Inside Marvel X DC World

A huge thanks to Howellsy, Copinsa, david lagos, Jack M, Haralds Martinsons, Kal Odinson, Surge1301, Jose Newcomb, Darth Bane, Luck George, Jesper Taus Pedersen, Tony Johnson, acce, Orlando Leon, Ash Grey, Alexander Spoor, Kilerpanda18, Matt, sakai_yt, Alexander Martinez, Danger32145, The Lord of the Mysteries and Junior Chan for supporting me on Patreon.

Check out my patreon to read 28+ advance chapters and sexy female characters illustrations.

Patreon: patreon.com/NovelReader440

----------

"So, what are you going to do tonight? Can you completely control the tentacles?" Diana asked.

"Probably... not." Mike spread his hands, "As soon as I get close to something, the tentacles instinctively want to devour it, like breathing. That instinct isn't easy to control."

Just like when he'd obtained his aunt's demigod power before.

These powers and abilities weren't innate to Mike; he acquired them suddenly, so he couldn't turn them on or off at will.

"I don't know if it can be over in four hours." Mike sounded uncertain.

This time, it wasn't an indirect triggering of his ability; it was a direct, fluid exchange with Kerry.

If this went on all night, he'd have no chance of sleeping—lying in bed, he might accidentally devour it and exile it to an unknown dimension.

Who could handle that?

"I have an idea." Diana said suddenly.

___

In the room next to Mike's, there was a faint scent of violet.

Mike lay on an ice-blue duvet, his upper body still bare, glowing faintly with a golden hue. The golden lasso bound Mike's body, wrapping around his arms and his entire upper torso.

Diana, in a simple nightgown, leaned on the bed beside him, flipping through an archaeology book under the dim bedside lamp.

"So, Aunt, this is your way of dealing with it?" Mike, feeling completely restrained, sighed.

"Yes." Diana responded softly, still engrossed in her book, "Seal your second mouth, and the tentacles won't be able to act out."

Mike was speechless.

He got the reasoning, but... why did this scene feel a bit like a bondage game?

"Go to sleep already." Diana said.

"Okay." Mike closed his eyes, though his attention kept drifting to his aunt beside him.

It had been a long time since he'd slept next to her.

She was warm... no surprise there.

Under the soft light, his aunt wore only a thin nightgown, her graceful curves clearly outlined, with her long, slender legs elegantly crossed.

How was he supposed to sleep?

Mike shifted uncomfortably, and his face suddenly froze. Apart from his back, another part of him reacted instinctively.

"What's wrong?" Diana was still reading.

"Nothing..." Mike tried to brush it off but instead blurted out, "Aunt, you're so beautiful, I... became hard."

The room went quiet.

Diana stopped turning pages, her beautiful face freezing slightly.

Mike's mind went blank.

Stupid! So stupid!

What did he just say?!

How did something he'd never dare to say to his aunt just slip out like that?

"You." Diana blushed slightly, "Don't worry about it. Anyone tied up with the Lasso of Truth will reveal the truth when questioned."

"Oh, really?" Mike forced a laugh, wishing he could disappear.

Don't worry about it? How could he not worry about it?

"So, how was school?" Diana asked, steering the conversation elsewhere.

Bound by the Lasso of Truth, Mike answered directly, "Nothing special. Gwen got upset for some reason. Also, a junior named Kara confessed to me in public."

A subtle silence followed.

Diana seemed lost in thought. After a moment, she asked softly, "So, do you like that girl?"

Mike spoke truthfully, "I've only met her twice, so I can't say I like or dislike her. But I have a good feeling and impression of her."

"You're certainly old enough to start thinking about love." Diana said, setting down her book and smiling, "If you find a girl you like, you should seize the opportunity!"

Mike responded suddenly, "I think my aunt is amazing."

Diana's body stiffened slightly.

She turned off the bedside lamp, her voice calm in the darkness, "Get some sleep."

Mike didn't say another word.

Was that last statement a truth spoken under the Lasso's power? Or was it something that only surfaced after brushing aside taboos, conventions, and their relationship?

He didn't know.

Mike only knew that it was what he most wanted to express at that moment.

--_

The next morning, at half-past seven.

Mike stood in front of the mirror, watching his pupils revert from cat-like slits to normal human brown.

He held a new bar of soap, relieved that no tentacles emerged to devour it like last night.

The devouring ability had finally disappeared.

Mike sighed, but the experience left him with a deeper understanding of his power—the Lord of Dependents.

Twelve hours.

If he directly exchanged fluids with the opposite sex, Mike could retain the person's abilities for half a day. Compared to the previous four-hour duration, it was now three times longer.

Kerry still sleepy, looked at Mike in the mirror with a strange expression. In its unique senses, Mike, who had become a "fellow creature," had reverted, leaving it a little disappointed.

'If I took another bite, could I turn him back?'

Kerry wanted to try again.

Sensing its intention, Mike warned it, "Kerry, don't go biting me again. Otherwise, I won't let you eat for a day!"

"Meow~" Kerry, in its orange kitten form, drooped its ears, tail hanging low in disappointment.

After his aunt left, Mike lay sprawled on the living room sofa, feeling a mix of boredom and contentment.

So much had happened lately, and he found himself preferring the ordinary, peaceful life.

Anyone who wanted to save the world could have at it; he wasn't a superhero.

Mike lay there for a while, then grabbed his phone to scroll through social media.

What he found made his jaw drop.

He had thought the buzz would die down in a day or two.

Instead, the hype about the Washington incident had only intensified online, reaching a point of nationwide frenzy! Many people had taken screenshots of his fight in disguise and turned them into avatars, covers, or memes.

Mike held his breath as he scrolled, then let out a groan.

Luckily, he hadn't revealed his true identity that night. The videos he'd seen online and in news reports were either too far away or blurry, or only caught his back.

No one knew that the new silver-haired superheroine who fought monsters was actually an ordinary high school student... and a guy.

Only Diana, Ghost-Spider, and the dead Abomination knew the truth.

But seeing photos of himself in disguise spread across the internet made Mike want to sink through the sofa.

If there was a "social death" moment, this was it.

Mike quickly switched over to Twitter, hoping for some sanity.

But when he saw his classmates tweeting things like, "I want to be the sword held by the silver-haired goddess," or "I'm officially a fan," his last sliver of hope shattered.

And what was up with his classmate's tweet, "I want to be stepped on by her"?

Even a male teacher had quietly replaced his profile picture with one of Mike's disguised photos, expressing admiration.

Mike's mouth twitched.

There was no hope left—maybe he should start considering world domination or moving to another planet.

At that moment, a private message popped up on Twitter.

Slumping on the sofa, Mike opened it with a sigh.

Gwen: "What are you up to?"

Mike: "Hiding from society."

Gwen: "???"

She sent a follow-up: "Alright, I'm not mad at you anymore."

Mike paused, still unsure why she'd been angry in the first place.

Gwen: "But you have to promise me one thing!"

Mike: "What's that?"

"Come with me to New York."

"New York?" Mike blinked.

Washington and New York were only a few hundred kilometers apart. With the right transportation, it would take around three hours.

But still... why go that far?

"Just shopping?"

Gwen: "Of course not! This semester, our class trip is set for New York. As class president, I want to check out the city early and plan the routes."

Worried he'd refuse, Gwen added, "Besides, it's not that safe for a girl to go alone..."

"Alright." Mike agreed.

Gwen: "Great! Let's meet at the train station at ten. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back!"

"Today?" Mike frowned, thinking they'd go after Christmas. But, he figured, Christmas was for family gatherings anyway.

Just as he was about to get up and prepare for the trip, another message popped up.

This time, it wasn't from Gwen.

It was from Kara: "Good morning, Senior."

The new girl from school, Kara Danvers.

"Good morning." Mike replied, "Sorry I didn't reply yesterday. I thought about it carefully. You're a nice girl, but I don't have much experience with dating, so I can't accept your confession."

Good-guy card issued.

Mike sighed, but before he could put down his phone, Kara messaged again: "Then let's try going out on a date!"

A date?

Mike froze.

Before he could respond, another message from Kara appeared: "How about today?"