Peter Parker collapsed at the sight of Uncle Ben lying on the ground, blood pooling from his wound. He was crushed—utterly broken.
Then a calm voice spoke:
『?』: "Peter, you've been through a lot recently, haven't you?"
Who was that?
Peter looked up instinctively and saw a figure standing not far away — handsome, dark-haired, dark-eyed, wearing neat casual clothes. Peter froze.
『Peter Parker』: "Su—Superman?"
It was Carl.
Thinking of Superman's power, Peter bolted over to him, sobbing and begging:
『Peter Parker』: "Mr. Superman, please—can you save my uncle? Please, help him!"
Peter's plea came partly from desperation, and partly from the enormous reputation Superman carried. He worshipped Superman; if there was even the slightest chance, Peter would grasp it. He didn't actually know whether Superman could bring someone back, but he had to try.
Carl nodded.
『Carl』: "Alright."
For a moment Peter thought Carl was refusing—the reply had been so brief. Then he understood: Carl had agreed. That realization stunned him. Superman could save people? From the movies Peter remembered, Superman didn't have obvious resurrection powers. Still, Carl's prompt answer left Peter dizzy with hope.
Peter thanked him earnestly.
『Peter Parker』: "Thank you so much, Mr. Superman."
Before Peter could ask what method Carl would use, a cough sounded.
Uncle Ben, who had been shot and lying motionless a moment ago, slowly sat up.
Peter stared, dumbfounded. This couldn't be real—he'd watched Ben collapse; there had been no breathing, the clothes soaked in blood; Peter's own hands were smeared red from touching the wound. And yet Ben was sitting up now.
『Peter Parker』: "Uncle Ben—how are you sitting up?"
Ben, bewildered, pushed down the immediate panic in his voice.
『Ben Parker』: "Lie down… no, that's not right—are you feeling unwell?"
He stood up. He looked at Peter, puzzled.
『Ben Parker』: "Unwell? No, I'm fine. You're the one, Peter."
His tone softened.
『Ben Parker』: "I'm sorry. I said something I shouldn't have earlier. But you were wrong, too—you shouldn't have let your aunt go home alone so late."
Peter sobbed and nodded. He stepped forward and hugged Ben tightly. Small mistakes—forgetting to pick Aunt May up—seemed nothing compared to the life-and-death terror he'd just experienced. Seeing Ben alive again overwhelmed him.
Ben patted Peter's shoulder, comforting:
『Ben Parker』: "Alright, stop crying, Peter. You're a man now—you're a grown-up."
Peter let himself calm bit by bit. Then, worried, he asked:
『Peter Parker』: "Uncle, are you really okay? Your wound—there was so much blood…"
He trailed off. The blood-soaked hole had vanished. Ben's clothes were clean; there were no traces of the earlier carnage.
Peter's confusion deepened.
Then Ben noticed the man nearby.
『Ben Parker』: "Sir… are you—Superman?"
『Carl』: "Yes."
『Ben Parker』: "Oh my—really? I'm Ben Parker."
Ben's voice brimmed with respect and surprise. He, too, had read Superman comics and had seen Superman's heroic acts in the news. Ben had been brave in life; that courage, and his admiration for heroes, made him warm toward Carl.
Carl nodded in return. He liked Ben—after all, Ben had raised Peter and guided him onto the right path. Without Ben, Spider-Man might never have become who he was. The famous line—"With great power comes great responsibility"—came from this kind, upright man.
Earlier that day Carl had stopped by Zhang Manyue's dorm to check on Norman Osborn. Finding Norman temporarily safe, Carl had glanced at Peter from the window and seen the boy kneeling, sobbing beside an old man's body, blood everywhere. Carl recognized the man instantly: Ben Parker.
Because of his previous life's knowledge and his own respect for Spider-Man, Carl had come at once. He used his time-based power to revert Ben's body to how it had been a few minutes earlier—restoring the wound, stopping the bleeding, bringing him back from the brink.
Ben blinked as if waking from a dream, still trying to place what had happened. Peter watched, stunned and grateful, as the impossible unfolded before him.
End of chapter...
WORLDWIDE SUPERMAN STRENGTH
🔹 Dimension Walker – 15 chapters ahead
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