No one had any idea that Guan Heng had secretly infiltrated the base beneath the cemetery. Even when S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra investigated later, both sides concluded that an internal fire had set off the weapons depot.
The old rival whom Hydra's leader had gone to visit had been missing for a long time. When he returned disappointed, he discovered the base had been destroyed. He concluded that the Kitty Pryde Clone, the zombies, and the Ancient Book he had obtained had all perished in the flames. Naturally, he flew into a rage. Unfortunately, none of the branch's members had survived—not Sam, the junior leader, nor any of his men—so the leader had no one to vent his fury on. He could only chalk it up to bad luck. The Super Zombie project had already been stalled by the difficulty of deciphering the ancient text and was on the verge of being shelved. He might as well give up now.
As for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation, all they found at the scene were scraps of Hydra uniforms and weapons. They figured the accident had destroyed the base, and were content to watch from the sidelines.
Leaving the two sides to their investigations, Guan Heng was busy in the basement of his villa, drawing the Corpse Control Array he had just learned onto Dabao and Er Ni. Since it was his first time, he played it safe: he drew not just dozens of arrays on them, but over a hundred on each, to ensure he could control the two Super Zombies completely.
Ordinary zombies relied on little more than fangs for sucking blood and the Corpse Poison on their fingernails. Guan Heng had now taken both weapons away from Dabao and Er Ni, and they couldn't grow back. They would never be able to bite or scratch anyone again.
Guan Heng only had to inject them with some blood from time to time to keep them alive.
Dabao was a clone of the M Nation Captain, with the Super Soldier Serum and excellent combat skills. On top of that, Guan Heng had picked up a treasure at the carnival: a tissue smeared with Spider-Man Peter's nosebleed. He extracted some blood from it and injected it into Dabao to see what would happen. To his surprise, countless tiny hooks grew on Dabao's fingers and toes, allowing him to scurry up walls and across steep surfaces. The blood supply was limited, so Dabao could only maintain this spider-climbing ability for about twenty minutes. Even so, it made him much more agile.
As for Er Ni, he was nimble, quick, and skilled in combat. Most importantly, his Wall-Penetrating Ability could help Guan Heng in unexpected situations. In the short term, though, he could only use it once, after which he had to sleep for twenty-four hours to recover his strength.
The two Super Zombies were only clones, after all, and couldn't match the abilities of their originals. Still, they were a great help to Guan Heng. Most importantly, with the Corpse Control Array now in place, they obeyed his every command without resisting.
It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, with not a cloud in the sky over New York City.
On the rooftop of a high-rise in the city center, Spider-Man hung upside down from the ridge, chatting with Guan Heng.
"So Nick Fury actually came to recruit you in person yesterday?" Guan Heng took a drink from the plastic bag beside him and tossed it to Spider-Man. He opened one for himself, too.
"Yeah. Director Fury said my abilities could do a lot of good for people." Peter flipped down beside Guan Heng. "I'm only just starting to get used to my powers, and S.H.I.E.L.D. will give me the training I need so I don't misuse them and hurt anyone. I think that's important."
"That makes sense." Guan Heng nodded slightly, then smiled. "But be careful not to let that old fox sweet-talk you into doing the dirty work for him. Just do what you think is right, and stay away from things that aren't your business. Always keep control of your own choices. Don't let anyone use you as a weapon."
Peter nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." Then he laughed. "You've already joined S.H.I.E.L.D., but hearing you talk about Nick Fury like that still feels strange."
Guan Heng burst out laughing. "Once you've dealt with him for a while, you'll understand. Fury isn't a good boss, and I'm not a good employee. We're two peas in a pod—both just as bad as each other."
"Hey, that's a funny way to put it," Peter said with a laugh.
"Enough about that. When are you going to meet Fury?" Guan Heng asked. "You've made up your mind, so you might as well get to it."
"I've decided. I'll go see him now. I'm free."
"Then let's go together." Guan Heng went downstairs and got on his motorcycle. Spider-Man swung and glided through the air on his webbing. They headed off one after the other and arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters almost at the same time.
The motorcycle tires screeched against the ground as Guan Heng braked and jumped off. Peter changed out of his Spider-Man suit in an alley, and then they entered the lobby together.
Phil Coulson, dressed in a sharp suit, came toward them. Guan Heng hurriedly greeted him. "Hey, Phil. What brings you back to headquarters today? I thought you'd never want to leave that lavish reception at the Stark Enterprises Building."
"Guan Heng, you little rascal," Phil said, as unhurried as ever. "I can't believe you appointed me as your S.O. supervisor without even asking me. Do you have any idea how busy I am? If you mess up, I'll have to clean up after you. I've heard from Hill and Fury that you're a real handful."
"Don't say that. With great ability comes great responsibility," Guan Heng said with a smirk. "And you're the famous Phil Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best-known all-purpose babysitter."
"I have no interest in hearing that flattery," Phil said, shrugging. "For the time being, you'd better toe the line and stay out of trouble. Once I'm done with my work, I'll show you what discipline really means. Just you wait, kid. I have to go." With that, he strode away.
"Wow, I actually managed to annoy S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Good Old Man, Phil. That's quite an achievement," Guan Heng said with a cheeky grin.
"Guan Heng, you shouldn't talk to your superior like that," Peter said, sounding uneasy. "What if they get mad?"
"It's fine. I'd be thrilled if they fired me." Guan Heng stuck out his tongue. "But I'm still useful to them, so they won't let me go just yet. Right, Fury?" As he spoke, he made a face at the surveillance camera in the lobby.
Fury was watching the monitor in his office, and he saw it all. Resigned, he pretended not to notice. I get it now. The angrier I get, the more pleased this kid is. Hmph.
A little while later, Nick Fury was warmly shaking Peter's hand in his office.
"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Peter." Fury beamed. "I'll make sure you know you made the right choice."
"Thank you, Director Fury." Peter was young, and a little overwhelmed by the warm welcome. "I'm just a kid. I'm reckless and inexperienced, so I hope you'll give me plenty of guidance and help."
Fury looked pleased. He turned to Guan Heng, who stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching coldly, and said irritably, "Look at Peter. He's so humble and polite. Nothing like you, with that delinquent look on your face. You two are complete opposites."
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