Peter ran his hand through his hair, a slight sigh escaping his lips as he gently moved his forearm over his eyes. He barely remembered how he had gotten home the day before. Nor did he remember the lame excuse he had given Aunt May about him being ill.
But one thing he was fully aware of now, and that was that he healed stupidly quickly. The pain he'd felt while showering yesterday had left almost no trace. He looked at his body after a few minutes in that position... there was purple on his torso, bruises here and there, as well as cuts.
Purple spots that were much smaller than they should have been, bruises that were almost healed, and cuts that had already closed, leaving behind only a few light scars in some places.
One more advantage of his body... an advantage he had loved to know, and at the same time, hated. He had taken a lot of beating yesterday, more than at any time in his life.
His ass had been served to him by a horned giant...
He sighed again, throwing his head back against the pillow. Well, at least it was a Saturday morning... he could eat and stay in bed all day without any problems.
He looked away, his eyes focused on his phone. He wasn't really interested in the news at the moment, or the police's view of yesterday's fight. He already had an idea of what they thought of him when they shot him as he left the scene.
Really? He had just stopped a giant in a metal suit from destroying the entire city and they decided to shoot him? Maybe he was thinking too little of the city's security, but he doubted that the police's 9mm pistols would do anything against that giant... maybe not even a helicopter.
He wasn't doing it to get a "thank you", really. But damn it, they could just not shoot him!
Peter blinked slightly in surprise when he heard the notification sound from his phone. He picked it up and arched an eyebrow when he saw that he had received a message from someone. Which was incredibly strange... he didn't have many contacts, and that number was unknown.
Hey, Pete! It's MJ （っ）
Sorry to text you so early
Peter blinked in surprise. How did she get his number?
He thought for a moment... Aunt May, for sure. He was surprised she hadn't passed his number to her earlier.
Hey, MJ!
No problem, I was already awake
I figured
You did?
Of course I did! You always look like you spend the whole night
in the basement creating your own technological frankenstein ٩()۶
He blinked a few times, feeling a little offended... but knowing that she was right.
...
I'm surprised you know
Who frankenstein is
He smiled to himself.
How dare you!
You want to fight?!
(ง︡'-'︠)ง
Peter snorted. Well, she seemed fine, considering it hadn't been long since that situation with Flash.
I'd rather you
Say the reason for the message
So early on a Saturday
...
And by the way, how did you get
My number?
Your aunt, stupid!
(つ)つ
As he imagined.
So, you said you could help us
With the band.
And that's exactly why I'm here to ask!
Of course.
I'll help in any way I can.
What do you need?
For starters, sound equipment!
You said you were good with that sort of thing.
Oh, and do you think you can handle
a light audio mix?
Peter snorted. Who did she think he was? A complete amateur? "Do you think you can handle...", she had no idea.
I'll see what I can do
About that.
But the sound systems
It's a guarantee.
Great!
()
Thank you so much, Peter!
I'll send you an autographed letter when
We become famous!
He grimaced slightly, looking up when he heard a knock on the front door.
I can't wait.
With that, he merely put his phone back in his pocket and stood up. He walked to his closet and took out a baggy sweatshirt, then changed into another pair of pants, a little bigger and wider.
He left his room with light steps. It was still early and his aunt was still in bed. He took a quick look at his watch. It was the time he usually made coffee when he wasn't going to school, since his aunt only started getting up an hour later.
Still, it was early for a visit. He put his hand on his side after feeling a sharp pain following a rough movement, and then opened the door.
Two men in dark suits stood there. One of them, tall and with well-combed hair, smiled politely, while the other, shorter and stockier, stood silently with his arms crossed. Peter felt a strange sensation coming from the base of his neck, but his expression remained unchanged.
"Peter Parker?" The taller man asked, holding a black briefcase.
"Yes?" He said quietly, lightly squeezing the door handle.
"We're from the police." The man said, showing a badge. "We'd like to talk to you about the case of Marvin Callahan and the events that occurred after your uncle's death."
Peter gritted his teeth... the subject in itself was already sensitive... but now with two cops in front of him, it became even more difficult for him to control himself.
But why? Why now? Was it only after who knows how many weeks that they remembered that he had been a victim too? And what the fuck could they say that he didn't already know? It's a bit late for this stupid visit.
... Do you really expect me to let two unknown cops into my house after everything?
He wanted to ask, to shut the door in their faces. But they'd probably come back later, try to talk to his aunt, and he definitely didn't want her anywhere near that rat's nest. He alone was more than enough... he'd better deal with it soon.
"Sure... come on in." He said gently, giving them room to pass. He closed the door gently afterwards, walking towards the kitchen. "Make yourself at home. I was going to make coffee just now, would you like some?"
"Ah... sure, if it's not too much trouble." It was . He merely nodded and put a pot of water on the fire to boil.
"We're... sorry for your loss, Peter." The taller man said, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of the table, followed by his partner. "We know the last few weeks have been difficult. We've been reviewing some of the cases related to Marvin Callahan, and we wanted to clarify some information."
Peter turned to them, one eyebrow arched. "What do you mean?"
"Marvin was a... problematic figure." Hmpf, that's an understatement. "When Marvin intercepted you, did you notice anything strange? Anything he said or did that didn't seem normal?" Peter couldn't hold back the mocking laugh that escaped his mouth.
"What, him assaulting an innocent teenager and shooting an unarmed man isn't strange enough?" He rolled his eyes, throwing the coffee powder into the boiling water. "He just told me to stop, put my hands behind my back because he was taking me to the police station. He thought I was an accomplice to the robbery."
He strained the coffee and put the bottle on the table, followed by two glasses in front of both men, who just nodded in thanks. "There's cake in the fridge. I can-"
"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. Thank you, Peter, just the coffee is fine." The man said with a small smile that Peter knew right away was fake. "Back to Marvin. And after that? Did you talk to anyone about what happened? Did you share anything with the police or... anyone else?"
Peter frowned slightly. What kind of questions were those?
"No, nothing, just the same information for my aunt's lawyer." He replied, taking a seat opposite both men.
"Of course." Said the man, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He took a generous sip from his coffee cup and opened his briefcase. From it, he took out a notepad, pretending to revise something. "We understand that Marvin has harmed many people during his time on the police force. That's why we're reviewing cases related to him, including... injustices that may have been caused to you and your family."
Peter tilted his head, feigning interest. "What do you mean by that?"
"We want to right the wrongs of the past." The man replied, closing the folder. "As part of that, we're offering financial compensation to Marvin Callahan's victims. It's the least we can do."
"Compensation?" Peter repeated, crossing his arms. "Why now?"
"Sometimes things take time." This time it was the stout man who answered, his voice cold. "But we're here now, aren't we?"
Not for long if you keep acting like this...
The taller man smiled again, leaning over to hand Peter some papers. "Here are the documents. Your aunt has already been notified. If you need anything, you can contact us."
Peter took the papers, but his eyes remained fixed on the men. Something was definitely wrong, and it wasn't just the fact that they claimed to be cops. "Thank you for your attention, Peter. And for the coffee." He said, with a forced smile.
The men stood up. The taller one shook Peter's hand, while the stocky one just nodded before leaving. When the door closed, Peter went back to his room and opened the papers.
He looked at the documents carefully, and the first thing he saw was a wad of cash. All the money they'd spent on the lawyer and a bit more, which was good, but stupidly odd.
Never would the government hand out money like that.
He put the money aside and turned his attention to the other document, running his fingers over the paper until he found what looked like a case identification number. He typed it into Spider-Byte to trace its origin.
The results made him stop. He knew it! He knew there was something wrong with those assholes! Those men weren't cops. They were linked to a small company he had never heard of.
With a little more research, he found that the company was a subsidiary of Wilson Fisk.
Was it a coincidence? Highly unlikely. He didn't remember doing anything to Fisk, of course, apart from breaking into some of his properties, but he was a billionaire, what was a few thousand in damages? Bread change.
But he doesn't remember doing anything to him himself, not yet. The great man of society had some dirt to dig up, of course, but it wasn't on his list of priorities yet.
Apparently, these secrets were too rotten, and the little man was getting scared.
He dropped the papers on the desk in his room and took a deep breath. First those mercenaries after the bounty on his head, then the giant in a metallic suit, now this... it seemed that the problems only continued to grow, although they didn't seem numerous now.
He left his room and walked calmly down the stairs to the kitchen. His aunt had already gotten up and was now putting some dishes on the table. She smiled as she saw him approaching, her gaze lingering for a moment on the bruises on his face.
It was only then that Peter remembered that... the bruises! If she noticed, then those men certainly did...
"Good morning, honey." She said gently, her voice pulling Peter from his mind. He blinked a few times, watching her point at his face with a spatula in hand. "What's happened to you, young man? First you tell me you get sick, and now this? Did you get into a fight?"
Peter gave a shy smile, trying to look relaxed as he pulled up a chair to sit down. "No, Aunt May. It was just an accident in PE class. I had the bright idea of trying out for the American football team."
May raised an eyebrow. Peter realized right away that she didn't look convinced. No, like his uncle, she always saw more than met the eye. However, to his delight, she didn't say anything or insist, she just placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "You know, darling, you must be the only boy in school who does PE and comes back looking like he's taken on a whole gang."
Peter almost coughed a few times, his eyes shooting towards her. May barely looked at him for a moment, and focused her gaze on the food she was making. But Peter swore he saw a certain understanding in her eyes.
Maybe it was just something in his head... he hoped.
"Anyway... I hope the eggs and toast are kinder to you." She joked, putting the plate down for him and sitting down in the chair opposite.
Peter laughed again, but something in her tone made him slightly uncomfortable. He tried to ignore the feeling, however.
"... Two police officers came here earlier." He said after taking a bite of toast. " You were asleep, I didn't want to wake you."
"Oh... I received a notification a few days ago. They said it was related to Ben." She said, not holding his gaze for long.
"Yes... they asked a few questions, the same ones they've asked several times at this point... and returned the money we spent on the lawyer." She arched both eyebrows in surprise.
"That's great... we can buy you a new camera." Peter put down his fork after hearing her say this, his gaze settling back on her face.
"Definitely not." He said, and she looked up gently. "Two of your medicines ran out over a week ago, Aunt May. The priority is you."
"Peter..."
"No, I'm serious." He interrupted her gently. "Besides, I can find a way to get money." And it was true.
The Daily Bugle was in need of photographers for social media... as professional as they were, they definitely weren't that good at managing Instagram, for example. And those photos were fucking terrible.
"... If you say so, Peter. Just... take it easy, okay? And be careful." She said gently, and he froze for a second. That same look from before returned to her face, and for a few moments, he didn't know exactly how to react.
"... Of course, Aunt May." He said merely, turning his attention back to his food.
They ate in silence for some time, until he got up after he had finished and walked over to the sink.
"Are you planning to go out today?" she asked as he began to wash the few dishes in the sink.
"... Probably. Why? Do you want me to go somewhere?" he asked.
"No. I'm going to help set up for Angela's birthday, Rosa's daughter down the street. Madeline's going too. We're going out in a bit, I won't be back until the evening." She said, slowly getting up and approaching the sink.
Peter gently took the plate and glass from her hand and turned back to the sink.
"Oh, that's great. Tell her I said hi." He said, feeling her gaze on him.
"... Are you sure you don't want to go to the birthday party?" He shook his head.
"Yes. I'm not as close to them as you are." It was a lame excuse and he knew it, and so did she, but she didn't say anything.
"But you're close to Madeline. She'll be sad that you're not going." She said, and he suppressed a small smile.
"I doubt it. But even if she does, she'll be seeing a lot of me in a while. You know that band Mary Jane was thinking of creating?" He looked at her after asking, waving his hands to remove the excess water. "She asked me to help with the audio mix, and I accepted."
He said, and the smile he wanted to suppress soon disappeared as he saw his aunt's expression change.
"Well, well... you're going to help Mary Jane?" He rolled his eyes at what the tone implied.
"Yes, Aunt May. And it's nothing like you think, okay? Now, go on, you're going to be late." He hurried her off before she could insist on it, and she just held up both hands in defeat.
Minutes later, she came down the steps in other clothes. He walked her to the door, waved to Madeline who was already waiting for her in the car, and said goodbye to them both before going back into the house.
She had barely left the house and he was already in the basement, adjusting the lenses of his mask. He began to fix his costume while leaving the police radio and the news on.
Whoever this "Rhino" was, he had him worried. As much as he had won the fight, he didn't really feel like he could brag or anything.
It was a close call... one mistake and he seriously would have died.
He sighed as he closed another tear in his suit, and he was pulled out of his thoughts by the police radio.
" Central Unit, we have a hostage situation in progress. Passenger train on the Queens-Brooklyn line detained near Bedford station. Armed suspects: eight individuals confirmed. Fatalities include two railroad security guards and a police officer. Hostages still alive but at high risk. Reinforcements requested immediately. "
He paused for a moment... should he go?
The police were the ones who had to deal with situations like these. And considering that the police had orders to shoot him on sight, he wasn't too excited about it...
Who was he kidding? He scratched his eyes, still feeling the effects of the previous day's fight.
" Update: heavily armed suspects barricaded in the third wagon. Rescue requests are being made, but negotiations have failed so far. Confirmed fatalities have risen to four. I repeat: four confirmed casualties. "
He quickly begins to put on the suit, ignoring the poor seams and wear and tear. As he puts on the mask, the radio continues to broadcast information about the scene and the situation.
" Reinforcement units on the way. Negotiators still making no progress. Hostages in critical condition. "
He opens his bedroom window and looks around quickly. Making sure there was no one around, nor any heartbeats lurking in his surroundings, he shot a web at the house next door and jumped out, swinging himself across the little-trafficked street.
He didn't usually go out in the daytime, not as early as now. He ran up the side of a building and jumped even higher. The city looked totally different in the morning, and his outfit, even though it was mostly dark, caught the eye of every civilian on the street.
Men, women and children looked up and pointed in his direction... he almost felt a little exposed by all the attention. As silly as it sounded, he felt more comfortable at night.
He shot another web and propelled himself forward, arriving at the station mere minutes after he had left home. He was on a metal walkway above the main hall. The place was in chaos, with broken glass, blood on the floor and bodies scattered around, with a greater concentration near the entrances.
He involuntarily raised his hand to his mouth... he wasn't exactly used to seeing dead bodies... let alone so many.
So much blood... like...
He shook his head, ignoring such thoughts. This was definitely not the time for that.
He concentrated on the various voices, the screams and murmurs. He jumped up to the ceiling and entered a ventilation duct, moving silently around the room.
When he reached the busiest area, he calmly observed the situation. He saw the eight armed men below through the vents, while the hostages were huddled in a corner, afraid. Two of the criminals were patrolling the carriage, while the others kept their guns pointed at the hostages.
Spider-Man saw one of them shouting at a hostage who was crying.
"Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you now!" One of the armed men scolded, and Spider-Man closed his eyes momentarily.
Really? A death threat for crying?
That man won't mind if he makes the same threat when he breaks every bone in his body, will he?
He silently positions himself in the duct, adjusts his gloves, and then knocks on the metal of the duct to attract attention.
The nearest man looks up, his eyes quickly searching for the direction of the sound.
Before anyone can react, Spider-Man plummets from the ceiling, landing on top of one of the armed men, knocking him hard to the ground and probably breaking a rib or two.
"Hi, I'm the new security inspector. You've gone over the limit of armed idiots per train!" Spider-Man said, slightly annoyed.
Another criminal raises his gun to shoot, but the boy fires a web that sticks to the barrel and pulls hard, knocking the gun out of the man's hand. He then leaps towards him and hits him with a strong knee to the face, breaking his nose and a few teeth in the process.
He hears a scream, and leaps towards the third criminal, disarming him with a kick to the hand and knocking him out with a punch straight to the stomach.
Gunfire echoes through the carriage, but Spider-Man jumps up and hangs onto the top bars of the ceiling, dodging nimbly. He shoots out a web to extinguish one of the lights, plunging part of the carriage into darkness.
He leaps towards the two men who shot him earlier, knocking them to the ground at the same time. He stood up slightly and hit both men with powerful punches to the face, knocking them out and breaking something in the process, be it a nose or some teeth.
When there were only three armed men left, Spider-Man faced them head-on, with the others already trapped or unconscious.
Two of them took steps backwards, their arms and legs trembling, they seemed to hesitate even to raise their own weapons. Which could have been good for them, unfortunately, the one who remained motionless moved to the side and pulled a civilian towards him.
Spider-Man remained motionless, his eyes widening slightly behind his mask. The man pointed his rifle at the girl's head and said something that he made a point of ignoring.
He recognized that girl.
Or rather.
He knew her...
It was Bea, Liz's friend, hyperventilating and with her arms pinned in front of her body in fear.
"Did you hear me?!" The man shouted, bringing him back to reality. Spider-Man merely took a deep breath, put one of his hands on his waist and leaned against one of the train's metal bars.
"... You know that cliché about the good guy who never hurts anyone?" He asked, lowering his head slightly and turning his body, as if he were making fun of the whole situation. "So... I'm not that kind of good guy."
He shot a web suddenly, quickly, the man didn't have time to react. He pulled the gun towards him as he advanced. The man merely grunted as he felt the rifle being knocked out of his hand.
Spider-Man hit him with a strong punch to the face, but purposely weaker than normal, causing him to stagger backwards. He then grabbed the man's arm, breaking it in a single movement, causing him to scream loudly from the pain.
The scream got even louder when he broke his leg at the knee, causing him to fall, and finally, he stomped on his head, knocking him out.
The place fell silent immediately afterwards, the civilians looking at him in awe, the remaining men looking at him in terror. Spider-Man merely raised his head towards them and they dropped their weapons on the ground.
Good choice...
He knocked them out with quick blows, then looked around.
"Okay... threats neutralized. You're all right now, you're free to go." He said, but few people actually moved, still in fear and confusion.
He just ignored them and turned his gaze to Bea, who was still staring at him with wide eyes.
"Are you all right, young lady?" The question seemed to snap her out of her thoughts, and she shook her head somewhat frantically.
"Ah... y-yes... yeah, i-I'm... I'm good. Thank you!" She thanked him, and he smiled beneath his mask.
"Just doing my job. You can all breathe a sigh of relief!" He said, dramatically loud. "Just don't breathe too deeply, because I think one of the collapsed guys didn't shower... and kind of shit himself a bit." He joked, shaking his head.
Bea, still in shock, merely smiled as others began to get up and leave the train. Some hurried, others still waiting for their legs to move again. Some cursed him, others thanked him.
He jumped to the ceiling after waving to her and moved to the ventilation duct again, disappearing just as the police entered the premises.
Spider-Man swung calmly between the buildings. Again, he had never been out at this time of day, so early in the morning, and he found himself somewhat conflicted. Should he keep swinging through the city or go home? His suit was still in need of repair... but on the other hand, there were rare occasions when he could simply enjoy swinging on his webs.
He propelled himself forward and let go of his webbing, the boy spun his body in pirouettes, and put his hands behind his head as he let himself free-fall and stared up at the sky. Now that he was getting used to it all, he was starting to make more movements, discovering the limits and extensions of his body.
As he fell, however, something caught his eye in the sky. A strong light not far away, projecting the symbol of a white spider, the same spider on his suit, and covering a large part of the sky.
He blinked in confusion and surprise.
A spider symbol?! What the...
Curious, he changed course and swung towards the sign.
When he reached the building, Spider-Man landed silently at one end, analyzing the scene. If before he had been curious, now he was intrigued. Directly in front of him was Wilson Fisk, in his perfectly tailored suit, surrounded by at least a dozen men in equally well-cut suits, but with visible weapons.
Fisk was standing in the center, waiting for him.
"Hey, big guy." Spider-Man greeted, pirouetting off the railing and landing silently on the ground. "You know, I think you've confused the hero with the symbol in the sky, the other guy is darker." He joked, but Fisk's expression remained unchanged.
"... It's a pleasure to meet you, Spider-Man." He said in a gentle but cold tone, which made him somewhat intimidating. Spider-Man moved a few steps closer, stopping at a distance where it would be easy for him to attack or retreat if necessary.
Fisk was... huge. Literally huge. By the standards of a normal man, he was at least three times as big. If Spider-Man were a little more ignorant, he'd say he was pure fat, but the way his suit clung to his arms proved otherwise.
"You're punctual. The city should thank you for that."
"The great Wilson Fisk lured me here just to compliment me? Wow, what an honor." He said, crossing his arms as he saw the man arch a single eyebrow. "I'm sorry if I sounded rude, I didn't mean to offend, but I don't trust politicians. Nor people who are heavily involved in politics."
Fisk, surprisingly, gave a small smile.
"Yes, you made that quite clear, and don't worry, I didn't take offense. In fact, I say it's a wise decision. Straight to the point then. I called you here to give you a warning, Spider-Man." He said, raising his chin even higher, and looking at Spider-Man with a firm, stern gaze.
"Oh? Please proceed."
"I'm a businessman. One who understands how things work in this city. You want to be the hero? Fine. Do it. Clean up the alleys, catch the purse thieves, save kittens stuck in trees. It's not my problem. But..."
He took a step forward, and Spider-Man's eyes narrowed. His instincts kicked in, little, just a little discomfort, but enough to know that this guy was trying to be more than hostile to him.
"You don't interfere in my business. Understand? You've interfered a few times... fine. It's rather obvious that you don't know me, and the damage was minimal, I'll let these infractions slide. To show that I don't hold grudges, I'll even make your job easier."
Fisk snapped his fingers, and one of his men pushed a bound man forward. Spider-Man immediately recognized his target, the mayor's aide. This genuinely surprised him.
Fisk took a USB device out of his pocket and threw it at the boy's feet, who remained motionless.
"Consider this a gift. An offer of goodwill. That's my warning. Don't cross the line again. It may not look like it, but I own this town." Spiderman cocked his head to one side slightly, not exactly intimidated, but somewhat curious.
Even after he'd seen everything he could do, he was still threatening him?
Fisk wasn't an idiot, no. If at least half of everything he'd read about the man was true, he was incredibly intelligent. In other words, he had something, a trick up his sleeve.
"... First of all, thank you very much for making my job easier. I almost can't believe it... the mayor's aide is not the same as a prostitute on the street. Secondly... that man from yesterday, the big guy in the suit... is he one of yours?" He asked, knowing that even if Fisk lied to him, he would know. His instinct, mixed with his hearing capable of listening to his heartbeat, made it much easier to spot a lie.
"As interesting a piece of technology and specimen as it is, I'm sad to say it's not. I have no idea where that man came from either." He was telling the truth, apparently, and Spider-Man remained silent for a few moments.
"I see. Well, back to your warning. I appreciate it. But, Fisk, if your affairs are affecting, even indirectly, innocent people, if your affairs are in my way, I'm sorry, but I'll have to take you down, despite your kindness."
Fisk sighed, but didn't seem exactly surprised by his response. In fact, he looked as if he had been expecting exactly that.
"I imagined..." Before Spider-Man could react, Fisk advanced with surprising speed. The boy's eyes widened in complete surprise and shock, that speed was simply surreal, two, three times faster than the man from yesterday. His instincts warned him, his reflexes allowed him to see every detail of his movements, but his mind simply couldn't let his body move.
The huge fist, encased in a shiny exoskeleton, hit Spider-Man in the chest with enough force to send him flying.
Spider-Man grunted as he felt his back hit the parapet, destroying the concrete. His body spun several times in the air and hit the side of a building further on, pieces of glass practically exploding everywhere.
Spider-Man gritted his teeth in pain and shot webs at the nearby buildings with both hands. He grunted as he pulled himself up and threw himself back into the building he was in.
He landed in a loud, clumsy thud, blood rising to his mouth again, and he ran his eyes around the now empty roof.
What the fuck was that?!
He lifted his mask slightly and spat some saliva mixed with blood onto the ground. He straightened his posture and walked over to the unconscious mayor's aide, the usb next to his body, and a piece of paper underneath that read: " Nice to meet you, Spider-Man. "
Spider-Man snorted in derision, his eyes temporarily focusing on the destroyed sign next to him.
... He needed to train that body... he felt limited by his own inability to let go, he could feel it. He felt he could be so much more...
He shook his head... first, the man at his feet.
"Hey, Peter! I haven't seen you in a while!" Madeline greeted him with a kind smile, as always, and he returned it with a similar smile, putting the two backpacks in the back seat of the car.
"Hey, Miss Madeline. Hey Mary Jane." He greeted both girls, placing his hand on the passenger seat window. "That guitar of yours is positioned a bit wrong. With so much weight on it-"
"Easy, Einstein. You don't need to calculate the exact force to carry my guitar. It won't explode if you miss by a gram." She joked, interrupting him, and he merely rolled his eyes.
"Thank you for driving me, Miss Madeline." He said, putting on his seatbelt.
"No problem, Pete. Where's your aunt?" She asked as she sped off with the car.
"She's asleep." She looked at him through the rearview mirror when he answered.
"Sleeping? At this hour?"
"I bought the medication she needed this week. One of them is quite strong, it makes her sleepy." He replied, resting his chin on his hand as he looked out of the window.
"Ah, yes. And she'll be fine with you gone all day? Do you want me to check on her this afternoon?" She asked, genuinely.
"She'll be fine. I've left food and water for her on the tray next to the bed, there's food in the oven and my number is the first in her contact list, in case she needs anything." He said. "But she'd probably love your company, if it's not too much trouble for you." He said, picking up his keys and handing them to her.
He knew that May would sleep most of the day, but he felt more relaxed with someone next to his aunt.
"... You're a good nephew for her." Madeline said, which made Peter stare at her for a moment. He immediately remembered his uncle, and he swallowed some saliva in guilt.
"Thank you." Ah... you have no idea how wrong you are.
"So, Mom." Mary Jane said, turning back slightly to include Peter in the conversation. "Bea said she'd prepared several things for the evening. And I think it's good that you've prepared your things too, Peter."
He was internally grateful that she had changed the subject, and he replied with a cocky smile.
"Relax. If I say I'm going to do it, there's nothing to worry about." She grimaced, while Madeline laughed lightly.
"Cocky." Mary Jane said, rolling her eyes.
"Just one question... you said you're only going to see me as part of the audience. I won't have to dance, will I?" he asked in an attempt to keep the mood pleasant, and to push the topic of his aunt as far away as possible.
"Relax, Parker. All you have to do is not step on anyone's toes, and that'll be progress.
Her mother laughed softly, looking at Peter through the rearview mirror. "You two are funny together. I hope Gwen's in the same mood today."
The car pulled up in front of the Stacy house. Gwen was on the porch, wearing a denim jacket over a light blouse. She waved shyly before going down the steps and getting into the car.
"Hi, guys." She greeted them, with a small smile.
"Hi, Gwen!" Mary Jane replied cheerfully, as her mother waved to the girl.
"Hi, Pete." She smiled at him as she sat down next to him, and he waved back.
"Hi, Gwen. You look fine." Better than before, that's for sure.
"And I feel fine." She said, her eyes lingering on the shirt he was wearing, and an amused smile formed on her lips a moment later. "That shirt, Parker? Are you sure the fabric wasn't derived from a polymer chain as old as your fashion sense?"
Peter arched an eyebrow. Yeah, she was all right if she was making jokes about his fashion style. In his defense, they should be used to his baggy clothes by now, and the joke on the shirt was a good one.
"Look who's talking, the girl who thinks entropy is the name of an indie band." She laughed, although it wasn't the best of answers.
"Guys, guys, can you leave the nerd talk for later? You know, there are still normal people here." Mary Jane said, somewhat dramatically.
"Oh, let them. I don't see any problems, I think it's adorable. I'm just waiting to see who makes the next nerdiest comment." Madeline, oddly enough, was the one who said it. Peter was surprised.
"Peter, for sure." Mary Jane said, rolling her eyes again.
"Sorry, but statistically speaking, the odds are against Gwen." He defended himself. "I'm quicker with the jokes and she has a reaction time that seems to work at the speed of a dial-up modem."
Gwen looked at him pretending to be offended.
"And you're like an old operating system: always giving an error at the wrong time." She replied.
"Oh my God, please! Let's change the subject before I need a dictionary to keep up." Mary Jane grunted dramatically, and Gwen looked at her with an arched eyebrow.
"What are you talking about? I've helped you study all these years, you know as much as I do, hotshot." She said, and the redhead just shrugged.
"Doesn't mean I have the same taste." She said, raising both hands in the air.
They continued talking for a while, specifically Gwen and MJ. After a few minutes, they finally reached Bea's house, she being the only one of the group who had a proper studio.
He picked up his backpack and went downstairs after the two girls. Soon, they said goodbye to Madeline and walked to the front of the house. Bea's house was small, but beautiful, and in a good neighborhood.
As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the muffled sound of music coming from upstairs and the smell of freshly baked cookies. Bea appeared in the doorway with a warm smile, waving to the group.
"Finally! I thought your car had gotten stuck because of Mary Jane's fat ass." Liz said, surprisingly, her voice coming from the kitchen. Mary Jane pointed her middle finger in the direction of the girl, who just laughed out loud.
"Ignore her." Bea said, pulling the redhead into a small hug and greeting Gwen soon after. Finally, her eyes focused on Peter, who nodded shyly in her direction. "Nice to meet you, Peter. Mary Jane said you'd help us, that's nice of you."
"No problem. I should be able to set everything up in a few minutes." He said, hearing Liz's footsteps approaching. She just looked at him with a neutral but slightly curious gaze.
"Did you have this equipment before? I didn't know you were interested in music." She said, and Peter bit his lip, holding back an acid comment.
As if you knew anything about me...
"No, I'll just set up the equipment." He replied simply, and the girl arched an eyebrow.
"You'll be setting it up...? Like, take the parts and make it from scratch?" Disbelief was evident, and Peter almost smiled to himself.
"Exactly."
"... If you can do it, wow. But I bet you five dollars you'll fail." She said, and surprisingly, Peter put down the backpack he was holding and extended his hand towards her.
"I'll take it. The easiest five dollars of my life." He said, and the girl looked at him a little surprised for a few moments. He didn't usually act like that, so it was understandable.
But, of course, she didn't back down and squeezed his hand.
"If you've stopped fooling around... can we go to the studio now?" Mary Jane asked, and Peter turned to pick up his backpack again.
He followed them into the back room, next to the kitchen. A room that served as a studio, with soundproof mats all over the walls, there was a computer on a large table in the center, a large sofa in the corner opposite the door, a small table just in front of the sofa.
He cracked the bones in his neck and sat down on the floor after seeing MJ and Bea go to the sofa. He pulled his backpack close to him and removed all the equipment.
Peter looked at the equipment scattered on the floor of the room. Old speakers, tangled cables and a sound desk that looked like it had survived an attack.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing? This looks more like junk than functional technology." Bea asked after seeing it all, and he merely smiled smugly.
"Just relax and watch." He opened his backpack, revealing a pile of tools, wires, and even some circuit boards that he had soldered himself.
As he set to work, he heard them start to talk.
"Are you really all right? Your mother didn't even let you go to school this week." Mary Jane asked in a low, worried tone, probably not wanting him to hear. Admirable, but futile efforts, given that he was there.
Peter began by inspecting the available equipment. The largest speaker had a cracked diaphragm, but the structure was solid. The soundboard had oxidized connections, but the internal circuits were still intact.
"I think I am. But... it was scary. The psychologist said that it's normal for me to feel this way, but that it will pass with time. Man... all those bodies... I can't stop seeing them in my mind." Bea gave a small but sad smile. She looked down at the floor, shaking her head. "And then Spider-Man appeared."
That seemed to have some effect. Her face practically lit up, which was curious but understandable. It wasn't every day that you were saved by a real hero.
"I saw it on the news! The security cameras showed everything! God, he's wiped everyone out!" Liz said, somewhat excited.
... Peter felt like he was hearing something he shouldn't have.
He took a small circuit board out of his backpack and started soldering components onto it. This is going to be the amplifier. With a little extra power, these speakers will be able to fill the entire room without distortion.
"It was like... one of those movie heroes, you know? It was so fast, he's so strong. I've never seen anything like it."
"He's fucking amazing !" Liz said, with a twinkle in her eye, attracting not only her friends' attention, but Peter's too.
"Whoa, looks like someone's got a crush." Gwen said with a small smile, and Liz just snorted.
"Of course! Duh?! First of all, he's a hero! Second, he can fly through buildings!"
Swing, actually... but I could invent something that would make flying possible...
"Third... did you see how tight that suit is?! Imagine how many relationships he must have ruined just by swinging around! He's got a killer ass."
Peter's eyes widened slightly and he ducked his head, pretending to reach for one of the components.
What the hell...?! Wait, they noticed that?!
"That's true! That's a nice body." Mary Jane agreed.
Wait, what? Really? I thought only men said those things to each other...
In his defense, he didn't have many friends in his childhood and adolescence.
"Guys, I think we're getting off topic here." Thanks, Gwen, for changing the subject.
While they talked, he connected transistors, resistors and capacitors to the board, creating a circuit capable of amplifying sound without losing quality.
After assembling the amplifier, Peter connected it to the soundboard. He cleaned the oxidized contacts and replaced the old cables with new ones he had brought with him.
He dismantled the larger speaker and replaced the broken diaphragm with a new one that he had printed on his homemade 3D printer. He rebuilt the speaker, adjusting the coils to ensure that the sound was clear and hiss-free.
"And when are you going back to school? Finals are coming up." Gwen asked at one point, picking up one of the cookies Liz had left on the table.
"I can go again this week. My dad will take me and pick me up." Bea replied. "It's a bit suffocating, but I understand... not to mention that he always buys ice cream after school, so I don't see any problems."
"Yes, if you ignore the weight you'll gain." Mary Jane joked, squeezing the side of Bea's belly a little, who laughed as she tried to pull away from the girl's grip.
He placed a sturdy box on the floor with a sigh and opened it, looking at the robust subwoofer he had created in his house. Again, the good thing about having various pieces of equipment at home was that he almost always had something he could use for various projects. He quickly pulled out the heavy equipment, carefully resting it on the floor.
He assessed the best place to position it, crouching down next to the corner of the room to check the electrical connections and cables that had already passed through the sound desk. He hummed a random tune as he connected the power and audio cables to the subwoofer's rear panel, adjusting the frequency and volume knobs.
With the subwoofer properly installed, he went to the next box and removed the microphones, checking each one to make sure they were working. He connected the XLR cables to the microphones, which he carefully attached to adjustable stands. He positioned them strategically around the room, making sure they picked up the sound evenly.
Well... the room was ready, with the subwoofer connected and positioned in the corner, the microphones on stands adjusted to the right height, and the cables organized.
Finally, he connected everything to the equipment base that Bea already had. Switching on the system, he adjusted the equalization on the soundboard to ensure that the instruments and voices were balanced.
"I don't know... I think a lot of what's said on TV, or on social media, isn't true. He seemed so nice..."
"All right. Now just test it out." He said, interrupting Bea, but not out of spite, stepping back with a proud smile.
He stood up, arranging a few things as he heard footsteps approaching.
"Are you sure this thing isn't going to explode?" Liz asked in clear mockery, and Peter didn't answer.
Bea picked up her keyboard, plugged it into the system and started playing. Peter smiled immediately as he saw everything working. Slowly, he looked towards Liz with a smug look.
"You're welcome for saving you from spending hundreds of dollars on equipment." He said smugly, watching Gwen test the microphones.
"Holy shit, Peter! This is amazing!" Mary Jane said excitedly. Peter merely shrugged, knowing full well that yes, it was amazing... he deserved a prize, or money, but as a good person he wouldn't charge anything. Especially since he had offered to help.
"... I'll admit, I didn't believe you could really do it." Liz said, holding out a five-dollar bill to him, which he excitedly took.
"People tend to say that, don't worry." He said merely. "Okay, come on, I've agreed to help you, so let's go all the way."
He walked over to the table in front of them and sat down behind the sound equipment, where he began to adjust the controls and test the microphones while they positioned themselves.
MJ took the drums. Gwen with the guitar. Bea with the keyboard and Liz with the bass.
"Do you practise together often?" Peter asked after making sure everything was all right.
"No. This is the first time we're practicing together." Mary Jane said, somewhat excited.
"All right then. I think everyone's in place now." Peter said from behind the sound panel, adjusting the knobs. "Let's test the sound first. Gwen, play something."
Gwen started playing a simple riff, and Bea followed on the keyboard, filling the space with soft chords. Mary Jane joined in on the drums, setting the rhythm with precise beats, while Liz tried to keep up on the bass with Mary Jane by her side, giving tips.
Peter nodded. "Sounds good. Now, let's try out the vocals. Gwen, start with the vocal, and MJ, you can do a second voice, like a backup. You know, like Mike and Chester in Linkin Park."
"Oh, like 'somewhere i belong', right?" Bea asked, apparently pleasantly surprised that he knew Linkin Park.
"Good suggestion. Yeah, it could be like that." Peter agreed.
"Oh, I know that one." Gwen said, and Mary Jane nodded.
They started with a simple song, Gwen leading the vocal with a strong tone that contrasted with her melodious voice, while Mary Jane came in on the backing tracks, adding a dynamic layer. When it came to the chorus part, Mary Jane took the lead for a moment, slightly differentiating the dynamics of the song itself, but not in a bad way, and her deeper, more energetic voice contrasted perfectly with Gwen's tone, despite having a bit of a slip here and there, it definitely wasn't bad.
"Well... not bad." Peter said, hiding his surprise a little. They had potential.
"I missed a few notes." Liz said, biting her lip.
"Everyone makes mistakes at first." Gwen replied, giving an encouraging smile. "You'll get the hang of it. Besides, I ended up changing a few parts of the song, and Mary Jane got out of tune. It happens, it's normal."
Peter watched the whole thing from his position, adjusting some unregulated sound levels.
"Okay. Let's go again. Softer music this time. Go slowly." He said.
They started, and Peter leaned back in his chair. It wasn't exactly what he thought he'd be doing on a weekend, but hey, it wasn't too bad.
They kept practicing for a while longer, until they decided to take a break. Liz was sitting on the sofa, massaging her sore fingers after practicing on the bass, while Gwen and Mary Jane shared a bottle of water, laughing about who missed more notes, or something like that, he didn't pay much attention.
Bea, on the other hand, seemed restless. She glanced at Peter, who was adjusting the controls on the sound panel, testing levels and calibrating the channels. She approached, a little shyly, and the boy pretended not to notice her hesitation.
"Okay, I need to know." She said, approaching with a shy but curious smile. "Where did you learn to do all this? Like... I counted over a thousand dollars saved by some cables and scrap metal."
"Ah, you know... curiosity, the internet, and a lot of practice." He said with a modest smile.
"Practice?" Bea raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Peter, you're not talking about building Ikea furniture. This is much more complex."
"I've built more difficult things." He said after snorting. "I've always had an interest in these things. Ever since I was a kid, I liked taking toys apart to see how they worked. My uncle thought I was trying to destroy them, but I just wanted to understand the parts. He became more relaxed after I fixed his fridge once... and he approved and even encouraged it after I built a freezer from scratch to freeze his beer." He snorted a laugh.
Good times.
Bea leaned over to look at the controls, her eyes shining with interest. "And you did this yourself? It looks so complicated."
"Complicated? Maybe." Peter shrugged, adjusting a knob and making a low sound echo softly through the room. "But once you understand the basics, everything starts to get easier."
"Can you teach me?" Bea asked, her voice full of enthusiasm.
Peter raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Of course! I mean, if you don't mind. It would be nice to know how to play with it, we're going to start practicing a lot this holiday season, and I know we can't always call you. Or if I want to practice when no one's around."
Peter nodded. "Okay then."
Bea approached, leaning over the panel as Peter pointed to the controls. "This here..." He began, touching one of the buttons. "It's the equalizer. You adjust this to change the overall tone of the music. You can adjust the bass, the mids and the highs here. Don't push it too hard or it'll sound like the amp's about to explode."
"What about this one?" Bea asked, pointing to another knob.
"This controls the volume of each channel. For example, if the keyboard is too loud, you turn it down this way." He turned the knob slightly, and the sound of the keyboard on the last recording became lower.
"If you learn to play with the levels and understand how each instrument works, you can make different kinds of sounds with just one note." He explained. Spending that whole week learning more about that subject had paid off, it seemed.
"This is so cool." She said, fiddling with some of the buttons in curiosity. "You know, it may seem like it out of the blue, but you seem... so familiar."
Peter looked at her in confusion, blinking a few times and staring at her for a few moments.
"... What do you mean?"
"I... I don't know how to explain it. I just feel like I've met you somewhere." She said, without really taking her eyes off him, trying to remember where. "It's a feeling I have..."
"Ahm... I, ah... in a good way... I hope." He replied, not knowing exactly what to say.
"Are you two comfortable in there?" Liz teased, tilting her head. "Well, well, Peter, are you coming on to my friend? You gonna teach Bea how to hack satellites on the first date?"
Bea immediately took a few steps back with an embarrassed smile, crossing her arms as she looked at Liz. "Hey, I was just curious. You know I'm curious about everything."
"Yeeeah, right!" She scoffed some more, picking up one of the cookies on the table, now cold.
"For your information, this is a community service." Peter said, trying to adjust his glasses, which weren't there.
"Is that what you nerds call it these days? You were so close you could hear each other's heartbeats." She said, rolling her eyes.
Peter merely bit his tongue... she wasn't really wrong, considering that he could hear the heartbeats of everyone there.
"Why don't you go and mind your own business, you little idiot?" Bea said, throwing a pillow towards Liz, who just laughed and threw the pillow back.
"Right, right, relax. You know the soundboard doesn't come with a self-defense mode, right?" Peter intervened... he didn't want some equipment to fall on the floor and break after all the work he'd done earlier. It wouldn't exactly be a difficult problem to solve, it was just annoyingly annoying.
"Shut up, Parker." Liz said, and Peter grimaced.
"When you guys do your first show, I'm going to be the first one in the audience to throw tomatoes at you. I'll make sure to bring a full bag." He said dramatically, watching Gwen approach with an amused smile.
"Yeah, yeah, write that down in a notebook so you don't forget it. Come on, end of break, let's keep going." She said, picking up her guitar again and getting into position.
The others followed soon after. Peter turned his attention to the equipment.
Wanted: Spider-Man
Reward: $4,000,000 (dead or alive)
Contact for negotiation: Secure Darknet channel - "Kingp1n"
Description of target:
Appearance: Predominantly black costume with a red top, red details scattered throughout the costume, with a stylized white spider on the chest and back featuring web elements.
Height: Approximately 1.76m.
Physical condition: Extremely athletic, superhuman reflexes.
Known abilities:
Superhuman strength: The target has demonstrated enough strength to stop a helicopter from crashing, hold cars with ease and throw grown men around like toys.
Exceptional agility and reflexes: Able to dodge projectiles at close range and dodge practically every blow thrown at him.
Tactical intelligence: Uses the environment to his advantage in combat, including to disarm or incapacitate multiple enemies simultaneously, as well as unknown equipment that helps him.
Advanced technology: Equipped with some kind of highly resistant and functional web shooters, as far as is known. It has variations of the substance for different purposes, such as containment, attack and traversal.
Sense of alert: The target seems to anticipate dangers before they occur, as observed at various times, as well as being able to deflect, intercept and even prevent attacks from behind.
EXTREME CAUTION RECOMMENDED!
Recent incidents:
Defeat of "Rhino": Faced and subdued "Rhino", an incredibly tough and brutal giant equipped with a highly resistant suit, in hand-to-hand combat.
Team of mercenaries with exoskeletons: Spider-Man neutralized highly trained mercenaries, among them one equipped with an advanced exoskeleton. Coordinated attacks were effective at first, but in the end, they were no match for him.
Helicopter rescue: He prevented a damaged helicopter from crashing into a densely populated area, rescuing the hostages.
Infiltration and ambushes: Demonstrated exceptional stealth skills, as seen when infiltrating ventilation ducts to observe and neutralize threats before taking action.
Reported weaknesses (unconfirmed):
Empathy: Reluctant to use lethal force, prioritizes saving civilians and minimizing collateral damage.
Scattered focus: In situations with multiple hostages or civilian threats, he tends to divide his attention, creating possible loopholes.
Inexperienced: As noted, he tends to make amateurish mistakes, and even be too arrogant in certain situations.
Target has no record of getting tired, apart from the clash between him and the giant Rhino, proceed with caution.
Recommended protocols:
Coordinated attacks : Use multiple teams to attack him simultaneously. Diversify the angles of attack.
Anti-web technology : Develop or acquire equipment capable of neutralizing or damaging web triggers. Low-grip equipment and blades capable of cutting through metal mesh are also recommended.
Environmental traps : Explore confined areas or carefully armed scenarios to limit your traversal abilities.
Elements of surprise : Maximize the use of distractions to overwhelm you and take advantage of your inexperience.
Final warning:
Spider-Man is considered an extreme threat. Be prepared to suffer significant casualties and failures before you succeed. Although he doesn't kill, it's not 100% certain that he won't cross that line if pushed to the limit. If you are not confident in your ability to capture it, DO NOT INTERFERE.
Reward: Payment will be made in cryptocurrencies or other tradable assets. Half of the amount will be made available in advance upon proof of active involvement, and the rest will be transferred upon confirmation of capture.