A strange noise came from the bar, but it soon fell quiet again.
Three minutes later, Mark left the bar looking thoroughly satisfied.
He held three stacks of cash.
"Thirty thousand bucks? All right, I forgive you."
Mark happily stuffed the money into his pocket.
The thirty thousand included Kingpin's gesture of apology and the basic compensation owed to Ben and May.
It didn't sound like much, but Ben and May hadn't earned much to begin with.
The compensation they could get was limited.
As for the remaining tenfold compensation, Kingpin would send someone to deliver it to Bleecker Street in a few days.
That should be enough to pay off the outstanding fees at the Mental Hospital.
Oh, and Peter's student loans.
Although today's operation had taken an unexpected turn, all in all, he hadn't lost out.
In an excellent mood, Mark turned and slipped into a nearby alley.
Time to log in!
"Vmmm..."
Space warped, and Mark arrived at the little cabin in the game.
"Hey, Bruce, how was your day?"
He opened the door and waved at Bruce, who was drinking water nearby.
Wade: "????"
He had been taking a leak in a corner when the sudden voice startled him.
He shuddered and warily looked toward the figure in the darkness.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Bruce, come over here."
"Bruce?"
Wayne backed away, slowly reaching for the hilt of his sword.
On guard, he failed to notice his soaked trouser leg.
"You might have the wrong guy. I'm not Bruce. I'm not the one you have a grudge against."
"Bruce, you want to go looking for that female dog again, don't you?"
Mark stepped out of the shadows and spoke earnestly to Bruce.
"Buddy, I've told you so many times. That thing is probably a demon. You should listen to me."
At that moment, Wayne finally got a clear look at the red-and-blue figure, and his expression changed in surprise.
"Oh my God, it's the adorable Little Bug!"
He looked delighted, but still tried to put on a cool expression.
"Ahem, you're Mark's friend. Did he send you to give me trouble?"
"Sorry, I'm a professional mercenary," he said solemnly. "Kingpin offered way too much money...
"All right, I sold out Mark Parker, but he got plenty out of it too."
Before Mark could speak, Wayne shrugged and continued, "So you'll forgive me, right?"
Mark walked over and rubbed Wayne's head.
"Hahaha, Bruce, you don't need to apologize. We're best buddies."
Wayne: "..."
He looked up. "Fine, I can be Bruce for a little while."
Wayne took a pen and paper from his pocket. "You have to give me an autograph first, and take a picture with me.
"But let me make this clear up front. I'm not your fan. My girlfriend likes you, that's all. You know, a real man wouldn't like another man."
Mark slapped the pen and paper out of his hands.
"Bruce, don't eat crap off the street. Remember that."
Wayne: "..."
He blinked, seemingly realizing something.
"Oh, fuck! You're not Spider-Man at all!"
He suddenly pointed at Mark's nose and cursed him out. But a second later, Mark shot out a web and swung onto the roof, leaving Wayne dumbfounded.
"Wait, you just... okay, you are Little Bug. I believe you."
"Bruce, what are you waiting for? Fly up here. We need to collect our quest rewards."
"What?"
Wayne looked baffled.
He glanced around, but there was nowhere nearby he could use to get himself up.
"Hey, Little Bug, I'd love to come with you, but you know I don't have any superpowers."
"Bruce, get up here."
Mark didn't understand and simply kept urging him.
Wayne spread his hands helplessly. "Poor Little Bug. I never imagined you were sick. I'm starting to like... no, feel sorry for you.
"But I still have to say this: if I could fly, I'd just whoosh right up..."
As he spoke, he spread his arms like wings and rose onto his toes, pretending to be a little butterfly.
"You see? I can't fly at all... Oh my God, I'm flying!!"
Holy light burst forth. The moment the Magic Cape appeared on him, Wayne cried out and rose into the air, flying onto the roof and landing in front of Mark in the blink of an eye.
"Good job, Bruce. You're getting better and better at using your skills."
Before the stunned Wayne could recover, Mark grabbed the back of his collar and swung himself onto his back.
"Bruce, to the Demon Hunter Guild!" He swept his hand forward.
[You have marked a vehicle.]
Wayne had wanted to refuse, but with Spider-Man holding him in a death grip, he couldn't resist at all.
His body seemed to have stopped obeying him.
"No, no, no! You can't do this to me! I'm a person, a living, breathing person... whoa, we're flying!!"
The Magic Cape shone, and the initially reluctant Wayne shot into the sky with Mark on his back.
The wind howled as they soared through the night.
This was what flying felt like.
This was what freedom felt like.
Wayne had never experienced anything like it, as though even his soul were about to take flight.
His reluctance instantly turned into a longing for the sky.
"Little Bug, hold on tight! Here we go!"
"Whoosh!"
The cape fluttered in the wind. Riding Wayne, Spider-Man streaked through the night sky and soon arrived at the Demon Hunter Guild.
Stark Tower.
Following the Green Goblin's attack, the tower's pool was still being repaired.
But Happy and Pepper Potts were still waiting there.
They were waiting for someone.
Spider-Man!
At last, Spider-Man had arrived.
No, he had brought a mount too.
"Good job, Bruce. This is the place."
Mark patted Wayne's head, and Wayne slowly landed beside the tower's pool.
The sight left Happy and Pepper Potts dumbstruck.
"You two..."
"Hey, I'm Wayne Wilson, Little Bug's mount... ah-
"Ptooey! His good friend," Wayne said, introducing himself.
He looked very pleased with himself.
He didn't care why he could fly, either.
This had to be one of Spider-Man's superpowers.
Yep, that's my idol for you.
No, wait. I'm not Little Bug's fan.
Happy didn't ask any more questions.
In any case, he had finally managed to catch Spider-Man.
"Mr. Spider-Man, I need a favor from you," he said, sounding rather anxious.
Mark waved him off. "Pete, don't congratulate me yet. I'm still only a Beginner Demon Hunter."
He tapped the air in front of him. "I'm here to collect my Intermediate Demon Hunter badge now. Oh, and my reward."
Happy: "????"
Beside him, Pepper Potts whispered, "I know he's not quite right in the head, but what are you going to do in a situation like this?"
Happy thought for a moment. "No problem. Watch me."
As he spoke, he examined Mark's suit, which had been slightly damaged in battle.
"All right, Mr. Demon Hunter. Please wait a moment."
He turned and went inside, heading straight for Tony's lab.
If he wanted Spider-Man's help, he naturally had to show his goodwill first.
Ten minutes later, he returned to Mark with a silver briefcase.
"Mr. Demon Hunter, here is your reward."
Happy opened the briefcase, revealing a brand-new Spider-Suit to everyone.
"Wow, it's Intermediate Demon Hunter armor!"
Mark's eyes lit up.