# Chapter 10: With Great Power Comes
The Next Morning
Lin Chen stood in the local market, examining vegetables with the careful attention of someone who had learned to appreciate fresh produce after years of living on instant noodles and convenience store food.
His new financial situation meant he could actually afford quality ingredients, and he was determined to make the most of it.
His phone rang, Daisy's caller ID flashing on the screen. He answered immediately.
"Boss, we have an urgent situation," Daisy's voice came through, tense and focused.
"Chase Manhattan Bank's third street branch in Queens—a large group of heavily armed thugs are engaged in a fierce firefight with police. It's bad."
Lin Chen's enhanced hearing picked up distant sirens and the faint echo of gunfire. "How many hostages?"
"At least a dozen inside the bank. The thugs have serious firepower—automatic weapons, possibly explosives. Police are pinned down and can't advance without risking civilian casualties."
Lin Chen glanced at the TV mounted in the corner of the commissary.
The news was already covering the incident, showing aerial footage of the chaotic scene. Police cars created a perimeter around the bank, but the officers were clearly outgunned and desperate.
On screen, an explosion rocked a police vehicle. The gas tank ignited, sending the car flipping through the air as a pillar of fire erupted skyward. Officers scrambled for cover as automatic weapons fire tore through their defensive positions.
"This is Jennifer reporting from the third block in Queens," the news anchor's voice trembled with barely controlled fear.
"These armed robbers have been exchanging fire with police for nearly ten minutes now. Because they're holding numerous hostages and have stolen an estimated two million dollars in cash, police are unable to use heavy weapons or aggressive tactics. Officers are in an increasingly desperate situation."
The camera cut to ground-level footage showing two police officers lying wounded in the street, unable to reach cover.
Their colleagues attempted to provide suppressing fire, but the thugs' superior firepower forced them back.
"Two officers are critically wounded in the open," the reporter continued. "Despite multiple rescue attempts, police have been unable to reach them. The situation is deteriorating rapidly."
Lin Chen quickly paid for his vegetables, then made his way to a secluded alley several blocks from the market.
After confirming no surveillance cameras or witnesses were present, he stored his shopping bags in his system's dimensional storage and retrieved his mask.
With a powerful kick that cracked the concrete beneath his feet caused the wind shockwave through the ally, Lin Chen launched himself onto a ten-meter tall building, then began moving toward the bank with superhuman speed and agility.
---
Third Street, Queens - Outside Chase Manhattan Bank
The situation had gone from bad to critical. The two wounded officers lay exposed in the middle of the street, their blood pooling on the asphalt.
The thugs had dragged two mannequins from a nearby clothing store and positioned them as decoys, drawing police fire while they prepared to execute the injured officers.
"Boss, they're going to kill those cops," Daisy's voice came through Lin Chen's earpiece.
"You've got maybe ten seconds."
Inside the bank, the lead thug—a scarred man with cold eyes and a military bearing—gestured to his team. "Take them out. Make it dramatic for the cameras."
Three thugs aimed their weapons at the helpless officers. Their fingers tightened on the triggers as news cameras captured what would be a tragic and defining moment in New York law enforcement history.
The wounded officers exchanged glances, resignation clear in their expressions. They had accepted their fate.
But this moment would not become a tragedy. It would become something else entirely—a demonstration that heroes existed beyond official badges and government sanction.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The submachine guns roared, bullets pouring toward the defenseless men.
Everyone watching—police, civilians, news crews, and viewers at home—prepared themselves for the horrific sight they were about to witness.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
A black-clad figure appeared in the line of fire, moving so fast that he seemed to flicker into existence. In one fluid motion, he grabbed both wounded officers—one in each arm—and vanished from the kill zone.
When he reappeared a split-second later, the masked figure stood before the police line, carefully setting down the two rescued officers. His black tactical outfit was simple but effective, and his mask obscured his features completely.
"Oh my God, what just happened?" someone shouted.
"The officers are saved! Thank God!"
"Who is that? Is he the masked man from the rumors?"
The scene erupted in confused chatter as police rushed forward to provide medical attention to the wounded officers, while news cameras focused on the mysterious figure who had accomplished the impossible.
Sheriff George Stacy—a veteran officer who had seen nearly everything in his thirty years on the force—stared in disbelief.
"That's not possible. No one moves that fast."
After ensuring the wounded officers were in good hands, Lin Chen turned toward the bank.
The thugs inside had ceased fire momentarily, shocked by what they had just witnessed.
Lin Chen began walking toward them with calm, measured steps.
"OPEN FIRE!" the lead thug screamed, and the bank's windows exploded outward as automatic weapons unleashed hell.
BOOM BANG BANG BANG!
Fierce gunfire covered Lin Chen's position, forcing even the veteran police officers to dive for cover behind their vehicles.
Bullets ricocheted off concrete and tore through metal, creating a storm of deadly projectiles.
Sheriff Stacy crouched behind a police cruiser as rounds punched through its doors. "It's over," he muttered grimly. "That brave fool is going to die right in front of us."
But when the initial barrage ceased and the smoke began to clear, gasps of amazement rippled through the crowd.
"It's impossible!" someone shouted.
"Oh my God, is he an angel? A deity?"
Lin Chen stood in the middle of the street, completely unharmed. His enhanced physique had made him essentially bulletproof against conventional firearms—the rounds had either bounced off harmlessly or been deflected by his superhuman durability.
He continued walking toward the bank as if nothing had happened.
Sheriff Stacy peered through the window gap of his cruiser, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "What the hell is he?"
Inside the bank, panic was setting in among the thugs. "Damn it, that's impossible!" the leader snarled. "KILL HIM!"
The remaining thugs opened fire with everything they had—submachine guns, assault rifles, even a shotgun.
But Lin Chen's enhanced agility allowed him to dodge most of the incoming fire, while his bulletproof physique absorbed the few rounds that managed to connect.
He accelerated, moving with supernatural speed that made him appear as little more than a blur to normal human perception.
In an instant, he materialized in front of the lead thug.
"Ahhhh!" The man screamed in terror, swinging his weapon toward Lin Chen's head and pulling the trigger at point-blank range.
Lin Chen's hand shot out, catching the bullet between his fingers before it could reach his mask. The thug's eyes went wide with absolute horror as he comprehended what had just happened.
Then Lin Chen went to work.
He moved through the bank with clinical efficiency, using just enough force to disable without causing unnecessary fatalities.
A precise strike to a knee joint sent one thug crashing to the ground with a bent gun barrel. A carefully controlled push sent another flying into a wall hard enough to knock him unconscious. A quick twist disarmed a third, leaving his weapon mangled and useless.
The lead thug tried to run, but Lin Chen appeared in his path like a ghost. One controlled strike to the solar plexus, and the man collapsed, gasping for air.
Within thirty seconds, all the armed robbers were incapacitated or unconscious.
Then Lin Chen turned his attention to the hostages huddled in the corner—men, women, and children who had been cowering in terror just moments before.
"You're safe now," he said gently, his voice filtered slightly through the mask. "The police are outside. Go to them."
The hostages stumbled toward the exit in shocked silence, unable to fully process their sudden rescue.
Outside, a shout went up from the crowd. "Look! The hostages are coming out!"
Sheriff Stacy had been preparing to order a desperate final assault when he saw the doors open and civilians begin streaming out, shaken but unharmed. He immediately redirected his officers to provide assistance and security.
"What happened in there?" one of the officers asked.
"The masked man," a woman sobbed. "He saved us. He just... appeared, and suddenly all those terrible men were on the ground and we could leave."
As the last hostage emerged, Lin Chen appeared in the bank's doorway. Dozens of cameras immediately focused on him, capturing his silhouette backlit by the interior lights.
The moment felt significant—historic, even. This was no ordinary rescue. This was something new in a world that was just beginning to understand what "superhuman" truly meant.
Lin Chen turned to face the cameras directly, knowing that this moment would define how the public perceived him going forward.
Reporters rushed forward, microphones extended:
"How did you defeat armed criminals so easily?"
"Multiple hostages say bullets couldn't hurt you—are you an alien? Some kind of deity from mythology?"
"What's your name? Who are you?"
Lin Chen had been thinking about this moment since he first put on the mask. In the original timeline, Peter Parker would speak the famous words that defined his heroic identity. But Lin Chen understood something important—those words didn't belong exclusively to Spider-Man. They represented a principle that any true hero should embrace.
"My name isn't important what important is,
The greater the ability come, the greater the responsibility also come," Lin Chen said, his voice carrying clearly in the sudden silence.
"Remember that."
Then, with a powerful kick that cracked the pavement, he launched himself onto the roof of the adjacent hotel and disappeared from view, leaving behind a crowd of stunned witnesses and a media firestorm that would dominate headlines for days to come.
---
Parker Residence, Queens
Peter Parker sat in his room, eyes glued to the television as news channels replayed footage of the bank rescue over and over. His aunt May had called him down for dinner twice, but he couldn't tear himself away.
"The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility," he whispered, echoing the masked hero's words. "That's... that's exactly right."
The masked man's actions had struck something deep in Peter's consciousness. Here was someone using extraordinary abilities not for personal gain or glory, but to protect innocent people. A true hero.
"Peter! Dinner!" Aunt May called again.
"Coming!" Peter replied, but his mind was elsewhere. He had become an instant fan of this mysterious masked hero who had appeared from nowhere to save lives when the authorities couldn't.
---
The Next Day - Midtown High School
The entire school was buzzing with discussion about the bank incident. Peter found himself in the minority among students who were genuinely inspired rather than just excited by the spectacle.
"Did you see how bullets just bounced off him?" Flash Thompson was saying to a group of students.
"That guy's not even human!"
"My dad says he's probably a mutant," another student added. "You know, like those freaks the news talks about."
Peter frowned at the casual dismissal. The masked man had saved lives, and people were already looking for ways to diminish what he'd done.
"Peter!" his friend Harry Osborn waved a hand in front of his face. "You coming on the field trip today or what?"
"Field trip?" Peter blinked, his attention returning to the present.
"The Oscorp lab tour? The genetically modified spider research? Ring any bells?"
"Oh, right! Yeah, definitely." Peter's enthusiasm returned.
A tour of cutting-edge genetic research was exactly the kind of thing that excited him.
---
Oscorp Industries - Super Gene Spider Laboratory
"There are currently over 40,000 known species of spiders," the laboratory guide explained as the group of students filed into the sterile research facility. "The order Araneae is divided into three suborders..."
Peter Parker's attention was completely focused on the scientific explanation. Unlike most of his classmates who were here because attendance was mandatory, Peter genuinely wanted to understand every detail of the research being conducted.
"Wow, this is incredible," Peter breathed, pointing at a massive electron microscope. "This is the most advanced electron microscope on the entire East Coast!"
His teacher smiled at his enthusiasm. "That's right, Peter. Oscorp spares no expense on their research equipment."
As the tour continued, Peter found himself distracted by Mary Jane—his longtime crush and next-door neighbor.
She stood near the observation windows, her red hair catching the laboratory lights as she studied the spider enclosures with genuine interest.
Peter wanted to approach her, to say something clever or meaningful, but as always, his courage failed him. He remained at a distance, content to simply watch her from afar.
"Using synthesized ribonucleic acid, we've created entirely new genomes," the guide continued. "Each of our super spiders is a hybrid combining the genetic traits of three different spider species. We currently have fifteen genetically modified specimens in this facility."
Mary Jane, who had been examining the display cases carefully, spoke up. "I only count fourteen."
The guide paused. "What did you say?"
"One is missing," Mary Jane repeated, pointing at the enclosure. "See? There's an empty space here."
The guide's expression flickered with brief concern before settling into professional dismissal. "I'm sure one of the researchers is currently examining it. Nothing to worry about."
But Peter hadn't noticed something—a small movement in the corner. A distinctive purple spider, unlike any of the others, crawling along the edge of the observation window.
---
That Evening - Parker Residence
"So how was the field trip?" Aunt May asked as Peter sat down for dinner, looking pale and uncomfortable.
"It was fine," Peter said distractedly. His head felt strange, and his body seemed unusually warm. "I'm not feeling well though. I think I'll just go to bed."
"Don't you want to eat something first?" Aunt May asked with concern, her worry evident. Since Ben's death two years ago, she had become even more protective of Peter.
"I already ate at school," Peter lied. In truth, his stomach felt too unsettled to even think about food.
"Did you get any good photographs?" May pressed, knowing Peter had brought his camera on the trip.
"I'm really tired, Aunt May. I just need to sleep." Peter stood up, swaying slightly.
May watched with concern as Peter headed upstairs to his room, debating whether she should call a doctor.
Once inside, Peter barely managed to remove his shirt before the dizziness overwhelmed him completely. He collapsed onto his bed, then tumbled onto the floor, consciousness slipping away as strange sensations coursed through his body.
In his fading awareness, he heard the laboratory guide's voice echoing: "Using synthesized ribonucleic acid to create entirely new genomes, mixing the genes of three spider species..."
The purple spider that had bitten him during the tour appeared in his mind's eye, its image burning into his consciousness as his body began to change at the cellular level.
Peter Parker had no way of knowing that his entire world was about to transform.
The genetic material from that escaped super spider was integrating with his own DNA, rewriting his biology in ways that would grant him abilities beyond anything he could have imagined.
The next chapter of his life was beginning, though he wouldn't understand the full implications until he woke the following morning to discover that everything had changed.
---
The Next Morning
When Peter finally regained consciousness, sunlight was streaming through his window. He felt... different. Strange, but also somehow better than he'd ever felt in his life.
He reached for his glasses out of habit, but when he put them on, everything became blurry. Confused, he removed them—and suddenly the world came into perfect focus.
His vision was flawless, better than it had ever been even with corrective lenses.
"My myopia is gone?" Peter whispered in amazement. "That's impossible."
He stood and caught sight of himself in the mirror. His previously scrawny frame had filled out overnight, muscles clearly defined beneath his skin. Nothing extreme—he didn't look like a bodybuilder—but the transformation was undeniable. He looked fit, athletic, healthy in a way he never had before.
"What happened to me?" Peter flexed experimentally, marveling at the strength he could feel coiled in his new muscles.
"Peter!" Aunt May's voice called from downstairs. "Are you okay? You've been asleep for twelve hours!"
"I'm fine!" Peter called back, unable to tear his eyes away from his reflection. "I feel great, actually!"
"Well, hurry up then. You're going to be late for school!"
As Peter got dressed, he noticed something else strange—his movements felt more fluid, more coordinated. He'd always been awkward and clumsy, but now his body seemed to respond exactly as he intended, with perfect precision.
He was pulling on his shirt when movement in the window across from his room caught his attention. Mary Jane was getting ready for school, visible through her bedroom window.
"Hey, Mary," Peter practiced quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe you don't know this, but I've been your neighbor since I was six years old. I was thinking maybe we could find time to get together sometime..."
But before Peter could work up the courage to actually approach her, a car horn blared from the street below.
"Mary! Come on!" one of her friends called.
Mary Jane grabbed her bag and rushed downstairs, leaving Peter standing at his window rehearsing conversations that would never happen.
Sighing, Peter finished getting ready and headed downstairs himself. He grabbed a piece of toast and rushed out the door, only to see the school bus pulling away from the stop down the street.
"Wait!" Peter shouted, breaking into a run.
What happened next shocked him to his core—he moved with impossible speed, catching up to the moving bus in seconds. But he couldn't stop his momentum, and his hand slapped against the bus's rear panel with enough force to leave a visible dent.
The bus screeched to a halt.
"What the hell?" the driver yelled, stepping out to examine the damage.
Students crowded the windows, laughing and pointing at Peter, who stood frozen in shock at what he'd just done.
"Sorry!" Peter called weakly. "I didn't mean to—"
"The bus is full, Parker!" one of his classmates shouted mockingly. "Maybe try walking!"
The bus pulled away, leaving Peter standing alone on the sidewalk, staring at his hand in disbelief.
Something was very, very wrong with him. Or perhaps, something was very, very right.
But either way, Peter Parker's life would never be the same again.