Mutual Benefit, Regardless of Stance

This was the organization Sebastian wanted.

Of course, strictly speaking, this organization still needed to maintain a lawful alignment, because among the people Sebastian knew and trusted, none were of an evil alignment. Even Victor, Sebastian didn’t think was purely evil, just using the Shadow Council’s power to achieve his own goals.

Moreover, the organization’s primary task now was to oppose the Shadow Council. A secretive organization, yes, but not truly an evil one, though Sebastian himself didn’t care much about such distinctions.

Namor genuinely considered Sebastian’s proposal.

Decades ago, Namor would never have agreed, as humans back then had little worth his attention or caution. But in recent decades, humanity had developed faster, growing stronger, especially in terms of superhumans, far surpassing the past.

The Avengers! The Fantastic Four! The Shadow Council! Kamar-Taj! Asgard!

These were organizations and forces that didn’t exist or weren’t active on Earth decades ago.

If one superhuman didn’t concern Namor, the power of an organized group of superhumans was something he’d experienced. He knew it was beyond him or even all of Atlantis to easily confront.

So, proud as he was, Namor had to admit he and Atlantis needed companions, allies, and Sebastian was clearly an excellent choice.

Moreover, as Sebastian said, their organization would recruit individuals with significant influence on Earth, exceptional in some aspect, or leaders of major forces. This would greatly advance Namor’s long-standing concerns about human protection of the oceans and pollution issues.

Thus, when Namor and Sebastian parted, besides exchanging contact information again, they had a verbal intention to cooperate.

Watching Namor, under the protection of the Atlantean royal guard, walk into the sea to return to Atlantis, Sebastian turned, transforming into a twisted spatial vortex, disappearing from the early morning coastline.

Back in New York, the sky had darkened. Sebastian went home, had dinner with Alisha, then dialed Tony’s number.

“Oh, Sebastian, finally back from your vacation?” Tony’s characteristic teasing tone came through.

“Heh, Tony, I was working out there,” Sebastian replied. “You know facing the Shadow Council isn’t easy. Those guys have gotten stronger, with new members joining.”

Hearing this, Tony grew serious. “New members? Who?”

“One called Tiger Shark and a mutant resembling a shark, likely from Atlantis or related,” Sebastian said. “And another…”

Here, Sebastian searched online, quickly finding a recent report about a military attack where several generals were assassinated. The news included a surveillance image of a person on a hoverboard. Sebastian sent the report and image to Tony.

About half a minute later, Tony said, “So it’s this guy. He joined the Shadow Council?”

“Yes, if I’m not mistaken, it’s probably him,” Sebastian confirmed.

“I had suspicions about this guy and a potential target, but I’m not sure who yet,” Tony said. “Recently, he’s clashed with that new Spider-Man in New York. I planned to check on him after the Inhuman issue, but now it seems I need to contact that kid sooner.”

“Inhumans? Kid?” Sebastian asked, genuinely curious.

These weren’t feigned questions. Sebastian hadn’t expected Tony’s team to identify the Inhumans so quickly. As for this world’s Spider-Man, Sebastian thought the Green Goblin’s appearance meant it couldn’t be the Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, but now it seemed Spider-Man was as expected, and the Green Goblin’s presence was the anomaly.

Sebastian didn’t know what he’d changed to make the Green Goblin appear in a history where he shouldn’t have.

Unaware of Sebastian’s thoughts, Tony explained, “Based on the experimental results of two scientists under Coulson, we found the frequency and characteristics of that Inhuman woman, Skye’s seismic waves, and used satellites to locate her. But when we got there, we faced a prepared Inhuman army. We fought a big battle but still couldn’t bring back that Inhuman woman named Skye. It seems she was taken away by those guys earlier.”

“Later, we learned some Inhumans have the ability to see the future. It’s like something out of a nightmare—that kind of ability exists. We fought six distinct Inhumans. One was silent the whole time but could emit terrifying sonic waves, forcing us to retreat temporarily. If Banner and Thor were there, we might not have feared him, but with just us, we weren’t his match. If not for Wanda and Pietro, we might not have even managed a draw and retreated.”

Hearing about the silent figure with powerful sonic abilities, Sebastian felt a familiar pang. He vaguely knew this person, likely tied to the Inhumans, perhaps their king or something similar, though he couldn’t recall exactly.

“The future is always changing,” Sebastian said. “A small event can make the future unrecognizable, so interfering with precognitive abilities on the magical side isn’t very difficult. If you plan to go out again, find me first. I’ll help with magical interference.”

“Of course,” Tony said. “Even if you didn’t say it, I’d find you. Why else would I tell you all that? But speaking of, when are you going to check on that kid? I think he knows something about the hoverboard guy, since they’ve fought multiple times.”

“No time like the present,” Sebastian replied. “Tonight, then. I’m curious about this kid you’re talking about—a child who became a superhero. A kid like that should be right up your type.”

“Sebastian, don’t talk nonsense,” Tony protested. “I only like Victoria’s Secret mod—cough, only Pepper!”

“Is that so? I don’t think so,” Sebastian teased.

—————————————

New York, Queens.

A robber snatched a woman’s bag and, under the cover of night, quickly vanished before her eyes.

But at that moment, a red-and-blue figure suddenly dropped down, swiftly knocking the robber out in a few moves, binding him to the ground with webbing, then tossing the bag back to the woman. With a flick of his wrist, he shot a web strand and disappeared into the night.

After patrolling Queens, Peter returned to the rooftop of his home, preparing to change into hidden clothes and climb down the wall to his room. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ noⅴelfire.net

Peter had snuck out at night and didn’t want his Aunt May to find out, knowing he had a school knowledge group activity tomorrow. If May learned he’d been out late, she’d likely lecture him.

But as Peter removed his mask, ready to change and sneak home, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

“If I were you, next time I’d change clothes in a more hidden place, so as not to reveal my identity.”

The sudden voice startled Peter Parker, making him tremble and drop his mask. He quickly crouched to pick it up, covering his face again, stammering, “Th-this, this is my school play costume. I’m practicing drama here. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Seeing Peter’s reaction, Sebastian and Tony, without his armor, exchanged a smile. Tony stepped forward, saying, “Peter Parker, we already know you’re Spider-Man. So covering your face like that is pointless. Besides, we both saw you swing up here with your webbing. You can’t fool us. That said, your suit is really poorly made, like a baby’s pajamas. Your taste is, frankly, not great.”

Hearing Tony’s words, Peter hesitantly revealed half his face. Looking at Tony and Sebastian, standing slightly behind, he felt they were familiar, especially Tony.

Soon, Peter realized the man speaking to him was none other than his idol, Tony Stark, Iron Man!

Tony Stark came to find me?!

In an instant, Peter switched to fanboy mode, feeling flustered.

“Hey, you’re—you’re Mr. Stark, right? Iron Man, the Avengers’ Mr. Stark… right?”

Seeing Peter’s fanboy demeanor, Tony’s lips curled into a smug smile. He glanced at Sebastian, raising an eyebrow, his pride evident.

Soon, Peter noticed Sebastian behind Tony. His eyes lit up, and he said to Sebastian, “I know you too! You’re… you’re… oh, right, I remember! You’re the Black Devil, right? Also an Avenger!”

The corner of Sebastian’s mouth twitched. Looking at Peter’s face full of admiration and excitement, he briefly considered casting an Avada Kedavra.

Black Devil… what the heck is Black Devil!

Wasn’t it Black Wizard??

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Sebastian said to Tony, who was barely holding back laughter, “Tony, you talk to him. I don’t feel like speaking right now.”

Tony pursed his lips, clearly on the verge of laughing, patted Peter’s shoulder approvingly, and said, “Alright, then… cough Okay, Peter, I have something to discuss with you.”

Peter glanced at Sebastian, then back at Tony, saying, “Mr. Stark, is Mr. Black Devil in a bad mood? I heard people who study magic are a bit strange. Did I say something wrong to upset Mr. Black Devil?”

“No, no, you did nothing wrong,” Tony said. “It’s just that Mr. Black Devil is in a bit of a bad mood.”

“Oh, I thought I’d done something wrong… Mr. Stark, why did you come to find me? To ask about my powers’ origin or something else? You know, when I first got my powers, I was really panicked. I thought I’d turn into a monster. But later, I found I didn’t become a monster—I became stronger. Then I thought of what my uncle told me, and your deeds, Mr. Stark, so I…”

Watching Peter’s lips move, spitting out four or five sentences in a breath, Tony coughed lightly, interrupting him.

“Peter, I want to ask you about this guy,” Tony said, pulling out his phone, enlarging a photo of the Green Goblin, and showing it to Peter.

Seeing the photo, Peter’s face changed immediately, a hint flickering in his eyes.

“Mr. Stark, you’re asking about him?”

“Yes, I’m here to ask about this guy,” Tony said. “I know you’ve encountered him more than once.”

Taking a deep breath, Peter said, “Actually, I’ve met him twice, and both times he beat me badly. He has a flying board, seems to wear some kind of high-tech armor, and uses throwing knives and bombs. This guy is really strong and powerful. I’m no match for him.”

“You’re just a kid, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Tony said. “Once you get used to your powers, you’ll be much stronger. That aside, do you have any guesses about his identity?”

“Identity…” Peter pursed his lips, looking hesitant.

Tony and Sebastian noticed Peter’s hesitation, exchanged a glance, and Tony nodded, speaking again.

“Peter, if you have any guesses, please tell us,” Tony said. “We’ll investigate thoroughly, and there won’t be any issues. Of course, that’s if you trust us.”

“Mr. Stark, I trust you, of course,” Peter said. “It’s just that I think my guess is a bit far-fetched… Actually, I suspect the Green Goblin is my friend Harry’s father. Of course, it’s just a suspicion. I think it’s absurd myself, because Harry’s father is really nice. I don’t believe he’d be such a ruthless person.”

“Peter, why do you suspect your friend’s father?” Tony asked. “And what’s your friend’s father’s name?”

“Actually, my suspicion is mainly based on a feeling,” Peter said. “I think his build and some small movements are similar to the Green Goblin’s. More importantly, the second time I faced the Green Goblin, I used one of his throwing knives to injure his arm, and at that time, my friend’s father also had an injured arm. As for his name, his surname is Osborn. Norman Osborn!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep