"Let go of me!"
Pressed to the ground, even knowing her opponent was also female, Gwen struggled angrily, gritting her teeth.
Xi Nian, sitting on her, hesitated.
Earlier, Gwen had struck first, forcing him to defend himself. But now, having subdued her, he didn't know what to do next.
Let go of Spider-Woman? Not only would she likely attack again, but at such close range, letting go would reveal his face. Xi Nian didn't want to expose his identity. His powers came from his aunt, not his own, and they might vanish by morning.
He couldn't just sit there all night.
"Maybe I should just knock her out," he thought, hesitating, fearing he might use too much force.
As he pondered, Gwen suddenly arched her body, using her only free foot to hook his neck with her green low-cut shoe.
"Huh?!"
Xi Nian's throat was squeezed, forcing his body to lean back. He realized she was trying to escape, so he tightened his grip on her left ankle and clenched her wrists with his right hand.
Crack, crack!
Bones creaked as the two nearly touched, locked in a tug-of-war of endurance.
From below, Gwen's body bent like a crescent, her slim waist nearly breaking. Xi Nian, pressed against her Spider suit, could feel the incredible flexibility and strength beneath him.
"Let go!" Xi Nian wanted to shout.
"Let go of me!" Gwen cried first. Her tiny foot pulled at his neck, twisting and writhing.
Suddenly, Xi Nian's eyes widened. Her tugging and struggling caused him to slide backward. What was meant to be a firm seat turned into a soft ride.
Xi Nian froze—he was wearing a short skirt.
Gwen, unaware, saw him stiffen and thought he was losing strength, struggling even more fiercely.
Spider suits are thin for mobility and ventilation, so they didn't hide the curve beneath her uniform. Combined with her intense movements…
"Oh no."
Xi Nian cursed inwardly, unsure if he was enjoying it or being tortured. Heat surged downward.
"What is that?"
Gwen finally noticed something under her skirt pressing against her through the suit.
Xi Nian quickly released her left ankle, using leftover white webbing like a rope to bind her wrists and hook his neck with her foot.
He completed it quickly, jumped off her, drew his sword from the iron gate, and leapt toward the next building without looking back.
Perhaps luck, or perhaps his recent encounters had honed his control over these powers.
He leapt perfectly, clearing twenty meters to land on a water tower on the opposite building. A few running jumps later, shield in hand, he disappeared into the snow-covered city night.
Ten seconds later:
"Damn it! I'm going to kill you!"
"Where are you? Come out!!"
Gwen cleared the webs and soared between buildings, her black-and-white suit blazing. Her furious cries carried across half a street.
"This isn't my fault," Xi Nian muttered, peeking from a corner, his skirt now settled.
Soon, Spider-Woman swung away from the nearby rooftops.
"Finally, I can go home," Xi Nian sighed, sword in hand, stepping from the shadows.
He scanned the area. Using nearby landmarks, he confirmed he was on the border of Washington's inner and outer districts, over ten kilometers from downtown.
How he got there, he didn't know.
"Do I jump back?" he wondered, but before he could, the building beneath him shook.
"What?" Xi Nian thought it was his imagination, but the tremor returned.
Nearby buildings also shook. Not an earthquake—he sensed the source was above ground in the district.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The city vibrated intermittently, like a giant hammer striking the ground.
"Not far from here," Xi Nian muttered, scanning the streets below.
Boom!
Two kilometers away, a building collapsed with a roar.
The peaceful winter night shattered, replaced by terror.
And that was just the beginning.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire and explosions erupted like a summer storm around the collapsing buildings, flames spreading across streets and the sky.
A roar—inhuman, overpowering the bombardment—echoed through the city.
"What is that?"
Xi Nian widened his eyes. In the midst of fire and smoke, a massive yellow-green shadow flashed, revealing the world's true dark side.
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