"Oh my God, let me see which handsome young man just got home... and he even brought a girl back with him!"
By the time Peter and Gwen returned to Peter's house, Uncle Ben and Aunt May had just gotten back as well.
Uncle Ben looked at Peter and Gwen and made the joke with a grin.
It left both of them a little embarrassed.
"Harry and MJ aren't here yet?"
"They'll probably be a little late."
"Come on, kid, try this on and see if it fits."
Aunt May did not say much else. She simply pulled a suit out of a brown paper bag. The fabric and quality were clearly top-tier. This suit had definitely cost a lot.
Money at home was not exactly tight, but Uncle Ben had been wearing the same suit for nearly five years. They always saved where they could. Peter really had not expected them to buy him something like this.
He stepped inside and put it on.
With his tall, straight frame, he looked like a perfect model for clothes. His face still carried a bit of youthful softness, but Gwen was certain that in a couple of years, this guy was going to be outrageously handsome.
As long as he did not turn into that greasy middle-aged Peter with the big belly, it would be fine.
The moment that similar face flashed through her mind, Gwen quickly shoved the horrible thought away.
If Peter ever turned into that kind of middle-aged man, she felt like she would want to die.
"That's a handsome young man right there."
Aunt May stepped in front of Peter, adjusted his collar, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Peter, look at this."
When Uncle Ben handed him a new camera, Peter froze for a moment.
He had not expected Uncle Ben to still remember that hobby of his.
He had not touched photography in nearly five or six years. When he was younger, he had loved taking pictures, but later, once he started preparing himself to become Spider-Man, he had poured huge amounts of time and energy into building equipment and training his body, and that hobby had been completely abandoned.
Gwen also pulled a small item out of her backpack.
It was a very famous lighter, and definitely not a cheap one either.
Still, she reminded Peter to smoke less.
"We're not late, are we?!"
They heard a car horn from outside, followed by Harry's bright laugh. Peter smiled and turned to head out and greet them.
"I told you guys not to bring gifts. You're really determined to be formal about this, huh?"
As expected, Harry was carrying a brand-new PS5, clearly hoping Peter would start playing the same games as him.
MJ's gift was much more practical.
A big cake.
That was real value. You could actually eat it.
Once everyone was seated, Peter headed into the kitchen and got to work. Before long, several Chinese dishes and some Western desserts were brought to the table. The combination was a little odd, but as long as it tasted good, who cared?
"Hurry up and make a wish, Peter! I'm starving to death over here!"
Harry kept urging Peter to sit down, and as Peter looked around at the smiles on the faces of his family and friends, he slowly closed his eyes and began making a wish.
The moment he closed them, his Spider-Sense activated automatically.
He could clearly hear explosions and gunfire somewhere nearby.
With Peter's enhanced hearing, he could even make out a huge screeching sound, the kind he had never heard before. Judging by the distance, it could not be more than two or three blocks away.
Unbelievable.
Could he not even celebrate his birthday in peace?
Gwen frowned as well.
Seriously, New York never got a single day of peace.
Before becoming Spider-Man, there had not been this many ridiculous problems.
But the moment she became Spider-Woman, trouble started appearing one after another right around her.
"I think I left something on the road! You guys eat first, I'll be right back!"
Peter opened his eyes, put on an expression like he had suddenly remembered something, then stood up with an apologetic smile.
"I'll go with you."
Gwen said immediately.
"Okay."
Then the two of them walked out under the completely baffled stares of the other four.
What was that even supposed to mean?
That came out of nowhere.
...
"Now let's see who the real clown is!"
"Look at the state you're all in!"
"Weren't you laughing so happily before?!"
Out on the street, a massive steel figure was moving its front limbs, while behind her, countless smaller creatures swarmed through the city, tearing everything apart. As the smaller monsters leaped around, many people had their throats sliced open by their sharp limbs.
That giant steel figure had eight legs.
She looked like a massive iron spider.
This monstrous woman was named Valleta. Born deformed, she had been abandoned by her parents, then later taken in by circus performers and trained into an excellent freak show act.
But as time moved on, freak shows fell out of fashion, and Valleta was eventually reduced to performing cheap comedy routines in third-rate circuses. She wanted to return to the stage and become the center of attention again.
But after reality beat her down again and again, after enduring the mockery of everyone around her again and again, she chose a different path.
She encountered an organization called Hydra.
There, there was no prejudice, no ridicule. They were even willing to accept her.
She accepted their modifications and became one of them.
Hydra scientists rebuilt her body with machinery and installed all kinds of intricate mechanisms, turning her into a nearly five-meter-tall humanoid spider monster.
And the first thing she wanted after becoming this monster was revenge.
She wanted to bring terror to this city.
She wanted to see the expressions of fear on the faces of the people who had once treated her like a joke.
Those expressions had to be beautiful.
Valleta extended one of her front limbs, and the steel appendage shot forward, piercing straight through a car before flinging it into the air.
What overwhelming power.
Valleta was extremely satisfied with her new strength. She had surpassed ordinary humans now. She had stepped into a different realm altogether.
Those terrified insects called her a monster, but Valleta believed she was no monster at all.
She should be called a god.
And the one who had given her this power was Hydra.
"Hail Hydra!!! Hahahahahaha!"
Valleta unleashed her terrifying strength while continuing to destroy the city, all while commanding the smaller mechanical spider creatures to attack the panicked civilians.
All of this was thanks to Hydra.
Thanks to that red figure that looked like a skull.
And this time, she had not come alone.
She had brought nearly a hundred Hydra soldiers with her.
Tonight would absolutely become one of the city's unforgettable nightmares.
"Hail Hydra!!!"
Valleta looked at the police officers firing at her nonstop and felt nothing but irritation.
Looking down at those insects who were not even two meters tall, she spat out webbing, stuck it to two cars, and hurled them at the officers.
Now Valleta had become a true Hydra zealot, so intoxicated by power that she no longer cared in the slightest whether ordinary people lived or died.
After all, those humans had never treated her as one of their own.
George looked at the rust-covered steel monster towering more than five meters tall in the distance and could not help sighing.
"This era really has changed."
Suddenly, George saw the monster swing a car and throw it straight toward them.
He immediately shouted for the officers to fall back.
Boom!
The car slammed into a police cruiser and crushed it flat.
Luckily, they had retreated in time, so no one was hurt.
"Damn it! Our firepower isn't enough!"
George looked at the officer who had nearly been flattened and raged helplessly. The small handguns they carried could not do the slightest bit of damage to the monster in front of them.
Even a rocket launcher could only knock her back.
Even sniper rifles could not pierce that steel armor.
Unless they used something like a small tactical bomb.
But if they did that, everyone within two or three blocks, including the police themselves, would be dead too.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]