"Peter, there's a robbery on 35th Street..."
"And the police can get there in two minutes. The robbers don't have firearms and haven't taken any hostages. It's temporarily very safe. I'll go check the situation first."
Harry sat in front of the computer, compiling all the police reports received by the NYPD for Peter. A recent shoplifting incident made him think Spider-Man would have to make a big show, but Peter easily deduced from the dispatch information that the police were capable of handling the case. Still, just in case, Spider-Man would arrive at the scene first.
Then, another intercepted 911 call appeared on the control panel.
"This one might be more important. There's a fire at the east side pier of Manhattan Island..."
"The New York City Fire Department has been dispatched. I can't get there faster than them. The fire trucks and ladders can get there without any obstructions. What's on fire at the pier, a warehouse?"
"Yes, a department store warehouse. I'm checking... Oh, it's just some plastic toys from across the Pacific."
"No risk of explosion. Hold on... Manhattan Precinct 2? This is Spider-Man. The burning warehouse belongs to a department store and contains plastic toys. Okay, thank you. No, no, you are the real heroes of New York. Stay safe."
Different types of fires require different extinguishing methods. Providing timely information is an effective way to handle a situation. What truly amazed Harry was that Peter was practically a living map of Manhattan. He had memorized the locations of almost all the police stations and fire departments in Manhattan. Combined with the program he designed, he could quickly analyze which incidents needed Spider-Man's help and which the police or fire department could handle on their own.
Spider-Man didn't need to respond to every siren or every 911 call. Not all calls are highly dangerous; New Yorkers can take care of themselves—as long as there aren't any supervillains.
"There's an armed robbery in Harlem. A foreign tourist has been taken hostage, and the police are on their way."
"I'll be right there."
During the day, Harlem, if you didn't look closely, was no different from other parts of New York. As long as you didn't enter the slums or gang-infested buildings, and didn't deliberately avoid or stare at the gangs, you wouldn't get into trouble. Unfortunately, some foreign tourists didn't know this and wandered into Harlem.
However, this wasn't necessarily dangerous, as local gangs were unlikely to harm outsiders. But if the police got involved, a confrontation between the gang and the police could be very risky.
"Drop the gun!"
Two patrol officers aimed their nine-millimeter handguns at a gangster who had taken a foreign tourist hostage. They were in a standoff, but the gangster, holding a gun to the hostage's head, immediately yelled, "Stay back! If you come closer, I'll shoot!"
The two police officers, who were holding their guns, saw Spider-Man slowly descending on a web from high above. They exchanged a look, and one of them put his gun on the ground and raised his hands, walking closer. "Alright, let's talk, okay?"
"I said don't come any closer!"
"Don't be so shy!"
A glob of webbing encased the gun and the robber's entire right hand. The man instinctively pulled the trigger, but it was no match for the reinforced layers of webbing. Spider-Man flipped and landed in a standard superhero pose, then, humming the melody of his old theme song, he shot a web to grab the man's hand and yanked him over. He gently kicked the man's calf to trip him, tied up his feet with webs, and hung him from a nearby lamppost.
"And just like that, we have a fresh new hanging robber."
"Oh, my goodness, it's Spider-Man!"
The terrified tourist's fear instantly turned to delight. He grabbed Peter's hand, expressing his excitement. "I can't believe I get to see an Avenger this close! And you saved me! Oh my god, can I take a picture with you?"
"Of course, sir. But please be careful next time. The parts of New York that aren't tourist attractions can be quite dangerous."
After taking a picture with the tourist, the two patrol officers handcuffed the robber's hands. With Peter's help, they ripped off the webbing and confiscated the gun. One officer was in charge of taking the captured robber to the car, while the other expressed his gratitude to Spider-Man.
"It's a good thing you were here, Spider-Man. Otherwise, we would have had to wait for a sniper to get into position, or worse, just shoot the guy without being able to guarantee the hostage's safety. I'm not a fan of administrative leave."
The officer said helplessly, pointing to a convenience store nearby. "See, my partner and I just parked to get a coffee, and when we came out, we ran into a robbery. And this kind of thing hasn't been uncommon these past few years."
"That sounds pretty bad."
"It is. Unless a Republican president gets elected this year, things won't get much better. Of course, even if Ellis doesn't get re-elected, New York will probably still be a Democratic stronghold, and our budget has been cut year after year. Who are you voting for, Spider-Man?"
As it turns out, no matter where you are in the world, politics is a topic men love to discuss. But Peter didn't take the bait. He just shot a web, getting ready to leave. "I'm afraid I can't say, officer. Public figures have to avoid controversial political statements. Goodbye!"
The officer watched Spider-Man leave, tipped his hat, and returned to his patrol car. As for Peter, who was swinging away, he received two pieces of good news: the fire at the pier was mostly under control, and the police had successfully resolved the robbery on 35th Street.
However, once he was back in Midtown, the hottest news—the election—inevitably came into his view. The Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson were, as usual, offering their opinions.
"Entering October, the seemingly clear election has taken an unexpected turn—ever since the illegal human lab under the Hudson River was exposed, both parties have been accusing each other of being the mastermind behind it. Without a doubt, no politician wants to take the blame, but this has created a crisis of confidence in the government of Matthew Ellis. In the latest polls, his approval rating has been steadily declining."
When it came to the election, even J. Jonah Jameson's tone became calm, but the things he was saying were not calm at all. "But, the October surprise has only just begun, and Matthew's troubles might just be starting. Just now, the official Avengers account released a message stating that they have decided to invite Sergei Kravinoff, a member of the Russian State Duma who is currently visiting New York, to tour Avengers Tower."
"Captain America, inviting a Russian to tour Avengers Tower? Oh, I can guess with my toes how much of a battle the two sides are going to have."
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