There have been multiple police reports of rising gun activity in the lead up to Kravinoff's Hunt.
Kravinoff's Hunt is the internet's name for the upcoming fight between Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, and Kravinoff. This likely stemmed from the challenge Kravinoff declared - which he himself called a hunt.
With the lead up to Kravinoff's Hunt, police reports on gun related incidents have been rising in the Tri-State area. With uncertainties facing New York's hero on his survival following the upcoming encounter-
"I'll take that," a passing teacher said, plucking my phone out of my hands. Before I could even protest, the exam paper was placed down in front of me. The third and last of the day.
I watched the teacher put my phone in a bag, which was already overflowing with them. It was fine, I would get my phone back at the end of this exam so I could see what people have been thinking about the… well, the Hunt.
God that was such a terrible name for it. Made me sound like prey, which I wasn't. I was, surprise, surprise, a human.
I looked up to the front, to find everyone else buried in their exam. The timer had already started. Shoot!
I turned to the first question, trying to ward off the butterflies of thoughts swarming around my head. I had to concentrate. If I could ace this practice exam, I could ace the real thing and get to Princeton, or Harvard, or any good University. Just being Spider-Man wasn't going to get me into those places. Or it might, depending on my reputation in a couple of years. Well... if I was still alive by then.
So I just had to start answering some questions. Yeah.
My eyes flicked up. Ganke was just a few rows ahead of me, hunched over his paper. I had tried this morning to corner him and apologize but it was like he had gained the superpower of avoidance.
Internally, I sighed. I had been an asshole and I wanted to make it up before Monday. Texting an apology didn't seem like the way to do it either. If I had to, I would.
I rubbed my eyes. C'mon, there's work to do. Focus.
But Monday… Monday swirled in my mind like dark grey clouds signalling a terrible storm. It was sort of hard to think about a test - a practice one at that - when everything with Fisk and Owl was going down. I wanted to at least take down Owl before Monday, but deep down, in my gut, I knew that wouldn't happen.
There was no one but me to deal with these asshats, but what would happen if I'm gone? Well, maybe someone would step up like I had? They didn't even have to have spider powers, or any for that matter. Just a good pair of fists and a strong will.
Wow, that was cliche.
First question, right, start. I already lost so much time thinking. Man, I was such a screw-up.
Even as I filled in the first bubble, I knew I had lost too much time. I didn't even want to look up to see how long I had left. I could hear people flipping their paper all over the hall but I only answered the first question.
Why couldn't I get it together? It's just a test! I've been studying for it. This shouldn't be a big deal and yet…
By the time they called for time, I had only finished a page and a half of questions. I had failed.
Every swing, every leap, every bounce off of a building, chipped at the energy thrumming through me. I didn't want to go home, even though it was Friday and after dark, because I didn't want Mom or Dad to see me like this.
They would ask how the test had gone and I didn't want to stack another lie on the pile. It was too much, I couldn't do it. Lying to them about my hand, not telling them what I've been doing, how I'm the reason Dad got shot in the foot… I couldn't. Not one more, it would break me.
So I needed something to beat up. It would be pretty simple, but it was impossible to find anyone for no reason! The one time I need someone around, they're all hiding away not robbing banks.
And maybe that would have been alright, if there was some alternative thing I could do. Like beat up Owl. But Liv still hadn't sent me that email so I just didn't know who to face.
I mean, I would love to punch Fisk in his stupid square face, but I would probably get crushed again. Even now, remembering the aching, broken ribs from the collider fight made me wince.
Kravinoff was and wasn't an option. He was an option because I was going to face him anyway, and it would be way easier if I got the drop on him now instead of Monday. Like, I could maybe survive this showdown if I had any advantage. The thing was, I didn't know where he was either. Probably hiding in some alleyway in Midtown, counting down the hours before the fight would begin.
Owl wasn't an option until Liv told me where to find him, which sucked majorly but that was life. I wanted to show him up for what he did to Dad.
Sandman was an ally, and also I didn't want sand all through my costume. That would be a pain to get out. So he's out.
Skeleton guy was nowhere to be found, and I probably wouldn't see him until I tried to face Owl. I did want to give him a solid punch in revenge for my hand and Dad. Especially Dad. If I could get him right in the nose, preferably breaking it, I would feel somewhat satisfied. Owl would be doubly satisfying.
Liv was, unfortunately, an ally. Which tossed Alchemax into the mix of 'can't fight' too because Liv was already feeding me the information to stop the evil stuff going on. I just had to stop Owl. Which I still couldn't fight because Liv was taking her sweet, sweet time.
Chameleon hadn't popped up since the bank robbery, so I couldn't do anything about him. Maybe I would get to punch him, or her, in the face when I faced Owl. Maybe… Or maybe they had been working with Fisk. Either way, some punching needed to happen.
So, for once in what felt like ages (but was really only a couple of weeks) all I had left to do was patrol. Just swing, pass the people on the streets, and ignore people asking for selfies. It was much easier just pretending I didn't hear them asking then getting weirdly stressed out about my mask- like that demanding lady a couple weeks after the whole kidnapping.
To my secret delight, twenty minutes of swinging later I spotted something odd. Well, maybe not odd per se, but suspicious.
There were some people holding guns, standing in front of a backstreet door. The door wasn't particularly fancy, either. I would have liked to think that maybe it was security for something innocent, but my gut was telling me to investigate. It was just the two guards with a small light above them revealing them.
I landed on a building opposite it, trying to spot a way in. There was nothing, no windows either. But, to be fair, I didn't have the best vantage spot either plus it was pretty dark.
I camouflaged and backed away from the edge of the building. Deep breath. I sprinted towards the edge and jumped across the street, landing with a roll and standing back up in one move. I resisted the urge to stretch my hands out like a gymnast finishing a trick.
I jogged over to the edge of the building, just above the two henchmen. They didn't appear to have communicators on them, but they did have guns and if they really were doing something suspect and I alerted everyone inside, that wouldn't end well for me.
Then again… if I camouflaged and knocked out the light, how terrifying would that be? Or even something more mischievous? Psychological warfare was a good option, all things considered.
With my mind made up, I slowly crawled down the wall. I bit my lip, holding in the laughter threatening to bubble up.
I tapped the one to my left on the shoulder.
"What's up, Dave?" Left guy said to Right guy.
Right guy - Dave, turned to him. "What?"
"You poked me. What do you want?"
"I didn't poke you. You're imagining things, dude. I told you to stop drinking so much," Dave said with a sigh.
"I did stop. And I'm not hallucinating. I told you that stopped happening, like, a week ago."
"Whatever, dude," Dave grumbled.
They both turned back to the alleyway, shuffling until they were comfortable. I waited at least ten seconds before poking left guy again.
"Dude! Stop doing that!" Left guy shouted, whirling around.
Dave threw his hands up in the air, gun pointing at the sky. "I ain't done nothing! You knock it off!"
"I didn't do jack. You keep your hands to yourself, asshole," Left guy spat.
Now with folded arms and hackles raised, Left guy and Dave pointedly positioned themselves so they had their backs to each other. Perfect. I shuffled over so I was right above Dave.
In the blink of an eye, I had webbed his mouth shut, webbed his hand to his gun and wrapped him up in a cocoon. I dragged him up the wall, struggling and squirming but blissfully silent. I tossed him against an air vent and left him to think about his wrong doings.
I crawled back down the wall. The camouflage was starting to get painful, but this would take only a moment. I tapped Left guy on the shoulder again.
"Dave! I told you…" his words drifted off as he saw that the spot previously occupied by Dave was empty. He slowly looked around, gun up and scanning. I could see his hand shaking.
I had probably put left guy through enough. I tapped him on the shoulder just as I let the camouflage drain away. "Hi."
"Spide-!" I muffled him with a web before he could alert anyone else and did the same to him as I had Dave.
Once he was deposited, I rolled my shoulders and stretched. Now to see what all the security was about. For good measure I camouflaged once again. I tried the door. Locked. Really shouldn't have expected anything else.
I took a deep breath. I had to make some noise if I wanted to look inside. With a small, sharp movement I knocked the door out of the lock and it swung open.
What a discovered inside was… well, nothingness. The whole place was swamped in black. I even let my camouflage seep away.
I tentatively stepped inside, straining to see anything. There was the outline of boxes, one was even open but I couldn't see what was inside. I crept forward, arguing with myself if I should bring out my phone's flashlight. On the one hand, it didn't seem like anyone was around and I couldn't see jack. On the other hand, if there were people around I would immediately alert them to my presence.
Before I could make a decision, the lights came on in a blinding flash of light. If this was a stereotypical horror movie, this would be the moment a jump scare happened. Instead, when I opened my eyes I was greeted to a guy standing on a crate twenty or so meters away from me. He was wearing what looked like a fishbowl on his head and was covered head to toe in a padded green suit. To top all this off, he was wearing a purple cape.
I resisted the urge to facepalm.
"Welcome, Miles, I see you have stumbled across my warehouse," Fishbowl began, casually stepping off the box and sauntered towards me.
I crouched uneasily, looking around for any other guards. No one in sight, but I couldn't be certain because besides the strip between myself and fishbowl there was no light. "Yep, seems like I have. Who are you?"
"Name's Mysterio, and you'll do well to know my name. I work with OWL after all, and we all know what an enemy you have made of us," he said with a small shrug. Like just the word OWL hadn't set my nerves on edge. He was still coming closer. A headache was forming behind my eyes.
"Just for the record," I began, throwing my hands up in the air, "I didn't mean to stumble across you guys. I see guns, I investigate. Just so happens you work with OWL."
"I can believe that, since you are the 'hero' of New York. Tell me, does something feel familiar about me?" Mysterio asked, voice low like he was revealing a secret. That headache was getting worse, pounding now. Distracting.
"Nope. The fishbowl is pretty unique, I think I would remember," I commented absently, rubbing at my temple. If this headache could go away, that would be great. I might have to fight in a second and it was really distracting.
Mysterio tipped his head side to side, a so-so motion. "I can't argue with that. Now, down to business. I'm going to give you a moment to give up your blood, DNA, etc etc, or else I'm going to have to take you by force."
My blood ran cold. I could barely swallow, my mouth had gone dry. "Sorry, did I hear you right?"
"Owl's orders. You know how it is." Mysterio laughed a grainy laugh, like he really thought something was funny. "I mean, at least now you might realise where you'll know me from."
I couldn't help myself, I stumbled back. But in the same instance, Mysterio raised his hands and green smoke filled the air. It surrounded me in every direction, the smoke so thick that I quickly lost track of where the exit was. The was pretty scary, but that wasn't what had me terrified.
My Spider-sense was hammering at my skull like a siren. It was crippling, to the point I could barely move a muscle without it escalating ever higher. I grabbed at my head, squeezing like it would relieve the pressure.
It wouldn't stop! Something was wrong and everything felt like it would kill me! I grit my teeth, struggling to keep myself standing.
There was a prick at my shoulder. I whirled around, trying to fight, trying to see where Mysterio was, but the crippling pain from my spider-sense had me hunched over.
It felt like the whole city would explode, that's how bad my spider-sense was going off.
Another flash through the smoke and I was kicked to the ground, followed by a stomp to my ribs. I lashed out, kicking out with my feet, but only connected to the haze of green.
What was wrong with me? I had to get out of here!
I pushed myself to my knees. Before I could get any higher than that, there was a slicing pain and chains were wrapped around my arms. They were familiar in the worst way. I felt helpless, stuck on my knees and waiting for the next round of needles.
I tried to draw a breath, my chest heaving, but I was drowning. Nothing got to my lungs. Every breath felt like agony, with no reward at the end. I tried to wrench forward, out of the metal chains, but it wouldn't budge.
I was stuck. Oh god I was stuck. I couldn't breathe and I was stuck and I could hear something moving towards me and oh god I was going to die.
"And that, boys, is how we catch a spider," Mysterio murmured from in front of me.