Chapter 95 Spider’s Tears—Gwen, Don’t Let It All Be in Vain!

While the various factions worked to pass the Expeditionary Force Resolution through Congress, Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy embarked on a journey to find her father.

Following the orbital-drop operation, Ethan had not forced Gwen to participate in the battle.

She was still a civilian—and an ordinary high-school girl at that.

Gwen had become involved in Elivise’s crisis because of the nationwide lockdown and had been forced to continue fighting ever since.

In truth, she was already exhausted both physically and mentally.

Perhaps Ethan had recognized her fatigue.

He gave Gwen a special pass and Foundation field-agent credentials, then advised her to rest somewhere safely behind the front lines.

“You’ve already done more than enough.”

“The battle ahead will be extremely dangerous. As a civilian, you have no reason to continue fighting.”

“You don’t need to force yourself, Gwen.”

Gwen had silently accepted the credentials.

The Strategic Homeland Division’s base in Queens was now extremely busy.

Large numbers of homeless refugees temporarily resided there.

After passing through the decontamination area, Gwen asked around until she finally found the friend who had remained on Earth.

“Catherine, you look much better.”

“Are you in charge here now?”

Catherine’s face immediately brightened when she saw Gwen.

“Well, look who finally decided to visit.”

“I heard you went with the Director and witnessed something extraordinary.”

Gwen bashfully scratched the back of her head.

“Yeah.”

Then an excited smile appeared on her face.

“I went to the Moon!”

“Wow. That really is incredible.”

Catherine raised a hand.

“But you don’t need to tell me the classified details.”

“So what brings little Gwen here?”

“Don’t tell me you only came to freeload off your big sister.”

As if performing a magic trick, Catherine produced several limited-edition First Strike energy bars issued exclusively to Division agents.

Gwen had always loved them.

She took a chocolate energy bar, tore open the wrapper, and stuffed a large bite into her mouth.

Her cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s.

“I actually need your help finding—mmph…”

Gwen suddenly began coughing.

“Water… Water!”

Catherine handed her a can of cola.

Gwen pulled it open and gulped down the drink before releasing a satisfied breath.

“I’m looking for someone named George Stacy. Do you know where he is?”

“George Stacy?”

Catherine sat at a computer.

“Give me a moment.”

Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.

She soon located the relevant information.

“Hmm… Is he related to you? He’s actually listed in the Strategic Homeland Division’s database.”

“He’s my father.”

Gwen’s expression changed.

“What happened to him?”

“I’m afraid he and his agent team received orders three days ago to reinforce the JTF at Cold Spring.”

Gwen immediately turned to leave, but Catherine stopped her.

“Wait, Gwen.”

“That area is extremely dangerous. We recently detected parasitized military forces advancing toward it.”

“At least take these supplies with you.”

“Thank you, Catherine.”

Gwen collected the equipment and hurried outside.

She fired a web at a nearby high-rise and swung toward her destination at full speed.

Cold Spring was a famous tourist town near New York.

Before the lockdown, it had been known for its beautiful scenery and proximity to the Hudson River.

After the nationwide crisis began, it became a JTF stronghold.

Following Doomsday, it was transformed into a vital strategic position.

“Watch out! RPG!”

An antitank rocket struck the Humvee barricading the bridge and blew it apart.

George Stacy lowered himself just in time to avoid the metal fragments flying over his head.

Cold sweat covered his body.

The civilians had already been evacuated.

The peaceful Cold Spring of the past no longer existed.

It had become a battlefield.

An automated gun turret beside George unleashed continuous fire at the attacking parasitized soldiers.

“Sir, what do we do?”

“There’s a tank approaching from the southeast!”

“Damn it—it’s an infected M1A2!”

“Antitank team, follow us!”

George raised his radio.

“Cougar Two, be advised! The tank is moving toward your position!”

George looked toward a nearby tower.

The sniper belonging to Cougar Team continued reporting enemy movements from the exposed position, despite having almost no avenue of retreat.

The ground soon began trembling.

The sound of approaching tracks grew louder.

The parasitized M1A2 advanced alongside infected former JTF and Blackwatch soldiers in a coordinated infantry-and-armor formation.

Two Division agents from Cougar Team and a squad of JTF soldiers observed from behind a corner and the surrounding buildings.

George inhaled deeply and picked up the detonator beside him.

He waited until the tank reached the designated position.

Then he pressed the button.

A violent explosion erupted beneath the parasitized M1A2.

The C4 crippled the tank and shattered its tracks.

Two JTF antitank soldiers immediately rushed out with AT4 launchers and fired at the immobilized vehicle.

The rocket struck with a thunderous explosion.

The soldiers discarded their empty launchers while the surrounding agents and JTF personnel opened fire.

The parasitized infantry accompanying the tank was riddled with bullets.

Several infected soldiers collapsed, only for their skulls to burst apart and reveal the disgusting parasites inside.

The defenders concentrated their fire and eliminated the exposed creatures.

Seeing the ambush succeed, George released a breath.

Had they repelled this wave?

The frightened voice of Cougar Team’s sniper immediately came through the radio.

“Damn it! More armored vehicles and parasitized soldiers are approaching!”

“Prepare for another attack!”

Five JTF soldiers were already moving across the battlefield, collecting weapons and ammunition from the corpses.

They had exposed themselves in the middle of the street.

George shouted anxiously.

“Get into cover! More enemies are coming!”

A young soldier looked up.

A 30-millimeter high-explosive fragmentation shell struck him and reduced his body to shredded flesh.

The five JTF soldiers were torn apart by the 30-millimeter cannon fire, leaving only damaged weapons and mutilated remains.

“Shit! Fall back to the second defensive line!”

“Machine gunners, suppress them!”

An M249 positioned behind a concealed corner roared.

Together with an automated turret covering another angle, it poured fire into the charging parasitized soldiers.

George threw a smart grenade before diving behind cover.

The ensuing explosion killed two enemies.

Then he saw several parasitized soldiers break into the building occupied by the machine-gun team.

“Damn it! They’re inside!”

A desperate voice sounded over the radio.

“Cougar One, we’re finished!”

“I’m not turning into one of those monsters!”

“You bastards are dying with us!”

A furious roar followed.

George saw an explosion tear through the building’s second floor.

He forced down his emotions and shouted at the soldiers beside him.

“Don’t stop firing!”

“Keep shooting! If we can’t hold them, withdraw to the next line!”

“We must defend this bridge!”

The antitank team in the tower launched a Javelin and destroyed an infected M2 Bradley.

The sniper continued eliminating targets one shot at a time.

Even the parasites could not recover after a Barrett round destroyed their heads.

However, the sniper had fired too many times without relocating.

When he searched for his next target, he found himself staring into the dark barrel of an infected M1A2.

A high-explosive shell struck the tower and brought the entire structure crashing down.

“Cougar Three, get out of there!”

“You’re completely isolated!”

“Those monsters are everywhere. I can’t escape.”

“George, I’m going to detonate the explosives.”

“Hopefully, this buys you a little more time.”

“Goodbye, brother.”

“I’ll go on ahead.”

George did not even have time to grieve.

He watched his teammate detonate the charges.

Only a short while earlier, they had been inside that building watching the Foundation’s orbital deployment.

Every one of them had been filled with hope.

But this was war.

People died in war.

George had no time to mourn.

As the M1A2 continued advancing, the bridgehead positions collapsed one after another.

They could no longer hold this ground.

“Fall back to the final defensive line!”

George raised his HK416 and covered the young JTF soldiers as they crossed the bridge.

Once most of his comrades had made it across, he patted the shoulder of the last soldier remaining beside him to cover the withdrawal.

“Our turn.”

“Alternating cover. Move!”

George remained where he was and fired at the parasitized soldiers pursuing them.

Unless his shots struck their heads, the bullets had limited effect.

Nevertheless, his fire suppressed their advance.

The last automated turret fell silent as its ammunition ran dry.

“Sir, fall back!”

“We’ll cover you!”

George stopped hesitating and sprinted toward the opposite side of the bridge.

A burning sensation tore through his lower leg.

He lost his balance and crashed onto the ground.

Another bullet appeared to have penetrated the ballistic plate protecting his torso.

George dragged himself upright at the bridgehead.

A tide of enemies advanced toward him.

Across the bridge, the surviving young JTF soldiers stared at him in despair.

One by one, the soldiers who had fought to the end were killed or parasitized.

George struggled to raise his HK416.

He could no longer aim properly and could barely keep the rifle steady.

Even so, he fired until the magazine was empty.

Another bullet struck his unprotected right arm.

George finally dropped the rifle and leaned against the bridge’s railing.

With his trembling left hand, he pulled an M1911 pistol from its holster.

He aimed it at the M1A2 advancing directly across the bridge.

The tank did not even bother firing at him.

It simply intended to crush him beneath its tracks.

George pulled the trigger.

Once.

Then again.

He struggled to keep the pistol aimed at the infected tank and fired another shot.

Then, as if a miracle had occurred, the M1A2’s turret was torn from its hull.

F/A-181 all-domain fighters streaked overhead one after another.

The town ahead was engulfed in bombardment.

The parasitized army collapsed under the sudden assault.

Nine-Tailed Fox MTF operators wearing black combat uniforms charged past George.

A KF60 main battle tank slowly crossed the bridge.

“Damn it, George! You’ve lost too much blood!”

An old JTF sergeant pressed bandages against George’s wounds.

“Medic!”

“Medic!”

The sergeant desperately called for nearby medical personnel.

George ignored the commotion.

He stared at the beautiful sight of humanity’s reinforcements advancing past him.

His eyelids began to feel increasingly heavy.

Gwen stood frozen before the familiar figure sitting at the bridgehead.

Tears instantly flooded her face.

She approached with trembling steps and saw her father wearing a Division agent’s combat uniform.

“Gwen?”

George Stacy’s voice was weak and filled with disbelief.

“Is that… really you?”

Gwen’s vision blurred behind her tears.

She knelt and tightly grasped her father’s already-cold right hand.

George opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something.

Gwen leaned closer.

“Gwen… don’t let it…”

“Don’t let it all… be in vain… Gwen…”

“Don’t let what be in vain?”

“Dad?”

“Wake up, Dad!”

Gwen trembled as she broke down in tears, clutching the bloodstained Division watch.

She stared at her father’s motionless figure and the faint smile remaining on his face.

Then she gently closed his eyes.

Ethan’s voice sounded over the radio.

“This is Foundation Commander Ethan.”

“The time is 10:27 a.m. on December 30.”

“The first Chinese expeditionary forces have reached the battle line.”

“We are about to launch our counteroffensive.”

“Before the New Year arrives, we will completely destroy those alien hives!”

“Today, humanity stands united!”

As Ethan’s declaration echoed over the radio, a military doctor hurried toward the bridge.

He found a devastated girl clutching a bloodstained Division watch.

Slowly, the grief in Gwen’s eyes transformed into unwavering determination.