Arachnid: New Spiderman

[1st POV]

We left the restaurant with Mary, incredibly happy.

"Honestly, Peter, I really needed this."

Mary said softly, "When I moved here, I thought it would be hard to start everything over in a new place, especially in New York. And then, here you are."

MJ turned to look at me.

I also turned to her.

"Did I mention that I wasn't completely honest?"

"What do you mean?"

"When Aunt Anna decided to take me in, I had to come see the house."

"So, you were in the city before the move?"

"Exactly."

"And why do you say you weren't completely honest? I just don't see anything wrong with that."

"That day, I saw you coming back from school."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh, no offense, Tiger, but you looked like a real bookworm with heavy brown pants, a shirt with a vest, a tie, and glasses in thick frames. But you know what thought crossed my mind first?"

"What?"

"There's still this immense strength of spirit in you."

We stop at the stone bridge.

Mary took my hand.

"And also, the light that you're ready to share with others. Maybe that's why I fell in love with you?"

Before I could answer, MJ took my face and kissed me. 

Without thinking for a second, I start kissing her back with all the passion I have. We only pull apart when we start running out of air.

"If we're being honest, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. I'm not sure, but maybe it started much earlier, back in childhood."

Mary just smiled at my sudden confession and kissed me again.

We didn't get to her house until two hours later. 

We talk about the past, present, and future, about two young people, their experiences, hopes, and promises, and a long walk under the moonlight.

"This was a wonderful evening, Peter." 

MJ said while we were holding hands.

"I completely agree. Mary, I don't want to jump ahead, but I can't help but ask."

Miss Watson just looked at me.

"So… are we… like, together?"

"Ask properly, Mr. Parker."

She said with a little smile.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course, I will, Tiger."

She said, throwing herself into my arms, agreeing with a kiss.

I pulled her close and kissed her.

...

"WOOHOOO!" 

I scream at the top of my lungs while flying over the rooftops of the night-time New York.

I don't just feel lighthearted. 

I feel fucking amazing!

The girl of my dreams herself said she's in love with me, and now we're together!

"I'M HAPPY!"

"SHUT UP!'

"Same to you, good citizen!"

I landed on the wall of a skyscraper.

Alright, another round of patrol and…

"Zzz"

I begin to scan my surroundings sharply.

The tingling at the back of my neck is strong. I quickly check my equipment. 

The scan is interrupted by a distant hum. 

A large aircraft with obvious military origins appeared on the horizon and started targeting me.

I jump off the roof, dodging bullets, and start gliding over the city. I need to move it away from the streets to prevent civilian casualties.

I maneuver between New York's skyscrapers and recall that this situation feels painfully familiar.

The memories flicker at the periphery, but nothing specific. 

I run up the side of the skyscraper, and at my feet, bullets are humming.

I shoot two webs and launch myself like a slingshot, spinning in the air and slapping the helicopter's rotor with the web.

The machine started to slow down with a few more spins, and a crash was inevitable. 

I quickly shoot out multiple webs and try to hook the helicopter to the building walls. 

I can't completely prevent the fall. 

After making a shallow groove in the building's wall, the aircraft carelessly spirals down to the nearest rooftop.

I flipped and dodged a debris shard flying at me.

"Well, if it isn't the insect," 

A man in a business suit said that two very familiar criminal faces were at the other end of the building.

"Well, well, Bull and Fancy Dan. Long time no see, guys, to be honest, I haven't missed you. Where's your criminal leader? Your group is really missing some old-fashioned cowboy Wild West."

I glance briefly at the broken helicopter.

"Don't tell me he was flying the bird? He got off easier on any of you last time than he did this time. History repeats itself, right?"

"If memory serves me right, we nearly sent you to the grave last time. Today, we'll finish what we started."

Bull threw another piece of debris at me. 

I dodge it easily. 

Fancy Dan attacked from the other side, and I barely managed to slip under his strike's trajectory.

"Listen, Dan, maybe you should've taken the nickname Ricochet? No matter which way I move, you always attack from the opposite."

Of course, he didn't respond to my jab, and Bull headed for the helicopter.

I shoot my web at Fancy Dan, and while he's tangled in the threads, I hook a large piece of debris with my web and launch it at Bull.

"Not so fast, Jimbo!"

The chunk of concrete crashes into Bull's back, forcing him to plow his nose into the rooftop surface.

"Are you out of your mind?! The helicopter could catch fire at any moment, let me pull out Montana!"

"Thanks, sidekick, but I'll manage myself."

I jump into the helicopter and rip off the pilot's side door. Afterward, I got hit by two electric whips. 

I'm thrown away from the helicopter and crash my back into an air conditioner on the roof.

"That's your biggest weakness, Spider-Man. You see, we've been watching this whole time. Of course, you managed to hide from the cameras, but we acknowledged one important thing. After the warehouse, you have been lying low. Seriously, flying around the city to pick up cats from trees or help old ladies cross the street?! I sensed that we were hired to eliminate a very dangerous threat at that warehouse. You were like that that day. God, you crippled at least thirty guys! You broke my arm! You even killed one of ours."

"I... didn't... kill."

"Oh, come on! Whether you covered yourself from the bullets with his body or shot himself, it doesn't make much of a difference. Now you're trying to hide behind the mask of a kind fool? It won't work, man, we've seen your true colors, so stop being a pussy and start fighting like a real man. Let your instincts run wild, at least before you die."

I turned to the metal block, ripped the air conditioner off the roof, and threw it at the approaching Bull.

I move closer to Dan, who has stepped away from his partners.

"Do you want me to get serious?! Then let's fight seriously!"

I grab him by the throat and slam his face into the roof with all my strength.

"So, not so much of a 'Fancy' guy anymore, huh?"

I don't give him a chance to break free from my grip and slam his face into the roof a few more times until he stops moving entirely.

The fight with Danis is interrupted by the enraged Bull.

I sharply jump up, pushing off the Bull's shoulders, and end up behind him. 

In that very second, Bull is hit with several hundred volts from the whips of our familiar cowboy.

"Damn!"

"That's what I learned from our last encounter, Montana. I learned from my mistakes, yet your guys are already in a knockout. Why are you only all here if it's not a secret? You couldn't afford to hire a few dozen lackeys for backup?

"The Big Man thought we were wasting resources. I don't agree but the job will be done," 

Montana said, activating his whips and charging at me.

But how... The Hammerhead! Of course! I'm such an idiot for not figuring it out.

I thought it would be so simple, just get a few tongues and instantly take down the whole criminal network. 

I need to think smarter.

I shoot a web at the cowboy's weapon. I yank the whipped out of Montana's hands, pull them toward myself, and snap them in half.

"Ah, looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," 

Montana pulled out a couple of revolvers from under his coat.

I dodge the bullets with a pirouette and, hooking Dan's unconscious body, pull it toward me.

Montana stopped.

"You say I killed that mercenary? Well, go ahead and shoot! You can blame the death of your partner on me. Don't be a coward, come on, shoot!"

The cowboy shot.

I barely manage to throw Dan aside and dodge the bullet myself.

I shoot a web at the cowboy's weapon.

"I can't believe it! You were really ready to shoot your own friend?"

"In our line of work, friendship is a luxury. The job always comes first. We have worked too hard on our reputation to ruin it over some bug testing you on your morals. Unprofessional."

 I silently tie up Bull and Dan, moving closer to the rambling Montana.

"Well, I've got another trick," 

He pulled out a pocket knife. 

"Come closer, bug!"

I calmly dodged his lunge, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it. The knife fell to the ground, and I threw Montana aside.

"It's cyclical, huh, moron? Alright, I surrender. Go on, how'd you deal with the small fry or those idiots—Trapster and Bonebreaker? Arrest us."

I move closer to him.

"Hey, I said I surrender! Call the cops and an ambulance, or whatever else you do!"

I grabbed Montana by the chest and lifted him off the ground.

"Do I look like a rescue service?" 

I punch the bandit in the stomach, "Where can I find Big Man'?"

"Go to hell!"

"Alright," 

I twist his arm again. 

"What do you think will break first, your stubborn silence or all the bones in your body? Missing the plaster cast? You tell me."

"Alright, wait, wait a second."

We freeze For a couple of moments,

"He's a very serious man. If I rat him out, I'm dead."

"Same old story," 

I silently begin moving toward the edge of the roof.

"Listen! They'll kill me!"

"You didn't complete the mission; you could already consider yourself dead," 

I said, pulling Montana over the edge of the roof.

"Wait-wait, you won't do this!" 

A boot fell off his foot and tumbled into the abyss.

***FLASHBACK***

"Uncle Ben!"

"What happened, Peter?"

"Flash, he's at school again! He keeps picking on me, making fun of me, I... I..."

"What, Peter? How did you feel at that moment?"

"I was angry. Really angry. I wanted to hit him, Uncle. I even wanted him dead."

"But you didn't hit him. And tell me honestly, could you have killed that guy?"

"No... I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because murder is wrong."

"That's right, Peter. I understand it's not easy for you right now, but you're a good person. I know you're doing the right thing."

***PRESENT***

The memory dissolves like mist.

I sharply threw Montana towards his partners and bound him with webbing.

Leaping off the roof, I flew away.

To be continued...