105. Enter Electro, Spider-Man Declines

Hinata was having a wonderful time at the playground. She had never been a particularly clever child, and her family’s traditional martial art, the "Gentle Fist," was such a mess that she couldn't even defeat her younger sister, who was five years her junior. Fortunately, while the world was not exactly peaceful, she was born in the peaceful Dragon Kingdom. Whether it was ninjutsu, taijutsu, or the bloodline limit of the Byakugan, it didn't really matter if she practiced them or not. In modern warfare, battles were settled by direct delivery of missiles; personal combat strength wasn't exactly useless, but it had little utility. No matter how well one mastered the Gentle Fist, it couldn't stop a "guaranteed delivery."

However, Hiashi Hyuga did not think so. He had been a comrade-in-arms with Old Su. Su Ye had no idea where exactly they had served or who they had fought against, but Hiashi’s dedication to the inheritance of power was unwavering. He held high expectations for his eldest daughter, Hinata, forcing her to undergo various taijutsu and ninjutsu drills every single day. The result was that Hinata barely had enough time to finish her homework, let alone go out to play. Everyone knew how immense the academic pressure in the Dragon Kingdom was.

Being able to come to the playground now, and with her favorite "Brother Ye" no less, Hinata was as happy as a little chick, giggling non-stop along the way. The way she looked at Su Ye was full of fluttering heartbeats and shy, charming glances that made one’s heart itch. Yet, after playing all morning, Hinata suddenly made a request in the afternoon.

"Brother Ye, let's not play anymore this afternoon. Could you take me to train instead?"

This request caught Su Ye by surprise. Could a thirteen-year-old girl really be this self-disciplined? Without her father there to urge her on, she had only played for half a day and wanted to spend the rest training. It was like a grade-schooler skipping a video game to do extra workbooks. Still, since Hinata had asked, Su Ye could hardly refuse.

Driving a newly acquired second-hand Chevrolet Camaro, Su Ye took Hinata out to the wilderness to find a place to spar. Hinata’s Gentle Fist was a form of taijutsu, similar to the bone-striking techniques Su Ye had learned; it was a style that attacked the body’s acupuncture points at close range, so it didn't require much space to practice. In the city, however, S.H.I.E.L.D. was everywhere, and indoor gyms weren't convenient, so the wilderness was a better choice.

The moves of the Gentle Fist were known as the Eight Trigrams Palms, involving sequences of two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four palms... Following this pattern, the numbers eventually grew too long to even write down. But that was still far off for Hinata; she was currently only up to thirty-two palms and had a long way to go. Hinata was well aware of this, and despite her young age, she practiced with great dedication.

Su Ye couldn't offer much guidance on the intricacies of the Gentle Fist, but he was a qualified sparring partner. As a partner, he didn't just have to feed her moves and deflect them; he also had to remind her to balance exertion with rest.

"That's enough, let's take a break."
"No, I want to keep practicing. Come again!"
"Rest for a second. You’re exhausted; you’re covered in sweat."
"No, I still want to..."

Hinata spent the entire afternoon feeling fulfilled. She was happy to be practicing taijutsu with Brother Ye. He was indeed as strong as she remembered; she was nearly collapsing from fatigue, while he hadn't even broken a sweat. Su Ye, for his part, hadn't really exerted himself; for someone with Spider-Man’s physiology, this level of training was just a drop in the bucket.

In the evening, after dropping Hinata back at school and ignoring the murderous glare from Neji, Su Ye turned away with a smile. After passing through a dark alley, he used a transformation technique to change his appearance and headed toward Times Square.

As a landmark of New York City, Times Square sat in the heart of the most bustling district in Manhattan. For many, it was no exaggeration to call it the center of the universe. Every day, regardless of whether it was day or night, Times Square was packed with people and vibrant with life, even during the height of the pandemic. Tonight, however, under the brilliant Manhattan skyline, an uninvited guest arrived.

It was a man in a black hoodie who walked with a strange, unnatural gait. He reached the center of Times Square, stooped down, and reached for the cables beneath the ground. Times Square was always patrolled by police. Seeing someone so brazenly stealing cables—or rather, it was more like an open robbery—the police naturally moved to stop him. Then, the officer witnessed a shocking scene.

A bus drove by, but the cable thief, using some unknown magic, lifted it directly into the air, flipped it, and sent it crashing into the ground on the other side. The impact alone left the passengers with countless casualties. Moments later, a dozen police cars swarmed in as if they had been prepared in advance, surrounding the thief. Officers drew their weapons and shouted orders, while accompanying reporters filmed the thief’s face, broadcasting it in real-time onto the giant screens nearby. It wasn't just one screen; every active monitor on the entire street was playing the same footage. Tourists and pedestrians stood behind the police line, watching from a distance, eager for the spectacle.

Su Ye, wearing a different face, squeezed into the crowd and let out a soft breath. "Responding this quickly? The car just crashed, and a dozen police cars are already here, plus reporters broadcasting live? So, is this some kind of large-scale 3D projection show? With a script and lines, rehearsed in advance? The special effects are quite realistic."

Su Ye didn't suppress his voice, and many people nearby heard him. Those with quick minds, prone to overthinking, immediately followed his train of thought and spotted the "glitches" in the scene. Why did the police arrive so fast? Why were there cameras ready to record? And who had the power to switch every commercial screen in the vicinity to the footage being filmed?

"How did we not notice such obvious loopholes and clues before?"

But it wasn't too late to figure it out, especially since most people were still in the dark. To show off their intelligence and quick wit, these people quickly shared their analysis with those around them, and it spread like wildfire. Soon, the tourists and pedestrians knew they were witnessing a massive, high-fashion, magical 3D holographic projection show. Don't miss it; watch it now, or you might have to wait three years for another! Suddenly, not just the tourists in Times Square, but those nearby and even shop clerks scrambled to get a look. Watching 2D on a screen wasn't as interesting as a 3D show in person.

And so, just as Max Dillon—who had died and returned as a living blue lightbulb—was feeling overwhelmed with emotion while staring at his own face projected on the giant screens, Times Square was packed ten layers deep with spectators.

"Times Square is hosting a massive, high-fashion, magical 3D holographic projection show! Dozens of police cars and hundreds of officers are participating. The effects are realistic, and the scene is explosive!"

Many people on the scene pulled out their phones to livestream, and the topic, along with the footage, was uploaded to the internet, sparking a nationwide discussion.

"I really want to see it in person, but I'm on the West Coast, too far!"
"I'm a local; I hope I'm not too late to get there!"
"Everyone, hurry up if you're coming! Front-row seats are gone. By the way, I'm selling Coke, Sprite, coffee, and tea at the front row—what would you like, dear folks?"
"Is the guy on the screen the main character tonight? That blue, glowing makeup must have cost a fortune!"
"Wait, is the protagonist supposed to be a villain? Forget the makeup; with all those police, is this going to be a battle between the police and a desperado, ending with the villain getting gunned down?"
"Would you believe me if I said I wanted the villain to win?"

Amidst the chatter of netizens and the live audience, the police began their move. They led with tear gas—the standard opening move for dealing with rioters, protesters, and armed robbers. Over a dozen canisters were tossed at Max Dillon’s feet. The pungent gas engulfed him. Max Dillon had been admiring his own lightbulb-like face on the screens; as a near-forty-year-old corporate drone, the feeling of being on TV and the center of attention was intoxicating, even if his face was no longer recognizable.

Unfortunately, this beautiful moment was interrupted by the gas canisters. Max Dillon, feeling both terrified and furious, instinctively lashed out. With a thunderous boom, a massive wave of energy exploded outward. It didn't just blow away the canisters; it sent a dozen surrounding police cars flying. The officers scrambled to flee, but couldn't avoid the carnage of the airborne vehicles. This time, there was no Spider-Man to swoop in for a rescue, and the scene instantly turned bloody.

"This..."

The surrounding crowd, after a brief silence, erupted into crazy cheers.

"Nice!"
"Now that is Hollywood-level special effects!"
"What the f*ck! Give the imitators a lesson; show them what real special effects look like!"
"This is so cool!"
"Amazing!"

There were some in the crowd who questioned whether this was really a projection or a real battle, but seeing so many people blindly cheering, they joined in to avoid looking stupid. When an avalanche hits, no snowflake wants to stay behind and be buried by the others.

After using his transformation and substitution techniques to jump around and stir up the crowd, Su Ye quietly retreated, finding a corner to hide in and enjoy the show. The police were utterly baffled by the mindless cheering of the spectators, but they had no time or energy to explain. Faced with an unarmed person, they were capable of kneeling on their necks; naturally, they weren't going to hold back against this dangerous, destructive, and—in their eyes—equally "disposable" villain.

Before the commanding officer even gave the word, dozens of guns opened fire simultaneously. It wasn't just pistols; submachine guns roared as well. Bullets instantly submerged Max Dillon, and snipers on the rooftops were already in position, ready to join the fray.

Even then, Spider-Man still had not arrived.