While Peter felt a wave of dizziness, his field of vision began to shift. Everything around him seemed to blur into a haze, replaced by a sort of second sight. In this mode of perception, color was meaningless; everything in his surroundings manifested in his mind as distinct outlines.
To put it simply, it was somewhat like "Eagle Vision" from Assassin's Creed—he could perceive the number of enemies and their equipment through walls or other obstacles within a certain radius.
Now he finally understood how Spider-Man Noir was able to pinpoint exactly how many mobsters were hiding inside a building with such directness.
He began to believe Anansi's words: the Spider-Army was simply a group of non-heroic Spider-Totems recruited by several Spider-Gods of the Web for the purpose of a coming war.
"So, who exactly is this woman named Ana Soria? Did she sell the HYDRA Totem in Earth-616? Is she a Spider-Totem too?"
"Hold on, hold on, Spider-Man. Don't you think you have enough trouble on your plate as it is? Let's put the rest of that story aside for a moment and focus on the chapters you're currently facing."
The stories he had left to face... did that mean the things Peter needed to worry about right now? First and foremost was undoubtedly Nimrod. Nimrod was wreaking havoc on Earth-616 without leaving a shred of evidence, which was a massive headache.
"Are you saying... that traveling the multiverse itself might provide me with a way to defeat Nimrod?"
Peter couldn't help but scratch his head, discarding the notion a moment later. "But this Noir universe didn't give me any clues."
"Perhaps they aren't in the Noir universe, Spider-Man. Don't forget, Earth-811 is a future where Nimrod rose to power."
Anansi's words left Peter puzzled. Why restate what he already knew?
"You mean I should go to a future where Nimrod was defeated and look for—oh, heaven help me, I actually know of one."
Peter had a sudden epiphany. He did indeed know of a potential future where the Avengers and X-Men were victorious. Earth-928, where Spider-Man 2099 resided, was also a possible future for Earth-616. In that universe, the Avengers had won every battle and become legends.
In other words, Earth-928 held the solution for dealing with Nimrod.
Thinking of this, Peter intended to ask a few more questions to better prepare himself. Anansi seemed to be waiting for Peter to speak, so the two continued their exchange with a silent understanding.
"That is to say... well... I received a prophecy stating that I am destined to die..."
"You would do best to follow the flow of the prophecy. These supernatural matters are the most troublesome of all. Sometimes, the very act of trying to resist a prophecy is what brings it to pass; such cases are not uncommon."
Anansi dismissed Peter's questions regarding the prophecy, so Peter moved on to his next inquiry.
"Fine. Then... what about erasure on a reality-altering level? Do you have any way to help me deal with that?"
Then, Peter saw Anansi's projection pull a face that was hard to maintain—he looked genuinely shocked by what Peter had just said.
Do you even hear yourself right now?
Peter felt helpless. The threat of Kang the Conqueror was imminent, and he had no good way to counter the reality-warping capabilities of the Cosmic Cube. More importantly, he couldn't just flee to another universe.
After hearing all the constraints, Anansi offered Peter a solution that wasn't exactly a solution.
"If you can erase yourself from reality before the Cosmic Cube acts, and prepare a way to return beforehand, then the Cosmic Cube ceases to be an issue."
After all, one cannot kill a dead man. In a sense, this could be considered a form of invincibility.
This gave Peter a lot of room for imagination. He began to mentally construct how he might achieve such a feat.
However, Anansi didn't seem inclined to say much more. His projection began to dissipate, and in the end, he never told Peter who that Ana Soria really was.
Perhaps he could ask Madame Web, Julia Carpenter, once he got back to see if that old mystic knew anything extra.
"Alright, time to say goodbye to 1933 and head for 2099. Oh, I should stop by the headquarters first; Miguel said I should take a look at the place."
Peter thought for a moment and made another decision.
"Before that, I'll say goodbye to Spider-Man Noir."
The Spider-Man from another universe had departed. Spider-Man Noir returned to his path of fighting crime alone—though things were slightly different than before. For instance, he now possessed the web-shooters gifted to him by that other Spider-Man. And he knew he was not truly alone.
However, perhaps due to his differing style, even with the web-shooters, Spider-Man Noir did not choose to swing around like other Spider-Men.
To him, they were merely tools. He had modified them by attaching parts of a semi-automatic pistol; he still preferred his own way of doing things.
America in 1933 was still shrouded in the gloom of the Great Depression. The newly inaugurated FDR had announced he would lead the country back to its golden age; some expressed support and hope, while many more remained pessimistic.
For New Yorkers, the first year of the new presidency seemed to have changed nothing. The gangs, the corrupt police, and the Spider-Man were all the same.
This isn't an age for heroes, Spider-Man Noir thought. Unlike the Spider-Man from 2013, in that hero's era, the mobsters were super-powered individuals just like him. But in this world, they were just ordinary gangsters.
Perhaps the age of heroes would never come. Perhaps an age of heroes simply didn't exist for this world.
The Peter Parker of Earth-90214 casually bought a copy of today's Daily Bugle. Though he was an investigative reporter for the paper, it didn't mean he got to see his own paper in advance.
Today's front-page headline was no longer about the Spider-Man, but rather the upcoming Stark Future Tech Exhibition. It was said that Howard Stark, who suffered from heart disease and required electrical stimulation to keep his heart beating, had finally invented a portable pacemaker to sustain his life. Another scientist claimed to be the Dr. Frankenstein of this century, asserting he had created a human being using chemical compounds and would display it at the exhibition—absolute arrogance.
There were also reports of a mysterious "Hydro-Man," though no one had yet captured a clear photograph of him.
As he walked near Hell's Kitchen, Peter Parker heard the sound of fighting nearby. Thinking it might be a gang war, he went to investigate. Instead, he saw a group of middle-school-aged bullies tormenting a scrawny boy who looked no older than eleven or twelve. The boy was holding a trash can lid, trying to fend off the bullies' attacks.
The bullies, who were raining down kicks and punches, heard a low, steady voice.
"Only know how to pick on the little guys, huh?"
The bullies turned around, saw the tall and imposing investigative reporter, yelled, and immediately scrambled away. Peter went to pull the boy up, only to realize he was actually fifteen or sixteen, just so gaunt that he looked like an eleven-year-old.
"Why didn't you run?"
"I don't run. I can do this all day. I have to show those punks that not everyone is going to get scared and run away."
The boy rubbed his bruised face and noticed the camera and press pass hanging from Peter's neck. "Thank you, Mr. Reporter. I have to get back to the orphan—I mean, I have to go home."
Peter Parker paused and asked the boy a question.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Rogers, Mr. Reporter. My name is Steve Rogers."
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi