"Starting at 3 PM today, we have received five reports of Spider-Man deaths. Their true identities are gradually coming to light, but we still have no clues about who the real Spider-Man is..."
In a low-rise neighborhood.
Next to a water tank on the rooftop, Mary Jane, dressed in a homemade red and black Spider suit, adjusted the tight fabric outlining her curves.
She turned off a portable radio beside her, stood up, and stretched, looking out at the distant cityscape.
"If I want to become Spider-Man, I have to go all out!"
She put on a mask that covered the upper half of her face, her striking red hair flowing in the breeze.
Carefully, she approached the edge of the rooftop.
It was just a three-story building, but at that moment, it felt like she was standing at a crossroads of destiny.
The real Spider-Man should be able to swing using webs! And at this height, it shouldn't be too dangerous.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied her shaking legs and shot a web at the billboard across the way.
After testing the tension of the web and making sure it was secure, she cautiously stepped off the roof.
Whoosh~
Suddenly, a shadow moved even faster, swooping towards the opposite side.
"What?"
Startled, Mary Jane lost her balance and nearly fell off the roof.
She quickly crouched down to steady herself, her heart racing as she watched a red-and-blue figure on the other side.
"Hey, nice suit! Looks like you're good with a sewing machine," the figure waved and greeted her before skillfully swinging over, landing right in front of Mary Jane.
Mary Jane looked at the supposed Spider-Man in front of her, noticing his suit was made of fabric, like hers, clearly not the real deal.
She felt a wave of disappointment.
Everyone knew the real Spider-Man had upgraded to a special metallic suit, with glowing blue eyes.
This guy, like her, must be another lucky person bitten by a mutant spider.
"Hey, what's your name?" the fake Spider-Man suddenly asked.
"I'm Mary Jane."
Mary Jane answered instinctively, then immediately realized her mistake.
"No, I'm not Mary Jane. My name is... my name is Charlie Parker," she stammered out.
Charlie: "..."
He eyed Mary Jane. Every other Spider-Person wore a full mask, yet here she was, wearing a lacy mask. What, was she hoping the criminals would get more excited?
He couldn't help but internally roll his eyes.
Tonight, he had specifically put on his old suit and used a voice modulator to get closer to Mary Jane, hoping to figure out how her powers compared to other mutants.
But he hadn't expected her to be so unguarded, though not entirely clueless.
And also, quite a handful.
He continued, "Charlie sounds like a boy's name, so Mary Jane must be your real name."
"No, I'm really Charlie! Mary Jane is... she's the girl I like the most," Mary Jane quickly denied.
Charlie: "..."
Are you that clueless about how someone feels about you?
"Okay, Mary Jane, do you want to learn how to swing with webs? I can teach you."
"No, I'm Charlie."
"Okay, Mary Jane."
Charlie grabbed Mary Jane's arm and held up his wrist, demonstrating.
"Pay attention. Press here, make this gesture—yeah, like this rock-on gesture—and it controls the length of the web. Once the web locks onto its target, you'll feel it, and that's when you stop shooting web and immediately grip it tight before jumping down..."
He was about to show her a demonstration when Mary Jane suddenly interrupted.
"Wait, the web is too thin. I might not be able to hold onto it."
Charlie almost lost his balance and fell off the rooftop.
"The web can stick to your palms, and Spider-Man's fingers can produce tiny spider-like barbs. These not only help you cling to walls but also make it easier to grip the web."
"Oh, I see!"
"I got it."
"I haven't even demonstrated yet."
"That wasn't me who said that."
Mary Jane looked around, confused.
Charlie turned back and saw another figure in a Spider suit climbing onto the rooftop.
This one wore a suit with a white top and black bottom, the design hugging a slender, petite frame. Pink webbing adorned her elbows, and most notably, she wore a carefully designed dual-tone hood—pink inside, white outside.
Charlie's eyes drifted downward and spotted green ballet shoes on her feet. He immediately understood.
"Hey, are you another Spider-person bitten by a spider recently?" he greeted.
"Yes, and your tips have been very helpful to me," Gwen nodded.
Without further words, she suddenly took a running start, leapt into the air, and gracefully shot her web toward the billboard across the way.
Against the neon backdrop, her figure drew a perfect arc in the air.
Whoosh~
Snap!
In the blink of an eye, Gwen swung between two tall buildings, landing with bent knees to absorb the impact.
She moved like a moonlit elf, light and elegant, every movement precisely controlled.
It seemed like natural talent or the result of countless rehearsals.
Clap clap clap-
Charlie couldn't help but applaud, then nudged Mary Jane with his shoulder.
"Look at her, and then look at yourself, tsk tsk."
"Don't look down on me! I... I can do it too!"
Angered, Mary Jane tried to copy Gwen's actions, shooting a web and then suddenly closing her eyes.
"I'm jumping."
"Then jump!"
"Did I really jump?"
"Are you going to jump or not?"
Charlie nudged her lightly, sending Mary Jane swinging towards the opposite rooftop with a scream.
"Ahhh! Help! Did I make it?"
Having landed safely, Mary Jane looked around in surprise, then shouted with joy.
"This is amazing! I did it!!"
"Standing up is the real success."
Charlie swung down in front of her, looking down at her.
Mary Jane: "???"
She looked down and saw that she was kneeling in front of Charlie in a very embarrassing position.
"My-my legs are numb. Give me a hand."
"Sure thing, Mary Jane."
"I'm Charlie!"
A minute later, the three lay sprawled out on a giant web in an alley.
Charlie glanced at the two. "I'll start. I got bitten by a spider last night, and when I woke up, I had Spider-Man's powers."
"Same here. I even hurt my dad, but he deserved it," Mary Jane said, clearly having long given up on her gambling father.
Gwen thought for a moment. "I got bitten at school today. My body has changed a lot. I've gotten stronger and faster, and I can shoot webs and climb walls."
Mary Jane rubbed her sore shoulders and knees. "My body's enhanced too, but it doesn't seem that significant."
Hearing this, Charlie pondered.
He had spent enough time with the two, yet his Spider Totem showed no reaction.
Their Spider-Person physiology seemed similar to how he first started.
Spider-People with a totem shouldn't be this weak.
Just then, Gwen looked at Charlie. "Your learning ability is much better than ours. I almost thought you were the real Spider-Man."
Charlie snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "It's just talent. You're not bad either—you got it right on your first try."
"Look! Another Spider-Man!"
Mary Jane suddenly looked up, spotting a figure swinging upside-down overhead, moving clumsily but quickly.
"Who's that?"
Charlie felt a headache coming on. Why is his web coming from... that area? This world is getting crazier by the day.
"Who are those men in black?" Gwen asked, sitting up as she watched shadowy figures leaping across rooftops, closely trailing the strange Spider-Man. She frowned slightly.
Those figures didn't seem like Spider-People.
As they passed over the alley where the trio sat, a group of shadows suddenly split off and rushed into the alley.
"They've switched targets to us," Charlie remarked with a smile.
Seems like those Winter Soldier clones aren't all gone—almost forgot about Bucky.