Chapter 20: Hero
"Ugh…" The crowd, released from the cocoons, all vomited.
Even Gwen Stacy, who spent plenty of time doing extreme sports, looked pale. Swinging through the air wasn't something most people could handle.
Once Spider-Man rescued the people trapped on the top floor, the crowd below that hadn't fully evacuated erupted in excitement.
"Spider-Man! Spider-Man!"
Voices rose in waves as people chanted his name.
Even some of the officers on the ground couldn't help joining in, their shouts blending with the crowd's.
Among them, John and George were easily the loudest.
"Spider-Man! Spider-Man!" they bellowed along with everyone else.
Spider-Man, looking down at the cheering crowd, was somewhat stunned. He had never received such treatment before.
"Look at that, Spider-Man. They're cheering for you. You're a hero, the hero who saved us."
"Spider-Man…"
Gwen turned her head to continue, only to find he had vanished.
She scanned the area and barely caught a glimpse of blue and red flickering across the upper levels of the Joram Building.
Up above, Spider-Man anchored thick web lines around the building's damaged top to keep it stable and prevent it from collapsing. Once he secured everything, he took one last look at the crowd cheering for him, then disappeared among the rooftops.
"He just left like that…" Gwen murmured.
"He didn't even stay to enjoy it… the cheers, the gratitude…" She sounded bewildered.
Gwen couldn't understand his motives. He wasn't chasing fame or fortune. It felt like all he wanted was to pull this battered New York back from the brink. She didn't know what kept him going.
Even after he was gone, the cheering refused to fade.
"He's gone," George said to John, who was still shouting Spider-Man's name.
"Yeah…"
"He's just like you. He doesn't care about recognition or money. He does it for the people of New York," George reflected.
"I'm not like him," John muttered.
"Except for the lack of superpowers, you two are almost the same," George countered.
"No. He never lets outside pressure sway him. Even with the Daily Bugle tearing him apart, he still saves people. I, on the other hand, lied because of pressure from higher-ups."
John lowered his head. "I hid what he did. I handed the credit to the department, all for some empty idea of police honor."
"It was a temporary compromise. We're low-rank officers. If we don't follow orders, we'd lose our jobs before we could even think about protecting anyone."
George added, "Besides, he never blamed you. Honestly, it felt like he respected us a lot." He remembered how Spider-Man spoke to comfort John when he first arrived.
"Yeah. He respected us… and we let him down," John whispered.
George sighed. He knew John was at his most stubborn right now. Nothing would change his mind.
"Think whatever you want, but don't say any of that in front of the reporters tomorrow," George warned.
There would definitely be interviews about the police captain's daughter and Spider-Man. George could only hope John wouldn't slip up. Otherwise, he might really end up losing his badge.
John didn't respond. Silence was all he could offer. He didn't want to lie to his friend anymore, and he didn't want to keep lying to the people of New York.
"John… you're not seriously thinking of doing this?" George's voice tightened with worry.
"George, I already failed his trust once. I'm not letting it happen again," John answered firmly.
"This time, everyone saw Spider-Man save those people. They saw it with their own eyes. Even if you claimed it was the police who did it, no one would believe it. It wouldn't hurt Spider-Man at all."
George pointed toward the crowd still calling Spider-Man's name. "John, whether you tell the truth or not, the outcome will be the same. Spider-Man is a hero. Everyone witnessed it. The Daily Bugle can't smear him this time. But if you stand in front of the media and admit the truth, it's basically declaring the NYPD incompetent. The higher-ups will lose their minds. You'll never get to wear that uniform again."
"George, this time is different."
"How is it any different?" George asked, clearly frustrated.
"It just is…" John repeated, his voice low but unshakable.
George fell silent. He could tell John had made up his mind, and nothing would move him now.
"Good luck, my friend…" George murmured as he patted John's shoulder.
"I hope your career goes smoothly," John offered in return.
"Let's hope so…" George gave a tired smile.
Across the city, Spider-Man didn't return to his room after the rescue. He swung through the skyline, keeping watch in his own way.
Ring! Ring!
His phone suddenly rang.
Still mid-swing, Spider-Man checked the caller. J. Jonah Jameson.
"Mr. Jameson? What's going on?"
"Peter, do you know about the explosion at the Joram Building?"
"I do. And I managed to get some shots of it," Peter replied.
Thanks to the upgraded suit S.H.I.E.L.D. had developed, he could record footage directly through the suit. Everything from the rescue earlier had been captured.
"That's fantastic, Peter. Thank heavens. You're the only one who got anything… Bring those photos to the Bugle right now," Jameson said excitedly.
Before calling Peter, Jameson had contacted several reporters, but none of them had been anywhere near the building.
"Right now?"
"That's right. We need to publish before any other paper does," Jameson urged.
"Alright, Mr. Jameson. I'm on my way."
"Hurry." Jameson hung up immediately.
Spider-Man glanced at the darkening sky. "Looks like after Spider-Man's work, now it's Peter Parker's turn. Maybe I can grab a sandwich on the way. I haven't eaten all day…" He launched forward, swinging toward the Daily Bugle.
The Bugle building was still brightly lit at night. Jameson was taking the Joram Building incident very seriously.
"Peter, these shots are excellent," Jameson remarked as he flipped through the photos.
"Yeah, these should give the Bugle a real head start on the story," Ben Parker commented as he glanced over Peter's work.
Jameson suddenly plucked out the photos that showed Gwen Stacy and crumpled them up.
"What are you doing?" Ben asked, startled.
"She has nothing to do with this. I'm not letting her take up valuable space on my front page," Jameson replied.
Ben knew who Gwen Stacy was, and it didn't take long for him to understand Jonah's real intention. The feud between the Bugle and the NYPD shouldn't spill over onto family.
Peter knew Gwen's identity as well, and he instantly understood why Jonah did that.
I guess I misjudged him before. He's not such a bad guy after all… though it'd be nicer if he stopped going after Spider-Man so hard, Peter thought to himself.