Disclaimer: Marvel has yet to send me my paycheck and acceptance as supreme overlord of all things Spiderman. I still don't own Spiderman or any related properties.

Hey everyone! Mr. Author here, I just wanted to thank the amazing response I got from everyone! Your reviews really are a tremendous help to me and I sincerely appreciate the support!

In particular I want to thank highlander348, your input is helping immensely!

In any case one reviewer noted that Alex had been missing in the last few chapters, and I just wanted to reassure everyone that this is not an oversight. There is a very nefarious reason for this and yes it does have to do with his namesake in USM.

Anyway... you didn't come here for Author's notes... enjoy...

-Mr. Author

Chapter 5:

"Browsing the web..."

2014

"Everyone stay clear! The area is not safe!" A fireman yelled as he tried to keep the crowd around the burning building at bay.

The police had set up a barricade while the fire department were doing all they can to put out the roaring fire.

"HELP!" Came the scream of someone from the top of the building. On the roof three people could be seen, gagging in the smoke.

"Raise the ladder!" A fireman yelled. As the hydraulic ladder raised closer to the roof, a second explosion racked the building, momentarily throwing the ascending fireman off balance and causing him to topple off the side.

He yelled in fear as he clutched the side of the ladder.

"Hey? What's that?" Someone from the crowd asked when a small crash resounded from the top of the building across the street.

A flash of red and blue followed by a flash of white flew across the gap spanning the buildings.

"It's a bird!" Yelled one onlooker.

"It's a drone!" Said another.

"What is this? The nineties?" Asked another.

"Wait! It's Spiderman!" A fireman cheered.

Peter leapt from the building he was standing on right into the scalding heat pouring in waves off the burning building.

Gwen was less than a second behind him.

"I'll take care of the fireman!" Peter yelled, doing a midair flip he landed on the wall of the burning building. In the moment he wanted to dismount, another explosion thundered through the cheering of the crowd.

A sinkhole opened up right under the back of the firetruck and it began to sink, toppling towards the crowd.

"I've got it!" Gwen yelled, landing next to the firetruck, bracing against it's side. Gwen groaned in exertion as the full weight rested on her shoulders. Under her feet the concrete cracked.

Not wasting a moment, Peter dismounted from the wall and grabbed the fireman. Using the ladder Peter swung up towards the roof.

Down on the ground some people from the crowd and the remaining authorities helped Gwen to hold the firetruck.

Peter grabbed the fireman and a man standing by and leapt to the wall, running down to the ground. Two more times he made the trip carrying the people to safety.

On the ground he moved to help Gwen, but a woman from the crowd screamed: "Wait! My daughter's still in there!"

"Where?" Peter asked hurriedly.

"Third floor! That corner room there!"

Not waiting a second Peter leapt through a window smashing it in. The room creaked and groaned, everything was covered in ash and soot. Peter heard crying from the bathroom, but the door was locked.

"Stand back!" Peter yelled and smashed his hands through the sides of the door. He took hold and ripped the door off its hinges. He rushed inside and found a little girl huddled in the corner.

"Hey! I'm here to help!" Peter said as he moved to the little girl. She recoiled and held her hands over her face.

"It's ok!" Peter said. "I'm here to save you."

The little girl looked up. Her face was smeared with ash and soot.

"Mommy told me not to trust strangers." She said.

Well, she's obviously just in shock. Peter thought.

"It's okay..." Peter said and bent down near her. She flinched.

"I'm Spiderman." Peter said holding out his hand for her to shake. She looked up at this. The building was groaning like a wounded dog, soot fell in gentle drifts from the roof.

"Are you the Spiderman that saved my Aunt Sally from those bad men last Friday?" She asked, wiping her hand over her eyes.

"Yeah!" Peter smiled. "We really have to go.. what's your name?"

"Cindy." She said. Peter bent down and picked her up. He moved but suddenly his spider sense flared. The door fell in and he could sense the roof was only moments from collapsing.

"Hold on Cindy." He said looking around the room. "I have a really bad idea."

Gwen's hood was soaked in sweat. Her muscles were groaning in agony as she held the truck up.

Please Peter... hurry... she mentally asked him.

Then the unthinkable happened. The roof of the building crashed in.

"NOO!" Gwen yelled as she thought of her best friend, crushed under the building.

Then, there was a thundering boom. Bricks flew from the top of the building as something red and blue fell through the ash and smoke.

Peter landed with a crunch on the concrete below, smacking a crater into the sidewalk. Cindy toppled out of his arms, coughing and covered in soot, but otherwise alright.

"Peter!" Gwen exclaimed with relief. Seeing Gwen struggle, Peter leapt up and helped her hold the fire engine. Together they strained and pushed it up out of the crater.

They collapsed against the firetruck, gasping. Peter looked at Gwen. His suit was burnt, ripped in places, and had a huge hole in the shoulder. One of the lenses of his cup goggles were cracked.

"Y-y-ou, ok-kay?" Gwen gasped with Peter breathing heavily by her side.

"Never... better..." Peter said between gulps of air.

Suddenly a pair of police cars swerved onto the scene, Sirens blaring. Officers Jean DeWolff and Misty Knight stood with purpose as Officer Knight pulled out a megaphone.

"Spiderman!" She yelled and DeWolff pointed her gun at Peter. "Hands in the air! I'm going to restrain you! Do NOT resist or we will respond with deadly-" officer Knight never got to finish her sentence as one of the police on scene stood in front of Peter and Gwen. He splayed his arms out wide.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! Stand down!" Misty yelled over the megaphone.

"Can't do that ma'am." The cop said and stood his ground. "These two just saved at least half a dozen lives today. Not to mention their other heroics."

"Officer Carter, stand down or I'll have your badge!" DeWolff yelled.

Another policeman stood up and placed himself next to officer Carter. More and more policemen and eventually fireman, and even random members from the crowd stood between the wasted vigilantes and the NYPD.

"We should run." Gwen said. She and Peter got up and ran at full speed. They leapt high in the air, aiming to land on a building across the street.

Seeing the blue and red streak, DeWolff opened fire.

Peter collapsed on the roof of the building with a cry of pain. His spider sense was still fuzzy from the fire, and he hadn't managed to dodge all the bullets in time.

Gwen landed next to him, staying close to the gravel as the last few shots pelted the wall.

"Oh shit..." she said, removing her mask and tattered hood. Peter lay on the ground holding his left leg. The bullet went straight through his calf and shin.

"Okay Gwen. Think." She opened her backpack and dug around. YES! She though as she removed one of the extra web fluid containers. She held it over Peter's leg and cracked it open. The web fluid started pouring out immediately, she quickly wrapped the makeshift bandage around Peter's leg.

Temporary fix. But it works. Gwen softly picked up Peter and leapt up off the roof.

When Peter came to he was in Gwen's bed. Starting he nearly leapt out of bed when two soft hands pushed him back down.

"Peter, you have a gunshot wound. I need you not to move." Came Gwen's soft voice. She was wearing her costume and a pair of latex gloves.

It was at this moment Peter also noticed that he wasn't wearing any pants. He recoiled and pulled up the blankets to his neck and blushed furiously.

"I had to remove the pants to properly clean the wound." She said and tucked a hair behind her ear. She lifted the blanket to Peter's leg, so he could see the damage.

The bottom half of his leg was tightly wrapped in bandages. Spots of red could be seen where the wound bled through the fabric.

"You heal pretty fast, you should be back to normal by next week. But until then you won't be leaping any tall buildings in single bounds." She smiled and sat down next to him.

"Your super strength should allow you to walk and run like a normal human being." She folded her hands in her lap.

"Thanks Gwen. I don't know what I would do without you." He smiled. "Did anyone see us come in?"

Gwen's eyes widened and she quickly checked her watch. She ran from the room only to return a few minutes later with a change of clothes for Peter.

"I'll dress in the bathroom." She said and closed the door.

Peter stood up from the bed and saw what was left of his costume in the mirror. He sighed.

I'm going to need a new one. He thought as he quickly got dressed.

That night at dinner Aunt May announced that they'd be moving back home the next day. Everyone knew this was coming but it was still sad. Gwen and Peter were obviously close, but Aunt May and Mrs. Stacy had grown quite close as well.

Peter sat on the roof of the apartment building and breathed in deeply. Gwen came and sat next to him. There was that instant magnetic attraction again.

Peter recoiled slightly.

Whenever I'm around Gwen these days I feel... drawn to her somehow. He looked at her. Somewhere in the pit of his stomach something felt off.

Was I always this attracted to her? I definitely can't remember that. Gwen seemed to notice something wrong and lightly touched his shoulder.

"Peter?" She asked, tucking a hair behind her ear.

"Are you attracted to me?" Peter asked. A moment later he realised what he said and quickly backpedaled.

"What I mean is: ever since we started doing... all this, I have been feeling drawn to you somehow." He turned so he was facing her completely. "Do you feel the same way?"

Gwen smiled. She looked up at him with something foreign in her eyes. "Yes." She said softly, leaning towards him slightly.

"Oh that's great!" Peter said in obvious relief. "I think it has something to do with our powers."

Gwen looked like she'd just been slapped. She stared at Peter with a hurt shimmer in her eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked with an unsteady voice.

"Well," Peter started. "I think that along with our other powers, the spider bites must have affected our hormone excretions as well."

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked, her eyes stinging.

"See the thing is: I was definitely not attracted to you before I got my powers, but now it seems to be a constant thing. I-," it was at that point that Gwen just ran away from Peter. Unbeknownst to Peter, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Was it something I said?" Peter asked oblivious.

Gwen didn't wait for him the next day, and Peter felt like taking the bus. He couldn't put all his weight on his wounded leg yet, so climbing buildings was out of the picture.

What was it that could have upset Gwen that much? Peter thought to himself. Blankly staring out the window. I was being purely logical. I didn't mean to upset her.

He looked around to the other kids in the bus. He saw Alex sitting alone in the very back.

Oh gosh! I haven't spoken more than a few words at school with Alex since the day uncle Ben died. Peter thought guiltily. In my defense I had something kinda big to deal with.

He walked over and sat down next to Alex, who didn't even look up. He was listening to music and stared blankly out ahead of him.

"Hey man, I really need your help with something." Peter said and poked Alex on the shoulder. Alex looked over at Peter with a look of utter disdain.

"What do you want? Am I finally good enough for you again? Or is it just because Gwen ditched you?" He asked with venom in his voice.

Peter flinched.

"What is your problem?" He asked, frowning.

"What's my problem? What the hell is up with you?! My best friend doesn't say more than a sentence per day to me outside school despite the fact that we have been living across the hall from each other for the past month!"

His voice was trembling and he was obviously furious.

"And the worst part? You didn't even notice! And then, whenever I go over to see if we can hang out, I hear you're out with Gwen!" Now his anger was completely unhindered.

"I HAD THE WORST MONTH OF MY LIFE! AND EVERY TIME I WANT TO TALK TO MY BEST FRIEND ABOUT IT, I HEAR HE IS OFF HANGING OUT WITH THE GIRL I HAVE BEEN IN LOVE WITH FOR YEARS!" Alex's shouting drew the attention of every person on the bus. Some kids were whispering and others were taking videos. Peter recoiled from this verbal onslaught, his eyes widening.

"Alex, I-" Peter started but Alex cut him off.

"Save it." He put his earphones back in. Peter got up and walked to his previous seat at the front of the bus.

"Nice going puny Parker." Flash jeered as he walked by. "Now you really have no friends."

Peter was avoided like the plague. As usual. But today it was even worse, because Alex was ignoring him and when they occasionally made eye contact, Alex only responded with a look of contempt.

It was worse with Gwen. She didn't make eye contact with anyone. In all of their classes she went to sit with Anny Zinni, a shy Italian girl. Peter could tell from where he sat though that Gwen had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Peter couldn't wrap his head around it. He could see why Alex was mad, but he genuinely couldn't see why Alex was as mad as he was. And Gwen was a whole other story. He couldn't understand why it hit her that hard. He went through their conversations over and over again but couldn't find anything that would upset her as much as she obviously was.

You know. Unless- nah that's crazy. Gwen wouldn't like me. She's got so many better choices. Peter shook his head to clear it.

"Penny for your thoughts Mr. Parker?" Mr. Daniels was Peter's health teacher. He had short brown hair and was the youngest teacher in the school.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." Peter startled.

Mr. Daniels just smiled. "Good! Wouldn't want you drifting off. Now! Today we'll be discussing methods of dealing with grief."

Peter carried the last bag from Captain Stacy's car into his and Aunt May's house.

"You're sure you'll be alright?" Captain Stacy asked.

"Quite." Aunt May smiled and stood against the doorframe of the front door.

"If you need anything, call. Alright?" He smiled.

Peter rushed down the stairs to his basement lab. Removing the broken web gun from his backpack.

Well, the problem was that the line pulled the mechanism right out. I could probably fix it. But maybe, I should improve it instead.

"Parker's journal. Web gun, entry number 17. I've used two of my uncle's air soft guns and created a wrist mounted version of my web gun. I've decided on this concept because it seems less threatening than a hand held pistol, and it allows for more freedom of movement during parkour sessions."

Peter strapped the two web-shooters to his wrists.

"I've made a new costume as well. Using loose fitting dancer's pants and a red second skin, to further allow civilians to easily recognise me, I stitched a spider figure to the chest of my suit. I also fixed my mask and added a pair of motorcycle gloves."

Peter strapped his boots tight against his legs.

Well Peter. Showtime. He put his recorder in the secret place under his desk, and pulled on his mask.

"WHOOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!" Peter cheered as he swang along the New York skyline. He let go of the web-line and dive-bombed towards the ground. He spun around and pulled the trigger he put on his ring finger. Seamlessly the web connected with a nearby building and Peter pulled himself high into the air.

"Alright New York!" Peter said launching another web-line and swinging around the corner of a building.

A scream resounded from a nearby alley.

Showtime! Peter thought shooting a web in the direction of the sound. Didn't I say that already?

Peter saw a woman held against a brick wall by three thugs. He landed on the ground. A sharp pain rushed up his wounded leg.

CRAP! Forgot about my leg. Trying not to wince Peter stepped forwards.

"Stop fiends!" Peter exclaimed.

The thugs turned around.

"Run. Before I gut you." A thug said and flicked open his switchblade.

Peter didn't waste a second and webbed the man to the wall. The other thugs stood more threateningly, one picking up a pipe. They both charged Peter. He quickly pulled off another web shot only to hear a squelching sound.

Not good! Peter leapt over a blow from one of the thugs and kicked him in the head, knocking him into a dumpster. The other one made a run for it until Peter knocked him out by throwing him with a nearby trash can.

"Please don't hurt me!" The woman whimpered and tried to cover her torn clothes.

"Where do you live ma'am?" Peter asked kneeling near her.

"Please don't hurt me..." she whimpered again.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Spiderman. I'm the good guy." He removed a grey sweater from his backpack and gave it to her.

"Let's get you home." Peter said, removing a small bottle of web fluid, and filling his empty web shooters.

The woman looked up at him, shaking slightly. Peter gently picked her up to her feet.

"Hold on…" he said and launched a web-line at the roof.

"And in other news, the vigilante known as the 'Spiderman' has stopped a car jacking as his latest act of supposed heroics. We here at the J3FM have been asking ourselves, will this Spiderman be the Hero people are making him out to be? Or will he be remembered for a more sinister narrative? Let's discuss: Spiderman's Web of lies, next on the J3FM."

Peter switched off the radio on his cellphone and switched to music.

The Reckless and The Brave, by All Time Low. Seems appropriate. Peter thought turning up the volume as he leapt from his perch on the side of a skyscraper.

Police cars? They seem to be rushing towards the bottom of that building. Wait! OMG! Yes! My first bank robbery! These guys are in for a treat!

Peter shot a web-line against a nearby building launching himself into a triple axle.

He flew through the air and spun upwards. Shooting another web-line lower this time. Peter held on to the web and let gravity do the work, swinging in a slow arc. Letting go at the trough of his momentum Peter landed with soft precision in front of the bank.

The first police cars swerved onto the scene, immediately setting up a perimeter.

"Nobody move!" Came a voice from inside the bank. "I've got a hostage!"

Oh my god. Peter recognised the bank robber. It was a very drunk Alex O'Hirn Sr. Peter leapt high in the air and landed next to the foremost police car.

"Captain Stacy! Whatever you do don't shoot! I know that man! His son is a friend of your daughter's."

"Listen Kid, I've got an arrest warrant with your name on it. Give me one reason not to do my job?" Captain Stacy loomed over Peter, nearly two heads taller than him.

"Because I've got an idea. Give me five minutes. That's all I need. And if it doesn't work I turn myself in."

Peter did a backflip landing behind captain Stacy.

"Five minutes!" He yelled, shooting a web-line and swinging up into the air.

Peter spun around and shot both webshooters, slingshotting himself through a window on the second floor.

The bank's inside was a large high roofed main area with a business area on the second floor. Peter quickly refilled his webshooters and ran down the stairs, where he came face to face with a masked robber. Before any sound could be made Peter knocked the robber out. He leapt up onto the sculpture in the middle of the room.

Okay. Five armed robbers. One of them outside. Okay. I can do this. Peter leapt onto the roof of the bank crawling along the wall until he was right above one of the robbers.

He quickly webbed the man's mouth and the yanked him up by a web-line, webbing him to the ceiling. The next two robbers were near a window on the second floor, taking a smoke.

Peter descended from the ceiling by a web-line, when he was right above the two criminals, he webbed their faces and pulled them together, knocking them out instantly.

"Okay, there is a fire escape right along this walkway, make your way out of the building as fast as you can." Peter whispered to the awestruck hostages.

Another thug was keeping watch over the hostages in the main area, in clear view of the main window. Mr. O'Hirn was still occupied by the police so Peter jumped from the ceiling, landing on the perp with his good leg, and knocking him out.

Hearing the noise Mr. O'Hirn spun around and exclaimed in fright.

"What the hell?!" He asked as he pointed his gun at Peter.

"Mr. O'Hirn!" Peter yelled. "You don't want to do this!"

The elder man simply held the hostage close to his chest and nearly started sobbing.

"I have to! They... they killed Leira already. I can't loose Alex as well!" Then the unthinkable happened. He let go of the woman and put the gun to his own head.

Time seemed to stop for Peter. He jumped. The gun's trigger clacked. Peter shot a web. The bullet fired.

The web made contact.

The bullet snagged in the webbing just in time, the muzzle flash setting the webbing on fire.

Damn it! I forgot how flammable this stuff is! Peter thought but moved with the speed of a cobra, uppercutting his friend's father, making sure to pull his punch.

"How'd I do?" Peter asked as he walked over to Captain Stacy.

"It went about the best way it could have." The elder man said.

"But you could have gotten someone hurt. Maybe even yourself. You're still recovering from a bullet wound. Your Aunt wouldn't like this."

Peter's heart stopped.

"Wait. You... uh... I don't have an aunt…" he stammered.

"Spiderman, I put two and two together pretty fast. I was the best detective on the force. It's my job. And I know who your pretty little friend is as well. I recognised that web gun instantly. And you don't even mask your voice." Captain Stacy counted on his fingers as he went.

"Aaww man!" Peter said in exasperation.

"Listen to me, kid. I don't know why or how you can do the stuff you do, but what I do know is that you've been helping a lot of people. Good people. I'm going to retract the warrant on your arrest. But I need you to promise that you will not get Gwen hurt!"

Peter nodded solemnly.

"You have great power, kid. But with that power, comes a responsibility to do what is right. And so far you've been doing that."

Captain Stacy now stepped up and loudly said: "Let him leave!"

The police all lowered their guns, and the assembled crowd started applauding and cheering.

"Let's hear it for Spiderman!"

AN

I really like this chapter. I won't even deny it. XD. I feel that that is something they never got right in the movies. Well, Homecoming comes pretty close, but for me, Spidey should be fighting street thugs and bank robbers.

Now bear in mind, the super villains are part of my story, don't you worry, but I also really like the little things. It's a balance that I only found in the tremendous Spectacular Spider-Man series.

Anyway, that's it for now. Until next time.

Tally ho!

-Mr. Author