American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

135. Ashley Barton.

"Are you some kind of pervert? Staring at my house like that."

Hearing the voice, Alex slowly turned his head.

Standing before him was a somewhat heroic-looking young African-American girl with short hair. Judging by her age, she seemed to be only fifteen or sixteen. Alex instantly recognized her identity. She was Hawkeye's daughter, Spider-Man's granddaughter—Ashley Barton.

Unlike her peers in the normal world, Ashley was very 'bold,' or rather, rebellious. This was evident from her clothes covered in crazy slogans, her unconventional hairstyle, and her earrings. It was hard to imagine how Ashley's guardian had raised her to become such a little delinquent. From her current appearance, Alex thought she looked like a gang member in training, ready to take up arms at any moment.

"Don't misunderstand, little girl. I mean no harm to your family. I'm here to find your father, but he's hard to pin down, so I'm trying my luck here," Alex said casually, unfazed by Ashley's offensive tone.

To be honest, children growing up in this chaotic wasteland had lost most of their 'humanity.' Expecting them to understand manners was a fool's dream.

When people can't change the world, they must adapt to it. In this perverse society where cannibalism was a reality, hoping for someone pure and kind was pointless—they simply couldn't survive here.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I might have someone I call 'father,' but I would never address him that way. He's probably off somewhere transporting cocaine," Ashley said coldly.

"But if you want to contact him, I guess you have your ways, right?" Alex smiled.

"What's your real purpose?" Ashley's cold eyes showed a hint of murderous intent.

Sensing this, Alex couldn't help but sigh. It seemed this wasteland really 'trained' people well. He had no doubt that if he did anything out of line, this girl would immediately attack him.

How to put it?

Not surprising for the future Wasteland Queen of Crime.

By then, both her father and grandfather's spirits would be 'comforted,' right?

"Believe me, girl. The knife you have hidden behind your back poses no threat to me. I suppose your weak spider sense should be alerting you about this?"

Ashley's pupils contracted in surprise. Indeed, her inherited spider powers were a secret she had never told anyone. But here was this stranger, casually revealing it. This was enough to unsettle the young Ashley. However, she quickly forced herself to calm down.

"Are you one of those mind-reading mutant freaks?"

"You really need some discipline. This is my last warning. Next time you speak disrespectfully, I will teach you a lesson your guardian never did."

Alex's expression was calm, but it exerted immense pressure on Ashley. He continued, "But you guessed wrong. I'm just an ordinary person, a friend of your father's."

This time, Ashley behaved more obediently, though her expression remained as distant as ever. "He hasn't been here for a long time. This is not his home. He only comes by occasionally."

At that moment, Ultron 8 walked out of the auto repair shop. This guy had been watching the situation. He saw Alex earlier but decided not to intervene, following the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble. But now, seeing Ashley conversing with the stranger and her worsening expression, Ultron 8 had no choice but to step in.

"Hey, friend, what are you doing?" Ultron's electronic voice was heavy but still carried a friendly tone.

"This guy is here to find my mom's ex-husband," Ashley said immediately upon seeing Ultron.

"Is that so, sir?" Ultron 8 looked at Alex with suspicion. His database had no record of Alex, so he remained cautious.

After all, Hawkeye had been involved in shady activities recently. If he had provoked enemies outside, it wouldn't be surprising. Moreover, his old enemies weren't few.

"Yes, Barton and I are friends. I have something important to discuss with him," Alex said after some thought.

Ultron's electronic eyes flickered, perhaps processing or assessing Alex's honesty.

After a moment, his glowing red mouth spoke, "I understand, sir. If you don't mind, you can wait inside the shop. You're in luck. I just received a message from Barton saying he'll be coming by in a few days for Ashley's child support."

"Thank you." Alex smiled and nodded, not refusing.

The three of them, plus the robot, walked into the repair shop. Ashley kept her eyes fixed on Alex, unsettled by her spider sense constantly alerting her since she met him.

Inside the repair shop, Alex finally saw Spider-Man's youngest daughter, Tonya. She was a slightly overweight African-American woman. Whether it was the environment or other reasons, she looked worn out for her age, with a few strands of gray hair. Most of this 'credit' likely went to Ashley, Alex guessed. Plus, managing the repair shop alone put tremendous pressure on her.

No wonder she chose to spend her life with a robot after divorcing Barton.

Upon learning Alex's purpose, Tonya remained indifferent. She poured him a glass of water and then returned to work, clearly not wanting any association with Barton or his friends.

"Don't misunderstand, sir. Tonya is just like that," Ultron 8 said, staying with Alex.

Ultron's friendly demeanor contrasted sharply with the wasteland's social environment. If he were a regular person, he'd likely be bullied to death, but somehow, this robot's approach seemed fitting.

......

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
136. Old Hawkeye Barton.
137. Conversation with Hawkeye.
138. The Villains' Information.
139. Hawkeye's Journey.
140. 'Dazzling Confusion' and 'Eye-Popping'.

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