1539-1541

Chapter 1539: Brave and Fearless 

Blood is boiling. 

Unconsciously, Nicholas found himself clenching his fists, a wave of passion surging through his entire body. His fighting spirit and courage exploded completely, and the urge to act burned intensely— 

It was not only fully clear and distinct but also incredibly detailed and nuanced. Sam Raimi's camera felt like it was constantly nurturing and caring for this young man, Peter Parker. It completely drew the audience into Peter's world, letting them feel his struggles and frustrations, culminating in his transformation after moments of defeat and internal conflict. 

This was even more powerful and intense than the strength conveyed by Uncle Ben's words, "With great power comes great responsibility," in the first movie. 

It was truly relatable! A long-lost feeling, Nicholas once again experienced the hot-blooded passion and youthful impulsiveness, his heart pounding wildly. 

Next, it should have been the big fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, but totally unexpectedly, the camera shifted, focusing on the newspaper editor. 

Nicholas: ??? 

Is this rhythm right? Did Sam Raimi make a mistake? 

The editor (J. Jonah Jameson) stared profoundly out the window, his face expressionless, unreadable. Then a reporter pushed the door open, saying, "Your son's fiancée is still missing." 

The editor took a deep breath, holding it for a long time before slowly exhaling. He gently shook his head. "It's all my fault. I drove Spider-Man away." 

"He's the only one who can stop Doctor Octopus." 

The editor rolled his eyes but had to admit, "Yes." He looked thoughtfully at the Spider-Man suit hanging on his office wall. "Spider-Man... he is a hero, I just refused to admit it. He is—" 

He turned around just as a gust of wind blew in, almost making him lose his balance. He heard the sound of webbing flying through the air. When he turned back, the suit on the wall was gone. "A thief! A criminal!" 

The editor was absolutely furious! 

On the wall, only a note remained: "Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." 

The editor roared, "He stole my suit! He's now Public Enemy Number One!" 

He was beyond enraged! 

"I'm going to sue that bug! I'm going to hang him by his own webs! I want Spider-Man!" 

A brand new headline hit the presses— 

"Spider-Man Returns!" 

The next second, Spider-Man burst through the newspaper headline, through the big screen, making a spectacular entrance! 

The Spider-Man who climbed buildings and swung through the air over New York, the Spider-Man who soared freely through the steel jungle, was back! 

Roar! 

The Radio City Music Hall audience couldn't hold back anymore, one by one they started cheering. Realizing they weren't alone, applause and whistles swept through the entire hall. The fourth wall of the big screen completely vanished, as if New York had truly welcomed Spider-Man back. 

However, it only lasted for a moment. 

After all, there's basic movie etiquette in a cinema, and loud cheering is clearly prohibited. After the brief burst of excitement, the audience members all quietly closed their mouths, exchanging glances, their eyes practically sparkling with irrepressible excitement and delight. 

Then, their attention was completely drawn back to the big screen— 

"This is 'Cinema'." Ah, this is what movie-making is. The direction, composition, and editing collide to create a chemical reaction, delivering an incredibly immersive viewing experience. Unlike theater which relies on dialogue and performance, or television which relies on plot, this delivers an immediate, visceral impact purely through the lens. 

This is cinema. 

Spinning. Jumping. Flying. 

The camera followed Spider-Man's figure as he twisted and turned above New York, but the camera's speed increased rapidly, pulling away quickly from Spider-Man, plunging into infinite darkness, only to pull back the next second, revealing Doctor Octopus's face wearing sunglasses on the big screen, a seamless transition. 

"Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus" - the fight has finally begun! 

At this very moment, it was time for Sam Raimi's directorial skill to truly shine, following that terrifying scene where Doctor Octopus was born. 

The camera continuously shifted perspectives, from Spider-Man to Doctor Octopus and back to Spider-Man, from close-ups to medium shots to wide shots, from rapid cuts to rotations to tracking shots. Countless shooting techniques burst forth with sparks in the fluid direction and sharp editing, completely igniting the adrenaline. 

It all started with close-quarters, fist-to-fist combat, but Doctor Octopus, using the advantage of his numerous arms, found an opening and delivered a critical blow to Spider-Man. 

Spider-Man fell from a great height. In the nick of time, he first webbed Doc Ock's eyes, then used a web line to grab the ancient clock at the top of a building, then grabbed a falling clock hand, using it as a weapon to swing towards Doctor Octopus. 

However, Doctor Octopus brutally snapped the clock hand in half and smashed it down hard, hitting Spider-Man, who was trying to get back to the top of the building, square on the head and knocking him down. 

As he was falling, Spider-Man gave up trying to find support. Instead, he used his web to grab Doctor Octopus, pulling hard, causing Doctor Octopus to fall with him. 

The two crashed violently onto a high-speed subway train. 

Standing on the roof of the train, the two resumed their intense struggle. Doctor Octopus finally seized an opportunity, using two tentacles to grab Spider-Man's legs and throw him off. 

Ahead was an overpass, and Spider-Man was about to crash into it, endangering all the people moving back and forth below. 

In the nick of time, Spider-Man turned sideways, weaving through the gap between the overpass lanes like a torpedo. The people on the overpass all looked up at the figure passing by. 

Wow! 

Radio City Music Hall let out gasps of astonishment. The camera completely hugged Spider-Man's body as he threaded through the gap, creating an immersive first-person perspective. They could even clearly feel the sensation of the wind, the walls, the oppressive closeness – their hearts were exploding. 

After passing through the overpass, Spider-Man used webs to grab onto the buildings on either side, creating a slingshot effect, launching himself entirely towards Doctor Octopus, who was speeding towards him. 

The huge impact directly knocked Doctor Octopus off balance, sending him tumbling off the roof of the train. 

But Doctor Octopus skillfully used his tentacles. Two tentacles grabbed the side of the subway train, and one tentacle grabbed Spider-Man by the waist, dragging him down. The two continued their close-quarters, fist-to-fist fight on the side of the subway, even passing through crowded subway platforms, drawing gasps of shock. 

Spider-Man, trying to avoid harming innocent bystanders, slightly restrained his movements. Doctor Octopus, however, threw caution to the wind, flinging his arms wildly. Seizing a moment, he grabbed Spider-Man again, lifted him, and slammed him fiercely against the subway car door. 

Seeing he couldn't escape, Spider-Man simply dove into the subway car in a barracuda-like motion, grabbed a pole inside, used the leverage to spin 360 degrees and shake off the tentacles, then swung to the next pole, burst out through a front door, and tackled Doctor Octopus head-on. 

Unexpectedly, Doctor Octopus's tentacles were nimble and blocked Spider-Man's web attack in time. He even managed to break free a step ahead, returning to the subway roof— 

Spider-Man felt a surge of air behind him and leaned back. He could see another subway train coming straight at him. 

Spider-Man quickly did a backbend, his back pressed tightly against the outside wall of the subway car as the two trains roared past each other. 

Seizing this opportunity, Doctor Octopus attacked by breaking a window on the other side of the subway car from the outside. Spider-Man was caught off guard and fell. The subway was now on an elevated track outside the city, and Spider-Man fell directly into the peak hour traffic on the street below, watching the subway train speed away. 

Spider-Man quickly shot a web, grabbing the subway train, grabbing buildings on either side, once again escaping gravity. He launched into the air like a cannonball, slamming down hard onto Doctor Octopus from above. 

Whoosh. Whoosh. 

The wind howled! 

Chapter 1540: Burning Out Like a Candle 

Cannons, aimed! Spider-Man's diving tackle hit its mark dead center, sending Doctor Octopus tumbling hard. The momentum sent them both rolling away. This time, Spider-Man finally gained the upper hand, gripping the back of Doc Ock's neck tightly, trying to choke him unconscious. In his struggle, Doc Ock's autonomously controlled tentacles once again played a crucial role. Even though Doc Ock had lost conscious control, the tentacles spontaneously grabbed Spider-Man's hands from behind and threw him off with great force. The two of them were locked in a close-quarters struggle again. 

Taking an opportunity, Doc Ock retaliated by grabbing Spider-Man by the neck, just as he had been attacked, squeezing his throat tightly. He then violently threw Spider-Man off the top of the subway train, pressing him down along the side. Spider-Man, with only two hands, couldn't break free. After continuously smashing into a series of railway obstacles and signs, he ultimately couldn't escape and crashed heavily into another oncoming subway train, sending him flying. 

Just when Doctor Octopus thought he had finally gotten rid of Spider-Man, he didn't expect two streams of web to shoot out again, grabbing onto the buildings on either side. The next second, that little bug was back in his sight. How annoying! Furious and exasperated, Doctor Octopus finally couldn't take it anymore. He simply shoved his tentacles into the subway car, treating the hostages like weapons and hurling them towards Spider-Man. 

Extremely dangerous! Spider-Man had to temporarily slow down his pursuit to rescue the hostages one by one, weaving webs between the buildings to catch those falling. 

Seeing this, Doctor Octopus realized this tactic wasn't working. With one plan foiled, he came up with another— Doctor Octopus ran to the front of the train, knocked out the train driver with one blow, and then, right in front of Spider-Man, destroyed the train's brake lever, pushing the speed to its maximum. Turning around, Doctor Octopus gave Spider-Man a broad smile, "You've got a whole train to catch." With that, Doctor Octopus paid no further attention to Spider-Man, leaping off the train gracefully and leaving. 

Spider-Man stared at the control lever Doctor Octopus had thrown to him, completely dumbfounded. What should he do? 

Thick smoke billowed. The lenses of his mask were blackened by soot, and Peter had to take off his mask to peer forward. He could see the cliff at the end of the track in one glance: That was the terminus. At the end of the line was a cliff, with the next section of track not yet completed. It was a vertical drop of at least ten stories. The train's speed was out of control, getting faster and faster, rushing towards death uncontrollably. 

Without hesitation, Peter jumped off the front of the train. Facing forward in the whipping wind, he stood as a guardian for all the ordinary city people on the entire train behind him. "Oh, God, it's Spider-Man!" "What should we do?" "Help. Help!" 

Peter turned back to the panicked people behind him, "Tell everyone to hold on tight!" 

Peter leaped down, jumping onto the tracks in front of the train, trying to use the force of his legs colliding with the rails to stop the train, using himself as a human brake. Thump thump thump, thump thump thump. The wooden ties between the tracks splintered and flew everywhere. Peter's knees and shins were practically destroyed, but the train's speed didn't slow down at all. 

Helplessly, Peter jumped back onto the train, took a deep breath, and began shooting webs at the buildings on either side, trying to use the strength of the structures to create a braking effect. For a very, very brief moment, it seemed to have some effect, but the webs couldn't hold. They snapped under the intense pulling force, and the train continued to rush forward. Peter was thrown forward, almost face-planting onto the ground and being ground into powder, barely managing to control himself using his core strength. After finally managing to stand up again, seeing the end of the line so close, Peter had no time to think of other options. 

Again, Peter shot webs at the buildings on both sides, but this time it was slightly different. He shot multiple webs repeatedly, attaching force to different locations on different buildings. Finally, he gripped a thick bundle of webs tightly in his hands, exerting all his strength. The pulling force from both sides was tearing Peter's body apart. "Ugh, ahhh..." 

Peter could clearly feel the tearing force; it was so powerful and fierce that the glass at the front of the train shattered, and the sheet metal of the train car dented. Even his costume couldn't withstand the force of his expanding muscles anymore and began to tear in many places. All the force, layer upon layer, was concentrated on Peter. "Ah, ahhhh!" 

The train's speed was slowing down; but Peter's shouts were disappearing. That pain, that tension, pierced through the big screen and hit the entire audience in Radio City Music Hall hard. Finally, Peter opened his mouth, his face contorted in agony, expending every ounce of strength to release energy, yet no sound came from his throat, as if he were being pulled apart. 

Bang! The train reached the end, directly crashing through the barrier at the very front, and was still wobbling as it continued forward slightly. Peter once again released all the little strength he had left. From his fingers to his arms to his entire body, everything was trembling. A faint surge of energy erupted from deep within his core again. Ah! Little by little, it climbed, until Peter could finally cry out again. Ahahahahah! 

Finally, the train finally came to a stop. Although more than half of the first car was suspended in mid-air, the high-speed train had ultimately stopped. Peter was embedded in the sheet metal of the train car, like a specimen, stuck in the metal in a large "X" shape. His eyes were wide, his clear blue eyes completely bloodshot, but there was no other emotion, only exhaustion, bone-deep exhaustion. Without reservation, completely burnt out, having poured out all his energy, completely emptied. 

Phew. He gently let out a breath. His eyelids drooped. Peter was completely exhausted, tipping forward. 

Gasp! The audience in Radio City Music Hall couldn't help but cover their mouths, nearly gasping aloud, but at that moment, they saw a train conductor timely reach out his right hand and cradle Peter's wounded body. One hand. Two hands. Three hands. Hands reached out one by one, supporting Peter's completely depleted body, carefully dragging him back. 

A dense crowd lifted Peter. Each person extended their hands, passing the already unconscious Peter little by little towards the safe area inside the train car. The camera, from a high angle, looked down. Thousands upon thousands of hands, like clouds, lifted Peter's battered body. Complete silence, not a sound. There wasn't even background music, just the rustling of fabric, and someone in the crowd anxiously saying, "Be careful." 

Nicholas's vision inexplicably blurred. He knew it was foolish, it was childish, but he didn't wipe away his tears or hide his distress. Instead, he let more and more hot tears well up in his eyes. Finally, the people carefully laid Peter back down on the ground. Everyone held their breath, watching Peter. "Is he still alive?" someone asked. But no one answered; everyone was holding their breath. 

A man looked at Peter, his face full of surprise, "He... he's just a... kid. He can't be much older than my son." The entire train car fell silent. When they read the newspaper reports, the accusations and curses seemed so simple because it was just a virtual label, a symbol. But at this moment, looking at Spider-Man up close, a flesh-and-blood ordinary person, a young man with an innocent face... The feeling was completely different. He wasn't just a hero, nor just a symbol blamed by thousands, no longer an unreachable virtual figure. 

Not just the train car, the entire Radio City Music Hall also fell into complete silence, turning into a sea of tears. 

Chapter 1541: Flesh and Blood 

Brilliant, thrilling, the impact came wave after wave, with twists and turns, leading to one climax after another, just like a rollercoaster, pinning the audience firmly to their seats. 

However, the ending was a little different. 

In Hollywood films, and not just superhero movies, but also action, sci-fi, adventure, and disaster genres, it's very rare to show the protagonist's vulnerability and battered state, especially during a direct confrontation with the villain. Even if the hero is losing, the showdown between good and evil often ends in a brief stalemate, with the villain escaping to await the final battle. 

This time, it was different. 

The Radio City Music Hall audience not only saw Spider-Man looking beaten up but also saw Peter Parker stripped of his almost divine aura, returning to the true appearance of an ordinary person. 

That impact, from the visual level to the psychological level, surged over them powerfully. The entire hall was utterly silent. 

Just like the passengers inside the subway car on the big screen, they watched the figure lying on the ground with apprehension, worry, reverence, and admiration. 

Hearts pounded fiercely against chests. 

Superman is from another planet; Wonder Woman is from the gods; Batman is a billionaire. They are always elevated, far removed from ordinary people's lives, not to mention their invulnerable and omnipotent superpowers. However, Spider-Man is different. He only has trivial superpowers. He struggles with making ends meet just like any ordinary person, and even faces the emotional turmoil of adolescence. 

That kind of realism, that deconstruction of the superhero, brought an unprecedented impact. 

Unconsciously, everyone held their breath, allowing all sorts of emotions to swirl and surge in their minds: moved, shocked, bitter, admiring, regretful, and so on and so forth. 

The entire hall was silent, both inside the screen and outside it. 

Then. 

Finally, Peter's handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of pain showing in his expression, and he slowly and with difficulty opened his eyes. 

Those eyes widened gradually, and you could even clearly see the tiny reflections of the heads of the people in his blue pupils. Peter instinctively reached up to touch his cheek— 

The mask was gone. 

Peter abruptly sat up, looking at the crowd before him, but not knowing what to do, momentarily stunned. 

An older man knelt down, looked directly into Peter's eyes, and gently patted his knee. "It's alright." 

Behind him, the crowd parted, and two children walked forward, looking at Peter with bright eyes. "We found this." 

The children handed the Spider-Man mask to Peter. 

Peter hesitated before taking it back, still unsure what to do. He looked uncertainly at the surrounding people. The child gave a shy smile and said, "We won't tell anyone." 

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

Peter was completely stunned, his eyes glistening with tears. A smile crept onto his lips, but when he turned away, he couldn't help but feel shy again, looking at his mask, slightly hesitant— 

He had never "transformed" in front of others before. 

But in the end, Peter put on the mask. 

The child shyly said, "It's good that you're back, Spider-Man." 

This made Peter pause slightly. He involuntarily held his breath, and after a moment, he gently let out a breath, supporting himself with his hands to try and stand up. 

However, it was clearly too difficult; his whole body felt like it was falling apart. Everyone rushed to help Peter stand up. His knees trembled slightly as he struggled to remain upright. He hadn't even fully stabilized when an explosion sounded behind him. The train door was ripped open, and Doctor Octopus's tentacles appeared first. 

Doctor Octopus had returned. 

More accurately, he hadn't left at all, because he hadn't forgotten his deal with Harry. 

Doctor Octopus declared, "He's mine!" 

Despite their fear, someone in the train car stepped forward, standing in front of Peter, shielding him behind them. "If you want to get him, you'll have to go through me first." 

One stepped forward, giving courage to the others. 

"And me." 

"And me!" 

One after another, the people in the train car stood before Peter, intercepting Doctor Octopus's cruel gaze. 

A wicked smile appeared on Doctor Octopus's face. "Splendid." 

The metal tentacles behind him shot forward, piercing into the crowd, instantly straightening and pushing aside the teeming, surging mass of people, exposing Peter once again. 

Although the people still held firmly around Peter, Peter knew they couldn't stop Doctor Octopus. He gently patted the arms resting on him, turned and nodded in acknowledgment, then tried to stand again using his own strength, taking a shaky little step forward. 

Doctor Octopus was merciless. A direct, heavy punch from a tentacle connected squarely, instantly "KO'ing" Peter. 

Peter fell unconscious. 

When Peter woke up again, Doctor Octopus had tied him up securely and placed him on the sofa in Harry's living room. Harry took the tritium element from the safe and left without a second thought, leaving only Peter and Harry in the room. 

Harry drew the dagger from the tabletop and slowly approached, a twisted, savage light flickering in his eyes. 

"I want you to suffer as much as I have." 

"First, let me reveal your true face! Then, I'll stare into your eyes and watch you die in agony!" 

Harry stared distortedly at the mask, grabbed it, and pulled with all his might. 

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and Peter's face appeared before Harry. 

Harry froze, uncontrollably stumbling backward. He even dropped the dagger, barely able to stand steady. He looked down at the mask in his hand, fear gripping his heart tightly. 

"Peter?" 

Harry threw the mask away as if it burned him, his legs giving out, and he slumped down. 

"No. No no no." 

Harry murmured in pain and shock, grabbing his hair, his face full of sorrow. 

"No, this is impossible." 

Peter looked down at the metal wires binding him, abruptly sat up straight, took a deep breath, struggled violently, and shook off all the wires. 

But at this moment, Peter didn't have time to explain. "Harry, where is she? Where did he hide her?" 

Harry looked confused. 

Peter said, "He's got Mary Jane." 

Harry mumbled, "No, he needs the tritium." 

Peter said, "Tritium?" Thinking for a moment, Peter understood. "He's building a nuclear fusion machine. When it's finished, she'll die, and the whole of New York will be destroyed along with her. Where is he now?" 

Harry still hadn't recovered. "Peter, you killed my father." 

A pang hit Peter's chest, and a hint of struggle showed in his eyes. That pain and despair were tearing him apart fiercely. 

Peter's lips trembled slightly. He wanted to say that he hadn't. 

But the denial stopped on his tongue. Although he hadn't stained his hands with Norman's blood, he couldn't completely deny that he had indirectly caused Norman's death. 

More importantly, he didn't know how to explain to Harry that Norman was the Green Goblin. 

His words ultimately stopped on his tongue, and the sadness in his eyes slowly flowed out. 

Taking a deep breath, Peter bit his tongue slightly. "Harry, something more important than you or I is happening right now." 

"Please, Harry, I have to stop him." 

Those blue eyes were slightly red, looking at Harry with helplessness and urgency, a hint of strength showing through his vulnerability. Their gazes remained fixed like that. 

Boom. Boom boom boom. 

Lightning flashed and thunder roared! 

Doctor Octopus, in his former laboratory, now a ruin, inserted the fist-sized tritium element into the machine. 

"Hey!" 

Someone called out from behind him. 

"Hey!" 

But Doctor Octopus completely ignored her. It was clearly a trapped Mary Jane, and this angered her. 

She whistled, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" 

Finally, Doctor Octopus heard her.