Midtown High — Morning
Classes had started nearly an hour ago, and Midtown High was now immersed in the usual calm of the morning.
The hallways, almost entirely deserted, were occupied by only one student running as fast as he could: Peter Parker.
Out of breath, his backpack bouncing against his back with every step, he rushed through the building as quickly as possible, determined to reach his classroom despite being late.
Unfortunately for him, this situation had almost become a habit.
— “All right! So… who can tell me…”
— “GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!”
The door suddenly swung open with a sharp bang that echoed throughout the entire classroom.
Peter rushed inside, still out of breath from running, before almost immediately freezing when he realized that every pair of eyes was now fixed on him.
For a brief second, a heavy silence settled over the room.
Then, as if the entire class had been holding it in until that moment, the students burst out laughing.
Mocking remarks and amused smiles multiplied while Peter remained standing in the middle of the room, having no idea where to look.
Only three people didn’t share in the general amusement.
The teacher, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborn instead looked slightly uncomfortable.
They knew Peter well enough to know that, unfortunately, there was nothing unusual about this scene and that he had once again become the center of everyone’s mockery.
— “Well… it’s about time. Parker, also known as the latecomer, has finally honored us with his presence.”
— “Uh… y-yeah, actually I…”
— “What’s the excuse this time?”
Every pair of eyes immediately turned toward Peter.
The students eagerly awaited his answer, some already wearing smirks, convinced that he was about to come up with yet another ridiculous excuse that would give them another reason to laugh.
— “I… missed the bus.”
The moment those few words left his mouth, the laughter throughout the classroom grew even louder.
The teacher slowly rolled his eyes before letting out a long sigh, caught somewhere between annoyance and resignation.
— “Come on… take your seat now.”
— “Thank you. And sorry again.”
Peter quickly made his way to his seat, located between Gwen and Harry, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible.
Once seated, the lesson resumed almost immediately, but that didn’t stop the three friends from quietly exchanging a few words while the teacher turned his attention back to the board.
— “Hey, Peter. You okay?” Gwen asked.
Peter grimaced.
— “Meh… not really, considering how things are starting…”
— “To be fair, you’re not exactly doing anything to make things better either.” Harry replied with a teasing smile.
Peter looked up at him.
— “Says the spoiled rich kid who shows up in a limousine with an escort. Really funny, Harry.”
— “Oh, if you want, I can pick you up tomorrow. That way, no more being late.”
— “Ha-ha… very funny.”
Gwen shook her head.
— “Seriously, guys, pay attention a little. Especially you, Harry. You’re always saying you struggle with school.”
Harry placed a hand over his heart in indignation.
— “Oh no, Gwen! You’re not starting too?!”
Gwen gave a slight smile before discreetly glancing behind him.
— “Nah, not me. But the teacher, on the other hand…”
— “Huh? What…?”
Still convinced that she was joking, Harry slowly turned his head.
All the color immediately drained from his face when he discovered the teacher standing right behind him, arms crossed and eyes fixed on him.
He immediately understood that he had just been caught.
— “Oh no…”
Oscorp — Norman Osborn’s Office
Inside Oscorp Tower, Norman Osborn made a call.
A few moments later, it was transferred to the phone resting on the reception desk at Tombstone’s headquarters, which suddenly began to vibrate, breaking the surrounding silence.
Without wasting a second, the secretary picked it up and answered professionally.
— “Hello, Mr. Lincoln’s secretary speaking. How may I help you?”
On the other end of the line, Norman Osborn replied in a calm voice.
— “Hello. I’ve been trying to reach your boss for a while. It’s important. Could you tell him to call me back as soon as possible?”
— “Very well, Mr…?”
— “Norman Osborn.”
— “Perfect. I’ll pass along your request, and he’ll get back to you shortly. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
— “No, that’ll be all. Thank you.”
— “Very well. Have an excellent day, Mr. Osborn.”
— “Thank you, you too.”
The atmosphere changed completely.
The cold elegance of Tombstone’s headquarters gave way to an austere building, where the dark walls, armed men, and suspicious looks immediately revealed the true nature of the place.
Behind her desk, the secretary hung up the phone before looking up at one of the guards standing watch nearby.
— “You, go tell Hammerhead that the boss needs to call Norman Osborn back. It’s urgent.”
The guard immediately nodded without asking a single question.
— “Yes, ma’am.”
Without wasting any time, the guard made his way through the building’s long hallways.
The farther he went toward the more secluded areas of the headquarters, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
After crossing several hallways, he eventually reached a large room that had been turned into a makeshift interrogation room, where raised voices could be heard coming from inside.
At the center of the room, Hammerhead was carrying out a particularly brutal interrogation.
The man tied up in front of him already bore obvious signs of the violence he had just endured when the guard cautiously approached, fully aware that interrupting Hammerhead was never a good idea.
— “Sir…? Can I talk to you?”
Hammerhead didn’t even immediately look away from his victim.
— “…What? What is it? I hope it’s important.”
— “The secretary told me to let you know: Norman Osborn wants to speak to the boss. It sounds important.”
For a few seconds, Hammerhead remained perfectly silent.
His gaze drifted into the distance, as though that simple name had just awakened a memory he had completely pushed aside.
— “Norman Osborn… I completely forgot…”
He eventually snapped back to reality before giving a slight nod.
— “All right. I’ll take care of it. Get back to your post.”
— “Yes, sir.”
The guard immediately left the room, closing the door behind him.
Hammerhead remained alone with the man who was still securely tied up.
He let out a small sigh before turning his full attention back to him.
— “Well… first…”
His expression immediately hardened as he took a few steps toward his victim, fully determined to resume the interrogation exactly where he had left off.
— “All right, enough games, kid. If you don’t tell me the truth, I can’t guarantee what happens next. You expect me to believe some guy in red-and-blue pajamas climbs walls and has been ruining our plans for months?!”
Before the man had time to answer, the door opened once again.
— “Wait, Hammerhead!”
Hammerhead immediately looked up, visibly exasperated at being interrupted a second time.
When he saw Montana standing in the doorway, he let out a deep sigh.
— “Montana? Seriously, can’t I work in peace?! What now?!”
Montana stepped forward a few paces, an object in his hand, clearly convinced that this interruption was worth it.
— “It’s worth it. Take a look at this.”
Montana walked over to a table, placed a laptop on it, and quickly opened it.
After a few clicks, a video began playing on the screen.
The footage, recorded from an alley by a surveillance camera, showed a man dressed in a red-and-blue suit moving with insane agility.
Within moments, Spider-Man took down several of Tombstone’s henchmen with astonishing ease, immobilizing them one after another without giving them the slightest chance to fight back.
Hammerhead watched the entire video without saying a word.
When the screen froze on the final image, he slowly raised his head and turned his gaze toward Montana.
— “Is this video real?”
Montana held his gaze without the slightest hesitation.
— “100%.”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Neither man spoke anymore.
The rumors that had been circulating for months, the conflicting testimonies, and the stories that many had dismissed as fabrications had suddenly taken on an entirely different meaning.
This time, they were no longer just rumors.
There was proof.
Hammerhead immediately pulled out his phone.
— “So he really exists… I’ll tell the boss.”
Hammerhead immediately grabbed his phone and immediately dialed his boss’s number.
Several floors above, Tombstone continued his workout in his private gym.
Shirtless, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat, he went through his exercises with impressive intensity.
Around him, the dumbbells, weight benches, and punching bags showed just how much importance he placed on his physical condition.
As he unleashed powerful blows against a punching bag filled with sand, each impact made the chain holding it shake violently.
Under the repeated force of his strikes, the leather eventually tore apart and his fist went straight through the bag, releasing a shower of sand that spilled across the training room floor.
At that same moment, his phone suddenly began to vibrate.
Tombstone immediately stopped his workout, calmly picked up the device resting nearby, and answered.
— “Hammerhead? What?… Norman Osborn? Oh yeah, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me.”
Hammerhead’s voice immediately continued.
— “And there’s something else. We finally have proof.”
Upon hearing that, Tombstone froze and his expression immediately hardened.
— “I’m listening.”
— “Spider-Man… he really does exist, boss. I’m sending you the video.”
A few seconds later, his phone emitted a notification.
Tombstone picked up his laptop resting nearby, opened the file he had received, and immediately started the video.
The more the footage played, the more his expression hardened.
His eyes followed each of Spider-Man’s movements with particular attention, analyzing his speed, his reflexes, and the ease with which he took down his men.
At that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle finally began to come together in his mind.
The rumors, the confused testimonies, the sometimes contradictory reports, and all of his organization’s unexplained failures finally made sense.
The Spider-Man was real.
When the video ended, Tombstone slowly closed his laptop before speaking again in a perfectly calm voice, but one far colder than before.
— “So… he’s the one who’s been screwing up my plans for months… All right. Hammerhead?”
— “Yes, boss?”
— “Is Montana with you?”
— “Yeah.”
— “Put me on speaker.”
Hammerhead immediately complied.
With a simple gesture, he activated the speaker and gave Montana a brief glance, who had already moved closer to listen to his boss’s instructions.
— “Done.”
Silence fell again for a fraction of a second before Tombstone’s voice echoed once more, cold, authoritative, and completely emotionless.
— “Montana, you’re going on a mission. Take whoever you want, but make sure they’re pros. That man in the suit… I want him gone. Is that clear?”
Montana didn’t look away.
A slight smile, almost imperceptible, tugged at the corners of his lips as he already thought about the equipment he had only just acquired.
— “Crystal clear, boss. And this time, with my new equipment… that crawling thing is gonna die.”
Midtown High — End of the Day
The bell rang throughout the entire school, finally announcing the end of classes.
Almost immediately, the classrooms emptied and the hallways returned to their usual bustle.
Dozens of students flooded into them, talking loudly, happy to see the long day finally coming to an end.
In the middle of the crowd, Peter, Gwen, and Harry calmly left their classroom, then the building, before heading toward the school exit together, exchanging a few words without any hurry.
But just as they were about to leave the grounds for good, a voice stopped them in their tracks.
— “Hey, hey, hey! Where do you think you’re going?”
The three friends stopped almost at the same time.
Gwen turned her head slightly toward the hall monitor, visibly surprised to be called out.
— “What?” Gwen asked, confused.
Harry, on the other hand, immediately understood what was really happening.
Without even looking behind him, he leaned slightly toward Gwen and discreetly whispered:
— “Gwen, shut up… just keep walking.”
The hall monitor crossed her arms before replying sharply.
— “Not you, Stacy. I’m talking to Mr. Osborn, who’s pretending he has no idea what’s going on.”
Peter, completely lost, looked back and forth between Harry and the hall monitor, unable to understand what was happening.
— “Uh… what’s going on…?”
— “I was told Osborn was supposed to report to detention right after class for disrupting the lesson this morning. But apparently, he forgot…”
The moment she finished speaking, Harry immediately raised his hands, outraged.
— “But I wasn’t the only one! Peter disrupted the class too!”
The hall monitor froze.
Slowly, she turned her head toward Peter, her gaze now filled with suspicion.
Beside him, Gwen remained silent and also turned her full attention toward her friend.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Everyone waited for his answer.
— “Is that true, Parker?”
Peter hesitated for a fraction of a second.
He could feel every pair of eyes fixed on him.
He only had two choices: tell the truth…
or save his own skin.
He then took a deep breath before putting on the most innocent expression he could possibly manage.
— “Ma’am… do you really think I could ever end up in detention? Me?! I know I’m often late, but disrupting class… Never!”
Harry stared at him, speechless.
— “He actually dared…”
The hall monitor observed Peter for a few moments, then eventually nodded, visibly convinced.
— “Well, that settles it. Have a good rest of your day, kids.”
Without giving Harry any time to protest further, she firmly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along toward the detention room.
Just before disappearing, Harry turned his head one last time toward Peter and shot him a dark glare that clearly promised he wasn’t going to let this slide.
When the two of them finally disappeared, Gwen turned her attention back to Peter.
She tried to keep a straight face for a few seconds, but eventually let out a small laugh, unable to hold back her amusement any longer.
— “Pff… You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
Peter put on a falsely modest smile before slightly shrugging his shoulders.
— “Pff… Of course I know.”
Gwen laughed softly before giving him a sincere, knowing smile.
For a brief moment, Peter completely froze.
Without even realizing it, he found himself staring at her, almost captivated by the simple smile lighting up her face.
The words escaped him almost naturally.
— “Nice smile, by the way.”
Caught off guard by such a sudden yet sincere compliment, Gwen felt a slight blush appear on her cheeks.
As for Peter, he immediately looked away, as though the remark had slipped out before he could stop himself.
— “I’m only realizing now just how beautiful Gwen is… I wonder how many guys have already tried their luck with her.”
The two friends calmly continued on their way, walking side by side toward the bus stop.
Their conversation had naturally quieted down, giving way to a comfortable silence as they simply enjoyed the end of the day.
After a few minutes of walking, a bus finally appeared at the end of the street before gradually slowing down and coming to a stop in front of them.
Just as Peter was about to get on, he felt a slight vibration in his pants pocket.
Curious, he discreetly pulled out his phone and quickly glanced at the screen.
An alert.
Police frequencies had just reported a robbery in progress.
— “Peter? Aren’t you getting on?”
Peter immediately looked back up at her.
For a fraction of a second, he hesitated, torn between the desire to simply go home…
and the duty already waiting for him somewhere else.
— “Uh… nah. Sorry, I… I just remembered I have something to do.”
A slight hint of disappointment crossed Gwen’s face, though she didn’t try to insist.
— “Oh… okay. See you tomorrow, then.”
— “Yeah, see you tomorrow. Get home safe!”
The doors closed and the bus slowly resumed its route, gradually disappearing into New York traffic.
Peter remained motionless on the sidewalk for a few moments, absentmindedly watching the vehicle as his thoughts naturally drifted back to Gwen.
— “Should I… maybe try my luck with Gwen…? After all, we’ve known each other for a really long time. But… what if she rejects me?”
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he immediately imagined the worst possible scenario.
The simple idea of risking their friendship was enough to make him grimace.
He quickly shook his head, as though trying to chase those thoughts away before they could take up too much space.
— “Yeah, great idea, Peter! Ruin your friendship while you’re at it.”
He let out a slight sigh before putting his phone back into his pocket.
Without wasting any more time, he headed into a nearby alley, took a few moments to make sure no prying eyes could see him, then, with almost mechanical familiarity, slipped into his Spider-Man suit in only a few seconds.
— “All right… I’ll deal with that later. Right now, there’s something more urgent.”
He immediately took off, climbing the side of a nearby building at impressive speed and reaching the rooftop within moments.
After leaving his belongings there, he didn’t give himself even a second to rest.
With a leap, he threw himself into the void, fired a web that attached itself to a building farther away, then began crossing New York from rooftop to rooftop, swinging effortlessly between the skyscrapers as he headed straight toward the robbery reported by the police.
Streets of Manhattan — End of the Day
A few minutes later, Spider-Man was already crossing the Manhattan skyline, swinging from web to web between the buildings at impressive speed.
Guided by the police frequencies, he quickly spotted the source of the intervention and immediately dove toward the street.
Below, the situation had completely spiraled out of control.
Gunshots erupted in every direction, the windows of the surrounding buildings had shattered, and a police vehicle, already riddled with bullet holes, served as the last remaining cover for an officer trapped under a hail of gunfire.
Crouched behind a half-torn-off door, he desperately tried to keep his head down while speaking into his radio.
— “This is a unit in distress! I need backup immediately! These guys are heavily armed, there’s no way to get close! I won’t last much longer, if I move, I’m dead for sure!”
At that moment, a shadow suddenly streaked across the sky.
In a fraction of a second, Spider-Man appeared above him, firmly grabbed him by the arm, and yanked him away from his makeshift cover.
They had barely left the ground when a violent explosion erupted behind them.
The police car was instantly engulfed by a massive fireball, sending debris flying in every direction.
— “Dead for sure, you said?”
Completely disoriented by what had just happened, the officer looked around in confusion, unable to understand how he had ended up several meters away in the span of an instant.
— “Damn it! Who the hell are you?! Can’t you see it’s dangerous here?!”
Spider-Man slightly turned his head toward him, pretending to be offended.
— “Spider-Man saves your life and the first thing you do is yell at him? Couldn’t you ask me to sign an autograph instead?”
The officer’s eyes widened, unable to believe what he was hearing.
— “Spider-Man?! You exist?! For real?!”
The hero stared at him in disbelief for a moment before giving him an almost offended look.
— “Seriously?”
Another voice suddenly rose from the middle of the street.
— “Ah… Spider-Man! Finally…!”
The instant those words were spoken, Peter’s Spider-Sense suddenly activated.
A violent shock instantly surged through his entire body.
Without thinking, he pulled the officer along with him in a reflexive leap before rolling several times across the asphalt.
A tremendously powerful burst of gunfire immediately tore through the exact spot where they had been standing a second earlier.
Taking advantage of the slightest moment of respite, Spider-Man leaped onto a nearby rooftop before quickly placing the officer behind a thick concrete wall, solid enough to protect him from the gunfire.
— “So, uh… do we know each other? I kinda get the feeling you were waiting for me. But tell me if I’m wrong.”
Montana gave a slight smile that was anything but reassuring.
— “That’s right. We wanted to… talk.”
Spider-Man lightly crossed his arms before looking over the damage around them.
— “And for that, you organize a little massacre in the city? Classy. All right, let’s talk fast so I can drop you off in prison afterward.”
He then turned toward the officer, who was still trying to catch his breath, before quickly pointing toward a metal ladder located a little farther away at the corner of the rooftop.
— “Sir, listen. Over there, on the right, there’s a ladder. Take it and get far away from here. I’ll handle these guys, don’t worry.”
The officer nodded without arguing any further before taking the opportunity to get away as quickly as possible.
Spider-Man waited until he disappeared before gracefully jumping back down to the ground.
He then walked toward the three criminals at a calm pace, his shoulders seemingly relaxed, even though every muscle in his body was already prepared to react to the slightest movement.
Meanwhile, Montana carefully watched every one of his steps.
— “Come on… get nice and close.”
Spider-Man continued walking forward until he was only a few meters away from them, never taking his eyes off his opponents.
— “Well… are you gonna talk or not?”
Montana’s smile suddenly vanished.
— “NOW!”
The instant Montana gave the signal, his two henchmen rushed at Spider-Man, convinced they could catch him off guard.
That was a mistake.
Without even seeming to make the slightest effort, the hero spun around, intercepted the first attacker’s arm and used his own momentum to slam him violently into the ground.
His face crashed brutally against the concrete with a dull thud.
In the same motion, Spider-Man spun around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that slammed into the second man’s jaw, sending him rolling several meters away.
Barely two seconds had passed and both mercenaries were already out of the fight.
He then said in a bored tone:
— “Dude… I really don’t have time to-”
His Spider-Sense suddenly exploded in his mind, but it was too late.
A shockwave of phenomenal power struck him head-on before he could even react.
His body was sent flying across the entire street, tearing down several road signs along the way, before crashing violently into the side of a building.
The wall cracked under the impact and Spider-Man fell heavily onto the asphalt, completely winded.
When he struggled to lift his head, a far less reassuring sight was waiting for him.
Dozens of figures were gradually emerging from the shadows.
All of them were armed.
Some carried baseball bats, others metal pipes, knives, or even firearms.
Within seconds, Spider-Man found himself completely surrounded.
Montana watched the scene with a satisfied smile.
— “Not bad… but that was just a distraction. Still sure you can lock us up?”
Spider-Man slowly stood up, almost absentmindedly dusting himself off.
As though the situation didn’t impress him in the slightest, he then pressed a finger to his ear, pretending to receive an invisible call.
Around him, several mercenaries exchanged puzzled looks.
Why was he still so calm?
Silence settled for a few seconds, until Spider-Man formed a slight smile beneath his mask.
— “A little bird tells me yes.”
Montana’s face twisted with anger.
— “All right. KILL HIM!”
A collective roar immediately erupted.
Like a true pack, the mercenaries all rushed Spider-Man at the same time, raising their bats, knives, metal pipes, and guns.
Yet, from the very first exchanges, the hero seemed to disappear among them.
He dodged every attack with astonishing ease, leaped from one opponent to another, fired webs in every direction and delivered his blows with deadly precision.
With every movement, another man fell to the ground without even understanding what had just happened.
In the middle of that chaotic melee, Spider-Man still found a way to throw a remark at Montana.
— “And just so you know, you’re first on my list! But before that… what the hell are you wearing? Seriously, did you see how far you sent me flying?!”
Montana clenched his teeth.
— “You want another taste? Be my guest!”
He immediately activated his gauntlets and another shockwave burst from his fists.
Spider-Man leaped aside at the last second and narrowly avoided the attack, but Montana gave him no time to breathe.
He followed up with several consecutive strikes, unleashing impressive blasts that pulverized everything in their path.
One of them eventually struck Spider-Man directly, sending him crashing through the front of a building in a shower of rubble, leaving behind a huge crater in the wall.
Without taking his eyes off the battlefield, Montana immediately turned toward his men.
— “Come on, everybody up! You think I’m paying you to take naps?! Grab that spider and bleed him dry without mercy! Clear?!”
— “YES, BOSS!”
Half-hidden beneath the rubble, Spider-Man was already catching his breath.
— “Okay… his gauntlets fire shockwaves, but he aims like a brute. With all these guys around, if I slip between them and go straight for him… he won’t be able to do anything without hitting his own men. Yeah… that could work.”
He slowly pushed aside several chunks of concrete and stood up, completely covered in dust.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries scanned the area, unable to find his position.
One of them eventually spoke.
— “Boss… you think he ran away?”
A small laugh immediately sounded behind them and they all froze.
— “Me? Run away? I won’t do what your dad did, don’t worry, sweetheart!”
The mercenary spun around, his face twisted with anger.
— “What?! Say that again, asshole!”
— “Oh… I think I hit a nerve. Sorry everyone, but recess is over.”
Montana crossed his arms, a slight confident smile on his face.
— “You really think you can beat forty of my guys… and me?”
Spider-Man didn’t move an inch and remained perfectly calm.
— “You know what they say: “Actions speak louder than words.””
The instant he finished speaking, he pushed off a wall and launched himself into the heart of the group.
His red-and-blue silhouette tore through the ranks at lightning speed, darting between the mercenaries like a flash.
Every strike was calculated, every dodge perfectly controlled and every web neutralized a weapon or immobilized an opponent before they had time to react.
— “Okay Peter… stay calm. You’ve got the agility and a sixth sense. Focus. Just take down their leader, and the rest will follow.”
Several meters away, Montana kept turning around in frustration, unable to make out Spider-Man among his own men.
— “Fuck, where is he?! Clear my line of sight, you idiots, I can’t see shit!”
Running out of patience, he violently clenched his fists and raised his arms, ready to strike without caring about the consequences.
— “Fuck it! Whatever! Take this!”
Montana brutally swung both arms forward.
A gigantic double shockwave immediately burst from his gauntlets, sweeping through everything in its path with devastating power.
The air itself seemed to tear apart under the impact and a violent blast carried away everything in front of him.
Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense went wild.
Without thinking, he planted one foot on a mercenary’s head at the exact moment the wave reached him, then launched himself into the air with a spectacular leap, narrowly escaping the attack.
Behind him, the explosion of power caused absolute devastation.
The mercenaries still standing were struck head-on by their own boss.
Some were hurled against the walls of buildings, others crashed onto parked cars or rolled violently into trash cans that burst apart under the impact.
Within only a few seconds, every single one of them was down, unable to get back up.
Spider-Man immediately understood that a unique opportunity had just presented itself.
Without wasting a second, he fired a web behind his enemy, used it like a massive slingshot and catapulted himself straight toward Montana at lightning speed.
Before Montana could even react, Spider-Man appeared in front of him and delivered an exceptionally powerful kick directly to his face.
Montana’s body was violently thrown backward before crashing heavily onto the asphalt, narrowly avoiding being knocked unconscious.
The fight had just ended.
After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Spider-Man began securing the area.
The still-dazed mercenaries were quickly immobilized against the walls inside thick web cocoons, completely unable to move.
Once he was certain none of them posed any further threat, he calmly walked over to Montana, who was also webbed up and still lying on the ground, then stopped in front of him, determined to understand what was going on.
— “All right…
now that you’re all wrapped up like presents…
You, tough guy.
Why wait for me instead of running?
Usually, criminals just want cash.
You guys straight-up tried to kill me.
Which isn’t very nice, by the way.
And you, with those shockwave gauntlets…
I have to admit, that REALLY impressed me.
So go ahead, I’m listening.”
Montana remained perfectly still.
His expression stayed closed off, his gaze empty of all emotion, and not a single word left his lips.
Realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of him, Spider-Man slowly turned his head toward the other mercenaries.
— “And you, background characters? Any explanation?”
No one answered.
A heavy silence immediately settled in.
A few men even discreetly lowered their eyes, clearly in no hurry to speak.
Suddenly, a phone began to ring.
The sound was coming directly from Montana’s pocket.
Curious, Spider-Man crouched down, retrieved the device and quickly looked at the screen before answering.
— “Hello? This is the amazing Spider-Man! If you’re calling, I’m guessing you’re connected to all of this, so listen carefully… if you-”
— “So you’re the one… Spider-Man. If you’re answering, that means Montana failed. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that.”
A deep, calm and icy voice immediately interrupted him.
The tone of the person on the other end instantly surprised Spider-Man.
He didn’t sound angry or panicked.
Only calm and completely in control of himself.
— “Okay… and you are?”
— “You can call me… the Big Boss.”
Spider-Man slightly rolled his eyes.
— “The Big Boss? Seriously? Ego much? But more seriously… why attack me? We don’t even know each other.”
— “No. But I want to offer you a deal.”
Spider-Man slightly raised an eyebrow behind his mask.
— “A deal? After trying to kill me? Hmm… interesting. I’m listening.”
Tombstone’s voice remained just as composed.
As though he was certain he could convince him.
— “Work for me.
Join my organization.
You’ll make money…
a lot of money.
You’re young, I can hear it.
You could keep playing hero, saving people and we could even arrange your ‘heroics’.
The only condition is that you stay out of my business and leave my men alone.
You could be both a hero and one of the richest people in this city, maybe even more than that.
So…
what do you think?”
Silence settled for a few moments, then Spider-Man burst out laughing.
His amusement lasted for several long seconds before his tone suddenly became much more serious.
— “Wait… you really think I’m going to sell my soul for money? Listen carefully, ‘Mr. Big Boss’: I’ll never work for you or anyone else. You think all of this is a game to me?! You’re wrong. This city is mine. And as long as I’m here… you’re going straight to prison.”
Around him, the mercenaries were left completely speechless.
Even Montana, still dazed, could hardly believe what he had just heard.
On the other end of the phone, Tombstone remained silent for a few seconds.
Then without a word, the call was abruptly ended.
Spider-Man stared at the phone screen for a few moments before letting out an annoyed sigh.
— “Pff… now you hang up, huh?”
He carelessly dropped the phone onto the ground.
The moment it hit the asphalt, one of the mercenaries still tried to act tough.
— “You’re dead. You don’t know who our boss is. He’s gonna-”
A web immediately shot out.
It stuck directly over his mouth, instantly cutting off the rest of his threat.
Spider-Man stared at him for a few seconds.
— “You talk too much.”
In the distance, the howl of police sirens was already beginning to echo between the buildings and was rapidly getting closer to the street.
Spider-Man slightly turned his head toward the sound.
— “All right, the police will be here soon. I need to go!”
Spider-Man slipped one hand into one of the pockets of his suit and pulled out a small sticky note along with a pen.
He quickly scribbled a few words, then walked toward a pole located right beside the criminals, who were securely tied up in their web cocoons.
Once his message was finished, he carefully stuck it there before taking a step back to admire his work.
“Be careful, the guy in the yellow and red suit can fire shockwaves with his gear. Other than that, have a good evening. Signed: Spider-Man.”
Satisfied, he gave a slight smile before turning his head one last time toward Montana, still immobilized.
— “And you, electric boxer. Since I don’t know your name, I found one for you. From now on… you’re called Shocker! Hope you like the pun. Anyway… enjoy prison!”
Without waiting for the slightest reaction, Spider-Man fired a web toward the top of a nearby building, took off and launched himself into the air.
In only a few swings, his red-and-blue silhouette disappeared between the Manhattan skyscrapers, swallowed by the night.
A few moments later, the howl of sirens echoed throughout the entire street.
Several police cars came speeding in before stopping with a screech of tires.
The doors immediately opened and several officers hurried out of their vehicles.
Yet instead of arresting the criminals, some of the police officers walked directly toward them…
then began freeing them from their restraints.
Once completely untied, Montana calmly retrieved his phone before dialing a number.
The call was answered almost immediately.
— “Thanks for the help, sir. And as for that bug… what are the orders?”
— “The same. We eliminate him. But this time… you won’t be acting alone.” Tombstone replied in a cold voice
Montana nodded without the slightest hesitation.
— “Understood, boss.”
Parker House — Evening
When Peter returned home, the house was immersed in complete silence.
His aunt had not yet returned from work and only a small note, carefully placed on the refrigerator, told him that his meal was already waiting for him.
Without wasting any time, he reheated it, ate quickly, then went straight upstairs to his room.
Once seated in front of his computer, he opened his browser and simply typed “The Big Boss” into the search bar.
The results appeared one after another, but none of them seemed to have the slightest connection to the man who had ordered his assassination a few hours earlier.
After several minutes spent checking different websites, Peter eventually gave up his search with a slight sigh of frustration.
— “It must just be a nickname. Impossible to trace online. And even if there is something, it’ll be hidden. Guys like that don’t leave traces. Well… at least I tried. All right. Bed.”
He closed his computer, changed clothes, then slipped under his covers, hoping to fall asleep quickly.
Yet the moment his head touched the pillow, he understood that it was going to be a long night.
His body was tired, but his mind stubbornly refused to calm down.
The images from the previous hours kept returning to his mind, one after another, as though his brain refused to move on.
The fight, the dozens of mercenaries, Montana, his strange gauntlets capable of producing shockwaves, then that mysterious phone conversation…
The more he thought about it, the more an unpleasant feeling grew inside him.
Until now, he had mostly found himself dealing with thieves or isolated criminals.
But this time, it was completely different.
Everything seemed far more organized, far more dangerous.
— “But seriously…
who were those guys?
Until now, I was stopping small-time neighborhood thieves.
And now?
Forty armed guys…
and some lunatic who fires shockwaves?
What happened to New York…?
And this ‘Big Boss’…
He targeted me because I’m interfering with his business.
Is he messing with me or what?”
His gaze remained fixed on the ceiling as Tombstone’s words echoed once again in his mind.
Work for him.
Become rich.
Keep playing hero, but only when he decided.
For a few moments, Peter relived that entire conversation in every detail.
Then his jaw slowly tightened.
The more he thought about it, the more disgusted he felt by the offer.
— “If I hadn’t been there tonight…
that cop would’ve died.
His family would’ve gone through the same hell we did…
after Uncle Ben.
And he dares say it’s a game?
No.
No way!
It’s because of guys like him that I lost my uncle.
And never again…
never again will I look the other way.
Whether you have mercenaries or Shocker protecting you…
I’ll stop you, Big Boss.”
Silence settled over the bedroom again.
Peter remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, while his face gradually hardened under the effect of a newfound determination.
This encounter had changed something.
For the first time since becoming Spider-Man, he understood that some enemies weren’t simply trying to steal or get rich.
They were willing to kill to protect their empire, and now, he had become their target too.
Yet despite that reality, only one certainty still remained in his mind: No matter what challenges awaited him, he would not back down.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Hello everyone!
My name is YL, and welcome to Spider-Man: The Story of a Hero.
This story is part of a much larger project I have been working on for years.
My goal is to explore Peter Parker’s journey, his growth, his responsibilities, and the sacrifices that come with being Spider-Man.
This Web Novel is also connected to a larger animated series project that I hope to bring to life in the future.
Whether you’re a longtime Spider-Man fan or discovering this version of the character for the first time, I hope you’ll enjoy this adventure.
Thank you for giving my story a chance, and I wish you a great reading experience!
— YL