Chapter 66: The Universe Where Spider-Man Got Ganked
The sky was a hazy gray, making one worry that a downpour could start at any moment, yet there was no certainty, plunging people into the dilemma of whether or not to bring an umbrella.
Like a woman's mood, it was hard to predict whether it would rain or not.
"I hope it doesn't rain, especially not heavily," thought Daredevil, Matt Murdock. Rain was something criminals loved, as it could quickly wash away all traces of their crimes. He had just finished his day job and was preparing to start his second.
As a blind man, he should have hated rainy days the most. But thanks to the strict training he received from Stick since childhood, he had continuously developed his body's potential, ultimately forging a peculiar "Bio-Radar" mechanism that allowed him to perceive his surroundings to the fullest extent even without his eyes.
Swish!
Daredevil expertly climbed up to a window, listening intently to the sounds from several walls away, trying to determine if this was one of Kingpin's criminal strongholds.
He heard a faint rustling and a peculiar scent entered his nose.
Daredevil sniffed carefully but couldn't identify the smell. Perhaps it was the scent of expired ketchup mixed with fresh honey? It wasn't unpleasant, and once smelled, it was unforgettable.
This must be the place, he thought. He knew that a powerful new drug had recently appeared on the market, one that was highly sought after. It could extend one's lifespan with almost zero side effects, something all the wealthy were frantically chasing.
Naturally, due to limited production and an infinite market, the price of this drug had been driven to astronomical heights on the black market.
Weyland Corporation's listed price was one hundred thousand dollars a pill. Seven pills constituted one course of treatment. Taking one pill a day for a week could extend one's lifespan by two weeks.
However, starting from the second course, the life-extending effect would be reduced by thirty percent, and by the third course, its efficacy would plummet even further.
But even so, demand still far outstripped supply. For a single pill, countless people took desperate measures—hiring professionals to steal, rob, deceive, and ambush. They wouldn't hesitate to kill, even if the target was an old man.
This led to a multifold increase in the workload for justice-seekers like Daredevil. By day, he was a lawyer, dealing with the series of wretched messes surrounding the drug. By night, he donned his battle suit, grabbed his clubs, and fought the various criminal activities that arose from it.
"Another crime caused by the ALIEN-1 drug. I just don't know which rich businessman Kingpin's men targeted this time. How unlucky," Daredevil mused silently, concealing his figure and sneaking inside.
Everyone knew that while a drug extending life by a few weeks might not be worth the top players going all-in, it was only the first generation. There would surely be ALIEN-2 and ALIEN-3 with stronger effects and longer life extension.
Getting the drug early for research was far better than being controlled by others, especially if they could succeed in reverse-engineering its formula.
Even taking a step back, just a few more weeks of life was enough to drive those old men with one foot in the grave to madness. Living a few more days might be just enough time to last until Weyland Corporation released its second or third generation drugs, ultimately achieving continuous Life Extension.
No one would argue with a longer lifespan. When violence could be used to seize more life, crime would naturally surge.
Once Daredevil confirmed that their transaction involved blood-stained ALIEN-1, he crashed through the glass without hesitation.
"Dammit, Daredevil, you again!"
A dart was thrown at the spot where Daredevil landed, but he had already drawn his clubs and batted it away.
"Bullseye, Kingpin actually sent you out? Is he on his deathbed? Why else would he be so concerned about a drug that only extends life by a few weeks," Daredevil said, realizing the trouble was bigger than he thought when he recognized his old adversary, Bullseye.
Bullseye was an extremely burly man. The helmet he wore was engraved with a target symbol.
"What the hell do you know? This is business! This new line of business is a blue ocean, far more profitable than selling weapons, people, or white powder. The current market price is already half a million dollars a pill! And it's about to go even higher!" Bullseye spat, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.
People like them chased after exorbitant profits, seeking every possible way to achieve their goals through crime.
"If you love these drugs so much, you should sneak into that place and try to steal the formula. Why don't you? Are you scared?" Daredevil assumed a combat stance and lunged forward. With a few swift moves, he took down several gang members and engaged Bullseye in a fierce fight.
Bullseye slashed at Daredevil's stomach. As Daredevil twisted his body aside, Bullseye flicked his wrist, abruptly cutting horizontally while his other hand simultaneously threw a dart.
He was Bullseye, adept at using anything around him as a weapon to kill, and his shots were the most precise.
But Daredevil was long familiar with his old foe's tricks. He immediately dropped to the ground and rolled to dodge the attack. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.
Bullseye sneered, "What bullshit are you spouting? Do you have any idea what kind of godforsaken place Weyland Tower is? Don't be fooled by the fact that it was built recently and doesn't have many high-tech devices. Its security level is far superior to Stark Tower or Osborn Tower."
Someone had already had that idea, but it was impossible to succeed.
High-tech layouts with cameras everywhere could be bypassed, but how do you deal with a horde of Xenomorphs that don't even have eyes? Scream and charge in to fight them?
That's called robbery, completely devoid of technical skill and a world apart from infiltration.
Besides, you couldn't win. Most likely, you'd end up getting yourself captured, becoming one of the Xenomorphs, and then turning against new invaders, only serving to senselessly increase the number of Xenomorphs.
Bullseye had thought it over and decided he wasn't cut out for that kind of competition. He wouldn't do it no matter how much Kingpin paid him.
A few million dollars a month? Why risk my life for that?
"That's true. But I heard Du Wa has started to openly recruit people. They're gradually expanding their company's business. You'd be a good fit for a job there. It would mean one less scumbag in the world," Daredevil said, trying to distract Bullseye's attention, but he failed.
Bullseye remained silent. He recalled Weyland Corporation's recruitment notice. He could swear on what little conscience he had left that he had never seen such a damn notice in his entire life.
Look at what was written on it. In the employee benefits section, the fucking words "Parasitism Quota" were written in plain sight. Such candor left countless people speechless.
Be parasitized by a Xenomorph? Pfft. But the thought of being parasitized and instantly transforming into a superhuman, with comprehensive enhancements to strength, speed, self-healing, senses, and lifespan...
In this increasingly precarious world where you didn't know if tomorrow or an accident would come first, it was unexpectedly popular, dominating the headlines of major media outlets for a long time.
Both men were top-tier combat geniuses. After more than thirty exchanges, there was still no clear winner.
Originally, their battle would have continued, but soon Bullseye couldn't keep fighting. He watched in a near-frenzy as Daredevil's club struck with powerful, precise force, shattering the metal vial containing over fifty pills.
By his math, a hundred million was gone in a few seconds!
Bullseye decided to kill Daredevil, but he was forced to change his mind and turn to flee.
"If you had arrived a moment sooner or a moment later, he wouldn't have escaped. It took me a lot of effort to find him," Daredevil said helplessly, watching Bullseye escape through the broken window.
"Don't mistake me for you, Matt. He can't escape. He's destined to become a part of us," Elektra said, walking in with a graceful stride.
Daredevil tilted his head, sensing his ex-girlfriend from his college days. "You've changed a lot," he said with a sigh. "The old you would never have said something like that. What do you mean, 'become one of you'?"
"It means exactly what it says. You're always hanging around Hell's Kitchen. Don't tell me you don't even understand this," Elektra gave him no quarter. She was a very calm woman, but seeing Matt still made her temper flare a little.
"Without a strong body, without the self-healing to handle any situation, don't run around the streets like a monkey. It makes me feel like I'm talking to a child who hasn't grown up."
"My God, are you really Elektra? Not some imposter? I actually heard you express concern for me! It seems that person has been good to you, even changing your personality. The good news is, you're still you, not a Xenomorph."
Daredevil slowly backed away, leaning against the wall, sensing the positions of the numerous Xenomorphs, ready to escape at any moment.
Elektra shook her head. "You misunderstand. Du Wa wouldn't be interested in someone like me. His vision is far more long-term than you can imagine. He has no time to waste on me, not even a second."
She said this very calmly, as if discussing something completely unrelated to herself.
"Then it seems I can breathe a sigh of relief. A small fry like me doesn't have to worry about his retaliation," Daredevil said, "even for destroying the precious drugs that his client bought and then had stolen."
"You don't need to worry about that. Why else do you think I'm here? These drugs were bought by Norman Osborn. Whether he intended to use them himself or for reverse-engineering, he is our client. Since he was robbed, here in New York, we will get them back."
"Great. Remarkable customer service. When it comes to business, you guys are truly dedicated."
For a moment, Elektra really couldn't tell if Matt was being sarcastic or complimentary.
Before long, a few Xenomorphs returned with a half-dead Bullseye, casually tossing him to the ground.
"I'm willing to join Weyland Corporation, to defect to Du Wa! I've had enough of Kingpin!" Bullseye spat blood, managing to say, "I know Du Wa is sending troops to fight on an alien planet. He needs a world-class assassin like me, right?"
Elektra deeply agreed. "Well said. Then just wait to be turned into a Xenomorph and sent to an alien planet."
"Wait! I mean, I want to be an assassin who doesn't get chestbursted..."
"That's not my call."
Bullseye was dragged away again by the Xenomorphs. Once he was brought back to the 93rd floor of Weyland Tower, he would welcome his rebirth.
"Is the war on the alien planet that intense? You even have to use people like Bullseye?" Daredevil asked.
Elektra shook her head. "We have no choice. The vampires in the New York area are becoming scarce. Recycling some of the villainous trash is also an effective use of resources. We must prevent waste."
Daredevil was speechless, with a million sarcastic comments he couldn't voice.
He also noticed a few Xenomorphs on the ground, picking up the pills one by one with claws sharper than any knife. The people from Osborn Corporation would probably be quite pleased to see this.
It was said that Norman Osborn hadn't made a public appearance in a long time. There were rumors that his health was failing, which might not be entirely baseless. Did he need these drugs for Life Extension now?
"Before you get all wary of me, I have some unfortunate news for you: Stick has become a vampire and is being hunted by Blade, Captain America, and others," Elektra said.
What?
Daredevil's expression changed slightly, a look of utter disbelief on his face.
His and Elektra's martial arts teacher was now a vampire?
"Because he was dying of old age, to extend his life?" Daredevil couldn't help but ask.
But becoming a vampire, how was that any different from joining the Eternals a while back?
Vampires were Du Wa's favorite hosts. Once the ones in New York were all captured, Du Wa would surely target vampires in other parts of the world.
"I don't know. All I know now is that we must kill him, let him die with dignity, rather than becoming a freak who lives by sucking human blood," Elektra's voice was icy. This was the greatest mercy she could offer Stick.
"Then what about The Chaste he led?"
"It was disbanded two days ago. A large number of its members are being hunted down and absorbed by The Hand."
Daredevil was speechless for a long time. The news was so shocking it made his brain shut down.
He watched Elektra turn and leave with the Xenomorphs. After a moment's hesitation, he followed, walking alongside several Xenomorphs. The feeling was extremely awkward.
Walking side by side with Xenomorphs without being attacked by these terrifying creatures of lethal beauty? It felt like something out of a bizarre science fiction story.
"So where is Stick now?" Daredevil's muscles were tense as he remained wary of the Xenomorphs beside him. Although he had heard that Xenomorphs were highly social and orderly creatures, it didn't stop him from being subconsciously on guard, having never dealt with them before.
The Xenomorphs didn't even glance at him, as if he didn't exist.
"That guy is in New York, looking for a Magician."
"A Magician? Why is Stick looking for a Magician?"
"Two possibilities. If he's looking for Black Magicians, he might want to use dark magic to remove the vampire bloodline from his body. If he's looking for a sorcerer from Kamar-Taj, it's to seek an audience with the Sorcerer Supreme. According to reliable intelligence, Stick was taught by the Ancient One in his youth," Elektra said without turning her head.
This left Daredevil even more bewildered.
Where was Kamar-Taj? Who was the Ancient One? He had never heard of them.
It wasn't until the two returned to Weyland Tower that Daredevil got a preliminary understanding of this hidden organization of super sorcerers from Elektra.
He stood at the entrance of Weyland Tower, head raised, sensing his surroundings, capturing every minute particle floating in the air. He couldn't see, but these tiny things provided far more information than his eyes ever could.
Daredevil could feel that this area was built with extremely expensive and heavy construction materials. He had heard that the famous Magneto had led its construction. Now, he was completely convinced.
What truly made Daredevil hesitate was that he felt nothing negative here. This was clearly a very clean, tidy, and orderly place.
It was rather incongruous to associate this with names like Du Wa and Xenomorph.
He also heard some ordinary people entering and exiting the building, their conversations revolving around business? Oh, right, it was about the drug transaction business.
"Why have you stopped? People think of Weyland Tower as a monster's nest, but that's not the case. It's a building with an advanced construction philosophy, beautiful scenery, and one of the largest green spaces in all of New York."
With that, Elektra walked up the steps and entered the main gate.
After much hesitation, Daredevil followed her in.
They took the elevator all the way to the thirteenth floor.
Along the way, Daredevil experienced the thrill of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xenomorphs and riding an elevator with them—as for why Xenomorphs needed to take an elevator, who the hell knew.
In any case, some of the ordinary people who came to the tower for business seemed more adapted to it than he was.
They arrived at a conference room on the thirteenth floor, where two people were talking.
Daredevil saw the master of this place.
His first reaction was to use his radar-like ability to sense Du Wa. The result was like slamming into a wall of bronze. He felt every nerve in his body scream in alarm. The next second, the barrier before him seemed to turn into a black hole, its suction pulling at his consciousness, threatening to devour his entire thought process.
But when he tried to sense it again, it was as if nothing had happened.
"Well, Mr. Du Wa, it's an honor to meet you. I bring greetings from my father. You are truly a genius and a generous man."
"Of course, I always am. If you were willing to join Weyland Corporation, you would have a much deeper appreciation for my generosity. What do you think, Harry?"
Harry Osborn's face stiffened. He had only been half-sincere and half-polite with his comment, but Du Wa didn't play by the rules, immediately inviting him to join.
Harry glanced around, looking at the upright Xenomorphs that sometimes walked past and sometimes stood like statues. Each was at least two and a half meters tall, radiating a murderous aura ready to erupt at any moment. His scalp tingled with fear.
"Hahaha, look at your face. It was just a joke. Norman would never allow his son to join someone else's company," Du Wa said with a laugh, patting Harry's shoulder.
Harry forced a polite smile, thinking to himself, this isn't just a matter of switching companies. This is something that could potentially change what species you belong to.
Elektra tossed the recovered batch of drugs to Harry. He caught them and left in a hurry.
Du Wa gazed at Harry's departing figure. "It seems Norman's condition is very poor. The rumors are true. He's about to die, otherwise he wouldn't have sent his successor to discuss cooperation with me."
Elektra asked, "What do they want to cooperate on? Are they asking for Xenomorph secretions? That's non-negotiable, you said so yourself. Besides, as companies in the same biomedical field, a direct conflict is inevitable sooner or later."
"Of course, anything related to the Xenomorphs is off the table. I was thinking of something else."
Du Wa found it very interesting.
Because this universe had an Osborn Corporation, a dying old Green Goblin, but no Spider-Man.
Through some subtle probing, Du Wa had gotten Harry to reveal some information that he himself considered worthless, probably leaving Harry wondering why Du Wa wanted to chat about his high school life. According to Harry, Peter Parker had disappeared during a school-organized science exhibition and was pronounced dead shortly after.
This greatly surprised Du Wa. Only he knew how rare this situation was.
It wouldn't have mattered if the current Peter Parker was a child of a few years old, or even a middle-aged, old spider. That would have been fine.
But he never expected that, with the old Green Goblin on his deathbed, Spider-Man had yet to appear. Had he been snuffed out before his debut?
"It took several months of hard work just to get things stable, and I get this news right as I'm preparing to set up an intelligence network... But how did Peter Parker die? Did a venomous spider bite him and he couldn't handle the venom? Or could it be that the Spider-Man of this universe is Aunt May or Uncle Ben?"
It was entirely possible. Du Wa still didn't know the designation of the universe he was in.
He could even accept it if someone suddenly jumped out and told him this was actually the Cancerverse, and everything in this world was heading towards a Cthulhu-style. He would just switch to researching the possibility of parasitizing Shuma-Gorath and a host of other Marvel Cthulhu-esque gods.
The strong never complain about their environment, and Du Wa quite enjoyed rising to a challenge.
"What are you thinking about? I haven't seen you this focused in a long time, not even when you were facing those Eternals," Elektra said, waving a hand in front of Du Wa's face, her expression curious.
Du Wa looked up. "Don't tell Druig about this. If he finds out, he'll definitely think I've had another epiphany and will stop at nothing to find me and ask what new Truth I've discovered."
Druig?
Daredevil committed the name to memory. Based on his understanding of Du Wa's faction, the name most likely belonged to that Eternal who had betrayed his own kind at a critical moment. After all, the guy was too famous.
Recently, people on the internet were analyzing why he defected every day. But no matter how they analyzed it, they often came to one conclusion: Du Wa is truly remarkable, so they too should follow such a remarkable person. It would be even better if they could be a follower who doesn't get chestbursted or sent to the battlefield.
Dammit, this was like the embryonic form of an evil religion. Young, ignorant fanatics were earnestly fantasizing about the Du Wa of their imagination, then praying everywhere, hoping to get all the benefits while shouldering few of the responsibilities.
Daredevil's mind was racing. The scene here had completely overturned his and many outsiders' perceptions.
"Matt Murdock, the emissary of justice from Hell's Kitchen, the blind lawyer who specializes in fighting for the poor. Welcome. But what are you thinking about?"
Du Wa wasn't a brutal, bloodthirsty person. He was like a very down-to-earth leader, Daredevil thought, turning to look at Elektra with an expression that clearly asked: You told him?
"I didn't say anything, but it's not hard for him to find out about you," Elektra shrugged. In any case, she had a Xenomorph in her chest, which allowed Du Wa to know her every move.
"You're famous, and you're Elektra's former lover. It would be hard for me not to pay attention," Du Wa said with a smile, shaking Daredevil's hand. It was like two ordinary people having a perfectly normal meeting—it would have been even more so without the Xenomorphs serving as security.
"Thank you for taking care of Elektra, sir. At least you didn't let her get deeply involved with The Hand. That's not a good place," Daredevil said.
"Here, you can at least believe one thing: I won't use my recognized subordinates as tools. But for some people, I will find ways to capture them and squeeze out their maximum value—in terms of their utility as tools."
"Like Bullseye?"
"Oh, he's already been parasitized. He'll soon be sent to the battlefield with the latest batch of Xenomorphs. I've already made a deal with the gatekeeper of Asgard," Du Wa's tone was as casual as if he were discussing what to have for dinner.
A chill ran down Daredevil's spine. He once again recognized the gap between people like himself and people like Du Wa—the absolute disregard for human life when necessary, the ability to completely dehumanize someone.
But then again, Bullseye couldn't really be considered human. He was motivated purely by profit, had killed countless people, and had done all sorts of dirty work for Kingpin. He deserved to die.
Du Wa poured Daredevil a glass of water. "Just drink this. I don't like tea, coffee, or soft drinks, and I haven't recruited enough staff to handle the task of pouring water yet."
Daredevil touched the glass; it was scalding hot. He then heard Du Wa down the boiling water in one gulp. Daredevil fell silent.
The Xenomorph was truly terrifying. He felt completely out of place here.
"Sir, forgive my presumption, but I really don't understand why someone of your status would acquiesce to Elektra bringing me here," Daredevil couldn't help but ask.
Du Wa glanced at the young hero in surprise. "You were brought here by Elektra. Naturally, Elektra is responsible for everything you say and do. I won't interfere."
Now, Daredevil was silent once again.
"What do you think this place is, a concentration camp? Or an inquisition? That I have to hunt down and kill anyone who does anything without my permission? Don't be ridiculous. With that kind of time, I'd rather contemplate more meaningful things, like which Deity I can take down, or which other-dimensional demon god is worth killing," Du Wa said, earnestly pointing out Daredevil's mistake.
What on earth was all this about? Daredevil felt his experience was still too shallow. He had no common language with a big shot like Du Wa; they weren't even on the same wavelength.
Deity? Demon God?
Elektra felt embarrassed for her ex-boyfriend. There was no helping it. People who hadn't joined this faction, who hadn't been parasitized by a Xenomorph, simply couldn't understand many things here.
It wasn't for nothing that Druig had defected the moment he perceived Du Wa's profound Mind, though it was also related to Druig's already paranoid personality and naive ideals.
Du Wa said, "I know you're looking for your mentor, Stick, to kill him. Don't misunderstand, I have no interest in Stick. He's not yet worthy of my personal attention. But I am interested in the person behind Stick."
"What do you need me to do?"
"You can proceed with your search for Stick as normal. For certain reasons, if I were to approach the Sorcerer Supreme, she might not acknowledge me," Du Wa said.
"So if I find this Sorcerer Supreme through Stick, she will see you?"
"Of course not. That's why I don't intend to meet her personally." Du Wa pointed at Elektra, and Daredevil understood immediately.
Using a Xenomorph as an intermediary. Great. Daredevil decided to make a note of this when he got back. He had learned another important characteristic of the Xenomorphs: they could be used for Wireless Communication.
What a cold joke. He just wondered if Kamar-Taj had Wi-Fi.
Daredevil wanted to ask how Du Wa knew that Stick had once studied under the Ancient One, but after thinking about it, he held his tongue.
Elektra took the initiative to explain, "There are many mages in this world. Apart from the Black Magicians, most sorcerers come from Kamar-Taj. They learn a trick or two and then return to the mortal realm. Kamar-Taj never stops them."
So, in this world, the existence of Kamar-Taj wasn't a top secret. Many mortals, while chatting over drinks, probably dismissed the words of some third-rate mages as mere boasting.
But how to find Kamar-Taj was the real problem. Without the approval of a sorcerer from within Kamar-Taj, outsiders couldn't even enter the gate.
This, of course, also applied to the sorcerers who had left Kamar-Taj.
Du Wa pondered. He needed to find a way to talk to the Ancient One, to at least confirm what was going on with this universe.
He couldn't remain in such a passive state forever. Du Wa disliked being passive.
Of course, it was possible that the Ancient One might be hostile towards him. After all, the power in Du Wa's hands was growing stronger. In theory, it was also a power belonging to Earth, but it had already had a substantial impact on Earth's stability. That was why Du Wa continuously sent his forces to fight for the Asgardians—it was a path that could be changed at any time.
Even if it came to a fight, Du Wa assessed the forces at his disposal. After much thought, he concluded that a battle wasn't impossible, but it was too perilous with too many unforeseeable factors. He wouldn't do it unless absolutely necessary.
"Let's see, Ancient One, are you male or female? If you're the female version, that's good. But if you're the male version, Sorcerer Yao, it means more trouble. I'll have to make more thorough preparations for the future, and my development plan will also have to be adjusted."
After he got confirmation from the Ancient One, he would need to shift his gaze from Earth to the outside world, at least to resolve the matters in Asgard.
To this day, Du Wa had dispatched a total of more than ten thousand troops, double the number he had promised Thor.
It was time to collect on this debt. He had done so much for Asgard; the Asgardians had better repay him handsomely.
(end of chapter)