Restart, Spider-Man!

This bonus chapter is a small gift—may it bring you a touch of tranquility.

---

"Recent entries to Dr. Helen Cho's lab have been minimal. We should find some leads," Agent Hill said.

With Hill's help, Xia Luo obtained a detailed list of visitors to the lab: Coulson, Hill herself, Carter, Reed, Tony, and Helen Cho.

Looking at the names, Xia Luo frowned slightly.

The list wasn't much help in solving the case of the missing vibranium nanoparticles.

"As it stands, Tony Stark seems the most suspicious," Hill remarked.

Helen Cho, standing nearby, appeared thoughtful. "Tony came by briefly, but he didn't act out of the ordinary. He left quickly, and I was here the whole time."

Hill frowned. "Could someone have disguised themselves as one of us, like the impostor pretending to be Tony?"

Helen glanced at Hill. "Do you mean me, Coulson, or even the Director and Reed?"

"Anyone is a possibility. We'll need to investigate each of us," Hill admitted. "Myself included."

She turned to Xia Luo. "Spider-Man, any thoughts?"

Xia Luo crossed his arms, his eyes glinting faintly.

Suddenly, he grabbed Hill by the arm.

"Spider-Man?!" Hill yelped as he pulled her closer.

To her astonishment, Xia Luo slammed his palm onto her shoulder.

"Buzz~"

In that moment, Hill felt her consciousness waver. For a fleeting instant, she saw her own back and Xia Luo holding her in place.

The next second, her vision cleared as if waking from a dream.

"Spider-Man, what just happened?" Hill stammered, utterly confused.

Yet behind her back, her fingers fidgeted nervously.

Helen Cho, noticing the scene, instinctively turned away.

"Uh, this is my lab. Maybe you two should take this somewhere else. Don't worry, I won't tell Director Carter. Consider this a favor," Helen said, her tone sly.

Xia Luo's lips twitched.

Letting go of Hill, he said awkwardly, "That was just a routine check. Don't overthink it."

"A check?" Helen's smile grew teasing. "I studied in Japan, you know. I've seen that kind of check before."

"..."

Xia Luo, unwilling to argue, spun and clapped Helen on the shoulder.

"Buzz~"

Caught off guard, Helen staggered. A faint shadow separated from her body before quickly returning.

Seeing that her soul showed no sign of Skrull interference, Xia Luo nodded in satisfaction. He grabbed Helen to steady her before she could fall.

Moments later, Helen opened her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Great. Now Carter has a new rival for Spider-Man's affections."

Rolling his eyes, Xia Luo released her.

"It was a soul check. You're not a Skrull, so you're cleared," he explained.

Helen blinked. "That wasn't a dream?"

Hill chimed in thoughtfully, "It was our souls."

Xia Luo nodded. "Exactly. Outward appearances can deceive, but souls can't lie."

"That leaves Coulson and Reed," Hill said, suddenly recalling something.

"You can tell who the real Tony Stark is, can't you?" she asked Xia Luo.

Xia Luo smiled but didn't answer directly. "I could, but I think our impostor could use some quiet time."

"Call Coulson and Reed," he added.

"I already did," Hill replied.

---

When Coulson and Reed arrived, Xia Luo used the same method to check their souls. Both passed inspection.

Which meant...

"Director Carter!" Hill exclaimed suddenly.

Xia Luo's expression darkened.

"Damn it! You've been fooling me this whole time! I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

---

Three minutes later, Carter's soul returned to her body.

Sitting calmly in her chair, she adjusted her collar with an air of deliberate nonchalance.

"You were very rough," she said flatly.

Xia Luo lowered his head apologetically.

"It was... a misunderstanding. Will you forgive me?" he asked cautiously.

Behind him, Hill and Helen exchanged glances and quietly exited the room.

Once they were gone, Carter's lips curled into a rare smile.

"Soul magic. Fascinating. Don't worry—I won't dock your pay this time. But tell me, Spider-Man, have you ever used that magic for... other purposes?"

"Other purposes?"

Repeating the phrase, Xia Luo's eyes lit up mischievously.

Clapping his hands, he laughed. "Why didn't I think of that? Brilliant idea! I'll try it tonight!"

"..."

Carter's smile froze.

So, not yet... but tonight?

A chill ran down her spine. She made a mental note to have Banner develop a device to disrupt soul manipulation.

In the meantime, she resolved not to shower until then.

"What did you discover?" she asked, changing the subject.

Xia Luo shook his head. "Nothing. No one on the suspect list is a Skrull."

"What if it's not a Skrull?" Carter suggested.

"Even if it's a shapeshifting mutant, their true form would be exposed in their soul state. It has to be someone pretending to be one of us," Xia Luo insisted.

"Not necessarily," Carter countered. "They could've stolen the vibranium and abandoned the disguise to escape. They might not even be here anymore."

As she spoke, she tapped her virtual console.

"Everyone, come in," she called.

Soon, Hill, Coulson, Helen, and Reed filed into the office.

"Have any of you experienced brief unconsciousness recently?" Carter asked.

Hill and Helen shook their heads.

Coulson thought for a moment. "Because of my heavy workload, even the slightest noise wakes me up."

Carter rolled her eyes.

"Got it. You're overworked. Hand me your vacation request."

"Sure thing!" Coulson cheerfully handed over a pre-prepared form, his face lighting up with excitement.

"..."

Xia Luo stared. You can do that? Noted.

Finally, it was Reed's turn.

Before he could speak, Carter waved him off and called Susan instead.

"Has Reed been acting strange recently?" she asked.

The screen showed Susan Storm pausing thoughtfully before shaking her head. Then, as if recalling something, she added:

"He's been more exhausted lately. Does that count as strange?"

"Exhausted?"

"Yes, technically, he's been quicker... if you know what I mean."

Carter's face darkened. "I'm not interested in your private jokes."

Beside Susan, Ben Grimm chimed in thoughtfully, "Last time he went to that island to meet Banner, he was out of contact for a while."

"Hm?"

Carter's frown deepened as she turned her sharp gaze to Reed.

"What were you doing during that time?"

"I... I don't know."

Reed rubbed his temples, visibly straining to remember.

Ben's hearty laugh rang out again. "Ha! That was when you almost pissed yourself after Banner scared you!"

"..."

Reed glared at the screen. "Was that really necessary to bring up?"

"No, the commander's question deserves a thorough answer. No holding back."

"You idiot!"

"You little punk! Did you just insult me? I challenge you to a duel!"

As the two hurled insults, Carter pinched the bridge of her nose and decisively ended the call.

These guys were useless. Nothing actionable, just petty squabbling.

Still, one thing was clear—something had happened on Banner's island.

Meeting Xia Luo's eyes, Carter spoke calmly, "I'll handle this personally. But keep your soul magic a secret. If the Skrulls realize we can expose them this way, they'll adapt."

"Got it."

Xia Luo raised his hand, summoning a magical portal. He stepped through, vanishing in a swirl of sparks.

Watching him leave, Reed muttered, "So convenient."

Carter, meanwhile, had a sudden realization.

"Damn it, Banner's already been brought back. He's probably heading for that island."

---

"Whoosh~"

Under the blazing sun, the sea breeze brushed against Xia Luo as he stood atop a mountain, gazing at the distant horizon.

With arms outstretched, he basked in the serenity of nature.

"Ah, the air is so fresh. The world is so beautiful..."

After his moment of self-hypnosis, Xia Luo turned and made his way toward the island's laboratory.

Planning to surprise Dr. Banner, he hid in a secluded spot and sent his soul drifting toward the wooden cabin.

It wasn't long before he sensed something amiss.

His incorporeal form passed through the cabin floor, descending into the underground laboratory.

Except, the lab had been transformed into a sprawling underground base.

"Strange... Dr. Banner isn't the type for extravagance."

Frowning, Xia Luo delved deeper into the base.

Apparently, the funding Carter had allocated to Banner's research had been grossly misused.

The underground base extended to the seabed, encased in transparent energy shields. Inside, rows of mechanized assembly lines hummed with activity.

"Clang clang..."

"Whirrr..."

Fragmented machinery moved along the conveyor belts, heading toward assembly stations.

And there they were—rows of familiar Mark suits.

"This is..."

Xia Luo's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. He'd stumbled upon the very Iron Legion Charles had warned him about.

In the storage area, hundreds of Mark suits stood in neat rows, while green-skinned Skrulls worked on installing remote control systems.

In the underwater testing grounds, two unmanned suits clashed violently, sending sparks flying.

From the observation deck above, a group of Skrulls were in heated discussion.

"Any news on Banner?"

"Our people are searching, but he hasn't turned up yet."

"Damn it. If he returns to S.H.I.E.L.D..."

"He won't. We staged an attack disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. He must despise them now."

"My point is, if he seeks revenge on S.H.I.E.L.D., he'll blow our cover."

"Impossible. We've copied his memories. He'll suppress his anger, unable to let loose the monster inside him."

"Good. That works in our favor."

"Ha! We should thank Banner. Without him, Carter wouldn't have poured so much funding into this Iron Legion."

"Exactly. While her budget wasn't huge, it gave us a solid foundation."

"Best of all, no one suspects we're here."

"Yes. We're so close to success. Once our agents neutralize Carter, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be ours."

"Ha ha ha! Too bad Spider-Man came back. We could've seized control before his revival."

"It's fine. He's preoccupied with the mutant issue."

"The mutant leader is a tricky one. That damned bug might not win against him."

"As long as Spider-Man dies again, we'll have enough time to seize control of the world. By then, the mutants will be finished, too."

"Wait, there's news."

"What is it?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vibranium nanoparticles were stolen. They were supposed to be used for Spider-Man's new suit."

"Some greedy fool must've taken them."

"The impostor posing as Stark was just captured. They'll suspect us for sure."

"Relax. They won't find anything."

The Skrulls continued discussing their plans, oblivious to the spectral figure in the shadows observing everything.

"Carter's money funded the enemy?" Xia Luo muttered in disbelief.

The Iron Legion was already substantial, numbering nearly 300 suits—a fortune in value.

Tony provided the technology. Carter supplied the funds.

And the Skrulls? They handled production.

Still, Xia Luo thought wryly, Carter would come out ahead if these suits could be reclaimed.

And as for Xia Luo...

"Time to act as the middleman," he decided.

Floating back to the surface, his soul returned to his body.

"Buzz~"

A portal flared to life as Xia Luo stepped through.

---

When Xia Luo returned to Carter's office, it was empty.

He wandered into the hallway, finding Hill nearby.

"Where's Carter?"

"She went to see Dr. Banner."

"Dr. Banner..."

Xia Luo's eyes narrowed.

Based on the Skrulls' conversation, it was clear this "Dr. Banner" was an impostor.

Let's hope Carter keeps her mouth shut. Otherwise... well, Xia Luo wasn't above tying up loose ends.

---

"Hey, Dr. Banner! How've you been?" Xia Luo greeted cheerfully as he entered the lab.

The man turned to him, his smile as genial as ever. There wasn't the slightest hint of suspicion in his demeanor.

"Spider-Man! Good to see you again."

While the two exchanged pleasantries, Carter held up a vial of green liquid with a curious expression.

"This is your latest breakthrough?" she asked.

Banner nodded. "Yes. I've eradicated Hulk's consciousness. With this serum, I can access Hulk's strength without losing control."

Hearing this, Carter's face lit up with excitement.

"My funding has finally paid off!"

Xia Luo's tone was dry. "Oh, it's paid off. Big time. Worth every penny."

Banner scratched his head sheepishly. "It's all thanks to your support, Commander. If Nick Fury were in charge, he'd never have had the budget to help me."

"True. Fury's broke. He should stick to making quilts."

Taking the vial from Carter, Xia Luo said, "If Hulk's gone, then Dr. Banner, how about we finish our unfinished fight?"

"Fight?"

Both Carter and Banner looked stunned.

"Yes. A fight."

Xia Luo turned to Banner, his gaze piercing. "That day's battle wasn't exactly fair. Hulk was a maniac, but you're not."

Realizing what Xia Luo was implying, Banner hesitated, feigning reluctance while inwardly thrilled.

If he could use this opportunity to extract Spider-Man's mutant gene, the Skrulls could create an army of Spider-Men.

Earth will be ours!

---

T/N: The effects have been in bold for these 5 chapters! Let me know if you prefer that or italics! 

Ah, Reader. You've stayed for the bonus chapter—how delightful.

Even amidst the quiet of eternity, there's joy to be found in shared moments like this.

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Each effort helps to shape a world where such moments can thrive.

— Ei