"Are you guys in the city yet?"
As the subway began to slow down, nearing the city center, the voice of Shadow-Spider came through the built-in earpiece of Peter's suit.
Peter shifted his gaze away from Gwen-Spider.
Unfortunately, Gwen-Spider hadn't responded to his friendly overture.
However, Peter could tell that she was genuinely pondering the matter.
So, he decided not to rush her. It was best to let her sort through her thoughts at her own pace.
"Shadow, we've arrived," Peter replied.
Shadow was Shadow-Spider's codename. With so many "Peters" around, they'd given each one a nickname to avoid confusion.
Shadow-Spider became "Shadow."
The middle-aged Peter was dubbed "Mr. Parker." Peter had originally wanted to call him "Long Johns," but Mr. Parker had sternly refused, threatening to skip lunch—which meant missing out on a delicious burger—to protest the nickname.
As for Spider-Ham, he was simply called "Ham." Since his codename was already Spider-Ham, and "ham" literally means "ham," the nickname fit. His full name could technically be translated as Spider-Ham, so calling him "Ham" wasn't a stretch.
Of course, Spider-Ham himself protested. While he'd been bitten by a pig and mutated, he insisted that he was still fundamentally a humanoid spider.
Unfortunately, majority rule prevailed, and his objections were overruled.
As for a hunger strike? That was out of the question for a foodie like him.
In his own words: "If it's between going hungry and being called Ham, I'd rather be Ham."
Peter, on the other hand, stuck with "Peter," though pronounced more like "Bide" in Chinese, to distinguish it from "Peter" in English.
Before they left, Shadow-Spider had mentioned that he'd be staying behind in the underground Spider-Cave. He planned to train Miles with Mr. Parker while also helping Peter's team monitor city incidents.
"Is there a case already? This early?" Peter asked in surprise.
Shadow-Spider quipped, "Early? You think criminals care about the time of day to commit crimes?"
"Well, you've got a point. So, where does your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man need to lend a hand?" Peter asked, slipping naturally into his role.
"Over on 16th Avenue in Flushing, there's been a robbery at a jewelry store. The robbers are holding hostages and are currently surrounded by the police. It's been a standoff for a while. Maybe you can help out," Shadow-Spider suggested.
"How many robbers? How many guns? And how many hostages?" Peter asked.
"Unfortunately, no one knows. The robbers haven't shown themselves. They're demanding a getaway car to make their escape. The police are debating whether to storm the place or keep negotiating. It's a stalemate for now," Shadow-Spider explained.
"Got it. I wonder if the police will be thrilled to have a newbie spider lending a hand," Peter said, shrugging as he pulled his Spider-Man mask over his head.
His field of vision immediately narrowed.
It felt a bit like someone who normally doesn't wear glasses suddenly putting on a pair—slightly disorienting.
Additionally, with the mask covering his entire face, his breathing felt different.
Thankfully, the materials used were breathable, and Penny had specifically designed the suit with ventilation in mind. The mask's nose and mouth area was made from a fabric similar to that of face masks, which not only filtered out larger particles like dust but also allowed for decent airflow.
Despite this, there was still a bit of discomfort.
But Peter quickly got used to it.
Then, he glanced at Gwen-Spider. She also had a communicator, and since they were on the same communication channel, she naturally heard Shadow-Spider's voice.
"I won't intervene, but if I do, it means you've failed your assessment mission," Gwen-Spider said. Her tone was calm, making it hard to discern her emotions.
Peter nodded.
Whoosh—
The subway came to a slow stop at that moment.
Both of them stood up simultaneously and walked out.
As they ascended the escalator, someone approached to strike up a conversation.
A blond-haired young man said to Peter, "Hey man, the texture of your Spider-Man outfit is pretty cool. It's almost as good as the real Spider-Man's suit. Where'd you buy it?"
Peter paused to think for a moment.
Before he could reply, Gwen-Spider said, "Don't waste time. Let's get moving."
With that, she leaped into the air, landing on the ceiling above the escalator, and ran swiftly upward.
Peter shrugged and turned to the blond-haired young man, saying, "What if I told you this isn't just a costume but an actual suit?"
As he spoke, he bent his knees slightly and jumped, landing on the ceiling with both hands and feet.
However, he wasn't yet as proficient as Gwen-Spider at effortlessly running upside down. He had to use both his hands and feet to climb and keep up.
Before leaving, he extended a hand and gestured toward the stunned young man below.
The blond-haired youth, unable to contain himself, blurted out a phrase he'd picked up from his gaming friends: "Holy crap!"
"It's Spider-Man! That was Spider-Man!"
"No way, Spider-Man's dead! I just attended his memorial service yesterday!"
"Then who was that just now?"
"That wasn't the original Spider-Man. The voice and build are totally different."
"Awesome! Could this be the new Spider-Man?"
"Did you notice the girl in the Spider suit before him? Could it be a team? Like a male-and-female Spider duo?"
"What a dumb name. They should be called the Spider Couple."
"Your name sucks too. I think they should be called—"
Peter and Gwen's actions had caused quite a stir at the subway station.
But by this time, Peter and Gwen had already crossed several streets and arrived near their destination.
Clinging to the side of a building over 20 meters tall, Peter looked down.
On the opposite street, a few police cars were parked.
Two of them were positioned on either side of the street, blocking access to prevent bystanders from wandering in and getting hurt or potential accomplices of the robbers from causing chaos.
The scene of the incident was a shop called Kerr's Jewelry.
Judging by the damage, there had already been some gunfire before Peter and Gwen arrived.
The shop's large display windows facing the street had several shattered sections, with deformed bullets embedded in the glass. However, the windows were bulletproof, so they remained intact, keeping the store sealed off from the outside world.
The most significant damage was to the store's entrance. One of the double glass doors, made from subpar materials, was mostly shattered.
Two police cars parked at an angle near the entrance, used as makeshift cover, bore a few bullet holes. Bloodstains were visible on the ground.
Facing such a scene for the first time, Peter froze.
On the way here, he'd thought a lot about it—even planning a cool, heroic entrance. But now, he felt completely at a loss.
(To be continued)
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