Marvel’s Shadowed Knight

At this moment, the "Bat" that Peter Parker had mentioned had just returned to Queens.

Since the morning, crowds of people had been arriving to pay their respects to the late Spider-Man, and even now, their numbers had not dwindled in the slightest.

There were even people standing right in front of his house.

"Hey, man, if you're here to pay tribute to Spider-Man, I suggest you get in line."

A man, seeing Bruce attempting to cut through the crowd, gave him a disgruntled shove.

But rather than moving Bruce, the force barely budged him. Instead, Bruce reacted instantly, smoothly countering with a grappling maneuver that had the man pinned to the ground in an instant.

His movements were so fluid and precise that, had they not witnessed how quickly it happened, some might have mistaken it for an impressive display of dance.

The people in line quickly stepped back, distancing themselves from both Bruce and the man on the ground.

"First of all, I'm going home. And you just happen to be standing in front of my door. Secondly, don't go around grabbing other people's clothes."

With that, Bruce hauled the man back to his feet, gripping his arm firmly as he spoke again.

"This might hurt a little—brace yourself."

Before the man could even process what Bruce meant, Bruce had already twisted and pushed his arm back into place—resetting the dislocated joint caused by the grapple.

Only then did the man's nervous system catch up, and the searing pain finally hit him like a tidal wave.

Bruce casually dusted off the dirt from the man's clothes, then flashed him an incredibly polite and friendly smile before continuing toward his house.

This scene left the young women in the crowd absolutely ecstatic.

A man who was both refined and courteous yet possessed overwhelming combat skills? He was practically the perfect candidate for a romantic partner in their eyes.

As for whether martial arts skills held any real value in America—a country where practically everyone could carry a gun—they didn't care.

As long as he was strong and handsome, that was more than enough.

Having money would be the cherry on top.

Bruce had already checked the first two boxes effortlessly.

As for the last one, a few sharp-eyed individuals had already noticed that, while Bruce's suit was a mass-produced Gucci model, it was still far from something an average person could easily afford.

The only real question mark was his current place of residence—it wasn't exactly the most upscale neighborhood.

But that was hardly a dealbreaker.

The minor commotion naturally caught the attention of May Parker, who had been greeting and accommodating the endless stream of Spider-Man fans.

However, for someone as experienced as Aunt May, this scene hardly stirred any reaction. She remained composed, continuing to receive the visitors as usual.

In America, it wasn't uncommon for minor disputes to escalate into gunfights over trivial matters.

A simple grappling maneuver was nothing in comparison.

Still, it did serve as a reminder—perhaps it was time to bring an end to these spontaneous fan gatherings.

It was almost the end of the day, and the surrounding neighbors would be coming home soon to rest.

Letting the fans linger here any longer would only disturb their daily lives.

"I truly appreciate all of your support, but it's already quite late. I think it's best if everyone heads home to rest for now."

May Parker waved at the fans, signaling that she would not be receiving any more visitors today.

As devoted Spider-Man fans, they naturally respected Aunt May's wishes.

After all, she had likely spent the entire day entertaining uninvited guests like them.

The fan who had been next in line to leave a tribute gave May a small, understanding smile before turning to the rest of the crowd.

"Alright, that's it for today. Let's come back tomorrow—just make sure to arrive early. She's been through a lot, so let's all be considerate."

His voice boomed through the crowd, as robust and powerful as his physique.

Although the fans in the back of the line were somewhat disgruntled after waiting for so long, they still obediently began to disperse.

Even Bruce, who had just finished showering at home, couldn't help but be impressed as he watched the scene unfold.

Truly worthy of being that little spider's fans.

So understanding, so considerate.

However, Aunt May wasn't the only one who witnessed that scene—so did the Shadow Spider, who had been keeping an eye on her out of concern.

The swift and decisive counterattack, the clean and precise bone-setting maneuver—

In Shadow Spider's eyes, these actions cast a veil of mystery over Bruce.

A man who dared to go for midnight runs, who could fight back with such skill, who executed his movements with unparalleled efficiency—why was someone like him living in a neighborhood as rundown as this?

Shadow Spider had no clear answer.

But from every angle, he knew one thing: he had to assess the risk this man posed on behalf of the late Spider-Man.

Not just for Aunt May—

But to ensure that New York wouldn't one day face an even more dangerous supervillain.

"I'm heading out for a bit." Shadow Spider said to Peni, who was enjoying a cookie.

Despite her young age, Peni could still sense that something was off with him.

"Are you okay?" She put down her cookie and asked seriously.

"Just going to check something out."

With that, Shadow Spider vanished from Peni's sight.

She felt a little uneasy, wondering if he would run into something beyond his ability to handle.

But in the end, Shadow Spider was still Spider-Man.

And Peni believed he could handle most situations.

At that moment, inside his home, Bruce—who had been working out—keenly noticed someone landing in his backyard.

When he had purchased this house, he had taken the time to set up a sophisticated surveillance network in the yard using his own equipment.

Now, it seemed like it was finally coming in handy.

To move so effortlessly while avoiding all the external defenses—there were only a few individuals in this neighborhood capable of such a feat.

And all of them were Spider-Men.

Bruce paused his training and grabbed a white towel from the side, casually wiping the sweat from his face before heading toward the back door.

Standing outside was a Spider-Man clad in a black-and-white aesthetic.

"You're not just some insomniac." Shadow Spider spoke the moment he saw Bruce.

After all, that was the excuse Bruce had given him last time.

Bruce, unfazed, simply wiped his sweat and responded, "And you're not just some random Spider-Man fan, are you?"

Without paying any further attention to Shadow Spider, Bruce turned and walked back into his house—leaving his back completely exposed, as if inviting an attack.

"Want to come in and sit for a bit?"

Unsure of what Bruce was playing at, Shadow Spider hesitated. But his sense of responsibility urged him forward.

At the very least, he needed to determine whether this man was a threat to others.

His eyes swept over the scattered workout equipment around the room, confirming one thing

This man had no superpowers.

As for everything else…

That would require further observation.

Though he wasn't sure how much longer he would be in this world.

(End of Chapter)

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