Peter walked up the steps of Midtown High, scanning the crowds for his best friend Harry. He spotted him leaning against a pillar, dressed impeccably as always in designer clothes.
"Harry, hey dude!" Peter called out, walking over. Harry looked up, his face breaking into a grin. "Pete! Good to see you. Get over here."
The two friends did their signature handshake, a complicated series of movements they had perfected years ago.
"So, did you finish that essay for English class?" Peter asked as they headed into the building.
Harry waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, knocked it out over the weekend. Though I don't know why we need to write essays about books. It's not like that's going to matter for Oscorp."
Peter chuckled at his friend's characteristic nonchalance towards schoolwork. "Well, not all of us are going to inherit a multi-billion dollar company. Us peasants need college plans."
"Please, you'll be working at Oscorp too once you graduate," Harry said confidently. "We're gonna change the world together. Heal the world together, probably.. But speaking of college, I had an idea."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"So senior year, before college starts, we should totally do a cross-country road trip," Harry said excitedly. "Just you and me bro-ing out, hitting all the crazy tourist spots across America. I'm talking Vegas, Hollywood, Times Square. We'll have an epic summer."
Peter laughed at his enthusiasm. "A road trip? That does sound pretty awesome."
"Right? We're only sophomores now, so it's perfect timing to plan something big for senior year," Harry said.
Peter nodded thoughtfully. It did sound fun, and he hadn't really considered plans for after high school. A road trip with his best friend visiting some legendary spots could be a great way to celebrate graduating.
"Alright, you might be onto something there," Peter admitted. "We've got a few years to figure out the details."
"Yes!" Harry pumped his fist triumphantly. "Dude, it's going to be legendary. Just picture it."
Parker and Osborne eventually enter the school building, still chatting about various things like science, and other nerd related things. No matter what, the two remained the greatest duo of friends, even if there was a notable difference between Peter and Harry. The two were chatting by their lockers when a familiar voice called out "Hey guys!"
They turned to see Sally Avril sauntering towards them, books pressed against her chest. Her long blonde hair swished as she walked.
"Oh, hey Sally," Peter said, a bit startled. They hadn't really talked much since she and Flash broke up.
"Peter, Harry, how's it going?" Sally asked brightly, leaning against the locker next to Peter's.
"Uh, we're good," Harry replied, raising an eyebrow at Peter.
"That's great!" Sally said. She turned her blue eyes on Peter. "So Peter, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a movie this weekend? Maybe watch Carrie?"
Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, um..." He stumbled over his words, not expecting Sally to ask him out. Harry stifled a laugh. Sally was certainly direct.
Peter clears his throat. "Well, the thing is Sally, I'm pretty busy with, you know, school stuff," Peter said awkwardly. Sally pouted, twirling her hair around a finger. "Oh come on Peter, it's just one movie. I promise I don't bite." She grinned, stepping closer.
Peter took a step back, his face flushing. "Yeah, uh, it's not really a good time. I've got a big project." He avoided her gaze.
Sally's face fell. An awkward beat passed before Harry jumped in. "Hey Sally, we've gotta get to class. But catch you later okay?"
Sally nodded, looking mildly disappointed as she walked away.
Peter let out a breath. "Thanks for the save, man.."
Harry chuckled and patted Peter's shoulder. "No problem. Sally's still got a thing for you after the breakup with Flash clearly."
"Ehh.. lets just get going before we summon him just by mentioning his name." With that being said, the two walk off to their classes, splitting up; not before saying goodbye to each other for now.
LATER ON IN THE AFTERNOON..
Peter was taking books out of his locker when a meaty hand suddenly slammed against the locker next to him, making him jump. He turned to see Flash Thompson looming over him, a cocky grin on his face.
"Well if it isn't Puny Parker," Flash said loudly. "I see you're still dragging yourself to school. No one convinced you to drop out yet?"
Peter suppressed an eye roll. "Actually Flash, I'm here for the scintillating lectures and stimulating class discussions. You?"
Flash's eyes narrowed, not expecting the sarcasm. Some students in the hallway slowed, anticipating another Parker-Thompson confrontation.
"Very funny, wiseguy," Flash said. "How about I stimulate your face with my fist?"
Peter adopted a thoughtful expression. "Intriguing hypothesis, but wouldn't repeated head trauma negatively impact my grades?"
A few muffled chuckles came from onlookers. Flash's jaw clenched, not liking being mocked.
"Keep talking Parker. We'll see who's laughing when I plaster you across these lockers," Flash threatened.
Peter remained unruffled. "Personally, I find violence an ineffective teaching tool. Perhaps we could have a civil debate instead? I propose the topic: Flash Thompson - misunderstood jock or insecure bully overcompensating for lack of emotional maturity?"
More muted laughter spread through the hallway. Flash's face reddened, his bravado faltering.
Peter pressed his advantage. "Of course, we'd need an unbiased mediator to judge the merits of each argument. Might I suggest Mr. Warren?"
Flash gritted his teeth, searching for a response, but finding none. This wasn't going how he expected.
Finally Flash huffed, digging his finger into Peter's chest. "This ain't over, Parker." He stomped away angrily.
Peter watched him go before quietly exhaling and closing his locker. Once again, he had avoided Flash's wrath by engaging his intellect, rather than his fists. He headed to class, the sounds of chuckling students trailing behind him.
"Phew," Peter exhaled quietly, closing his locker. "Close call. Flash won't quit, and if I'm being honest the guy's gonna seriously get himself hurt if he keeps this up. Maybe not by me, but definitely someone bigger than him.. probably."
Once again, he had avoided Flash's wrath by engaging his intellect, rather than his fists. He heads to lunch the sounds of chuckling students trailing behind him.
IN THE CAFEFERIA
Minutes after the brief encounter with Thompson, Peter walked into the crowded cafeteria, scanning the rows of tables. He spotted Mary Jane's fiery red hair and made his way over. She was sitting with Gwen Stacy, both laughing about something.
"Hey MJ, Gwen," Peter greeted, setting his tray down.
"Pete, hey!" MJ said with a dazzling smile. She was vibrant as always, practically bouncing in her seat.
"Hi Peter," Gwen added warmly. Her blonde ponytail swished as she turned to him.
"So how's the life of Midtown High's coolest sophomores?" Peter joked, unwrapping his sandwich.
"So how's the life of Midtown High's coolest sophomores?" Peter joked, unwrapping his sandwich.
"Oh you know, acing tests, breaking hearts, and brushing off the haters," MJ quipped back with a wink.
Gwen gave her a playful nudge. "What she means is, same old same old. Just trying to survive high school."
"Tell me about it," Peter agreed. "My locker combination should be PB&J at this point for how often I get shoved into it."
MJ rolled her eyes sympathetically. "Ugh, Flash again?"
Peter nodded, taking a bite of his lunch.
"He's such a meathead," Gwen said. "I don't get why he targets you so much."
"Me neither," Peter shrugged. "But hey, two more years and we're out of here."
"Freedom!" MJ cheered, raising her soda can. Peter and Gwen clinked theirs together laughing.
"So, any big weekend plans?" Peter asked.
Gwen and MJ exchanged a look. "Not really," Gwen said. "Homework and Netflix probably."
"Same as always," MJ sighed. "Why, what's up?"
"Well, I was wondering if you guys wanted to come over to my Aunt May's place this weekend?" Peter offered. "We can study together and then just hang."
"Oooh - a Peter Parker party?" MJ teased. "I'm in!"
Gwen smiled. "Yeah that sounds really fun!"
"Awesome!" Peter said. The three friends chatted more about weekend plans as they finished their lunch, bonding over dreaming of life beyond high school's social pressures.
HOURS LATER - FOREST HILLS, QUEENS
After the final bell rang, Peter met up with MJ and Gwen at the front steps of Midtown High.
"Ready for an epic hangout session?" MJ asked with a grin.
"Absolutely!" Gwen said. "Lead the way, Peter."
The three friends walked from school towards Peter's home in Queens, chatting and joking around along the way.
When they arrived at the modest two-story house, Peter unlocked the front door. "Aunt May, I'm home! Brought some friends over."
May emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron. "Welcome! You must be Mary Jane and Gwen. So nice to meet Peter's friends."
After quick introductions, the trio headed to the living room. MJ and Gwen made themselves at home on the couch while Peter grabbed snacks from the kitchen.
"Your aunt is so sweet," Gwen said as Peter returned, arms filled with chips and sodas.
"Yeah, she's pretty great," Peter agreed, setting the snacks down on the coffee table.
"So what should we do first?" MJ asked eagerly, grabbing a bag of chips. "Movies, music, gossip?"
Your aunt is so sweet," Gwen said as Peter returned, arms filled with chips and sodas.
"Yeah, she's pretty great," Peter agreed, setting the snacks down on the coffee table.
"So what should we do first?" MJ asked eagerly, grabbing a bag of chips. "Movies, music, gossip?"
"Gwen and Peter laughed. "I'm good for anything," Gwen said.
They spent the next few hours chatting, snacking, and enjoying each other's company, the pressures of school fading away. At one point, May joined and regaled them with funny stories about Peter as a child. They soon decided to bake some cookies together in the kitchen. Laughter filled the air as they mixed ingredients, stole cookie dough, and danced goofily to music.
Afterwards, the three sat on the couch, chatting away as May cleaned up the dishes. Peter got up, turning towards the two.
"Uh, I'm gonna go get changed; get into something more.. y'know, comfortable." Parker paced upstairs, as the two girls nodded. Mary Jane turned to Gwen, her mouth quickly turning to a sly grin.
"So, Ms. Stacy.. what do you think of Peter?" MJ asked, her green eyes glinting.
Gwen blushed slightly, turning to her. "What do you mean? We're just friends."
"Oh come on," MJ said. "I see the way you look at him in class. You're totally into him."
Gwen tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear self-consciously. "I mean.. He's pretty cute. And really smart and funny. But I doubt he sees me that way."
MJ waved a hand. "Trust me, a guy would have to be blind not to notice you. You should make a move before someone snatches him up."
"You really think so?" Gwen asked unsurely..
"Of course," MJ said supportively. "You two would make an adorable couple. And you already get along so well."
Gwen smiled thinking about it. "Maybe you're right, MJ. I do like spending time with him. What about you though? Any Midtown crushes?"
MJ laughed. "Nah, I'm playing the field. No one's been able to tie me down yet. But watching you and Peter gives me hope for a little high school romance."
The two girls grinned at each other in understanding. Just then, Peter came back downstairs in jeans and a t-shirt.
"Hey, hope I didn't miss anything," he said, plopping down on the couch.
Eventually, the living room once again broke out into a lively conversation of various topics. The three teens were laughing when the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a sudden loud explosion outside. The whole house shook from the force of the blast, causing MJ and Gwen to shriek in surprise. In the kitchen, Aunt May was washing dishes when the explosion went off. The force of it caused her to stumble backwards, dishes clattering loudly around her. Her hands shot to her face in alarm as she steadied herself against the counter.
"Good god.. were those explosions?!"
Gang members of Kingpin and Tombstone wielded firearms, causing bullets to fly and rip through the air. Screams and gunshots split the air. More explosions detonated, rattling the neighborhood violently.
"Oh my goodness!" Aunt May cried. "What's happening?"
Peter's mind raced. It seems that Kingpin, Tombstone and Hammerhead had started fighting; the gang war Daredevil had suspected days ago.
Queens was under attack. People were in danger. And it only took Spider-Man to change the tides.
Turning quickly, he said "May, stay inside where it's safe. I'm going to check things out." Before she could object, he rushed towards the door.
MJ grabbed his arm. "Peter, wait! It's too dangerous out there." Gwen nodded anxiously.
He gave them a reassuring look. "Don't worry, I'll be okay. Just stay here with May." Gwen and MJ exchanged worried glances as Peter ran outside, ready to dawn his Spider-Man persona and protect his home from the brewing violence.
And as soon as Peter exited the house, he sprinted down the sidewalk and ducked into a narrow alleyway. His fingers frantically tore at his clothes as he shed them with unimaginable speed, revealing the Spider-Man suit underneath. In mere seconds, he was fully suited up. With an athletic leap, Spider-Man sprung up the brick wall and launched himself skyward. He fired a web-line that adhered to the rooftop, using it to swing rapidly above the neighborhood. Approaching the chaotic scene, Spider-Man's white lenses widened at the sight. Heavily armed members of the Kingpin's gang were unloading from black SUVs, weapons blazing. They were ambushing a warehouse filled with Tombstone's men, who returned fire fiercely. Caught in the crossfire, police officers took cover behind patrol cars, struggling to contain the firefight.
"Gotta end this, I can't let any sort of casualty get piled up here..!" Spider-Man muttered. He spots the SUVs, and launches himself towards their direction, firing a thread of dense webbing and grabbing ahold of it, swinging after them. It doesn't take him long to catch up to one - he launches from the arc of his swing, tucking into a ball in mid-air as he lands directly on the roof, body sprawled out and ready to end this. He goes into a cartwheel to go on the side of the truck, knocking on the door.
"Knock knock!" he calls out.
"What the hell - who's there?!" The driver responds.
"Spider!" he replies.
"Who the hell is Spider-"
"-SPIDER-MAN!" Spider-Man launches off of the side of the truck, firing two twin threads of webbing onto the door, and propelling himself through the front seat, slamming his feet into the driver, and sending them flying out of the SUV. He fired a thread of webbing towards the edge of the trunk, pulling himself towards it as he slides in front of the truck, turning around on his back and slamming his feet on the ground, blowing himself through traffic as he attempts to stop it.
"Unnghh.. c'mon, speeding truck, could you stop for-"
It was until his Spider-Sense kicked in once more; he saw an innocent child running through the violence, searching for his mother, and it is then when he proceeded to fully utilize his strength. His white lenses spring wide open to convey a shocked expression.
"ONE SECOND!"
He hops his feet upwards, and SMASHES his feet into the concrete asphalt, massive debris of the street flying into the air. He groans louder in strain, his lenses squinting.. and this proved efficient enough to stop the SUV in it's tracks, and it and Spider-Man were deathly close to ramming into the child.
"Hey.. hey, kid," he huffs, bending down a bit to meet the kid's eye level. "You can't be here, where's your mom?"
"I.. I can't find her, mister! My mommy's.. I don't know.." tears began to swell up.
Spidey knows he can't be here for long, tending to the child himself. He turns from the SUV, and sees the police begin to get cornered by Tombstone's gang. The webslinger faces the kid once more.
"Okay, just stay somewhere safe, away from this warzone; stay somewhere close to F.E.A.S.T."
Gunfire increases. He needs to leave, so he stands straight, and rushes off, briefly turning to the youngin.
"Go! Get outta here!"
As the kid nods bravely, he'll remember the day that Spider-Man saved him. Meanwhile, the wallcrawler launches into the battle, entering into an aerial flip through the air as he fires his Web-Shooter onto a Kingpin henchman's rifle, pulling it out of his hands with a strong yank, strong enough to send him stumbling forwards as Spider-Man stomped onto his back, smashing him into the ground. He quickly launches the rifle into another henchman's head, honking them over the noggin and sending them stumbling back.
"C'mon guys, a shootout on a Saturday?! You guys must hate the weekends!"
His Spider-Sense tingles, alerting him to danger from behind. He twists mid-air, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets from a third henchman. The bullets whiz past him, embedding into the brick wall where he'd been a split second before.
"Jeez, didn't anyone ever teach you guys about gun safety?" Spider-Man jokes, flipping over the henchman and landing behind him. He spins on his heel, delivering a roundhouse kick that sends the man sprawling.
"No, seriously, didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to interrupt someone's weekend?" Spidey continued, flipping into the air to avoid a hail of bullets. He twisted mid-air, shooting a web at a nearby lamppost and swinging around to kick two more henchmen in the chest. They went flying, crashing into a nearby dumpster with a loud clang. "I had plans at home with my Aunt's cookies, man!"
With a swift kick, he disarmed another henchman, sending his pistol skittering across the asphalt. He followed up with a forceful uppercut, knocking the thug back into the side of an empty black Toyota, owned by Tombstone's gang. "And YOU, big guy, you should consider a career in boxing," he quipped, landing gracefully on the ground.
Suddenly, a larger henchman lunged at him, wielding a crowbar. Spider-Man twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the swing "Whoa there, dude! That's not a toy at all!" He shot a web at the crowbar, yanking it from the henchman's grasp and flinging it skyward. Before the henchman could react, Spider-Man delivered a swift horse kick to his midsection, sending him sprawling. He then reached out with his Web-Shooters again, snagging two more henchmen approaching from his flanks. With a forceful pull, he sent them crashing into each other, their unconscious bodies collapsing in a heap.
But, in the midst of a shootout, there was no time to rest. Another thug, this one brandishing a knife, charged at him. Spider-Man leaped into the air, flipping over the henchman with ease. He spun around mid-air, shooting a web that sailed past his attacker and stuck to a nearby truck. As gravity pulled him back down, he kicked off the thug's back, propelling himself forward. The web line went taut, and Spider-Man swung towards the final henchman, his feet impacting with a satisfying thud. The thug staggered back, dazed, and Spider-Man finished him off with a quick web to the chest sticking him to the side of the truck.
The webslinger launches himself onto the truck, perching over it as his Spider-Sense attuned to the area, searching for anymore danger.
"A shootout in the middle of Queens is pretty weird.. this has to be the gang war Daredevil was talking about." He theorizes. Kingpin's men drive off, retreating. Spider-Man lands just as they go, watching them leave forcefully. "And whatever the Three Crime Stooges are cooking up spells real bad danger for New York."
He turns to the policemen, and specifically spots Captain George Stacy, the father of Gwen Stacy. Although, Peter didn't know that at all.
"Who the hell are you, some mascot?" Captain Stacy questions. He seems rather aggressive.
"Uh, no. I'm Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." He crosses his arms. Captain Stacy scoffs.
"Whatever. My daughter's here in Queens. Men," he turns towards the group of policemen. "help me find Gwen. We need-"
Before he could finish, a loud, whirring sound filled the air. Everyone looked up to see a figure clad in green armor, hovering above them. It was the Beetle, one of Tombstone's henchmen known for his advanced tech and ruthless tactics.
"Looking for Gwen, are we, Captain? I think I can be of assistance," he sneers, his voice amplified by the suit's speakers. Without another word, he launched a hailstorm of bullets from his gauntlets straight at the gathered policemen.
"LOOK OUT!" Spider-Man shouted, springing into action. With a quick web-swing, he moved between the policemen and the incoming barrage, his arms outstretched. He shot out a wide web-shield which absorbed the energy blasts, protecting the officers. His Spider-Sense kicks in under mere milliseconds, blaring him for incoming danger; but his body didn't move in time. The Beetle swoops in, a green energy trail coming from his back as he grabs onto Spider-Man, launching into the air with him in a chokehold.
"Spider-Man, right?" Beetle chuckles. "You're not the only bug-themed guy in New York."
"Ghk, yeah, you're a flying Beetle, caught onto that quick!-" he responds quickly. Spidey fired a web into Beetle's mask, which he replied by chucking him like a football. He throttled through the air like a rocket, with the Webhead attempting to fire off two threads of webbing to slingshot himself right into the Beetle; but couldn't. He in response slams into the side of a car on his back, plopping onto the ground; he was quick to get back up.
The Beetle floated down, staring down at Spider-Man within a distance.
"Ghh," he winced from the pain. "Nice pitch, buddy, but that's not how you ask to join a search party!" Spider-Man retorted, launching himself toward the Beetle. He used his Web-Shooters to swing around the Beetle, dodging energy blasts and trying to find an opening in his defenses. Beetle, however, was quick. He spun around, trying to shake Spider-Man off his tail. Spider-Man was faster, though. He shot a web at a nearby lamppost and used it to swing around, coming at the Beetle from the side. With great precision, Spider-Man shot another web, this one aimed at the Beetle's jetpack. The webbing connected, and Spider-Man tugged hard, throwing the Beetle off balance.
"Hey Beetle, ever heard of a bug zapper?" He quipped, pulling another line of webbing and tangling it around the Beetle's legs. With a quick yank, he pulled the Beetle towards the ground, causing a hard landing that echoed throughout the vicinity. Just as he was about to web the Beetle up completely, a powerful energy blast hit Spider-Man square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He quickly breaks into a roll, sliding against the ground in his three-point landing pose.
"Yeah.. I'm the bug zapper." The Beetle ascends upwards with his jetpack, before boosting off.
"Oh come on, speeding off without saying goodbye?" Spider-Man fired off a thread of webbing, before swinging after the Beetle. The grey, rainy skies whipped past Spider-Man's mask as he swung in pursuit of the Beetle, rocketing through the sky with a green trail. Spider-Man shot a web onto a nearby flagpole, using it as an anchor point to swing around and gain speed. As he released the web, he shot another one onto a water tower, keeping up his momentum. He gracefully moved from one swing to another, his body twisting and turning in mid-air as he navigated the concrete jungle.
Meanwhile, the Beetle fired off beams of energy from his gauntlets at the wall-crawler. Spider-Man twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the blasts. "You should work on your aim, dude!" he taunted, launching himself off a billboard and catapulting towards the Beetle. He shot a web at the Beetle's back, but the villain spun around and sliced the web with a blade that shot out from his gauntlet. The Beetle quietly chuckled, firing another energy blast.
Spider-Man somersaulted, narrowly avoiding the blast. He landed on a rooftop and immediately launched himself back into the air, shooting a web at an antenna to swing himself forward. He closed the gap between him and the Beetle, reaching out to grab his leg. But Beetle was quick, twisting in mid-air, and kicking Spider-Man away, sending him tumbling onto a nearby rooftop. Spider-Man rolled with the impact, shaking off the pain as he got back on his feet.
"Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.. isn't he supposed to be a Beetle?" Spider-Man mumbled, firing off another web and swinging back into the chase. He followed the Beetle across the rooftops, dodging energy blasts and leaping over obstacles.
As the Beetle took off, Spider-Man was hot on his trail, swinging from building to building with the agility of an acrobat and the speed of a sprinter. He could hear the rush of wind in his ears and the distant screams from the panicked crowd below as they tried to flee the scene.
The Beetle wasn't making it easy for them. He kept firing sticky grenades at the buildings around them, causing explosions that sent debris showering down onto the streets. Spider-Man had to dodge falling bricks and shattered glass as he pursued his target.
But it was when the chase moved to the street level that things really started to heat up. Beetle began firing his grenades at the cars below, causing them to explode in fiery bursts. Spider-Man could see the terrified faces of the drivers as they tried to escape their vehicles before the explosions. He swung down onto the street, landing lightly on the roofs of the exploding cars. Each explosion sent a blast of heat and a shockwave that threatened to knock him off balance, but he kept his footing, using his superhuman agility and balance to his advantage. Police cars leftover from the shootout at Forest Hills were now joining the chase, their sirens wailing and lights flashing. But they were no match for the Beetle's advanced tech. Spider-Man knew he had to stop the Beetle before anyone got hurt.
As he saw Captain Stacy's car join the chase, he swung down and landed on the roof. He could see the determined look on the Captain's face through the windshield. Without a word, he launched himself off the car, firing two threads of webbing onto separate streetlight poles. He flings himself towards the Beetle, tackling him through the air with a loud grunt as the two go flying into the ground, rolling against the asphalt.
Spider-Man turns the Beetle over, firing a web onto his gauntlet to keep him in place; or at least attempt. "Alright, if you could stop being so stubborn, we can all go ho-"
The Beetle's other gauntlet emitted strong energy, as he fires it into Spider-Man. However, he quickly launches himself the other way, landing on his feet as he fired another mass of webbing onto the gauntlet, finally keeping him in place.
"Okay.. now we can talk. What's going on with New York? What's this Gang War stuff Daredevil told me about?"
"Nngh.. you really expect me to just flat out tell y-"
Spider-Man fired a thread of webbing onto one of Beetle's gauntlets, and ripped it off.
"-I'm just gonna assume you will if I tear off every piece of tech you got. You think it'll sell well on Ebay?" He keeps a tight hold of it.
"..Damn it. Fine." Beetle scowled. "It wasn't just gonna be Queens. The big bosses are attacking all over - Brooklyn, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen. They're trying to wipe each other out till one remains. Gain territory."
Spider-Man's lenses narrowed. This was bigger than he thought. "Not good. Spill the tea and I'll probably give it back."
"With the heroes busy fighting each other, the gangs are making moves to take over everything," Beetle continued. "It's gonna be a bloodbath."
Spider-Man's mind raced. Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist were all in danger. He had to help.
"Well.. they didn't count on me crashing the party," Spider-Man glanced at Beetle's gauntlet. "Now to shut this down."
He tosses the gauntlet away. "Hate to jet, but I've got New York to save. Seeya, Beetle!" Spider-Man swung off soon after, leaving the Beetle for the NYPD.
HARLEM
In the heart of Harlem, inside the unassuming office of the Alias Investigations, Jessica Jones, private investigator and sometimes superhero, was busy sifting through the chaos that was about to engulf New York City. Luke Cage, her husband and fellow superhero, and Danny Rand, better known as the Iron Fist, were with her, their faces etched with worry.
"Every borough's under threat," Luke began, his deep voice echoing in the small office. "The gangs're gearing up for something big. Some dude in Queens named.. Spider-Man, managed to get this info from a skirmish with the Beetle, one of Tombstone's mercs."
Danny Rand, sitting across from Luke, clenched his fists, the faint golden glow of his Iron Fist dimming with his concern. "We've seen the signs, haven't we? Increased gang activity, the turf wars, the violence... it's all been leading up to this."
Jessica, leaning against the office desk, her eyes scanning the cityscape outside the window, nodded. "And it's not just the gangs. There are whispers of bigger players getting involved. Kingpin, Hammerhead, even some of Tombstone's men."
Luke sighed, his gaze shifting to Jessica. "We needa do something, Jess. We can't just sit here and wait for things to get worse."
Jessica turned, meeting Luke's eyes. "I know," she said softly, her tone serious. "That's why I've been thinking... New York needs the Defenders back."
Luke blinked, taken aback. The Defenders - their team, disbanded after their fight with the Hand - hadn't been a topic of conversation for a long time. Danny, hearing Jessica's statement, sat up straighter, a glint of hope in his eyes.
"You're right, Jess," Danny said eagerly. "We've faced threats together before. We can do it again."
Luke ran a gloved hand over his dreads, his mind processing the proposition. He looked from Danny to Jessica, the determination in their eyes matching his own. The city was in danger, and they had a responsibility to protect it.
"Ight," Luke said, a determined look on his face. "Let's get the team back together. Let's go kick their asses."
TO BE CONTINUED.