Chapter 54: Chapter 54: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Drastic Change
From a distance, the Bat watched as Spider-Woman took Miles and the others away, and he couldn't help but admire her.
At this moment, S.H.I.E.L.D. was truly wealthy.
Spider-Woman simply boarded a Quinjet and left.
Just to pick her up, S.H.I.E.L.D. had dispatched a Quinjet—an extravagant display of resources.
But the question remained: once Spider-Woman returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., would they still have the capability to put on such a grand show?
Letting a terrorist organization get their hands on S.H.I.E.L.D. technology was, in every sense, a massive failure on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s part.
By the time Spider-Woman returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. with Miles—and that mysterious individual who somehow got hold of S.H.I.E.L.D. gear—they had already learned that Nick Fury, along with Hawkeye and others, had set off for Southeast Asia to seek help from the heavens.
After all, the city led by the so-called "Creator" and his Tomorrow's Children had long since become a grave threat to everyone.
However, at this moment, Spider-Woman keenly sensed the unrest within S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
Miles, meanwhile, was still preoccupied with their earlier encounter. He couldn't quite understand how Spider-Woman had been so certain that the Bat was, in fact, the real Batman.
Lost in thought, he failed to notice that Spider-Woman had stopped abruptly, causing him to crash right into her back.
"What's going on?" Miles asked, curious.
Without a word, Spider-Woman dropped the person she was holding, grabbed Miles by the wrist, and bolted toward the exit of Triskelion.
Miles was completely caught off guard—why was Spider-Woman, a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., trying to escape?
Wasn't this supposed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters?
Before he could voice his confusion, the sound of gunfire erupted behind them, instantly answering his question.
Clearly, S.H.I.E.L.D. was no longer the organization he had left behind.
Spider-Woman quickly realized she couldn't keep dragging Miles along while running. Without hesitation, she let go of his hand.
She trusted his abilities—he would be able to regain his balance in an instant.
"What's happening?" Miles asked again.
This time, he didn't disappoint Spider-Woman. The moment she let go, he used his webbing to stabilize himself.
Now, both Spider-Woman and Miles relied on their Spider-Sense to dodge the bullets flying toward them.
Annoyed, Spider-Woman finally answered, "If I knew, I wouldn't have brought you to Triskelion in the first place."
She had reacted just in time—any later, and they would have been trapped inside with no way out.
Even so, the massive doors ahead of them were already being remotely sealed.
Without hesitation, Spider-Woman shot a web onto the ceiling, pulled back as hard as she could, and in the same motion, grabbed Miles' hand.
With all her strength, she flung Miles forward first before using the web's recoil to propel herself out as well.
In mere seconds, they had escaped whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. had become.
The now-sealed doors behind them would serve as an obstacle to their pursuers.
"This reminds me of when I was escaping Oscorp with the other Spider-Men," Miles blurted out as they ran.
Spider-Woman glanced at him but said nothing.
However, it was clear that she had taken note of his words.
After fleeing for a while, Spider-Woman led Miles into a narrow alleyway.
Here, they could finally evade pursuit—at least for the moment.
"With Triskelion in this state, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s safe houses are no longer an option," Spider-Woman said, removing her mask.
Beneath it was a face that bore some resemblance to Peter Parker—though far more striking and refined.
This was the first time Miles had seen Spider-Woman in person, and he couldn't help but marvel, "Are you Peter Parker's sister or maybe his older sister?"
"We need to get out of here as soon as possible," Spider-Woman ignored Miles' surprise and swiftly climbed up to a nearby window.
With practiced ease, she retrieved two sets of clothes and tossed a set of men's clothing directly to Miles.
She then quickly put on the outfit she had prepared over her spider suit.
Miles didn't waste any time either and immediately changed into the clothes.
"I still don't know your name," Miles asked while putting on his clothes.
"Jessica Drew. You can just call me Drew," Jessica replied, pulling up her hood as she prepared to leave the alley.
"Got it." Miles finally managed to pull on his hoodie, awkwardly adjusting the collar.
"So, Miss Drew, where exactly are we headed?"
Miles walked up beside Jessica.
"To be honest, I have no idea right now," Jessica admitted. She had no clue where she could safely take Miles at this point.
Any safe house set up by S.H.I.E.L.D. was out of the question.
Unless, by some miracle, a safe house just dropped from the sky, giving them a place to stay while she figured out exactly what was happening with S.H.I.E.L.D.
"In that case, I actually know a good place," Miles' eyes lit up as he recalled a location where he and the other Spider-People had been able to rest and recover.
Jessica eyed him skeptically, but given their current situation, she had no choice but to trust him.
New York – Queens – May Parker's Home
At that moment, Aunt May was using the sunlight to help apply medicine to the bruises and welts on Batman's body.
She was well aware of how strong the protective capabilities of his armored suit were.
The fact that he still ended up with bruises and welts despite such protection spoke volumes about the kind of battle he had just endured.
"I think you need to add some more shock-absorbing materials," Aunt May said with a frown. "And remember, if you're injured, speak up sooner. Don't just tough it out."
"If I do that, the suit will be too heavy, which would hinder my movements," Bruce replied flatly. "Are we done?"
"Yes, and next time, apply the medicine yourself," Aunt May said, clearly displeased, setting the medicine bottle down with a loud thud.
Bruce silently stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Less sugar. Older folks can't handle drinks that are too sweet," Aunt May called after him.
Even though it had only been a day, she had already figured out Bruce's habits.
He was probably going to make her coffee again.
After all, making coffee seemed to be the only thing Bruce was particularly skilled at—everything else was... well, best left unmentioned.
Ding-dong~
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Aunt May slowly opened the door just a crack—only to see a very familiar face.
"Miles?!"
"Uh, hey~" Miles greeted her a little sheepishly.
(End of Chapter)
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