Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

Just as human scientists have different areas of specialization, this Skrull technician's main research areas are mechanical engineering and network communication, which is why the Skrull leadership sent him to replace Justin Hammer.

As for intelligence, the Skrull technician's knowledge was somewhat limited, but Li Ai and his group still learned some things from him.

First, the memories the Skrulls obtain when disguising their targets are incomplete. In order to avoid being detected, they need to periodically copy the memories while preserving the original body. Therefore, the humans they replace do not die; they are simply locked in hibernation pods by the Skrulls.

Secondly, these hostages were held in three different locations, and the Skrull technician only knew the location of one base. Even if Li Ai sensed where Norman's physical clone was being held, they only knew the locations of two bases.

Three scientific giants, whose combined doctoral degrees amount to dozens, are trying to use the technology extracted from the mouths of Skrull technicians to track down the location of the last base.

To avoid being discovered by the Skrulls, this process must be kept secret and may take a while.

It's tough on Tony, though, because he has to deal with the fake Pepper every day, pretending he knows nothing.

But what exactly Tony did remains unknown to everyone. Li Ai only happened to see Tony vomiting violently on the toilet when she went to the villa in the woods once. After vomiting, he kept cursing.

With nowhere to vent his resentment, Tony had no choice but to target Hammer Industries.

The Skrulls couldn't possibly release Justin Hammer himself, so Hammer Industries' CEO was officially out of contact. Stark International took the opportunity to launch a commercial war against Hammer Industries, causing the latter's stock to plummet.

Because it took multiple people to suppress the super Skrull who seemed to have copied Captain Marvel's abilities and some kind of invisibility last time, Li Ai was somewhat worried about what would happen if he couldn't completely restrain the opponent when a full-scale war broke out. After all, the number of Skrulls was definitely not small, and if such a high-intensity combat force were to be freed up, it would be a disaster for Earth.

Even after Li Ai pulled out the Miracle Capsule and Gravity Capsule, the anxiety did not disappear.

To ensure everything went perfectly, Li Ai tripled his daily training and added his own blood to the super soldier serum formula, which greatly accelerated his research progress. However, this serum became exclusive to his family of three.

Li Ai also obtained the design blueprints for the next-generation military exoskeleton armor from Osborn, where the energy problem had not yet been solved, and planned to manufacture custom-made exoskeleton armor specifically for Leon and Ada.

One evening at dinner, Ada watched Li Ai silently finish a whole bowl of spaghetti bolognese and said helplessly:

"You must take care of your health."

"Okay," Li Ai replied, then went straight upstairs.

Watching Li Ai's retreating figure, Ada sighed helplessly, then took out her phone and made a call to Nancy in Springwood Town.

"Only you can persuade him now, otherwise his body will collapse before the war even starts."

“I understand, Mrs. Scott,” Nancy replied on the other end of the phone, then began to think of other solutions.

........................

On the night of the Expo incident, Li Ai asked Nancy if she wanted to come to New York to study earlier. The latter did not answer directly, but only said that she wanted to come to New York to take a look around. Thus, today's tacit appointment came about.

A light rain had fallen in New York City not long ago, and the wet asphalt reflected slightly under the streetlights. Li Ai deliberately slowed her pace to match Nancy's rhythm.

Nancy was dressed simply and neatly. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling a few strands of her golden hair. She raised her hand and tucked a few strands behind her ear with her fingertips, then looked at Li Ai with concern.

"I feel you've lost some weight since a couple of days ago."

"Really?" Li Ai forced a slightly tired smile. "It's probably because I tripled my training volume these past two days."

Nancy didn't speak, but lowered her head, her fingers tracing the edge of her trench coat. The words "Don't tire yourself out" had been stuck in her throat for a long time, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.

The two walked through a quiet alley, where a family restaurant on the corner shone with warm light.

"Are you hungry?" Li Ai stopped and turned to look at the restaurant. "The steak and strawberry sundae here are pretty good."

“Okay.” Nancy looked up, a faint smile appearing in her sapphire-like eyes.

Li Ai pushed open the heavy wooden door first, stepping aside to let Nancy go in first.

Then, the aroma of butter, roast meat, and hot cocoa wafted over. The restaurant was not large, but the decor was quite exquisite. The lighting was soft and not glaring, the solid wood tables and chairs had a warm luster, and the tiled floor was very clean.

The waiter led them to a table by the window. After they sat down, Li Ai opened the menu, glanced at the list of dishes, and suggested:

"Their lobster bisque is also delicious, would you like some?"

“Sure, I don’t have any dietary restrictions.” Nancy spread the menu on the table and nodded happily.

Li Ai then ordered the signature T-bone steak, cinnamon apple pie, and finally added his favorite strawberry sundae.

The waiter noted down the order and turned to leave, leaving the two of them sitting in the flickering candlelight, listening to soothing music playing from the record player in the corner.

Shortly after, the waiter returned with a food cart and served Li Ai and Nancy dinner.

"Let's eat first." Li Ai picked up her knife and fork and cut off a piece of steak. "It won't taste as good if it gets cold."

At this moment, the music in the restaurant changed to a slower, more ambiguous tune.

Halfway through the meal, Nancy cut off the tenderest part of the steak and placed it on Li Ai's plate. She accidentally touched the back of Li Ai's hand, and Li Ai quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been electrocuted. She lowered her head and pretended to be focused on cutting the steak on her plate, but the blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her.

Li Ai looked at the tenderest steak on the plate, her smile deepening unconsciously, and the weariness in her eyes lessening.

Nancy took the opportunity to steal a few glances at Li Ai, and then brought up something, "I've already told my dad about coming to New York to study early. He didn't agree at first, but I managed to convince him."

"It wasn't easy, was it?" Li Ai said.

“He said he wants to fight you.” Nancy smiled helplessly, “to see if you can protect me.”

“Sheriff Thompson is as direct as ever.” Li Ai carefully considered her words, then couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“And his exact words were, ‘That depends on Mr. Scott’s abilities. I will only sign for you and will not help with anything else.’” Nancy imitated her father’s serious tone, and then couldn’t help but laugh herself.

Li Ai leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her tone full of confidence: "That's no problem. I have plenty of ways to make him submit."

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the restaurant, and the night breeze invigorated them.

Chapter 99 And what about you?

Soon after, they arrived at an amusement park that was still open. Because it was a weekday and it had just rained, the amusement park wasn't very crowded.

Nancy said she wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, so Li Ai complied. After buying tickets, the two entered the cabin at the direction of the staff.

The Ferris wheel slowly started moving, and the cabins gradually rose. The buildings in their eyes were getting smaller and smaller, and the city lights were all connected.

“It’s so beautiful.” Nancy pressed her forehead against the cool glass, her eyes reflecting the lights of the sky.

Li Ai stood behind Nancy, but her gaze wasn't on the night view outside the window; instead, it was on Nancy's long, silky golden hair.

The elevator car rose higher and higher, the wind whispering past the glass, carrying a touch of coolness.

“Li Ai.” Nancy suddenly turned around, leaning against the glass window, and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Li Ai looked up at her.

Nancy bit her lower lip, leaving faint teeth marks. She seemed to have mustered all her courage before softly asking:

"Have you... ever thought about what you would do if those aliens actually won?"

This question left Li Ai silent for a full half minute.

“I never thought about losing, and I can’t lose,” he said, emphasizing each word. “Because there are people I care about and people who care about me on this planet, I will not hand over the Earth to a bunch of cold-blooded green lizards.”

"But you're not alone."

Nancy took a step forward. She could see the weariness in Li Ai's eyes. She gently took Li Ai's hand, her voice choked with emotion: "You have us, you have your parents, and you have people who are willing to help you."

“I know.” Li Ai’s voice was very soft, with a hoarseness that she herself didn’t realize, “but I still want to do everything I can to protect everyone I care about.”

"And what about you?" Nancy looked up into his eyes and pressed, "Who will protect you?"

These words completely stunned Li Ai. He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

Just then, the elevator car came to a steady stop at its highest point.

“I won’t die so easily.” Li Ai came back to her senses, her voice soft but unusually firm, “Because I am an invincible dream agent, and I still have some debts to pay off.”

"What debt?" Nancy tilted her head curiously.

Li Ai smiled slightly and gently tapped Nancy's forehead with her hand: "For example, the dance I owe you."

“It’s two,” Nancy immediately corrected. “When you recruited me, you owed me one more.”

As the Ferris wheel began its slow descent, Nancy turned around and looked out the window again. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closed her eyes, and her lips moved slightly, as if she were making a wish.

Li Ai didn't ask her what she wished for; she just stood quietly beside her.

Back on the ground, a colder wind than before blew in her face, and Nancy, who did not have a superhuman physique, shivered.

Upon seeing this, Li Ai immediately took off her black coat without saying a word and draped it over her shoulders.

"Aren't you cold?" Nancy pulled her coat tighter and looked up at Li Ai.

Li Ai was only wearing a black T-shirt that showed off his clearly defined muscles. Nancy reached out to take off her jacket and give it back to him, but he held her hand down.

“I’m in good health,” Li Ai smiled confidently. “This little bit of cold is nothing. Let me take you home first.”

“Okay.” Nancy nodded gently, burying her face in the wide collar of his shirt, her nose filled with his scent.

Li Ai only breathed a sigh of relief after safely delivering Nancy back to Springwood Town.

Just as Li Ai was preparing to go home to further refine his more unique enhanced serum and prepare weapons for the upcoming battle, a phone call suddenly came in.

“Hey Tony, what’s up?” Li Ai asked.

Tony on the other end of the phone said, "I think you should go check out the busiest place. A crazed humanoid rhinoceros is rampaging through the streets. Your Spider-Friend has caught up with him, but things don't look good. He also told me not to get involved and not to let him contact you. Anyway, I'm already cleaning up after him."

"They're all really unsettling..." Li Ai shook her head helplessly, then said into the phone:

"Tell me the exact address quickly, and I'll go provide support right away."

“They’re in Manhattan…” Tony quickly gave the address.

Upon receiving the news, Li Ai went to support Peter.

................................................

On the road, a burly figure rampaged like a wild beast, overturning passing vehicles and causing chaos to spread rapidly, leaving Peter somewhat overwhelmed.

“This, this, and this.” Peter used his left hand to put an overturned car back in place, and used his right hand to shoot out spider silk to restrain the out-of-control bus.

The chaotic scene prevented Peter from concentrating on the fight, but his crushing defeat to Gravik at the expo made him eager to prove himself, so he didn't immediately request backup.

The troublemaker was about two meters tall, with well-developed muscles, gray skin, and a rhinoceros-like appearance with a sharp horn on his head.

“Listen, big rhinoceros, you should be collecting admission tickets at the zoo, not robbing jewels here.” Peter seized an opportunity to retaliate, simultaneously firing electrified spider silk at the rhinoceros with both hands.

"Don't stop the rhino from making money!" the rhino roared, numb from the electric shock. He then spun around with force, sending Peter flying and crashing through a bus.

Peter felt his vision blurring when he fell into the bus, but the screams from the other passengers brought him back to his senses.

"Help!" a citizen screamed.

Peter was about to turn his head to check the situation when his spider-sense started beeping wildly. He instinctively turned his head and saw the rhinoceros-man charging towards the bus.

The rhinoceros-man was like an out-of-control tank. He pierced the front of the bus with his horn, stomped his feet on the ground, and then forcefully propelled the bus into the air.

The bus spun several times in the air before crashing to the ground, giving more than 30 people a roller coaster ride with absolutely no safety precautions.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"

In the chaos, Peter saw a child crying over a woman who had broken her leg, and this was not an isolated incident.

Everyone in the carriage except Peter was injured to varying degrees by the impact.

“Oh, no.” Peter looked at the scene before him with frustration.

Just then, blue currents and green light simultaneously covered the entire area. The rhinoceros-man, who was about to launch another attack, was firmly suppressed by the blue currents. A gentle green light restored the deformed carriage and quickly healed the injured and crying people around him.

Chapter 100 The Second Spider

A blue stream of air brought the bus back to a position where the tires were on the ground. Peter felt a sense of lightness, but also a pang of guilt.

The rhinoceros-man forcibly broke free from the control of the blue airflow and landed back on the ground, a voice sounding in his ear.

【Impact!】

The immense force, like a truck crashing into him, slammed into the rhinoceros-man, causing continuous damage to his internal organs. With just one blow, the seemingly invulnerable rhinoceros-man coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"It's ZZZ!"

The crowd, which had initially scattered due to the accident, stopped immediately upon seeing that figure and cheered.

At this moment, in the space temporarily opened up by the blue airflow, Li Ai, who had already transformed into his impact form, was staring at the rhinoceros man.

"Give back the rhinoceros's jewelry!" The rhinoceros-man glared angrily, his gaze fixed on the bag of jewelry that Li Ai had taken.

"These jewels may belong to consumers or merchants, but they certainly don't belong to you."

Li Ai gently tossed the jewelry bag in her hand, and the bag drew a graceful arc in the air before landing in the hands of the shop assistant who had chased after her.

"The rhinoceros will kill you!" the rhinoceros-man roared, then charged at Li Ai.

As the rhinoceros ran, the entire asphalt road seemed to tremble. Facing this powerful enemy, Li Ai brought his right hand together into a knife shape, which emitted a faint red light. He then leaped into the air and swung his hand knife at the rhinoceros's horn.