[Third person POV]
Peter stood atop a weather-worn gargoyle, crouched low as he gazed out over the bustling cityscape below. The afternoon sun should have bathed the summer skyline in golden hues, but thick, storm-laden clouds hung overhead. A light drizzle had begun, the raindrops gently tapping against the stone surface beneath his feet, adding a subtle rhythm.
The streets below were alive—men and women moving about their lives, sprinting to escape the rain, horns honking, engines rumbling through slick pavement. But Peter's focus was razor-sharp, His jaw clenched beneath the mask.
"Aria… where's Kraven?" Peter asked darkly, his voice low and filled with purpose.
"He's returned to his base," Aria's voice replied through his earpiece, her tone cautious. "Well… it's more of a mansion, really. He's rallying what's left of his crew. Doesn't look like he's planning on quitting anytime soon."
Peter scoffed under his breath. "Kraven doesn't know how to quit," he muttered, the scorn evident in his voice. "But it's about time he collects his 401k… I'm giving him an early retirement—whether he wants it or not. His hunting days are over."
Without hesitation, Peter leapt from the gargoyle and dove into the open air, slicing through the wind like a bullet. His arms spread, activating the sleek black wingsuit that extended from his suit. He soared over the city's silhouette, refusing to use his teleportation spells. Not for this. This had to be personal.
No shortcuts. No instant arrivals.
This was a hunt—and Kraven needed to know what it felt like to be prey.
After a few minutes of silent gliding, Peter latched onto the side of a tall lamp post. He clung to the edge and leaned out, his gaze sweeping toward the city's outskirts. In the distance, shrouded by mist and creeping ivy, stood the infamous abandoned mansion—Kraven's makeshift fortress.
Peter's lenses narrowed and zoomed in. He activated his X-ray vision. Through the thick walls and windows, he saw movement—Kraven's men pacing the hallways, armed and on edge. Their heat signatures glowed red against the backdrop of steel and stone. Aria's systems overlaid names, threat levels, and biometric profiles across his HUD.
His form shimmered for a moment before flickering into full invisibility. To the naked eye, he was gone. Only the faintest outline of his figure could be seen when the raindrops hit his cloaked body, bending around him unnaturally.
Soon that faint outline began to crawl up the mansion walls—silent, patient, calculating—before slithering inside through an open, rain-streaked window.
---
Inside the mansion, Kraven stood like a general preparing for battle. His back was to the room as he methodically strapped weapons across his chest and around his waist—throwing knives, grenades, vials of toxins, and a machete forged from obsidian. The room was lined with animal pelts and tribal masks, the decor primitive and ominous.
Behind him stood two colossal men, towering like twin titans. One wore the skin of a black bear draped over his shoulders, a massive warhammer resting in his hands. The other, clad in a brown bear's fur, carried a double-headed axe strapped to his back, his muscles tense with anticipation.
"I trust the others have gathered as I commanded?" Kraven asked without turning, his accent thick and voice like a low growl.
"Yes, sir," replied the brown bear, slamming his fist into his palm with a smirk. "Everyone's in position. The Spider will be walking into his own grave."
Kraven's eyes glittered as he reached for a pristine ceremonial dagger resting on a stand. He admired his reflection in the polished steel, inhaling the scent of rain that suddenly appeared in the air.
His lips curved into a feral smile.
"Yes… Yes, he will be," he said slowly, turning sharply and hurling the dagger toward a darkened corner of the room.
The two bear-like men spun around, startled—just in time to see the dagger freeze mid-air.
A web glistened in the corner, stretched taut like a trap. Peter was sprawled across it, like a grotesque, humanoid spider. He held the dagger between two fingers, mere centimeters from his mask, the blade glinting under the dim light.
Peter tilted his head.
"Here," he said dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm. "This seems to have slipped from your fingers. Be more careful next time."
With a flick, he hurled the blade back.
The dagger zipped through the air and grazed Kraven's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. A crimson droplet slid down his face.
Kraven calmly wiped it with his finger… then licked it.
The two giants unslung their weapons, taking stances ready for combat. The tension in the room grew thick, the air charged with the weight of imminent violence.
Kraven looked up with a grin stretching ear to ear. "Came alone this time, Spider-Man?"
Peter's voice was cold, clipped. "Yeah. I did. Thanks to you."
Kraven chuckled and gave a theatrical bow. "You are most welcome."
Peter's expression remained unreadable beneath the mask. "Are you proud of yourself, Kraven?" The question was simple, almost too casual—but it carried weight beneath its surface.
Kraven's grin faltered for a fraction of a second before he shrugged. "If you're asking whether I take pride in what happened... no. They weren't my targets. They never were. I only wanted you, Spider-Man. You, and no one else."
He tilted his head, curiosity glittering in his eyes. "Although, I must ask—where is that white brat? The one dressed like a tiger?"
Peter didn't even blink. "He wasn't from this time. He went back to the future."
Kraven blinked once. "Are… are you serious?"
"Yup," Peter said, popping the "p" for emphasis.
"Hahaha!" Kraven laughed, clutching his stomach. "Well, color me surprised. I did not expect that."
"Since I was honest with you, how about returning the favor? What's your obsession with me? You said I was your true target. Why?"
Kraven's smile returned, full of sharp teeth and dangerous intent. "Ah, quite a few reasons, actually. I'm a hunter by nature, Spider-Man. It's in my blood. I don't chase the herd—I go after the apex predator. And in this jungle, that's you."
He stepped closer, still grinning like a madman. "You stand above the rest. You're faster, stronger, more intelligent, more determined. You are their leader, the one worth hunting. Why waste time on lesser prey when I can be satisfied with just you?"
Peter sighed loudly, resting his hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry, Kraven. I'm flattered, really. But I'm in a committed relationship. I just don't understand what it is about me that drives both men and women absolutely wild."
Kraven's eye twitched. Without a word, he snatched a grenade from the table beside him and hurled it straight at Peter.
Peter casually caught the device midair, his fingers closing around it. A blast of smoke erupted from the seams, but Peter remained unmoved. His suit shimmered as it absorbed the energy, distributing the force across his frame. A pulse ran through the plating, glowing briefly.
When the smoke cleared, Peter was still sprawled on the web, calm as ever. Wisps trailed from his fingertips as he looked up. "Wow," he quipped. "Didn't know your love for me was so… explosive."
He flipped down from the web and landed gracefully on the floor, his boots clacking against the tile.
Kraven's eye twitched again. "Shutting that mouth of yours is going to be my reward when I finish hunting you down," he snarled, ripping a saber from the wall and adopting a fighting stance.
Peter pointed at him. "Okay, seriously, that one had to be intentional. You heard what you just said, right?"
Kraven growled faintly, and mumbled, "That... was an accident."
Before Peter could crack another joke, the brown bear-shaped man let out a roar and charged forward. His glowing green battle axe swung overhead in a massive arc aimed to cleave Peter in two.
Peter raised his forearm just in time. The axe slammed into it—only for the impact to trigger the kinetic storage system in his suit. A massive shockwave exploded outward, sending furniture, debris, and even Kraven's men tumbling in every direction.
Peter appeared in a flash before the brown bear, faster than the eye could track.
"Here's a suggestion—how about taking an early hibernation?" Peter said, his fist already flying forward. He struck the bear-man square in the chest, launching him backward with such force that he smashed through the heavy wooden doors behind them. The shattered remnants of the door splintered in all directions as the hulking man crashed into a group of reinforcements charging down the hallway, bowling them over like dominoes.
Peter barely had time to raise his hand as the warhammer from the black bear roared down toward him. But this time, the hammer was unleashing a power voltage of electricity. A surge of high-voltage electricity arced through Peter's body and was absorbed into his body.
For an ordinary person, the charge would have been fatal. It would've reduced them to little more than charred bone. But Peter was far from ordinary. His chi surged in tandem with the absorbed energy, his aura crackling to life around him, dancing like azure lightning across his body before fading.
"Sorry, big guy," Peter said casually, stepping into the blow, "but this tree's fresh out of honey."
He planted both feet and brought two knuckles forward, with accurate demonstration he performed a one-inch punch to the black bear's gut.
A small shockwave excited from his back, The black bear's coat flapped wildly as he went airborne—his eyes rolling back, mouth agape in a silent gasp—before crumpling to the ground like a sack of bricks.
Peter exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders. "Now come on, baby bear," he said, turning to Kraven with a smirk. "This Goldilocks is gonna make sure your ass-whoopin' is just right."
Kraven's eyes were wide with excitement, not fear. He grinned as he twirled his saber and stepped forward, his blood pumping.
"Good," he growled. "Finally… a real hunt."
************************************************
+5 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3