In the office of Arkham Sanatorium, Shiller, Strange, and Loki each sat on a couch in different directions, while Peter was seated on the last one.
His posture was extremely rigid; his knees were aligned, hands placed on top of them. From time to time, he'd glance around or shudder, because the three people in front of him were staring at him intensely.
"You're saying he's filled with Faith Power, but how come I don't see it?" Shiller asked while gazing at Peter.
"This is magic, ordinary people can't... oh, wait, you absorbed Nal's power before. So, if you bring it out and attach it to your eyes, you'll be able to see it." Strange commented while demonstrating.
His eyes flickered, emitting a gentle radiance which soon vanished, reverting back to its normal appearance. However, his field of sight had already altered, enabling him to perceive a particular type of force wave that regular people could not.
Shiller tried it as well and realized he could do the same. He had never considered this before, as it was easy to overlook the fact that Spider Man's origin involved magic. Moreover, back in DC, he needed Constantine's help to enable the Spirit Vision since he didn't possess the magic power of that world. He had forgotten that in Marvel, he also held the identity of a magician.
After activating Magic Vision, Shiller was blinded momentarily, for the figure sitting opposite him was no longer Peter but a giant light orb glowing with gold.
"What's going on? Why is he glowing?" Shielding his eyes, Shiller looked to Strange, who mirrored his movements exactly. Loki let out a sigh and said, "Can't you just withdraw some of the energy attached to your eyes? Then it won't be so blinding."
Following Loki's advice, they pulled back some of the energy, leaving only a very thin portion attached to their eyes. Only then could they see Peter clearly. Shiller turned to Loki and asked, "Why are you so skillful in this?"
"I'm a God Clan member, and I was proficient in using this energy the moment I was born. So, of course, I know how to handle all kinds of situations." After finishing his explanation, Loki turned his gaze back to Peter, scrutinizing him with great interest before contending, "This kid looks like he's on the verge of becoming a Demon God. Where did he get such a strong Faith Power from? How many disciples does he have?"
Both Loki and Strange looked over at Shiller, to which Strange shrugged, saying, "Shiller, I know you're an expert in that field, but this is a bit much, isn't it? Does Peter have any reason to become a god? He's only just started university. If he wanted to become a Cosmic Sorcerer, he'd at least have to complete his education first, right? I do not wish to see the first demon god who leaves Earth after my ascension to Supreme Magician not even have a college degree."
"If I tell you that I didn't do this, would you believe me?" Shiller answered weakly, but judging by the looks of the other two, they clearly did not believe him. Shiller sighed and turned back to Peter and asked, "Have you eaten anything strange lately, or met any odd people?"
Peter shook his head, saying, "No, everything has been normal recently. I've been going to school, dating, playing games... oh, I haven't been playing games!... well, not until too late, anyway."
"If you're certain it wasn't you, then I can examine his soul. But preferably somewhere deserted …" Strange suggested.
"A deserted place? What are you up to?" Shiller turned to Strange, who glared back, undressing Shiller with his eyes before replying, "What's it look like? Have you forgotten? After the soul leaves the body, his body will move involuntarily. If it's not a problem for you, shall I begin right here?"
"No, wait, my new sanatorium has just been renovated!" Shiller immediately arrested Strange's movement to fetch the Soul Jar.
About twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered in the Stark Building's laboratory. Stark stroked his chin and remarked, "So, Peter's symptoms are not due to the mating season, but the influence of arcane studies?"
"Correct. Also, what you perhaps don't know is that the mutation which occurred when Peter was bitten by the spider was not scientific. It was very likely related to magic. Remember the guy calling himself Morlun who appeared at Central New York during the bat invasion event?" Shiller moved to the side and began flipping through his medical records.
Steve and Stark thought back. The incident wasn't too long ago, but their memories were already hazy. There had been far too many events recently and the shocking bat invasion appeared less significant now as the entire Earth was preparing to enter the Star Ocean.
Stark recalled the things he saw at the moment of his ascension. He furrowed his brows and revealed a wary expression, even having Jarvis scan around, seemingly afraid that someone was watching Peter.
He gave Shiller a look, a silent pact among the spoiler crew, leaving the pair of them both not saying anything.
"He came specifically to hunt Spider Man, but how exactly, isn't quite clear yet. For now, it's better if we examine Peter's soul to ensure nothing unusual was done to him that we're unaware of." Shiller gave a basic summary.
"Then what are we waiting for?" When Steve heard there might be irregularities, he said rather impatiently, "Let's begin the examination now!"
"The problem lies in Peter having Spider-sense. If his soul leaves his body, his physical body will move on its own, possessing very high combat strength. Last time, he even demolished my clinic," Shiller sighed. Peter sported a guilty expression, prompting Shiller to pat his shoulder in consolation.
"So, we have to find a secluded spot to extract Peter's soul for inspection. Ideally, everyone should be involved to keep him within the deserted area. Otherwise, it might pose a threat to the neighboring cities," Strange took out the Soul Bottle and said.
"You guys know who to look for this matter," Shiller glanced at Natasha, who just arrived. Natasha took out her phone, contacted Nick, and finally chose the desert in New Mexico, where the Asgardians had landed initially.
Returning here, the remnants of the Destroyer's destruction were still clearly visible. Loki, standing on a large stone nearby, looked at Spider-Man surrounded by the group in the middle and said to Shiller: "Don't you think you are making a big deal out of this? Just a kid with spider mutation, does it warrant such a large mobilization?"
Shiller gave him a glance and asked: "Didn't you take a closer look when you went up?"
"I was only focused on Asgard." Loki shrugged.
Shiller took out his walkie-talkie and told Steve on the other side: "You guys move back first. Our Mr. Loki here has some opinions on Spider-Man's combat power. We absolutely have to give him a chance…"
After speaking, he looked at Loki provocatively. Loki snorted and said, "Even if I'm not from the Aesir, and don't possess the physique of those brutes, it doesn't mean that I can't deal with a child..."
As he spoke, he extended his hand, and a glow of magic surrounded his entire body. A luxurious robe appeared, and with a grasp, a magic wand appeared in his hand. Then, with a flash, he came to Spider-Man's side.
"Mr. Loki? Wait, why are you guys leaving?" Peter looked around and found that Stark and Steve were retreating, leaving only Loki on the battlefield.
Peter took two steps back and said to Loki: "Mr. Loki, maybe you don't know, but after I fall asleep, I can cause massive destruction. You'd better..."
Loki smiled at him, flexed his wrist, performed a flourish with his wand, and with a heavy swipe made a 'bang'. Peter's soul was knocked out of his body. Strange quickly captured the soul in his small bottle and swiftly left the battlefield.
The soulless body first slumped down and fell to the ground. Just as Loki was about to step forward to investigate, Peter's body jumped up "whiz", startling Loki who took a step back and looked at Peter's face.
Peter was not in his costume, so his expression was clearly visible. Now his eyes were pure white, the natural ocular effect on humans after soul extraction, so Loki was not surprised.
What surprised him was that this body indeed moved on its own, in a defensive posture without a soul.
Although Loki was blithe about his involvement, he was careful in his approach. Without knowing Peter's magical resistance, instead of using magic like missiles, he waved his wand and summoned a Stone Giant from the ground.
Several magical glows lit up as the Stone Giant's enchantment was completed. Loki didn't use offensive enchantments, only several layers of "sturdiness" and "quickness".
Seeing the Stone Giant appear, Peter was still on the ground defending. Loki frowned as he pondered whether to take off a few stones from the Stone Giant to lessen its power as it would be bad if Peter got hurt.
In Loki's eyes, Peter was still that kid not yet in college. Even measured against Asgardian lifetimes, he and Thor were older than Peter. Although Loki didn't strictly adhere to Asgardian warrior's honor, he was not interested in bullying kids.
While he was hesitating, the Stone Giant began its attack. Loki, thinking for a moment, conjured a healing spell in his hand, just in case of an accident which would necessitate immediate treatment.
The enormous Stone Giant raised its bulky arms, lifted them over its head and hammered down fiercely. With a "Bang!" a plume of dust rose. Loki squinted because he knew this attack did not hit its mark.
Just when Loki tried to locate Peter, a faint sound suggested a violent storm had started as a sharp piercing noise rose, almost instantly escalating into a sonic boom.
Several afterimages hovered around the colossal Stone Giant, or perhaps it's not just a few, but a protective shield made up of afterimages formed from a single figure, simply because it moved too fast.
Continuous whizzing sounds cluttered the air, and in just a few seconds, silence was restored. Loki just raised his magic wand when the massive Stone Giant crumbled into pieces, scattering ordinary rubble on the ground.
Loki stared, saw the completely shattered enchantment rune, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Loki tightened his grip on the staff, and just as the glow of the magic lit up, a fist as big as a punch bag fashioned by Peter appeared in his field of vision.