3 Chapter 3: Encountering Spider-Man

After the motorcycle accident, Old York did as he said, taking Maverick's keys back and prohibiting him from helping in the shop again.

Although he had given Maverick a wad of dollars that night, he became worried about the safety of carrying only cash and decided to slip a bank card into Maverick's hand just before leaving.

Watching Old York wave goodbye as he left, Maverick scratched his head, feeling a bit troubled as he pondered where to go.

Due to being unfamiliar with the area and solely focused on studying, Maverick had few friends around him. He remembered how those students who were constantly compared to him by their parents began spreading strange rumors, such as his peculiar personality, autism, or his alleged need for medication due to mental instability.

However, he didn't feel bothered by it. In fact, he felt rather relaxed. After so many years, he had grown accustomed to a solitary life.

If he were to hang out with those petty and too lively students who dared to try everything, he would be the one feeling troubled.

Although he had been living in this world for over four years, he still found it hard to accept some of the normal ways as he grew up in an orphanage in his past life.

"Forget it, I'll just wander around the city and maybe buy a few clothes for Old York. It's already changing seasons, and he's still wearing his old clothes from before."

After a moment of contemplation, he changed into some clothes and prepared to go out. His simple black and white outfit was stylish and complemented his handsome face and muscular 185cm frame, highlighting his one-word description: Handsome. Charming. Charismatic.

Even though Old York forbid him from riding motorcycles, cars were still an option. After all, compared to motorcycles, cars had a much higher safety rating.

Nevertheless, before leaving, Old York repeatedly reminded him to drive slowly. The condition of the car didn't matter; his safety was paramount.

Facing Old York's nagging reminders, Maverick assured him with a pat on his chest that he would definitely prioritize safety.

Opening the garage, a black SUV stood at the front. It was Maverick's preferred model. The garage was almost filled with cars of the same brand, as it was considered the safest. People jokingly referred to it as the car where you could die anywhere but not inside it.

The SUV slowly pulled out of the garage and onto the road, then sped up.

Soon, Maverick arrived at Fifth Avenue, where many famous brands and shops were located, taking up a considerable amount of time to explore.

As he walked, he observed the shop windows, looking for clothes suitable for Old York.

Considering Old York's age and conservative nature, he couldn't accept flashy or luxurious types.

Maverick continued to shop and rest at cafes when tired, eating until the sun began to set in the west, signaling it was time to head home.

Fifth Avenue was overcrowded, so Maverick parked his car far from there to avoid being stuck in traffic on the way back.

After all, being stuck inside was obviously more unacceptable than taking a few extra steps.

Carrying his things, Maverick walked for over ten minutes until he finally reached where he had parked. However, there were several people gathered around his car.

One of them, a guy wearing a hoodie, was skillfully using tools to try to open his car door, while two others, were keeping watch, glancing around alertly.

"Damn it! You've been at it for ten minutes already, how come you still can't open the damn door?" The lookout, impatiently urged the hoodie-wearing man, his voice low and cautious as he scanned the surroundings.

In response, the hoodie-wearing cursed, "Motherfucker! Shut your bitch ass, I told you this car, although valuable, isn't easy to steal. It was your damn insistence that made me try."

As the argument continued among them, Maverick had already approached not far from the car.

"Hey, gentlemen! This is my car. Please stop what you're doing and leave quickly," he said coldly to the three car thieves, his brows slightly furrowed.

The lookout, already irritated by the hoodie-wearing's insults, grew bolder seeing that Maverick was alone.

He pulled out a small knife and advanced towards Maverick, waving it as he spoke, "Today's your unlucky day, kid! We're taking this car, and you better hand over all the money you have, or else I'll put a few holes in you."

Seeing the thug approaching, the other muscular man who had remained silent until now also clenched his fists and walked towards Maverick.

Maverick smirked when he saw the situation. Concealed beneath a pile of clothing bags, his left hand had already reached the handgun tucked behind his waist.

He was prepared to shoot both of these unlucky guys the moment they got closer.

The American way.

Having lived here for several years, he had gained some understanding of the social situation. Moreover, Old York often imparted self-defense knowledge to him, so he was not flustered in such situations; instead, he was well-prepared.

The handgun was carefully selected by Old York, who even hired some martial arts masters to give Maverick lessons and train him to enhance his self-defense abilities.

With his post-rebirth maximal learning ability, Maverick quickly mastered these skills, and his combat abilities could rival those of professional athletes.

These thugs were indeed unlucky to have run into him. At such close range, he could easily hit his mark. The shadow of death had already crept up behind them, yet they remained oblivious.

Just as Maverick was about to draw his gun to shoot, a white spider web suddenly shot down from above, instantly hoisting up the two thugs who were about to reach him.

The knife in the thug's hand fell to the ground.

The hoodie-wearing man, who was focused on unlocking the car door, also saw what happened to his comrades out of the corner of his eye. He made a quick decision and immediately gave up trying to unlock the door, preparing to flee the scene.

Before he could take two steps, another strand of spider silk wrapped around him, instantly pulling him back.

In a matter of seconds, all three thugs were suspended in the air, bound by the spider webs.

"Stealing cars is not a good habit. I hope you'll have a good talk with the police later about your actions," a lively and clear voice came from above, and Maverick saw a person wearing a red and blue tight suit crouching on the wall in a seemingly impossible position.

"Spider-Man?" As he recognized the figure, Maverick gradually relaxed his grip on the gun.

Spider-Man nodded in response to Maverick's question and smiled, "That's right, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

"Are you injured? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?" Spider-Man asked with concern.

Upon hearing Spider-Man's caring inquiry, Maverick waved his hand and smiled, "I'm fine. You arrived just in time. Thank you."

As they spoke, the sound of police sirens grew closer to the scene. Spider-Man had likely called the police to apprehend the car thieves.

"No need to thank me. I wish you a safe journey," Spider-Man said, waving his hand as Maverick got into his car.

Maverick extended his hand out of the window and gave a wave in response before slowly driving away from the scene.

Watching the car's taillights fade into the distance, Spider-Man turned back and removed his mask to catch a breath.

'Phew~! If I'm not mistaken, Maverick should have just been ready to deal with those thieves.' Peter Parker thought to himself, recalling the scene just now.

Maverick and Peter Parker had been classmates since high school, both top students, with Maverick always ranking first.

Although they had no interaction during high school and only had nodding acquaintance in college, their relationship had become somewhat closer due to laboratory courses they attended together.

'Maverick didn't even seem a little nervous or flustered just now. He's truly incredible,' Peter Parker remarked, somewhat surprised by Maverick's composure.

If it weren't for him gaining spider abilities and becoming Spider-Man, he would likely have been a bit flustered in such a situation, unable to remain as calm as Maverick did.

Thinking back to the outrageous rumors about Maverick during high school—about him being solitary, gloomy, having mental illnesses, etc.—Peter shook his head.

From his current perspective, Maverick seemed quite easygoing. As he contemplated, the image of Maverick calmly preparing to draw his gun resurfaced in his mind.

'Well, he seems easygoing to me.'

°°°

A/N: The first meet, of course, for Peter in his suit.

Already got 10 chapters ahead in pătreon, I'm also gonna release two chapters tomorrow, so stay tuned.