Chapter 57: 7:30 PM: The Show Begins in Full

"I'm special? Thanks for the compliment, Mysterio, but unfortunately, my inbox is already overflowing with club invitations." Peter switched his webs to electric mode and conversed with Mysterio. "How about you surrender now, before things get out of hand? I know a sheriff whose interrogation room fridge is always stocked with chocolate ice cream."

"What I mean is, we're very similar, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man's mask once again turned into an "o.O" expression, looking at Mysterio in disbelief. He was genuinely startled by Mysterio—what on earth was this guy talking about?

"You're different from other superheroes. You wear a mask and hide your identity. Just like me, I also wear a mask and do these things."

"Bank robbers also wear masks. You're not going to say bank robbers are like us, are you?!"

After using his sonar device to confirm that Mysterio was indeed in front of him, Parker decisively shot an electrified web, pulled Mysterio over, and then punched him squarely on his fishbowl head. He expected to shatter the fishbowl head with one punch and end it all, but the result was unexpected—Peter punched off Myst Mysterio's entire head, fishbowl and all, from the sonar image. The sonar feedback showed the same.

Mysterio's large head fell off, and then he floated in the air, holding his own head.

"Why not? Robbers only dare to rob banks after putting on a mask, and you can only be a superhero when you wear a mask."

"Admit it, Spider-Man, you're like me; we're afraid. When you don't wear your mask, you're afraid of being a superhero. You're afraid of people's criticism, afraid of disappointing those who believe in you, afraid of people projecting too many expectations onto you, leaving you nowhere to run."

One Mysterio after another appeared around Spider-Man. They all held their heads high, then reattached them to their necks.

"Are you talking about yourself, Quentin? I never thought you were a psychologist, but unfortunately, I didn't bring any consultation fees, so, no thanks!"

With a backflip, Spider-Man landed on the building's outer wall. He shot another web, sticking to the real Mysterio among the countless illusions, and then yanked hard, slamming him against the wall. Mysterio immediately shattered into pieces.

Spider-Man was certain he hadn't used much force. He looked at the still dim sky and held a piece of Mysterio's wreckage in his hand, feeling the metal parts and circuits inside.

"Robots? You're not just manipulating these robots to fight us while you hide safely, are you?"

"Of course not, Spider-Man. I told you, if you come to stop me, then I can definitely be stopped."

Mysterio appeared behind Spider-Man again, still rambling.

"You might not admit it, Spider-Man, but I'm certain those mocking words of yours aren't from the person under the mask. Like me, you only truly unleash your authentic self when you wear the mask."

The ethereal Mysterio in mid-air slightly raised his hand, and green smoke emerged around Spider-Man, gradually transforming him into Mysterio's likeness.

"Whoa, Quentin—is this how you make me feel like you?"

"Of course not, but he'll think so."

Mysterio's figure gradually disappeared, revealing Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, behind him, getting up with raging fury. Twice tricked by Mysterio, Johnny was utterly enraged. Seeing a Mysterio standing on the wall, intense flames began to ignite all over his body.

The Human Torch burst into flames in an instant.

"Flame On!"

Spider-Man: o.O?

"Ugh, is it too late to apply for an Arctic expedition now?"

Meanwhile, in Central Park, Tony Stark, being "showered" by dozens of drones simultaneously, raised both arms, enduring continuous attacks. Then, a strong electromagnetic pulse burst from his Iron Man suit, paralyzing all surrounding drones and causing them to fall.

"How about using an EMP to disable all these drones?"

[Illusion coverage has reached the entire Manhattan Island. Cannot guarantee normal operation of critical equipment such as hospitals.]

"Then dispatch all Iron Man suits to conduct sonar scans around Manhattan, build a real-time model, and record these things along the way."

He picked up a drone and pulled out a precise small orb from inside.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., analyze this thing."

[This device is modifying surrounding optical readings. Cannot perform scan.]

"Hank? Are you researching this... circus magician's old equipment? Any clues?"

"Hard to say, Tony. According to the sample Spider-Man sent, these projectors shouldn't be able to modify scenes anywhere at any time; they can only pre-project fixed scenes. Quentin Beck must have modified them. This guy is truly a genius."

"You said the same thing about Ulysses Klaw's sonic gun last time." Tony couldn't help but make a jab at Pym's genius fetish, then gave orders to the Avengers: "Hank, you continue your research and find a way to neutralize this thing's effect. Remember to close the lab door to avoid being interfered with yourself. Captain, have J.A.R.V.I.S. create a pair of sonar goggles for you. Since these things operate based on drones, the more you take down, the harder it will be to maintain."

"And little Wasp, you have the most crucial mission."

Janet's voice came through the comms: "What is it, Tony?"

"Uh, keep Hulk fed and happy, give him some chips and popcorn, and let him enjoy a movie at home. Right now, the last thing we need is a naked big green guy smashing things all over Manhattan."

After assigning tasks, Iron Man looked at the imaging on his faceplate, preparing for takeoff, and just then received new intel from J.A.R.V.I.S.

[Sir, Spider-Man has gathered new intelligence. Mysterio has deployed a large number of high-tech humanoid robots into the activity.]

"Ah, must be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s LMDs. J.A.R.V.I.S., remind me to have the Damage Control ask Nick Fury for money."

[Furthermore, Spider-Man has engaged in a fight with Johnny Storm.]

"Susan's dumb brother? Let me guess, Mysterio tricked him. I'll go calm him down."

Iron Man immediately took off, rapidly approaching the location J.A.R.V.I.S. indicated, then was hit by something halfway, nearly crashing again.

"What was that?"

[Mysterio's drone, sir. Due to the limited speed of sonar imaging, it is recommended that you control your flight speed to below 288 kilometers per hour.]

"I don't even drive my grandma's old car this slow."

The wobbling Iron Man slowly ascended and flew towards the battlefield.