Author's Note: Hello, fellow readers and Fanfiction members! After a while of working silently, I am proud to announce that I am back once more with yet another story of which has been a long time coming as far as I'm concerned. I know I recently started the whole Sonic: Black Void story, but for whatever reason I've been losing interest and instead turning to work out the details of my next big project: my Spider-Man universe. This one is unlike my previous crossover with Scooby-Doo and instead follows the civilian and superhero side of Peter Parker as he takes on classic villains and Parker luck scenarios in new ways while also staying true to the original source material. This chapter here begins the first of many arcs. Enjoy it, readers, and can't wait to hear your feedback as I come out with more!
The Sensational Spider-Man #1: Hunters and the Hunted
On a bright morning in Queens, the sun rose and shown through the blinds of every residence lining the neighborhood. Some were already awake while other slept in and dreamed, letting warm and fuzzy thoughts fill their heads. In the residence of the Parker's, however, things were different; books were spread out along Peter's bed of which he kept open all night using them as pillows. For Peter, this was standard sleeping territory on an average night before the first day of school.
Soon as the sunlight hit his eyes and his alarm clock went off on his bedside table, Peter snorted awake having realized he had been drooling into his newly bought copy of Seabiscuit much to his dismay. Without a care in the world, Peter slammed his fist down onto his alarm clock to shut it off, sat up, and yawned, fully aware of what day it was today. Today's the first day of junior year and I couldn't be more excited! Peter thought to himself. Things'll be vastly different. The friends I've come to know and love will be my backup dealing with bullies and we'll show them who's boss! Despite recent happenings from the previous year, Peter remained optimistic about life and was open to infinite possibilities of what lay ahead. He couldn't wait to get his future started.
Jumping out of bed, he made his way over to his closet and opened it to find the one thing he needed most: a red and blue spider-themed spandex suit he made himself. Ever so eagerly, he threw it on to put under his unusual choice of long-sleeved clothing that was enough to make even his aunt question why he dressed like that all the time even in summer - his only excuse right now in September was that temperatures were cooling. Grabbing his school stuff, books and all, he unlocked his self-made state of the art electronic lock on his door and made his way out of his room towards the bathroom where he took a good look at his own Caucasian appearance in the mirror. He smoothed his slicked up brown hair and looked himself clear into his own brown eyes knowing his looks were good even without his glasses. And so, he took off for downstairs in anticipation to greet his aunt like the sweetheart she was.
Before he made it all the way downstairs, however, his aunt's voice rang to him, alerting him to her conversation on the phone. "...it's time to pay rent again and once more, we're not liquid enough," May said with a sigh to her best friend, Anna Watson. "I know, I often wish Ben had left us a fortune, but still, he would've been the one to encourage us to keep looking for ways to make more money… I know, it's just… I really miss him."
Her words struck Peter as a great concern to their family. Considering what happened to them in the previous year, mentioning Ben was definitely the one thing that got Peter thinking most about his actions and the consequences they produced. Based on that experience, he knew that if it was something he could help he could take action.
"Maybe you're right. I shouldn't mention this to Peter quite yet. He's got enough to deal with in school anyway," she continued. "Thanks, Anna… Bye bye!"
With that, she hung up. This couldn't have been the perfect time for Peter to walk in and greet her as he took in her elderly, blue-eyed good looks for the first time since the previous night.
"'Morning, Aunt May! How's the nicest girl in Queens doing this fine morning?" Peter made his presence known optimistically.
"Oh, I'm quite alright!" Aunt May lied. "And how's my dear nephew doing?"
"Never better!" he said kissing her on her semi-wrinkled cheek to which she giggled.
"I suppose you'd better hurry to the bus stop. Wouldn't want to be late on that first day back now would you?"
"No ma'am. I mean it's only my junior year. Won't be as exciting as next year, but it's still something!"
"You're certainly growing up. Seems like just yesterday you were off to your first day of first grade carrying your backpack and lunch to the bus stop."
"Those were the days," Peter looked off reminiscing. "Speaking of, do you mind if I pack my lunch for a change this year?"
"Oh, I almost forgot! I decided to follow tradition and pack your lunch ahead of schedule," Aunt May stated as she strode off into the kitchen to retrieve the item in question.
"Aw, Aunt May!" Peter exclaimed annoyed. "I'm sixteen not six. I can handle a few responsibilities."
By the time he finished his sentence, Aunt May had already gone and grabbed the sack lunch she had made well before Peter got up, delightfully handing it to Peter with pride. "Oh, Peter. Just know that no matter what they say, you'll always be my little nephew," she said looking up at him with a hand on his shoulder. "Now hurry along, don't let me keep you!"
"Will do, Aunt May!" he responded grabbing his sack lunch. "Have a good rest of your day and I'll see you later!"
Heading for the door, Peter strode outside, pretending to put on a happy face for his aunt, but remained internally concerned for their financial well-being. Regardless of how he felt about his home life, Peter held high regard for his secret life he had been gifted with just one year ago on a fateful field trip he took with his classmates. It was the reason he kept his spidery spandex suit on him at all times and was determined to use it to bypass the difficulties of riding/driving through the city by himself. At this point in his life, he was glad to have been bitten by a genetically modified spider that gave him powers that allowed him to become the very thing the city needed most. And so, after making sure no one was in sight, he hid well in some nearby bushes to navigate his backpack for two hidden essentials he kept to assume his secret identity: a red mask with white and black eye lenses and some red and blue gloves equipped with devices he called "web shooters". Applying both pieces to his appearance, he proceeded to remove his clothes and put them in his backpack, uncovering his spandex suit and emerging from the bushes under his most top secret identity: the Amazing Spider-Man.
"One thing's for sure, despite what Aunt May thinks, I won't be taking the bus anymore. Not while Spider-Man's still around," Peter proclaimed to himself under his mask. He then turned to press a button on his newly equipped web shooters, which shot out a strand of sticky spider web-like substance toward the nearest building. With a whoosh, he zipped along the web's trajectory and took off toward the roof of the nearest residential building and ran across it to the end. In a series of action moves, flips, and web zips he made his way beyond the Queens suburb and into the more commercial-oriented district where a train was stationed for eventual departure.
"Guess I'll just hang out here until the train moves along," Spider-Man thought out loud to himself as he proceeded to pull out his phone to check the time. "And what do ya know? For once it looks like I'll actually be getting to school at a decent time. Midtown Manhattan High, here I come!"
With a sudden nudged, the train began to roll out from its current position much to Spidey's surprise. As if it weren't already convenient enough for him to have a train to latch onto, the train's departure was the next best thing for him getting to school at a decent time. This seemed to be his only option as there was the bridge to swing across, which usually resulted in slower movement than the speed the elevated subway carried him. And so, without much to worry about - including the likes of criminals he took down on a regular basis - he took a seat and chilled atop the moving train car, casually scrolling through his phone for any sign of a social media post from his high school clique. Surely enough, he found on Facebook yet another post of an overlook shot of the city from his best friend, Harry Osborn, stating "It's the last night before school so I thought I'd take one last shot of the city during my time of freedom. #lastnight #saveme". Seeing this, Peter chuckled. He almost wished he could experience Harry's view from Oscorp Tower on a regular basis, but, then again, he already got enough of a thrill jumping from buildings all the time.
Before he knew it, the train had taken Peter to the other side of the bridge where his stop was located and so he packed his phone and took off. From there, he proceeded to swing off into the concrete canyons of Manhattan, calling out to the New York traffic below as he made his daily appearance to the amazement of pedestrians and kids looking out their car windows. With little time to focus on his surroundings, the Web-head mentally set a course for Midtown Manhattan High, soaring over buildings through use of his weblines and acrobatics he invented himself over the past year. Web swinging his way to school on the first day couldn't have been more thrilling. But could he reach the building in time for the bell to ring? He wondered.
He shot himself over one last building and in plain view was the grounds Midtown Manhattan High in the heart of Midtown. From the many kids getting off the school bus to those convening in the cafeteria courtyard, the school looked busier than ever. Peter could hardly wait to get in on the action.
Setting down in an alleyway behind a nearby dumpster, Peter threw his street clothes on over his suit and made his way across the street and onto the school grounds where the entrance door was in sight. Just when Peter couldn't have thought himself to be halted any sooner, his backpack strap was caught by a manly hand as thick as his "spider abs". With a jolt, Peter looked up to find the tan, slicked up blonde head of Eugene "Flash" Thompson looking down upon him with a sly grin on his face.
"Well, if it isn't Puny Parker back to claim his throne as 'top geek' at this school," the bully, Flash, taunted. "What's the matter? Are you nothing without your backpack?"
With a single tug, Flash pulled off Peter's book bag and claimed it for himself. Peter reached for it before Flash pulled it away, holding it high above his head for no good reason at all.
"If it isn't 'Flash' Thompson thinking he's all that just by keeping his backpack away from me," Peter retorted. "Seriously, I thought we called it even after I outsmarted you in a fight last year."
That was a day Flash hadn't forgotten about hardly at all. It was the day that Peter tested his new powers out on the bully and found out he now had the capability to put him in the nurse office with a black eye and bloody nose. "Oh, I'm sorry. I seem to recall you wanting to 'get even' that day. Now it's my turn!" he proclaimed before turning to his "jock mates" in matching orange and black Midtown jackets standing all around him. "Hey, guys! Let's line up in formation and play monkey in the middle!"
Without consideration for Peter's well-being or the fact that he was about to be late to class, Flash tossed Peter's book bag to the jock all the way across the circle. Peter followed his bag, but was unable to reach it before it got tossed to the next one in sight some of, which had their phones out for a Snapchat video. Frustrating as this was, Peter wished he could utilize his enhanced speed to catch up.
Fortunate for Peter, another like minded soul happened to be walking nearby and strolled in on the commotion.
"Flash!" the voice of the blonde-haired, fair faced girl calling herself Gwen Stacy called out. "What did we say about tormenting Peter the first day back?"
"B-but, Gwen, that was summer school! This year things are different!" Flash replied. "And if you don't step out of the way, your stuff's next!"
"Please, Flash! If you could pass the ball under pressure, would we have lost to Staten Island Tech last year?" she stated sarcastically. "For all we know, you're too chicken to come grab my bag and start throwing it around yourself."
The surrounding jocks gave mixed reactions of "oohs" and laughs at the burn she just delivered inciting Flash to surrender to her womanly dominance. Right then and there, Flash's stocky black friend, Rand Robertson, approached Gwen and Peter with the latter's book bag in hand.
"Dude, you want some Aloe Vera for that burn?" Rand asked in his signature chill voice before handing Peter back his back, which he had caught in the previous scuffle. "Here you go, Einstein. It's all you."
"T-thanks, Rand," said Peter. "I appreciate you being the most helpful of this group."
"Don't mention it. Just following family rule here," Rand stated, referring to his father who worked for a big name newspaper tabloid printing company in Manhattan.
"Good to know," Gwen said to him prior to the first bell ringing overhead, alerting them to class starting in five minutes. "That's the first bell. Better buck up if you wanna get to class on time, sweaty athlete!"
Her last statement was directed at Flash who slumped in shame over the smart girl's ability to outsmart him not only in intelligence, but in wits as well. She was often there to save Peter's hide in the midst of a bully scuffle ever since they formed a clique their first year of high school together. This often lead to Flash's attempts to bully Peter resulting in fruitless comebacks that left him ashamed of trying to bully a "nerdette" such as Gwen whilst she stood next to Peter. Because of this recent attempt, Flash was left to kick his backpack lying next to him in frustration while Peter and Gwen took off into the school, giggling under their breaths at the way Flash essentially humiliated himself.
Soon as they checked to see that the jocks took off a different direction, Peter and Gwen turned to face each other. "Thanks for saving me back there, Gwen. I really owe you one."
"You owe nothing, Peter. I'm just doing my job as 'smartest in our class' like I always do," she boasted.
"Hey, now, who said you were the smartest?" Peter asked in a playful tone.
"I'm pretty sure you did all those times I helped you with chemistry homework last year." She was right. Peter might have been the next Albert Einstein in terms of intellect and capacity to ace science on a regular basis, but, without Gwen, his abilities and confidence were hardly that refined.
"Well, but… Okay, you're right, I did, I'll admit. Now if only I were smart enough to keep Flash's goons from posting their bully attempts to Snapchat," Peter said noting the guys who had their phones out earlier.
"The least you could do is try and make sure you don't get caught if you know what I'm saying." And right she was.
"Right. But anyways, I'm, like, really, really impressed by your ability to turn the tides against Flash like that. I mean, seriously, how do you do that?"
"When your dad's a certain police captain who asserts himself to the criminals of New York, you learn a few things that other folk don't learn around here."
"Well, it's a good thing John knows what he's doing training you up the way he does!" Peter complimented.
"You know me too well," Gwen finished as they proceeded to walk into their shared first period science classroom where students were already communing and talking amongst each other. Among them sat the read headed duo of Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend since seventh grade, and Mary Jane Watson, Peter's next door neighbor and childhood friend from whom he often accepted the name "Tiger". The two were muttering under their breath to discuss schedules with each other when Harry turned his thin face toward Peter and Gwen taking their seats at the counter next to him and Mary Jane.
"Hey there, Pete! How'd summer treat you?" Harry asked gesturing to his best friend.
"Oh, hey, Harry. Pretty boring summer I'll say," Peter said to mask the fact that he was now that Spider-Man guy swinging around everywhere.
"That's too bad. My dad was stuck in boardrooms all summer, which left me stuck in boredom. I can't believe all this time we could've been bored together, but then again, what gives? This year's gonna be torture anyway," Harry stated pessimistically. He didn't really have the brightest attitude in the room, but he still had all the reasons to call himself Peter's best friend regardless.
"Don't be silly, Harry!" Mary Jane said nudging Harry. "As long as we're all friends here, it'll be the ride of a lifetime!"
"Well, maybe you're right. It's not like we're gonna be here forever. Still… I wish it felt like I have a dad," Harry replied.
"Don't worry, Harry," she said laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here for you."
Hearing this, Harry smiled. He was almost certain there was a mutual connection between the two of them and, despite the butterflies in his stomach, he almost wanted to move forward to asking her out.
Gotta admit, both girls in my life really know their stuff, Peter thought silently. Between Gwen and MJ he almost didn't know who he liked better, but then again, MJ seemed to have more of a thing for Harry anyway.
Right then, the bell rang yet again, signaling that all students should be in class, which, for a change, Peter thankfully was on the first day - Flash had always made him late in previous year because he was either dumpster diving for his bag or stuck in a locker. Their stubby, lab coat clad science professor entered the room, clipboard in hand ready to teach the class their first assignment of the year. "Good morning, class! I understand this is your first day back and so, allow me to introduce myself - my name is Aaron Warren, but you can call me, 'Mr. Warren'," the teacher stated delightfully.
After a session of handing out the syllabus and going over class rule, Mr. Warren got right down to business with introducing the first topic of his AP Biology class, the process of natural selection. Whatever he presented, Peter was more than ready to take notes with his notebook and blue pen in hand as he witnessed Gwen take the same items from her bag. Whatever this class session, Peter was more than ready to begin another year at a brisk pace.
The New York TV studios were clambering for yet another run of the show Hunting With Kraven, a show that had been struggling to maintain its rating over the previous year. While the fact that Kraven himself could single handedly wrestle a rhinoceros and keep a pet lion stood as some of the most impressive things on his list of qualities, his show was running on the verge of cancellation. This was something the African-Australian show host would not put up with in his mostly successful lifetime.
As the broad-shoulder, black-bearded man with a tan complexion stared at a newspaper cutout depicting the decline of his show's ratings, he gave it a look of disdain. Nothing he seemed to do could get the show back on top to where it once was. It was almost as if he had been taking down the same crocodile time and again and he was certainly no Steve Irwin. He crumpled up the newspaper article, furious with his recent ratings and chucked it at the mirror inside his dressing room, standing up to pound the table with immense force.
"What can a man like Sergei Kravinoff do to get back on top?!" the hunter shouted to himself. He turned around to face his prized collection of taxidermy animals he kept for the sake of his ego. "My collection has everything from rhinos, tigers, even vultures of which I've taken down single handedly. Surely I must be missing something. A beast so unique that none can rival its majesty!"
Just then, the door opened, alerting Sergei to the woman entering the room: his field agent and love, Calypso. "Sergei, my love," her thick African accent rang through the room, Sergei turning to face her beautiful, dark appearance and into her brown eyes.
"Calypso, you have such impeccable timing," Sergei noted with a chuckle that broke up his anger. "Go on."
"I've been on the case scouting for new and exciting wildlife for you to hunt and kill for the show," she said walking toward him holding a folder containing photos. "Our anonymous business partner from right here in New York says he has just the catch for us to exhibit."
She handed him the folder, which Sergei eagerly swiped out of her hands and sat down on his desk in front of him. Examining the folder cautiously, he opened it to find the unlikeliest of surprises: the so-called "Spider-Man" he had noticed in the papers. "Interesting… I've come across this sort of creature in newsprint before, though I just assumed it was a hoax. Now that we have a plausible source confirming the existence of this spidery beast, I must say I am intrigued."
Noting his intrigue and manliness, Calypso laid a hand on his shoulder in delight of his change of heart. "Sergei," she sighed. "It's nice to see you open up to working locally for a change."
"But, of course! Regardless of its status amongst the masses, my show must not stop at anything short of success until I achieve such! And this opportunity is not one to pass up."
"I like the way you think, Sergei," she stated giving him a dreamy look. "Shall I alert the Big Man's personnel to send reinforcements?"
He turned to face her with a sharp eye. "Tell him I wish to send in the best of the best."
Thanks everyone for reading and hope to read your reviews very soon!