Peter was surrounded in the corridor, with Kingpin's men blocking both ends. But none of them dared to open fire. The reason was simple: if they started shooting, it would turn into a chaotic crossfire, potentially killing their own men on the opposite side.
Everyone was just trying to survive—there was no reason to die over one intruder. In their eyes, Peter was just a lone man. More than ten of them versus one? They thought they could drown him with spit alone.
The gang leader, confident in their numbers, waved at his men to lower their guns. Then he roared, "Hack him to death!"
At the command, the gangsters pulled out machetes and axes from their waists, charging at Peter with ferocity.
Peter was briefly stunned, then grinned with joy. What luck—to encounter enemies stupid enough to give up firearms. In his eyes, a group of gangsters rushing with cold weapons were like children waving candy sticks.
Since they were practically begging for death, he had no reason to refuse.
With a flick of his wrist, Peter gripped his Carbon Nano Steel blade and charged like a tiger into the fray. Against a swarm of ordinary thugs, he was unstoppable.
His blade flashed with streaks of afterimages. Before the gangsters even realized what was happening, their throats were slit, their chests pierced. In the blink of an eye, seven fell, lifeless.
The sheer ruthlessness and overwhelming force Peter displayed stunned the others. They were more than ten attacking one, and they still couldn't win? Instead, their comrades lay in pools of blood.
Panic set in. Those who were fierce a moment ago now trembled, backing away in fear.
"Use the guns! Shoot him dead!" the small leader finally screamed, realizing they had vastly underestimated this masked intruder.
The surviving gangsters pulled out their pistols and opened fire. But Peter, anticipating this, leaped high into the air and landed behind them. They spun around, guns blazing, bullets flying like rain.
Yet Peter showed no fear. With enhanced visual reflexes, he could trace every bullet's path. He slashed at the incoming rounds, the blade precisely intercepting and splitting them mid-air.
Some deflected bullets even ricocheted back, killing more gangsters. In mere seconds, the rest of the gang was either dead or severely wounded.
They had fired their weapons, but they were the ones who paid the price. It was terrifying.
"Don't… don't come closer!" the few survivors stammered, crawling backward in fear. But Peter, silent as a ghost, advanced with the Carbon Nano Steel blade in hand.
Like a demon from hell, he slashed through the last of them without mercy. Then, on the body of the gang leader, he found several grenades. Delighted, he took one, cut open the edge of the steel barrier with his blade, and slipped the grenade inside.
Boom!
With a powerful blast, the steel wall burst open.
Peter didn't hesitate. He leaped through the hole and vanished into the darkness.
Half an hour later, inside Kingpin's office...
Kingpin, wearing his signature white suit, stared coldly at a screen replaying Peter's slaughter of his men.
"A bunch of useless trash. More than ten of them couldn't even catch one intruder. They deserved to die."
"Boss," said Prowler from behind, "this guy looks familiar. He might be the masked man who fought Curt Connors last night—just in a different outfit."
"I think so too," Scorpion added. "His fighting style, his claws, and his brutal methods match that man exactly."
Kingpin was silent for a moment, then asked, "Didn't Stone's body have claw marks as well?"
Prowler and Scorpion exchanged glances and nodded.
"Yes, Boss. There were claw marks. Do you think he was also killed by this guy?"
"I'm only speculating," Kingpin said. "But think about it. Stone, Curt, and those two early casualties—every one of them had dealings with Peter Parker. And now they're all dead. Isn't that suspicious?"
"Boss, are you saying Peter Parker is the masked man? That's impossible. He's just a student."
"He was a student. But he's also the only person besides Curt who worked on the Lizard Serum project. Curt always praised him as a genius. It's not unthinkable that he made a new serum and injected himself."
"Then he turned himself into a monster like Curt did?"
"It's possible. That would explain his strength and ruthlessness. And it would mean every recent death was his doing—motivated by revenge."
"Damn it, if that's true, then that kid's been playing us all this time."
"All we have are guesses," Kingpin said. "I want proof. Go find him. But do not kill him. Bring him back alive. Now that Curt is dead, Peter may be the only one who can continue the Lizard Serum research."
"That old man above won't tolerate a delay. And with the Mafia and the Hand watching us, we can't afford mistakes."
"We understand, Boss," said Scorpion. "We'll go to his house now."
"You two aren't enough. Bring Bullseye with you. He's Stone's replacement. Let's see what he can do."
Prowler frowned. "Boss, Bullseye's strong, but he's crazy. He might ruin everything."
"A lunatic is exactly what we need," Kingpin replied coldly. "Bring him."
"Understood."
As they left, the dedicated office phone rang. Kingpin's face turned grim. He picked up the call.
"Is Curt Connors dead?" a furious voice demanded on the other end.
Kingpin stiffened. "Yes. He was killed last night."
"You know how important his research is. Is the project dead too?"
"It was—but there's hope. Curt had a student: Peter Parker. He worked on the Lizard Serum too. He might be able to continue."
"That better be true. I expect results next month. Deliver the Lizard Serum. No excuses."
"Yes, I promise."
The caller hung up.
Kingpin clenched his fist, then smashed the desk into splinters with a single punch. "Damn old man… one day I'll kill you myself."
Meanwhile, in the suburbs...
Peter had not returned to his old home. Instead, he hid in a luxurious villa he'd bought for $1 million. It was both his home and secret base. No one knew about it but him.
Though he stayed away, he had installed surveillance at his old place. As expected, Kingpin's men had broken in.
Watching the footage, Peter's eyes narrowed. They had already begun to suspect him.
"As expected of Kingpin," he muttered. "This guy's no fool."
He had no more time to waste. He needed to finish building 2B Miss, his general-purpose combat android, before they found him.
With a determined gaze, Peter sat down at his workstation. His fingers flew across the keyboard, coding the control system for the robot.
Thanks to the complete scientific knowledge stored in his mind from "Neil: Mechanical Era," designing 2B Miss was entirely within his capabilities.
The only constraint was materials. For now, he could only afford to build her skeleton using titanium alloy. But once he established himself, he could upgrade her with Vibranium and even integrate her with the Life Cradle Project, making her as lifelike and powerful as Vision.
With that goal in mind, he devoted himself to the task. One week passed.
Peter didn't leave the villa. He ate, drank, and worked non-stop inside the lab.
And finally, his creation stood before him: a tall, silver-haired beauty with a perfect figure and skin so realistic, it could fool anyone.
Even though her eyes were covered with black military goggles, she exuded a mysterious allure. Her body, covered in lifelike simulated skin, was indistinguishable from a real human's.
Peter gently touched her. "As expected of simulated skin. It feels just like the real thing."
Even the most delicate details were perfectly recreated. Her form was art—real enough to arouse even her creator.
Smirking, Peter dressed her in a black gothic dress, stockings, and high-heeled boots. She looked like a goddess from a dark fairytale.
Then he entered the activation command.
Suddenly, a mature female voice echoed in the lab."General-purpose combat android, YoRHa Type 2B—activating…"
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