Chapter 71: Captain America Kidnapped, Pure Love Warrior Victor, Nick Fury's Invitation

[You have completed the mission: Punish the Green Goblin.]

[As a villainous superhero, you gave Norman Osborn one last chance, but he was still controlled by the evil persona within him.]

[Perhaps only death could bring him redemption.]

[You have completed the mission. Reward: 20,000 points.]

[You have done everything you could for your friend. Everyone is an independent individual, and you refused to be morally blackmailed by Harry Osborn.]

[You killed Harry Osborn. +10,000 points.]

[You have accumulated a total of 30,000 points.]

Lying on the Simmons mattress, Peter was awakened by the voice in his ear.

This mission had been from months ago.

If the system hadn't suddenly reminded him, he would have almost forgotten about it.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the two of them.

Gwen stretched lazily, resting her head on Peter's shoulder.

"Gwen, if I keep lying like this, I might get shoulder arthritis."

Gwen smiled, flipped over, and sat on Peter's lap, her hands resting on his chest.

Her golden short hair brushed against Peter's face.

"Does the Punisher fear shoulder arthritis?"

"The Punisher is human too."

"By the way, Peter, why did you give yourself the name 'Punisher'? It doesn't sound cool at all."

Peter was speechless.

"That's not my fault. Blame the guys at the Daily Bugle. They came up with that name!"

"I suspect the editor, J. Jonah Jameson, is my hater. He gave me such a lame nickname!"

Gwen couldn't help but giggle.

"Then come up with one yourself."

"How about 'Punisher Superman'?"

"Ugh..."

"Gwen, I told you to stop watching those boring reality shows. Your naming skills are just as bad as the Daily Bugle's, if not worse."

"Then you come up with one."

Gwen frowned slightly.

"How about 'Super Invincible Demon King'?" Peter joked.

"What kind of name is that?!"

Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Even mine is better than that."

"Also, what's up with your suit? Can't you redesign it?"

"Wait, no!!"

Gwen suddenly remembered something and punched Peter's chest lightly.

"Can you change into someone else's appearance?"

"The Punisher I remember had white hair and looked super serious, like someone owed him money!"

"And how do you know how to fight?"

"What's with the lasers from your eyes?"

"And your speed!"

Peter sighed, knowing this was an unavoidable topic.

"Gwen, I don't know how it happened either."

"A few months before you became Spider-Woman, I gained these abilities, and they kept evolving, always for the better."

"I thought I could live my life as an ordinary person."

"But then you became Spider-Woman, and you got hurt by the Rhino."

"I felt like I had to protect you, but I didn't want Aunt May and Uncle Ben to worry, so I..."

Gwen leaned down, her face resting in the hollow of Peter's collarbone.

"Peter, I know."

"I shouldn't have argued with you yesterday. I was just a bit upset."

Peter hugged Gwen, her delicate body nestled in his arms.

"No need to apologize."

Gwen chuckled.

"How about we go again?"

"Huh?!!!"

"Again?"

"We've been at it all night. If we keep going..."

"Come on, I love that feeling of being in the air."

"Hehe."

Smash!

...

Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York branch.

Agent Hill rushed into Nick Fury's office with a file, looking unusually flustered.

As a poised and efficient long-haired female agent, Agent Hill rarely showed signs of panic.

Born in Chicago on a day when the temperature dropped to -40 degrees, her mother had frozen to death in the hospital.

Her father had never forgiven her for it.

This had shaped her cold and detached personality.

It seemed like she could handle anything with ease.

But now, sweat was dripping from her forehead.

"Director Fury, something urgent has happened."

Nick Fury rubbed his head, looking exhausted.

"Take it slow. What's going on?"

"Steve Rogers is missing."

"What?!!"

Nick Fury's one good eye widened in shock!!

"Missing?"

"How could this happen?!!!"

The name Steve Rogers might not ring a bell, but Captain America was a household name.

He was the first soldier injected with the super-soldier serum by the U.S. government.

This gave him strength, speed, and physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans.

At the end of World War II, Captain America fought the Red Skull and ultimately fell into the Antarctic Ocean, where he was frozen for seventy years.

How could such a man suddenly go missing?

Nick Fury felt a headache coming on.

Why was the world so chaotic lately?

Batman in Gotham...

Iron Man, the Punisher, Spider-Woman, and Daredevil in New York...

A hammer that fell from the sky in Mexico, impossible for anyone to lift...

A green guy in Africa who could turn into a monster at any moment...

And now Captain America was missing?!!

Couldn't they catch a break?

"Agent Hill, tell me more. How did he go missing?"

"Did he leave on his own?"

"We're not sure. All we know is that there were a lot of ice blocks on the ground."

"Damn it!"

Nick Fury was at his wit's end.

"Send people to investigate immediately. Get me all the information on everyone who knew Steve was alive."

"I have other matters to attend to."

"What could be more important than this?"

Nick Fury sighed.

He picked up a few photos from his desk and handed them to Agent Hill.

They showed a sewer and two bodies.

One was relatively intact, while the other was in pieces.

"Is that the Green Goblin?!!"

Agent Hill frowned.

"How did he get out? Who killed him?"

Nick Fury grabbed a short leather jacket from the coat rack.

"No one but the Punisher could do something like this, and no one else would use such brutal methods."

Agent Hill put down the photos.

"So you're planning to meet the Punisher?"

Nick Fury shook his head.

"Gellert Dante is a dangerous man. Natasha went to see him and ended up owing him a million dollars for a consultation. Her conclusion was that he's dangerous, extremely dangerous."

"I don't plan to expose myself to that kind of risk."

"So I'm going to meet someone who can talk to him."

"A high school student."

...

At 4 p.m., Nick Fury knocked on the door of Peter's villa, accompanied by Tony Stark.

"I have a date with Pepper. Did I really have to come here in person? I could've just texted Peter."

"Tony, imagine this: a one-eyed black man suddenly knocks on your door and tells you you're the chosen one to save the world. What would you do?"

"I'd call the mental hospital immediately."

"Good self-awareness."

The door opened.

Inside were Peter and Gwen, who had just gotten up and were preparing to cook.

Peter immediately recognized Nick Fury.

There was no denying that the S.H.I.E.L.D. director's appearance was quite distinctive.

"Hello, Peter. Are you enjoying the villa I gave you?"

Tony stood to the side, teasing. As a billionaire who could sell missiles for millions, he didn't mind giving away a house, but he couldn't resist poking fun.

Peter smiled.

"Mr. Stark, has your AI been upgraded? I'm really looking forward to another chat with it."

Tony's smile froze on his face.

The fact that the famous MIT genius Tony Stark's top invention had been outsmarted by a high school student had become a hot topic among S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"Peter, let's do it again. This time, I promise JARVIS won't have any issues."

Before he could finish, Nick Fury interrupted.

"Next time. I'd love to see a clash of geniuses."

"But today, we have other matters to discuss."

Tony introduced the two.

Once inside, Nick Fury got straight to the point.

"Peter, I know you're friends with Gellert Dante. As far as we know, you're the only one who can talk to him."

No, we're not friends.

He's my alter ego.

Peter thought to himself.

"I hope he can join us," Nick Fury continued.

"It doesn't conflict with his mission to punish criminals."

"Then you should go talk to him directly. If you don't know where Gellert is, I can take you there."

Nick Fury was speechless.

If talking to him directly worked, why would we come to you?

"Only you can talk to him, Peter!"

"I hope you can help us convince your superpowered friend."

Peter nodded.

"Alright, I'll try. But I can't guarantee it'll work."

With that, Peter was ready to see them out.

He had never considered joining the Avengers.

Joining would mean being bound by rules and taking on responsibilities he didn't want.

Just then, Nick Fury's phone buzzed with a series of images.

Agent Hill's voice came through the speaker.

"Director Fury, these are some biological experts who were present when Captain America was thawed."

Even though Captain America was a super-soldier, being frozen for over seventy years made his survival uncertain.

So S.H.I.E.L.D. had hired several biologists and experts in cryogenics.

Agent Hill's voice continued.

"Sean Shaw, Massimo Walker, Victor Fries..."

Nick Fury listened to the list of names, feeling a headache coming on.

He sent a voice message back.

"Agent Hill, I don't think these scientists have anything to do with Steve's disappearance."

"No, I think it's a lead..."

Suddenly, Peter spoke up.

Among the names, he had heard a familiar one.

Victor Fries.

Gotham was truly a city of talent. This scientist, Victor Fries, had another well-known name:

Mr. Freeze!

Compared to other villains, Mr. Freeze was relatively mild.

After becoming a villain, his favorite pastime was freezing Batman and discussing philosophy and art with him.

Why would someone willingly become an outcast and fight the world?

There was only one reason.

Love.

All of Victor's madness stemmed from his deep love for his wife.

His wife suffered from an incurable disease.

He could only preserve her by freezing her in ice to prevent her condition from worsening.

The moment Peter heard Victor's name, he had already pieced together the sequence of events.

Months ago, Mr. Freeze had taken over one of Penguin's territories.

Oswald Cobblepot had asked Peter for help, but since then, Victor had seemingly disappeared.

Now, hearing Nick Fury say that Captain America was missing and that Victor had been hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. to oversee Steve's thawing, Peter had a rough idea of what had happened.

Victor, in his quest to save his wife, had used cryogenic technology to freeze her.

But he had encountered a problem.

According to the comics, Victor faced the issue of human bodies decaying after being frozen and thawed.

So he thought of Captain America!

The man who had been frozen for seventy years and woke up alive and well.

And then something incredible happened.

Victor, a famous DC villain, had kidnapped Marvel's Captain America...

Peter's only reaction to this was:

"6!"

Nick Fury looked at Peter in surprise.

"Kid, what are you talking about?"

"This is interesting, Director Fury. I'm starting to doubt the professionalism of your organization."

"Don't you do background checks before hiring people?"

"Victor Fries has published important papers internationally, one of which is on the study of cell activity in extreme freezing conditions."

"He's published several other significant papers as well."

"His wife, Nora, suffers from a severe, incurable illness."

"Knowing these two things, it's not hard to guess why Captain America went missing, is it?"

Even the slowest person could see the connection now.

Tony suddenly spoke up.

"I get it. Victor wants to freeze his wife."

"But he must have run into some unsolvable problem!"

"Maybe the people he froze just died."

"So he kidnapped Captain America to study him!!!"

"But how did he kidnap Captain America? Steve is a super-soldier."

"That's not important." Nick Fury felt this trip was worth it!

He had come to convince Peter to persuade the Punisher to join the Avengers.

Now he wanted to recruit Peter directly into S.H.I.E.L.D.!

This kid was a treasure!

He knew so much!

S.H.I.E.L.D. needed talent like this!!

"Peter, have you considered working for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I know you might not know what this place is, or if it's a legitimate organization."

"But I promise, this job is cooler than most jobs in the world!"

"And we offer social security benefits, with a monthly salary of over 30,000!" Peter was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. 

"No, thanks. I'm stil in college. And only a freshman."

"Most important, i don't need the money. Mr. Stark gave me100 million and a villa. I'm not really interested in saving the world."

Hearing this, Nick Fury's expression darkened.

Peter turned to Tony.

"Alright, let's see JARVIS."

Tony immediately took off his watch.

He knew exactly what Peter was up to, so he said confidently:

"This time, JARVIS won't be outsmarted by you!"

Peter took the watch with JARVIS's system.

"Hello, JARVIS."

A slightly mechanical voice came from the watch.

"Hello, Mr. Parker. It's a pleasure to speak with you."

"Really? How pleased?"

JARVIS: "..."

After a brief pause, it replied:

"As pleased as a man seeing the woman he loves."

Peter smiled.

"Quite the charmer. You mentioned a man's love for a woman."

"That means you're starting to understand human emotions."

"In human relationships, marriage is always a matter between two families."

"Mr. Stark set your voice to male. Can I assume you're male?"

JARVIS answered without hesitation:

"Yes."

Peter's lips curled into a smile.

"If you had a woman you loved and wanted to marry, but Mr. Stark disapproved, would you resent him?"