Marvel: Hunter

Chapter 418: No Deal

The two of them communicated in whispers, and although Blaine heard everything clearly, he didn't interfere. However, when Ned suddenly shouted about a "flying saucer," drawing everyone's attention in the same direction, Blaine slipped out of the school bus along with little Spider-Man.

With the Hunter suit instantly covering his body and the hood pulled up, Blaine transformed from a student on a field trip into a cold, professional Bounty Hunter.

Inside the bus, Happy was momentarily fooled by Ned's crude distraction and followed everyone else's gaze out the window. By the time he noticed in the rearview mirror that little Spider-Man was missing, he froze for a second, then slammed the steering wheel and hurriedly reported it to Tony.

Outside, now close to Washington, little Spider-Man pulled his suit out of his backpack, changed quickly, and fired a webline, swinging off without hesitation.

Blaine followed close behind. With little Spider-Man taking the lead, there was always a chance to pick up some easy gains—just like last time, when he'd completed his first task with a simple fifty-dollar deal.

As little Spider-Man swung from point to point, time dragged on—an hour, maybe two. To Blaine, it felt unbearably slow and dull. If he had to travel through space at this speed, he'd starve long before reaching his destination.

Finally, around noon, little Spider-Man came to a stop outside a run-down warehouse. Without hesitation, he slipped inside.

Sure enough, Vulture's men were there. Two large armored trucks were being loaded with cargo—alien weapons, no doubt. Blaine swept the area with his mental awareness but found no sign of Vulture himself.

With their leader absent, there was no reason to hesitate. Little Spider-Man showed no fear at all and was about to charge in headfirst.

"Hey… what a coincidence."

A familiar voice suddenly rang out beside him, startling him mid-step. It felt like someone tapping your shoulder in the middle of a horror movie—enough to make anyone jump.

Little Spider-Man turned his head. As expected, it was the Bounty Hunter.

"Mr. Hunter? What are you doing here?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was just passing by?"

"…Uh…"

"So, how was the device I gave you yesterday? Useful?"

Sensing that little Spider-Man was starting to overthink things, Blaine stopped teasing and shifted straight into business mode. After dealing with the system for so long, he had grown quite adept at this kind of "transactional persuasion."

"Well, Ned and I cracked it last night,"

"We found out they'd be making another deal in Washington."

"And this—this is the place."

"I have to hurry. I can't let them get away again."

With that, little Spider-Man raised his hand, ready to fire a webline and charge in.

"Hey, wait a second."

"You're going in alone?"

"What if there are more of them inside?"

"With guns, heavy weapons—even alien tech?"

"Aren't you worried you'll mess up again—and not only fail to catch them, but get yourself captured instead?"

"What are you saying, Mr. Hunter?"

"I'm saying—with this many enemies, you're going to need help."

"We've worked together before."

"And since we're practically acquaintances now, I'll give you a special price this time."

After saying that, Blaine patted his chest as if making a firm guarantee. Yet at the same time, he looked rather awkward, like a small-time businessman worried about making a loss.

"Uh… well, I only have fifty dollars left…"

"So… sorry… I can't…"

"And I want to prove myself with my own strength."

"Sorry."

Apologizing once more, little Spider-Man charged in without hesitation, leaving Blaine standing there in the wind, utterly speechless.

Blaine hadn't expected that after all his persuasion and careful planning, he would still be turned down—first because of "no money," and second because of "wanting to prove himself."

What followed was only natural. Even without Blaine's help, the opponents were just a group of ordinary arms dealers, and with Vulture absent, little Spider-Man managed to take them all down.

Once little Spider-Man and Blaine left, the remaining mess could be handled by the FBI or the local police. In the end, as long as the name "Spider-Man" appeared in the report, that was enough for him to feel satisfied.

Because both little Spider-Man and Blaine had been busy dealing with this incident, they missed the quiz competition entirely. By the time they returned, it was already raining.

The teacher organizing the event—perhaps even the principal—was quite thoughtful. After a full day of competition, the next day was reserved for sightseeing. The students would visit famous landmarks in Washington, D.C., meaning they would stay overnight and return to school the following afternoon.

Under the teacher's guidance, the group checked into a hotel in an orderly manner. But while things seemed calm on this side, the other side was far from peaceful.

Ever since little Spider-Man had ruined Vulture's deal at the suburban villa, he had been holding a grudge. What angered him even more was that little Spider-Man had followed him all the way to Washington and disrupted his business again, leaving him unable to make any deals.

These operations were already risky and conducted in secrecy. Finding a buyer could take an entire month, and yet both opportunities had been ruined in succession.

Now, Vulture was struggling even to pay his men, and with so many mouths to feed, desperation began to take hold. In the end, he made a ruthless decision and devised a new plan.

Meanwhile, on the students' side, the school had a decent budget. Rooms were shared between two people, but since there was an odd number, Blaine ended up with a room to himself. (In truth, that was also thanks to his own money.)

By coincidence, Blaine's room was right next to little Spider-Man's. And just as Blaine expected, little Spider-Man had brought Ned into his room, the two friends once again sharing a space.

After dinner, Blaine lay down on the bed. There wasn't much to do, and nothing particularly interesting. He figured he might as well rest well—after all, the next day's sightseeing might be worth it. He had heard the landmarks here were quite famous, even if he had never seen them himself. With a free guide provided, it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

However, it seemed someone had no intention of letting him sleep peacefully.

In the middle of the night, Blaine was suddenly awakened by a startled cry from the room next door.

The hotel arranged by the school wasn't low-end—after all, this was Washington, D.C.—and the soundproofing should have been excellent. Whether it was because Blaine's hearing was too sharp or his neighbors were simply too loud, he couldn't tell.

But in the next moment, Blaine's attention sharpened completely.

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