New York — Business District — Main Street — Evening
New York was slowly descending into anarchy.
In the business district, George Stacy and several of his colleagues were still managing to maintain some semblance of order. Despite the chaos raging through the streets, they continued arresting fleeing criminals while reassuring terrified civilians.
As they climbed back into their patrol vehicle, the radio suddenly crackled.
— Captain Stacy! Captain Stacy, do you copy?!
George immediately grabbed the receiver.
— Yes, I hear you. What's going on?
The officer's voice sounded tense.
— We're in the business district and we've got a super-criminal in front of us!
George immediately straightened up.
— What?! Who is it? What does he look like?!
— He has several arms on his back... Other than that, no idea. He's holding a woman hostage... and he's threatening Spider-Man with her!
Concern immediately crossed the captain's face.
— Who is this woman?
— I don't know, Captain!
George thought for a few seconds before making his decision.
— Alright. I'm on my way!
He hung up and turned toward his men.
— Listen carefully. I need to go somewhere else, there's no need for all of us to go. Keep arresting any criminals you come across and help anyone who needs it. And if some refuse to surrender and put your lives or civilians' lives in danger... you are authorized to shoot.
— Understood!
Without wasting a second, George climbed into his car and sped off.
— Even if criminals had overrun the city, the most dangerous ones had to be neutralized first. Otherwise, nothing would get better.
New York — May Parker's Workplace — Evening
Meanwhile, near May Parker's workplace, Spider-Man was facing Doctor Octopus.
He forced his voice to remain calm.
— Alright, listen carefully. If you kindly let this charming lady go, I promise I'll only break one tooth... or two. Your choice.
A fake and almost polite smile appeared on Octopus' face.
— Alright, no problem. I'll put her down.
Spider-Man didn't move immediately.
It was far too easy.
Suspicious, he slowly approached, keeping his eyes fixed on each of his opponent's mechanical arms.
Then Octopus smiled.
— Oops.
And without the slightest warning, he hurled Aunt May into the air.
Her scream tore through the street.
— AAAAAAH!!!
Spider-Man's heart stopped.
— NO!
He immediately leaped forward.
But Octopus was faster.
The metallic arms intercepted him mid-charge.
A dull impact echoed.
Then silence.
May had violently crashed onto a car.
No more screams.
No more movement.
Time seemed to freeze.
Spider-Man remained motionless, unable to look away.
His breath caught in his chest.
— MA'AM?! PLEASE, ANSWER ME! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!
Even Octopus seemed surprised.
— Is she dead? Seriously...?
No one dared move.
The civilians watched the scene in horror.
The police officers nevertheless aimed their weapons at the criminal.
— PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND SURRENDER...!
But before they could do anything, Spider-Man sprang into action.
A web struck Octopus directly in the face.
Blinded, the scientist didn't even have time to react before a spinning kick hit him full force.
He was launched several meters away.
When he opened his eyes again, something had changed.
The hero standing before him no longer resembled the sarcastic young man he had fought earlier.
— I can't see your face, but I can feel it... You're furious. Oh no, wait... don't tell me that... you knew her...?
Spider-Man didn't answer.
He remained perfectly silent.
And that silence was more frightening than any threat.
A few minutes later, George Stacy arrived at the scene.
The sight that greeted him left him speechless.
Doctor Octopus was lying unconscious on the ground.
His face was swollen and covered in blood.
He was completely wrapped in dozens of layers of webbing.
The police officers kept their distance.
No one dared approach Spider-Man.
George, however, stepped forward.
Then he noticed the unconscious woman in the hero's arms.
May Parker.
His blood ran cold.
— May?! Oh no...!
— Pete... Spider-Man! Is she... is she okay?
The hero lowered his eyes toward her.
— She's breathing... but she won't wake up. The impact must have been terrible.
Gently, he pulled her closer against him.
— Hey... what are you doing?
— Where's your car?
George pointed toward his vehicle.
— Over there...
Without another word, Spider-Man walked to the police car and carefully placed May on the back seat.
George joined him.
— Listen... I know how you feel. But don't worry, I'll take her to the hospital, and I'll do everything I can to make sure she receives the best possible care.
Spider-Man slightly clenched his fists.
— I know. I'd like to stay with her, but I can't. The city is still in complete chaos and... they have to pay. They're going to learn they should've stayed in prison.
George met his gaze.
— Then forget the small-time crooks and focus on the biggest threats. Rhino has been spotted near 175th Avenue.
Spider-Man nodded.
He was about to leave when George called out to him one last time.
— Spider-Man!
The hero stopped.
— Keep your cool.
A moment passed.
Then Spider-Man answered in a calm voice.
— I know. On your side, take care of my aunt.
— You can count on me.
Without adding another word, Spider-Man leaped into the air.
A few seconds later, he had already disappeared into New York's darkened sky.
Behind him, George Stacy remained motionless, staring at the place where the hero had vanished.
And despite the noise of the burning city, a heavy silence now seemed to rest upon his shoulders.
New York — Daily Bugle (175th Avenue) — Evening
Inside his office, Jonah paced back and forth while Betty Brant and Joseph “Robbie” Robertson tried their best to stay calm. Outside, several employees waited nervously for the situation to improve, without really believing it would.
Suddenly, Jameson exploded.
— AAAAAAH! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! We've been trapped in here like rats for hours! And to think I was looking forward to going home today... AND ALL OF THIS... IS SPIDER-MAN'S FAULT!
Robbie immediately rolled his eyes.
— How many times do I have to tell you? THIS ISN'T HIS FAULT! He's probably out there trying to stop all these criminals!
Betty let out a long sigh.
— Forget it, Robbie, it's useless. You know how stubborn he is.
Jonah immediately turned toward her.
— I AM NOT STUBBORN, BRANT! I'm just telling the truth!
Betty discreetly shook her head.
— Children...
While the two men continued their endless argument, she turned toward the window.
Her blood ran cold.
In the distance, she spotted Rhino. The giant was charging straight toward the building.
— Uh... guys?
But nobody listened to her.
— What truth are you even talking about?! Ever since you found out he existed, you've treated him like a criminal even though he's never done anything wrong! Quite the opposite!
— It's obvious you know nothing about journalism.
— That's rich!
Betty felt panic rising.
— GUYS!
Both men turned around at the same time.
— WHAT?!
At that exact moment, the entire building shook violently.
Desks slid across the floor. Files flew through the air. Several employees lost their balance while screams erupted throughout the hallways.
— WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING NOW?! Jameson shouted.
Outside, Spider-Man had just arrived.
He immediately spotted Rhino smashing the building's support pillars in hopes of bringing it down.
— HEY!
Rhino turned around.
A satisfied smile instantly appeared on his face.
— Oh... there you are. I was wondering when you'd finally show your face.
Spider-Man stepped forward.
— Looking for me? Good news, I'm here now. So bring your big animal ass over here!
Rhino growled.
— You won't be laughing when I skewer you with my horn!
The monster charged.
Spider-Man dodged at the last second, jumped onto his back, and fired two webs to hold himself in place.
The scene suddenly looked like some bizarre rodeo.
— Get off me, you filthy spider!
— Then throw me off! Come on, Rhino! Throw me off! COME ON!
Enraged, Rhino started charging into everything in his path.
Walls.
Cars.
Streetlights.
Building facades.
Again.
And again.
Without even realizing it, he was exhausting himself more and more.
Eventually, he came to a stop, completely out of breath.
Spider-Man jumped to the ground.
— Already tired?
— You little...!
He didn't get the chance to finish.
Spider-Man punched him hard in the face.
Then again.
And again.
Only targeting the unprotected parts of his body.
A few seconds later, Rhino crashed heavily onto the pavement.
Unconscious.
The hero immediately webbed him up to completely immobilize him.
Sirens echoed through the streets.
Several police cars arrived at the scene.
But Spider-Man didn't even have time to catch his breath.
His gaze lifted toward the Daily Bugle.
The building was leaning dangerously.
And this time, it really was going to collapse.
— No... not this!
Without another thought, he rushed toward the structure.
Then positioned himself beneath it.
His arms extended.
His legs trembled.
And he stopped the fall.
By himself.
The entire building now rested on his shoulders.
Inside, panic erupted.
— What's happening?! Robbie shouted.
— NOOOO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! Betty screamed.
Even now, Jameson kept yelling.
— ALL OF THIS... IF ONLY SPIDER-MAN WASN'T HERE...!
Then suddenly...
The shaking stopped.
Silence fell.
No one understood what had just happened.
Outside, a news helicopter quickly flew up to the Daily Bugle's windows.
Realizing an opportunity had presented itself, Jonah immediately took control.
— I don't know what's happening, but everybody get out! Now! Take the stairs, and don't you dare waste time! Come on, move!
The employees rushed toward the exits.
Meanwhile, inside the helicopter, the reporter watched the scene in astonishment.
A police officer beside her couldn't believe her eyes.
— Seriously... I can't believe this...
The reporter quickly resumed her live broadcast.
— Hello, it's me again! We are currently on 175th Avenue, and we're witnessing something incredible! The vigilante known as Spider-Man is literally carrying the Daily Bugle building on his shoulders! Yes, you heard that correctly: he is holding up the building to give people enough time to evacuate!
The footage was immediately broadcast throughout the city.
At the Stacy residence.
At the hospital.
Inside apartments.
Everywhere.
Gwen stared at the screen, unable to look away.
— My...
George Stacy watched the footage from the hospital, standing beside May.
— God...
Flash Thompson stared at his phone in admiration.
— Goodness...
Without thinking any further, Gwen rushed out of her apartment.
Flash did exactly the same thing.
Behind him, his little sister immediately called out to him.
— Flash! Where are you going?!
But before he could answer, their father spoke in an icy tone.
— Let him go. Maybe he'll be useful for once.
Spider-Man was trembling.
Every muscle in his body was on the verge of giving out.
His arms were burning. His shoulders were screaming. His legs threatened to collapse beneath the colossal weight of the Daily Bugle.
— Damn it... Why did I do this?!
The pain was unbearable.
— A twenty-story building?! My arms are going to explode... It's too heavy... Get out... please...
Above the scene, the news helicopter continued broadcasting the events live.
— Look! People from the building are finally starting to come out little by little!
And indeed, the employees were finally evacuating the building.
Among the last ones were Betty Brant, Robbie Robertson, and J. Jonah Jameson.
The moment they reached the outside, they looked up toward the source of the miracle that had saved them.
Betty froze.
— Oh my God... he's the reason the building stopped moving?!
Robbie couldn't believe it.
— Wow... this is absolutely... insane! See, Jonah?! I told you!
For once, Jameson didn't respond.
He remained perfectly still.
His eyes locked on Spider-Man.
The hero gritted his teeth.
— Hey! Instead of just standing there staring at me... GET BACK!
The survivors immediately obeyed.
And yet, no one could truly bring themselves to leave.
They all remained fascinated.
Hypnotized.
Spider-Man, meanwhile, could feel his body betraying him.
— And now what? What do I do?! If I let go... everything comes down. But if my arms give out... I'm going to die.
That was when he noticed two figures making their way through the crowd.
Flash Thompson.
And Gwen.
— Whoa...
Flash couldn't believe his eyes.
As for Gwen, she felt her heart tighten.
— Oh my God... Peter!
Determined, she pushed her way through the police officers and civilians.
— No! Young lady, it's dangerous!
But she kept moving forward.
— I'm going to let go! My arms are tearing apart! I can't hold on anymore...!
Spider-Man saw her approaching.
His blood ran cold.
— Gwen?! No way... this has to be a joke!
When she got close enough, she spoke to him in a low voice.
— Peter! Peter, are you okay?!
He couldn't believe it.
— What are you doing here?! Leave! It's dangerous! I'm going to let go!
— But...
— NO! GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!
Gwen flinched.
She had never heard him speak to her in that tone before.
But Peter no longer had the strength to think.
His voice broke.
— Hundreds of people are already hurt because of this chaos. Aunt May is in the hospital because of all this... and I had to leave her behind to come here and help everyone I could. Gwen... I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. Please... go!
She shook her head.
— No! I'm not leaving!
— Don't you get it?! I'm going to let go! Gwen, for the love of God...!
— You're the one who doesn't get it!
Her voice echoed with unexpected strength.
— I'm staying because I know you won't let this building crush all these people who are watching you! Did you hear them?! They're cheering for you!
As if to prove her right, a chant rose from the crowd.
— SPIDER-MAN! SPIDER-MAN! SPIDER-MAN! SPIDER-MAN!
The cheers echoed throughout the entire avenue.
Gwen never took her eyes off him.
— They know you're doing everything you can... and most importantly, that you're going to succeed! Do you remember what you told me? "With great power comes great responsibility." Did you say that just to sound cool, or did you actually mean it?!
Time was against him.
Every passing second drained a little more of his strength.
His legs were now trembling uncontrollably.
— Damn it, Gwen...
— Do you think Uncle Ben would be proud to hear that? Do you think I'm proud to see the man I love talking about giving up?! Peter... I love you! I love you more than anything, and I believe in you in a way you can't even imagine! If you let go now, people will lose hope and criminals will think they've won. Show them that nothing is lost! Show them who you really are... Show them that you're Spider-Man!
Something changed in the hero's eyes.
A spark.
A flame.
A willpower he thought had died.
— I'm hurting... so much... But she's right. I can't give up. If I break now, when everyone is counting on me, I'll stain Uncle Ben's memory. I have to push beyond my limits, even if it destroys me. Since that day, I swore to protect others... so how could I forget that? Just because of pain? Bullshit!
— Come on, Peter!
Gwen's voice rang out one last time.
And this time, he answered it.
— If I let go... it's over. I can't be a hero only when it's easy, then run away when things get hard! This is exactly when I have to give everything I've got. For me. For Ben. For May. For Gwen. For everyone! Come on, Spider-Man! COME ON! COME OOOOOON!
A silent scream tore through his entire being.
Then he found one last reserve of strength within himself.
Slowly.
Painfully.
He straightened up.
Inch by inch.
Until he managed to put the destroyed support pillar back into place.
The crowd held its breath.
Then Spider-Man raised his web-shooters.
Again.
Again.
Again.
He fired everything he had left.
Meter after meter.
Web after web.
Until the very last drop.
Until his reserves were completely exhausted.
When he was finished...
The building was stabilized.
An unreal silence fell over New York.
Everywhere.
In the streets.
Inside apartments.
In front of television screens.
Even those watching through their screens were left speechless.
Harry Osborn stared at his television.
— Damn...
Liz Allan whispered:
— Holy...
Sally Avril finished:
— Shit...
Flash Thompson, meanwhile, said nothing.
His mouth hung slightly open.
And his eyes shone with an admiration he wasn't even trying to hide anymore.
Inside the helicopter, the reporter struggled to find her words.
— Everyone... I... I don't have the words to describe what I just witnessed. Spider-Man... he... he did it.
The hero, meanwhile, could no longer hear anything.
His body finally gave out.
His legs collapsed beneath him.
The world became blurry.
Then black.
But before he could hit the pavement, someone caught him.
Gwen.
She held him tightly.
Tears in her eyes.
A trembling smile on her face.
— You really are... amazing.
TO BE CONTINUED.