The rooftop shook as Peter's hand pressed against Martin Li's chest. A burst of light spread out, golden and white mixing together — pushing back the dark energy that wrapped around Mr. Negative like armor.
Li gritted his teeth, trying to push more corruption out. "You can't stop this! My power is—"
Peter cut him off. "Your power hurts people. Mine fixes that."
The energy between them grew louder, like thunder trapped in their hands. Mr. Negative's black aura tried to fight back, twisting and screaming, but the golden glow around Peter didn't fade. It only got stronger.
The darkness began to crack. Fissures of light spread across Li's body — starting from where Peter's palm touched him and racing outward. His coat ripped, his breath caught, and the white glow in his eyes flickered and died.
"Stop fighting it," Peter said quietly. "You don't have to carry this anymore."
Mr. Negative's body trembled. The corruption screamed one last time before it shattered completely, exploding into harmless light that faded into the night air.
Li fell to his knees, gasping, sweat running down his face. The black veins vanished. His skin returned to normal, though he looked exhausted and broken.
Peter stepped back, lowering his hand. "It's over."
Lumia ran forward, helping one of the freed men nearby. "They're breathing normally," she said. "You did it, Peter."
He nodded, catching his breath. The golden light around him faded slowly. "They were infected with his energy. I just… reversed it."
From the side, Max finally spoke. "No," he said with a faint smile. "You dominated it. Bent it to your will without destroying it. That's the difference."
Peter looked up at him, still catching his breath. "Guess I finally got it right, huh?"
Max gave a small nod. "You did. You've come a long way from the kid who only punched first and worried later."
Lumia chuckled softly. "He still does that sometimes."
Peter smiled a little. "Old habits."
They turned toward Martin Li, who was barely conscious, mumbling to himself. "You… you don't understand… the city… it's already infected…"
Before Peter could ask more, Li's body shimmered again — dark smoke curling around him.
Max's eyes narrowed. "He's using the last of his energy to escape."
Peter reached forward, but it was too late. Mr. Negative dissolved into black mist and disappeared into the night.
For a moment, none of them spoke. The rooftop was silent except for the soft hum of the city below.
Lumia looked around at the unconscious men, now normal again. "At least you saved them."
Peter nodded slowly. "Yeah. This time, we didn't just stop the fight. We fixed what was broken."
Peter stood quietly for a moment, watching the night sky settle back into calm. The soft city lights reflected off the broken glass and patches of melted shadow that still lingered across the rooftop.
Max's voice broke the silence. "So," he said, stepping closer, "what's the deal between you and Martin Li? You looked like you knew him before all this."
Peter exhaled slowly, resting his hands on his knees. "Yeah… I did."
He straightened up, eyes distant as he looked toward the FEAST building glowing faintly in the distance. "Martin wasn't always like this. He used to run FEAST with Aunt May — before everything went wrong. Back then, he was the kind of guy who'd stay late just to make sure everyone got a meal. He believed in helping people."
Max tilted his head slightly. "What happened to him?"
Peter sighed, his voice quieter now. "It started after Kingpin fell. With Wilson Fisk gone, a lot of people fought to fill the power vacuum. Martin got caught in the middle — or maybe he was already part of it. That's when I saw it… the first time he lost control of that negative energy."
He rubbed his forehead, remembering. "It wasn't supposed to happen. Aunt May called me to FEAST one night — said something was wrong. When I got there, Martin was surrounded by this dark aura, people were screaming… I tried to stop him, but I wasn't fast enough."
His voice cracked a little, though he kept it steady. "Aunt May was trying to calm him down. She always believed there was good in everyone. But the energy hit her too. It didn't kill her, not right away, but it weakened her — and after that, she never really recovered."
"But Lumia used her powers and healed her fully and even better than before" he added as Max nodded, he knows his sister powers , it was power over life and death, she is very powerful as only few beings on Earth can match her.
"Still, you are angry with martin li hitting Aunt May" Max said.
Peter nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't just some villain fight for me. Martin was family — in a way. He lost control, and I lost someone because of it. Ever since then, I promised myself if I ever saw him like that again, I'd stop it. But not by killing him. By saving him."
Max studied him for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. Then he gave a small nod. "So this wasn't just redemption for him," he said quietly. "It was for you too."
Peter didn't answer at first. He just looked out over the city — the faint glow of FEAST in the distance, still alive, still doing good. "Maybe," he finally said.
Then he smiled faintly. "Besides, I know Aunt May. She'd definitely want him back at FEAST, helping others like he used to. That's what she believed in — second chances."
Max nodded slowly, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Then make it happen, Parker. Don't worry about how long it takes. Just… do it your way."
He patted Peter on the back, firm but reassuring. "I know you can."
Peter nodded, his eyes still on the skyline. "Yeah. I will."
Lumia smiled softly, stepping beside them. "Then let's head home. We've earned some rest."
Max chuckled quietly. "For once, I agree."
Together, the three of them turned toward the edge of the rooftop — the city lights glowing beneath their feet, the night finally calm again.
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead