Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

"Ah!"

Peter seized the moment to use all his strength to finally break free from Dr. Lizard's claws.

"Hah!"

Breaking free, Peter immediately threw a heavy punch at Dr. Lizard's face, followed by a strong kick to his chest, using the momentum to leap out of Dr. Lizard's grasp.

"Hey, bud... uh..."

Peter, intending to greet whoever had just come to his aid, froze when he noticed a backpack floating beside him. His expression stiffened.

Of course, he recognized that it was Huang Xiwen's backpack but had no idea what was inside, so he didn't know what to call it.

Swoosh!

Fortunately, the Cloak of Levitation wasn't as unreliable as Peter, who was distracted by irrelevant details even with a formidable enemy before him.

The cloak controlled the backpack, slamming it into the staggered Dr. Lizard—who was already off balance due to the combined attacks from Peter and the cloak—sending him flying two classrooms away.

Bang!

Dr. Lizard crashed hard onto the ground. Just as he tried to struggle to his feet, the cloak, controlling the backpack, spun a few times above him, using the straps to tie up his hands.

"Roar!"

With an angry roar, Dr. Lizard exerted all his strength and instantly snapped the straps, grabbing the backpack with his claws. Ignoring the cloak's desperate struggle, he furiously said, "Damn backpack!"

Rip!

With a violent motion, Dr. Lizard tore the backpack into shreds. Pieces of fabric scattered across the ground, but the Cloak of Levitation—still in his grasp—paused for a moment.

Without the backpack's obstruction, the cloak seemed to become much faster and more perceptive of its surroundings.

Swoosh!

In an instant, the cloak wrapped around Dr. Lizard's claws again and flew backward with all its might, forcing his right hand to twist backward in an agonizing joint-lock technique.

This move was a highly skilled joint manipulation technique that Mordo had often used while training Ned in close combat. However, every time Mordo attempted it, the Cloak of Levitation on Ned's back would disrupt the move. Dr. Lizard, unfortunately, had no such help.

"Argh!"

In excruciating pain, Dr. Lizard roared and tried to grab the cloak with his other hand, only to have Peter web his remaining free hand.

"Yahoo!"

Sliding under Dr. Lizard's arm, Peter emerged from behind him and yanked the web tightly, trapping Dr. Lizard's other arm in another joint-lock maneuver.

"Arghhh!"

With both arms suffering severe damage, Dr. Lizard let out a heart-wrenching cry of pain.

"Old age is catching up to me. I'm even hearing wild beast cries now. But this is a school—how could there be beasts here?"

Amid the heated battle between the trio—or rather, the duo—an elderly professor with white hair and headphones pushed open a door and walked out from a nearby room, seemingly oblivious to the chaos.

Muttering to himself about his age and possible auditory hallucinations, the professor strolled by.

However, had Ned been present instead of bedridden due to his injuries, he would have recognized this old professor immediately. He looked exactly like the waiter who once swindled Tony Stark out of ninety million dollars!

"Arghhh!"

As the old professor passed by, Dr. Lizard let out another anguished cry. He stopped resisting and leaned into the combined force of Peter and the cloak, falling backward. Then, with a swift motion, he kicked Peter with both feet, sending him flying.

Crash!

Peter smashed through a nearby window and fell into the room the old professor had just exited.

"Ugh!"

Momentarily free of Peter, Dr. Lizard got back on his feet, spitting at the Cloak of Levitation still entangled around his claws.

Swoosh!

The cloak, ever vigilant, darted away the moment Dr. Lizard opened his mouth, diving into Huang Xiwen's arms. It trembled violently, as if greatly frightened.

"Don't be scared, don't be scared. Big sister's here. Big sister's here," Huang Xiwen gently patted the cloak's back, softly comforting it.

"Uh... Mia?"

Gwen stood nearby, stunned, unsure of what to say.

Huang Xiwen offered her an awkward smile while continuing to soothe the cloak.

Meanwhile, Dr. Lizard, shaken by the cloak and Peter's combined assault, decided not to linger. He turned and sprinted toward the restroom.

By the time Gwen shifted her gaze back to the hallway, Dr. Lizard had vanished.

Despite this, Gwen and Huang Xiwen dared not act rashly, worried that Dr. Lizard might still be lurking nearby.

A short while later, faint sirens reached Gwen's ears, prompting her to cautiously approach the room where Peter had fallen.

Inside, she found shattered glass scattered across the floor but no sign of Peter.

...

"So, your school is on break now?"

Ned gently stroked the cloak in his hands, trying to comfort it as he spoke to Huang Xiwen, who had just finished recounting the events.

"Yes," Huang Xiwen nodded. "We're on a three-day break. Also, I—"

Ring, ring~ ring, ring~

Before she could finish, her phone rang. Pulling it out, she saw Gwen's name on the screen.

"Hi, Gwen."

Huang Xiwen answered, only to hear Gwen's anxious voice: "Peter says he recognizes your cloak—it's Ned's! He needs Ned's help at Oscorp Tower!"

"Ned?"

Huang Xiwen turned to Ned, surprised. She hadn't expected him to know Peter, though it explained why he always seemed particularly concerned about him.

"Sorry, Gwen, but Ned is—"

"I'll go."

Before Huang Xiwen could decline, citing Ned's severe injuries, he interrupted her.

"Alright, Gwen. Ned will be there," she said, ending the call.

Turning to Ned, her expression turned icy. Whether he planned to recklessly push himself or had been pretending to be seriously injured, neither scenario sat well with her.

"Uh… don't look at me like that, Xiwen. Relax, it'll be fine," Ned said with an uneasy smile.

Then, addressing his vibranium smartphone, he said, "Little AI, please head over to Oscorp Tower. Also, link up with Xiwen's phone so I can monitor the battlefield and communicate from my bed."

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