"Okay, you don't have to worry so much. The BB machine that contacts Aunt Marvel is in my hands now.
When she comes to Earth, I'll tell you what: if I don't want to contact her, it's useless for Nick Fury to rush to his death.
As long as you complete the tasks I've assigned you, I'll naturally be able to make you stronger—stronger and stronger."
Loren was brimming with confidence. In truth, the reason he'd snatched Nick Fury's BB machine wasn't just to delay Captain Marvel's arrival—it was also for another purpose.
He wanted to insert himself into the events surrounding Captain Marvel at precisely the right moment.
Because then, he might be able to acquire the super-advanced black technology of the light-speed engine—the very thing that made Carol Danvers into Captain Marvel.
It was thanks to the sudden explosion of that light-speed engine that she'd absorbed a massive amount of energy, granting her extraordinary powers.
Though the process was chaotic and unpredictable, Loren believed that with his intellect, he could uncover a pattern within the chaos.
If he could build a light-speed engine himself—and combine it with perfected iterations of the super-soldier serum formula—
—he might develop a unique, even heaven-defying enhancement drug. One so powerful that even Captain Marvel wouldn't be a threat.
"Boss, we'll definitely work hard to complete the tasks you've assigned us. We won't let you down!"
Hearing Loren say this, the three women immediately nodded with solemn determination, their loyalty unmistakable.
"Boss, Miss Gwen is here—she says she has something urgent to discuss with you." Alice's voice echoed through the hall.
"Gwen's looking for me? Anything specific?"
Loren frowned, puzzled. He hadn't seen Gwen since the last party.
Though their relationship was ambiguous, Gwen had never taken the initiative to seek him out—likely because of his hidden identity.
But now, for her to come to him so unexpectedly… it had to be something serious.
"She didn't say exactly what it was, but she looked really anxious. And Harry Osborne is here too."
"Both of my old classmates? This must be about Peter Parker."
He'd been in seclusion this whole time, refining the perfect Hulk serum, and was out of the loop on current events.
Still, knowing Gwen and Harry as he did, the only thing that could bring them both to his doorstep at once was Peter.
Speaking of Peter—he hadn't seen him since visiting him in the hospital. He had no idea how the other boy's recovery was going.
Without hesitation, Loren ordered someone to let them in. As his thoughts shifted, the nano-armor covering his body seamlessly reshaped itself into a tailored suit.
The greatest advantage of this nano-armor? Never having to change clothes—you could become whatever you wanted to wear.
Of course, it wasn't without drawbacks. Without an inner lining, it could get… a little chilly.
Unlike their meetings with others, Gwen and Harry were old classmates of Loren's, so they arranged to meet in a cozy living room.
"Wow, you're the richest young man in the United States, Loren. Your estate is enormous—several kilometers from the gate to your actual home!"
As soon as he saw Loren, Harry beamed, his words brimming with enthusiasm. Gwen, however, remained calm, a faint chill lingering between her brows.
From the moment she entered the manor, she hadn't seen a single man. The entire estate was filled with women—strikingly beautiful, with striking figures.
The three women surrounding Loren made Gwen, despite her own beauty, feel slightly overshadowed.
2B and Tifa had met her before, so their presence wasn't surprising—but beside them stood another woman with silver hair.
Gwen thought her appearance rivaled even that of 2B and Tifa, which was nothing short of astonishing.
She couldn't fathom where Loren had found so many women of such extraordinary beauty. Any one of them would be considered a rare blessing; yet here Loren was, surrounded by three at once.
It was almost unfair. With such stunning women by his side every day, how could he possibly resist them?
And just thinking about how Loren had fallen under their spell sent a surge of anger through her—so much so that she nearly stormed over to kick him on the spot.
"Harry, stop teasing me," Loren said, cutting through the air without preamble. "This is the first time you and Gwen have come to me like this. Tell me—is something wrong with Peter?"
Gwen and Harry exchanged startled glances; they hadn't expected Loren to guess so directly. After a brief pause, they both nodded.
"Two days ago, we went to Peter's house and found he wasn't there," Gwen explained. "We checked again yesterday, and he was still missing. Aunt May hasn't seen him in two days either, so we got worried. We called the police and even asked my father to help search—but they found nothing. That's when we thought of you. With all your resources… you must have a way to find him, right?"
She looked at Loren with quiet hope.
Loren smiled knowingly. "In terms of means… you're no less capable than I am."
Gwen understood immediately—he was referring to her identity as Spider-Woman. In fact, ever since their fight with 2B, she'd suspected Loren had recognized her true self. But he'd never exposed her, and she'd never confirmed it.
Since then, they'd maintained an unspoken understanding: if one didn't ask, the other wouldn't tell. And so, life went on as if nothing had changed.
"I tried using my own methods," Gwen admitted with a wry smile, "but they were completely useless this time."
"I know," Loren said gently. "Peter's my classmate too. If something's happened to him, I won't stand by. Let me take care of it."
With that, Loren rose and left the living room, heading straight to his secret laboratory. There, he tasked Alice with the search.
Leveraging her immense computational power, Alice swiftly hacked into the citywide surveillance network across Queens. Within minutes, she pinpointed Peter's location.
Except—the footage didn't show Peter Parker at first.
Instead, it showed a man in sleek black tights, clad in a glossy black Spider-Man suit.
In the video, the figure soared effortlessly between skyscrapers—just like Spider-Man, but clad in darkness.
The Loren household watched the screen in stunned silence
.
"When did this world end up with two Spider-Men?" someone murmured. "And one of them is… black?"
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