Perched on the edge of a skyscraper, Peter Parker sat with his legs dangling over the side. He wore his homemade Spider-Man mask a rough red cloth with eyeholes covered with white tinted glass and a dark blue hoodie to complete the look. His webshooters rested snugly on his wrists, ready for action. The suit wasn't fancy, but it was functional. The rain drizzled around him, creating a misty glow across the city lights below.
"This is actually kinda cool," Peter muttered to himself, gazing at the sprawling city. "I think I get why Batman does this so often. The view is... awesome."
The rain, the hum of the city, the faint glow of neon signs, it all felt cinematic. He felt like a real superhero, even if his suit looked more thrift store chic than high-tech hero. It was surreal being up so high, as though the world below wasn't entirely real. He leaned forward slightly, letting the wind brush against his face through the mask.
Then he heard it.
His moment of peace was interrupted by the sharp sound of tires screeching and the distant pop pop pop of gunfire. His enhanced senses picked up on the chaos instantly, the shouts and screams becoming clear in his mind like tuning into a radio frequency.
"Seriously? My first night out, and it's already this bad?" he muttered, standing up. "Why couldn't it just be a lost cat or something?"
He leaped off the skyscraper, firing a web at a nearby building. The thrill of swinging never got old. Before long, he landed on a streetlamp overlooking the scene of the chaos.
The scene was straight out of an action movie. The bank's glass doors were shattered, smoke billowing out. A black van sat idling in front, its back doors wide open as masked robbers hauled bags of cash. A terrified security guard was being shoved to the ground by one of the men, while another waved a gun in the air.
Peter landed on a lamppost, crouched like a gargoyle, and surveyed the scene.
"Alright, Parker," he whispered to himself, "Time to make an entrance. Don't mess this up. And maybe... try to sound cool for once."
The rain got heavier as he swung down, landing gracefully on the roof of the van.
"Hey, guys!" he called out, his voice dripping with mock enthusiasm. "Quick question: Is this a bank robbery, or are you all just really bad at parking? Either way, I think we need to have a chat about your life choices."
The robbers froze, looking around in confusion. One of them spotted him and pointed.
"Who the hell is that?"
Peter dropped down in front of them, hands on his hips. "That? Oh, I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."
The group stared at him. One guy finally asked, "Spider-who?"
Peter let out an exaggerated sigh. "Man... go easy on me, this is my debut as a superhero. How about this?" He crouched low, spreading his arms theatrically. "I am vengeance. I am the night. I am... Spider-Man!"
Right on cue, a bolt of lightning illuminated him, and thunder rumbled dramatically.
For a moment, the robbers just stared. Then one of them burst out laughing.
"Spider-Man? In a hoodie? What, did you run out of fucking pajamas?"
Peter shrugged. "Hey, man, not everyone has a billionaire budget. Now, are we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?"
One of the robbers raised his gun. "I'll take the hard way."
The fight began.
The first robber swung at Peter with a crowbar. Peter ducked easily, grabbing the guy's wrist and flipping him onto the ground.
"Whoa, buddy, no need to get all medieval on me. Crowbars? Really? What year is this, 1995?"
Another robber charged at him, throwing a punch. Peter sidestepped and webbed the guy's hand to his own face.
"Wow," Peter said, tilting his head, "you really punched yourself there. That's some next-level self-care."
The third robber fired a shot, but Peter dodged with a graceful flip, landing behind him. He grabbed the gun and webbed it to a nearby wall.
"Guns? Tsk tsk. What happened to good old-fashioned teamwork and... oh, I don't know, not robbing banks?"
One of the guys tried to make a run for the van, but Peter swung a web at his ankles, yanking him off his feet. The man let out a startled yelp as he hit the ground.
"Leaving so soon?" Peter said, landing in front of him. "The party's just getting started."
The last two robbers hesitated, clearly debating whether to fight or flee. Peter cracked his knuckles, taking a step forward.
"Look, I get it," he said. "You've had a long day. You just wanted to steal some money and maybe grab a burger afterward. But here's the thing... you picked the wrong guy to mess with."
One of them lunged at him, swinging wildly. Peter sidestepped, grabbed the guy by the collar, and webbed him to a nearby lamppost.
"Pro tip: If you're gonna rob a bank, maybe learn how to fight first."
The last robber raised his hands in surrender.
"So," Peter said, tilting his head, "what's the plan here? You rob a bank, run off with a ton of cash, and what? Open a sandwich shop? Buy an island? Come on, give me something."
The guy just whimpered, clearly too scared to answer.
Peter sighed. "No imagination. It's honestly disappointing."
He turned to the group, all of whom were groaning in pain or stuck in webs.
"Well, gentlemen, it's been fun. But I think it's time you all take a little nap."
He fired off a few more webs, securing them all to a nearby lamppost. As the sound of police sirens grew closer, Peter swung away, making sure to stay out of sight.
As the sound of police sirens approached, Peter stood back, surveying his handiwork.
"Well, that was fun," he said to himself, brushing some imaginary dust off his hoodie. "First mission: success. Zero casualties, minimal property damage, and... I got to say some cool one-liners. Not bad, Spider. Not bad at all."
He swung away before the cops arrived, disappearing into the night.
Back home, Peter slipped through his bedroom window, quickly hiding his makeshift suit in his closet. Aunt May was already asleep, and Peter let out a sigh of relief.
"First patrol done," he muttered, collapsing onto his bed. "This looked way easier in the comics."
The next day at school, Peter went through his routine. Harry seemed a little distant, though he still greeted Peter with a nod.
"Everything okay?" Peter asked.
"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug. "Just... Dad's been on my case again. You know how it is."
Peter gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, if you need help with schoolwork or anything, I've got your back."
"Thanks, man," Harry said, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
In class, Gwen teased Peter about his newfound confidence.
"You've been different lately," she said, smirking. "Did you join a self-help group or something?"
Peter laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, no. Just... been working out, I guess."
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