"Goodbye, Peter."
"Goodnight, Peter."
"Yeah, go get some rest."
Peter stood at the doorstep of the Stacy household.
Gwen turned back every few steps, her eyes and movements filled with reluctance.
George cleared his throat, muttering to himself.
It's not like you won't see each other tomorrow.
Is it really necessary to be so clingy?
Daughters really are like water spilled on the ground—once they're gone, they're gone. She hasn't even moved out yet, and she already doesn't want to come home.
Although he was temporarily annoyed with Peter, compared to other potential suitors, this seemed like the best choice.
Better than Gwen choosing some other boyfriend.
Peter smiled as he watched the door to Gwen's house close.
The moment the door shut completely, his expression changed dramatically.
It turned as dark as the damp, rotting wood on a seaside dock, perpetually stained by the tide.
He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen lightly.
Half of Queens' surveillance cameras instantly went offline.
For a genius engineering student, this wasn't difficult.
Then he turned and walked toward the shadows nearby.
In the dark alley, a figure emerged.
"You followed me all the way from the next district. You're really persistent!"
As Peter spoke, Kaisen appeared, wearing a baseball jacket and sporting a crew cut.
"You embarrassed me at the party tonight!"
"So, I'm going to make you eat my fists!"
He glared at Peter, his voice and eyes equally menacing.
"I don't get it. Why would the police chief's daughter fall for you?"
"Because you're good at school?"
"What's the point of that?!"
"Stay away from Gwen from now on, or else I'll—"
In the darkness of the alley, two yellow beams of light flashed briefly.
Thud.
The dull sound of a body hitting the ground echoed briefly.
Peter pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, took a drag, and felt a wave of relief wash over him.
The killing intent issue was resolved.
A small ember glowed in the darkness as Peter approached the lifeless body.
Barring any miracles, Kaisen would still be 18 in 18 years.
Peter looked at Kaisen, whose head now resembled a deflated basketball.
He guessed what Kaisen had been about to say.
"Stay away from Gwen, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."
Too bad he'd never get the chance.
After finishing his cigarette, Peter instantly changed into his Punisher outfit.
Then he grabbed Kaisen's body and flew over the Pacific Ocean.
Under the starry night sky, the ocean looked like a monstrous maw, ready to devour everything.
Without a hint of remorse, Peter dropped the body into the sea.
"Kaisen, I've done you a favor. Many people dream of dying in the Pacific but never get the chance."
With those words, Peter returned to New York.
Killing Kaisen didn't weigh on Peter's conscience. The guy had bullied plenty of people in class.
Taking him out was just another act of justice!
Bullying is a crime too!
If you don't like me, just stay away. Don't come at me with your nonsense.
Back home, Peter took a shower, washing away the fatigue.
The feeling of being consumed by killing intent was hard to describe—it was like being an angry young man, dissatisfied with everything, with an urge to destroy anything and anyone around him.
Now that Peter had shaken off that state, he felt indescribably comfortable.
In a city like New York, where wealth and crime coexist, criminals were endless. So, Peter decided to give himself a break.
A good night's rest.
The next morning, Saturday.
Peter was woken up by the noise downstairs.
Although it wasn't a natural wake-up, he still felt refreshed.
After washing his face, he headed downstairs.
"Peter, I'm sorry for waking you."
Aunt May apologized.
"Don't say that. What's going on? Are you guys heading out?"
Peter was puzzled.
Uncle Ben and Aunt May were dressed up early in the morning, clearly preparing to go somewhere.
Uncle Ben smiled and nodded:
"Your Aunt May's sister is coming to visit. She'll be here this afternoon. They haven't seen each other in a long time, so she's a bit excited."
Peter was thrilled to hear this.
In his memories, Aunt May's sister, Aunt Lisa, visited New York once a year and stayed for a week. She had always been very kind to Peter.
His first phone had been a gift from Aunt Lisa.
"That's great! I'll arrange dinner tonight. I know a really nice restaurant."
"Let's treat Aunt Lisa to a meal."
Uncle Ben chuckled:
"We appreciate the thought, but that's your scholarship money for school."
"You'll need money for the future too, like getting married. Your Aunt May and I can't help much, so you need to save that money from Mr. Stark."
"Come on, Uncle Ben, one meal won't break the bank."
"How about this? We'll eat at home. While you guys pick up Aunt Lisa this afternoon, I'll go buy groceries. It's settled."
Uncle Ben shook his head with a smile.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.
"Speaking of which, Tony Stark has been missing for a while now."
"He's a good man. What a shame!"
Peter froze.
Oh no!
How could he have completely forgotten about that?!
Yesterday, after tying up Otto, he had planned to ask Tony to develop the inhibitor chip!
But because of the killing intent, he'd forgotten such an important thing!
He remembered that in Iron Man, Tony had solved the problem himself.
So, being a little late shouldn't matter, right?
Peter didn't dare delay any longer and rushed out the door.
"Peter, you haven't had breakfast!!"
"I'm not hungry!"
...
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