New York — Thompson Apartment — Night
At home, Flash paced back and forth in his room, unable to sit still. Even several hours after the events of the previous day, his mind remained stuck on a single image: Spider-Man holding an entire building on his shoulders.
He was currently on a call with Liz and Sally.
— No, but seriously, girls! You can't say I'm overreacting now! I'm not the only one fired up! The whole city is after seeing what Spider-Man did!
Sitting behind her screen, Liz nodded sincerely.
— I agree! At first, I thought you talked about him way too much for no reason, but now... I'm really impressed!
Flash's face immediately lit up.
— Right?! What about you? What do you think, Sally?
A resigned sigh echoed through the call.
— It hurts me to admit it, but yeah... that was pretty impressive.
At those words, Flash practically jumped with joy.
Finally.
Even Sally recognized Spider-Man's greatness.
— I'm telling you! This guy is going to get New York back on its feet! Very soon, we'll be able to go outside again without any problems!
Still excited, he pointed a finger toward the ceiling as if he had just delivered a prophecy.
New York — New York Hospital — Morning
Spider-Man slowly opened his eyes.
Lying in a hospital bed, it took him a few seconds to regain his bearings. Beside him, Gwen had been watching over him for hours. He was still wearing his costume, although his mask had been slightly lifted, revealing his mouth and nose.
— Gwen...?
The moment she heard his voice, immense relief crossed her face.
— Peter! How do you feel?
He grimaced as he slightly moved his arms.
— My arms and back hurt, but otherwise... I think I'm okay.
He slowly sat up before glancing around.
A hospital room.
The smell of medicine.
Silence.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
— How long have I been unconscious?
— Almost eleven hours. And it's already morning.
Peter froze.
— WHAT?!
He immediately pulled the curtains open.
Sunlight flooded the room.
It was true.
The day had already begun.
— But why didn't you wake me up?!
Gwen crossed her arms.
— Oh, I don't know... maybe because you had just held up a building over twenty stories tall for a good ten minutes before collapsing?!
Peter opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
For once, he had absolutely nothing to say.
— Yeah, but... the people out there! I need to go see if—
— Everything's fine!
He turned toward her, surprised.
— What?
— Well, not completely... but the situation has calmed down.
She settled more comfortably into her chair before continuing.
— After what you did at the Bugle, a lot of criminals turned themselves in. They probably figured that fighting a guy capable of lifting a twenty-story building wasn't a great idea. And honestly... they were right!
For the first time since waking up, Peter felt some of his stress disappear.
His body was still broken with pain.
But at least his efforts hadn't been useless.
However, Gwen quickly adopted a more serious tone.
— The only problem is that there are still quite a few small-time criminals in the streets... and especially the dangerous ones.
Peter completely removed his mask.
— So you were right. I managed to lift the Daily Bugle, and the result is that criminals surrendered on their own. That's good news. But Electro, Scorpion, Shocker, and Sandman are still out there...
His expression immediately darkened.
The battle was far from over.
Gwen noticed immediately.
— Hey.
— Hmm... yeah?
She gently moved closer and took his hand in hers.
— You're going to make it.
Then she leaned in and kissed him softly.
Completely caught off guard, Peter remained motionless for several seconds.
A mischievous smile appeared on Gwen's face.
— That's to encourage you.
Before he could answer, a special report interrupted the moment.
The television mounted on the wall had just turned on.
On-screen appeared the same reporter who had covered the previous day's events from her helicopter.
— Good morning, New Yorkers. Here we are in the morning. As you can see, I'm still flying over the city, and I have some updates for you. Since Spider-Man managed to lift the Daily Bugle, an enormous number of criminals have surrendered. Faced with such power, many chose to give up. So I want to tell you that we are on the path toward recovery and peace. It's only a matter of time.
Gwen discreetly gave Peter a thumbs-up.
He responded with a knowing smile.
The reporter continued:
— However... even though the majority have surrendered, the most dangerous ones remain: the super-criminals. Two have already been arrested, but four are still at large. And for nearly half a day, Spider-Man has not been seen. We don't know where he is or what he's doing. But if you can hear me, Mr. Hero... New York needs you. Send these criminals back to prison and restore peace to this city. To OUR city!
Peter slowly stood up.
His mask now hung from his hand.
— How's the pain level? Gwen asked.
He thought for a moment.
— You want the truth? I'm still hurting... and I'd like to stay in bed.
Gwen burst out laughing.
Then Peter grew serious again.
— But...
She watched him carefully.
— No matter how much it hurts, it won't stop me. I have responsibilities to fulfill. And it's thanks to you that I remembered that. Thank you, Gwen.
He looked at her with infinite tenderness.
As always, she felt her cheeks turn red.
— It's nothing, don't worry about it. Come on, go, Mr. Superhero!
Peter smiled.
He opened the window.
Then suddenly stopped.
— By the way, reassure me... nobody saw my face while I was unconscious, right?
Gwen immediately looked proud of herself.
— Oh, that? Don't worry. I watched over you like crazy to make sure they didn't take your mask off! And honestly, even without me, I don't think they would've done it. I think they feel grateful.
A gentle warmth filled Peter's chest.
— That's good to know. Be careful on your way home.
— I'll be careful.
Peter put his mask back on.
Reloaded his web cartridges.
Then jumped out the window.
Gwen watched him disappear into the morning light.
— And you too... be careful.
A few seconds later, a nurse entered the room.
— Excuse me, I'm here to check on our big celebrity...
She suddenly stopped.
The bed was empty.
Gwen let out a small awkward laugh.
— Oh, uh... sorry, he left to save the city.
New York — Above Manhattan — Morning
The wind whistled between the skyscrapers as Spider-Man swung from building to building.
For the first time since waking up, he felt like the situation was finally starting to improve. The city was still far from being saved, but at least it was no longer on the verge of collapse.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
He caught it mid-swing and answered immediately.
— Hello, Peter?
George Stacy's voice echoed from the other end of the line.
— George! Is everything okay on your end? How's my aunt?
— She's still unconscious, but her life isn't in danger, so don't worry. According to the doctors, she should wake up very soon.
Spider-Man briefly closed his eyes.
A deep sigh of relief escaped him.
— That's good...
He slowed his momentum and landed on the roof of a nearby building so he could continue the conversation more calmly.
— And by the way, why are you calling? Do you have something important to tell me?
— Yes. I've received some information: the four remaining super-criminals are supposedly inside a large multi-story restaurant. And they're holding hostages with them. I've sent you the location.
A notification immediately appeared on his phone screen.
Spider-Man quickly checked it.
— Perfect. I'm heading there right now, and I'll try to deal with it quickly.
— Very good. But I'd rather warn you: since I'm with your aunt, I've handed command of the operation over to someone else. Her name is Yuri Watanabe. She's a trusted colleague, highly competent, and she's already on-site with her officers.
— Okay! Got it.
Spider-Man was already standing up, ready to continue on his way.
But George stopped him one last time.
— And one last thing, Peter.
The hero froze.
— I'm listening.
A brief silence followed.
Then the captain's voice became more serious.
— Out of all my colleagues, she's probably the one who doubts you the most. Despite everything you've done, she still sees you as a potential threat. As someone who should be locked up. So... be careful.
Spider-Man remained silent for a few moments.
Then he slowly nodded, even though George couldn't see him.
— I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
The call ended.
Peter slipped his phone back into his pocket, then looked toward the horizon.
In the distance, Manhattan's skyscrapers stood beneath the morning light.
Somewhere among them waited the last four super-criminals still at large.
Sandman.
Shocker.
Scorpion.
Electro.
Spider-Man took a deep breath.
Then launched himself back into the air, disappearing between the buildings toward his next battle.
New York — Barricaded Restaurant — Exterior — Shortly After
In front of the restaurant's barricaded entrance, Yuri Watanabe stood perfectly straight, surrounded by about ten heavily armed police officers. Bulletproof vests, assault rifles, flash grenades, and fragmentation grenades: nothing had been left to chance.
— Okay, listen up, everyone! she said firmly. Inside, we've got several extremely dangerous super-criminals. We're going into the building and trying to neutralize them, BUT rescuing the civilians is our top priority. Fast and efficient, understood?
— UNDERSTOOD! the ten officers replied in unison.
A figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed on a wall several meters above them.
— Uh, tell me... can I join the party? And what difficulty setting did you guys choose, by the way? Just curious.
Yuri looked up.
— Well, well... Spider-Man.
— In flesh and webs!
The hero gracefully jumped down from the wall and positioned himself in front of her.
— You want to take part in this operation? Seriously...
The humor instantly vanished from Spider-Man's voice.
— Listen... I'm going to put my cards on the table. Captain Stacy told me about you, and he said you have doubts about me. Which I understand. Really. But those guys in there aren't joking around. If you go in with your officers, they'll slaughter you! Is that really what you want? Sending your people into the lion's den?
Despite his words, Yuri remained expressionless.
The cold, disdainful look in her eyes left no doubt: she wasn't convinced.
— Let me help you, he continued. All I want is to keep people from getting hurt... or worse. I know you don't like me, but the captain also told me you're competent and trustworthy, so...
He extended his hand.
— I hope we can work together properly.
Yuri stared at the offered hand without moving.
One of the officers finally spoke up.
— Chief... if Captain Stacy trusts him, maybe we can give him a chance? He's already saved a lot of lives after all, and... I think everyone here knows what he's capable of. Don't you think he'd be useful for stopping the people inside?
Through their earpieces, several other officers quietly voiced their agreement.
Yuri quickly realized they all shared the same opinion.
She let out an annoyed sigh before finally extending her hand.
— Fine. But we're doing this my way. Keep that in mind.
Spider-Man nodded.
— Works for me.
Yuri then turned toward her officers.
— Okay, listen carefully. Here's how we're going to do this...
New York — Barricaded Restaurant — Upper Floors — A Few Minutes Later
On the upper floor of the restaurant, four super-criminals were gathered around a large table.
Electro.
Sandman.
Shocker.
Scorpion.
In one corner of the room, about ten hostages were tied up, terrified.
— I'm surprised the doc got taken down, Electro said.
— Me too, Shocker replied. I thought he was a smart guy but... apparently, I was wrong.
— Maybe he has a plan? Scorpion suggested. Maybe he got locked up on purpose?
At that moment, a cook hurried out of the kitchen, his hands trembling. He carried a tray of food, which he placed in front of them without saying a word.
Sandman chuckled.
— A plan? Seriously? Haven't you watched the news? Him and Rhino got wrecked! And apparently, the six-armed guy got absolutely beaten to a pulp by Spider-Man.
Electric arcs immediately crackled around Electro.
The criminal jumped to his feet.
— Beaten to a pulp, you say?! Let him come here, and you'll see who's gonna beat who!
The cook flinched in fear.
— Calm down, Electro, Shocker sighed. Can't you see you're freaking out our cook? Relax. If the spider shows up, we'll take care of him.
The electricity eventually faded.
Electro grumbled before sitting back down.
Shocker turned toward the cook.
— Excuse him. He's just a little... nervous.
— I-I understand. N-No problem! Do... do you want anything else?
— Just bring me some water. I'm thirsty.
— R-Right away!
The cook hurried back toward the kitchen.
The moment he crossed the doorway, a hand emerged from the darkness and grabbed him.
Yuri Watanabe immediately covered his mouth.
With a quick motion, she showed him her police badge and signaled for him to stay quiet.
The cook immediately nodded.
Relieved.
But still terrified.
In the main room, Shocker crossed his arms with a satisfied smile.
— It's crazy how easy it is to scare people when you're overpowered.
A voice suddenly echoed from the ceiling.
— And you're proud of that?! Bad Shocky, bad!
Shocker immediately looked up.
— Huh?! That voice...
Everyone raised their heads.
Spider-Man was clinging to the ceiling directly above them.
— How did he find us?! Scorpion shouted.
— Who cares?! KILL THIS SON OF A BITCH! Electro yelled.
Bolts of electricity immediately erupted.
Spider-Man detached himself from the ceiling and landed gracefully on the floor.
— Guys, let's get him and finish this! Sandman shouted.
But suddenly, a grenade rolled between them.
A flash grenade.
Spider-Man immediately turned toward the hostages.
— CIVILIANS, CLOSE YOUR EYES! QUICK!
The hostages obeyed without hesitation.
— Huh? What the hell is th—
FLASH.
A blinding light exploded throughout the room.
— AAAAH! MY EYES!
— I CAN'T SEE SHIT!
— IT'S TIME, GO! Yuri shouted.
The police officers immediately rushed out of the kitchen and hallways.
Within seconds, they reached the hostages, untied them at lightning speed, and began evacuating them.
— Now, Yuri! Spider-Man shouted.
— I know!
She then threw a second grenade.
A smoke grenade.
A thick gray cloud quickly filled the entire room.
— A smoke grenade now?! Shocker protested.
— Everyone, move downstairs! Yuri ordered.
The officers escorted the civilians toward the stairwell and quickly left the area.
Yuri remained behind for a few extra seconds.
Just long enough to cast one last glance at the smoke now swallowing the entire room.
Then she clenched her jaw.
— I followed your plan... You better not screw this up.
And she finally left the floor.
Leaving Spider-Man alone with the four super-criminals.
New York — Barricaded Restaurant — Exterior — Several Dozens of Minutes Earlier
Outside the restaurant, Yuri Watanabe stood facing her officers while the flashing lights of police vehicles illuminated the street. The ten officers listened attentively as she finished explaining her plan.
— That's the plan. Is everything clear?
— YES, CHIEF! they replied in unison.
Standing beside them, Spider-Man timidly raised his hand.
— The plan is a great plan and all, but... I'd like to add something. If that's okay, of course.
Yuri let out an annoyed sigh.
— I'm listening.
— I'd like you to throw a smoke grenade after you've gotten the hostages out.
The officer frowned.
— And why? You know a smoke grenade ruins visibility, right? How are you supposed to fight if you can't see them?
Spider-Man crossed his arms before calmly replying.
— That's exactly the point. Once you're out with the hostages, throw a smoke grenade and let me handle the rest.
He paused briefly.
— Trust me.
Yuri stared at him for several seconds without responding.
She didn't like the idea.
Not at all.
But after everything he had accomplished since the beginning of this crisis, it was difficult to pretend he didn't know what he was doing.
Despite her doubts, she agreed.
New York — Barricaded Restaurant — Upper Floors
In the present moment, the restaurant was now completely engulfed in smoke.
The police officers and the hostages had left the floor.
Yuri as well.
Only four disoriented super-criminals remained in the middle of the artificial fog.
And one spider.
Invisible.
Silent.
Lurking in the shadows.
Amid the smoke, Spider-Man remained perfectly still.
His spider-sense allowed him to perceive every movement.
Every breath.
Every step.
Unlike his opponents, he didn't need to see.
— Glad to see she trusted me despite her doubts. That's perfect.
His eyes narrowed behind the white lenses of his mask.
— Now... I'll be able to tear them apart in peace.
TO BE CONTINUED.