Chapter 173: Rest? Not In the Dictionary Of Spider-Man

Releasing a bit of his killer instinct, Shocker took a few steps back, then steeled his resolve and launched a sonic wave at him, which Spider-Man dodged by moving to the side.

Shocker tried to hit him, but Spider-Man dodged every attack.

On some occasions, Shocker struck certain pressure points which, within a few minutes and once the adrenaline wore off, would leave his body so numb that it would feel as if he had been given anesthesia, preventing him from moving for the next five hours.

In a moment of desperation, Shocker increased the gloves to full power and, without thinking, aimed and fired, causing the blast to hit the vault door and throw himself backward. Spider-Man launched a web line at the chandelier to gain a better vantage point.

He saw Shocker readjust his arm after getting up from the ground because he had slammed into the wall due to the sonic wave’s recoil. Being in such a confined space, the shockwave had affected him considerably as well.

"Alright, Spider-Man. If fighting is what you want, fighting is what you will get." He raised his arm, and a sonic wave shot out.

Throwing a web to another spot, Spider-Man avoided the shockwave.

But Shocker swiftly launched another one, which came within a few centimeters of hitting him, instead destroying a pillar.

Thanks to his spider-sense, he knew that if that wave connected, he could end up with several broken bones and one or two severe contusions.

Swooping down, he launched a web toward a piece of rubble large enough to throw at Shocker, which Shocker destroyed with his shockwaves.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Spider-Man closed the distance and began landing light blows.

Unlike Rhino, who did not require much restraint, Shocker was a different case because he was just a normal human armed with cutting-edge technology. Spider-Man quickly moved away because a sonic force field formed around Shocker as a protective measure.

"I have to congratulate you on your ingenuity, Shocker. That suit may be your greatest masterpiece."

"No, it will be you once you are dead! And I will be a millionaire!" He launched another sonic wave, which Spider-Man dodged. It smashed into some nearby tables.

"AHHHHH!"

Both Shocker and Spider-Man turned toward the scream, revealing that someone had been hiding near the tables.

The moment Spider-Man saw Shocker’s expression, he instantly recognized the murderous gleam in his eyes. Shocker quickly pointed his glove at the girl and fired.

As if on autopilot, Spider-Man used every ounce of strength, running as fast as he could and throwing himself into the path of the blast without thinking, something he would regret once the adrenaline wore off.

The impact propelled him backward, causing him to slam into a wall before collapsing near the girl.

Lying on the ground, he let out a pained sigh because he could feel that his third through sixth ribs on the right side were fractured, along with several fragments of glass embedded in his back.

If it had not been for the fact that the area where they were embedded had been exposed, he would not have ended up with glass fragments in him at all.

The girl, in a moment of heroism or pure impulse, hurried over and dragged him to a more secluded spot.

"HAHAHAHA! COME ON, SPIDER! COME OUT! I WANT TO SEE YOU BLEED! I WANT TO SEE HOW I MADE YOU BLEED!"

The girl approached the vigilante and, with trembling hands, carefully removed the largest fragment of glass from his back.

She also noticed several small burn marks on his back that were already healing.

She estimated that within twenty minutes, those scars would be gone.

"Spider-Man? Are you alright? Can you get up?"

"Grrr. Do not worry. I always get up."

He slowly rose to his feet and, with his left hand, took a small patch from one of his pockets and placed it over the webbing on his back, sealing the wound and stopping the bleeding.

It also secured the remaining glass fragments in place, preventing them from digging in any deeper.

"Grrr."

Using his medical knowledge, he knew it would not be very dangerous to leave the fragments in temporarily, but he still needed to remove them quickly if he wanted the wounds to close properly. He snapped his arm back into the correct position with a sound that made the girl wince.

"You were very brave. What is your name?"

"So... I am Any... Anya Co... Corazon¹."

"Alright, Miss. I will finish this fight, and then you can go back to your loved ones. For now, stay covered."

She nodded and hid in a secluded spot.

He used a web platform to cover the area for added protection.

Preparing for the fight, he left the desks just in time as a shockwave struck the area and destroyed them.

Swinging through the air, he began baiting Shocker into firing at several strategic locations.

When he saw the gloves beginning to overload, he grabbed a piece of rubble and hurled it at Shocker, repeating the same tactic as before but striking much harder this time. Hearing bones crack, Shocker activated his force field again, forcing Spider-Man to retreat.

"You forced me into this, Herman. I had planned to end this battle with only a few bruises and minor fractures, but your stubbornness has cornered me into taking drastic measures," he said in a serious tone.

In a fit of rage, Shocker raised his hand, put all the power he had into his next attack, and fired.

Except Shocker did not know that Spider-Man had already calculated this scenario and that it was exactly what he wanted.

The moment the last pillar was destroyed, Spider-Man pulled on the chandelier with his web, sending it crashing down toward Herman. Herman pointed his gloves at the ground and fired, using the recoil to try to avoid being crushed.

It did not work because he ended up trapped beneath a large piece of debris. He was about to break it apart, but, just as Spider-Man had calculated, the gloves had run out of energy.

Grumbling in annoyance, Herman began throwing a tantrum.

When the noise became tiresome, Spider-Man walked over, punched him in the face, and wrapped his hands in webbing.

Leaving Herman where he lay, Spider-Man walked toward the place where he had left the girl hiding. Using his stinger in one swift motion, he cut the web securing her protective cover and retracted it.

Sighing, he tilted his head and looked at the girl, who was sitting with her face buried in her knees, trembling slightly.

"You can come out, Miss. The danger is over."

She slowly lifted her head to look at him and crawled toward him, wanting to give him a hug, but he stopped her.

"I do not want you to think anything negative, Miss, but I am not in a position to give hugs."

That made her nod in understanding.

"A real shame, denying a hug to such a beautiful woman. A total lack of respect."

That earned a small laugh from her, lightening the atmosphere.

"Come on. Let me help."

Taking her hand, he helped her to her feet.

Still holding hands, they walked out of the bank. As they stepped through the doors, they approached the officers, and a doctor came over, instructing the young woman to accompany him for a check-up.

Shooting a web, Spider-Man stuck himself to the bank’s exterior wall and watched several paramedics tending to the hostages.

Looking around for Dan, he found him staring at him with the kind of expression usually reserved for witnessing something extraordinary.

Apparently they already know about the building. Well, my work is almo-...

He fell silent as he listened to an officer’s report through his mask about a disturbance on the nearby bridge.

Without taking a break, he fired a web and began swinging toward the Queensboro Bridge.

Dan sighed as he watched Spider-Man disappear into the distance, knowing the vigilante deserved a rest after everything that had happened only moments earlier. Just hearing about it made him feel guilty. The man had gone from lifting a collapsed building to fighting a high-tech criminal without a moment’s pause.

Just as Dan was about to turn around to issue some orders, his radio crackled.

"Attention all units closest to the Queensboro Bridge. Immediate assistance is requested. There are reports of a disturbance and the possible presence of a strange creature on the bridge."

Upon hearing the report, Dan turned to look at Spider-Man and silently willed him not to turn right.

Do not turn. Do not turn. Do not turn, Dan thought, only to let out a defeated sigh as he saw Spider-Man make the final turn to the right.

"Damn it. Does that man know the meaning of the word rest?! All off-duty units are ordered to proceed to the Queensboro Bridge!"

Once the order was given, several officers hurried toward their respective patrol cars.