Ah, Short Little Boy...

The entire Daily Bugle mobilized, with every department working together. The department heads gathered in one place, keeping up constant communication.

That day, the Daily Bugle operated with unprecedented efficiency. They rushed out an extra edition of the paper, promoting it far and wide regardless of cost. Huge numbers of pedestrians bought copies, while many netizens came specifically to the Daily Bugle website to check the news.

"Spider-Man's Shock! The Man Who 'Pees' Ten Feet Against the Wind!"

The bluntly explosive headline immediately grabbed countless eyes. People liked novelty; it was instinctive. They liked chasing things that stood out, using them to prove that they were different too.

But when too many people chased novelty, when everyone did it, the final result was that they all became the same again.

Still, Spider-Man truly became famous.

Take a look at the article written by that old bastard James. He wrote with overflowing enthusiasm: "Spider-Man had always been arrogant and lawless, recklessly exercising authority beyond the law. He wielded his fists to enact evil and used his webbing to snipe violence. He was utterly foolish, wild and conceited, making an absolute mess of what the police were supposed to do.

Until he encountered The Mechanic—please allow me to call this mysterious Mutant who appeared amid the crisis that—Spider-Man was completely shocked. Before this man who could 'pee' ten feet against the wind, he clearly realized for the first time just how short and powerless he was. Before a real adult, he was merely an undeveloped child who would never grow up...

Let us mourn deeply for him, because you simply cannot blame such a short little boy. Please, with the breadth of heart he could scarcely comprehend, forgive him... Ah, short little boy..."

Beside the text was a picture of Spider-Man on the roof of the Empire State Building, looking as though he was about to kneel in surrender. It greatly enhanced the article's credibility.

After spending a great deal of time and exhausting himself, Spider-Man tossed Donnie into the underground parking lot like he was getting rid of a plague god, then stormed off—only to discover, to his surprise, that many people had stopped to watch him.

More and more pedestrians noticed Spider-Man swinging around between the skyscrapers. They stopped and looked up at him, their gazes incomprehensibly deep.

That look was called pity.

Yet he was still excited. His gloom was swept away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of glory. He had once been an ordinary high school student, often bullied by the school thugs, until he became Spider-Man and drew the attention of so many citizens.

Even more people would watch him in the future, and respect him! Spider-Man firmly believed that!

More and more pedestrians stopped, whispering among themselves and giving detailed explanations to those who did not know what was going on.

Finally, another young man spotted Spider-Man swinging back and forth between the buildings as if showing off, and shouted excitedly, "It's Spider-Man! Ah, short little boy..."

Huh?

The red figure moving swiftly through the air suddenly stiffened. His second hand did not fire its web in time, and he fell straight down, drawing cries of alarm from the crowd.

With a bang, Spider-Man hit the ground with the momentum, sliding forward a considerable distance before crashing into a naked mannequin outside a clothing store. The two ended up locked in a tight embrace.

"Poor thing. He gets like this just seeing a female mannequin. What does he usually do? No girl would ever want to be with him... Ah, short little boy... So pitiful..." the pedestrians whispered among themselves.

Spider-Man barely climbed to his feet, his movements stiff and mechanical. Beneath his mask, his face turned from red to purple. Even his heart was trembling as his Spider-Sense frantically warned him.

Something incredible yet incomprehensible must have happened. It had happened to him.

Something was fucking wrong.

Where exactly had it gone wrong?

Spider-Man was depressed and stifled. Nothing had gone right, and he was nearly being driven mad. His low spirits prompted him to buy a hot, steaming hot dog, his favorite food.

When he swung over to the old shop he often visited, the owner had already spotted him and cried out in surprise, "It's you! You actually came! Ah, short little boy..."

Inside his head, Spider-Sense sounded the alarm, shrill and piercing as it repeatedly warned him. His hairs stood on end. A tremendous crisis and conspiracy had arrived. This danger was greater than all the criminals he had ever fought combined!

Spider-Man turned and left.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't go! Ah, short little boy, why are you always in such a hurry..." The owner chased after him, sighing endlessly while holding a freshly made hot dog.

Spider-Man's eyes turned red as he became hysterical. He had never received so much attention, nor had he ever felt so stifled and miserable. Could someone please tell him what terrible change had happened?

Roar!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. While swinging around, Spider-Man looked up at the sky and let out a furious roar that shook the heavens and drew attention from every direction. He vented the resentment in his heart this way.

People pointed at him. "See that? He's the one from the news... Ah, short little boy..."

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Spider-Man roared even more, one roar after another without end.

Some elderly people had experienced much in life and had long seen through many things in this world. Listening to the roars from above, they could clearly hear the unwillingness and resentment within them. They shook their heads and sighed. "What a pitiful child. He's still so young... Ah, short little boy..."

In short, Spider-Man became completely famous. That blaze spread beyond New York, beyond the American continent, and across the entire world.

People elsewhere gradually learned of this pitiful hero through various channels and sighed in sympathy. "Ah, short little boy..."

Spider-Man was in tears, gazing speechlessly at the sky. What had happened? Who was harming him?

The Daily Bugle was filled with excitement. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the paper exploded in popularity around the world, massively boosting its reputation. Both its sales and website traffic broke historical records. Faintly, James's wild laughter could be heard. Spider-Man, you little trash, weren't you still drinking my foot-washing water...

His encounter with Spider-Man had merely been accidental, a pure coincidence. Even Donnie himself had been surprised.

He had gone to the roof of the Empire State Building in New York not to admire the scenery, catch the wind, or do something as boring as taking a leak. He had a purpose.

After personally burying his parents' coffins and placing a bouquet of flowers amid grief and tears, Donnie declined S.H.I.E.L.D.'s invitation once again and rode his motorcycle alone to the Empire State Building.

Naturally, he had a plan for coming here.

Those hiding in the shadows would surely foolishly assume that after his brain had been injured and he had fallen to a Tertiary Mutant, he was no longer a major threat and could be attacked without restraint.

Whether they wanted to recruit him for their own use or dissect him for experiments and uncover the secrets of a higher-level Mutant in one stroke, they could do as they pleased. They only needed to act boldly and ensure success with a single blow.

But some fools might have forgotten that Tertiary Mutants were not pushovers either. A Tertiary Mutant like Wolverine could slaughter an army alone as easily as killing pigs and dogs.

Donnie was waiting for those Black Hands to come to him. His new understanding of the AllSpark's power gave him the confidence to take this step.

Even if he was only at the Tertiary level now.

Donnie slowly entered the underground parking lot, where he had parked his motorcycle.

In the corners of the underground parking lot, as well as inside some cars, figures could faintly be seen. They had deliberately waited for him.

Countless forces, large and small, along with interested individuals, watched silently through various means. No one spoke, and no one gave a warning.

Everyone understood that when Donnie rejected S.H.I.E.L.D. and did not promptly contact Professor X or Magneto, he had actually made a certain choice.

Many people began to scheme. Donnie leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. and climbing to the top of the Empire State Building caught those who had thought themselves hopeless completely off guard, but it also delighted them, giving them time to deploy people.

Many organizations and institutions had not expected Donnie to be so solitary, so solitary that he seemed somewhat foolish.

This was a real world. Once certain choices were made, there would never be a chance to regret them. He would have to fight through bloodshed all the way, carving out a path even where none existed.

Donnie had done it deliberately. He had given those forces an opportunity to deal with him. The Empire State Building was densely populated and housed numerous institutions. Even if someone wanted to kill him, they would have to consider the authorities' reaction before acting inside it.

Many people, including Donnie, understood that it had finally begun.

"It has finally begun. Let me see what you, a higher-level Mutant, are really made of. Will you rise in a single battle, or become experimental material for dissection?"

Countless people watched silently, pondering their own thoughts and making their plans.

People followed Donnie through various means, wanting to see what he would do.

Donnie stopped and looked at the people in the parking lot who had quietly risen and stealthily approached him. At last, he revealed a savage smile...