"Vroom~"
The blazing chariot roared up the tree trunk, soaring into the sky, leaving a trail of fiery light, utterly dazzling.
"Wow, it's flying! It's flying!"
The announcer shouted excitedly, grabbing the mic to belt out a tune.
"Look up at the sky, the moon's laughing~ Rush, rush, rush, the four-wheel warriors are on the move~"
The announcer's fervor made Grandmaster's face darken. "You bastard, whose side are you on?!"
At his command, the arena swapped out the announcer.
Meanwhile, Charlie flicked on the car's ancient radio.
Vibes matter.
"I'm heading north~"
Charlie switched tracks without hesitation.
"Deja Vu!~ I've just been in this place before!~ Higher on the street!~ And I know it's my time to go!~ Calling you!~ And the search is a mystery!~ Standing on my feet!~ It's so hard when I try to be me, woah!~"
Charlie grinned, satisfied. That's the stuff.
"Rumble~~"
The blazing chariot roared out of the forest. In the desert, the scorching sun hung high, and giant sand scorpions swarmed toward the car. Before they could get close, the hellfire consumed their vitality.
"Crack crack~"
Where the chariot passed, scorpions turned to charcoal, forming a "picturesque" scene in the desert.
"Damn it, how's he so fast?!"
Grandmaster piloted his heavy tank in pursuit, crushing the charred monsters while activating the tank's weapons.
"BOOM!!"
Blinding laser beams sliced through the sky, bombarding the desert ahead, yet they couldn't touch the blazing chariot.
"No choice. I didn't want to cheat."
Grandmaster took a deep breath and pressed a remote.
"Vrrr~"
A honeycomb energy barrier appeared in front of the tank.
"Wormhole teleportation!"
In the stands, Tony's face changed.
"We're screwed."
Elderly Steve smiled faintly. "Lose? The real race starts now."
Sure enough, as the tank neared the barrier, the blazing chariot shot out from the other side, charging head-on.
"What?"
Grandmaster froze, then grinned sinisterly.
"Head-to-head, huh? You're done for, friend!"
"Click~"
He yanked a lever, and the tank's metal body glowed with searing energy, razor-sharp blades protruding. Fully armed, it seemed ready to crush Charlie's chariot to dust.
But in the cockpit, Charlie formed hand signs. Arc spiders and magic spiders leaped from the void, embedding into the car.
"Cyclone Charge Tornado!"
Also known as the Electro-Poison Dragon Drill!
"BOOM!!"
Winds howled, arcs and magic fused into a spinning hurricane. A sandstorm engulfed the desert track as the blazing chariot collided with the tank.
"RUMBLE!!"
Amid the crowd's gasps, the piercing electro-tornado tore through the tank in a flash.
"Crack~"
The chariot drifted, spinning to a stop, while the tank disintegrated into a shower of metal fragments in the sky.
"Damn Spider-Man, you forced me!"
In the energy barrier, Grandmaster waved, and the fragments reassembled under an invisible force.
"Click click~~"
"BOOM!!"
In seconds, a towering mech giant, dozens of meters tall, crashed down.
"Vrrr~"
Under Grandmaster's control, the mech fired a barrage of lasers, determined to obliterate Charlie's chariot.
"Rumble rumble~~"
Amid the smoke and fire, the blazing chariot dodged left and right. Charlie hit a wrist device without hesitation.
"Let's end this in one go!"
"SQUAWK!!"
Light flickered, and a giant red-and-blue Spider-Man grabbed the speeding chariot.
"Vrrr~"
High-temperature webbing wrapped the chariot, forming a crimson sun. With a pitcher's throw, Charlie hurled it, warping space, straight into the mech's chest.
"No!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The mech exploded, fragments raining down.
"Zzzzt~~"
"Boom"
Trailing racecars exploded under the debris. Gamora barely dodged, but a dark gold warcar sped past, drifting perfectly through the blast zone to take first.
"Who's that?"
Gamora was startled, then refocused on the blazing chariot.
Her goal wasn't first place but collecting Spider-Man's data.
Hellfire, magic, and size-shifting powers—critical intel.
Behind her, Hulk sprinted barefoot, carrying his warcar. Dark-faced Thor's car was scrap, so he mimicked Hulk, hauling his wreck across the track.
These bizarre "racers" made Gamora's scalp tingle.
Seeing someone overtake him, Charlie didn't bother targeting Grandmaster.
Sadly, the blazing chariot was now scrap from the collision.
Undeterred, he salvaged two intact wheels, stepping onto them as hellfire reignited.
"BOOM!!"
Magic glowed, the wheels spun, and Charlie soared across the sky on his fire-wheels.
Meanwhile, a battered Grandmaster crawled from the wreckage.
Seeing Charlie still racing, his furious face calmed.
"Interesting. This game just got better."
A cryptic smile curled his lips, and he vanished from the arena.
At the same time, Valkyrie spotted the fire-wheels zipping overhead and activated her warcar's weapons.
"Bang bang bang!!"
Shells rained down, exploding in the sky.
"Rumble rumble"
Amid the fire, Charlie burst through on his fire-wheels, conjuring a magic light disc.
"Hum!!"
"Boom!"
The disc spun, targeting Valkyrie's dark gold warcar. She dodged with a clean "Z" drift, evading the magic blast.
The desert track ended, giving way to a crimson volcanic track.
"Vroom~"
As warcars hit the fiery track, wheels melted under the heat.
Valkyrie tapped a virtual interface, and her wheels exploded, replaced by Asgardian metal hooves!
"Clop clop clop~"
Her four-legged warcar galloped across the fiery track, leaving the crowd speechless.
"Oh my gosh, that's not a racecar!"
"Well, Spider-Man's down to two wheels."
"At least they're wheels."
"Look, Spider-Man's moving again!"
The fire-wheels zipped past a volcano. Charlie hurled a crimson beam like a spear at the "hoofed" warcar.
"Swoosh swoosh swoosh~"
"Pfft pfft"
The beams pierced the track but missed Valkyrie.
She countered, her car's roof emitting sonic waves that warped space. High above, Charlie felt dizzy, nearly plummeting.
"Wow, not bad."
He shook it off, steadying himself. His webbing beams kept firing, curving like snakes under magic.
He'd learned more than one trick from the Web of Life and Destiny.
Webbing Curve!
"Swoosh!"
Crimson webs spiraled, spinning rapidly. Nearby volcanic lava was drawn into the fiery web circle.
"Rumble~~"
As the webs amassed energy, the spinning flames consumed everything on the fiery track.
"Crack crack~"
A powerful suction enveloped Valkyrie's warcar, a force she couldn't resist.
No matter how she gunned it, her car slowed, floating upward uncontrollably.
"Damn it, what's this guy playing at?!"
In the cockpit, Valkyrie sweated, watching her car lift beyond her control.
"No~~"
"BOOM"
The web circle unleashed blinding light, obscuring the view.
When it cleared, the crowd gasped.
At the finish line, the invincible Spider-Man slowly pushed a tire, crossing the line.
No other warcar made it.
The crowd roared, and the announcer declared the sole finisher the winner.
Among them, Tony wiped sweat from his brow.
"This farce is finally over," he sighed.
Elderly Steve crossed his arms, grinning. "That was a fun race."
Tony: "..."
He shot Steve a look. "I was embarrassed watching."
"Really? I wasn't."
"No need for all this trouble. Just fight."
"If Little Spider was sure, what do you think he'd choose?"
Tony's heart skipped. "You mean that guy's not simple?" He glanced at Grandmaster, now beating up the announcer.
Elderly Steve's eyes narrowed. "He loves games. He might've thrown this one. Next round's different."
"We'll lose next?"
Tony frowned.
…
"We lost."
In the VIP box, at a card table, Charlie set down his cards, exhaling.
Across, Grandmaster revealed his hand.
"Four Spider-Mans, bomb!"
He smirked smugly. "So, I win this round."
Charlie's lip twitched. "My best card was just a Thor. I've got reason to suspect you cheated." He stood, slamming the table.
Grandmaster shrugged. "He dealt the cards. Not my fault." He pointed at elderly Steve, the dealer.
Elderly Steve: "..."
Avoiding Charlie's gaze, he said, "Don't look at me. I'm just a regular online dealer. I can't rig a win for you."
Charlie facepalmed. "Fine, we're tied. What's next?" he asked.
Grandmaster's smile widened. "The next game decides our fates, so we're going big."
With a wave, the box warped across the universe, landing on Earth.
New York's neon glowed under the night sky, a massive spaceship looming above, its circular light illuminating the city.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Commander, a ship just appeared overhead," Coulson rushed into the office.
Carter stared at the massive ship outside, her face grim.
"I see it. Someone's trying to mess things up while Spider-Man's off-planet. Too naive."
She turned, waving. "Notify all Avengers and Thunderbolts. Drop everything and follow me to probe this guy.
Oh, and the X-Men. Get them moving too."
"Understood."
As S.H.I.E.L.D. and the X-Academy mobilized, Charlie's group in the box looked uneasy.
"The next race is on Earth?" Charlie frowned.
Grandmaster stood, smiling. "Of course. Your home turf. You should be thrilled."
"What's your game, you creep?" Elderly Steve gripped Mjolnir, glaring.
Grandmaster glanced at him. "A perfectly fair game."
His gaze settled on Charlie, still smiling. "Spider-Man, my cards are beyond your imagination. I'll give you time to gather yours. The duel starts in three days."
He tapped a virtual interface, and cards appeared on the table.
Within their spaces, figures frantically pounded against invisible barriers.
Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, and various familiar or unknown heroes and villains… all trapped in Grandmaster's card spaces!
Tony and the others' faces darkened.
"Besides Little Spider, someone else in this universe can tap other multiverses. This guy's terrifying," elderly Steve said, gripping Mjolnir, trembling.
Johnny Blaze sidled up to Charlie, whispering, "I can't help you this time. Promise me you won't turn me into one of those."
Charlie didn't respond.
He stared at the figures in the cards, recalling Grandmaster's lore.
Grandmaster, aka En Dwi Gast, a highly intelligent race from the early universe, part of the Elders of the Universe.
Bored from eons of life, he obsessed over gambling.
Also, the Collector's brother.
Grandmaster's ability to capture multiversal heroes and villains showed he was no movie-universe pushover.
This guy was a true game-maker, toying with the Avengers effortlessly.
Charlie had to play along.
"How do I get those cards?" he asked.
Grandmaster waved, and a remote-like device appeared before Charlie.
"Use this to capture whoever you want to fight for you."
He smirked. "The winner gets the stakes and the opponent's cards.
The loser? Well, call them second place.
Second place is the highest-ranked loser. You know what that means."
Grandmaster radiated a commanding aura, even impressing Charlie.
A rule-like power.
Game rules. Match rules.
No one could cheat in this game.
Not even Grandmaster himself!
"Spider-Man, your friends are here."
Grandmaster glanced outside, as if seeing Carter's group infiltrating the ship.
He smiled. "Some nice cards there. Freebies for you.
Take your friends and go. Three days from now, here, our duel begins."
Charlie gave him a deep look, then left with Tony and the others.
"Little Spider, you got this?" elderly Steve asked quietly in the silent corridor.
Charlie shook his head. "I saw his cards. The Iron Man and Hulk in there aren't ordinary. They're stronger than any multiversal variants I've seen."
Tony took a deep breath. "Put me in three days from now."
"You?" Elderly Steve was shocked. "You up for it?"
Tony smirked. "I've prepped plenty of secret weapons. He might not beat me."
Elderly Steve thought. "Then I'm in too."
"You're both nuts!" Johnny Blaze panicked. "If Spider-Man loses, you're stuck in his cards forever. You sure?"
Elderly Steve glanced at him. "He's got his eyes on Little Spider. Maybe he's planned this game all along.
If Little Spider loses, even if we don't become cards, we'll be enslaved on Sakaar forever. Think we can escape?"
Johnny's face fell.
"I'll ask that old devil. I'll be fine, right?"
"Mephisto?" Elderly Steve sneered. "He's got more agents than you across the multiverse. You think he'd tangle with Grandmaster for you?"
"But I thought Grandmaster feared Mephisto…"
"That was an act. He loves these games."
"Oh, sh*t. Guess I'm all in too."
With no choice, Johnny joined the card battle.
Charlie and Steve fist-bumped silently.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. Nice work!
Steve raised one back. That's me!
They looked away.
Soon, they met Carter's group in a ship compartment.
"You're here too?" Carter beamed.
Charlie waved, scanning the group.
"We'll talk back at base."
Seeing their grim faces, Carter sensed something was up.
…
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meeting room.
"What? The stake is Spider-Man's body?" Carter gritted her teeth. "That jerk… cough, what a dirty old man."
Charles, after deep thought, stood. "Count me in."
"Professor!" Jean protested. "Let us handle it!"
Charles shook his head. "An enemy even Spider-Man isn't sure about? Even with me, we might not win."
"So what? Nuke his ship!" Cyclops slammed the table, earning Logan's disdain.
"Idiot. Someone who can cross universes instantly isn't scared of Earth's tech."
He muttered, drawing Cyclops' glare.
"What'd you say?"
"You heard me. I'm not repeating it."
"Jerk, I'll duel you!"
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Stop it!" Storm snapped, glaring at Cyclops. "Don't make us gang up on you."
Cyclops: "..."
He sat quietly. Tony spoke up.
"Grandmaster's after Spider-Man, but also all Avengers and mutants. He's got dozens of multiversal hero cards.
Even if we all join, we're no match for him."
Elderly Steve nodded. "Little Spider's his opponent, so he can't fight as a card. It's up to us."
The room grew heavy.
Carter took a deep breath. "No worries. Spider-Man's got friends. We'll gather enough cards."
She looked at Charlie. "Gwen and MJ will help if they get word."
"Not enough."
Charlie shook his head. "I need other allies."
"The Spider-Verse?" Elderly Steve probed.
Charlie shook his head. "Too many Spider-Mans could mess things up."
He needed reliable teammates.
Standing, he scanned the group.
"Leave the rest to me. I'll be back in three days."
He stepped into a portal, vanishing.
Grandmaster brought Charlie back to Earth, clearly not using Sakaar's spatial distortions to trap him.
Having watched Spider-Man so long, he was certain Charlie wouldn't run.
He was confident in his cards.
In the ship, Grandmaster watched Charlie open a multiversal portal, gathering friends at S.H.I.E.L.D., and smiled.
"Good. Spider-Man's taking this seriously. I can't underestimate him."
He glanced at the purple giant beside him.
"So, cosmic overlord, decided?"
Purple Thanos sat on a floating throne, nodding slightly.
"Of course. A great opportunity. But I won't be your card."
"Fine."
Grandmaster agreed instantly. "Just give it your all, or this game loses its spark."
"Don't worry about me." Thanos' eyes narrowed, fixed on Charlie's image.
Suddenly, after gathering friends, Charlie vanished into the void before their eyes.
"That's no portal," Thanos frowned.
Grandmaster was puzzled. "No spatial fluctuations, and he's just… gone?"
His lips curled. "Good. I hope this game brings bigger surprises."
He sighed. "I can't remember the last time I lost. A worthy opponent—it's thrilling!"
As he spoke, his screen went black, replaced by a familiar face.
Same white hair, same ornate robes.
"Brother, you're after Spider-Man?"
The Collector's face was grim.
If he could avoid it, he'd steer clear of Grandmaster.
But now, he had to face him.
Seeing the Collector, Grandmaster smirked mockingly.
"My dear brother, you finally show yourself. For Spider-Man, right?"
"Yes."
The Collector took a deep breath. "I'm warning you, Spider-Man killed a nascent Celestial. He's not a toy for your games."
"So what?"
Grandmaster laughed. "That's what makes it fun."
"I don't want to collect your corpse," the Collector snapped, angry.
"I don't need you to."
Grandmaster's smile faded. "Brother, we've lived countless years. When will this boredom end?"
He met his brother's eyes. "I'm sorry for betraying you over a game long ago.
If I slip up now, I'll pay with my life. It's my amends to you—and my punishment."
He cut the connection, sitting slowly on his throne.
He stroked his scepter, eyes distant.
"Second place is the highest-ranked loser. How interesting…"
Purple Thanos left.
Grandmaster's murmur echoed in the room.
…
Meanwhile, in the Cosmic Web.
This was the Free Resurrection Match!
To gather more allies, Charlie entered the Free Resurrection Match.
He had three days to return to reality.
Despite hundreds of retries, he only had three left.
Maybe he wouldn't need all three.
His thoughts were interrupted by a prompt.
[Scene: DC Universe—Wonder Woman]
[Task 1: Without altering the original history, eliminate Zeus' son, Ares, the God of War. Reward: Resurrection Match slot x1.]
[Task 2 (Multiplayer Competitive): Destroy the world. Reward: Resurrection Match slot.]
[Task 3 (Multiplayer Competitive): Save the world. Reward: Resurrection Match slot.]
[Extra Reward: Spider Totem Power x1.]
[Participants: Charlie Parker, Wade Wilson, Carol Danvers, Peter Parker x99, Carnage, Nascent Celestials x3.]
[Note: You cannot choose Task 2 or Task 3. Focus on Task 1.]
Charlie's eye twitched.
This was blatant targeting!
Blocking him from Tasks 2 and 3? Something's fishy!
Hmm, Zeus' son, Ares?
That guy's gotta be trouble!
Damn it, another trap.
Charlie scratched his head. With only three retries, he had to play smart.
No recklessness this time!
"Vrrr~"
Resolved, Charlie's body was swallowed by the void.
The next moment, warm sea breezes brushed past.
Opening his eyes, what did Charlie see?
My God!
Women. So many women.
Countless women charging toward him.
"Wow, even in the DC Universe, Spider-Man's charm shines. What am I gonna do with you crazy fans?"
Charlie shook his head, chuckling. One hand leaned on a tree trunk, the other flicked his bangs, striking a cocky, cool pose.
Spider-Man's life—lonely as snow.
"Splatter~"
The next moment, Spider-Man was drenched in blood.
Heh, time for the cliché but thrilling Spider-Succubus plot.