Restart, Spider-Man!

BOOM!!

A thunderous explosion ripped through the ruins. Crimson beams of energy pierced the wreckage, spreading searing heat waves that sent glowing red debris flying. Everyone hurriedly retreated.

"Is he dead?"

Felicia and the others stared intently at the dissipating crimson light within the rubble, their faces full of anticipation.

Erik landed gracefully on the ground, his expression grave.

"Apocalypse isn't dead yet."

"What?"

Everyone's expressions shifted.

"That's impossible! Under such an intense high-temperature energy attack, his body would've been vaporized entirely. He couldn't possibly survive," Felicia asserted confidently.

Erik shook his head. "You have no idea what Apocalypse has been up to all this time."

"What has he done?"

"He—"

"Watch out!"

Before Erik could finish, Agent Hill's panicked shout rang out. The air twisted violently as a brilliant blue energy beam erupted, engulfing a red-and-blue figure in the depths of the pyramid.

"He's alive!"

Under the stunned gazes of Felicia and the others, Apocalypse slowly emerged from a spatial rift.

Hovering midair, he lowered his right hand, wisps of white smoke curling from his palm.

Staring at the ruins where Spider-Man had been, Apocalypse panted slightly, his eyes betraying a hint of lingering fear.

"Damn bug. This time, you won't get another chance."

Spider-Man's power after his latest resurrection was overwhelming, so much so that even Apocalypse found himself shaken.

But it didn't matter—he was no longer the same Apocalypse as before.

Although he had failed to obtain the bodies of Spider-Man and Carol, he had seized someone else's body, gaining all of their abilities.

If Carol reappeared before him now, she wouldn't stand a chance, and he certainly wouldn't flee in disgrace like before.

As Apocalypse considered Spider-Man's growing strength, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

Indeed, Spider-Man's power increased with every death, making him the perfect vessel.

Compared to Spider-Man, Carol—despite her immense strength—was still inferior.

Spider-Man defeating Carol was only a matter of time.

Before that, Apocalypse was determined to claim Spider-Man for himself.

His secret weapon would undoubtedly end this resilient foe.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, a red-and-blue magic circle abruptly flared into existence beside him.

Sensing the surge of magical energy, Apocalypse immediately deployed an energy shield.

Buzz—

BOOM!!

Once again, crimson rays erupted, engulfing Apocalypse and blasting him straight into the remnants of the pyramid.

Boom—

Crack, crack—

In an instant, the pyramid was pierced through by Apocalypse's body, slamming him into the underground base's stone walls.

Bang!!

On a coastal hill, Apocalypse's battered body burst through the mountainside, shooting skyward as streams of blue energy were overwhelmed by the crimson rays. The air distorted once more.

Whoosh—

High above, fierce winds roared. Apocalypse's armor had long since melted under the intense heat, and the horrific burns on his chest began to heal rapidly, visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, the stone-like texture of his skin flaked away, replaced by a writhing, blood-red surface.

"Well, well, impressive. Hydra's power—where'd you steal it from?"

A mocking voice came from behind him, causing Apocalypse's face to darken.

"Die!!"

In the skies, blue energy erupted once more as Apocalypse turned to unleash a ferocious blast. The energy surged into a magical circle and re-emerged from another angle, striking back with equal force.

BOOM!

BOOM!!

A streak of blue light plummeted toward the coastal city, smashing through the upper floors of a skyscraper before crashing into the park's lake.

Splash—

Water erupted, spraying into the sky, only to freeze into solid ice moments later. Frost rapidly spread, sending panicked citizens fleeing.

"Oh my God!"

"Run!"

"Is this the Ice Age?"

"It's a mutant!"

The onlookers screamed in terror as the rapidly encroaching frost threatened to engulf them. Suddenly, sparks of magical fire ignited on the frozen lake.

Buzz—

BOOM!!

A surge of destructive energy struck the ice, brilliant magical flames surging into the depths of the lake. The intense heat melted the frost, allowing the civilians to escape.

"It's Spider-Man!"

"I saw it—it's Spider-Man's magic!"

"He's finally here."

"I knew he wasn't dead."

"Or maybe he came back to life again..."

As the crisis subsided, the fleeing civilians slowed to a stop, turning to gaze back at the lake where shards of ice sprayed through the air.

No one could resist watching the live spectacle unfold before their eyes.

Crack, crack—

Boom!!

Under the onlookers' shocked stares, ice chunks from the lake exploded upward, piling atop one another as they surged toward the shore.

A blue figure shot skyward, causing the lake's waters to boil. Moments later, a terrifying crimson beam erupted, instantly locking onto the fleeing Apocalypse.

"Damn it! Doesn't this thing have a cooldown period?"

Apocalypse cursed loudly. Left with no other choice, he once again escaped the beam's assault by retreating through a spatial portal.

Buzz—

The crimson ray pierced through the twisted space and shot straight into the heavens, transforming the clouds into a fiery spectacle.

"Oh my God! What is that?"

The ray streaked toward the sky, leaving the bystanders gasping in awe.

Emerging from the water, Xia Luo shook his head slightly.

Using successive web-energy beams strained the efficiency of his solar energy conversion, preventing full-power output.

Being so far from the sun limits the amount of energy I can absorb and convert.

Rubbing his web-shooter gland at the wrist, Xia Luo adjusted it back to its standard web mode.

Buzz—

With a flick of his hand, he opened a portal and leapt through it.

The next moment, an endless desert stretched out before him.

"This place..."

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. Why would Apocalypse come here?

Before he could dwell further, the desert began to shift. The golden sands swirled upward, forming a massive column that reached toward the heavens.

Whoosh, whoosh—

A violent sandstorm howled, obscuring Xia Luo's vision.

But as he focused his gaze, he realized the column wasn't a pillar—it was a colossal arm, thousands of meters tall.

"Hahaha! Invincible Spider-Man, you're far too arrogant. I am no longer the Apocalypse you once knew!"

Apocalypse's maniacal laughter echoed through the desert as the swirling sand rapidly coalesced around the massive arm, forming a gargantuan sand golem towering thousands of meters high.

At its feet, vast stretches of desert sand were cleared away, revealing the finite nature of the sands.

Buzz—

In the next instant, the enormous sun in the sky was eclipsed by the giant's form, casting a colossal shadow that dwarfed Xia Luo to the size of an insect.

---

Meanwhile, in the underground base:

Erik had abandoned his confrontation with Felicia.

Everyone was now gathered together, watching the terrifying scene in the desert via satellite feed. They were frozen in shock.

"Is this... Sandman's ability?" Felicia asked in disbelief. "How does Apocalypse have Sandman's powers?"

Erik exhaled slowly. "It's the Super Skrull."

"The Super Skrull?"

Agent Hill furrowed her brow. "Didn't Carol destroy the Super Skrull? How did Apocalypse get his powers?"

Clint Barton's expression turned contemplative. "Could he have taken over Sandman's body?"

"No, that's not right. Sandman left no corpse. I couldn't find anything of him at the time," Erik replied.

Felicia shook her head, her thoughts a jumbled mess. "I've always suspected Sandman wasn't dead, but I never had any proof."

Erik toyed with a piece of metal in his hand as he explained, "The Super Skrull's body may have been shattered into pieces, but if you collect enough fragments and piece them back together, you can reconstruct his corpse."

"That's ridiculous," Johnny said, exasperated. "How could anyone find so many fragments? A lot of them were reduced to molecules—it's practically impossible!"

"Apocalypse has the ability to disassemble objects down to their molecular structure, so of course, he can manipulate molecules to reconstruct the Super Skrull's body."

Erik continued, "After restoring the Super Skrull's body, Apocalypse used a regenerative factor to reactivate the cellular functions, successfully taking over the body and gaining all of its powers."

"Did Gravi not resurrect?"

At this moment, a voice suddenly asked. It was "Mary Jane."

Everyone turned to look, puzzled.

"When did you get here?" Agent Hill asked, startled.

The disguised G'iah shrugged. "Traffic was bad. I just arrived."

The group didn't pay much attention to Mary Jane's abrupt arrival, but Erik shot G'iah a curious glance before continuing.

"I was surprised too. Gravi's body regained cellular activity, but he didn't come back to life. Instead, he turned into a vegetative state, which allowed Apocalypse to easily take over."

"Then why does Apocalypse still look the same as before?" Felicia questioned.

Erik pondered this for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure, but whenever he takes over someone else's body, his appearance seems to revert to its original state. It's likely another one of his abilities."

G'iah's eyes gleamed with understanding. "So Apocalypse became the Super Skrull, then stole Sandman's genetic material, granting him this new ability."

At those words, everyone's expressions darkened further.

"If he can steal Sandman's abilities, then he can steal even more powers."

"Exactly, which means..."

A foreboding dread swept through the group as they turned to the screen displaying the desert.

---

In the vast expanse of sand, the enormous sandman stomped down with a colossal foot. A massive sandstorm surged outward, erasing any trace of the small figure.

"Where's Spider-Man?"

"He can enlarge himself, too. I'm sure he's fine," Natasha reassured.

No sooner had she spoken than the massive sandman let out a panicked roar, slapping wildly at its own body.

"Damn bug! Get out of me!!"

On the barren landscape, the towering sandman thrashed in fury as the tiny intruder tore through its body, magical energy leaving trails of destruction and shattering vast sections of sand into debris.

"Big guy, who told you that bigger is always stronger?"

Within the endless sands, Xia Luo darted through the giant's form, snatching up a stray piece of trash that flew toward him.

"Wow, even deserts have sailor hats. How convenient."

He casually placed the hat on his head, then waved his hand to conjure a portal. A torrent of seawater burst forth like a high-pressure cannon.

Splash—

In an instant, the portal became a firehose, blasting upward and sweeping the sand away in its path.

"No!!"

Realizing that its leg was beginning to dissolve, Apocalypse's massive sandy face twisted in terror.

"This can't be happening..."

He roared, immediately abandoning Sandman's powers.

Boom—

In a flash, the cascading sands fell like a golden waterfall, and a pillar of fire shot skyward.

Die!!

Apocalypse, now transformed into a being of pure fire, unleashed twin columns of flames from his hands. Xia Luo, holding the portal steady, countered with a surge of high-pressure water.

Boom!!

Hiss—

As the flames met the water, a massive cloud of steam erupted, blanketing the desert in a dense, white mist.

Bang, bang, bang!!

Boom!

Amid the endless fog, bursts of magical energy erupted, crackling with arcs of lightning. Apocalypse's agonized screams echoed through the chaos.

"Damn bug! I'll defeat you no matter what!!"

As space began to warp, Apocalypse attempted to escape into another portal—only for a golden hand to grab him firmly.

"What?!"

Turning his head, Apocalypse saw a golden Spider-Man salute him playfully.

"Sorry, but I've caught you."

"You... no!!"

Boom!!

A brilliant golden streak of light pierced the desert as everything grew eerily silent.

In the stratosphere, the golden Spider-Man plummeted toward the earth, dragging Apocalypse's flaming form with him. The two figures streaked downward, their rapid descent igniting the air with intense flames, like a meteor hurtling from outer space.

Crack, crack—

In the fiery descent, Apocalypse's body alternated between charring and regenerating. But his regeneration couldn't keep pace with the destruction, and his body visibly disintegrated.

Meanwhile, Xia Luo, bathed in golden radiance amplified by stellar energy, glowed brighter than ever. The energy enveloped his body, forming a protective barrier that rendered him immune to the searing heat.

Witnessing this, Apocalypse gritted his teeth in rage.

"Damn it! I won't die!!"

Boom—

Channeling his last ounce of strength, Apocalypse wove space energy around his body, attempting to escape one final time. Yet, the effort failed.

"What?!"

Apocalypse looked on in horror, realizing the golden energy surrounding Xia Luo was disrupting his spatial abilities.

"Damn it..."

As the high temperatures threatened to vaporize him completely, an idea sparked in Apocalypse's mind. Activating his fire-based abilities, he transformed his body into pure flame energy.

"Hahaha! Now you really can't kill me!" Apocalypse laughed triumphantly.

"Is that so?"

Golden light flared in Xia Luo's eyes as he raised his hand and struck Apocalypse's chest.

Buzz—

In an instant, the fiery form of Apocalypse froze, his eyes turning vacant. The flames surrounding his body flickered and died away.

With a deafening impact, Apocalypse's body crashed into the desert below.

Boom!!

The earth trembled as if two planets had collided, sending debris shooting thousands of meters into the air.

At the center of the massive crater, Apocalypse's body dissolved completely under the scorching heat, leaving nothing behind but vaporized remnants.

High in the air, a translucent figure stared blankly at the disintegration of its physical body.

"Wh-what... is happening to me?"

Apocalypse raised his hand, staring at his now-ethereal body, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"This... is my soul?"

Realizing his state, he was overwhelmed by fear and instinctively tried to flee. However, the magical web Xia Luo had woven across the void sealed the space, leaving him with nowhere to escape.

"Argh! Get away!!"

Apocalypse's soul thrashed wildly, clawing at the magical web with his immense psychic strength. Against all odds, he managed to tear a hole through it and slipped into the sky beyond.

"Hm?"

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow, surprised at the turn of events.

The reason he hadn't immediately stripped Apocalypse of his soul was the mutant's formidable mental power. Attempting it unprepared might have given Apocalypse an opportunity to escape.

But now, it seemed his precautions weren't enough.

Just as Xia Luo prepared to pursue, Apocalypse's soul abruptly reversed direction, diving straight into Xia Luo's mind.

"Hahaha! Foolish insect, I truly must thank you!"

Amid the haze of disorientation, Xia Luo heard Apocalypse's gleeful laughter.

"You've saved me the trouble of using a consciousness-transfer device. Thanks to you, my soul has been liberated and can directly take over your body without any external aid. You've killed yourself, Spider-Man!"

As Xia Luo's awareness sharpened, he slowly opened his eyes to find himself back on Black Street in Queens.

In the garden, Uncle Ben was enthusiastically tending to the plants and flowers.

In the kitchen, Aunt May was frying his favorite steak.

"Hey, dear Xia Luo, wash up and come eat!" Aunt May called out cheerfully to the dazed figure standing outside the window.

Xia Luo blinked and snapped out of his trance, but he didn't respond to her.

Instead, he scanned his surroundings, his eyes narrowing.

"This is your so-called domain, isn't it, Apocalypse? Why are you still hiding? What's wrong? Afraid to show yourself? Some 'god of mutants' you are—a cowardly little insect."

His voice dripped with sarcasm, but Apocalypse did not appear.

"Xia Luo, it's going to rain soon! Come back inside!" Aunt May urged.

Uncle Ben stood up and waved to him with a smile. "Xia Luo, don't stand in the street—it's dangerous!"

"Come back home!"

"Come inside."

"Return."

Aunt May and Uncle Ben kept calling out to him, but Xia Luo ignored their pleas.

He understood where he was—his mindscape. The scene before him was nothing more than a projection of his memories.

Apocalypse can manipulate my consciousness to create illusions? Looks like I underestimated him.

"Xia Luo, I'm hungry."

Suddenly, a childlike voice called from behind.

Xia Luo turned to see a young Mary Jane looking up at him with pitiful eyes.

In that instant, memories came flooding back.

Buzz—

The world around him dissolved, replaced by a brilliantly lit church.

"Mr. Xia Luo Parker, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?

For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, will you be faithful to her all your life?"

The solemn voice of the priest echoed, and before him stood Gwen, gazing at him with eyes full of love.

Today, Gwen looked stunning, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. Her pristine wedding dress accentuated her graceful figure, and beneath her veil, her face was tinged with a shy blush.

In the pews, Harry and the others waited anxiously.

"My friend, what are you waiting for? Say something!" Harry urged, nearly leaping out of his seat to say the words on Xia Luo's behalf.

"You look like an idiot right now, hero. If you don't want to do it, let me take your place," Wade quipped in his dapper suit, only to be promptly thrown out of the church by old man Steve Rogers.

"Congratulations, Spidey, but this is no time to freeze up—everyone's waiting for you!"

"I object!"

Suddenly, Peggy Carter stood, shield raised, ready to charge up the aisle, but Steve Rogers and others restrained her just in time.

Xia Luo: "..."

He scanned the room, spotting Aunt May and Uncle Ben among the guests. With a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, great and mighty god of mutants, what exactly is your plan here?

Trying to catch me off guard with a tear-jerking moment?

Come on, you've been watching too many movies. Who even gets married these days?"

Before he could finish his thought, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

"Xia Luo, don't do it!" Mary Jane cried out in alarm.

Xia Luo: "..."

"Another one? Fine. Sure, the drama's a bit over the top, but having people fight over me does feel kind of nice. Too bad no one's throwing punches. Apocalypse, you know me—I love watching a good catfight. If you can make them brawl, maybe I'll actually be impressed."

His train of thought derailed as Mary Jane suddenly leaped into the air. With a swift motion, she shot webs from her fingertips, anchoring herself to the ceiling.

"No!!"

With a startled cry of disbelief, Apocalypse revealed his presence, caught in the webbing that now enshrouded him.

"Damn woman! You ruined everything! Die!!"

Furious, Apocalypse swung his hand, obliterating everything inside the church. His body expanded rapidly, growing into a towering giant over ten meters tall.

"Die!!"

He stomped down with a massive foot, but Mary Jane leapt agilely into the air, firing webbing from her fingers. The strands wrapped tightly around Apocalypse's enormous body.

Swish, swish, swish—

In mere moments, Mary Jane's figure flickered across the battlefield, gracefully dodging Apocalypse's counterattacks while ensnaring him further with her webs.

"What are you standing around for? Take him down!" she shouted as she zipped past Xia Luo.

Xia Luo: "???"

"Uh... your performance is impressive, but you know what? I think I suddenly feel like getting married."

He rolled his eyes and turned toward Gwen, only to find her face replaced with Peggy Carter's.

Xia Luo: "..."

"What the—this isn't the deal! You can't bait-and-switch me like this!"

He yelled at Apocalypse, who was thrashing against the webs, turning his furious gaze on Xia Luo.

"You damned bug! What kind of trickery is this?! Why—"

Before he could finish, a fresh layer of webbing sealed over his face.

Moments later, Mary Jane landed on Apocalypse's head, using her webbing to strangle him by the throat.

"They're all illusions! Help me!" she cried out desperately.

Xia Luo rolled his eyes again.

"Don't blame me for not sticking to the script. Even if it were Peggy, I'd still—ugh!"

Turning his head once more, Xia Luo gagged on the spot.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, old man?!" he shouted at a Steve Rogers dressed in a wedding gown.

Old Steve grinned. "I figured you rejected them all for me."

"Go to hell!"

Xia Luo screamed in frustration, kicking Steve out of the church with one swift motion.

Before he could catch his breath, he noticed the audience below starting to stir. His face darkened.

"You... you better stay put! I'll knock you all out if I have to!"

"Spider-Man, please love me again!"

Agent Hill puckered her lips and bolted onto the stage.

"No!! This is too much!!"

Xia Luo clenched his fists and stomped his foot in frustration. Finally, unable to hold back, he grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at the crowd.

"Whoosh!"

A black streak of light sliced through the air, and the entire scene shattered like glass.

"What... is this?"

Raising the black longsword in his hand, Xia Luo furrowed his brows.

"The Necrosword? How is this here?"

His confusion deepened, but before he could process it, Apocalypse threw Mary Jane aside and charged at him with a massive fist.

"Damn bug! No matter what tricks you pull, you're dead today!!"

The car-sized fist hurtled toward Xia Luo, who didn't even flinch.

"Look, could you just be straightforward about it? This terrible acting is making it impossible for me to take you seriously!"

He sighed, spreading his hands in exasperation as the Necrosword began to glow faintly.

Buzz—

Rip!

A sudden slash of the sword cleaved through Apocalypse's massive form. The towering giant froze mid-swing, his fist suspended in the air.

Xia Luo: "???"

Curious, he swung the Necrosword again, sending another arc of energy slicing through Apocalypse.

Splurt—

Ugh—

Apocalypse let out a muffled grunt before collapsing to his knees, his massive form beginning to disintegrate.

"You... bug... you've won..."

With those final words, his head drooped, and his enormous body dissolved into the wind.

As Apocalypse vanished, the Necrosword faded into the void.

Xia Luo scratched his head. "Uh... can someone explain this to me?"

He glanced toward a corner of the church where Mary Jane was rising from the rubble, her face a mixture of emotions.

The bride standing at the altar hadn't been her.

So...

She took a deep breath, fighting back tears. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, but I've realized something. I won't make things difficult for you anymore."

Slowly, she turned and walked toward the door.

As the white light from the entrance illuminated her, she paused and looked back.

"Spider-Man, I wish you happiness. If..."

She hesitated. "No, never mind. Goodbye."

Under the radiant light, Mary Jane's figure faded away.

In the now-ruined church, Xia Luo stared blankly at the spot where she had disappeared.

"Uh... is anyone here?"

He scanned the surroundings. "Should we... keep going?" he ventured.

But no one answered.

"Hello? Anyone?"

"If you're not coming out, I'm leaving, okay?"

"I'm really leaving now!"

"Mutant god, stop pretending to be dead."

"I swear, I'm leaving for real. Just come out already, I'm begging you! Please stop messing with me!"

---

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Medical Bay

On the hospital bed, Xia Luo was putting on an exaggerated performance, while Harry and the others around him wore peculiar expressions.

"Should we send him to a psych ward?" Harry asked.

Carter frowned. "I don't think so. Apocalypse's last-ditch effort was likely to take over his body through consciousness. But as Charles said, Xia Luo's mental strength is formidable—he couldn't possibly lose to Apocalypse. It should end soon."

Wong, standing to the side, thought for a moment. "You said the same thing half an hour ago."

Carter: "..."

To smooth over the awkwardness, she turned to Wong with a smile. "Thank you for bringing him here."

Wong's face twitched. "You already thanked me ten minutes ago."

Carter: "..."

At that moment, Tony Stark entered the room.

"All sorted out. Explaining to them was such a pain," he said.

He glanced at Xia Luo on the bed and adjusted his sunglasses.

"He's back, but it looks like he's not completely back yet," Tony commented.

Harry rubbed his chin in thought. "At least we can confirm he's fine."

Carter shook her head and turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Looking at the familiar aircraft landing pad outside, she sighed. "It's been so long since I've been here. It feels a little strange."

Harry rolled his eyes discreetly. "Commander Carter, we've been hiding for so long. Now that we've dealt with the troublemakers, how are you going to explain this to the public?"

Before Carter could respond, Tony smirked. "Actually, Captain Carter anticipated this kind of situation. The Carter family's logistical preparations were impeccable. Hardly anyone knows we were supposedly dead.

"And since we've quietly dealt with those annoying individuals, there's virtually no opposition or skepticism anymore.

"In short, we've taken control of the situation."

Carter turned back to them. "Exactly. The chaos caused by the Skrulls gave us the perfect opportunity. Most of the senators are now on our side.

"Once Xia Luo wakes up, he'll see a very different world."

"I'm already awake."

Sitting up on the bed, Xia Luo still looked bewildered.

"What just happened?" he asked.

Harry hurried to pour him a glass of water. "You defeated the God of Mutants. From now on, you're..."

"The God of Humanity?" Xia Luo raised an eyebrow.

"No, the God of Spider-Men."

"Uh, that's a terrible nickname."

Xia Luo stretched lazily as he got out of bed. "By the way, has anyone found Mary Jane?"

"Mary Jane?" Harry looked puzzled. "She was just here."

Carter, however, shook her head slightly, which deepened Xia Luo's frown.

He had used an extra resurrection spot on Mary Jane. By now, she should have been revived.

"Also, Gwen's body is missing, and the Necrosword that the Carter family was guarding is gone," Carter added.

Hearing this, Xia Luo's frown deepened further.

Mary Jane. Gwen. The Necrosword...

So, the Necrosword was real.

Mary Jane was real.

And Apocalypse's death was real.

I didn't find Gwen in the resurrection trials, but she still revived.

Thinking it through, it made sense. The tasks in this resurrection trial were challenging, but if Gwen were conscious, she could have easily earned a resurrection spot.

And if she were conscious, it explained why Gwen would avoid him altogether.

Killing a friend with your own hands... no one could face that calmly.

But what about Mary Jane?

Wishing me happiness? Since when does a Spider-Man ever get to be happy?

Wait... maybe there were a few.

Shaking off his thoughts, Xia Luo focused on the glowing prompts before him.

[You played the role of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and slaughtered the God of Mutants. Restart Count +19.]

[You played the role of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and maintained world peace. Restart Count +49.]

"Maintained world peace?"

The unexpected bonus made Xia Luo grin. Though it wasn't the reward he'd imagined, it wasn't a bad haul.

Saving the world is easy, but maintaining world peace... now that's a feat.

He had a pretty good idea of what Carter and the others had been working on during this time.

Walking to the window, Xia Luo spread his arms and took a deep breath.

"Ah... the air is so fresh. The world is so beautiful."

Satisfying!

"Spider-Man of this beautiful world, don't you think it's time you kept your promise?"

Charles Xavier's voice interrupted, and Xia Luo turned to see him standing nearby.

"I've gathered a group of harmless mutants, just as you suggested. But now, we need a home," Charles said.

Xia Luo nodded. "No problem."

He turned to Carter. "The Carter family has plenty of estates. How about giving them one?"

Carter scoffed. "Asking for an estate right off the bat? You've got quite the appetite."

"Commander Carter, don't be so stingy. You're about to get promoted, after all," Xia Luo teased.

"I know."

Carter smiled, her mood visibly lifted. "Fine. I'll give them two estates."

She glanced at the delighted Charles. "What's next on your agenda?"

Charles chuckled. "I plan to open an academy for mutants and then create a mutant version of the Avengers—a group that can help ordinary people accept and respect them."

"Does this organization have a name?" Tony asked.

Charles hesitated, scratching his head and inadvertently pulling out a handful of hair. He didn't seem to notice.

"The X-Men. What do you think of that name?" he asked tentatively.

Xia Luo: "..."

This guy's on his way to being bald.

---

T/N: that was a DOOZY around 5k again :3c