I'm making the Marvel Spider-Man in American comics.

Chapter 885 Christmas 2013

Chapter 885 Christmas 2013

For people in Christian cultural spheres, Christmas is a very important holiday, similar to the Lunar New Year in the East. Of course, there is ongoing debate within Christianity about whether Christmas is actually on December 25th.

A significant number of Christians even argue that Christmas should not be celebrated because it is not mentioned in the Bible. They believe that such a holiday is mostly a result of evil religious invasion or some kind of nonsense intended to corrupt Christians.

But for a larger segment of the population, holidays are actually quite indifferent. These days, the main focus of holidays is the celebration itself, not the reason for celebrating. Those willing to work overtime can get more overtime pay on this day, while many others can finally relax.

Despite the fierce battles that raged around the world yesterday, the streets of New York were filled with Christmas trees and Santa Clauses of all sizes the next day. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that the Defenders had been battling Ultron on the streets of New York the day before.

Yes, today the defenders are also battling various robbery gangsters on the streets of New York.

"It's unbelievable. Yesterday, New York was almost a ghost town, with a huge number of people running away, and today New York is overflowing with people."

Peter, who had gone out to buy Christmas presents and incidentally helped Daredevil take down a few robbers, sat on a lamppost drinking coffee: "Is everyone getting a little too relaxed?"

"Maybe New Yorkers have gotten used to it, and don't forget, with the internet down, a lot of surveillance and alarms aren't working properly, so there are robberies and thefts everywhere." Matt didn't find anything strange about it. Peter nodded and then gave him some information: "It should be back to normal by tonight. Vision is working overtime to eliminate Ultron programs all over the world."

Matt nodded, then realized something: "Who is Vision?"

"One—a cyborg, a new Avenger. Okay, that's enough, I have to go back to work."

"Oh, right, Spider-Man," Matt called out to Peter before he left, "Are you free? The Defenders are having a Christmas party before tonight, it would be great if you could come."

"?" Peter paused for a moment before realizing what he meant, then nodded. "Okay, do you have a specific time? My schedule is a bit packed."

Since cell phones are unusable, Matt told Peter the location and time of the event. Peter took out a small notebook, wrote it down, waved goodbye, and left.

"Looks like Uncle George really won't have time to spend Christmas with Gwen tonight. Without internet, New York relies entirely on the NYPD and vigilantes for voluntary patrols." Peter thought to himself, swinging his web across the street. He'd deliberately taken a risk today, often landing less than three meters off the ground before soaring high into the air, making sure everyone could see him. He'd also occasionally let out a whooshing sound.

Those notorious thieves who were planning to make a killing during Christmas and the global internet shutdown saw Spider-Man flying low. Those who were going to run away would run away, and those who weren't going to run away would get a beating.

In addition, Peter was looking at his small notebook.

"Hmm, the X-Men's Christmas party is at noon, which doesn't conflict with any of the other events. The Fantastic Four's party is also at noon; I wonder if I'll have time to go. The Avengers and Defenders' Christmas parties aren't together either; some are going home for Christmas, and there's also a Christmas party at the Spider-Web base—why are there so many things to do?"

Oh, wait, I seem to have forgotten one place.

Peter, with several gifts hanging around his neck, swung on his web to the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctum. Thanks to the Sanctum Sanctum's perception-disrupting magic, even if he arrived, others would ignore him. Peter knocked on the door, and then saw the expressionless King open it.

He was wearing a floppy Santa hat on his bald head.

"Hello, Spider-Man, what's up?"

"I just came to see the Holy of Holies, after all, you know, it's Christmas."

After nodding, Wang opened the door for Peter, saying expressionlessly, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas! You don't seem very happy."

"Putting everything else aside, the Sanctuary has existed for far longer than this holiday, and Kamar-Taj has its own Christmas Day, Agamotto's birthday, every year, so we don't really feel anything about this holiday."

Peter asked tentatively, "So you'd be happier on Agamotto's birthday?"

Wang stared at Peter intently for a long while, then shook his head: "No."

The two walked in silence down the Sanctuary corridor. Wong, seemingly unable to bear the silence with Spider-Man present, spoke up: "You're lucky. Generally, the Sorcerer Supreme stays in Kamar-Taj, but Stephen Strange prefers New York."

"No, I'm just hiding here. You know, it's a holiday, and it's Christmas." Strange walked out from the other side of the corridor, holding a drink that was clearly not coffee and wearing a floppy Santa hat. "I don't know why they're so enthusiastic about holidays, even though Christmas has nothing to do with them."

Peter asked curiously, "The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj?"

"No, it's S.M.A.S. agents, bringing big bags and small packages of milk and eight-treasure porridge to deliver things. Apparently, it's an annual tradition, once for Christmas and once for Chinese New Year." Strange continued drinking. "I can't handle these enthusiastic S.M.A.S. agents, and their director, so I come here to hide during holidays."

"Even if you don't celebrate holidays, you like to stay here, Strange. The Ancient One loved to stay in Kamar-Taj."

"I'm a New Yorker, Wang! Who knows where Gu Yi is from? Maybe she was just a farmer from the Tibetan era."

Strange rolled his eyes at Wang, then looked at Peter: "So what are you doing here? Let me tell you beforehand, we're not having a Christmas party here."

"Oh, thank you, that's exactly what I was worried about."

"?" Strange looked at Peter and thought the boy was somewhat ill, while Peter said naturally, "I just came to wish you a Merry Christmas. I'll be going now, Strange."

As Strange watched Peter leave, he took a sip of the eight-treasure porridge he had poured into his coffee cup: "I thought this kid was here to ask about Mephisto."

"You caught Morpheus?"

"If I caught him, would I be worried about that kid asking this?"