Chapter 893

"Listen, Spider-Man, don't answer—it's me, Natasha. Just listen. I'm in an abandoned warehouse and temporarily immobilized; their firepower is too heavy, and splitting up didn't work..."

"No, don't come for me. My healing may not match Captain America's, but it's still far beyond normal humans. Go find Coulson—he has a top-secret file listing Hydra agents embedded in S. . . . . . Head to the Avengers' base; you can track his signal. Go now, get the list..."

Spider-Man hung up and immediately swung away. When he reached the Avengers' base, he found Matt already waiting. He hurried over and asked: "Did you also receive Natasha's distress signal?"

"No, Hill contacted me through the Avengers' internal network. She's being hunted—apparently she has a list of KGB operatives embedded in S. . . . . . Nick Fury is dead. They've lost their protection, and everyone's looting now."

Spider-Man slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth: "These damn spies... Forget it. I'll track their signal. Alert the other Avengers—help them however you can. The list must be protected at all costs..."

At that moment, vampire hunter Eric walked in and said: "Bad news. Count Dracula has arrived in New York. I don't know his purpose, but he's likely planning revenge while S. . . . . . is leaderless."

Matt frowned: "But I heard Dracula avoids conflict. He didn't show up when the Bat invaded New York. Why is he seeking revenge now?"

"Vampires are all insane, don't you know? Besides, the Immortality Factor drug industry has been growing for years—nearly every vampire in New York State has been wiped out. It's natural for Dracula to return and see what's left. After all, he's still a vampire."

"When it rains, it pours." Matt stood and walked to the screen, beginning his tactical briefing: "Eric, handle the vampire threat—you've dealt with them longer. Spider-Man, assist Coulson. Myself and Elektra will rendezvous with Hill. Next, the operation plan: since the pursuers are agents, we should..."

After Matt finished his briefing, the three split up. Spider-Man followed the signal to Coulson's location. Five or six hundred meters away, he saw Coulson backed into a corner, holding only a pistol.

Spider-Man sprinted toward the target at top speed, but beyond distance, he had to drop down to reach Coulson—and in those two brief seconds, a bullet struck Coulson in the back.

Watching the spraying blood, Spider-Man's rage peaked. He plunged straight down, ignoring the pain of impact, and kicked the shooter clean off his feet.

He quickly took down the remaining agents, then rushed to Coulson's side. Coulson clutched a briefcase, groaning in pain.

Seeing Spider-Man, Coulson struggled to lift his arm and offered the briefcase. Spider-Man didn't take it. Instead, he knelt and began bandaging Coulson. The bullet had pierced his lung—he was convulsing.

After basic first aid, Spider-Man took the case and called an ambulance. As Coulson was lifted onto the stretcher, nearly unconscious, Spider-Man felt a terrible premonition.

Outside the emergency room, Doctor Strange, dressed in surgical scrubs, rushed in. Spider-Man waited anxiously outside. After a while, Natasha arrived, her arm bandaged but clearly not seriously injured. Spider-Man turned to her: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just the decoy. Normal agents can't hurt me. I got hurt on purpose—jumped from the fourth floor to draw them after me."

"What the hell happened?" Spider-Man's voice trembled with anger. "How could they..."

"How couldn't they? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance." Natasha sat on a chair beside the ER. "Nick Fury, the legendary agent—his name isn't just flashy. Do you think S. . . . . . operated smoothly all these years because of luck?"

"Do you think a secret, supra-national organization like S. . . . . . wouldn't be targeted? Do you think they wouldn't flood it with elite agents?"

"Especially after S. . . . . . began publicly revealing its solar system development plans, stepping into the spotlight—Nick Fury's name echoed across Earth."

"Countless hands reached for it—but Nick's defenses were impregnable. For years, they never gained an inch from him. Now that he's dead, the carnival begins."

"Every secret they never obtained, every secret they now crave—all within reach. Even sacrificing a few deeply hidden moles is worth it."

"Hill and I paid the price. The people we trusted were long-buried moles. Once the embedded agents from every faction went mad, they caught us completely off guard."

Natasha turned her head aside, her hair obscuring her face. Spider-Man thought no battle-hardened Black Widow would ever show sorrow—but just then, the ER light flickered off.

Doctor Strange stepped out, touching his wrist, standing at the door, and said to Spider-Man: "Phil Coulson has been called by the Lord."

Spider-Man stared, disbelieving: "What? Wait—if surgery failed... you still have magic!"

"I offered to use the Time Stone. He refused." Strange looked at the briefcase beside Spider-Man. "He said he wasn't a good agent—but at least he was human."

Spider-Man's chest heaved, his grief palpable even through the mask. But before he could mourn long, a thunderous crash came from outside. All three turned toward the window.

Spider-Man dashed forward first. He saw a massive red monster standing on New York's skyline.

"What is that? Why does it look like the Hulk? No—it's red..."

Natasha joined him, squinting: "Look there—that camouflaged vehicle. Military. They must've run another experiment and created a giant monster..."

Spider-Man leapt out the window: "I have to stop him. He can't go wild in New York."

Meanwhile, near the red giant's location, Dr. Dora glanced out the window, studied it carefully, then stepped back two paces and turned to her terrified researchers: "Quick! Evacuate everyone! Especially mutants—he's targeting mutants..."

"Rola, Andy, and Pruitt—get them out! This thing was made by the military to hunt mutants!" Dora called out as she retreated.

CRASH—the floor-to-ceiling window shattered. A chunk of stone flew in. Everyone screamed and fled. Dora quickened her steps: "Don't take the elevator—use the stairs. He won't collapse the building right away..."

"Wait—where are the interns? Why aren't they out?" Another colleague shouted: "Before I left, Andy was teaching three interns how to use the equipment—they're probably still in the lab..."

"No time! Go now—I'll get them!"

Dora sprinted in another direction, arriving quickly at the lab door. She swiped her employee card.

As she burst in, researcher Andy was still explaining. Seeing Dora's panicked entrance, she looked confused: "What's wrong, Dr. Dora?"

"Go! Take the interns and run! The military created a red monster—it's hunting mutants..."

Andy's face twisted in panic. Scales could be seen behind her ears; her fingers bore webbed tissue—but otherwise, she looked human.

Gwen, standing among the interns, cried out: "How could they do this?! Create a monster to kill mutants? They're insane!"

"Come on, girls—they've always been insane. Follow me—we go this way. Don't let him see us!"

In the hallway, Dora glanced out the window—the monster was nearing. Ignoring Andy's sobs, she dragged her forcibly into the underground shelter.

Inside the shelter, she turned to everyone: "Stay here. I'm going back up to make sure everyone's accounted for..."

Gwen stood: "I'm coming with you, Dr. Dora."

Dora said nothing. Gwen followed her upstairs—then she saw another figure streak across the skyline. It was Spider-Man. She knew him instantly.

Gwen took a deep breath, steadying her nerves, and followed Dora down the corridor. Then the building shuddered. Gwen looked out the window: "The building's waist structure is damaged—we have to move fast..."

The two paused, preparing to descend another staircase—when another green monster emerged.

The red and green monsters collided. The ground shook violently.

Gwen gripped the doorframe. Dora fell. Gwen rushed to help her—just as the building collapsed.

Instant weightlessness. Gwen instinctively clung to the doorframe. Debris rained past their heads—then a red-and-blue figure swung toward them.

At the last moment, Spider-Man grabbed Gwen's waist and swung her away. Gwen turned and screamed: "Dr. Dora!! No!!"

Setting Gwen down, Spider-Man swung back. As the building sheared cleanly in half, he was too late to catch Dora's whole body—so he shot a webline, wrapping it around her waist.

But as the two monsters battled, flying debris sliced like blades—like a sniper's bullet—it pierced straight through Dora's chest.

As the webline retracted, blood exploded in midair, soaking Spider-Man's suit, blinding his vision in crimson.