The lights in the vault flickered, with only a few emergency lights casting a pale white glow in the corner. The Rhino pulled his fist from the shattered safe wreckage, his gray-white armor covered in concrete dust, and the layer of white ash on his nose was so thick it looked like he'd been rolled in flour.
"You fucking..." he gasped, turning his head to search for someone in the smoke.
Nobody's here.
"Where the hell are you?!"
A soft whistle came from above. Gwen Stacy was hanging upside down from the steel beam directly above the vault, two Silk attached to the beam, her feet hooked on the threads, her whole body dangling in mid-air like a satiated bat. Her pink, white and black nanotech suit gleamed coldly under the emergency lights, and her blue eyes beneath the mask curved into two crescent moons.
"Here you are, big guy, lift your head."
The Rhino looked up and saw Gwen Stacy waving at him from the ceiling.
He roared, crouched, and strained, slamming into the ceiling. His over three-meter-tall body sprang up, creating a gust of Gwen Stacy. At the last moment, Gwen snapped back, flipped over, and pushed off the steel beam with his feet, sliding two meters horizontally along the ceiling. The Rhino's horn struck the steel beam, shaking the entire vault. A large chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling, hitting him squarely on the head.
"Pfft." Gwen Stacy landed on top of the filing cabinet opposite, squatted down, and tilted her head to look at him. "Your aim is terrible; you should work on your aim."
"You..." The Rhino brushed the rubble off his face, revealing an even thicker layer of white ash on his nose. "You dare come down here!"
"Come up here if you dare."
"I can't get up there!"
"Then just admit you can't get up there."
Lin Xiao leaned against the wall frame by the vault door, arms crossed, the red cape of his battle suit hanging at his feet. He chewed gum he'd somehow produced, his cheeks puffing out. After watching Gwen Stacy walk the Rhino for a while, he turned to her and called out, "Don't keep flipping over him directly above; he senses things on his horns. Go around him from the left, keeping half a foot below your body."
Gwen Stacy didn't even turn her head. "If you're so capable, you do it."
"I could slap him to death, you believe me? Didn't you see the slap I gave him just now? He was lying on the ground with his butt sticking out for two minutes. People who saw it would think I have some kind of fetish."
"I didn't see it, don't believe me."
I think you're just lazy.
"Say what you will, I'll stand here and watch you fight."
The Rhino below couldn't stand it any longer. With a roar, he grabbed half an iron door panel from the ground and hurled it at Lin Xiao. The panel spun twice in the air, and Lin Xiao dodged to the side. The panel grazed his shoulder and flew off, embedding itself in the wall across the corridor, its end still vibrating.
"Whoa." Lin Xiao switched the chewing gum to the other side. "You're getting mad at me."
"Shut up!" The Rhino pointed at Lin Xiao, then turned to Gwen Stacy above him, "And you! Can't you two take turns? One of you is babbling up here, and the other is babbling down there. Are you here to arrest someone or to perform a comedy routine?"
Gwen Stacy launched herself off the top of the filing cabinet, her Silk catching her ankle and yanking her. The Rhino lost his balance, his knees hitting the shattered safe, and he fell face-first to the ground. He tried to get up, Gwen Stacy was already on his back, her feet on his shoulders.
What did you just say? A comedy routine? You don't like it?
"Get down here right now!"
"I'll come down if you confess."
"I don't acknowledge it!"
"Then you can stay lying down."
Lin Xiao clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Great! Gwen Stacy scores the first point!"
The Rhino was almost crying. He lay on the ground, his face pressed against the cold cement, the white dust from his nose smeared all over the floor. He tried to struggle, but Gwen Stacy's weight on his back shifted slightly with his movements, always keeping him in the weak spot where he was trying to exert force.
"You... you..." His voice was muffled and trembling slightly, "Have you ever considered my feelings? I'm a bank robber, can't you at least show me some respect?"
Gwen Stacy looked down at him. "You smashed through three vault doors, making more noise than a construction crew. What respect do you deserve? Respect for waking up the residents on three blocks?"
"I did it for the money! I have important business to attend to."
"You've made money now?"
The Rhino fell silent. The innermost wall of the vault hadn't even been broken through yet, and he hadn't even seen what the money looked like, but these two had been keeping him at the door for almost twenty minutes.
Gwen Stacy jumped off his back, squatted next to his head, and tilted her head to look at him for a while.
"Here's what we'll do. Go outside and tell those police officers that you confess, and I'll let you go. I won't beat you, tie you up, or hang you on a lamppost."
"Real?"
"Why would I lie to you? I'm not him." She gestured with her chin at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao shrugged. "I have a good credit record."
The Rhino hesitated for three seconds, lying on the ground. The scene from just moments ago flashed through his mind: he had charged seven times, missing once; been slapped by the big guy and stunned for two minutes; been led around by this girl for twenty minutes, his nose now full of dust. He couldn't hit her, couldn't run away, and was constantly being verbally attacked from both sides.
He sighed, a long sigh that seemed to release all the pent-up frustration he had been holding in for so long.
"I plead guilty."
Gwen Stacy patted him on the shoulder. "That's more like it."
The Rhino got up from the ground, covered in dust and dirt, the white dust on his nose washed away by sweat into muddy streaks. He lowered his head and walked step by step towards the vault. When he passed Lin Xiao, he paused and glanced at him.
" Homelander, I'll remember you. I never expected such a respected fellow to be such a... bastard."
"Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment."
Rhino:...
Rhino gritted his teeth and continued walking out. At the end of the corridor, George Daisy stood behind the police tape, clutching a walkie-talkie, his expression like a frozen lake. He saw Rhino walk out on his own, hands above his head, saying, "I plead guilty, I plead guilty, don't shoot," and he froze for a moment. Then he looked up, his gaze passing over Rhino's shoulder, and saw two people walking out of the vault door.
Gwen Stacy walked ahead, Lin Xiao followed behind. What the hell was that damn hand? Holding hands! They actually came out holding hands?! I'll just have to put up with it!
George stared at his daughter for three seconds, then stared intently at Lin Xiao, his eyes filled with anger, helplessness, resentment, and a hint of bitterness.
He said nothing, turned and walked towards the command vehicle.
He took two steps and then stopped.
" Ghost-Spider."
"Hmm?" Gwen Stacy jogged a couple of steps to catch up and stood next to George.
George didn't even glance at her, his eyes fixed on the line of police cars ahead. "Thanks for your help to the New York Police Department, Ghost-Spider." But then he lowered his voice, adding, "You brat, we'll talk about that when we get home. You're dead meat."
Gwen Stacy's face fell, and she shook George's arm, whispering something.
"Duh, please forgive me this time, okay? I didn't mean to stand you up."
George's face stiffened as he looked around. "You did this on purpose? Don't be ridiculous."
Gwen Stacy seemed not to hear and continued shaking, until George finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Don't do it again."
Gwen Stacy tilted her head to look at her father's profile. After glancing around, she pulled back half of her mask, revealing her cherry-like lips, and tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek.
George froze for a moment, a fleeting awkwardness crossing his face.
"... Go back and kiss her again. What will others think if they see?"
Gwen Stacy chuckled twice and let go of her hand. She glanced back and saw Lin Xiao standing by the police line, giving her a thumbs-up and mouthing, "Your dad's so cool."
Meanwhile, Kamar-Taj Temple
A giant toad stood at the entrance of the main hall, its eyes darting around, seemingly lost in thought.
Surprisingly, it was wearing a monk's robe, with a sticky green liquid clinging to the corner. It was also clutching a short staff, the tip of which was covered in bits of toad slime. Mordo stood beside it, arms crossed, his expression indifferent, but his lips twitched more frequently than usual.
It shouldn't be said that the toad spoke, but rather that the king spoke.
"Quack, he's gone?"
"Let's go," Mordo said.
"You let him go? Have you found a solution?"
"A solution has not yet been found."
Wang looked down at his toad-shaped mouth, which twitched. He recalled the scene of himself squatting by the pond for half an hour, sticking out his tongue to lick insects and eating them. His temples throbbed.
"That spell," Mordo began, his tone flat, "Where did he find it in which book?"
Wang took a deep breath. "The book I kept, ' Gleanings on Transfiguration,' page thirty-seven, sandwiched between the Forgetfulness Spell and the Rewind Spell, was supposed to be a harmless practice spell."
"Harmless," Mordo repeated the word.
"Yes. Theoretically, that spell can only be cast on the caster, and its purpose is to allow the mage to experience the senses of different beings. But he added an extra syllable when he chanted it, and then turned the target onto me."
Mordo was silent for two seconds. Then he slowly turned around and walked towards the side hall, subconsciously muttering something that even carried a hint of pride in his voice.
"My apprentice is quite capable."
Wang was furious when he heard that.
" Mordo, what did you say, you bastard?"
Mordo shook his head, but the smile on his lips just wouldn't go away.
Lin Xiao's seven-story penthouse in Manhattan New York.
A golden halo expanded in the air, sparks flying, and a burnt smell filled the air. Peter was the first to emerge from the portal, the Fool floated up behind him, its eight legs spread apart. The human face on his back opened its eyes and warily surveyed its surroundings, closing them again after confirming it was a familiar environment. Peter took a deep breath after regaining his footing.
"You're back," he said softly, a hint of relief in his voice.
Ned emerged from the halo shortly after, carrying a small bag, his robes stained with mud, his round face thinner than before, but his eyes were frighteningly bright. He looked around to make sure he was standing on the rooftop tiles and not on the stone path of Kamar-Taj, and his whole body visibly relaxed.
" New York!" Ned shouted, arms outstretched, head tilted back, towards the night sky, "Your god is back!"
Peter kicked him in the shin.
"Don't shout, there are people downstairs."
"What are you afraid of? This is Uncle Lin's house."
"Keep your voice down. There's a time difference, and it's already past midnight. Don't wake Aunt May."
Ned pursed his lips, glanced down at his monk's robe, and then at Peter's ordinary T-shirt and jeans.
"Why do you think Master was in such a hurry to send me back? It's just that I blew up the meditation room three times, burned down the kitchen once, and stole his jujube tea twenty-three times. Is it really necessary? He wasn't this strict with me before."
Peter's lips twitched. Peter tilted his head to look at him, his tone tinged with disbelief. "You still dare to say that? You turned the King into a toad, and he can't turn back. Mordo someone as rigid as Mordo didn't scold you; instead, he was in a hurry to bring you back. I think it's just favoritism, afraid that the Sorcerer Supreme will punish you."
Ned tilted his head and thought for a moment, his eyes slowly brightening. "That's true. Now that you mention it, it's really true. If he were truly angry with me, he should have made me copy scriptures until I died, so why did he let me come back first? What does that mean? It means he couldn't bear to punish me."
This means he doesn't want to see you again.
"That's because you don't understand. Master may be sharp-tongued, but he's soft-hearted. If he really disliked me, he would have locked me in the meditation room to copy scriptures instead of sending me back to New York. He let me go because he knows I can be of greater use here."
Peter looked at him and remained silent for two seconds.
Have you convinced yourself?
"Yes." Ned nodded matter-of-factly, then turned to Peter. "Alright, let's not talk about that now. Are you hungry?"
"Didn't you just eat three bowls of plain porridge at Kamar-Taj?"
That happened two hours ago.
Peter sighed. He looked up at the sky; the night sky was clear, and the lights of Manhattan cast an orange-red glow on the clouds. He looked down at his hands; there were a few shallow scratches on his knuckles, marks from when he had sat in meditation and pressed against a stone. The Fool slowly shrank into a ball behind him, floating quietly.
"Let's go check the Fridge to see if Aunt May made any waffles," Peter said.
"Waffles?"
Yes, waffles.
"Long live Peter! Long live Peter!"
Peter shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.