Hello, and welcome to Spider-Man: Born Again! I won't keep you from it for too long, but I just want to say thank you to all the readers who have supported me as a writer for this long. As of March 30th, I have been a publishing fan-story writer for over two years now, starting with The Defenders of Remnant as my first story, up to today, with Born Again being my fourth story. And I don't intend to stop anytime soon. I just want to express how grateful I am for those that have gotten me this far, and those who will continue to read as I keep going.
Now, that being said, this is a SPOILER WARNING!
Again, SPOILER WARNING! This story, Spider-Man: Born Again, is a SEQUEL STORY. Everything I write is in a shared continuity I have labelled as 'The Defenderverse', and this is the fourth entry in that series. HOWEVER, the ONLY story required before this one is my original story, The Defenders of Remnant. I would happily enjoy support for the others, and recommend reading everything to fully enjoy my work, but if you are here just for Spider-Man or Marvel Comics in general, this story follows the story from The Defenders of Remnant, so if you do not wish to have that story's events spoiled for you, go read that first, then come back. This has been your spoiler warning.
With that out of the way, 'Nuff Said, and I give you the Pilot chapter to Spider-Man: Born Again.
Spider-Man: Born Again
Chapter 1: Pilot
Seven Months Ago…
Peter Parker stood before a tombstone with a solemn look on his face. He had been standing here for hours, re-reading the name engraved on the tombstone over and over again in his head:
Mary Jane Watson. 2002 - 2021
Each time reading it didn't make it easier. If anything, it made his very soul sink even lower. He couldn't move away, either. He remained rooted to the spot, unable to tear himself away from his misery. He didn't care. It was his fault she was gone, his fault that they were gone. He was broken by his failure. If the past year since then has taught him anything, it was that.
One year.
A year since they were taken from him. A year since he ended the life of the man who did it. A year since he's put on the mask of Spider-Man.
After what happened, he couldn't bring himself to wear it again. He'd been tempted, to be sure; to go back out and try to do right by those he lost. But whenever he looked at the costume, all he saw was red: the blood of both those he lost, and that of the man he took the life of to end it all.
Norman Osborne. The Green Goblin.
Even thinking the name made him sick. Not just because of what Osborne did, but what he drove Peter to do. He had driven him to break his number one rule, and left him with no one to help him put the pieces of himself back together.
His Aunt May, the love of his life Mary Jane, and even Norman's own son and Peter's best friend, Harry. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Norman had been driven so insane in his pursuit to kill Spider-Man, he went as low as killing his own son to get at him. He was an irredeemable monster, that now laid below ground with the rest of those Peter saw as his family.
After what happened, he hung up the mask. He quit his job at the Daily Bugle. Hearing Jameson spout on about how for years he was right about Spider-Man and no one listened, it drove Peter even more mad than he already was. For the past year, he'd been living off freelance photography jobs. He didn't have the energy for much else. It barely got him by, but it was enough to live off of.
He considered destroying the suit, but no. He needed it as a reminder for why he should never do it again. Yet, it almost had the opposite effect every time he looked at it, as if the duty was calling to him, trying to tell him the world needed Spider-Man. Needed him.
Peter let out a low sigh and shook his head, still looking at MJ's tombstone. No, never again. Spider-Man was no more.
"I thought I'd find you here." a voice startled him, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to the side to see a large, muscly man with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a white shirt, a brown leather jacket, cargo jeans and military boots.
"Oh… hey, Cap. Long time no see, I guess," Peter replied.
"We're not in costume, son. Just call me Steve," Steve Rogers said.
"Right," Peter said before looking back down at the grave. Steve looked down as well.
"How long have you been here today?" He asked.
"Four hours," Peter replied. "But it'll never be enough."
"Don't put all the weight on your shoulders. You're only human. Any lesser man would've become worse than he was after what happened," Steve said.
"That doesn't make me feel better," Peter said. "Lesser or greater, it doesn't matter. I still did what I swore I would never do. I didn't win by doing what I did, Steve. I just made sure he won, even in death."
"If that were true, then why are you still here?" Steve questioned.
"Do you mean in this graveyard or metaphysically?" Peter asked, ultimately dodging the question.
"We all have a purpose in life, and I believe that if we're still around in this world, we still have something to do. If your purpose was done, Peter, and your time as a hero is over, then why are you still here?" Steve's words weighed on Peter, stewing in his mind and settling in. "I'll leave you to it." Steve began to walk away, but Peter didn't look after him, just kept looking down at the tombstone. "And just remember, the Avenger's Mansion's doors are always open. To both Peter Parker, or Spider-Man."
"I'll, uh… keep that in mind…" Peter said absent-mindedly. Steve nodded, then left Peter to think alone. Peter just kept re-reading the engravement.
Peter closed the door to his cheap, tiny apartment and locked the door, hoping to avoid his landlord until he got paid in a few days. He threw his jacket aside and plopped down on the small cot he called a bed. He would spend an hour trying to sleep, to no avail. Sleep hadn't come easy since then. She he let out an annoyed sigh and grabbed the remote to a small tv wired up in the corner of the room and pressed the remote's power button, more just fill the room with white noise than watching anything.
The screen flickered to life to show a news broadcast, and as Peter closed his eyes to try and get sleep to take him again, the reporter spoke through the broadcast.
"- can check back later with newly appointed Senator Kelly and his mutant registration directive as he prepares his proposal for Congress next week. In other local news, it was reported just this morning that notorious crime boss Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, has escaped from Ryker's Island, along with a small group of other known super criminals," She reported. Peter opened his eyes and sat up, now listening more intently to the broadcast. "Other recorded escapees include Max Dillon AKA Electro and the assassin Bullseye, real name unknown. Camera footage recovered from the breakout also places the Prowler and Taskmaster at the scene. Authorities believe this could be linked to the escape of Phineas Mason, AKA the Tinkerer several weeks ago. We'll update you as more details are released."
She went on to cover other stories, but Peter had tuned her back out again. Fisk was no joke. At one point he had controlled the entire criminal underworld in New York. It took the combined power of Peter and almost every single street-level hero in New York to put him behind bars. If he's free, he can't be allowed to rebuild an empire. He can't-
No. No, he can't do this. He gave up being Spider-Man for a reason. He can't put the mask back on after what happened.
So why did he already have his closet open, looking at the dusty, unused Spider-Suit on a rusty wire hanger? He didn't even realize he had gotten up from the cot. He let out a heavy sigh, then reached out and gripped the mask gently. He pulled it toward him and then held the mask face-up in both of his palms, the white eye lenses on it looking back up at him with a waiting gaze.
If your purpose was done, Peter, and your time as a hero is over, then why are you still here?
Peter sighed again. He had to give it up. He was responsible for what happened… but he would be responsible if more died as well.
"One last time…" He quietly said. If he had to put this on again, if he had to become Spider-Man again, it would only be this last time. He would stop Fisk, and then that would be the end of it. "One More Day…"
He wouldn't realize that this single day would change everything.
Present Day
Like months ago, Peter stood before the grave of Mary Jane Watson. But this time, he wasn't a man consumed by the mistakes he made and the cost of them, stuck in the past. Today, he was a man looking to the future, looking at the light at the end of the tunnel instead of lingering in the dark before it. He wasn't Peter Parker the depressive outcast anymore. He was Peter Parker, Spider-Man. A hero with renewed faith in himself.
He held a bunch of flowers in his hand, a small bouquet with colorful petals and blooms freshly bought from the nearest florist. He kneeled in front of the tombstone and gently placed them before it. He stood back up to his feet and slid his hands into his pockets.
"Hey, MJ," Peter said to the stone. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Had to stop a carjacking on the way here, nearly lost the flowers." He chuckled to himself a bit. "I, uh, finally got out of the tiny apartment. Upgraded to a uh, y'know, slightly bigger place. A TA's salary isn't that much better than a photographers. I'm still doing freelance work every now and again though. Robbie got out from under Jonah and started his own business, so I've sold photos to him every now and then. So that's great." He let out a sigh, but kept a small smile on his face. "I miss all you guys. You, Aunt May, Harry, Uncle Ben. I almost gave it all up after what happened. I'm glad I'm back to being me. And I'm gonna work hard every day to make all of you proud."
"Well said." Peter turned to his side to see Matt Murdock approach and join him. Peter smiled wide.
"Hey, man. What brings you to this side of town? I thought you had a case this morning."
"Foggy and I made quick work of it. The prosecution hired a firm without checking their records. They didn't realize they'd lost a majority of cases," Matt replied.
"Plus Nelson and Murdock are the best defense attorneys this side of Jersey," Peter said with a chuckle, earning a wide smirk from Matt as well.
"Well, I came here to visit Spector's grave. When I could smell you up the hill, I thought I'd say hi," Matt answered.
"Right… how's Spector's family doing?" Peter asked.
"After the news broke, Marlene took their daughter to the midwest, away from the big cities. I think once she knew her vigilante ex-husband wasn't coming around anymore, she wanted to be as far away from it as possible. I hear Nebraska is lovely this time of year," Matt said.
"I feel for them," Peter said. "Spector wasn't the greatest guy in the world, but he and his family didn't deserve that."
"Well, I think she took solace in the fact that his murderer was gone as well," Matt said. "If only she knew how much that pokes at us."
"No one's perfect I guess," Peter said.
"How are you holding up? How are you settling back in?" Matt asked.
"It's… tough. Definitely tough. But I'm making it work. Got a new job at BV…" Peter checks the time on his phone quickly and his eyebrows shoot up. "... which I'm gonna be late to. Gotta meet my boss for the field trip to the new Alchemax facility in Manhattan in ten minutes. I'll catch you later. Tell Foggy I said hi!" Peter then started for the exit to the graveyard.
"Hold on, so you live in Queens, work in Brooklyn, and have a trip to Manhattan?" Matt questioned.
"Hey, you know better than most, work is hell!" Peter then sprinted off, and Matt chuckled a bit.
"'Work is hell'. That's a good one."
Peter ran out of the grave yard and into an alleyway across the street. After a few moments, he launched himself back into the air and began swinging from building to building in his Spider-Suit. A vibrant red and blue costume with white lens-like eyes with a black outline, black web designs stretching across the outfit, and an armored white spider on both the front and back of the torso, along with other armored white pieces on his knuckles, forearms and feet.
"Woohooo! Good morning, New York City!" Peter, now Spider-Man, cheered as he swung through the streets of the Big Apple.
My name is Peter Parker, the one and only Spider-Man. But you knew that already. It's been a minute since you've seen me, so let me get you caught up on things.
It's been three months since the Defenders and I got back from Remnant. Since then, things have kinda gotten back to normal. Matt went back to work as usual with his buddy Foggy at their law firm. I think he misses teaching a little bit, though. Sometimes I hear him talking to Foggy about teaching degrees. I'm thinking he might give it another shot here on Earth in his downtime between court cases.
Danny hasn't had as much time to be Iron Fist recently. Rand Enterprises is apparently in the middle of some pretty serious overseas business deals that's kept his hands tied for the most part. I'm happy for him, though, he's got something going for him.
Oh, big news! Luke and Jessica are engaged! Amazing, right? They've gotten pretty busy lately, too, trying to balance wedding planning with keeping their businesses going. I don't think they've ever been more eager for helpless people to walk in their doors for help. The good and bad of being a superhero for money, I guess. Which reminds me, I really need to buy a tux…
Anyways, I'm getting off track. I'm sure you're all curious about me too. Well, after we got back, I was kinda homeless. Four months dropping off the face of the Earth doesn't pay rent. I had to crash at Nelson and Murdock until I'd found a new job. Luckily, I did. I've been working as a teacher's assistant at Brooklyn Visions Academy for two months now. It's not much, but it pays the bills, and only the bills. But hey, that's the hero's life.
And today is a day I'm looking forward to. The freshman advanced science class at BV are taking a field trip to the new Alchemax facility in Manhattan today, the first building for the company on the entire East Coast. They've been trying to expand in this part of the country since Oscorp went under. Construction started right before we got back, and tomorrow it'll be open to the public. But BV got offered a private early tour for the top students in their science programs, and I'm lucky enough where the teacher I'm the aide of just happens to be the one holding those golden tickets, so I get that sneak peek too.
That being said, I'm gonna wrap up this recap before I'm late.
"Man, Professor Wells is gonna be livid…" Peter muttered to himself.
The school bus screeched to a stop just outside the Alchemax building. It was a somewhat tall building; not quite a skyscraper, but still towering nonetheless. It had a sleek, black exterior to the design, and lit up vertically in neon blue lettering was the single word: "Alchemax".
The bus's door folded open and the Brooklyn Visions students filed out one by one, taking in the mere sight of the facility even before they could approach the doors. Among those students was the young, fifteen-year-old Miles Morales. As he stepped out and took in the sight of the facility, he was filled with excitement at what he may find inside. He was so enraptured, he didn't notice his name was being called until he was being shaken at the shoulder.
"Hey, Miles, you alright man?"
"Hm?" Miles turned to see his best friend Ganke with his hand on his shoulder. Ganke was a robust Korean boy, and had short black hair and rectangular-frame glasses. Like Miles, he wore the Brooklyn Visions uniform, a blue cardigan bearing the school's emblem on the left breast over a white button-up and black tie, and gray uniform pants and black shoes. "Oh, sorry Ganke. Must've gotten distracted."
"We haven't even made it inside yet and you're already drifting off?" Ganke raised an eyebrow.
"I know, but it's just- Alchemax is doing some revolutionary stuff! And we get to see it before anyone else!" Miles said eagerly.
"Just try not to faint before we get in the door, Miles. Don't wanna have to step over you on the way through," A girl said as she took Miles' other side.
"I'm not gonna faint, Kamala," Miles rolled his eyes with a smile. Kamala Khan was a Muslim girl Miles' age with shoulder-length dark hair and brown eyes. She wore the same uniform as the boys, with the exception of wearing a knee-length gray skirt and black stockings.
Their teacher chaperone, Professor Wells, stood before the entire class with a clipboard in hand. "Alright class, line up. Just double checking attendance one last time before we go in. When I call your name, just say 'here'..."
Wells took the attendance of every student, marking all present. After he checked the list, he looked up and around quickly, then furrowed his brow in annoyance. "Where is Parker?"
"Here, Professor Wells!" The students as well as the teacher himself glanced up to see Peter running up to them with a brown over-the-shoulder bag strapped on. "Sorry I'm late, sir!"
Wells sighed and shook his head. "If I didn't know why you were late, you'd be fired," The teacher said. "But you were paying respects, so you get my leeway this once."
"Yes sir, sorry. Won't happen again," Peter said nervously.
"I do hope you won't scold me for being late." Peter and Wells turned around to face the entrance to the facility, where a woman in a lab coat was waiting. She was an Indian woman with dark hair put up in a bun and rectangular glasses. "Greetings, children. I am Doctor Kavita Rao. This is my facility, and I'll be your tour guide today."
Dr. Rao brought the class inside, guiding them into a massive main lobby where several smaller scale experiments and projects were on display, immediately catching the attention of each student in different places. Several machines on display, monitors showing data and non-present experiments, all surrounding a large fountain in the middle of the plaza-sized lobby.
"We have put on display just a taste of the work being done here at Alchemax. On display today are smaller-scale projects. Take a few minutes to look around," Rao said. The students quickly fanned out, taking interest in the subjects on display. Wells had to stay close and manage part of the students. The other part was supposed to be Peter's responsibility, but he found himself just as enraptured in the subjects on display as some of the students.
One particular display caught his attention though: a series of glass boxes laid out on a table, each with a species label. Trapped within each case was a spider, each varying from size and look, but none being any bigger than a half-dollar coin, so all smaller species. His interested smile withered quickly.
"Uh, Dr. Rao?" Peter said.
"Yes, young man?" The scientist approached with a curious glance.
"What is this?" He asked.
"Oh, that experiment. It's a personal favorite of mine. When Oscorp went under, all of their active developments went dark, but we were able to get our hands on a few of their abandoned projects. I wiped the dust off this one myself. Genetic experimentation in order to increase physical ability. It's a way to test what a creature is capable of without doing what so many have done: using humans as test subjects. Sickening, if you ask me. I just want to understand our full potential with as little harm as possible," Rao answered.
"Is that why you've gotten so involved in mutant affairs?" Peter asked.
"Oh, you're familiar?" Rao raised an eyebrow.
"I've actually been following the Alchemax expansion for a while," Peter said. "Once I heard you were gonna be head of the New York branch, I wanted to do my research. You've been involved in mutant rights for years, and have fought to deal with mutant criminals in humane ways while trying to keep a good relationship both ways. You've also been working on mutant genetic treatment for years."
"You certainly have done your research, Mister…?"
"Oh, uh, Parker. Peter Parker," Peter said, putting his hand out. Rao seemed to hesitate at first, not out of snootiness but out of pure thought, as if she was still processing what she just heard, but before Peter could ponder it, she shook his hand.
"Do you consider yourself a scientist, Mister Parker?" Rao asked.
"I wish. Science enthusiast is the best I can say right now. But I've always wanted to be in a place like this, to do real work to change the world."
"What makes you want this kind of career?"
"Well, it's just what I've always been into. I think it helps that my parents were scientists too. In a way, I think I'm just following in their footsteps," Peter said.
"Interesting," Rao said, intrigued.
Miles, Ganke and Kamala, meanwhile, while Peter and Rao had moved away from the display to continue their discussion, had begun to look at the spider display themselves. "Man, these things are kinda creepy," Miles said.
"Yeah, good thing there's glass between us and them," Kamala said. "Bugs in general gross me out."
"Spider-Man is, like, one of your favorite heroes of all time," Ganke said.
"Yeah, but he's not an actual spider crawling around New York City," Kamala said.
"You don't know. Maybe he's just a bunch of spiders in the form of a man in the costume," Ganke suggested jokingly.
"Ugh, gross! Don't give me that mental image!" Kamala squirmed.
"Behold, the friendly neighborhood Spiders Man!" Miles added on.
"Miles, don't help him. Blegh."
"Perhaps another project will be more appealing to you," Rao said. She pressed a switch on a white bracelet around her left wrist. Suddenly, the fountain in the center stopped spewing water and slowly descended below the floor beneath their feet. All the students nearby backed away, as rising from the hole in the ground was not the fountain that had disappeared, but a large metallic orb with white metal plating and golden highlights contained within a large glass box placed atop a silver podium. The orb was massive, at least three to five times larger than a person.
"I give to you, the Icarus Engine!" Rao presented with a smile. "Once fully operational, it will be a source of perpetually sustainable clean energy!"
"How does it work?" Peter asked.
"It's fairly complicated, too much to get into right now, but the general idea is that the power cells within the Icarus Engine absorb solar energy and continually store it within to use to power other machines, but the engine is much more powerful than, say, a solar panel. Whereas the average set of solar panels store enough energy to power a building, the Icarus Engine can store and use enough energy to power a city, hell, an entire country for years. The potential applications for this technology are limitless. Any machine the world could think of, no matter how much energy is required, could be easily powered."
"If mass produced, that could solve the world's energy crisis overnight!" Peter marveled. "Also, solar energy for a device called 'Icarus'. Clever."
"Didn't Icarus's wings melt when he got too close to the sun?" Ganke pointed out.
"Blame the marketing department, not us," Rao shrugged. "Now, perhaps we can take this tour further inside and-"
BOOM!
Everyone was sent stumbling as the very ground below them shook violently, like an earthquake had occurred right beneath their feet. "What the hell was that?!" Professor Wells cursed.
"Nothing good…" Peter said. Suddenly, his head pulsed, warning him of coming danger. Spider-Sense is tingling! He thought. He turned to Doctor Rao just a few feet from him, and quickly pushed her out of the way. "Move!" Just as he got Rao out of the way, the ground burst open with an explosion, sending rocks and rubble outwards in the blast. All the students had taken cover from the blast, unharmed. From the now-smoking hole in the floor, people began to leap up into the Alchemax lobby. Each was dressed in black jackets and pants. On their faces, they wore metal masks that gave off a purple glow. By the time the smoke cleared, there were a dozen of them in the lobby.
"Grab the Engine! And make sure no one leaves!" One of them said, the leader of the operation.
"Hey!" Wells exclaimed, rushing up to one of them. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Shut it!" Wells was struck to the ground harshly. "You're in the Underground's jurisdiction now!"
The people, members of the Underground as they claimed, began to round up the students one by one. Meanwhile, Rao was still recovering from the initial explosion. She propped herself up on one arm and rubbed her now-aching skull. It was then she saw what the Underground were doing. "Peter, thank you for the help, but we must-" She turned to her side expecting to find Peter on the ground with her, only for her to be alone. This left her confused. He had saved her, right?
Miles was still hidden, hiding behind one of the displays with Kamala at his side. He had lost track of Ganke. He hoped his friend hadn't already been rounded up by the criminals. "Miles, what are we going to do?" Kamala asked quietly.
"I don't know yet," Miles whispered back. "For now, just keep outta sight. I'm gonna see if I can find Ganke."
"Miles, are you crazy?!" Kamala replied.
"Yeah, maybe," Miles admitted. He then crouched down and quietly snuck out from behind the display he and Kamala were using as cover and quickly hopped over to the next. He glanced around the corner of that display to see one of the Underground hauling Doctor Rao off the ground forcefully.
"Unlock the case," The criminal demanded.
"No," Rao spat.
The criminal growled and held a small device in his off hand, keeping Rao in his other hand's grip. He clicked a switch on the device, and in a flash of purple glowing light, the metal began to expand and build out into a full rectangular blade. The Underground member then put the blade to Rao's throat. "That wasn't a request."
Is that nanotech?! Miles thought, then quickly shook his head. He needed to help Doctor Rao, but how? He began to look around for anything that could do the trick. Meanwhile, more members of the underground created their own weapons: massive metal gauntlets, more swords, and guns, all sharing a silver and purple color palette. One of them with gauntlets launched forward and struck downward onto the glass protecting the Icarus Engine, only to be sent flying backward by an invisible energy field protecting it, colliding with one of his fellow criminals and taking them both to the ground.
"I don't know who hired you, but you won't have the Icarus Engine. You came here for nothing," Rao said with a venom in her voice.
"Let's make this simple: you take down that shield and unlock the case, or you start losing pieces," The Underground member holding her threatened, pressing his technological blade against her shoulder. "Or better yet, why don't we start with all the kids rounded up in this room? Maybe killing one of them will make you more coopera- Agh!" A piece of rubble struck the man's head, sending him stumbling back and making him let go of Rao, who quickly put distance between herself and the Underground. The criminal quickly recovered and looked up to see Miles, already another piece of rubble in hand. Miles chucked the rubble right towards the criminal again, but his target sliced it away with his large blade this time, then lunged forward, holding his sword over his head. Miles yelped and leapt out of the way just before the criminal obliterated the display he was hiding behind. Without skipping a beat, though, the Underground member winded up another attack, but this time a purple energy built up in the blade, then was exerted when the weapon struck the ground, sending out a shockwave that sent miles flying off his feet and smashing through the spider display he had been watching before, sending the table over and shattering the glass. Miles groaned as he tried to get to his feet, but the Underground member was already standing over him.
"Alright, little brat. Play time's over." He raised his weapon again, before webbing covered the tip of the blade, then the weapon was ripped from his hands and sent flying across the room.
"Roughing up a student? You could get expelled for this kind of behavior, y'know." Peter landed atop the protective case of the Icarus Engine in his Spider-Man outfit. "Seems like you need to be sent to the principal's office!"
"It's Spider-Man! Get him!" One of the Underground exclaimed. Four members of the Underground aimed firearms right at the hero and began shooting immediately, but Peter leapt high above them before the bullets ever reached him. Midair, Peter webbed two of the guns and yanked them from their owner's grips, then swung them back around and collided the butts of the guns to their owner's heads, knocking them out instantly. Peter landed next to the member threatening Miles and glanced up. "Detention for you!" Peter roundhouse-kicked the criminal and in the same movement shot webbing that stuck his opponent to the wall. He then ducked low as more bullets zoomed by.
There were still two more Underground members with guns, and the remaining others were readying their nanotech weapons as well. It was then Peter remembered Miles, and saw the boy already taking cover behind another shattered display. Peter mentally sighed in relief, then leapt back up into the air and shot a quick burst of webbing that blocked the barrels of the two firearms being used against him, then fired two strands of webbing onto the chests of the gunners themselves. He yanked the criminals off their feet into the air, then broke into a somersault that spun the criminals around, then slammed them into the ground, knocking them both out instantly.
Peter landed back on his feet, and one of the Underground with a pair of massive nanotech gauntlets rushed him and began swinging. Peter ducked and dodged as the massive metal fists whooshed by him. "Wow, you're not very good with those things, are you?" Peter quipped as he nonchalantly kept just out of reach. His head pulsed again, though, as another of the Underground, armed with one of the nanotech blades, ran at him from behind, readying a swing with the weapon. Peter just smirked. "Oops! Forgot to tie my shoe!" Peter ducked down, narrowly dodging a horizontal sword swipe that then instead connected with the gauntlet-user, sending him flying back and smashing into the Icarus Engine's protective case.
"Shit, sorry!" His teammate apologized.
"Yeesh, talk about friendly fire," Peter remarked as he stood back up, then punched backwards, shattering the sword-user's metal mask and knocking him out with that single strike.
The leader of the group snarled. "That's enough! The job's a bust! We're out of here!" He called to hsi still conscious teammates.
"Yeah, out of here and right into a prison cell," Peter said before leaping towards the leader, who quickly pulled a device off his belt and tossed it into the air between them. After a single passing moment, it exploded in a flash of white light and harsh sound. If Peter let out a cry of pain, he couldn't hear himself do so.
That's one helluva flashbang… He mentally groaned. Soon, his vision and hearing returned to him, and the Underground were gone. His head was still pulsing from the flashbang. Remind me to ask Jess if this is what a hangover feels like… He got to his feet and massaged his skull. "Hey, is everyone alright?"
"Fine. Shaken up, but fine," Ganke replied as he helped Professor Wells to his feet, the teacher bleeding from the side of his head. Peter nodded and turned to Miles, who was just now getting back to his feet. Peter walked over and helped him up.
"Hello again, Miles," Peter greeted, putting on a somewhat different voice from his usual tone.
"A-Again?" Miles repeated. "Wait, you remember me? Spider-Man remembers me?"
"Hard to forget someone as brave as you. But maybe you forgot my advice to you last time we talked," Peter replied. "About not putting yourself in the line of fire?"
"Well, I had to do something," Miles replied.
"And you did good. But all it takes is one thing going wrong. You did a brave thing, but you gotta be smart too, alright?" Peter said.
"Y-Yes sir. Sorry," Miles replied, slightly looking down.
"Hey, don't be sorry. You helped save Doctor Rao. Just look to do better next time," Peter said.
"Got it," Miles nodded.
"I would recommend that everyone evacuate the premises immediately," Doctor Rao said as she wiped herself off and re-centered her glasses. "The authorities are already on their way."
"Agreed. Students, follow me," Wells said.
It took only a few minutes for emergency vehicles to reach the scene: police to arrest the members of the Underground and ambulances to tend to any wounded. Thankfully, the worst injury was just that of Professor Wells, which wasn't more than a nasty cut on his head. The students were just a little roughed up, not seriously hurt at all. Doctor Rao was mainly unharmed as well, and was preoccupied reporting the situation to the police.
"You sure you'll be fine, Professor Wells?" Ganke asked their teacher, Miles and Kamala at his sides as well.
"I'll just have a hell of a headache for a week or two while this heals. I'm glad all of you got out unscathed. Which reminds me, where is Parker?" Wells questioned.
"Here, Professor Wells!" The four of them turned to see Peter rushing up to them, dirt and bits of rubble on his jacket, but like most of the others, mainly unharmed.
"About damn time, Parker," Wells frowned. "Where were you?"
"What do you mean?" Peter asked.
"Your job is to help keep an eye on the students, and in the event of an emergency, protect them. And yet, when those crooks came in, not only did I not see you doing that, I didn't see you at all! As soon as an emergency actually happens, you're in the wind until it all blows over!" Wells exclaimed.
"Sir, I'm sure there's a good explanation-" Peter began.
"I don't want to hear it," Wells cut him off. "This is inexcusable, Parker. You're fired."
"W-What?"
"Didn't hear me? I'll say it again then. You. Are. Fired," Wells repeated.
"W-Wait, sir, I need this job-"
"Clearly not enough to actually do it," Wells said. "Now get out of my sight."
Peter wanted to protest further, but knew it was pointless. He sighed, turned around and left them behind.
"That was a little harsh, don't you think?" Kamala questioned.
"Not in the slightest," Wells said coldly. Unbeknownst to them, though, Rao had heard the entire exchange. As Peter began to leave the scene, she excused herself from her conversation with the police officer and sped up to catch Peter.
"Mister Parker!" She called out.
Peter stopped and turned after hearing his name called, and was surprised to see Doctor Rao as the one demanding his attention. "Ok, Doctor Rao! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you. But I heard that conversation you just had with your teacher. My condolences," She said.
"Yeah. I need to get another job, like yesterday before I get evicted. Again…" Peter rubbed his neck.
"My thoughts exactly," Rao agreed. "Which is why I have a proposition for you. You clearly have a scientist's mind and drive. I could see the passion in your eyes when we talked. So, given your current unemployment, I offer you a position here at Alchemax when we open, appointed directly under me."
Peter's eyes rounded in pure surprise. "Are… are you serious?"
"Very serious. I'm curious about your potential. What better way to prove it than the most advanced scientific facility in the country?" Rao raised an eyebrow.
"Well… y-yes! Of course! When would I start?" Peter asked.
"Well, after today's incident, our grand opening will have to be pushed back a few days, but I'll give you a call when we're ready," Rao said.
"Uh, gr-great!" Peter excitedly stammered, his entire mood taking a sharp one-eighty.
"Until then, Peter Parker," Rao said before putting her hand out. Peter nervously took it and shook. "I look forward to seeing what you can do."
"They attacked Alchemax in broad daylight?" Foggy Nelson, Matt's partner in law, co-founder of their firm and best friend, asked as he set two fresh boxes of pizza down on the desk he, Peter and Matt sat at. The three gathered for lunch within the office of Nelson and Murdock itself.
"Yeah. And they wanted that new energy generator; the Icarus Engine. I think this is the Underground's biggest move yet," Peter replied before taking a slice of pizza from the box, the restaurant label reading Ray's Pizza.
"Well, they're not the only ones," Matt said. "Every criminal organization in the city is getting braver. Once word got around that Fisk was gone, everyone began to realize that meant no one was keeping the underworld in check."
"The Underground, the Maggia; I even heard the Dogs of Hell have started fighting for more territory," Foggy said before biting into his first slice of pizza. "That's not including those Purifier guys causing a scene at City Hall last week, or any other new gangs that might come out of all this. Everyone will be fighting to be the next Kingpin."
"Which means we could potentially be looking at a full on gang war in New York. I have a feeling the Underground's interest in this 'Icarus Engine' was meant to help ensure they had enough power on their side to survive," Matt said.
"There's a lot of potential with the power of a sun in the palm of your hand," Peter said. "Luckily, I think Doctor Rao is keeping it locked up tight. No more public displays for that particular invention."
"I'd be more concerned with who else could come out of the woodwork to try and take Fisk's place," Matt said.
"Yeah, sounds like things are about to get very, very busy for us. As if things weren't already tough enough," Peter sighed.
"Well, like they say; 'Work is Hell'," Matt smirked. Peter chuckled a bit.
"We're gonna have to start laying the law down right now, cause someone's stealing around here," Peter remarked.
"I didn't see a copyright on it," Matt put up his hands defensively. Foggy began to chuckle a little as well.
"C'mon, you know anything gold that comes out of my mouth immediately has the Spider-Man trademark on it."
"We should make that the new tagline for the firm. 'Nelson and Murdock: Work is Hell," Foggy joked. "It fits in Hell's Kitchen."
"I want royalties," Peter said.
"Want to take it to court? I warn you, we've been called the best attorney's this side of Jersey," Matt smiled, once again recalling Peter's words. Peter threw up his hands in defeat.
"I relent! I relent."
"Case closed," Foggy smiled. From there, the three friends simply enjoyed their lunch, though the looming threat of gang violence in New York lingered in their minds.
"Mamá, I promise I'm fine," Miles insisted as his mother, Rio Morales, who worked as a nurse, was putting her skills to work ensuring her son was unharmed.
"And I said I'll be the judge of that," Rio replied.
"Seriously, I'm all good. Spider-Man came in and saved us before things got bad. I'm alright thanks to him," Miles said.
"As grateful as I am, don't let your father hear you talking about Spider-Man like that, mijo. You know how much he hates those vigilantes," Rio said as she put her medical tools away, clearly content with her son's condition.
"C'mon, you know Spider-Man's not a bad guy!" Miles said.
"I may not be as against him as your father is, but that doesn't mean I'll clash with him about it," Rio replied. "Go ahead and get yourself showered and cleaned up. I have to run back to the hospital for another or so. Compórtate bien, o de lo contrario."
"Lo sé, mamá," Miles replied. His mother kissed his forehead, then grabbed her purse and rushed out the door. Miles took a slow breath of relief, now able to rest in his own home. He looked down at himself in his dirtied Brooklyn Visions uniform, and quickly went to his room, tossing his backpack on the bed and stripping down from his school uniform. He began to change into house comfort clothes: a pair of black and red athletic shorts and white t-shirt. Once he was re-dressed, he plopped down onto his bed and searched his backpack until he found a sketchbook and pencil buried among his study materials. It took him a few annoyed moments to find it, but once he did, he smiled happily, and began to browse the already filled pages of his own work: a variety of sketches and colorworks depicting numerous subjects, but something that took up quite a few of those pages were superheroes.
Spider-Man in particular was a favorite of his. And having met the man himself twice now, despite both times being life-endangering situations, he felt like the luckiest teenager superfan in the world. Kamala was so jealous, being an avid hero fan herself, though her favorite was the space bound Captain Marvel.
Miles had flipped to a blank page and had only just pressed the pencil led against the paper when he felt a skittering sensation on his arm. He was confused at first, and raised his arm up, inspecting it until he found a spider going round and round his forearm. And not just any spider. He recognized it as one of the spiders from the display back at Alchemax. One must've crawled into his bag when he was sent flying through the display.
It was just after this train of thought that the spider settled on the back of Miles' left palm. "Hey, little guy… we should find something to keep you in so I can call Doctor R- Ow!" As soon as Miles began to move, the spider had suddenly dug its fangs deep into his skin, biting him suddenly and harshly. It sent sharp spikes of pain up his entire arm. "Aagh!" Miles tried to pull the arachnid off, trying not to kill it so once he tore it free he could contain it and return it to Alchemax. But the spider refused to let go, only biting harder and sending more pain into Miles' body. So Miles, reluctantly, smashed his other hand down onto the spider. Its fangs released, and its body fell to the floor, dead before it had even hit the ground. Miles' hand was bleeding from the bite, and while the pain wasn't as sharp, it was still lingering, and his head had begun to pulse, some sort of migraine filling his skull. He panted heavily, trying to recover from it all. He looked from the bite, down at the spider's body, then back at his hand. It was an experimental creature, but at the end of the day it was just a spider bite, right?
He wouldn't realize that this single day would change everything.