Soon, Clark's attention returned to Diana.
He glanced at the cream cake on the table, curiosity piqued.
"You know Spider-Man?" he asked Diana.
Diana shrugged with a smile. "Not really, but he promised to send me his photo."
Hearing this, Clark finally understood why Diana had eagerly taken on the task of photographing Spider-Man.
Then, under his puzzled gaze, Diana slipped some cash to Charlie.
"Here's your payment," she said with a grin.
Charlie casually tucked the bills into his pocket. "Pleasure doing business."
"Business?" Clark frowned.
Charlie looked at Clark with a serious expression. "What, you think this isn't business? Are you discriminating against my profession?" He pointed at the delivery logo on his chest.
Clark quickly apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"Good."
With that, Charlie turned and left.
Before Clark could say more, a chorus of surprised exclamations from male colleagues echoed nearby.
Clark instinctively turned his head, only to see two unfamiliar, stunning women walking toward him, drawing every eye in the room.
The woman in a sharp black business suit had long blonde hair, her youthful energy a stark contrast to the stale air of the older colleagues, making her stand out vividly.
Beside her, a woman with wine-red hair strode confidently, her striking red dress accentuating her fiery figure. She looked less like she was here to work and more like she was strutting down a runway.
With just one glance, Clark was so captivated he froze in place.
As the two women drew closer, his heart raced.
He swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
But, to his disappointment, their target wasn't him.
"Hey, you're Diana, right?"
The two women bypassed Clark and approached Diana, introducing themselves.
"I'm Gwen, Gwen Stacy."
"And I'm Mary Jane. Nice to meet you."
"Uh, I'm Diana."
Diana eyed the meticulously dressed duo, her smile a bit forced.
"You're… his friends?" she asked.
Gwen smiled lightly. "Yeah, we'll be counting on you from now on."
"No problem."
Diana sized them up. "Follow me."
"Alright."
Soon, ignoring Clark's hesitant attempt to strike up a conversation, the three women headed to the coffee shop downstairs.
There, an exceptional delivery guy was waiting for them.
"Hey, over here."
At a corner table, Charlie waved to the trio.
Seeing him, Diana carried the cream cake over and sat down.
"Why make your friends go to the office first instead of just waiting here?" she asked, puzzled.
Gwen and Mary Jane, sitting down, shared her confusion.
Charlie shrugged. "No reason. If they didn't go to the office, they wouldn't have dressed up so nicely. I just wanted to feast my eyes."
At that, Gwen and Mary Jane exchanged a glance, their foreheads creased with exasperation.
What kind of reason was that?
Diana shook her head. "I'm impressed by your logic. But the company isn't hiring new reporters right now. You know I'm new here myself, so I can't help your friends with onboarding."
"No worries, Mary Jane's got it covered," Charlie said.
Mary Jane shot Charlie a sideways glance. "Why does it have to be a reporter? I actually want to be a great actress."
"Your acting skills would only land you as a background extra."
Ignoring Mary Jane's resentful look, Charlie opened the cream cake and started eating. "Since Jennix was rescued, most of the Inheritors have been taken out. But we haven't found any other contestants since, which means they're on guard now.
It's probably the work of old rivals from the Resurrection Match, hiding themselves.
If the enemy's in the shadows, we can't afford to expose ourselves recklessly either. That'd put us at a disadvantage.
Being a reporter is the best way to hide a superhero identity. When they show up, you, as reporters, can get to the scene first without raising suspicion.
Sound reasonable?" He looked at the three.
Diana nodded. "Very reasonable. But I want to know, isn't that cream cake supposed to be for me?"
Staring at Charlie, his mouth smeared with cream, she felt a pang of irritation.
She'd planned to enjoy that cake later tonight.
Charlie, noticing her expression, slowly pushed a slice toward her. "Sorry, I thought you didn't like sweets since you brought it to me."
Diana looked at the mangled cake, her appetite gone.
"Forget it, you eat it. I'm on a diet."
As she spoke, she subtly glanced at Gwen and Mary Jane's flat stomachs, then quietly sucked in her own, smoothing her abdomen.
Charlie shook his head at the sight.
Women and their ridiculous competitive streaks.
Gwen and Mary Jane noticed Diana's move and joined in, holding their breath in a silent challenge.
It wasn't until Clark arrived that they found a way to ease the awkwardness.
"Hey, Clark, over here."
Spotting him, Diana stood up quickly. "I've got a question for you."
As Diana left, Gwen and Mary Jane exhaled in unison.
"That was close. Almost lost to her," Mary Jane said with a victorious smirk.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Focus on the mission."
"Oh."
Mary Jane reluctantly left.
After she was gone, Gwen was still curious.
"We're becoming reporters, but what about you?" she asked.
"I'm sticking with being an excellent delivery guy, of course."
Charlie patted his uniform, grinning. "I love this job."
"What's so great about it?"
"Nothing special. It's just the best fit for Spider-Man."
Gwen found it hard to continue that topic.
She shifted her focus to Diana, who was chatting with Clark nearby. "Have you known her long?" she asked.
Sensing Gwen's interest, Charlie knew trouble was brewing.
"No, we're just casual friends."
"What about Atlanna?"
"What?!"
Charlie's heart skipped a beat. "How do you—wait, why am I panicking?"
He scratched his head. "It's actually a sad story. I didn't do anything."
"Is it?"
Gwen's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Charlie. "Nothing at all, huh? Then where'd the kid come from?"
"I—"
Charlie's face darkened. "I had no part in making that kid, believe me."
"Should I?"
"You absolutely should."
"Fine."
Gwen studied him, convinced he was still dodging.
She stood up. "I've got things to do. I'm leaving."
"Wait, Mary Jane should be done soon."
"She'll find me."
With that, Gwen walked away.
Watching her go, Charlie had a bad feeling.
What's she up to?
Could it be…
"I'm back."
Just then, Mary Jane returned to the coffee shop, placing two onboarding reports on the table. "HR's got some juicy secrets, especially about their boss. Wild stories."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "What'd you do with your dream-entering powers?"
"Nothing much, just some light gossip."
Mary Jane glanced around. "Where's Gwen?"
"She left."
"Oh my gosh, that's not like her, but I'm touched."
Mary Jane grabbed Charlie's hand. "Since she's gone, let's catch a movie."
Charlie: "…"
"I just started this job. I'm broke."
"No problem, my treat."
"You've got money?"
"Of course. Where do you think this dress came from?"
"Wow, you're loaded? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Is that a necessary skill for you?"
"Absolutely."
…
Sunrise, sunset—a week passed quickly.
Gwen and Mary Jane joined the Daily Bugle, but the city was eerily quiet.
Aside from the chaos on the first day, there was no further news about Spider-Man or vampires.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
At the coffee shop, Charlie and the others gathered again.
"Something's off. Those guys haven't shown up, fine, but there's no word from the other Peters or Deadpool either. That's not right," Charlie said, his expression grave.
Gwen mused, "Besides Sorcerer Supreme Spider-Man and a few others, some Spider-Men were killed by the Inheritors, and most are in hiding. You could try using magic to find them." She looked at Charlie.
Charlie shook his head. "I tried. Something's blocking me from using magic to locate other Peter Parkers."
"A strange force?"
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Did Ares, the God of War, get resurrected?"
"Sort of."
"Could it be him?"
"Probably not. If it was, I'd know."
Mid-sentence, Charlie suddenly thought of Ares' connections in the Greek pantheon.
Apollo and Hades had helped him before. Maybe Ares had enlisted other gods this time.
But on second thought, that wasn't Ares' style.
With a flicker of thought, Charlie locked onto the contestant list for this Resurrection Match.
This time, the match had a large number of participants across three factions. The interface showed the main contestants, with others requiring a manual tap to view.
[Spider-Man Faction: Charlie Parker, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Takuya Yamashiro, Peter Parker, Peter Parker, Peter Parker, Peni Parker, Gwen Stacy…]
[Inheritor Faction: Jennix, Hana, Hulk, Kobol, Karn, Karma]
[Neutral Faction: Wade Wilson x99, Nova, Kang the Conqueror, Ares, Zod, Fiora, Grandmaster]
After a quick scan, Charlie zeroed in on Karn and the Grandmaster.
The Spider-Men in his faction weren't suspects.
So, these two were the ones most familiar with Charlie's "playstyle."
Of course, he couldn't rule out Kang, Ares, or the Deadpools, whose chaotic thinking rivaled Spider-Man's.
Any of them could cause trouble.
After mulling it over, Charlie decided to take the initiative.
Waiting around wasn't the answer.
Trading retries for intel was the best move.
Before he could decide his next step, Gwen and the others got a message.
"Something's happened."
Diana glanced at her phone, frowning. "Batman's issued a challenge to Spider-Man. The editor wants us at a meeting."
Gwen stood. "What are we waiting for?"
Mary Jane grinned. "This is gonna be fun."
"A challenge?"
Charlie blinked. "He's got his sights on me?"
He instinctively looked at Clark, leisurely sipping afternoon tea nearby. "Man, I can't stand that guy's chill vibe."
"After the meeting."
The three left, while Charlie stayed at the coffee shop.
Two hours later, Gwen and the others returned.
"Batman's publicly challenged Spider-Man. The location's Gotham City," Gwen said, pausing before continuing. "Every news outlet got paid by Batman. He wants the world to know."
"So rich!" Mary Jane sighed. "He's giving me Tony Stark vibes."
"The old Tony Stark wasn't as rich as Batman."
Charlie smirked. "Thanks, Batman. This could be a turning point."
Diana looked puzzled. "Isn't Batman your friend?" she asked Charlie.
Charlie frowned. "Do I know him?"
"Of course. That red guy with two swords. Super chatty."
"Uh… that's not Batman."
"He said he was."
"He's full of it."
…
Gotham City, St. Swithin's Church.
Under the cover of night, an endless haze enveloped the city.
Unlike New York's vibrant nights, Gotham's were dangerous and gritty.
Once, this was a paradise for criminals.
Until Batman appeared, bringing a faint glimmer to Gotham's darkness.
But that light couldn't dispel the shadows.
For years, Batman had protected the city.
He defeated one criminal after another, yet tragedies still unfolded.
Now, the church was surrounded by a swarm of reporters. Police barricades couldn't stop their frenzy.
Some reporters slipped past the lines into the church, eager to capture the moment of Batman and Spider-Man's duel.
One exclusive shot would secure their year-end bonuses.
Diana and her group were among them.
But they didn't infiltrate the church. Instead, they stationed themselves on a nearby rooftop, watching closely.
"It's almost ten, and Batman hasn't shown," Gwen said, lowering her binoculars.
Diana pondered. "Batman seems certain Spider-Man will take his challenge."
Mary Jane shrugged. "Must be a guy thing."
"I don't think Spider-Man's coming," Clark said, clumsily climbing onto the rooftop, panting as he joined them.
"No surprise there. It's a last-minute assignment. The boss is banking on this scoop, so every reporter's here," he explained.
Gwen and the others weren't shocked.
Diana studied him. "How do you know Spider-Man won't show?"
Clark gave a sheepish smile. "Just a gut feeling."
He recalled how Spider-Man once urged him to bravely save his father from a tornado. He believed Spider-Man wasn't reckless.
What puzzled him was why Batman was targeting Spider-Man. It didn't make sense.
In his mind, superheroes should support each other.
With that question in mind, he'd come to the scene.
Gwen and Mary Jane exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with pity for Clark's naivety.
Superman didn't know Spider-Man well enough.
Suddenly, Clark gasped, and Gwen and the others snapped to attention.
"It's the Batmobile! Batman's here!"
Clark pointed to a street corner.
The roar of an engine grew closer, but the black vehicle blended into the city's gloom.
Without binoculars, normal eyes would struggle to spot the speeding Batmobile.
Realizing his slip, Clark panicked.
Before he could explain, Gwen and the others showed no surprise.
They locked onto the distant street in unison, making Clark suspicious.
"You guys…"
"Latest retinal tech. Better than binoculars," Gwen said, pointing to her eyes, cutting him off.
Clark nodded, marveling at technology's advances.
He didn't notice Mary Jane's sympathetic look.
Just as Charlie said—this guy trusts too easily.
Soon, the Batmobile fired a grapple, soaring past a high wall and vanishing into the church's tower.
"Oh my gosh, look, it's Batman!"
"He's here!"
"When's Spider-Man showing up?"
RUMBLE
The engine cut off as the Batmobile executed a stylish drift, parking against a wall. Bruce Wayne, clad in custom black armor, stepped out, walking slowly toward the tower's peak.
In the night, the wind whipped his black cape.
Wearing his bat-cowl, Bruce Wayne stood atop the tower, overlooking the city, his eyes glowing brightly.
At the same time, a massive Batman signal lit up the night sky, confirming his arrival and declaring his resolve to win.
Everyone awaited Spider-Man's entrance.
Including the contestants watching from the shadows.
On a distant rooftop, a bald woman stood with her hands behind her back, studying the legendary Batman.
"A mortal. This duel is pointless," Nova sneered.
Kang the Conqueror shook his head. "A superhero who's survived this world for so long isn't simple."
"Maybe he's just lucky," Jennix said.
He clutched his wounded shoulder, his pale face no longer smug.
If he could, he'd have faced these two before that brutal woman.
Meeting them first would've revealed this universe's quirks, sparing him such a humiliating loss.
Here, Kang's time powers were severely weakened, his time machine useless.
Luckily, Spider-Man had more than one enemy, or that woman would've sliced him apart.
Thinking of the Spider-Man he nearly killed, Jennix's eyes turned vicious.
"The moment Spider-Man shows, we take him out."
"No."
Kang shook his head. "Without my time machine, I'm not certain we can beat him."
"I'm enough," Nova sneered. "Without the Phoenix Force here, he can't protect everyone."
Kang frowned. "Don't be rash. Forgot what the Grandmaster said?"
He stepped in front of Nova. "In the Resurrection Match, Spider-Man's invincible. Even the Grandmaster can't beat him in this game. We don't stand a chance.
Any tiny flaw, and Spider-Man will seize the opportunity to turn the tables."
Jennix hesitated, then sided with Kang.
"Yeah, I got careless last time and paid for it. Lesson learned."
After their back-and-forth, Nova wavered.
"I've waited too long. How much longer?" she asked.
"Victory requires absolute patience."
Suddenly, a ripple shimmered in the air, and the Grandmaster appeared behind them, staff in hand.
He approached with a confident smile.
"Like always, this game demands fairness. I may not achieve it, but I'll try."
Just then, screams erupted from the street.
"Look, a motorcycle's speeding into the church!"
"Is it Spider-Man?"
"Oh my gosh, the moment's here!!"
The reporters grew more frenzied.
The Grandmaster's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"The game begins… wait, that's…"
His face twisted in confusion. Nova frowned.
"Why's it a delivery guy?"
Kang's face darkened. "What's that bug up to now?"
Jennix clenched his fists. "Too far to sense if he's got the spider-totem."
"Can't confirm it's him. Keep watching," the Grandmaster ordered.
"Understood."