"What on earth are you doing?!!"
Loki's yell came through Stark's communicator:
"Didn't you say you weren't going to interfere?!! If you join in too, no amount of Zitari people would be enough for you to fight!"
"No, I didn't...." Stark denied, somewhat guiltily. He said, "There's been a slight hiccup in the plan, Peter... he might be sleepwalking..."
"I don't care what he's doing, but now that the battleship is gone, what are you going to use to sharpen Earth's blade?!" Loki rebuffed irritably.
"Can't you provide a few more?"
Loki took a deep breath, saying, "Do you think a spaceship is something you can pick up on the beach like a pebble? The Zitari civilization isn't that advanced either, and spaceships are crucial to them."
"Aren't you supposed to be the God of Mischief? You've fooled three ships over here already. Can't you deceive three more?"
Loki huffed and snapped, "Only because you asked, wait a moment…"
It went quiet on the other end of the communicator. Stark pondered for a moment, then pulled out his mobile phone and called Strange, saying:
"Find a way to get Peter out of there! That gray mist…Schiller was there too, I knew it was him! Get them both out of there straight away. Don't mess up my plan!"
"Easier said than done." Strange looked up at the battleship that had just appeared only to explode into fireworks. He asked, "You don't expect me to go all the way up to low-Earth orbit and fight them, do you?"
"Don't you know magic?" Stark shot back indignantly, "Who was it that told me a Supreme Magician can do anything?"
Strange hung up the phone angrily, yet knowing full well that he'd do what was needed.
As the Supreme Magician, he knew that Kamar-Taj is part of human civilization. What enriches one enriches both, and what harms one harms both.
In the past, Kamar-Taj adhered to a policy of non-interference in human society. This was because, on a microscopic level, the Earth's situations are complex. Any super-natural intervention could have undesirable consequences.
But if viewed from a macroscopic perspective, treating human civilization as a whole, Kamar-Taj undoubtedly holds a duty to help humanity take this step.
Strange sighed, picked up his silk ribbon, gemstone, and cloak, and headed resolutely to the site where the spaceship had exploded.
By then, Peter had awoken. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a pitch-black space.
As he turned his head, a blinding light struck his eyes. Turning again, he saw the beautiful sight of his home, Earth, below his feet.
"Ahhh!!!" Peter screamed in fright.
Suddenly, he remembered: if he was now outside Earth, how was he breathing? And how could he scream?
Upon this realization, Peter clamped his hand over his mouth and a look of terror spread over his face.
"What's wrong, buddy? You were moving uncontrollably just now and I didn't know what was happening so I didn't dare do anything but wait." the Symbiotic Red Bee within his body reluctantly said, "Good thing you're back."
Peter suddenly remembered that he had an Alien Symbiote inside him, which could allow him to survive in the cosmos. He stammered, "Er... ever since I got bit by that spider... if I sleep too deeply, I tend to sleepwalk..."
"Previously, this condition wasn't severe so I didn't bother with it. But this time, I must've slept quite heavily. I even sleepwalked beyond Earth."
"We should go back, it's already late. If we cause a commotion, Doctor Schiller is going to be very upset."
The Red Bee was silent for a moment, apparently unsure how to explain what had just happened. He had watched the whole thing and feared that if he recounted the entire incident, Peter might run all the way to the moon.
Meanwhile, Peter also sensed that something was wrong. Looking around he asked, "What are these fragments? I don't recall any recent large satellite launches."
"And what's this? Why does this person look so strange?" Peter turned his head to see the Zitari commander. He was not dead, but helplessly floating next to a fragment.
The Zitari civilization has managed to establish single-soldier space combat. However, their physical bodies are not up to it and they need exoskeletons similar to Iron Armor.
At that moment, the exoskeleton of the Zitari commander was damaged by Peter's sleepwalking antic. Luckily, the oxygen system was still working, so he didn't die immediately. He was just immobile.
Peter paused mid-air. The red venom covered his battlesuit, and Spider-Man gained the ability to engage in a cosmic battle. In the vacuum of space, the Symbiote propelled him forward to the Zitari commander.
"Are you alright? Need help?"
"Don't come here!!! Monster!!!"
The commander screamed. He had seen this seemingly human monster turn a battleship into a sea urchin with torpedoes in a matter of minutes.
Peter blinked, surprised by his hostile attitude. Nevertheless, he patiently said, "Don't be scared, I am human, just …"
"You're definitely not human!!!" The commander shouted again. The Red Bee translated the commander's words into a language Peter could understand, keeping the original tone intact.
"I am human." Peter declared steadfastly, "Can't you see? I look just like humans, we both have hands, feet, eyes...."
"Get lost!!!!" The commander roared before trying eagerly to hide behind the debris.
Peter was somewhat confused. He glanced back at the battleship debris scattered around him. He suspected some kind of trap, so he immediately had Red Bee chase down the commander.
The exoskeleton of the Zitari commander was damaged, devoid of propelling forces, making his movement very clumsy, like an infant just learning how to use their limbs. The Symbiont, on the other hand, was extremely agile. With no gravity present, its state resembled flying, it was also very fast.
The chasing did not last too long before the Zitari commander mentally collapsed. In his mind, this demon before him was nothing but a tormentor playing tricks on him.
He pressed on his communicator, sent his last message, and then resolutely hammered his self-destruct button set on his chest. The bomb installed in the exoskeleton detonated in an instant.
"Don't answer! Don't answer! Loki!!! It's a fraud!!!!"
At the explosion, a bewildered Peter, who had hastily dodged, looked at the drifting body fragments. He scratched his head in confusion, then turned around, planning to go back to Earth, inform The Avengers of the situation above Earth and discuss countermeasures.
Meanwhile, Stark, in the control room, removed his hand from the button, and took a deep breath. He said on the phone to Loki, "I intercepted the signal he just transmitted, you can continue to deceive them."
Loki coldly snorted again, "Five minutes later, still, three battleships will arrive at the original designated location. You better quickly get Spider Man out of the way...."
After hanging up, Stark called Strange, saying, "Why didn't I see you on the monitor? Haven't you left Earth yet?"
"Soon...very soon..."
The vague reply from Strange didn't raise any concerns for Stark, and he hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Strange was looking at the ballpoint pen slowly rotating above his forehead. He raised his hands and said to Schiller standing opposite him:
"It was all Stark's doing."
With his arms folded, Schiller looked at Strange and said, "Is it? So what are you going to do now?"
"I am going for a sightseeing."
Strange looked around but avoided Schiller's gaze. Suddenly his red cape gave him a hard pull to the side.
Strange reached out his hand to pull the cape back, but it made a "bang" sound, tied itself into a knot, morphed into an arrow shape, and pointed in Spider Man's direction, seemingly quite anxious.
Facing Schiller's Death Stare, a flustered Strange pulled back the cape and with a forced smile, said, "I barely know Stark, I stand with you of course."
Schiller gave a cold hum. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a golden space rift appearing not far away and a massive space battleship poking out of it.
Schiller took a deep breath, turned his head and said to Strange, "Go, give Spider Man a slap."
"Huh???" Strange looked at Schiller in confusion. Schiller impatiently added, "Didn't you tell me before that you could knock a soul out of a person with one slap? Go slap Spider Man, and hold his soul securely."
"Why? Even if Peter threw your bed into space, you can't treat him like this. He is still underage, I cannot..."
Seeing the ballpoint pen getting closer and closer, Strange swallowed the rest of his sentence. He took out a small, droplet-shaped container decorated with golden patterns, then with a wave of his cape, opened a portal.
At the same time, Peter watched in shock as three battleships slowly sailed out from the portal. Now that the third one had left the portal, the portal was closed.
In a hurry, he felt the need to rush back and notify the Avengers that aliens were invading. Therefore, the Symbiotic Red Bee carried him and quickly flew back towards Earth.
A familiar portal with a "crack" sound suddenly blocked his way, and Strange flew out of the portal. Peter paused, saying, "Mr. Strange, how come you're here? Oh, wait, you're here to deal with the aliens, right?"
"Quickly stop them. Don't let the spaceships approach Earth, or everyone will be in danger!"
Strange smiled at Peter. Peter didn't understand and stared with wide eyes while Strange flew to face him. Seeing the movement of Strange's wrist, Peter said, "What are you doing, you..."
"Bang!"
Strange swung his palm and hit Peter right in the chest. A vague soul flew out of Peter's body. Strange took out the tiny droplet-shaped container, opened the lid, and absorbed Peter's soul into it.
After closing the lid, Strange saw Schiller, who had turned into a gray mist, rush towards him. Schiller enveloped the unconscious Spider Man with the gray mist and in a swoosh flew near the three battleships.
The gray mist stuck close to the hull, directly creating a hole on the surface of the first battleship. It then positioned the unconscious Spider Man in front of the hole and morphed into the shape of a baseball bat.
"Whoosh...Bang!"
The gray mist swung and directly hit Spider Man into the hole. Three seconds later, sounds of "Clap!" "Bang!" "Boom!" "Ah!" ...echoed out.
Back in the control room, a dumbstruck Stark stared at the once smooth torpedo-shaped battleship which had once again turned into a sea urchin.