I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 470 [Two Chapters Combined] Riley's Double Standards

Felicia felt her consciousness, like a pebble submerged in warm water, being gently lifted up by the current.

After an unknown amount of time, the first thing to recover was the sense of smell.

A familiar scent filled the air, mixed with the distinctive smell of disinfectant found in medical areas.

Then comes hearing.

In the distance, the faint, rhythmic hum of electronic devices could be heard, and...

The sound of steady breathing was very close to me.

This realization made Felicia think of something, and she instinctively wanted to wake up.

Soon, with a few flutters of her eyelashes, Felicia slowly opened her eyes. Her vision gradually cleared from blurry.

The familiar light gray ceiling of the 13th District Medical Room came into view. The soft, shadowless light, specially filtered, ensured that the room was bright enough without irritating eyes that had just opened from a long period of darkness.

Felicia blinked a few times, not even having time to fully adjust to the brightness of the room, before quickly turning her head left and right.

Soon, Felicia's gaze fell upon the figure sitting in a chair on the side of the bed.

Riley Parker.

He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and trousers, leaning slightly against the back of the chair, his eyes closed, seemingly taking a nap. One hand was casually resting on his lap, while the other elbow rested on the armrest of the chair, his fingers touching his forehead.

What Felicia noticed most was the faint shadows around Riley's eyes, which made him look somewhat tired.

A bittersweet feeling immediately welled up in Felicia's heart, like being enveloped in warm honey.

Satisfaction, happiness, and the peace of mind of waking up to find my loved one waiting there.

She opened her mouth, wanting to call his name, but her voice was dry and hoarse.

But that slight noise was enough to wake Riley.

He opened his eyes almost simultaneously, his gaze, which often held deep thoughts, meeting hers. The complex calculations that once swirled within them were instantly replaced by a gentle smile. Like sunlight dispersing morning mist, it carried away the last vestige of unease in Felicia's heart.

"Finally had enough sleep, you little sleepyhead?"

His voice wasn't loud, and it was a little hoarse from a long period of intense work, but his enunciation was clear, with the joking tone that Felicia was most familiar with.

"How are you feeling? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

Felicia shook her head and tried to sit up.

Riley immediately got up, naturally supporting her shoulders and helping her adjust the pillows at the head of the bed to a comfortable sitting position.

His movements were careful and steady, and a steady warmth emanated from his fingertips through the hospital gown.

"I...I'm fine."

Felicia finally regained her voice, but due to the rare close contact, she subconsciously lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with Riley.

It was only then that Felicia realized that although she was wearing a hospital gown, she could not feel any pain at all.

It must have been Riley; she must have used some method to cure her.

This realization warmed her heart even more.

But soon, like a tidal wave, memories surged into her mind, instantly chilling Felicia's heart.

He recklessly charged forward despite warnings, faced a deadly clash with a master of imitation, and was severely injured in defeat...

And the despair and helplessness of being on the verge of death, and...

That timely and unique magenta color.

Her gaze involuntarily shifted slightly, landing on Riley's bare waist, before quickly moving away, her cheeks flushing slightly.

She recognized him before she completely lost consciousness.

That driver, that unique color.

When she was in despair, he came to her rescue as if he were a god descending from heaven.

This scene, so strikingly similar to her first encounter with Riley, and the concern Riley was showing now, made Felicia's lips involuntarily curl upwards.

But what followed was a deeper sense of self-blame and guilt.

She remembered why she had ended up in danger, forcing Riley to come and rescue her personally.

That was all because of her own unwillingness to accept defeat, because she wanted to prove herself.

If she had just listened to Riley, this whole mess wouldn't have happened, adding even more trouble to Riley who was already incredibly busy lately.

The emergence of this cold realization caused Felicia's smile, which was already harder to suppress than AK's, to quickly wilt, and she lowered her head even further.

Her long, golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, almost obscuring her profile, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the snow-white sheets.

"Riley...I'm...I'm sorry..."

After a long pause, her voice was muffled, carrying obvious frustration and timidity.

Riley looked at her quietly, but did not respond immediately.

For a moment, the only sound in the large medical room was the rhythmic ticking of the instruments.

"I... I was too reckless. I shouldn't have disobeyed your instructions and acted on my own... and I even got myself into that state, almost... almost..."

Felicia's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, the last few words almost stuck in her throat.

She's not the type to easily admit her mistakes, but this time was different.

Her recklessness nearly caused a major disaster, dragging him into it and causing him worry. Even after Riley explicitly told her that he already had doubts about Spider-Man's true identity, she still involved him, forcing him to reveal his true identity to save her, which triggered a series of new problems.

The thought of all this made her feel utterly ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Riley, I messed all of this up. It seems I'm not cut out to be..."

But just as Felicia's spirits sank to rock bottom, and she came to believe that she was just a pretty but useless vase, she decided to give up on the goal she had been striving for all along.

A warm hand landed on the top of her head and gently ruffled it. With a familiar, reassuring touch.

"It's good that you know you're wrong. There's an old saying in the East: 'To know your mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue.'"

Riley's voice rang out, without the reproach or disdain Felicia had expected. Instead, it was an almost helpless indulgence, much like an older brother who had no way to deal with his naughty younger sister.

Felicia paused for a moment, then looked up and met Riley's smiling eyes.

There was no anger in it, only concern and a hint of... relief at seeing Felicia grow.

"Would you dare to go alone to ambush mercenaries of this caliber again next time?"

He asked, his tone more teasing than blaming.

Felicia shook her head frantically, like a rattle-drum: "I wouldn't dare! I absolutely wouldn't dare!"

"That's good." Riley withdrew his hand, sat back in his chair, and relaxed a bit. "To be honest, when I saw that you hadn't contacted me for a long time and that your location signal was still blocked in that alley, my heart skipped a beat."

Felicia's heart tightened as well.

"But looking at it from another angle," Riley said calmly, "it's not all bad."

"Huh?" Felicia asked, puzzled.

"Real combat, especially against a top-tier opponent like Taskmaster, with unparalleled experience and skill, cannot be simulated in the training grounds." Riley looked at her, his gaze becoming more serious. "You felt the pressure, saw the gap, personally experienced how crucial life-or-death judgment is, and understood the risks of insufficient intelligence and reckless solo actions. These lessons, if I were to explain them to you, you might not have taken them to heart, and even if you had, they wouldn't have left a deep impression. But now, you've tasted them for yourself."

He paused, his voice softening slightly: "Does it hurt? Are you scared?"

Felicia pursed her lips and nodded.

Pain, the pain of broken bones, the pain of being driven to the brink of despair... Even though the injuries have long since healed, they are still deeply imprinted in her memory, making Felicia shudder just thinking about them.

Afraid?

Of course, I'm afraid.

It's not that Felicia is afraid of dying...

It's because I'm afraid I'll never see Riley again...

She was even more afraid that her mistakes would drag Riley down with her and put her in some dangerous situation.

"Very good, remember this feeling, Felicia. It will make you think twice before you act next time."

Riley said it wasn't a cold command, but a heartfelt admonition.

"Of course, don't dwell too much on this failure. Growth is often accompanied by...unpleasant experiences. It's not just you; Peter and I went through similar things when we first became Spider-Man. Even Max was recently controlled by an enemy and almost killed Peter and Tony. So, instead of dwelling on the failure, you should focus on the fact that you're safe now and try to learn from it, turning this experience into motivation to keep going."

His words seemed to have a magical power, gradually soothing Felicia's anxiety and self-blame.

He didn't blame her; instead, he comforted and reassured her.

This feeling of being accepted and understood made her nose tingle slightly, yet it was incredibly heartwarming.

She secretly glanced at him, and Riley was looking at her too, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes gentle and tolerant.

At this moment, he was no longer the shrewd and unpredictable strategist of District 13, or the Spider-Man who struck fear into the hearts of villains.

It's just Riley.

It was Riley, the one who would worry about her, watch over her when she woke up, and stroke her hair.

"Hmm..." Felicia responded softly, a weight finally lifted from her heart, replaced by a calm warmth and determination.

She would remember every word Riley said to ensure that she would never make the same mistake again!

After that, Riley talked with Felicia for a while to make sure that apart from needing rest, she had no lasting effects and that her appetite had returned. Only then did Riley get up.

"Get some rest. I've already informed your aunt and uncle that you've woken up, and they'll be here soon. As for the school, they'll help you get leave, so don't worry about resting."

He tucked the blanket around her, his movements natural.

"Just press the call button by your bedside if you want to eat anything. By the way, the chef at the 13th District cafeteria is currently researching new dishes, and I heard their desserts are quite good. You can give them a try."

Will you come to see me again?

Felicia listened silently until Riley stood up to leave, then instinctively reached out and grabbed Riley's sleeve, a hint of anxiety in her voice. Her question, asked without conscious thought, carried a dependence she herself didn't realize.

Riley smiled, a smile that appeared particularly clear and beautiful in the soft light of the medical room: "Of course, I'm still repairing your nanotech suit and considering several upgrade options. I'll need to consult you then, so you'd better stay in bed and rest. You need to be well-rested to handle one problem after another, right?"

"Okay..."

Felicia drew out her words, her slight frustration at being restricted in her movements due to her injury being washed away by his words of advice, replaced by a sense of anticipation.

Then, Felicia looked at Riley, turned and walked towards the ward door. Her tall figure paused slightly at the doorway, seemingly making a gesture to the security camera or guard outside, before opening the door and walking out.

The metal door slid shut silently behind Riley, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

Inside the door was a softly lit medical room filled with the faint smell of medicine, and on the bed lay Felicia, who had finally let go of her worries, started to feel hungry, and was thinking about what dessert to order.

Outside the door, the medical corridor of District 13 is bathed in a cold, futuristic light.

But the warm smile on Riley's face vanished without a trace, like the receding tide, after she left the ward.

Instead, there was a deep, icy calm.

The last trace of warmth in his eyes vanished, leaving only a sharp, cold light, like a scalpel.

Casillas.

The name silently flashed through his mind, carrying a cold, metallic sheen.

Riley clearly remembered that the portal that rescued Taskmaster was obviously from Kamar-Taj.

Looking at the current timeline, Riley has already established a cooperative relationship with the Ancient One, and was even tricked by the Ancient One into becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme...

It's highly unlikely that the Ancient One would send someone to oppose Riley.

So, after eliminating incorrect options and filtering them using keywords such as "born in Kamar-Taj" and "not under the control of the Ancient One"...

Clearly, only Kaecilius, the Ancient One's former disciple who has fallen into darkness, could rescue Taskmaster right under Riley's nose!

However, new problems also arose.

Casillas and his small group of fanatical followers were as slippery as eels.

They lurk in the gaps between reality and the dark dimension, utilizing the anti-tracking properties of Kamar-Taj magic, making them virtually impossible to locate using conventional methods. More importantly…

Casillas's role is somewhat unique.

That was left for Strange by the Ancient One...

Or rather, it's reserved for the newbie village boss of the next "Supreme Sorcerer".

Riley's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Long before Riley sent Felicia back to District 13 and placed her in the care of professional medical staff, he once again summoned the dimensional wall and went to the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York, appearing menacingly on the terrace where the Ancient One often drank tea.

Just as Riley had guessed, the Ancient One, who seemed to be giving up but was actually still paying close attention to the changes on Earth, had already focused her gaze on that alley when the dark aura appeared.

Therefore, the Ancient One was not surprised at all by Riley's arrival, and even prepared two cups of hot tea in advance.