"Spider Man! Stop them! We can't let the monsters hurt the citizens of New York City!!!" Gwen, holding Doctor Dora's dead body in her arms, looked at Spider Man with teary eyes: "Hurry! Save them..."
Spider Man's arm trembled, but after a momentary pause, he swung down into the battlefield where two gigantic monsters were locked in combat using his spider silk.
Two monsters, nearly identical in appearance, had damaged countless buildings during their skirmish. Many people were trapped under the rubble, screaming in pain. Spider Man moved the heavy debris covering them. But due to traffic congestion, the ambulances couldn't get through, and the injured couldn't be transported.
Just then, the sound of police sirens filled the air. Several police cars drove in from the adjoining street and stopped at the intersection where Spider Man was. The policemen rushed out from the cars. An older policeman with a gun waved his hand and told his subordinates: "Quick, clear the road so that we can start the rescue operation!"
Spider Man looked back and saw the two monsters chasing each other against the skyline, and the dust rising from the collapsing buildings disappearing in the wind like the morning mist.
As he hesitated to choose between rushing into the battlefield or staying here to save people, he saw the older policeman running towards him. When the dust had cleared, Spider Man recognized him as Gwen's father, George.
"Spider Man, hurry ahead, there is a riot happening there. You need to stop them. Leave this place to us."
After giving George a quick glance, Spider Man web-slung forward until he arrived at the location where the two monsters were fighting. That's when he discovered that the riot George was referring to was an out-of-control train.
Objects on the tracks had caused the train's braking system to fail. The high-speed train could not stop immediately and was heading directly towards the end of the street.
Pedestrians screamed and scurried about in panic. When a figure with a blue and red costume landed on the train's roof, everyone shouted "Spider Man!"
However, Spider Man on the roof had no time to bask in their attention. The train's braking system was broken, and it kept rushing forward without any sign of stopping.
If the train were to crash through a building, not only the passengers on the train, but also those residing in the lower levels of the building, would be in grave danger. Spider Man knew he had to stop the train.
Standing on the train's roof, Spider Man thought of using his spider silk. However, if he used the silk on either side, it would immediately cause the train to capsize, sparing the building and its inhabitants, but likely dooming the passengers inside. Spider Man knew this wasn't the solution.
To stop the train, he would need to apply force on both sides simultaneously. But he had no device that could simultaneously launch spider silk in two directions and link them together. And there was no time to make one.
Crouched on top of the train, Spider Man ducked a utility wire and shot silk at a nearby building. He left the train and started swinging above it faster than its speed.
Pushing himself to the limit, Spider Man soon matched the train's speed before starting to move beyond it, until he was level with the train's head.
Spider Man jumped again to stand above the train. The train was heading towards a building with glass curtain walls that reflected the looming dark clouds in the sky.
Spider Man took deep breaths and then jumped down to the exterior of the driver's cabin. The train driver looked at him in shock. Spider Man had put on another Spider Silk Launcher on his other hand. Standing at the front of the train, he raised both of his arms and shot spider silk.
The silk shot out swiftly, like two bullets, and stuck firmly to the wall of the building the moment they hit it.
Because the launching was timed perfectly, the train didn't tip over from one-sided force. But the next second, as the spider silk stretched taut, Spider Man let out a scream of agony.
The junction of the two pieces of silk was Spider Man's own body.
Spider Man clung desperately to the silk, his muscles taut, exerting all his strength. But without any preparation beforehand, the release of power was painful, and he felt like his body was being torn apart.
But the good news was, he felt the resistance decreasing, meaning the train was slowing down without derailing or capsizing, and was about to come to a safe stop.
The runaway train gradually slowed to a halt. When Spider Man released his grip, he was panting heavily. Using up half of his energy had numbed his arms, and his chest muscles felt like they were on fire.
As the cheers rang in his ears, they abruptly stopped, replaced by screams. Spider Man looked up to see a red monster landing. It picked up a piece of building debris and threw it at the green monster.
With a whoosh, the silk shot out as Spider Man swung around. A jolt of severe pain stabbed through his forearm, reaching his waist, but he gritted his teeth and pulled the pedestrians who were on the path of the flying debris to safety. Then, he heard an explosion behind him. The kitchen of another shop had blown up, the spreading flames almost reaching the looming clouds.
The flames climbed up, threatening to reach the clouds hanging low. A plume of black smoke added a layer of darkness to the cloud cover. As he emerged from the charred shop, Spider Man heard the rumbling of thunder. It was raining in New York City.
His costume was covered in soot, but there was no time to clean it. He quickly shot silk again, then side-kicked the red monster's neck.
This collision should not have been suspenseful. The Red Hulk was not the true Hulk, and did not possess its immense power. However, an already exhausted Spider Man was merely able to make the Red Hulk sway a little with his kick before it grabbed Spider Man's leg and threw him away.
Spider Man landed on the ground. The rain was pouring heavily. He noticed his reflection in a puddle besides his head. The failing streetlights reflected in it told him it was late into the night.
Steve's words echoed in his ears as he muttered under his breath, "Tactics... tactics..."
He got up from the ground, the rain washing away the stains on his suit. Once the suit regained its shine, Spider Man leaped again to engage in combat with the red monster.
After realizing that he didn't have the strength to face Red Hulk head-on, Spider Man switched tactics, focusing on disruption and diversion.
Green Hulk, who battled Red Hulk, was clearly not as lucid as Red Hulk and hardly used any tactics. Therefore, even though Green Hulk was stronger, he could only fight Red Hulk to a stalemate. But after Spider Man joined the battlefield, the situation became much clearer.
Spider Man used tactics to pressure Red Hulk, forcing him to directly confront the pressure from Green Hulk. Coupled with the spider silk trap and Spider Man's nimble ambushes, Red Hulk was soon forced to retreat.
The red giant fell with a crash, and the green Hulk thumped his chest in the rain, bellowing, "Hulk!!!!"
Meanwhile, Spider Man stood on the rooftop of a nearby tall building, watching as one military vehicle after another drove onto the scene. They took out their modern firearms, pointing at Hulk and at him.
This time, Spider Man did not as before, raise his hands, scream, and jokingly try to negotiate with them. Instead, he just stood on the rooftop, overlooking the gun barrels pointed at him.
He saw that the red Hulk was gradually shrinking its size, and General Ross in military uniform got up from the ground, yelling, "Capture Hulk!! Capture that damned monster, and Spider Man!!!"
"These unstable elements should be eliminated. These damned, invincible monsters are enemies of the human race!!!"
Spider Man did not say a word, remaining silent under the heavily shadowed skyline. It was the first time he did not stand with ordinary people.
This view from above, the rest of the world beneath him, reminded him of the image of the figure in gold and red often perched atop Stark Building.
The communicator on his battlesuit rang. Someone was calling him.
"Hello? Peter? It's raining heavily today. There's a blackout in a few houses on Forest Street, your uncle has gone out to fix it. The balcony upstairs seems to have a small leak. Can you pick up some tools on your way home? We need to get it fixed..."
"Okay, Aunt May, but I may be a while before I can get home." Spider Man on the rooftop took a deep breath and said,"... I have to say goodbye to my friends first."
"Oh, you're with your friends? Then don't rush back, it's all minor issues. But if you're coming back for dinner, I'll start preparing now..."
After hanging up the phone, Spider Man exhaled the breath he had been holding, web-slinging away and disappearing into the streets of New York.
Once he got home, Peter wiped his soaked hair with his clothes. When he walked in the door, he heard Aunt May's exclamation: "Oh my God! Where have you been? Did you run all the way home? You're completely wet! Come here, take a towel..."
Peter silently took the towel and began to dry his head. Aunt May, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a hand on the door frame, looked at Peter and said: "What's wrong? Did you have a row with your friends? You didn't have to rush back, it's nothing major..."
Finishing her sentence, she wiped her hand on her apron and walked back into the kitchen. Peter walked out to the balcony and saw a few puddles of water on the one above, and due to the age of the building, water was seeping from the cracks, dampening the wall of their home.
"We should buy a detached house." Peter adjusted the waterproof material while saying, "In Midtown, just on the next street..."
During dinner, Aunt May kept glancing at Peter, who was just eating his food quietly, unlike before when he used to chatter about his school experiences.
After finishing her meal, Aunt May cleaned up her plate, saying, "If you're not feeling good, go take a nap. Tomorrow, everything will be better."
Peter paused, put down his plate, and after swallowing his food, looked at Aunt May and said, "Aunt May, do you think I'm very immature? Always oversimplifying things, preferring to go it alone..."
Aunt May carried her plate to the kitchen, saying as she walked, "Your uncle used to be like this when he was young. But you see now, he often keeps 'three helps make a hero' on his lips. But you, you've got plenty of time."
Sitting at the dining table, Peter wiped his mouth and said, "No, maybe now is the right time."
Once on the balcony, Peter looked at the heavy clouds over New York City and the still pouring rain, Shiller's words echoing in his ears.
His whisper was lost in the noisy rain and the damp, cold air.
"Spider's web, a ubiquitous, inescapable web..."