But this anticipation was shattered in the blink of an eye by the screams of humans.
Ah!!
A black mist enveloped the street, and a ferocious Dark Elf leaped out from it, tackling a passerby and gripping their head, shouting angrily.
"Tell me, where is our King?"
The passerby stared in terror at the monster before him, his scalp torn by the Dark Elf's sharp claws, blood trickling down his forehead, unnoticed.
"I don't know about any king…"
Crack!
Before the passerby could finish, the Dark Elf twisted off his head.
The next moment, more Dark Elves surged from the black mist, plunging the entire street into endless panic.
Ah!! Monsters!
"Run!"
"Kami, where are you?"
"Mommy…"
In an instant, the Dark Elves charged toward the fleeing crowd, their claws tearing through one vibrant life after another. A little girl stood helplessly on the street, crying, watching her mommy, who was running toward her, fall under the Dark Elf's claws.
Wahhh~ Mommy…
Crack~
The little girl's cries were cut off as the Dark Elf swinging its claws at her collapsed to the ground.
Under the sunlight, a radiant female warrior knelt on one knee, her dark golden bracers shimmering with mysterious power.
Clang!!
In the next moment, Diana, fully geared up, clashed her arms together, her dark golden bracers unleashing a terrifying shockwave that sent the surrounding Dark Elves flying into the storefronts along the street.
Boom!!
Instantly, the loud crashes drew the attention of even more Dark Elves.
"Earth's superhero, kill her!"
"Kill!"
As the Dark Elves revealed their even more savage nature, the black mist surged rapidly, the eerie darkness spreading.
Before the black mist could envelop the little girl, Diana's eyes sharpened. She whipped out her Lasso of Truth, binding a Dark Elf and using it like a wrecking ball to knock down a swath of others.
Boom~
As a wave of Dark Elves was toppled by their own kind, Diana leaped forward, sliding through a group of them with a swift skid, reaching for the stunned little girl.
Just then, a shadow descended from the sky, enveloping Diana and the girl.
In a flash of lightning, a familiar figure crossed paths with Diana, a pair of upside-down triangular eyes reflecting her astonished expression.
"Spider-Man!"
As Diana exclaimed, the red-and-blue figure swooped in, snatching the little girl away.
Boom~
The next second, the black mist surged forward, and a horde of Dark Elves leaped out, instantly overwhelming Diana.
Meanwhile, Charlie swung the little girl to the rooftop of a tall building.
He peeked over the edge at the chaotic scene below, then tore open a lollipop wrapper and handed it to the girl.
"Your mommy will come back, but only if you promise me that your idol from now on will only be the mighty and confident Spider-Man."
He patted the girl's head, then stood on the low wall of the rooftop, waving to her before diving off the building in a perfect swan dive.
Whoosh~
Amid the howling wind, Spider-Man became a dazzling meteor, crashing to the ground.
Boom!!
At that moment, countless citizens watched in awe as the meteor's impact blasted away a horde of monsters in the darkness. The miraculous golden heroine then brandished her divine sword, breaking through the Dark Elves' encirclement.
Hum~
Pfft pfft pfft
Ah!!
Under the onslaught of golden swordlight, the Dark Elves' wails rose and fell.
The street was a mess, shrouded in smoke.
The two stood back-to-back, their hands flashing with swordlight and crimson beams sweeping the street, clearing out another wave of Dark Elves.
"You're here," Diana said, turning her head with a smile, gripping her divine sword.
Charlie nodded. "But I seem to have come at a bad time."
Diana frowned. "No, you came at the perfect time."
Hearing this, Charlie hurled a pebble that pierced through a Dark Elf's body.
"You get me!" he said, his face lighting up with surprise.
Diana's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"
"You get my humor."
Diana: "…"
"After all these years, you're still…"
Her face darkened. "Still so inexplicable."
At those words, Charlie's face fell in disappointment.
"So it was just a coincidence. Alright, I get it."
As he finished speaking, a scream from an old man came from the black mist nearby.
"Little Spider, save me!" elderly Steve hollered.
Charlie turned back, casually tossing a high-heat webbing ball into the mist.
Buzz~ Boom!!
A blinding light flashed, and the intense heat instantly dispersed the black mist.
In the explosion, a disheveled elderly Steve was carried by the shockwave, crashing into a storefront. Peggy, passing by, kindly pulled his body from the rubble.
"You okay?" Peggy asked.
Elderly Steve panted heavily, his face covered in ash, looking utterly dejected.
"As expected, without my hammer, I'm nothing."
Peggy: "…"
"I'll admit, you're funnier than Spider-Man," she said through gritted teeth.
"Really?"
Elderly Steve's dejection vanished, replaced by newfound confidence.
"Hahaha, you noticed! Can't help it!" He laughed heartily, his grin stretching ear to ear.
Peggy: "…"
"They're gone."
Suddenly, Diana's voice interrupted elderly Steve's exaggerated performance.
The group turned to see the numerous Dark Elves, as if receiving some command, swiftly retreating into the black mist and vanishing.
Charlie didn't stop the Dark Elves from withdrawing.
"Little Spider, you've gotten weaker," elderly Steve said, clutching his aching back as he limped over to Charlie.
"You should've used your big move to wipe them all out," he added.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Wipe them out, and the Dark Elf King would never show himself."
Peggy nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. This is called casting a long line to catch a big fish."
Diana curiously eyed elderly Steve and Peggy. "You two like fishing?"
Her question earned a scornful look from elderly Steve. "Uncultured."
Peggy, meanwhile, wore a smug expression. This woman's not as good as me!
Charlie scanned the strange atmosphere among the three and quietly took a step back.
Something felt off.
Before he could think of a way to break the awkward vibe, a swarm of reporters rushed toward the four of them.
"They're here!"
"We found them!"
"I have to be the first to interview them!"
"Wonder Woman's here too, quick—"
Seeing this, Charlie waved his hand, opening a portal and whisking the group away from the scene.
…
Gotham's coolest coffee shop.
Inside, Charlie wiped the table with a napkin, his face full of disgust.
"Lady Diana, can we go to a cooler coffee shop?" he asked.
Across from him, Diana, now in casual clothes, shrugged. "Sorry, these low-level germs can't make me sick."
"I'm not worried about you."
Charlie glanced at the counter, then turned his head.
"Forget it, I don't want juice anymore."
Hearing this, the barista casually set down a bottle of store-bought orange juice.
"We only sell coffee here," he said with a straight face.
Charlie: "…"
He glanced at elderly Steve beside him.
Steve got the hint and stood, heading toward the counter.
"Sir, we need to have a serious talk."
"What are you—don't come closer, I don't hit old people—ah!! Not the face!!"
Screams came from the counter, and Diana frowned.
"Why is he hitting him?" she asked.
Charlie was equally baffled. "I didn't tell the old man to beat him up."
"Then what's this?" Diana glanced at the counter again, then turned away, unable to watch.
Charlie shook his head. "I just wanted him to go to the supermarket next door and get me two fresh juices."
Diana took a deep breath. "Can you stop him?"
"Of course… not."
Charlie said seriously, "Spider-Man never interferes with human choices, and the old man's human too."
Peggy, nearby, rolled her eyes. "Really think you're a god now?" she said sarcastically.
Charlie glanced at her. "You don't get my humor."
"I—"
"Let's get to business!"
Diana cut off the pointless banter.
"Fine."
Charlie locked eyes with Diana. "I came here with a mission."
"What mission?"
"Aliens are about to invade Earth, and I'm here to help you."
"Alien invasion?"
Diana's eyes narrowed. "I feel like you're more like the invader. Every time you show up, nothing good happens."
"I'll make up for it," Charlie said.
"How?"
Diana stared coldly at him. "That girl's mommy died, torn apart brutally."
"I know."
Charlie smiled faintly. "I'll bring her back."
"You're not a god, Spider-Man."
Anger flashed in Diana's eyes. "Your expression tells me you don't even care about the people who died."
Charlie blinked and looked at Peggy.
"Is it that obvious?"
Peggy nodded. "Very obvious."
"Alright, I'll work on that next time."
Charlie propped his chin with his right hand, his gaze settling back on Diana's face.
"You're prettier than before."
At those words, Diana was momentarily stunned.
"Oh, really?"
She lowered her head, a bit embarrassed. "No—don't change the subject. Tell me how you're going to bring them back." She slammed the table and stood, her eyes blazing.
Charlie shrugged. "Simple. I'll just be faster next time."
"Next time? What next time?"
"Just next time."
"Explain yourself."
"It's already clear."
"I don't understand."
"You seem prettier than before—"
"Shut up!"
"Got it!"
Charlie tapped his wrist device, and a holographic interface displayed the face of Malekith, the Dark Elf King.
"This is Malekith, the Dark Elf King, a dark monster who arrived on Earth with me. If you see him, take him down—no need for talk.
And this diver with the trident? Same deal.
Lastly, be careful of this white-haired old creep. He loves playing games."
After Charlie's introduction, Diana studied the figures on the hologram.
"These are the aliens about to invade Earth?" she asked, puzzled.
Charlie shook his head. "No, if things go as expected, they'll join the aliens' side."
"Why?" Diana didn't understand.
Charlie pointed to himself. "Because they know I'll side with Earth. As my former enemies, they'd never protect Earth with me."
Before Diana could ask more, Charlie's next words sent her into deep thought.
"Ares, the God of War, is back. He's not dead."
At that, Diana's heart trembled.
She had already figured out that the war back then was orchestrated by Ares. If not for Spider-Man killing Ares, the war might have dragged on longer.
And now, Spider-Man was telling her that Ares, the God of War, wasn't dead.
This meant…
War might break out again.
She had a bad feeling about this.
Charlie, too, felt that this version of Ares would be tricky.
With Zod invading Earth, the interstellar war would bring Ares considerable power.
Charlie wasn't sure how strong Ares would become.
After the humiliating reward of being drowned in saliva last time, Ares wouldn't fall for it again.
If the guy didn't show himself, Charlie couldn't track him down.
Besides Ares, the Grandmaster was another major headache.
Fortunately, this was the DC Universe, where Marvel's rules didn't apply. But Charlie knew the Grandmaster, who'd lived countless years, had other abilities he hadn't revealed.
All in all, the invincible Spider-Man couldn't keep killing.
The no-kill oath was back, and Charlie felt himself radiating the glow of justice.
Until that glow dimmed under the increasingly overcast sky.
"Who's the jerk blocking my light!!"
Charlie stood, cursing, as elderly Steve, done at the counter, pointed out the window.
"Little Spider, it's a tornado."
Peggy glanced at the tornado's direction, then grabbed her shield and stood without hesitation.
"There seem to be people over there. It's our time to shine," she said seriously.
Diana looked at Charlie. "Use your portal."
"No problem."
Charlie waved his hand, drawing a circle. "Line up, orderly entry."
"Nutcase," Diana muttered under her breath, stepping into the sparkling portal first.
Charlie pouted. "I'm not crazy. Wait for me, I'll take two steps to show you…"
…
On a suburban highway, Jonathan gripped the steering wheel. From the passenger seat, Clark's voice suddenly burst with agitation.
"You're not even my real parents! Why should I listen to you!"
After saying this, Clark froze.
What was he saying?
"Clark."
His adoptive mother, Martha, stopped his outburst, while Jonathan's heart sank.
"It's true, we're not your biological parents, but we'll do our best to give you everything," Jonathan said with a tinge of sadness.
Hearing this, Clark felt even more guilty.
From childhood, they'd given all their love to him, a stray kid.
But now, he'd said such hurtful things to his parents.
He wanted to apologize, but the darkening sky ahead caught his attention.
"Oh my God, it's a tornado," Martha said, eyes wide.
In the distance, a terrifying tornado swept through the plains, destroying everything in its path.
The dark clouds in the sky were sucked into it, the entire sky forming a massive vortex that kept expanding, fueling the tornado's power to demolish everything, destroying all that was good.
Beep beep~
The highway was now packed with stalled vehicles, their drivers abandoning them to run toward a nearby bridge for shelter.
Clark's family was no exception.
The three hurriedly got out and ran toward the bridge's shelter, but halfway there, Jonathan realized their pet dog was still locked in the car.
"No."
Jonathan glanced at the rapidly approaching tornado and, without hesitation, turned back toward the car.
"Dad…"
Clark started to move forward, but Jonathan waved him off.
"Protect Martha. That's your responsibility as our child."
Clark instinctively stopped, watching as Jonathan ran toward the tornado.
The winds roared, and the crowd retreated to the bridge.
Among them, Clark watched his father open the car door to free the dog, but Jonathan's ankle got caught in the door. Injured, he was moments from being swallowed by the tornado.
Heart pounding, Clark clenched his fists, ready to unleash the immense power within him to rush into the tornado and save his father.
But Jonathan anticipated Clark's move. He looked at his son, his gaze firm, shaking his head to stop Clark from revealing his powers to save him.
He knew how strong Clark was, but he couldn't let him expose his abilities in a moment like this.
It would ruin Clark.
Humans fear the unknown.
And when they find something to fear, they'll stop at nothing to eliminate it.
Clark, meanwhile, recalled his father's words.
He hesitated.
But a voice inside told him:
For family, you can pay any price.
"Hey, buddy, you're in your rebellious phase. You don't have to listen to your parents. This is a friendly tip from Spider-Man."
"What?"