Wait a minute, this guy's strength is no different from an ordinary person.
He only gained the ability to shoot webs.
With this realization, Charlie quickly formulated a plan.
Immediately, he pointed at Johnny, who was still sitting on the ground, and shouted loudly.
"Oh my gosh, it's Spider-Man!!"
His voice rang out, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
"What?"
"Spider-Man?"
"No way!"
"Spider-Man's at school?"
As the surrounding students crowded around, Johnny's face paled with panic.
"I'm not—"
"Look, what's this?"
Charlie held up the strand of white webbing, pointing excitedly at Johnny. "This came right out of his hand! He's Spider-Man!"
"What?"
With this declaration, everyone turned to Johnny with excitement in their eyes.
Feeling the intense attention, Johnny became visibly uncomfortable.
He tried to explain, but Charlie strode up to him.
"Oh wow, you're actually Spider-Man! This is unbelievable!"
"I'm not—"
"Yes, you are."
Charlie cut him off, casually grasping Johnny's wrist.
No one understood how to trigger a web shooter better than him.
"Thwip!"
Suddenly, a web shot out from Johnny's wrist, attaching to the wall, and the crowd erupted.
"Oh my God, Johnny is Spider-Man!"
"No way, am I seeing this right?"
"Oh my gosh…"
In an instant, the students surrounded Johnny, eagerly examining him, with several female classmates even confessing to him on the spot.
Johnny gradually lost himself in this newfound attention.
"I'm not—fine, okay, I am Spider-Man."
Johnny finally caved, relaxing completely.
"I am Spider-Man! Hahaha!!"
On the outskirts of the crowd, Charlie, hearing Johnny's admission, allowed himself a satisfied smile.
"Perfect, there's evidence and witnesses. No one's going to suspect my identity now."
"He's not Spider-Man."
Suddenly, a quiet voice came from beside him.
Charlie turned to see a blonde girl with delicate features, looking at him curiously. "What did you say?"
The girl shook her head. "He's not Spider-Man. He just can't be."
Charlie frowned. "Have you met Spider-Man?"
"No."
The girl took a deep breath, insisting, "Spider-Man would never reveal his identity in public. It's just not possible."
"But that's what we're seeing right here," Charlie pointed out.
The girl glanced at him. "I know you, Charlie Parker. Time will prove everything. He's definitely not Spider-Man."
With that, she hugged her books and walked away.
Watching her leave, Charlie stroked his chin.
"She's definitely one of my biggest fans," he mused with a grin.
Whistling a light tune, Charlie turned to leave but then heard a faint sound beneath his feet that most people wouldn't have noticed.
"Huh?"
He lifted his foot to find a crushed pink spider.
"There really are mutant spiders on campus. Who knows how many people have been bitten?"
Charlie's mood darkened.
After leaving the school, Charlie received a call from Carter.
"This is Charlie Parker."
"I know. I got word that Spider-Man showed up at your school."
"That's not me."
"I understand. It's from the mutant spiders Steve released. Let's meet."
"Sounds good."
Half an hour later, at a nearby café.
Vroom-
A sleek black motorcycle pulled up by the curb, and the tall rider drew admiring looks from passersby.
"Hey, over here!" Charlie called from under the awning.
"Hi, Charlie."
In the sunlight, Carter removed her helmet, tossing back her golden curls, creating a stunning sight that drew gasps from onlookers.
Wearing a black leather jacket and pants, she sat across from Charlie. Noticing his hesitation, a smirk played on her lips.
"What's wrong? Are you captivated by my beauty?"
"No."
Charlie shook his head, replying seriously, "I just really want to know—are those leather pants breathable?"
"What?"
"I mean, if you can't hold in a fart…"
"Stop. Just stop."
Carter's face darkened. "You're not a kid anymore. You don't even have the basic appreciation for beauty. I'm worried for you."
Charlie shrugged. "Thanks for your concern."
"Alright, let's get down to business."
The server brought over a coffee, and Carter thanked them before turning serious.
"Is it another Spider-Man?"
Charlie nodded. "Well, sort of a Spider-Man."
"What do you mean?"
"He only has the ability to shoot webs. In every other way, he's just like a normal person."
"Is that so?"
Carter let out a breath of relief.
"Maybe we'll see more of these low-budget Spider-Men."
"No, let's call them knock-off Spider-Men."
"Don't worry about the details."
Carter continued, "With another Spider-Man around, it'll be easier for me to help you keep your identity hidden."
"But meeting me out here like this—how do you plan to explain that?" Charlie asked with a smile.
"I've already thought it through."
Perhaps because the sunlight was a bit harsh, Carter put on her sunglasses.
"After I returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., I took over as the new Captain in Steve's place. I've updated your records in the official system, so they won't misunderstand."
"Captains don't usually have that kind of access, right?" Charlie asked, surprised.
Carter nodded. "That's true. Steve didn't, but I'm different.
"My family, the Carters, stood behind me. My return has given them hope of reclaiming their former glory.
"They've secured considerable authority for me."
"Oh, I see. If Steve had succeeded in overthrowing the world order, your family would have suffered as well."
Charlie nodded in understanding. "So what's my official status now?"
Carter adjusted her sunglasses. "Seventy years ago, my closest sister was separated from me during the war. When I woke up from being frozen, my first task was to find out what happened to her.
"Unfortunately, she's been gone for a long time. All I could find were her descendants."
Charlie didn't need to hear the rest to get a bad feeling about where this was going.
"So?"
"So, Charlie Parker, I'm now your elder." Carter smiled.
Charlie: "…"
"Mother—no, grandmother's bestie—is that how it is now?"
He scowled. "Can't you come up with a different story?"
"It's too late for that, Charlie. That's what your elders would call you, right?"
Carter reached out, trying to ruffle his hair, but Charlie swatted her hand away.
"Don't even try."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Taking advantage of me like this... You better hope you don't end up in one of those revival tournaments."
But then he added with a shift in tone, "If you're willing to give me a New Year's gift every year, I might be okay with it."
Carter: "…"
She had clearly overestimated his morals.
"Fine, that motorcycle is yours," she said, tossing him the keys and adding, "And one more thing. Someone has erased all traces of Hydra, except for those bitten by the mutant spiders. I need you to keep an eye on them."
"No problem," Charlie agreed readily.
"The sooner Hydra is dealt with, the better it is for both of us."
Just then, a piercing scream came from above.
"Watch out!"
Charlie reacted instantly, diving to push Carter out of the way just as a red-and-blue figure fell from the sky, tearing through the awning and crashing down right where they had been standing.
Thud!!
Chairs and tables shattered, blood splattered, and the body of a person in a red-and-blue Spider suit lay gruesomely mangled.
Charlie wiped a splash of blood from his face, glancing up at the nearby building, his mouth twitching in disbelief.
Someone had tried to imitate Spider-Man by jumping off a building. What a genius.