Peter rummaged through the dusty basement, moving old boxes aside until he spotted an ancient sewing machine covered in cobwebs. "Okay," Peter muttered. "I'm a genius. I can figure out how to use something that doesn't have Bluetooth or a screen." He dragged the machine onto a table and dug through a pile of old clothes. After a while, pieces of fabric were scattered everywhere.
Peter carefully stitched them together. A blue sweatshirt. A simple mask. Cargo pants. After a few adjustments, he stepped back to admire the result. "It's finally done," Peter said, stretching his arms. "At least I don't look completely ridiculous." He did a quick backflip across the room and landed smoothly. "Okay… maybe a little ridiculous." Meanwhile, Cindy landed lightly on a rooftop near Liz's house.
Music thumped from inside. She took a deep breath. "You got this, Cindy," she whispered to herself. "Just make a good impression." She walked to the front door and knocked. Liz opened it almost instantly. "Cindy! You made it!" Liz said excitedly. "Melissa's over there." Cindy stepped inside as music blasted and people danced all around the living room. "Cindy!" Melissa rushed over. "Guess who's here. He's been asking about you all night!"
She pointed across the room. Jake. "Go talk to him," Melissa said, giving Cindy a playful push. Cindy walked over and tapped Jake on the shoulder. He turned around. "Cindy? Where were you? I waited outside the school for a while." "Sorry," Cindy said. "Melissa dragged me out shopping for new clothes." She wore a white shirt under a leather jacket, denim shorts, and sneakers. Jake smiled.
"You look really good." Cindy blushed. "Thank you… you look good too." Jake took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Soon they were dancing with the rest of the crowd. Across town, Peter arrived at a small underground arena. A line of huge men waited ahead of him. Peter swallowed nervously. "Next," a woman behind the desk called. Peter stepped forward. "I'd like to sign up." She slid a form across the table.
"Keep in mind we are not responsible for any injuries that may occur. Are you willing to accept that?" Peter nodded. "Yes." He walked toward the waiting area. A loud man paced around shouting at the fighters. "Listen up! Give it everything you got! I've got big ratings riding on this tonight!" He walked out to the arena floor. The crowd roared. "Welcome everyone!" the announcer shouted. "Are you ready for a LAST MAN STANDING MATCH?!" The crowd cheered louder. "Let's get our fighters on the mat!"
One by one, massive wrestlers climbed into the ring. Peter followed behind ten huge men. "I'm starting to reconsider this," Peter muttered. "This might actually be painful." The bell rang. "This is an anything-goes match!" the announcer yelled. "Last man standing wins the prize! FIGHT!" Instant chaos erupted. Huge fighters slammed into each other, throwing bodies over the ropes. Peter flipped backward to avoid a charging opponent.
"Hey! I'm flipping here!" Peter said, dodging a chair. "Watch where you swing that thing!" "Stay still, kid!" a man growled, swinging a bat. Peter ducked and flipped over him. "You know," Peter said casually, "I see why you didn't go pro." He swept the man's legs out from under him and kicked him out of the ring. The tingling sensation hit the back of his head. Peter turned just in time to see a massive wrestler falling toward him.
"Ouch," the announcer said. "Looks like our dark horse is finally." Peter caught the falling man. And lifted him. Like he weighed nothing. The entire arena went silent. Peter wrinkled his nose. "Dude… have you ever heard of deodorant?" He tossed the guy out of the ring. The sense tingled again. Two men charged him from opposite sides. Peter jumped high into the air. The two men slammed into each other and collapsed. The crowd exploded. "We have our winner!" the announcer shouted.
He leaned toward Peter. "What's your name, kid?" Peter hesitated. "Uh… Arachnid Knight." The announcer blinked. Then grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen… your champion… SPIDER-MAN!" The crowd roared. Peter's phone buzzed. Harry. A man handed Peter an envelope. "Kid, that was incredible," he said. "Come back tomorrow night." Peter smiled, grabbing the cash. "Keep the money coming and I'll be here every night."
Outside the building, Peter pulled off his mask. He answered his phone. "Hey Harry. Yeah, I'm on my way now. I got held up." Back at Liz's house, Cindy stood in the backyard. The party noise was quieter out there. Jake walked over holding two sodas. "Sorry," he said. "People were literally fighting over drinks." "It's okay," Cindy replied, taking one. An awkward silence settled between them. Jake stepped closer. "Cindy… I like you," he said softly. "You're cool. And really pretty."
He placed a hand on her leg. "I want to get to know you. All of you." He leaned closer. Cindy quickly stood up. "Whoa. Hey, Jake… I like you, but we barely know each other." Her sense suddenly tingled. She instinctively dodged as his arm tried to wrap around her shoulders. Jake frowned. "Come on, Cindy. I know you like me. At least give me a show." He grabbed toward her. Cindy shoved him away but used way too much force. Jake flew backward and splashed into the pool. People burst out laughing.
"Hehehe! Nice one, Cindy!" Melissa said, clapping. "I didn't realize Jake was such a creep." Jake climbed out of the pool, furious. "You little." He ran toward Cindy. Suddenly He tripped. Peter stood there with his foot out. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to creep on girls?" Peter said calmly. Jake looked around at everyone laughing. Embarrassed, he ran off. "Thanks, Pete," Cindy said. "No problem." Harry suddenly appeared, throwing his arm around Peter.
"Yo, Peter! That was awesome." He started dragging him inside. "Come on! I got some girls you need to meet." Melissa turned to Cindy. "Think the night can still be saved?" Cindy thought for a moment. "Show me where the dip is," she said with a smile, "and you got it." Later that night, the party was ending. Cindy waved goodbye to Melissa and Peter. Once she was sure no one was watching she ran down the street, jumped, and climbed onto a rooftop. Then she leaped across to another building.
She paused and held out two fingers. Thwip. A web shot out and stuck to a nearby building. "This is probably a bad idea," Cindy muttered. She jumped. The web caught and she swung forward. "AHHH!" She nearly slammed into a building. Quickly she shot another web and changed direction. "WHOOHOO!" She laughed while swinging through the city. "Who needs a car when you have webs?" She swung again. "Thank you, spider!" Eventually she reached her house and climbed back through her window.
She collapsed onto her bed. "What a weird day." She closed her eyes. Then heard her dad cough from the hallway. Cindy groaned. Meanwhile, Peter sat on his bed and tossed his backpack aside. He reached into his back pocket. His smile faded. The envelope was gone. "Wait… what?" He checked his other pockets. Nothing. "No, no, no…" Peter groaned and fell back onto the bed. "I just lost a thousand dollars." He stared at the ceiling. "That's what I get for helping someone other than myself." He remembered tripping Jake earlier. Peter sighed. "Great. Just great."
The next day at Midtown High School, Cindy stood on the track field during gym class. Students were stretching while the coach prepared them for a race. Laurie walked over with a smirk. "Hey Cindy," Laurie said loudly. "I heard you and Jake had fun last night. I always knew you were a whore. Bet you sleep with half the guys at school." A few girls nearby laughed. Cindy rolled her eyes.
"You just don't learn, do you, Laurie?" Cindy replied calmly. "No wonder you're the dumbest girl at school. I bet you can't even spell your own name." Laurie's face twisted in anger. "Let's see how smart you are when I leave you in the dust. Like always." The coach blew the whistle. Everyone started running. Laurie immediately took the lead, sprinting ahead of the pack. Cindy smirked. "We'll see about that." She pushed harder. Her legs felt lighter than ever.
Wind rushed past her ears as she accelerated. Laurie's eyes widened as Cindy blew past her. Seconds later Cindy crossed the finish line first. The coach blinked in surprise. "Whoa, Cindy! Where have you been hiding that speed?" he asked. "Have you ever thought about joining the track team?" Laurie stormed over, furious. "No way! I'm the star runner here!" she snapped. "That was beginner's luck. You can't put an amateur on the team. She doesn't even run properly."
Cindy crossed her arms. "Well coach, since she put it that way," Cindy said sweetly, "I guess I'll have to join." Laurie glared at her before storming off. Later, Cindy stood at her locker grabbing textbooks when Melissa rushed over. "So I heard you smoked Laurie," Melissa said excitedly. "She's the fastest runner on the track team. She even won state championships! How did you get that fast?" Cindy hesitated. Then grabbed Melissa's wrist. "I'll tell you," Cindy whispered. "But you have to come with me."
Meanwhile, Peter sat asleep in class. His head rested on the desk until the teacher slammed a book down. "Mr. Parker!" Peter jolted awake. "I can't believe you slept through the entire first period." Peter rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. I was up all night fig... I mean studying." The teacher sighed. "Go take a walk and wake yourself up." Peter stepped into the hallway. "I need to make sure I get to the next fight night," he thought. Suddenly the tingling sensation hit the back of his head.
Peter turned just as Kong came charging toward him. Peter reacted instantly. He grabbed Kong and lifted him off the ground and threw him straight into a locker. The hallway went silent. Students stared in shock. "Whoa… how did Parker do that?" someone whispered. Flash Thompson stepped forward angrily. "Beginner's luck!" Flash shouted. "Take this, puny Parker!" Flash swung a punch. Peter caught it with one hand. Effortlessly.
Flash's eyes widened. Peter sighed. "You know," Peter said calmly, "you're going to miss a few games with a broken wrist." Crack. Flash screamed as he collapsed, clutching his arm. "What did you do?! AHHHH!" A teacher ran around the corner. "What's going on here?!" Behind the school, Cindy and Melissa stood near the empty bleachers. Cindy looked around nervously. "No one's watching, right?" "No," Melissa said. "But why did you bring me back here?"
Cindy took a deep breath. Then jumped and flipped onto the wall. She stuck to it like glue. Melissa's jaw dropped. "Wait… what?" "I know," Cindy said casually. "I know you have questions." She dropped back to the ground. Melissa grabbed her shoulders. "Cindy… you're a superhero!" "Shhh!" "Sorry!" Melissa whispered loudly. "But this explains everything! The Jake thing! The race! Cindy, you could save lives! You could join the Avengers!"
Cindy laughed. "No way." Melissa blinked. "Okay… maybe the Avengers are a lot. But what about the X-Men? Or the Fantastic Four?" Cindy shook her head. "No. I don't want to be a hero." Melissa frowned. "I never asked for these powers," Cindy continued. "But now that I have them… I just want to enjoy them." Melissa crossed her arms. "If you say so. But powers like that usually come with responsibility." Cindy burst out laughing. "Wow," Cindy said. "That was corny."
After school, Peter walked into his house. The moment he stepped inside, May Parker and Ben Parker were waiting. May looked furious. "Peter Benjamin Parker! You broke that boy's wrist! Have you lost your mind?" Ben looked disappointed. "Do you have any idea what you've done, Peter?" Peter clenched his fists. "I got a little payback!" he snapped. "Flash has done way worse to me for years! But the moment I stand up for myself it's suddenly wrong?!" He stormed upstairs.
SLAM. The door shut so hard the wall cracked. Peter paced around his room. "How am I the bad guy?" he muttered. "Flash should be the one getting yelled at." his door slowly opened. Uncle Ben stood there quietly. "So that's what you think?" Ben asked. Peter didn't answer. Ben stepped into the room. "You got your revenge," Ben said gently. "You must feel pretty good about that. Like a big man." Peter stared at the floor. "Uncle Ben… I taught a bully a lesson. How am I the one in trouble?"
Ben sighed. "Because you stepped down to his level." Peter stayed silent. "I know you're going through changes," Ben continued. "Believe me, I went through them too when I was your age." Ben rested a hand on the doorframe. "But every action you take shapes the man you become. That's why you have to be careful with your choices." Ben quietly closed the door. Peter sat in his chair. "You have no idea what I'm going through," he muttered under his breath.
Cindy was at home in the kitchen, cleaning the ceiling upside down while sweeping the corners. She dropped lightly to the floor when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Her dad rushed into the kitchen, pulling on his jacket. "Cindy, I've got to go to work. Apparently the new guy sent the wrong files, so they need me to come in. I won't be back until tonight." He bent down to tie his shoes, speaking quickly. "But you're still grounded, young lady. No phone, no internet, and especially no friends."
"Hey, Dad." He turned just in time for Cindy to toss him his keys. He caught them out of reflex. "Be good." He headed out the door. The moment the door shut, Cindy smirked. "He didn't say anything about spider powers." She webbed the broom to her hand and finished cleaning before her eyes drifted to the phone sitting on the table in the living room. "Dad must've forgotten to take it with him. I can't just let that go to waste."
She grabbed the phone and quickly texted Melissa. Cindy: Hey, my dad forgot to take my phone and won't be home until morning. Melissa responded almost instantly. Melissa: There's an amateur wrestling match tonight. Want to go? Cindy grinned. Cindy: Yep. Moments later she ran upstairs to get ready. Soon she was slipping out her bedroom window and swinging into the night. Some time later, Cindy and Melissa walked toward the entrance of a crowded building.
"Tickets?" the guard asked, holding out his hand. Melissa froze. "I got them right…" She checked every pocket. "…here?" Her expression dropped. "I must've forgotten them at home." "No tickets, no entry," the guard snapped. "Get out of here, kids." Cindy looked him up and down. "Okay, calm down, buddy. But you do know your pants fell down, right?" The guard looked down instantly. His pants were stuck around his ankles webbed to the ground. Cindy and Melissa walked past him laughing.
Backstage, Peter stood in a small waiting room wearing his homemade costume. The announcer eyed him from head to toe. "Kid, I don't mind keeping your identity secret, but you look more like a clown than a fighter." He tossed Peter a red-and-blue spandex suit and mask. "Try this." Peter grabbed it. "Cool. I'll give it a shot." Moments later he stepped out of the bathroom wearing the new costume.
"It's a little tight… but still cool." He pumped his fists. "Let's get this match on!" He stepped into the arena. The crowd erupted. "Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Spider-Man!" Cindy folded her arms from the audience. "Who the hell is that goofball?" The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers. "Who's ready for Spider-Man to face our great champion… RHINO!" A massive man nearly seven feet tall stepped into the ring wearing a tank top and cargo pants.
The crowd cheered wildly. Peter looked up at him. "…Suddenly I'm starting to feel small." "Let the match begin!" Rhino lunged forward. Peter flipped backward, barely dodging the grab. "Hey! Mind calling a time-out early, big guy?" Rhino grabbed his leg mid-flip and slammed him into the mat. Peter groaned. "Ouch. There goes my favorite spine." He flipped back to his feet and kicked Rhino in the chin.
"How's that feeling?" Rhino glared. "You hit and talk like child." He swung both massive arms, but Peter ducked under every attack. "Hey, you know what they say." Peter bounced off the ropes. "The bigger they are… the more ugly they are!" Using the ropes for momentum, he launched himself forward and punched Rhino straight into the arena wall. The wall cracked from the impact. The announcer nearly lost his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen… we have ourselves a NEW champion! SPIDER-MAN!" The crowd roared. Melissa grabbed Cindy's arm excitedly. "That was amazing! Did you see the way he took down that monster?" "Yeah…" Cindy stared at Peter. A strange sensation buzzed inside her head. "That's different from the tingling feeling… Is he triggering it?" "Let's get out of here," Cindy muttered. Melissa blinked but followed her. Peter sat in a small office with a man behind a desk.
"Listen, kid. You're the champion now. But if you want to keep that title, you need to keep winning and sign a contract." He slid a paper across the desk. Peter barely looked at it. "Uh… no thanks. I'll just take the money." The man's face hardened. "Either sign the contract or leave." Peter stood up. "Fine. Good luck finding someone better than me. I'll just go somewhere nicer than this dump." He walked out.
Moments later, another man burst into the office holding a gun. "Rick? What are you doing here?" "Give me my money. Now." The safe opened. Rick stuffed the cash into a bag and ran. Peter waited for the elevator when Rick sprinted towards him. "Hey! Stop him! He stole my money!" the man shouted. Peter stepped aside and let Rick enter the elevator. "Thanks, kid," Rick said as the doors closed. The man stared at Peter in disbelief. "Why didn't you stop him?" Peter shrugged. "Not my problem. I'm tired of helping people and getting nothing out of it."
Meanwhile, Cindy and Melissa walked down a quiet street. "That match was crazy," Melissa said. "You think you could beat that Spider-guy?" "With my hands tied behind my back." Suddenly Rick sprinted past them, shoving Melissa to the ground. "Hey!" Cindy's spider-sense exploded. She spun around a blonde man jumped out of a car with a gun. The shot rang out. Cindy dodged instantly. "What? Is that all you got?" Melissa groaned behind her. "Cindy…?" Cindy looked down. Blood spread across Melissa's shirt. "Kasady, what are you doing?!" Rick shouted from the car. "Just get in." The car sped away. Cindy dropped to her knees beside Melissa. "Melissa… you're going to be okay." Melissa tried to smile through the pain.
"Powers… would really come in handy right now, huh?" Tears streamed down Cindy's face. "You don't need powers. You can do this. Just hang in there. What am I supposed to do without my best friend?" Melissa's breathing slowed. "Cindy… promise me… you'll do the right thing." Her eyes slowly closed. "Melissa?" No response. "Melissa?" Her body went still. Sirens filled the street. Later that night… Peter walked toward home when his phone rang. Uncle Ben. Peter sighed and ignored the call. "I don't want to hear another lecture."
At home, Ben lowered the phone. "He's not answering," Ben said to May. "I'm going to go look for him." A loud thud echoed upstairs. "Must be Peter." Ben climbed the stairs. "Peter, come down here. We need to talk." A dark figure stood at the top."Peter?" Gunshots erupted. Ben's body collapsed down the stairs. May screamed. The gunman ran out of the house. Minutes later Peter arrived home to flashing police lights. He ran inside. "May! Ben!"
May rushed forward and hugged him, sobbing. Peter's eyes watered as realization hit him. A police officer spoke nearby. "We've got a lead on the suspect." Peter quietly slipped away. Moments later Spider-Man raced across rooftops following the police cars. At the police station, Cindy sat silently with dried blood on her hands. "Cindy, we called your father," an officer said gently. "He's on his way." She didn't respond. Her father rushed inside minutes later. "Cindy Moon! I'm looking for my daughter!" He saw her and ran over.
"Cindy… are you okay?" She collapsed into his arms. "Dad… it's my fault. She's dead because of me. I'm sorry!Meanwhile… Inside an abandoned building, Rick ran up a stairwell, panicked. "Kasady, what do you mean I'm on my own?!" A voice echoed from the shadows. "Looks like you're alone." Rick spun around. "Who's there?" Gunshots fired into the darkness. Spider-Man dropped from the ceiling. "You're going to pay for what you did." Rick tried to run but slammed into a wall as Peter grabbed him.
Punch after punch landed. Rick fell to his knees, nose broken. "Please! I'll give you anything!" Peter lifted him with one hand. "What I want… is to see the face of the man who's about to pay." He ripped off the mask. Peter froze. Rick. The man he let escape. Peter staggered back. "…No." Rick ran toward the exit only to be surrounded by police. "Hands up!" Peter was already gone.
On a rooftop, Peter sat silently in the rain. Then he climbed down and went home. May hugged him tightly. Both of them cried. Cindy sat in the back seat of her father's car, staring out the window. "Cindy… it wasn't your fault," her father said gently. She shook her head. "If I had just listened to you… she'd still be alive." Tears slid down her face. "I'm sorry, Melissa."