The Shattered American Continent

Tony had already noticed in space that something was wrong with Peter’s condition. But at the time, he thought that once world peace was achieved, Gwen’s presence at Peter’s side would slowly soothe the wounds in his heart.

Besides, he already had Doctor Banner, who was going insane and bent on dying. There was simply no way he could take in another lunatic. If things really got out of hand, he wouldn’t be able to suppress him.

Who could have known that before everything had even settled down, Peter would be stimulated again and again until he completely lost control.

Tony handed Doctor Banner to Pepper, then went up to join Steve in suppressing Peter.

"Peter, you’re not in a very rational state right now. Calm down first. Uncle Ben and Aunt May’s deaths can wait until Queen Raven’s investigation results come out before we consider reviving them. Even if Raven can’t do anything, we can still think of something with the Inhumans…"

Peter fought two against one, being kicked and struck back and forth by the two men. He was hard-pressed on all sides and struggled to defend himself, but he still showed no fear whatsoever.

"You don’t understand!"

"You don’t understand anything!"

"Of course I’m suffering because Uncle Ben and Aunt May died, but what I have to do now is make sure that no one else ever suffers the way I did!"

"If the world stays like this, then even if I revive Uncle Ben and Aunt May this time, what’s the point?"

"I don’t want to keep suffering the pain of loss over and over again!"

"I want to build a safe world where the people I love face absolutely no threats!"

"Without madness, nothing can be achieved!"

"Only a fanatic can succeed in this world!"

"Now that Uncle Ben and Aunt May are both dead, no one can use them to threaten me anymore!"

"I can read minds, so no one can deceive me anymore!"

"I can completely correct this world according to my own will!"

With every sentence, Peter threw a punch. His essence, energy, and spirit had reached perfect unity, and his momentum kept rising. The insights he had gained earlier from Combination Synchronization Mode were being rapidly digested, and he was swiftly climbing toward the Ninety-Seven Heavens.

"You think you’re the only one who can power up?"

Steve and Tony were naturally unwilling to fall behind. They shouted together, and their auras rose as well, using the pressure from Peter to grow stronger at an astonishing speed.

But Pepper and Doctor Banner behind Tony could not withstand it.

Although Pepper had also gained a great deal of insight from Combination Synchronization Mode, after leaving that state, she had fallen back to the First Heaven. She was holding on entirely through the Strong Magnetic Armor Tony had specially made for her.

Now that Peter’s pressure had increased, even though he was not targeting her, she already felt as if she could hardly breathe. She was also digesting her insights rapidly, but her speed and intensity were still far behind.

Doctor Banner was in an even worse state. He had never joined Combination Synchronization Mode, so his realm remained unchanged. Under the pressure of Peter’s aura, his body began to turn faintly green. Hulk was about to emerge.

"Tony, Doctor Banner is about to transform! Come suppress him!"

Tony’s expression changed, and he hurriedly abandoned Peter and returned to Pepper’s side.

Pepper was no match for Hulk in her current state. To Tony, Pepper’s safety was more important than anything else. Having once experienced the loss of someone he loved forever, Tony was unwilling to endure the same pain again.

"Hulk!"

The Green Giant let out a loud roar and completed his transformation. Just as he was about to go berserk, Tony grabbed him and carried him into space.

Fighting on the ground always made Tony feel constrained. It would be better to go straight into space and fight to his heart’s content, settle Hulk as quickly as possible, and then go back down to deal with Peter.

Tony’s departure did not affect Steve.

He had already realized Peter’s determination, but he did not believe his own determination was inferior to Peter’s.

He had personally killed even Bucky, his most important friend and brother. And when Bucky died, a part of himself died with him. If he could even kill himself, then who in this world could stop him?

"Peter, take your determination and go to Hell!"

Steve no longer tried to persuade Peter. Instead, he gathered all his strength and clashed head-on with him, determined to kill him on the spot.

"What are you blustering about?"

"We both went through Combination Synchronization. Who says one of us is weaker?"

"If you want to blow me apart, then show me a determination stronger than mine!"

The two men’s strength grew stronger and stronger, both rapidly advancing toward the Ninety-Seven Heavens. The energy from their battle completely tore apart and blasted away the earth beneath them. All of New York State sank beneath this force, forming a gigantic pit far broader and deeper than Washington’s "Abyss of Sin."

Even the American continental plate farther below was shattered and split apart beneath the bombardment of their power.

Massive amounts of seawater and magma poured through the fractures and converged, producing vast quantities of steam. The unending steam was then compressed by the narrow spaces. In the end, like a pressure cooker, the pressure grew greater and greater until it could no longer withstand it and exploded with a thunderous boom. Towering columns of steam shot into the sky, forming a uniquely beautiful spectacle.

Peter and Steve fought fiercely above the continent. One moment, Peter blasted Steve into the ground, creating a huge crater out of nowhere. The next, Steve struck Peter into the sea, raising a tsunami a hundred meters high across the Pacific Ocean.

Both men’s speeds had reached an extreme. In an instant, they could cross the Americas and return.

As their battle moved forward, these columns of steam began appearing throughout the Americas in great numbers. Some of the columns along the coast even merged together, completely cutting small pieces of land away from the American continental plate.

They were accompanied by earthquakes measuring above magnitude ten and enormous tsunamis reaching a hundred meters in height.

Every inland city was completely destroyed by the earthquakes.

Every coastal city was submerged by tsunamis surging over the shore.

And this was only the beginning. A War God’s battles had always been measured in months or even years. As long as the battle continued, these earthquakes and tsunamis would become the norm.

As the battle continued, the American continent finally shattered. It was no longer a matter of small pieces breaking off one by one. Instead, the entire continent split into pieces, forming countless enormous islands.

The waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans surged into the gaps between the islands, completely cutting the Americas apart.

The earth was torn open, and magma erupted from underground, boiling the seawater and cooking up a huge pot of seafood porridge.

Vast amounts of steam drifted into the sky, condensed into rain clouds as they cooled, and then poured back down.

The people whose cities had been destroyed by the earthquakes now encountered days of torrential rain and mudslides sweeping through the downpours. Their apocalyptic calamity gained several more forms.

Every active volcano roared to life, bellowing into the sky and spewing massive amounts of magma and gas. The sky became covered in dark clouds, and even the sunlight was completely blocked out. Day turned into night. Dust filled the air everywhere, making it impossible to recognize someone standing right in front of you. Millions of people suffocated to death as their alveoli became clogged.

The ecosystem of nature was completely destroyed. Lightning and thunder filled the sky, and all communications had long since been completely destroyed.

The natural disaster brewed a human disaster as well, releasing the evil compressed in people’s hearts. Rape, robbery, murder… all manner of horrifying crimes played out across this shattered continent.

Anyone who saw this scene would be utterly certain.

This was the apocalypse!

Devout believers fell to their knees before holy statues, praying for God’s salvation and hoping that when Judgment Day arrived, their faith would allow them to escape being thrown into the lake of fire.

However, everyone on this land was guilty!

No Lord came to save them. Their prayers still ended with fire raining down from the sky, the ground splitting open, and scorching flames surging from beneath the earth to swallow them completely.

Both men fighting in the sky clearly understood what was happening below.

But Peter did not care. The dead could be resurrected, nations could be rebuilt, and even if the Americas were gone, they could be replaced with an archipelago. What he wanted was to rebuild the New World, creating a beautiful world where everyone treated one another sincerely and no one deceived anyone else—a peaceful world that would pose no threat whatsoever to the revived Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

The current battle had already torn everything down. Maybe it would even save him some trouble.

But Steve grew more anxious the longer they fought.

His determination was ruthless only toward himself. Toward the country he cared about and the people of the United States, he could not bring himself to be ruthless. What he wanted had always been salvation, not destruction.

He wanted to kill Peter because Peter would certainly cause more people to die if he remained alive. But now, nearly everyone in the United States was dead, the Americas had been shattered, and enough people had already died. Yet the one person who most deserved to die—Peter—was still alive.

"Peter, look at this broken world below us. Is this the world you want?"

Steve was heartsick. He increased the force of his fists and pressed Peter down in midair, then furiously pounded his head.

"Of course it is!" Peter gave no ground either. He immediately retaliated, sending Steve flying a hundred miles with a kick between the legs, then rushed after him and struck with lethal force.

"Steve, haven’t you noticed?"

"All those rich and powerful people left the Americas on private planes!"

"Whether it’s earthquakes, tsunamis, rainstorms, or mudslides, none of these natural disasters can hurt them in the slightest!"

"Now, the United States truly belongs to the American people!"

"Without those bloodsuckers, no matter how great the disaster, it can be calmed down!"

"Magneto can create Paradise Island out of thin air in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Of course I can piece the American continent back together!"

"All the opposition is dead, which is perfect for implementing policies!"

"From now on, there only needs to be one country on the American continent!"

"And within this country, there will be only one voice from now on—my voice! No one can disobey my orders!"

"I will rebuild the United States! I will establish a new holy city in the United States!"

"I am the emperor!"

"I am the saint!!"

"I am Christ!!!"

Steve was furious, but at the same time, he felt utterly powerless.

When facing someone whose worldview was completely incompatible with his own, words alone could never stop him. Yet the two men’s realms were equal, making it impossible for either of them to kill the other in a short time.

For the first time, Steve secretly complained about Tony’s research. If they had installed some sort of back door in Combination Synchronization Mode, things might have been much easier now.

But the thought only passed through his mind once before he dismissed it. He was not the kind of person who shifted blame onto others. He rallied his spirit and continued his fierce battle with Peter.

In the distant sky, a white streak tore through the air and came to a halt near the battlefield. Its faceplate opened, revealing Gwen’s face.

"Peter, stop!" Gwen shouted anxiously.

After Nick Fury died and Peter went to war with Steve, S.H.I.E.L.D. fell into chaos. In the end, Agent Hill took over as acting director and ordered the Skrulls to send Gwen back, intending for Gwen to talk some sense into Peter.

But the battle had escalated too quickly. After Gwen returned, she simply had no way to approach their battlefield.

In the end, Shuri spent several days specially making Gwen a Vibranium Magnetic Armor at the Ninetieth Heaven. Relying on this armor, Gwen was finally able to appear before the two men today.

"Peter, calm down!"

"If Uncle Ben and Aunt May were alive, they absolutely wouldn’t want to see you like this."

"Peter, stop!"

"You aren’t this kind of person. This isn’t the Peter I know."

"The Peter in my memories was always so gentle and kind, always thinking of others…"

Peter’s attacks gradually weakened. Steve hesitated, then did not take advantage of the situation to attack him. Instead, he stopped and retreated, leaving Peter and Gwen room to talk.

Peter stood in midair, looking at Gwen with a complicated expression.

He could see Gwen’s true feelings.

He could completely sense her love for him. Every word she spoke to him was true and came from the bottom of her heart.

But at the same time, he also saw that it was Agent Hill who had brought Gwen here. Peter was no longer the low-empathy innocent he had once been, and he quickly understood Agent Hill’s intentions.

He could clearly sense how sad and pained Gwen was at that moment, and how desperately she hoped he would become the old Peter again.

But there was no going back. He did not want to become that foolish Peter Parker again.

Gwen flew to Peter’s side and embraced him, looking up into his eyes with a pleading expression.

"Peter, let go!"

"I’ll stay by your side and take care of you in Uncle Ben and Aunt May’s place."

"You can tell me about any pain you’re suffering. Don’t keep bottling it up. I’ll help you carry it."

Peter reached out and caressed Gwen’s cheek. He shook his head sadly and said:

"Gwen, don’t stop me."

"This world is completely broken. I need to correct it!"

"My life has already been miserable enough. I don’t want to see anyone else end up like me, being repeatedly used and toyed with, making one terrible mistake after another and regretting it too late."

"Compared to that, dying directly is actually the easiest and happiest thing there is!"

Gwen grasped Peter’s hand and said anxiously:

"That was all Hydra’s doing!"

"Hydra has already been defeated by you. That kind of thing won’t happen again!"

A bleak smile appeared on Peter’s face, twisting it into an expression more terrifying than crying.

"Hydra?"

"What difference is there between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra?"

"You say this kind of thing won’t happen again, but then what do you call what’s happening to you right now?"

"Why did S.H.I.E.L.D. send you to persuade me?"

"Do you owe them something?"

"Do you have this obligation?"

"Why should an ordinary female student like you risk your life to come to this battlefield and interfere in the fight between Steve and me?"

Gwen froze and stammered, "Because, because we’re close. You’re my boyfriend."

"And I’m worried about you too. I’m afraid something will happen to you."

"I don’t want you to kill so many people either. I want this world to return to peace as soon as possible."

Peter sighed. "The innocent way you are now is exactly like I was before I awakened."

"Whether it’s Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D., they’re all the same kind of thing."

"They’re best at seizing people’s weaknesses, then deceiving, threatening, and bribing them to achieve their own goals."

"The only difference is that S.H.I.E.L.D. finds itself a righteous excuse and wraps itself in a respectable image, making its actions appear just and morally acceptable. Hydra doesn’t even bother to pretend."

"Like on the aircraft carrier, when Pierce directly threatened me with Aunt May. And now S.H.I.E.L.D. is using morality to blackmail you, forcing you onto this dangerous battlefield."

He extended a finger and pressed it against Gwen’s lips, stopping her from trying to refute him.

"I can feel it. You’re actually afraid of me right now."

He gave a bitter smile and lowered his head helplessly.

"That makes perfect sense."

"I’ve killed so many people. Who wouldn’t be afraid of me?"

"But you still came."

"I know you care about me, and I know you love me. But the most important reason you managed to overcome your fear and stand before me is actually just one thing: S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t give you the right to choose."

"You’re the bridle around my neck. As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. makes good use of you, it can command me like a dog."

Peter looked down at Gwen’s somewhat panicked expression in his arms and lowered his head to kiss her forehead.

"This isn’t your fault, Gwen."

"This is my fault!"

"Everything you’re experiencing now is something I once experienced."

"At the time, I naively thought all of it was reasonable and that everything I was doing was right."

"But in reality, I was nothing more than a puppet on strings, being toyed with and spun around."

"I once believed that the choices I made would benefit Uncle Ben and Aunt May, that they would protect them and keep them from harm."

"But reality taught me that the more I cherish something, the more others will attack it. The more I want to protect something, the more certain I am to lose it in the end."

"Unless I have no weaknesses, my enemies will definitely target me and attack me with every method at their disposal."

Peter took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"I’m going to change all of this, so that tragedies like this will never happen in this world again."

"To achieve that goal, there will be a great deal of bloodshed and sacrifice."

"The process will be painful, but the result will certainly be wonderful."

"This is a truly great undertaking, and it’s worth paying any price for."

Peter reached out and tucked the rain-soaked strands of hair from Gwen’s forehead behind her ear. Then his finger traced down her cheek to her neck.

"Gwen, I love you!"

He gazed intently at Gwen, etching the joyful smile on her face after hearing his confession deep into his mind.

"I’ll build a safe, perfect world for all of you."

"I promise you’ll all come to love that New World."

"…After you’re resurrected."

Magnetic Field Force entered Gwen’s brain through Peter’s finger and destroyed it in an instant.

Gwen died. All signs of life vanished from her in an instant, without the slightest pain.

Her smile remained on her face, radiant and full of warmth, but her body gradually grew cold.

"I’m sorry, Gwen." Peter slowly lowered the visor of his Vibranium Magnetic Armor, covering Gwen’s smile beneath the cold metal. His movements were slow, but there was not the slightest hesitation.

Peter slowly descended and laid Gwen’s body flat on the ground. Then he used Magnetic Field Force to freeze her completely, preserving her from decay. Although the Vibranium Magnetic Armor protected her, he still wasn’t at ease. So he built another sturdy tomb, one that even the aftershocks of a battle between Magnetic Field Warriors couldn’t destroy.

Once the New World was complete, he would find a way to resurrect these loved ones, so preserving their bodies intact was essential.

When Peter had finished all this and raised his head, a pattern resembling thorns suddenly appeared across his forehead. It wrapped around his entire brow, as if he were wearing a crown of thorns.

This was a Battle Mark—the Crown of Thorns Battle Pattern!

After Magneto’s Blood Tear Battle Pattern and Captain America’s Shield Battle Pattern, the third Battle Mark had finally appeared.

Peter slowly rose into the air and came before Steve. He said calmly:

"Steve, now I have no weaknesses."

Looking at the expressionless Peter before him, Steve felt a chill run through his entire body.

He was certain that Peter loved Gwen. Yet now, Peter had killed Gwen without the slightest hesitation. And unlike when Uncle Ben and Aunt May had died, when Peter had wept in agony and nearly destroyed himself, the Peter of today showed no trace of pain on his face.

But Steve found a familiar feeling in the Peter before him.

It was the feeling of killing oneself.

When he had killed Bucky that day, he had been the same—cold, lifeless, devoid of any sign of vitality.

But when Time Reversal brought Bucky back to life, he had come alive again as well.

Although his current level hadn’t changed, he knew in his heart that the Steve who had decisively killed Bucky for the sake of his country was the truly terrifying one.

Likewise, Peter was invincible now.