Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

Kingpin's mind was racing, yet his hands moved without hesitation.

Casually, he retrieved a handgun from a nearby cabinet, rolled down the car window, and aimed at the distant rooftop.

"If that guy doesn't dare to act, then I'll do it myself!

First, I'll take you out, and then I'll kill him!"

Kingpin's decisiveness was matched only by his disdain for the young Black Spider.

And that was hardly surprising.

He had witnessed the entirety of the "fight" between Black Spider and the Prowler just moments ago. From their reactions to their combat techniques, they looked no better than rookies.

To Kingpin, such an opponent was hardly worth paying attention to.

A few well-placed sniper shots would have sufficed to end him.

In fact, judging from the figure's build, it seemed to be a mere teenager of sixteen or seventeen. If it weren't for the fact that the kid had seen him execute Spider-Man—an act that could expose his true identity—Kingpin wouldn't have even bothered to kill him.

Now, the handgun in Kingpin's hand was trained squarely on the Prowler.

This was no ordinary weapon.

It was a custom-made, high-tech firearm based on the Desert Eagle, modified to enhance both power and precision.

But with these enhancements came an increase in recoil.

For an average person, firing a single shot would likely shatter their wrist.

But Kingpin was no average person.

With a body where muscles made up 90% of his frame, he could wield this "hand cannon" with one hand effortlessly—and fire it just as easily.

Moreover, the bullets were special armor-piercing rounds.

They had been specifically crafted during Kingpin's battles with Spider-Man, designed to counter the meddling nuisance in the mask.

The development considered Spider-Man's suit materials, its defensive properties revealed in various combat scenarios, and the footage of his battles.

In essence, a single armor-piercing round from this gun could punch through even high-grade bulletproof vests with ease.

Even Spider-Man wouldn't escape unscathed from a direct hit.

On the rooftop, after a brief moment of hesitation, the Prowler made his decision.

He resolved to shoulder everything himself.

Perhaps, after this mission, he could choose to fully pledge allegiance to Kingpin and seek his forgiveness.

With that thought, the Prowler adjusted the headgear over the young Black Spider, pulling it down to completely cover his face.

His expression was an intricate mix of emotions. He didn't even know what to say to his nephew.

Once, they had been inseparable. Now, they stood on opposing sides of light and darkness.

Bang!

At that moment, a deafening roar erupted, accompanied by a flash of fire from afar.

A custom-made armor-piercing round was fired from the gun's muzzle, streaking through the air with deadly intent.

Its target: one of the two figures on the rooftop.

The Young Black Spider heard the gunshot and instinctively turned toward the sound.

In that moment, it felt as though time had slowed to a crawl.

He could see, with startling clarity, a sharp, elongated bullet hurtling straight toward Uncle Aaron.

But he was powerless to stop it.

"Move!" he roared internally, desperately willing his body to respond.

However, since the shot wasn't aimed at him, his Spider-Sense hadn't triggered the reflexive, instinctual reaction. His body lagged behind his perception, leaving him helpless to act in time.

All he could do was watch as the bullet closed the distance to his uncle.

Then—

Whoosh!

A web shot out from somewhere, striking the Young Black Spider and pulling him off balance.

The sudden force from the web redirected him slightly, and with him in hand, the Prowler also shifted an inch to the side.

Crack!

The bullet shattered the armor on the Prowler's chest, spinning as it tore into his body.

A burst of blood erupted, staining his purple suit with a dark red bloom.

Aaron's mind plunged into chaos.

When a person is shot, the initial reaction is often... no reaction at all.

The bullet moves so fast that before the nerves can transmit the sensation of pain to the brain, the projectile has already exited or lodged deeper into the body.

At first, it feels like nothing more than a mosquito bite.

(This is based on what I found in science videos—seems to be true.)

But this "bite" triggers involuntary muscle reactions, causing stiffness or other effects.

Seconds after impact, waves of searing pain rush to the brain.

For those with weaker wills, the shock can cause them to faint on the spot.

This was precisely the case for the Prowler.

Though his willpower was strong, the custom armor-piercing round fired from the enhanced Desert Eagle was devastating.

In mere moments, it ripped through his chest armor, shattered his ribcage, and likely punctured his left lung.

Aaron was utterly incapacitated by the shot, his strength draining away as he collapsed onto the rooftop.

He slid limply down the sloped roof, unable to stop himself.

Meanwhile, the web stuck to the Young Black Spider had pulled him a short distance. But with the Prowler no longer holding onto him, he was yanked off the roof altogether.

The Young Black Spider hit the ground hard, but quickly regained his footing.

Grabbing the web stuck to him, he tore it off and dashed back toward the rooftop.

"Uncle Aaron! Uncle Aaron!" he shouted, panic lacing his voice.

Before falling off the roof earlier, he had seen his uncle get shot.

Suddenly, on a distant rooftop, two figures emerged.

A man clad in a red-and-blue suit with a large white spider emblem on his chest appeared.

Beside him was a woman in a sleek black-and-white suit, her figure agile and athletic.

It was none other than Peter and Spider-Gwen, returning from their mission!

Surveying the scene, Peter quickly moved toward the Young Black Spider.

He leapt onto the rooftop and saw the Young Black Spider cradling the Prowler's head in his arms, pressing down on his wounded chest while sobbing uncontrollably. Peter let out a silent sigh.

Whatever kind of person the Prowler might be, there was no doubt he was the Young Black Spider's uncle.

Applying quick thinking, Peter gently pulled the Young Black Spider's hands away and sprayed several layers of webbing over the wound to temporarily seal it.

At least, for now, the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

As for the internal injuries and whether the Prowler could be saved—that was left to fate.

Peter reminded him, "Miles, call an ambulance right away. The bleeding is under control for now, so there might still be a chance. But if you delay, it'll be too late!"

Miles snapped out of his despair. "Right! An ambulance! Thank you, Peter!"

He quickly climbed down the roof to borrow a phone from Aunt May.

Peter did have a phone on him—one he brought from his own world when he crossed dimensions.

However, it was useless here. The SIM card wasn't compatible, and it couldn't even access emergency numbers in this world.

So, all he could do was stand by helplessly.

Suddenly, the Prowler began to cough violently, his body trembling as he gasped for air.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Peter noticed a slight flutter of the Prowler's eyes—he seemed to be regaining consciousness.

"M...Miles..." the Prowler murmured, barely audible, forming just the sound of a single letter.

Peter immediately understood.

He crouched down and said, "Don't worry, Miles is fine. He's already gone to call an ambulance. If you don't want him to be heartbroken, you'd better hang on. Stay alive until the paramedics arrive to take you to safety!"

Through the narrow slits of his eyelids, the Prowler gazed at Peter.

His lips moved as though to speak, but no words came out.

Peter, however, had already stood up, unwilling to dwell on the scene.

He had only lingered out of consideration for Miles. Otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted time on the Prowler.

Striding quickly to the edge of the rooftop, Peter looked down.

On the street below, Spider-Gwen was already locked in fierce combat with Kingpin.

(End of Chapter)

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