Restart, Spider-Man!

At a roadside café, surrounded by curious onlookers, Quentin Beck and Xia Luo signed a contract.

"Thank you, Spider-Man. I promise to work hard and not let you down," Quentin said, his face alight with excitement as he held the signed document.

However, the attention from the surrounding crowd soon made him uneasy.

Looking at Spider-Man, he whispered, "Isn't this a bit too high-profile?"

Xia Luo glanced at the spectators, many holding up their phones to record the scene, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like Spider-Man still has plenty of fans."

He turned to Quentin with a grin. "From now on, you're Spider-Man's friend, and everyone knows it.

Your special effects movie could even feature me—though, of course, you'd be the main character."

Hearing this, Quentin's gratitude deepened.

"Yes! Spider-Man is my friend, and I'll always be his friend. I hope our collaboration is a great success."

Xia Luo nodded. "Of course. But aside from movies, I think you should consider a side gig."

"A side gig?" Quentin looked puzzled.

"Exactly."

Xia Luo's smile widened. "If your movie effects can become reality, you could be the next superhero. Then you'd be a global superstar."

Quentin fell silent, clearly deep in thought.

He seemed to understand, though there were still technical hurdles to overcome.

But that didn't matter. Quentin had spent years working behind the scenes and knew plenty of talented but struggling professionals. With Spider-Man's funding, he was confident he could bring those friends together to tackle the challenge.

Xia Luo handed him a business card.

"This is the contact info for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director. If you succeed, reach out to her. She'll arrange an assessment to make you an official superhero."

Quentin's hands trembled as he accepted the card.

"Spider-Man, I don't know how to thank you," he said, his face a mixture of gratitude and determination.

"No thanks needed."

Xia Luo stood up, his tone sincere.

"With great power comes great responsibility. Remember this, and don't let someone with your talent go unnoticed."

With that, Xia Luo leapt out of the window, disappearing from view.

Quentin watched the direction Spider-Man had gone, took a deep breath, and resolved, "With great power comes great responsibility. Selfless Spider-Man, I won't let you down, my friend."

After settling things with Quentin, Xia Luo headed to Queens with the remaining funds.

---

Black Street's Dead End.

Xia Luo never expected that William Baker's wife and daughter lived just a few houses away from him.

William Baker—better known in the future as Sandman—was still serving time in prison.

His daughter was gravely ill with a congenital heart condition, requiring expensive medical treatment.

The illness had thrown the mother and daughter's lives into hardship, all because of William's poor choices.

An irresponsible father could wreak havoc on a family, but a desperate father willing to do anything for his child was far more dangerous.

Still, Xia Luo believed that if money could solve the problem, there was no need to be stingy.

After all, Spider-Man was always broke anyway.

These funds wouldn't last long in his hands.

Lost in thought, Xia Luo raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

The door opened to reveal a weary woman. She gasped when she saw Spider-Man standing there, wearing a Santa hat.

"Oh my! Spider-Man!"

The woman covered her mouth in shock. Xia Luo waved with a warm smile.

"Hi! Today is Spider-Man's giveaway day, and your daughter is the lucky recipient."

He handed her Zhao Helen's business card along with several bundles of cash.

Glancing past the woman, Xia Luo caught sight of the little girl behind her.

"Hey, would you like to participate in a nano-medical trial? It'll completely cure your illness."

Alice Baker blinked her big, innocent eyes. "Did Spider-Man take over Santa's job?"

Xia Luo scratched his head. "Uh… yeah, Santa's getting old, so I'm filling in for him from now on."

Alice clapped her hands in excitement. "Yay! Spider-Man heard my wish! Daddy must have asked him to bring me presents!"

"Yes, it was your father who sent me. If you see him, make sure to thank Spider-Man properly," Xia Luo said, crouching down to pinch Alice's cheek gently.

He smiled, his inverted triangular eyes narrowing into crescents.

"Remember, if your father shows up, tell him to come find me."

"Okay!" Alice nodded obediently, but her mother sighed heavily.

After comforting Alice, she stepped outside to speak with Xia Luo privately.

"Spider-Man, is William causing trouble in prison again?" she asked, her face etched with worry.

Spider-Man was a superhero—there was no reason for him to be giving gifts to a criminal's family unless William had stirred up more trouble.

She was already deeply disappointed in William and only hoped he wouldn't drag Alice down with him. Their lives were hard enough as it was.

Xia Luo waved her concerns away.

"Don't worry. Today really is just Spider-Man's giveaway day.

"Like I said, if William Baker comes back, have him contact me."

"Oh, and yes—I'm helping him find a job."

---

Leaving Queens, Xia Luo made his way to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to meet Dr. Helen Zhao.

She agreed to treat Alice Baker's heart condition, on the condition that Xia Luo loan her his nano-suit for research.

Xia Luo didn't refuse.

In fact, he saw it as an opportunity.

If Helen Zhao's research led to breakthroughs in nanotechnology, it could help upgrade his suit.

After all, his current nano-suit was starting to lag behind Spider-Man's ever-evolving needs.

The Venom mode could only enhance his strength by 20 tons, and the utility of the spider spears and mechanical arms had become negligible to him.

Losing the nano-suit wouldn't affect his combat abilities much, but an upgraded version might bring some unexpected surprises.

With that, most of Spider-Man's classic foes from the Sinister Six were effectively neutralized.

The Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Rhino, Vulture, Electro, Mysterio, and Sandman.

Wait...

How did the Sinister Six have seven members?

Oh well, that wasn't important.

What was important was that someone had set their sights on him again.

After leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., Xia Luo couldn't shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was watching him from the shadows.

Could it be Magneto or Charles?

Or perhaps...

As night fell, Xia Luo switched back to his old knit suit and quietly scaled the spire of a nearby European-style building.

The black, inverted-triangle eyes of his mask scanned the streets below.

He didn't notice anything unusual, but his spider-sense told him he was being hunted.

Whoosh.

The wind stilled for a moment, and Xia Luo's instincts flared.

Turning around, he spotted a strange figure standing by the fountain below, staring up at him with a mix of greed and excitement.

"Wow, just a regular leopard-print uncle," Xia Luo teased.

The man's piercing eyes glinted, his scarred face exuding a rugged aura. He wore a lion-head vest over his upper body, leopard-print pants on his lower half, and held a bone spear. His wild, imposing presence clashed sharply with the passersby, quickly drawing a crowd.

At his feet, a lion lay yawning lazily.

Two police officers emerged from the crowd, their batons drawn. They eyed the lion with unease, their usual bravado notably absent.

The man barely spared them a glance before returning his gaze to the spire where Xia Luo stood, his excitement intensifying.

"Spider-Man! You will be the most perfect prey of my life!" he declared with a wide grin as the lion roared ferociously at his feet.

Roar!

A fierce wind swept through the area, and the terrifying sound scattered the onlookers in fear.

"Someone stop that beast!"

"It's too dangerous!"

The startled officers quickly drew their weapons and aimed at the lion, ready to unload their clips.

Bang, bang, bang!

The bullets zipped through the air, but the man effortlessly twirled his bone spear, deflecting them to the ground.

"Holy crap!"

"He's a superpowered individual!"

The officers' faces paled, and they drew electromagnetic rifles for a second attempt.

Bzzz.

Energy pulses shot forth, forcing the man to take the threat seriously.

Roar!

With a primal bellow, he spun his spear into a whirling shield that blocked the energy pulses with ease.

Before the officers could fire again, the lion roared, emitting an invisible soundwave. The fear-inducing shockwave sent the officers and nearby pedestrians into a panic, scattering in all directions.

"Run! Get out of here!"

"Call the Avengers!"

Within moments, the street was deserted, leaving only Spider-Man and the beast-like man.

"Kraven the Hunter?"

Xia Luo leapt down, landing a short distance from the man.

The hunter grinned. "Kraven is my title. My name is Sergei, of the Kravinoff family."

Xia Luo scratched his chin, studying him. "I just took off my nano-suit. How did you find me?"

Kraven the Hunter, real name Sergei Kravinoff, was a descendant of Russian nobility. He had turned to hunting in a bid to restore his family's honor.

A reasonable enough backstory.

In the lore, Sergei was a crazed hunter obsessed with defeating Spider-Man to prove himself the greatest hunter in the world.

In simpler terms, a bored rich guy playing dangerous games.

Interestingly, the intel Xia Luo had gotten from Professor X didn't include Kraven, as the hunter had been in Africa at the time, shielded by a mysterious force that blocked telepathic probes.

To Xia Luo's question, Sergei patted the lion's head confidently.

"A hunter's intuition," he said with a self-assured smirk.

Xia Luo shrugged. "Alright, you want to hunt me. I get it. But I have one question."

"Ask."

Sergei's expression remained composed. "You are my prey, but I don't plan to kill you. I intend to tame you!"

Taming his prey would give him an even greater sense of accomplishment.

Hearing this, Xia Luo scratched his head awkwardly.

"That sounds... weird. But I know you're serious. If any of your attractive female friends share that kink, I wouldn't mind. But coming from you, a grizzled dude, I'm not interested.

Anyway, you seem impatient, so here's my question: If ten lions flew overhead and Kraven the Hunter killed seven, how many lions are left?"

Sergei: "???"

His brow furrowed in confusion, and a vein twitched on his forehead.

"Idiot! What kind of question is that? Lions don't fly!"

"They do!"

As Xia Luo spoke, he fired a web at the lion's body.

Roar!

With a tremendous tug, the lion was flung into the night sky.

"See? It's flying now." Xia Luo pointed at the airborne lion, clapping in delight.

"Oh, look at it go! It's so happy!"

The lion: "!!!"

Sergei: "..."

"Fascinating, Spider-Man! I will tame you!"

With a roar of excitement, Sergei's face twisted into a manic grin. Leaping forward, he hurled his spear with lightning speed.

"Wow, your spear isn't as stylish as Corvus Glaive's," Xia Luo remarked as he casually tilted his head, narrowly dodging the weapon's sharp tip.

But Sergei was prepared. From behind him, he flung a massive net, a black axe simultaneously landing in his hand.

"Surrender, Spider-Man!"

The net descended, but Xia Luo spun the spear he had caught in his hands like a baton.

"Hey, Uncle Kraven, bet you've never seen a move like this!"

With a flourish, Xia Luo used the spear to flick the net aside while catching the axe with a single punch.

Boom!

The tremendous force sent the axe flying into the sky, while Sergei himself was launched a hundred meters away by a shoulder slam from Xia Luo, crashing hard into a nearby garden.

Crash!

The park's flowerbeds shattered under the impact, burying Sergei beneath a pile of grass and petals.

Effortlessly, Xia Luo dropped the spear and transformed into a streak of lightning, darting into the night sky.

Moments later, he returned to the scene, finding the once-ferocious lion now docile as a kitten, letting Xia Luo rub its belly without resistance.

"Haha, thanks for the gift, Uncle! This kitty will sell for a fortune!" Xia Luo laughed heartily.

Rustle, rustle.

From the foliage, Sergei emerged, battered but beaming with exhilaration.

"Fantastic prey! You excite me more than ever, Spider-Man. I will tame you!"

Cackling, Sergei pulled a mysterious vial from his pocket.

Gulp.

He downed the liquid in one gulp. His muscles bulged, shredding his lion-head vest as a terrifying aura spread across the area. The lion at Xia Luo's feet whimpered uneasily.

"Whoa, beast mode?"

Feigning terror, Xia Luo ducked behind the lion, poking his head out.

"Uncle, you need meds to get stronger at your age? Mind sharing the brand? I've got a friend who—"

Before Xia Luo could finish, Sergei, now towering and brimming with power, laughed uproariously.

"Spider-Man, in my presence, all you'll find is despair!"

"Is that so?"

Xia Luo dropped to the ground, propping himself up on the lion's belly with his hands, his legs swinging playfully.

"Actually, I have a bodyguard."

"What?"

Suddenly, the spire of the European-style building collapsed, sending a swarm of steel rods flying. The rods encircled Sergei, forming an iron cage.

At the same time, a massive surge of psychic energy struck Sergei's mind, rendering him unconscious on the spot.

"Ugh, what is this?" Sergei groaned, clutching his head in confusion.

---

T/N: im actually so tilted rn, i made an alt account on marvel rivals and holy shit are people in lower ranks so fucking stupid

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