In a way, what the other party said was correct.
The paper in her hand, wasn't it a standard pre-insurance survey form?
Tyrone's arm muscles tensed, and he gently tugged Tandy's sleeve. Dark energy gathered at his feet, ready to erupt, poised to engulf them both and spirit them away.
Spider-Man was completely unaware of their tension. He pointed at the form, his voice filled with the wonder of discovery.
"Look at what it says here: 'Risk Assessment,' 'Commercial Value Analysis,' 'Estimated Insurance Potential'..."
He spoke very quickly, like a rapid-fire string of words.
"Isn't this the kind of sales pitch insurance agents use every day?"
"Let me guess, you're planning to go down later and try to sell that winged uncle a 'High-Altitude Work Accident Insurance' plus a 'Preservation of Illegally Obtained Assets Insurance'?"
He spoke like a machine gun.
Tandy's mouth twitched.
Oh no! Her boss's outrageous business model was so easily seen through by a passing masked vigilante?
"Wait, don't be nervous! Relax!"
Spider-Man noticed Tyrone's defensive posture was almost materializing into a black mist, and he quickly raised both hands, palms out, indicating he meant no harm.
"I'm just curious, really, I swear."
"Selling insurance to supervillains, that business sounds... like it has a broad market prospect, but isn't the risk a bit too high? Your company's deductible clauses must be as thick as a dictionary, right?"
As he spoke, he held the form up to his mask and examined it carefully.
His red and blue head tilted, his gaze finally landing on the company name at the top of the form.
"Rodriguez... Risk Management Limited..."
Spider-Man muttered the name, his tongue pausing on the surname "Rodriguez," then he repeated it, his tone carrying an indescribable, peculiar cadence.
He suddenly looked up, his large White eye-lenses fixed on Tandy and Tyrone, his voice somewhat dry: "If I may ask, is your boss... named William?"
"Very tall, looks like a male model, and always wears a suit more expensive than my entire year's rent combined?"
Tandy nodded instinctively.
In all of New York, who else named Rodriguez and fitting that description could it be, other than her exploitative, black-hearted boss?
The moment she confirmed, Spider-Man froze.
William Rodriguez... the man who sold him insurance twice, the man he admired so much.
He even found him an Anonymous Online Guidance Counselor... that mysterious mentor who told him, "Don't panic, kid, you just won the lottery," when he was most lost and afraid.
The man who sent him the "Superpowered Newbie's Guide" and comforted him with a joke about "a friend whose face got stuck on an Audi car door."
So... that counselor was also a colleague working with Mr. William?
That "Superpowered Newbie's Guide" on his phone, was it actually this company's "Internal Employee Training Material"?
Spider-Man's brain, no, his young and innocent heart, was struck by an unprecedented impact.
Just as Spider-Man's Worldview was crumbling, a flash of lightning also streaked through Tandy's mind.
She had previously glimpsed a new message pop-up on William's phone, with the sender noted as "Little Spider."
At the time, she thought it was some strange two-dimensional nickname.
Now, she looked at this guy in the red and blue suit, jumping around, acting like a hyperactive Spider... Little Spider... Spider-Man... Tandy suddenly realized.
So that's how it is!
"Who's there?!"
The startled Vulture suddenly turned, his cutting gun aimed at the rooftop.
When he saw the red and blue figure, the expression on the Vulture's weathered face changed drastically.
It was Spider-Man!
And two young kids next to him who looked like thugs!
He was surrounded!
The Vulture didn't hesitate; begging or negotiating were never his options.
He abruptly activated the metal wings on his back, and the two turbine fans emitted a piercing roar, blue electric arcs wildly leaping between the blades!
"Careful!"
Spider-Man's combat instincts overrode the confusion.
Before Tandy and Tyrone could react, the Vulture had pulled the trigger — the beam wasn't aimed at them, but at the rusted metal Water tower next to the warehouse!
With a crash!
The Water tower's support structure was cut, and several tons of the Water tower came crashing down on them!
"Go!"
Tyrone grabbed Tandy, then reached for Spider-Man, his body transforming into Shadow, ready to make the three of them disappear.
"No need!"
Spider-Man shouted, his feet pushing off the ground, rocketing into the air.
He shot two strong webs in mid-air, precisely sticking to both sides of the Water tower.
His abdominal muscles tensed instantly; he forcibly held back the rapidly falling behemoth with his webs and his own strength!
"Now!"
Tandy reacted extremely quickly, breaking free from Tyrone's hand, flipping her wrist, and three glowing Daggers appeared out of thin air, shooting in a triangle formation towards the Vulture in the sky!
The light energy Daggers were incredibly fast.
The Vulture's pupils constricted.
He had no idea that these two seemingly inconspicuous kids were also superpowered individuals!
He violently flapped his wings, performing an inconceivable roll in the air, narrowly dodging two Daggers.
But the third one still grazed the edge of his wing.
"Screech—!"
A hydraulic line was severed.
"Damn it!"
The Vulture knew he had lost his advantage; a head-on fight was not an option.
He controlled his damaged wings to gain altitude, simultaneously throwing several red-glowing spheres from his waist.
The spheres exploded in the air, forming a dense smoke screen.
By the time Spider-Man stabilized the Water tower, and Tyrone emerged from the Shadow with Tandy, the Vulture's Shadow was long gone from the night sky, leaving only the messy alley and three people staring at each other.
Spider-Man released his webs, landed lightly, and disengaged from combat.
He scratched his head, looking at Tandy and Tyrone, his tone helpless yet resigned: "Alright, I guess we really need to talk."
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