Chapter 118: Spider-Woman

The sting nearly made Ada Wong cry out. She grabbed the spider from the back of her neck and quickly shoved it into a metal box.

After stowing the box in her back pocket, she nervously touched the site of the bite. Thoughts of Wang Jing’s earlier warnings filled her with dread. Praying that she would be alright, she hurried out of the laboratory.

Once she had cleared the Oscorp facility, she immediately contacted Wang Jing. "I was bitten while capturing the spider!"

"Stay where you are and avoid strenuous activity to slow the spread of the toxin. I'm on my way," Wang Jing replied before cutting the line.

Knowing the inevitable had arrived, Wang Jing donned his armor and flew toward Ada’s location.

Meanwhile, just as Ada put her phone away, she spotted a woman she had crossed paths with before, standing on the opposite sidewalk and watching her. Not wanting any trouble, Ada kept her head down and turned away to walk in the other direction. However, the woman seemed intent on pursuing her and quickened her pace.

After walking for a distance, Ada ducked into a dark alleyway. When the woman followed her in, she found the path empty.

Only by the light of the streetlamp above could one see that the woman trailing Ada was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Natasha pulled out a tactical flashlight to scan the depths of the alley. Just as she was about to round a corner, a figure suddenly vaulted over her head.

"Stop!" Natasha shouted, simultaneously pulling two shock discs from her belt and hurling them at Ada, who was leaping back and forth between the alley walls.

Before the discs could connect, Ada fired a dart that intercepted them in mid-air. The collision produced a burst of sparks and blue electrical arcs. Seeing her attack thwarted, Natasha gave chase.

Reaching the end of the alley, Ada fired her grappling gun toward the rooftop of the building opposite. Natasha could only watch helplessly as Ada ascended.

As Ada vanished over the edge of the roof, Natasha dialed Nick Fury. "Boss, I encountered Ada Wong at the entrance of Oscorp."

"Did you contain her?" Fury asked urgently. If he could catch one of Wang Jing’s associates in a criminal act, he wouldn't have to worry about forcing him into the Avengers Initiative—but it was not to be.

"Apologies, boss. She escaped; I couldn't keep up," Natasha said, sounding ashamed.

"Notify Oscorp. Find out what's missing, then pull the surrounding surveillance footage to see if we can find any useful leads," Fury ordered, sinking back into his chair in frustration.

"Understood, boss."

***

Elsewhere, having shaken off Natasha, Ada felt a wave of dizziness. She stumbled toward an outdoor air conditioning unit and collapsed against it, breathless.

She knew the venom had reached her brain. The bite had been at the nape of her neck—the closest point to her head—and the exertion of her escape had accelerated her circulation, allowing the toxin to take hold faster. After a few ragged breaths, the dizziness intensified, and she lost consciousness.

Minutes later, Wang Jing arrived on the rooftop in his armor. A quick scan with the suit’s sensors revealed a deep coma, weak vitals, and an unknown pathology. He was advised to seek medical attention immediately.

Carefully lifting her, Wang Jing teleported to his home dimension, where a professional medical team was already waiting. He placed her in a medical pod, but the results were as he feared: Ada’s cells were breaking down and restructuring. Even the advanced medical pod was helpless; it wasn't equipped for genetic modification, and the process could not be interrupted without risking a complete collapse of her genetic chain.

"We have to hope she can pull through on her own," a medic said regretfully as they reviewed the diagnostics.

Wang Jing retrieved six metal boxes and an empty vial from Ada’s pocket, handing them to Song Guohua. "These are the only samples. If they’re gone, they’re gone."

Song nodded solemnly and carefully placed them in a safe. After casting one last look at the unconscious Ada, Wang Jing returned to the Marvel dimension.

A brief period of peace awaited the world, at least until Loki and the Chitauri arrived to invade Earth.

No sooner had he returned to Tony Stark’s villa than Li Yiyi brought him good news: they had located the home of Hank Pym, the Ant-Man.

Noting that fortune and misfortune often come together, Wang Jing followed the coordinates provided by Li Yiyi and arrived at Pym’s residence.

It was an unassuming, large villa, just as it had appeared in the films. Wang Jing descended from the sky, stepped out of his armor, and rang the doorbell.

There was no response. He rang again, but the house remained silent, as if it were empty.

Wang Jing felt a twinge of frustration. He couldn't just break in—if he got bitten by a bullet ant, everyone in his home dimension would likely have his head.

He scratched his head, and it was this motion that led him to spot an ant on the fence. He leaned in close. The ant didn't flee; it raised its head. Wang Jing smiled.

"Hello, Dr. Pym. I know you're watching me. I assume you know who I am, so I’ll skip the introduction. I’m here to ask for your help—and, of course, to help you in return." To any bystander, Wang Jing looked like a madman talking to a fence, but he was certain Hank Pym was listening.

"I know you’ve been searching for your wife, Janet. If you help me, I can help you find her."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the front door opened, and Pym’s daughter, Hope, rushed out.

"Are you telling the truth?" she asked, eyeing him sternly.

"Of course. I need your father’s expertise. May I come in?" Wang Jing gestured toward the gate.

Hope checked him over before opening it. Wang Jing turned back and sent his armor back to the home dimension. Because of the Arc Reactor’s power, the teleportation was instantaneous. To Hope, it looked as if Wang Jing had simply flickered, and the armor vanished.

"Apologies, that thing is a bit conspicuous," Wang Jing explained with a smile.

Following Hope into the villa, he found Hank Pym standing with his arms crossed, his face devoid of expression.

"If you're lying to me, I’ll feed you to the ants."

"Rest assured, I'm not lying. But that depends on you solving my problem first." Seeing Pym, Wang Jing’s tone turned unexpectedly firm—perhaps because he knew that Pym would do anything to find his wife.

"Then let's hear your problem." Pym walked toward the living room sofa. Wang Jing followed, noting the many ants crawling across the floor as they entered.