An electric current surged from deep within Alex's body, racing toward his hands like a stream of water.
In the next instant, arcs of electricity burst out from his palms.
Crackling sounds echoed.
Blindingly bright.
Intensely hot.
Watching the continuously exploding arcs of electricity in his hands, a smile spread across Alex's face.
"I... finally summoned it..."
He clenched his fist, and the electricity vanished instantly.
Breathing heavily, Alex's eyes gleamed with joy.
Beside him, Little Spider-Man lay panting, its eyes also filled with happiness.
It let out a soft, pleased sound. "Mmm~"
Alex extended his fist.
Little Spider-Man raised one trembling front leg and touched his fist with its own.
A celebratory fist bump.
"Next, we just need a bit of recovery time. Then, we test it."
After some rest and replenishing nutrients, Alex and Little Spider-Man made their way to the testing room.
Facing the conductive device, Alex raised his hand.
He activated the electric current in his body.
The powerful current surged out like a river, gathering in his palm.
A moment later, a concentrated burst of electricity shot forward like a beam of light, hitting the conductive target.
A nearby screen displayed the voltage reading.
"50,000 volts."
Seeing the number, Alex nodded with satisfaction.
He could sense the amount of electric energy within his body.
This special bioelectricity only allowed for a few uses before depleting. Once drained, it would regenerate gradually.
To increase his energy reserves, he needed to strengthen himself and enhance his cellular structure.
Stronger cells would produce more electric energy.
"Now, I finally have an energy-based attack."
"In the future, electric shocks could even be used as a finisher."
Just then, his phone buzzed with a text.
Alex opened it—Kurt had sent the address of the driver's convoy and his wife.
Seeing this, Alex grabbed Little Spider-Man and went to find them.
Somewhere in New York.
Several people stood in shadow.
"Someone's asking about radioactive chemical substance No. 7."
"And about that driver from years ago."
"Didn't expect anyone to dig that deep."
"Maybe they found something."
"Find him. Eliminate him."
"Got it."
Before long, Alex found the convoy.
He asked if they remembered the driver transporting anything unusual before his death.
They couldn't recall—too many years had passed.
No useful information.
So Alex went to find the driver's wife.
Inside an old apartment.
A woman in her fifties opened the door.
The driver's wife.
She looked at Alex, puzzled. "Who are you?"
Alex got straight to the point. "A friend of mine was injured because of some materials your husband transported. I want to know what they were."
Her expression tensed with worry.
"Don't worry—this isn't about compensation. It was settled privately."
She relaxed slightly. "Come in. Let me get you some water."
Alex stepped inside.
"Did you know the materials your husband transported caused a child to go blind, about a month before he died?"
She sighed and nodded.
"No one expected those materials would do that. It was his first accident... but the insurance company handled the compensation and treatment."
Alex asked, "Do you know who your husband was transporting the materials for?"
She bit her lip. "A shell company... dissolved long ago."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "How do you know it was a shell company?"
"After the accident, my husband died a month later. They said it was a heart attack."
"But he never had any heart problems. His behavior became strange—he was always restless."
She gripped her pants. "Then... he was gone."
"I think his death had something to do with that company."
"I investigated. It was a shell company. Everyone vanished. I couldn't find anything else."
Alex frowned.
The lead ended there.
"Did your husband say anything strange before he died?"
She thought for a moment. "He was always uneasy."
"Oh—he started acting weird the day of the accident. I brought him milk in the morning—he took it with shaking hands."
"After the crash, he kept mumbling... something about a big bridge... and a poplar tree."
Alex's expression shifted.
A big bridge... a poplar tree?
He remembered the scene in Daredevil's file—an accident site near a stone bridge, and beneath it, on a slope, a poplar tree.
Could there be something under that tree?
"Please call me if you remember anything else," Alex said, handing her his number.
She nodded.
Alex left the apartment, got in his car, and sped off.
He headed toward the stone bridge.
"If the driver was uneasy before the crash, he must've seen something... something related to Chemical Substance No. 7."
He turned the steering wheel sharply.
"But after all these years... is anything even left under that tree?"
He arrived at the stone bridge. The poplar tree was still there.
Same tree as in the crime scene photos.
He didn't stop. Too public during the day.
He'd return at night.
Driving past the bridge, he glanced in the mirror.
A car was tailing him.
"Who's following me?"
"HYDRA? Essex? Military?"
He diverted to a secluded area and stopped.
The car behind him pulled over too.
A hidden EMP was triggered under the tailing vehicle.
All electronics nearby shut down.
A voice called out, "Didn't expect you to notice us."
"You've got strong counter-surveillance skills."
"You brought us out here to talk?"
Doors opened.
Alex stepped out alone.
Several men exited the other car.
Alex asked, "Who are you, and why are you following me?"
The leader smirked, "You've offended someone recently. Ring any bells?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Military? HYDRA? Essex?"
The man's smirk faded. "You've offended... all three?"
A chubby one muttered, "Still alive after offending that many? Damn..."
Alex stayed calm. "If you're none of them, then confess."
The men hesitated.
Then—Bang! Bang! Bang!
Alex drew his gun and fired.
Headshots—fast, clean. All down but the leader.
The man turned pale.
Alex approached. "Who are you?"
The man stammered, "Private security... for a company that no longer exists. We clean up loose ends."
"Anyone investigating Chemical Substance No. 7... gets eliminated."
"You were on our list."
Alex's eyes narrowed.
"What company?"
"It was dissolved. Gone for years."
"Then who are you working for?"
"Before vanishing, they paid us off. To finish the job. No paper trail."
"They experimented on people. Lots died. And then the company disappeared."
Alex asked, "The driver—what happened to him?"
"He found out about the experiments. Got nervous. Caused a crash. Later, wanted to report it—so we staged his death as a heart attack."
Alex pressed, "What is Chemical Substance No. 7?"
"An artificial radioactive chemical. Meant to trigger mutations... grant power. It failed."
"Too many side effects. The project was shut down."
Alex asked, "Did the driver take something?"
The man looked confused. "Take something? Like steal?"
Nothing useful.
Alex raised his gun.
"Wait! I—"
Bang.
Alex eliminated him, cleaned the scene, and drove off.
"What kind of company was behind No. 7?"
He'd find out eventually.
But first—he needed to check under that poplar tree.
Night fell.
Alex returned to the stone bridge.
Shovel in hand, he moved down the slope to the tree.
No one around. Darkness cloaked him.
He began digging.
Quick and efficient.
Suddenly—clunk—his shovel struck something solid.
He dug faster.
A faint blue glow lit up from below.
Alex's eyes widened.
"This is..."