Cosmic Web.
[You, as the Friendly Neighborhood, defeated Nova, rewarding +29 retries.]
[You, as the Friendly Neighborhood, defeated Kang's variant—Pharaoh, rewarding +30 retries.]
[You, as the Friendly Neighborhood, initiated the Spider-Man Fate Battle (Beginning), allowing the Resurrection Match to transform into a dedicated Spider-Man vs. Inheritors battlefield.]
[Remaining Free Resurrection Matches: 1]
[Remaining retries: 69]
[You have activated the dedicated battlefield. Free Resurrection Match count reset to zero.]
[You have entered the Resurrection Match scenario!]
[Scenario: DC Universe—Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]
[Objective: Eliminate enemy faction participants, acquire their totem power, until all enemy faction participants are dead.]
[Reward: Full team revival quota]
[Additional Reward: Totem power evolution]
[Spider-Man Faction: Charlie Parker, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Takuya Yamashiro...]
[Inheritors Faction: Jennix]
[Neutral Faction: Wade Wilson x99, Nova, Pharaoh Kang, Ares, Zod, Faora, Grandmaster.]
[Countdown: 30 seconds]
Night.
New York, atop the Empire State Building, beneath the antenna spire.
This was Charlie's designated "spawn point."
Overlooking the neon-lit city, Charlie twisted his hips, stretching his muscles.
Jennix's chains were off—capable of sealing all his powers. It reminded Charlie of the Weaver of the Web of Life and Destiny.
That guy was bound by strange chains, likely Jennix's.
If they could restrain the Weaver, they could certainly work on a Spider-Man.
In this Resurrection Match, the Inheritors were few but possessed totem power that countered Spider-Men.
By that measure, Charlie held no advantage.
No matter. While the Inheritors' power countered Spider-Men, in the DC Universe, Charlie had a hundred ways to take them out.
Spider-Men might struggle against Inheritors, but DC's superheroes were another story.
As for the neutral faction… Charlie admitted the situation was complex, but he was used to the Resurrection Match's rhythm.
His only concern was the ninety-nine Deadpools inexplicably present.
Lost in thought, he leaped off the skyscraper.
This time, old Steve and Carter weren't here, so he didn't need to wait for them.
Charlie had no such arrangements with the other Spider-Men.
Whoosh whoosh~
In the dark, windy night, a red-and-blue figure silently landed on a skyscraper's glass curtain wall.
The sleek glass reflected a pair of inverted triangular pale-blue eyes. A black shadow followed, streaking through the air.
"Damn bug, where the hell is this?!"
An Inheritor nearby spotted Charlie and charged without hesitation.
Sensing the killing intent behind him, Charlie didn't look back, firing a web-line blast with a flick of his wrist.
Zzt zzt~
Thud!
The high-temperature beam sliced through the night, splitting the charging Inheritor in half.
Clearly, this one lacked Jennix's formidable power.
The invincible Spider-Man could take him out instantly.
As the crimson glow faded into the night, the warped air settled. The Inheritor's mangled body plummeted, the scent of roasted flesh spreading.
Screams erupted from pedestrians below as the Inheritor's corpse twitched.
Charlie knew the Morlun Family's vampires were immortal.
Before he could descend to finish it off, a roaring engine echoed from the street corner.
Boom~~
A black war vehicle screeched past, pulling a slick drift to stop in the middle of the road.
The crowd cheered at the sight.
"My gosh, it's Gotham's superhero, Batman!"
"It's his Batmobile!"
"So cool!!"
Under the crowd's excited gazes, Bruce Wayne, clad in black armor, opened the window and glanced at the staggering vampire, frowning slightly.
Chasing a troublesome criminal, he'd tracked from Gotham to New York.
He'd heard the commotion and came to check.
He hadn't expected this weird guy.
The vampire roared, its severed body rapidly reconnecting, the scars vanishing visibly under the moonlight.
Its twisted form was chilling.
Bruce instantly judged this wasn't a good guy.
For bad guys, his only move was to lock them up.
He grabbed a capture device from the Batmobile and hurled it at the vampire.
Click~
Bang!
The device exploded midair into a metal net, ensnaring the just-healed vampire.
Roar!
Before Bruce could exit the vehicle, the Inheritor roared, easily tearing the net apart. Its ferocious gaze swept the crowd before locking onto Bruce in the Batmobile.
Instantly, Bruce felt like prey under a predator's stare, his scalp tingling.
But his masked face betrayed no emotion.
As the vampire advanced on Batman, the crowd cheered.
"Batman, take down this disgusting thing!"
"Get him!"
"Tonight's Batman is the vampire slayer!!"
"Batman~"
Amid the cheers, the Inheritor vanished.
"What?"
Bruce had just drawn a batarang when the Batmobile shook violently, then lifted off the ground.
"Oh sh*t, this guy's lifting my Batmobile."
Bruce's face darkened. He activated the vehicle's functions without hesitation.
Thwip!
Bang!!
The Batmobile fired cables, anchoring to nearby buildings to stabilize itself.
But this resistance was nothing to the Inheritor.
Below, the Inheritor's gaze was fierce. With a burst of strength, the cables snapped, and the Batmobile rocketed toward a skyscraper like a cannonball.
"Jerk~"
Bruce cursed, leaping from the vehicle to safety.
Swish!
Under the moonlight, Batman fired a cable, locking onto a building.
Glancing back at the speeding Batmobile, he calculated how to prevent disaster.
Suddenly, his pupils constricted.
What did he see?
A red-and-blue bug.
Spider-Man!
Spider-Man was back!!
In that moment, Bruce recalled a scene from years ago.
The Antarctic Battle. Spider-Man obliterated an alien ship, causing massive ice collapses and melting.
This raised sea levels, impacting coastal cities.
They thought themselves gods! Bruce despised these types.
Spider-Man's one city battle destroyed countless buildings, leaving people homeless and hospitalized.
He saved many, and everyone hailed him a hero.
But Bruce disagreed.
Spider-Man killed enemies in battle, ignoring city laws.
Criminals belonged in prison, not dead in public.
Worst of all, Spider-Man was dangerously uncontrollable.
He was too powerful—unmatched worldwide.
If Spider-Man lost control, the world would face catastrophe.
Bruce had devised plans to counter Spider-Man.
But after that day, Spider-Man vanished. No one saw him.
His plans were shelved.
Now, Spider-Man was back.
Bruce's eyes gleamed with danger.
His chance had come.
Boom!!
An explosion rocked the skyscraper's outer wall.
As expected, Spider-Man easily destroyed the hurtling Batmobile, his eyes firing heat vision to pierce the vampire's body, then vaporizing it entirely.
Spider-Man won.
The crowd's cheers grew louder.
Bruce landed on a rooftop via cable, silently watching Spider-Man's moment of glory.
"Superman's powers. He's definitely a Kryptonian!"
Bruce glared at the red-and-blue bug, retreating into the shadows.
Under the night, his black cape fluttered.
Bruce leaped off the building, shedding his armor in a dark alley.
He became Gotham's richest man again, hailing a car.
"This isn't a taxi…"
Bruce flashed a wad of cash. "Now?"
The driver's eyes lit up, pocketing the money with a professional smile.
"Happy to serve. Where to?"
"Lyle Street's private airport."
"No problem, buckle up."
Boom~
The car roared off.
The radio blared Spider-Man news.
"Evening news: Spider-Man and Batman met for the first time on Odur Street."
"According to citizens, Spider-Man was hunted by a vampire on Blake Street."
"The Global Daily reminds citizens: vampires are rampant. Avoid going out at night."
"Breaking news: Police found another Spider-Man corpse on Temur Street, the third drained by a vampire tonight."
In the car, Bruce's face grew grim hearing the reports.
"More than one Spider-Man?"
He pondered. There seemed to be a special connection between Spider-Men and vampires.
Recalling the vampire, he noted it ignored regular people.
Even when provoked, its sole target was Spider-Man.
Bruce was almost certain Spider-Man was a Kryptonian.
So, the vampires opposing him might be too.
To deal with Kryptonians, kryptonite was the deadliest weapon! With a flash of thought, Bruce arrived at his private airport.
He flew back to Gotham, entering his secret lab.
In the dim lab, a green-glowing gem caught his eye.
Over the years, tracking Spider-Man led him to Kryptonian secrets and their fatal weakness—kryptonite! Grasping the kryptonite, Bruce glanced at the lab's walls.
They were plastered with Spider-Man and Superman posters.
Not long after Spider-Man vanished, Superman appeared.
He became a hero, admired by all.
Governments and villains tried capturing Superman for his power.
None succeeded.
Superman was invincible, surpassing even Spider-Man.
This left Bruce hopeless.
Kryptonite eased that despair.
He'd planned for Superman but hadn't acted.
With Spider-Man's return, his focus shifted.
Spider-Man was weirder, more uncontrollable.
Activating his computer, the surveillance system tracked all Spider-Men in New York.
Bruce's face grew darker.
There were far more Spider-Men than he'd imagined.
But they shared one trait: they were all hunted by vampires.
Realizing this, Bruce had an idea.
Meanwhile, New York.
Boom!!
An explosion lit the city sky, flames illuminating buildings. A massive spider totem descended, enveloping a vampire.
Buzz~
As the totem faded, Supreme Peter landed, stumbling and nearly falling.
Huff~
Panting heavily, his pale face struggled to stand as he fled.
He'd used all his strength to teleport one Inheritor away. Another surprise now, and he wouldn't survive.
Click~
A metallic glint flashed in the dark alley. Supreme Peter froze, wary.
"Who's there?"
"Me."
From the shadows, Diana, armored, stepped forward, sword in one hand, shield in the other.
"Charlie Parker?" Diana asked, uncertain.
Supreme Peter relaxed, recognizing her.
He'd seen her in the last Resurrection Match.
Charlie's girlfriend? Or secret admirer? He couldn't recall.
He removed his mask, revealing a face somewhat like Charlie's.
"I'm Peter Parker."
"Oh, Peter Parker. Also a Spider-Man."
Diana, disappointed, asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"I don't—"
"I do."
Magic sparks flickered, and a familiar voice echoed in the alley.
Charlie stepped through a portal, shaking blood off his hands.
"You took care of the Inheritor?" he asked Supreme Peter.
Supreme Peter shook his head. "I escaped."
"Fair enough. Saves me the rush."
Charlie turned to Diana. "I was about to find you, but I've been busy. You know, those guys are hunting Spider-Men."
Diana glanced at the blood on his hands, frowning.
"You're hurt?"
"Of course not. It's vampire blood."
"Vampires have blood?"
"Duh."
Charlie stepped closer. "Those guys have power that counters Spider-Men. So, Goddess Diana, I need your strength."
"What can I do?" Diana asked.
"Take down their leader."
"Why me?"
"Because I might not win."
Diana: "…"
"If you can't, I definitely can't," she said, exasperated.
Charlie wagged a finger. "No, their power targets Spider-Men. You're the kind, beautiful, independent Olympian goddess. You can—"
"Who's your goddess?"
A strange voice cut Charlie off.
"Of course it's—wait, who are you?"
Turning, Charlie saw a scruffy, muscular man glaring at him.
"Jerk, you haven't come home in years. Do you know how Mom's been?"
Roaring, the man hurled a bottle at Charlie.
"You call another woman your goddess? Unforgivable!!"
Amid the man's rage, Charlie caught the bottle, blinking.
"You are?"
"We're not related."
"Oh, cool. I don't know you."
"Jerk, you scum! I'll teach you a lesson for Mom!"
"Don't come closer, or I'll fight back."
"Jerk, die!"
Bang!!
The ground shook. Charlie sat on the man's back. "I said I'd fight back." He shrugged.
The man kept cursing. Diana whispered, "That's Arthur, Atlanna's son. Your son."
Charlie's smile froze.
He looked at the disheveled, homeless-looking Arthur, his mouth twitching.
"Did Atlantis go bankrupt?"
He released Arthur. "Sorry, new hairstyle. Didn't recognize you."
Charlie was dead serious.
Arthur gritted his teeth, standing. "You never wanted to acknowledge me."
He glared, full of resentment. "You don't deserve to be my father!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Charlie nodded eagerly. "Want me to introduce you to a better dad?"
Arthur: "…"
He couldn't stand Charlie's cavalier attitude.
Then—
Boom!
Torrential rain poured.
The burly man knelt, sobbing.
"Mother, I found Father, but he's a jerk!!" Arthur wailed skyward.
Charlie was stunned.
Diana was stunned.
She looked at Charlie. "You sure you and Atlanna had nothing?"
Charlie, serious, said, "Of course. I never touched her."
"Then how's Arthur here?"
"She stole my genetic info. You get it."
"So he's your kid."
"Doesn't count."
"That's harsh."
"Damn it! I'm a victim too!"
Charlie's face darkened.
But the invincible Spider-Man couldn't stand seeing others cry.
Especially a burly… kid.
Reluctantly, he stepped forward to console him.
"Ki—ugh~"
Charlie gagged mid-sentence.
What a disgusting scene.
Diana shook her head, taking over to comfort Arthur.
"Arthur, stop crying. Your father will accept you, okay? Now, serious question: how'd you find Charlie? This is too convenient," she asked, puzzled.
Arthur wiped his tears, glaring at Charlie.
"An old white-haired man brought me here," he answered.
"White hair?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Did he have black eyeliner?"
Arthur scoffed. "I won't tell you."
"Got it."
Charlie sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's the Grandmaster. What's he playing at? Guess we deal with him first."
He turned. "Peter, let's—huh? Where'd he go?"
The alley was empty. Supreme Peter had vanished.
His spider-sense screamed.
The sound of chains above told Charlie his pursuer had found him.