Axel ran; moving through the night in pursuit of a foe that had dared to fly off with the kid who had become like a little brother to him. Axel couldn't make out the foe. Nor did he know of anything that could ascend to such high levels, save for perhaps a jet plane. But there was no doubt in his mind that he'd find a way to save Eddie. The alleyway had all but faded from view behind Axel, Blaze and Spider-Man barreling along on either side of him with the latter using his self-made webs to zip forward a few feet in front of and above the ex-cop. He bounded past a checkered sign advising residents to keep away from the bridge. While Wood Oak City's bridge was very much a work in construction and understandably closed to the public, squares of wire meshing in the ground a testament to that fact, the trio continued to follow that figure in the sky. No matter how much their bodies (Axel and Blaze in particular) wanted them to, they could not stop.

The unstoppable force that was Axel Stone met an immovable object. After being knocked over, lying on the ground, he regretted how he recognised the pudgy man stood before him; an officer from the ex-cop's days on the force. Those days seemed like aeons ago to Axel and he preferred to keep them that way.

"Sorry, but this is a restricted area. You aren't allowed to go past these barriers."
Axel's chest, suffering even more fatigue than it already had due to his fall, did not allow for him to respond. Blaze gladly did the talking for him.

"With all due respect, sir, our friend is being taken away by that thing in the sky and we have to save him! You have to let us go through!"

Blaze's emotional plea was met with a stunning lack of care. Reaching behind to scarf down a doughnut on the hood of his police car, the pudgy man answered:

"Sorry Blaze, but that's just how it is. Those are the rules," he said.

"Yeah? Well, screw your rules!"

Shoving the man aside with little regard as to where he ended up, she pressed on, with Axel and Spider-Man soon joining the brunette by her side. An even larger gap had formed between them and the flying figure overhead, but Blaze knew and resented that she could not run any faster unless she wanted to risk permanent damage to the legs which were to thank for her winning of many a street fight. Reminiscing about her past and present grievances with cops shifted her attention away from searing pains in both legs. Good cops were so few and far between in Wood Oak City, to the point where the only officers Blaze wouldn't consider crooked, herself and Axel, were fired due to fear they may perform their duties correctly.

"Looks like Eddie's only getting further away, no matter how fast we're going!" Spider-Man commented, not nearly as breathless as his comrades due to his superhuman metabolism.

"You got a better idea?" Axel asked as he breathed heavily through a mouth dampened with sweat.

The Spider came to a stop, sticking like a fly on a windshield to one of the crimson pillars keeping up the bridge.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I'll deal with whatever's taken Eddie, hostage. Besides, I'm the only one of us who can come close to flying."

Axel conceded the point- not that he wasn't too tired for arguing anyways. That he wanted to save the brother of Adam Hunter himself so he could scold him immediately after didn't factor into it either. They couldn't get a helicopter, and there was certainly no chance of talking it out with Eddie's captor. Spider-Man's webs were simply the best tool at their limited disposal for taking to the skies. He allowed his lungs a moment of rest. The ex-cop's hands instinctively reached out to a lamppost; most likely using it for support so he didn't collapse in a puddle of his own sweat.

"Alright. You take care of things up there. We'll deal with things down here."

"Good luck. We're counting on you." The look Blaze gave him reminded Spider-Man of how his Uncle Ben had looked when he spoke man-to-man with a young Peter Parker, speaking into existence what would become his personal mantra: With great power comes great responsibility. Spider-Man knew his responsibility, at that moment, was to bring Eddie back safely.

Bidding both vigilantes goodbye with an assured nod, the Spider extended his hand, aiming for the nearest building.

THWIP!

A sound all too familiar to Spider-Man was followed by a line of web fluid from the desired rooftop to his palm, and, swinging away on a rope-like tether of his own creation, his lean form descended further into the night.

Though he knew Spider-Man stood the best chance of freeing Eddie, Axel did not know for certain if anything slower than a jet plane could get close enough to whoever or whatever had ensnared him. He had to hope. There was little else he could do. For the first time in hours, Axel took a moment of reprieve from wanton violence. He looked over the bridge. Ebon night had wrapped around the city. Illuminated by glowing yellow windows, office buildings in the distance refused to sleep even after working hours, instead choosing to act as beacons for all to see and marvel at. Looking at a city made alive by the abundance of artificial light, gazing down at shimmering waters tinted yellow by night's encompassing glow, proper conviction, and not just blind hope, filled Axel's heart. So long as Wood Oak City had its protectors, good would always triumph over evil, just as he and his comrades would triumph over Mr X. Axel could almost make out that tyrant's mug looming over the city as if holding it firmly in his grasp…

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

His gaze turned from the shimmering waters to a figure just as radiant. Blaze stood next to him, resting her elbows against the railings.

"You can say that again," He agreed with a smile. He felt like a small fish in an impossibly large pond, similar to when he had first joined the force. "You know, sometimes I forget how big Wood Oak City is, but when I look at it from here, it reminds me of how small I actually am. It's a little daunting sometimes."

"Yeah, I know that feeling." She returned his smile with one of her own before they looked away from each other and out into the ocean. "If someone told me ten years ago that I'd be saving the city not once, but twice, I never would've believed them. But we do what we have to for the good of everyone. Even if that means taking the law into our own-"

"Wait."

"What is it?" She stopped talking, looking around and becoming confused when she saw nothing of note except for barricades.

"No. Look over there." He pointed in the opposite direction. "I can hear something in the distance. We've got company."

Blaze readied her fighting stance in apprehension for whoever was coming their way. Foe or otherwise. Sounds of deep rumbling far removed from the bridge began to approach, slowly coming into view, until they could easily deduce the sound's source. Three figures clad in biker gear revved their motorbikes unnecessarily loudly, causing him to scrunch his nose up at the toxic fumes being emitted.

Backs against each other, Axel and Blaze stood firmly in position while the three bikers performed a myriad of tricks. Burnouts, wheelies, anything really, all in the hopes of putting the duo off their game. One of them spun around in Blaze's direction long enough for her to make out the insignia on the back of his jacket. They were nothing more than the standard Y-Signal variant of goons, except these had been gifted with a bike and helmet. One of the goons stepped off of his bike and foolishly chose to charge forwards, changing his footing mid-run to target Blaze specifically with a swinging knee.

Perhaps if he had attacked with any semblance of thought instead of a blind charge, Blaze would've respected him for at least putting up a good fight and subdued him gently (or gentler) with a punch to the face. As it stood, he'd given her no reason to go easy, and so as his leg zoned in, Blaze caught it and swung him over the edge of the bridge. Him, and then his bike!

He was the first to go for a swim on the bridge that night, but he would not be the last.

...

Elektra was the first person Spider-Man had recognised on his quest, not counting the Black Cat or her mention of one of his deadliest foes, Venom, but he had reason to believe he had come across a second. He'd gotten close enough to make out that the wings were mechanical, but not close enough to make out any other distinguishing features. Could it be Warren Worthington, the X-Men's Archangel? No, he thought dismissively. Couldn't be. Warren's a good guy now. All that stuff with Apocalypse is in the past.

Shooting another web and rounding off another corner, moonlight sparkled behind the avenging hero and air blew past as he kept up the chase, Luckily Spider-Man's webbing was near-unlimited, else he wouldn't have been able to keep on swinging for so long. Taxi drivers stepped out of their vehicles and he could have sworn he heard a "Who the hell?". That world, the word below, seemed like a different world entirely. A world he could not afford to pay any attention to. Nor could he worry much about how Axel and Blaze were holding up, although considering they had more than proven themselves against an onslaught of nameless goons (who, when put together, probably had the power of one Captain America), he figured he didn't have to. No, all of his focus was on rescuing Eddie from a forced aerial tour of the city. Whatever or whoever had kidnapped him was agile. Spider-Man reckoned most cars didn't go that fast when speeding.

While his foe may have had an edge when it came to pure speed, the Spider's quick thinking allowed him to frequently come out on top in situations where he seemed to be the underdog. This was one of those situations where he was the underdog, and he had an idea that, if executed right, would bring the chase to an end. A deep inhale. I've taken on the Sinister Six more times than I have fingers. How hard can this be?

Spider-Man launched a web to a building adjacent to Eddie's captor and, like a comet shooting through the sky, he was sent flying. The exhilarating moment was rounded off by him landing on the walls of an office building, and now that he had closed in, he could make out the face of whoever/whatever had snatched Eddie. Just who were they?

"Vulture!" He announced, surprise showing through his tone. "I should've known it was you from the smell of old man and prune juice."

"Mock me all you want, Spider-Man, but I have something you want." Eddie kicked and screamed within his midst and a cruel grin fell on the aged villain's face. "And I can drop them at any time…"

"You wouldn't!"

In truth, Spider-Man knew supervillains were untrustworthy at the best of times, and even when forming groups of their own, often breaking promises and alliances whenever it was comfortable for them or simply because it brought them sick amusement. Vulture may have been bluffing. He may not have been. One certain truth was that he did have something the Spider wanted, meaning that for the time being, he held the cards, and Spider-Man was going to have to play his hand right.

On the move again, he followed the sound of poor Eddie's panicked cries. The Vulture had never been one of his more troublesome foes. Even with the latest in high-tech technology, a man his age could only be so much of a formidable threat. Gotta think of a way to stop Vulture, without him hurting Eddie, the Spider contemplated, thwipping another silky rope into existence. He didn't even need to think about it. Web-slinging had become an instinct, as natural as breathing.

That same web carried him to below Vulture, where he saw a smile like no other grace Eddie's childish features. He'd seen the same sort of face many times, whenever he saved the civilians of New York from certain peril, but its effect of bringing him great joy never diminished. More ropes binded the feathered man's hands together, and another shot out onto his face. There was not an inch of hair to be seen, on the top of his head or otherwise. Spider-Man had effectively rendered his bald nemesis blind as a bat, webs stretched across his eyes so tightly that his hands couldn't have pulled them off even if they weren't presently restricted.

Eddie had been smiling when the man in the red and blue costume bound the creep he knew now as the Vulture's hands together. He wasn't smiling so much when that same creep flew out of control, performing a loop-de-loop before beginning a steady downwards decline.

"Uhh, Spider-Man?" He called, his voice straining to be heard through the wind generated by Vulture's fall.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine!" Like riding a horse, he leapt onto his back and took Vulture by the reins, which in this case were his wings.

It was going to be one hell of a ride.

...

Two bikers had plummeted (to a watery grave?). Alike in Mad Jack's stature and size with a physique average gym-goers the world over envied, the third stepped towards the duo immediately after his subordinates had fallen. He was not taking on Axel and Blaze to avenge them. This revenge was deeply his own. He had suffered at their fists during Mr X's first takeover of Wood Oak. Never again. Swearing privately that this time would be different, he launched forwards and winded back his fist. The fist quickly met its target in Axel's stomach.

He clenched his teeth together to bear the unbearable pain of pure muscle pounding against his abdomen, keeping the wind from being knocked out of him. This grunt had managed to hurt him. Unlike Blaze, Axel would not give him any respect due to that fact. Even if he was more muscular than most, the man was a grunt all the same, and if a standard punch would not work, then Axel always had one other weapon specially designed for particularly resilient opponents.

The world moved as normal for everyone else, but to Axel, at that moment, everything had been reduced to less than a snail's crawl. Energy flared through his muscles, coursed through his veins as naturally as running water, and gathered in his fists. Energy to which there was no end...or he had never found a limit. His power manifested outwardly in the form of an inferno that smothered his arm, and then, there were only two words Axel needed to say.

"GRAND UPPER!"

His fist rose up and propelled his entire body up with the momentum. A smouldering fist connected with the biker's jaw and sent him into the air. His body eventually came crashing down, skidding along the bridge until it eventually came to a stop. Faint embers still swirling around his gloves, Axel took a step towards the grunt. He was all but harmless now, head hung limply from his shoulders as if being weighed down by his helmet.

"That's all of 'em," He clapped his hands dismissively. The embers had all but disappeared by now. He'd decided to leave this one simply unconscious as opposed to swimming with the fishes; whether that was out of some silent respect or because he just didn't care was anyone's guess.

Blaze, wounded by only a few scrapes and bruises, gently tapped his shoulder. "But we still have one more problem to take care of."

"And what would that be?"

Blaze turned him in the direction of an object hurtling forward in their direction. As it got closer, his eyes widened, realising it was not just one object. Instead, it was three people. Eddie, Spider-Man, and what had to have been the rogue who had kidnapped their friend. Knowing they could not slow them down, not even if they worked together, Axel and Blaze ducked their heads and trusted in the Spider.

Pulling the metaphorical bull by the metaphorical horns, he succeeded in bringing Vulture to a stop. The only problem was, in suddenly yanking the bald birdy, he had pried his hands loose, and thus, Eddie slipped from the old man's clutches and dropped towards the abyss below. He felt as if he'd keep on falling forever. Like dealing with Mad Jack wasn't enough terror for one night. Now the young boy had to worry about if the Spider would be quick enough to save him before the ocean swallowed him whole. A gust of water had splashed his shoes, but Eddie soon found himself no longer freefall and instead in the arms of a familiar hero.

"Spider-Man! You saved me!" he said, ecstatic. His eyes shone just like the waters he'd been so close to dropping into.

"All in a day's work for your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man," he stated modestly. To Eddie, Spider-Man might as well have been an angel with a halo above his head. The boy had certainly learnt his lesson. After making the mistake of wandering off alone twice, Eddie vowed he never would again. He also wouldn't be going swimming anytime soon.

Vulture took the opportunity whilst his nemesis was distracted to cut his losses and escape while he could. Mr X would not approve of his failure, but he could only think of his immediate safety. Vulture didn't get very far before his foe's Spider-Senses kicked in and trapped him in a cocoon of ultra-durable webbing, leaving him secured to a pier. He didn't even bother struggling. He knew better.

"Curse you, Spider-Man!"

His shrieks faded out to background noise, with the (spider) man in question swinging away and rejoining his comrades on the bridge. All were smiling and happy. Axel and Blaze were as glad to see him as he was to see them, clearly. Spider-Man let their friend down with the gentlest of hands. Eddie practically leapt forwards, into the open arms of Axel and Blaze. Watching with a surprised smile hidden by his mask, Spider-Man couldn't believe what he saw. So tough guy Axel had a soft spot after all!

"Oh, Eddie!" Blaze wasn't crying, but her voice was strained with emotion. "We were so worried about you!"

"Yeah, we really were," Axel added. His eyes turned to Spider-Man. "Thank you."

"It was no big."

The amazingly modest Spider-Man's attention was brought away from their tenderness and transferred to a motorcycle whose driver had long since fallen asleep. Spider-Man hoped he was just sleeping. If he could get it to work, they would be able to get through this ordeal a lot faster, meaning he would reunite with Mary Jane a lot sooner. This is all for you, MJ, Peter reminded himself, gripping his fists tighter than he realised. Vignettes of cherished memories with his wife played in his mind.

The fate of an entire city hung in the balance, but Peter was selfish. Mary Jane's life being at risk was all the motivation he ever needed.

His mind quickly returning to the here and now, and not the then (then being when they eventually reached Mr X), Spider-Man found that much to the convenience of all present, there was a key in the bike's ignition. Better yet, he could rev its engine with no problem. The bike was in full working order.

"Check it out, guys. Some goon's been generous enough to leave their bike." He stepped aside, having no reason to be on the bike himself. Axel took the driver's seat. Revving the engine just to confirm it hadn't been just a fluke the first time. Blaze got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach. If Axel thought anything of it, he said nothing. Enough space was there for Eddie to squeeze in on the back, although he did have to squish against Blaze which gave him little room to move around, much less breathe. The group was set and ready to go. Only one problem remained.

"What about you?" Axel asked his spidery friend.

"Don't worry," he said. "I can keep up with my webs. Looks like you guys are already crammed in as is."

"Alright then. Everybody else ready?"

"Ready!" Eddie and Blaze confirmed in unison.

Shifting into high gear, wheels spun around and they zoomed across the half-finished bridge and towards open highways, Eddie's red baseball cap nearly thrown off by the sudden burst in speed. Axel knew exactly where they were going - the amusement park. Usually, the local Disneyland stand-in only attracted children and their parents. In the wake of Mr X's criminal takeover, they had been the first to abandon the outside world and keep at home whenever possible. The place would be empty, deserted- making it a perfect hotspot for delinquents.

"Y'know," Axel started, his hands on the wheel but his head turned to the side, "I think we need to have a talk, Eddie. First of all…"

Swinging high above the group meant Spider-Man could not make out the words, although he could make out the noise and fury of Axel and Blaze's scolding. He was glad it wasn't him getting his ear chewed off.

NEXT: Rampage at Funland!