124

Chapter 125 Revised: Forgotten

Thor stood quietly, unsure how to respond to Tony's compliment. Despite not seeking such honors, he couldn't outright reject them either. Tony, with a curious expression, prodded him about Mjolnir's recent wielder.

"There's what everyone knows, and then there's the truth," Thor replied cryptically. Without further explanation, he turned and stepped through the portal into space, heading straight for the Chitauri Legion.

The Chitauri, dominating Earth, were less formidable in the broader universe due to their centralized control aboard the mothership. This link facilitated rapid synchronization of information and fearless combat readiness, yet it posed a fatal weakness—a single blow to the mothership would render them inert.

Since his awakening and wielding of Mjolnir, Thor possessed the might to single-handedly destroy a space battleship, albeit not as effortlessly as he once did. With Peter replenishing Mjolnir's powers, Thor's capabilities expanded significantly, filling in the final piece of the puzzle.

Despite his newfound strength, Thor felt no jubilation; instead, a deep melancholy settled in. Deprived of Mjolnir and compelled to wield another's divine power against his enemies, Thor found himself surrounded by Chitauri soldiers. After a brief internal struggle, he closed his eyes and unleashed the borrowed power towards New York.

Meanwhile, Gwen witnessed the chaotic spectacle from ground level as Chitauri rained down from the skies. Reacting swiftly, she spun her remaining spider silk into a vast web, shielding nearby citizens and salvaging what she could amidst the destruction. Though her efforts saved lives, the sight of devastation beyond her web's reach weighed heavily.

Before she could move on to aid others, a familiar voice called out to her amidst the chaos. Spotting "Peter" in the crowd, Gwen hurried over, relieved to find him safe.

"Peter, where have you been? Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

Peter smiled, "I've been dodging aliens and looking for trouble. Gwen, can you come with me?"

Confused by his urgency and the unusual request, Gwen hesitated. "We should help the people here in New York first. That last wave almost wiped out all the Chitauri in the sky."

To Gwen, Peter embodied kindness and encouragement, motivating her to embrace her role as Spider-Woman fully. Facing New York's dire crisis, she expected Peter's support in rallying efforts to aid their fellow citizens.

However, Peter's insistence grew unsettling. "Forget about the others for now, come with me," he pressed, prompting Gwen to question his odd behavior.

"What's wrong, Peter?"

Unbeknownst to Gwen, the Peter before her was not who he seemed but an observer from the Time Management Bureau.

"It's urgent, Gwen," he urged, seizing her arm and pulling her away.

Their closeness made Gwen hesitant to doubt him outright, despite her growing suspicions. Before she could voice her concerns, a sudden thud interrupted their exchange.

Both turned to witness Peter, having reclaimed his hammer from Stark Tower, landing nearby.

"Let her go," Peter commanded the doppelganger with unwavering resolve.

Confused by the unexpected confrontation, Gwen intervened, "Black Superman? Why are you here, and why are you threatening Peter?"

She halted purposefully between the two, "What are you doing? Black Superman."

Peter remained silent.

On the other side, the observer also gestured defensively, "I didn't touch her."

Gwen, hearing this, turned around in disbelief to face "Peter".

At that moment, a heavily armed anomaly handling team rushed in from all sides, surrounding them.

The lead officer, a black woman, aimed her device at Peter directly, "Black Superman, finally stopped hiding? Whenever Gwen Stacy is threatened, you can't help but show up."

Gwen was completely bewildered.

The sudden appearance of Black Superman, the bizarre "Peter"... or whoever he was, and now this mysterious soldier, had completely scrambled her thoughts.

"Wait, why would Black Superman appear because of me?" She tried to make sense of it.

The black officer looked at her sympathetically, "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.

"Are all of you from the Time Management Bureau this chatty?" Peter interjected sarcastically.

"Too talkative?" The officer narrowed her eyes at Peter.

"No," she responded, staring intently at him, "After we apprehend you and restore order, this entire timeline will be erased. None of this will remain."

Gwen was displeased with Black Superman for cutting off the officer's revelation. What dirty secrets was this famous Black Superman hiding from her?

But now, she couldn't focus on that anymore. The officer's words had sent chills down her spine.

"Wait, erase the timeline? What does that mean?"

"I'll handle this, Gwen," Peter replied abruptly, a tone that strangely felt familiar to her.

Peter glanced around at the Time Administration team surrounding him, chuckling softly. "How can you be so sure you've caught me, instead of the other way around?"

The officer reacted quickly to Peter's words, a sense of unease creeping in. She instinctively activated her time-control device.

But it was too late. Black Superman moved with incredible speed. In an instant, all the team members around her were incapacitated.

Peter had planned to infiltrate and seize his home base; playing the victim was not his style.

He moved to strike directly.

Fortunately, the officer arrived just in time. At the critical moment of Peter's attack, she used her time-slowing device to freeze Black Superman in mid-air, confidently declaring:

"No matter how powerful you are, you can't... escape the Time Administration's pursuit... What?"

Her confident smirk froze as she realized Black Superman, slowed countless times over, still hurtled towards her at breakneck speed.

"Damn it, slow down! Slow down more! What? Is this the slowest it can go?"

Panic set in as she struggled with her time device, unable to halt Black Superman completely; she could only delay him momentarily.

True to form, Peter's punch landed squarely on the officer.

Unlike the others, Peter had used tremendous force to break through the time barrier, causing the officer to explode into a mist of blood and debris.

With the officer's demise, time around them swiftly returned to normal.

Gwen felt like everything happened in the blink of an eye; everyone, including "Peter," lay defeated.

And the once arrogant officer seemed to evaporate instantly...

"What... just happened?" Gwen stared at Black Superman, seeking answers. "You need to explain. You seem... familiar to me?"

Peter met Gwen's gaze. "Of course, I..."

But he stopped abruptly, looking up at the sky.

Meanwhile, in Kamar-Taj, Gu Yi watched events unfolding in New York with wide eyes.

As heroes battled and Tony, having closed the Chitauri mothership, returned through a time portal to Thor, they all looked up together.

Above Earth loomed a massive, ominous human-like face, blotting out the sun.

Its black form resembled deep space, stars swirling within.

This spectacle felt like the arrival of a colossal deity, overwhelming in its presence.

The previous Chitauri onslaught seemed comprehensible in comparison, still offering a glimmer of hope.

But now, the Titan signified despair, incomprehensibility, and insurmountable odds.

Even Tony, high in the sky, momentarily lost his resolve.

"Oh my God..."

"Is this the end?"

"A real god?"

People worldwide, witnessing this, murmured in confusion.

Peter frowned deeply. Had the Time Administration Bureau arrived too soon?

But speculation was futile. He could feel their eyes fixed upon him.

Without hesitation, Peter summoned his system panel:

[Do you want to spend 1 million points to upgrade Superman Talent Pack lv3?]

[Upgrade successful.]

[Congratulations on acquiring Superman Talent Pack lv4]

...

[Do you want to spend 500,000 points to upgrade Thunder God's Power lv3?]

[Upgrade successful]

[Congratulations on acquiring Thunder God's Power lv4]

...

He sacrificed accumulated points to bolster his strength once more.

Originally, Peter hadn't planned to upgrade so soon, but circumstances forced his hand.

In an instant, he ascended, hurtling toward the colossal face.

The entrance was barred, leaving no room for retreat.

Nearly losing hope, Tony and others watched in awe as a lone figure ascended.

In that moment, they saw only his back, unhesitatingly approaching the giant deity.

Despite his everyday irritations, when all seemed lost, Peter always stood at the forefront, an unwavering beacon.

This image would stay with Tony for a long time.

The giant raised its dark hand, adorned with stars.

A blinding flash followed, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

As the light faded, they saw the colossal face still intact.

It winced slightly, as if pricked by a needle.

But Black Superman had vanished without a trace.

People felt an inexplicable fear. Some praised Black Superman while others discomforted by his existence.

None realized a crucial fact:

With Black Superman gone, who would protect them?

The colossal face gazed upon Earth, its eyes betraying no emotion.

Stretching forth its hand once more, it began weaving a vast spell.

When the incantation ceased, the face had vanished.

New York remained in ruins, Chitauri wreckage littering the ground.

Heroes stood bewildered, their minds slowly piecing together.

Tony frowned at Thor beside him, "Did you deal with the Chitauri mothership?"

"Yes, with my hammer."

"But why do I feel like I've forgotten something?"

Thor frowned, "Yes, it's vexing. I feel a void, like... I can't live without him..."

"An illusion?"

"Perhaps."

"But what's causing this unexplained dread?"

"Could it be... Chitauri?"

"No, impossible!" Tony shouted, flustered. "There's something indescribable, terrifying..."

On the ground, Steve, Natasha, and Hawkeye sensed something amiss.

Yet, surrounded by destruction, they focused on rescue efforts.

Felicia furrowed her brow, troubled. "I remember... agreeing to be a pet for some annoying guy... Damn it, who is he? The master... who is the master?"

Hulk surveyed the Chitauri debris, sensing his purpose here had ended.

Uncomplicated, he leapt away from New York.

Outside New York, Kingpin erupted in rage, smashing everything in sight, be it people or objects.

His underlings, witnessing the normally composed kingpin in such a frenzy, trembled in fear and confusion.

Only Kingpin sensed the loss of something vital, a profound belief and spiritual anchor.

Driven mad, he rampaged until reaching a church deep within the prison.

There, behind the pulpit, stood a towering statue.

Approaching it slowly, Kingpin reached out and touched it.

"Church... God... That's right," he murmured. "Whoever you are, I will wait. I'll wait for you to return..."

High above New York, Harry was no better, remembering only his deep affection and admiration.

Yet, he couldn't recall what or whom exactly. Was it a person, spirit, or symbol?

Uncertain, he clung to the one thing left to him.

Gwen stood blankly, sensing she had forgotten something crucial.

Gwen also stood there blankly. , I feel like I have forgotten something.

But before she could think more, she saw the remaining soldiers from the Time Administration "capturing" Peter.

"Wait, what are you doing!" She stopped him.

But as soon as the soldiers saw Gwen come back to her senses, they immediately increased their speed, set up the observers and fled back to the rectangular door.

Of course, in Gwen's eyes, this meant that Peter had been captured by a group of inexplicable people.

How could she accept such a thing? She wanted to catch up, but the rectangular door had been closed one step ahead.

Just like this, she suddenly forgot something, and then lost Peter again.

This made her stand there blankly, feeling empty in her heart. She couldn't recover for a long time, not knowing whether she should be sad or what.

She actually felt as if she had lost something more important than the "Peter" in front of her.

This made her extremely confused.

Before she could grasp it, she noticed bloodied remnants of a device at her feet.

It belonged to the deceased black officer, damaged by Peter's attack, yet somehow still functional.