New York City had everything, and that was usually a plus, but not so much when that something was an ever growing criminal threat.
Over the last two years illegal trafficking in New York had grown to an all time high. Somehow, mobsters were periodically importing and exporting their 'merchandise' via shipping containers to and from several european countries. The deliveries were often guns and tech.
It had been a year now more or less since seventeen year old Peter Benjamin Parker had been bitten by a radioactive spider during a school trip to Oscorp Industries.
And tonight was the one year anniversary of the first appearance of Spider-Man. He'd been a pest in the eyes of the criminal underworld, frequently stopping heists and other schemes. The Daily Bugle however often pictured Spider-Man as one of the very criminals he tries to stop.
Sitting on a rooftop in Brooklyn with his legs dangled over the edge, Spider-Man held a cell phone to his ear with his mask rolled up to reveal his mouth.
"Hey, Aunt May. Checking in like I promised," he said.
"Very good, Peter. Give my best to Harry and be home by nine thirty. I made some chocolate brownies too," May said.
"Will do and sounds delicious. See you soon, bye," Peter said with a tender voice and broke off connection. He'd convinced her that he'd spend time helping Harry learn math.
Ever since Peter's uncle, Ben Parker, had been shot May became extra concerned about Peter's safety. She'd never approve of him going out as Spider-Man and fight crime so a little lie here and there protected her from more stress.
He tucked away his cell phone into a backpack that he webbed up underneath the rooftop ledge. His clothes were in there too. He stood up and checked the web-shooters mounted on his wrists and they were loaded.
"Let's go get 'em!" he mumbled with thrill as he loved being Spider-Man.
He jumped off and dove head first like an arrow toward the streets below. And right at that sweet point before hitting the concrete he shot a web and launched himself into the crisp night sky.
A warehouse at the Brooklyn docks was supposedly the meeting point for another shipment. He'd discovered this by repeatedly webbing a goon to different rooftops before he finally talked. It was almost eight o'clock which was the time the deal was going down.
He ran sideways across the front of a building before web-zipping himself toward another one. So on and so on before he reached the docks and the warehouse was in sight.
Perched on a rooftop opposite the warehouse, Spidey carefully scoped out the building.
"This should be interesting," he quietly muttered.
Infiltrating the building was going to be fairly easy. The operation was run by a group of low-level wise guys, and putting it simply, they were lazy. They missed things; didn't pay attention. Three of them circled the fence around the warehouse armed with shotguns.
He leapt forward and into a dive, the wind rushing against the fabric of his red and blue suit. With a web or two he launched himself behind the fence and to the side of the building. They hadn't spotted him. The nearest thug was webbed to the wall and his gun was web-yanked into the Webhead's hands.
His spider-sense buzzed when the other two thugs headed his way. He webbed the gun he took to the wall and hurled into action.
He fought and his spider-sense sychronized pefectly with his physical being. A boot to the face and a web-yank against the fence took out one of the two thugs. The other one cocked his shotgun and took aim. Spider-Man shot a web to the guy's face and blinded him.
Pulling the gun with a web and smacking it against the goon's head was enough of that. He webbed his unconscious foe to the fence and broke the gun in half.
"And that's three, now for the brains behind this little party," he said and jumped up, planting himself on the wall and crawling up.
A second story window at the rear of the building was slid open, he slinked through, making no sound at all.
It was barely lit inside and he could easily hide in the shadows. Hanging upside down from a web near the ceiling he waited until the action began.
It wasn't until a sudden alarming trigger of his spider-sense that he realized something. He'd been set up, trapped, lured into mistaking this for another illegal business deal. Huge bright lights sprung up all around him taking away any shadows or places to hide.
These massive spotlights were everywhere and the sound of someone clapping down below drew his attention.
There stood a whole gang of armed thugs and in front of them stood a bald fat man dressed in a fancy black shirt and tie. His clapping slowed and ultimately stopped.
"Spider-Man. Finally we meet. You've been busy putting a stop to business deals I've put in place. That stops now," the fat man said and his goons all took aim.
"Hold on here just a minute, Chubby Joe," Spider-Man shouted, mocking the fat man below. "You know me but I don't know you!"
"How very true. Suppose I could give you a name before they cut you down. Kingpin. Be seein' ya," he said and calmly walked away without looking back.
The goons began shooting immediately and there was no time to think or plan. He relied entirely on his spider-sense as it told him instinctively how to move.
There were ten of them but they had horrible aim and especially when he moved as fast as he did. He experienced the bullets flying at a slower rate and his senses almost dialed back the speed of everything around him.
Diving in between the rows of bullets he pulled down several hanging spotlights and hurled them at the firing thugs. They scattered. He landed on his feet, standing on the floor amidst all those armed men.
He web-yanked a pistol from a nearby goon and swung it around hitting several of them in the head. Actions following one another quickly as he disarmed all of them and webbed up more than half of the group until there were four left standing.
He'd taken away all their guns and most of their buddies. They weren't sure what to do next.
"Nice effort guys really, you almost had me. Anyone wanna try for round two or should I just web you to the wall now?" Spidey said while posing in a battle stance.
They looked at one another and shrugged before charging him and trying for a fist fight. He knocked them unconcious with ease and stuck them against the wall with a load of webbing.
"This was fun, next time let's invite Fatpin to join the party. Give him my best and tell him to cut down on those sweets," Spider-Man joked as he looked around at all the thugs he'd webbed up."See ya!"
While escaping the warehouse he heard sirens approaching and figured that all that shooting must've drawn some attention.
That could've ended badly, how'd I not spot the trap? And that guy, Kingpin. He's dangerous, gotta find out more about him. He thought while web-slinging in between tall buildings.
He found his way back to the rooftop where he'd stashed his backpack only to find it had fallen down and disappeared as it wasn't anywhere to be found.
"No, no, no! My stuff, oh c'mon!" he groaned and facepalmed himself. And to make matters worse he'd missed his nine thirty curfew. It was ten o'clock already.
He began web-slinging homeward while his heart was racing. I'm in so much trouble, he thought.