutant base. Betty Brant was interviewing George Stacy, his head wrapped in bandages.

From her flying vehicle, Gwen caught a glimpse of her father hard at work and shook her head.

She turned to Xia Luo, seated behind her.

“Do you really think I can be an Avenger?” she asked hesitantly.

Xia Luo glanced at the bandage on Gwen’s arm and grinned.

“Of course. You took down Kraven the Hunter. That alone proves you’re stronger than most Avengers. Your track record speaks for itself.”

Gwen’s smile wavered. “It was mostly luck. Abby devoured his weird potion—otherwise, I don’t think I’d be alive.”

“Being able to eat is a blessing.”

“But I’ve heard there’s a rigorous test to become an Avenger.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be your examiner, and I’ll go easy on you.”

Gwen blinked. “…Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Why not?” Xia Luo crossed his arms smugly. “Anyone who’s been friends with Spider-Man knows connections are everything.”

Gwen steered the vehicle away from an oncoming Stark hovercycle.

“The new Stark hovercycles are out. Aren’t you getting one?”

“I can’t afford it.”

“I’ll get you one.”

“Thanks. Can I have the most expensive model?”

“Sure, but I’ve noticed you’ve gotten used to asking women for things.”

“What else can I do? I have no money but still want to enjoy the finer things in life. It’s only fair to rely on women’s generosity. Doesn’t that make me an adorable kind of guy?”

“Uh… no comment. Anyway, we’re here.”

“Don’t deny it. Deep down, you admire me too.”

The vehicle touched down on the floating S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Gwen and Xia Luo hopped off, greeted by curious glances from agents nearby.

Feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny, Gwen muttered, “I don’t think I want to be an Avenger. It’ll interfere with my normal life.”

Xia Luo glanced toward Peggy Carter’s office.

“Becoming an Avenger would mean S.H.I.E.L.D. would prioritize protecting your father,” he said.

His voice lowered. “One random criminal. One seemingly accidental event. That’s all it takes to take away a loved one. You know what I mean.”

Gwen fell silent.

The memories inherited from her symbiote made it clear—he wasn’t exaggerating.

Before she could respond, Xia Luo’s phone rang.

“It’s me. Ghost Rider.”

Recognizing the voice, Xia Luo smirked. “You don’t have to whisper. It’s funny, but unnecessary.”

Johnny Blaze’s voice tightened with irritation before he cleared his throat.

“Fine. I’ve got the information you wanted.

“When I mentioned Iron Man to him… he laughed. He looked… happy, like he’d gotten a new toy.”

Xia Luo’s heart sank at the words.

His worst fear had been confirmed.

Tony Stark’s soul had been intercepted by Mephisto.

And even the invincible Spider-Man couldn’t save him from that demon’s grasp.