Peter's body lost balance in midair, and he could only watch as that spinning, fanged maw rushed closer and closer!
Suddenly——
A hand covered by a cheap white glove shot out from the side, abruptly, without any warning, and precisely grabbed the handle of the plastic bag that was holding lettuce, carrots, discounted yogurt, and a flyer that read "Limited-Time Offer: Cabbage 1.99/lb"!
Peter felt a gentle yet absolutely irresistible force give him a little "nudge" to the side—just enough to push him out of the direct path of the vine's biting trajectory.
Thud!
Spider-Man crashed awkwardly onto the grass nearby and rolled. The vine's giant mouth snapped on empty air, unleashing an angry screech—but its target seemed to have shifted!
The one holding Peter's plastic bag was Saitama.
He had just finished shopping at a "Budget Quick-Buy" supermarket in the next block. The store sat right next to Brooklyn Park, and its discount section had deeply captivated him—especially that limited-time special on cabbage. Hugging a full bag of "spoils of war," he had been contentedly walking out through the supermarket's side alley and had just reached the park's edge when he saw, up in the sky, a "blue vine monster" attacking someone in a red-and-blue bodysuit who was still carrying grocery bags… a colleague?
"Hey, kid," Saitama said. One hand was firmly lifting his own grocery bag, while the other still held the handle of Peter's bag stuffed with fresh produce and flyers. He looked down in mild confusion at Peter sprawled on the ground. "Your bag almost fell right into that monster's mouth. You're supposed to finish paying inside the supermarket before you come out… The wind outside can blow your bag away. It's dangerous."
Peter: "???"
He stared at the bald guy—at that bald guy in a cheap red cape, shining like a lightbulb, who was still holding his vegetable bag… Then he looked up again at the enormous blue vine that, enraged by its missed bite, had swung around and was now aiming its spinning, fanged maw straight at the bald man…
And behind the vine, at the edge of the light membrane, those two figures who had clearly also seen this side of the battlefield, their eyes filled with emotions too complicated to put into words.
Spider-Man felt like his spider-sense wasn't short-circuiting—it had completely exploded!
"Watch out——!!!" Peter screamed, throwing all caution aside, while his wrist-mounted web-shooters instinctively snapped up to fire at the vine!
However, the vine's attack was faster than he was! Or rather, the vine had locked onto a "new target"!
That blue maw, packed with spinning fangs, carried a space-rending psychic shriek and a powerful pull of energy. Like the jaws of a giant Venus flytrap, it slammed shut—instantly swallowing the upper half of the Saitama who had been standing there—
Buzz!
That blue maw, packed with spinning fangs, carried a space-rending psychic shriek and a powerful pull of energy. Like the jaws of a giant Venus flytrap, it slammed shut—instantly swallowing Saitama's entire upper body… in one gulp?!
"No!!!" Peter squeezed his eyes shut in despair.
"Ugh!" Wanda let out a muffled groan. The chaotic energy shockwave that erupted as the vine devoured Saitama made her mental defenses shudder. Vision vanished from where he floated, trying to phase his way in to rescue Saitama, but the vine's surface was covered in a ghostly blue light membrane, brimming with violent spatial distortion and corrosive power. It slammed him back out in an instant!
Peter was drowning in despair. He didn't even dare imagine the scene of that kindhearted, uncle-like bald guy being swallowed alive by the monster. He flung his arms wide, ignoring the deafening buzz of his spider-sense in his skull, ready to hurl himself forward and fight to the death!
After the vine's giant mouth swallowed Saitama, it quivered in apparent satisfaction. The ghostly blue radiance around it flared, and even the massive light membrane encasing the bandstand swelled thicker and more solid, as if it had just devoured some kind of precious tonic.
(End of Chapter)
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