• • February 2024 • •

THE SUN WAS setting and it gave an orange glow across the water below. On the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, MJ took in a breath and gazed upon the city's skyline.

She wouldn't usually find herself doing this kind of thing, being on top of a landmark bridge and looking upon the bay below. Still, she took in a breath and composed herself.

Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind her.

"See? It's not that bad."

MJ looked over her shoulder and saw the one and only Spider-Man. His current iron-clad spider armor gleamed in the light.

She turned back around and hugged herself, rubbing the sides of her arms as she sighed.

"It's—It's all right." She stammered.

The hero got closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. He could tell that she was still pretty anxious. Spider-Man kept his mask on as he spoke.

"Hey, you're okay. Nothing bad will happen as long as I'm here." He reassured her.

She softly smiled. Spider-Man looked over at the skyline and the water.

"Besides, what's the worst that can happen here on the Brooklyn Bridge? You fall? I'll just catch you."

"Taking weight, speed, gravity, and inertia into account...are you really sure?" She asked with a smirk.

The hero shrugged. "I like the odds."

The couple looked back toward the sunset. MJ had to admit...the sight was beautiful, and she didn't often compliment such things.

Spider-Man glanced at her growing smile. The light coming from the sunset enveloped her in such a warming glow. It made the hero smile under his mask.

"You're so beautiful." He suddenly said.

MJ turned to him but quickly looked away with a chuckle. The abrupt remark made her blush. Although she often would cringe at compliments made toward her, it was different coming from him.

"You're just saying that because this flattering light is masking my true appearance." She replied.

"We could be in the dead of night and I'd be saying the same thing." He butted.

"But then it'd be so dark...how would you even get a good look at me?"

Spider-Man chuckled before fully turning toward her. The part of his mask over his mouth retracted and he pulled her in for a kiss. The couple was in that tender embrace for a moment before parting.

"What does that tell you?" He asked.

MJ smirked. "That you should keep doing that."

They laughed and kissed again, the two of them turning and stepping away from the edge as they did.

Now being a few months after the battle against Thanos's army, the Blip, and Tony and Natasha's sacrifice, the world seemed to be somewhat healing. Spider-Man was back with the people who he deemed friends...and he was with MJ once again. Everything seemed to be all right now.

Nothing in the universe can change that.

• • January 2026 • •

THE YOUNG MAN leaned against the parapet of the penthouse balcony. He looked out across the skyline, taking in slow breaths. Y/N looked down and closed his eyes.

The party was still going on but Y/N went outside to get some air. He tried composing himself earlier...especially after seeing MJ.

It was different than when he stumbled upon Ned for the first time in a while a few months ago. Very different. Seeing the young woman made a bunch of memories of his time with her flood back into his head.

It hurt...more than any blow he'd been given by a supervillain.

The overwhelming nature of all of it didn't stop there. After letting her in, Harry introduced her as his girlfriend. They met the summer before freshman year of college started. They then went their separate ways and kept a long-distance relationship while she went to MIT.

But now she transferred because of some familial situation and was back in New York...where she was now going to be attending Empire State University. Y/N couldn't believe it.

What was the universe doing to him?

The nineteen-year-old took in another deep breath, looking down at his hands that were gripping the railing, his knuckles turning white.

He thought he moved on for good...but now he wasn't so sure. Now along with thoughts of MJ, there were ones of May, Peter, Gwen, and Anya. If the universe really wanted to mess with him, they'd show up at this party too.

Suddenly, he felt someone touch his arm. Y/N jumped a bit and quickly turned his head...seeing that it was Kate.

"Oh." He breathed out, turning back around. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Looks like you're posing for gloomy R&B album the way you're standing out here."

Y/N feigned a chuckle. Kate noticed his reaction and knew something was on his mind.

"Sorry. Horrible joke."

"Nah...it's fine."

Y/N looked over her shoulder and then through the doors, seeing the people enjoying the party. He caught eye of MJ, who coincidentally gazed back at him for a moment. The young man quickly looked away.

"Uh...I—" He cleared his throat. "I gotta go."

He stepped away from the parapet.

"Go where?" Kate asked.

Y/N shook his head. "Just...somewhere."

He left the balcony and entered the living area. Y/N made a B-line for the door and hoped nobody would notice, but Harry did.

"Hey, man. You going already?"

Y/N had his hand on the doorknob. He looked back and attempted to come up with an excuse. He didn't want to use the same Bugle one.

"Uh...Mr. Li from the shelter called. Gotta—Gotta do something."

Y/N didn't even let him respond before opening the door and leaving. Harry just stood there, wondering what was up with his best friend.

Spider-Man leaped out of the window and began a free fall. He initiated a swing before reaching the ground and zipped passed vehicles.

A few blocks away, a woman was walking down the sidewalk. One man behind her had the dumb idea of snatching her purse and making a run for it.

"Wha—? Help!" She shouted.

The purse-snatcher kept running. He looked back for a second but was immediately caught with a web. He was pulled up and stuck to the streetlight where he dropped the purse.

The woman went up to her bag and picked it up. In a blur, Spider-Man swung off after the deed, not saying a word or expecting a thank you. It was like he was on auto-pilot stopping the petty crime.

Y/N swung up onto a rooftop and ran across it. He maneuvered fluidly and used parkour moves traversing over roof vents before leaping onto the next.

He let out a grunt as he used all his power to charge jump off the rooftop he was on and landed on one that was a across the street.

He rolled and got to his feet before jumping again and starting up a swing.

Nearby, a group of shoplifters ran out of the store. The owner was inside, having been pushed to the ground. He groaned as he reached for his phone and started dialing 911.

He stumbled out of the store while the line was ringing. Finally, they answered.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"I've been robbed. My store...it's—"

The older man stopped once he went outside and gazed upon the scene. The five men who just robbed his shop were encased in webbing both on the sidewalk and the wall.

The web-slinger swung through the street as the shop owner looked on. The dispatcher was still on the other line asking what he called for.

"Sir? Are you there?"

He replied. "Sorry, it's nothing. Everything's fine."

Several more blocks away, there was a pursuit going on. Police chased the suspect through the streets and he was maneuvering with no regard for pedestrians.

He looked back for a moment to see how close the cops were. The man then faced forward but jumped upon seeing an obstruction on the road.

A net of webbing spanned from one side of the road to the other. The suspect didn't have the chance to brake or anything and ended up hitting it. It stopped the car and activated the airbags. Still, the force put the suspect in a daze.

Police stopped behind the car and came out with their guns drawn. They too were surprised by the appearance of the webbing but knew that the friendly neighborhood hero offered assistance before disappearing.

"Move up!" Sergeant Watanabe called out to the others. "Move up!"

Some time afterward, Y/N sat on top of the Chrysler Building. He had his knees up to his chest and rested his arms on them, looking out at the evening skyline of the city.

His heart felt heavy. For the first time since late last year, he was feeling that same sadness from before...that dejection...sorrow. Y/N thought he wouldn't experience that again, at least for a long time.

Maybe he believed he just wouldn't see MJ ever again and everything would've been good. But he was dumb to assume that. The world worked in funny ways and her coming back just a little over a year after the entire multiversal situation was a prime example of that.

Sometimes you simply can't escape that past. Or at the very least...it was the hardest feat one could accomplish.

The young man let out a sigh. He looked up at the sky and stared. Since he thought of those he lost to the spell, he also thought of one important person: his father. He would've loved some sort of support from him right now.

"I wish you were here, Dad..." He said lowly. "I miss you."

Kate came home later that night. She entered the penthouse and took off her coat before noticing that most of the lights were on.

She walked through the room and across the dining room where she saw Y/N outside on the terrace with Lucky. Kate softly smiled and went to join them.

Before she can greet them, Y/N noticed her and spoke.

"I already fed him. He and I are enjoying playtime."

He held up his hand and the dog went up to hit it with his paw. Kate lightly chuckled.

"That's nice."

Y/N nodded. He let out a sigh and looked back at her.

"Look..." He began. "I'm sorry about how I was earlier. At the party."

"It's okay." She crossed her arms. "Although I'd like to understand...if you don't want to talk about it that's fine."

Y/N didn't respond initially. He fiddled with his hands and walked passed her back into the penthouse. Lucky followed and so did the archer.

Kate thought he was just going to keep quiet about it. But Y/N stopped by the living area and let out an exhale, deciding to actually speak about it.

"Kate..." He looked to the side. "That girl. The one Harry invited...I know her."

She stayed silent and let him continue. He looked down at his hands.

"I was with her. She was my girlfriend before the whole...spell situation with Strange."

She understood now. Kate let out an inaudible sigh.

"So she doesn't remember you?" She asked.

He shook his head, still looking down and picking at his fingernails. Kate knew that although MJ didn't remember him or any memories including him...he did.

"I shouldn't be all glum about this," Y/N said. "That was over a year ago. I moved on. It's just that...seeing her also brought back this entire wave of the past. Of my friends and family. And that fucked me up."

Kate looked down and nodded. Y/N feared that everything that he told her would rub her the wrong way.

"Look, I'm with you. MJ's with Harry. There's practically no connection between her and me according to the universe. I don't want my whole reaction to this to make you think—"

"I know." She interjected, looking back at him. "And I get it. What you went through was a very unusual situation. I can't knock you for how you feel."

Y/N simply nodded and glanced at the floor. A part of him was kind of ashamed that he was bringing Kate into his entire emotional turmoil. Kate seemed to get wind of this thought based on his reaction and brought his head back up.

"You've been through so much." She added. "You don't have to go through anything alone."

The young man appreciated her words. He nodded and smiled.

"I know. As always...thank you."

Kate nodded back and caressed his cheek with her thumb. He took her hand and kissed it before turning around.

She then looked to the side where Lucky had been sitting and watching them. She chuckled.

"You want to have fun with mommy?" Kate asked him.

Y/N overheard as he was fixing up the couch cushions and responded.

"I—I mean...if you're down."

Kate looked back at him. "I was speaking to Lucky."

The young man looked over his shoulder. His smile faltered.

"Oh. Right..."

"Oh my, God..." She reacted. "You have a thing for that!"

He went back to fixing the couch. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Whatever." She stepped away with Lucky. "But now I got something to keep in mind."

Kate left the room. Y/N went over to the other sofa and fixed it up, letting out a quick laugh at his partner's remark.

• • •

A WEEK PASSED. Currently, Y/N was present at an event downtown where the people of Kingsley Corporation were announcing their acquisition of HAMMER Industries' New York branch.

The Daily Bugle called Y/N there to report and take photos for them. He was near the front and below the podium where the businesspeople were. Among them was the corporation's CEO, Roderick Kingsley.

"I don't want you to see me as another Justin Hammer. Making weapons is the last of my priorities. My goal is to assist in the advancement of technology that can benefit our fair city...and our future."

Y/N took more photos, then switched to video. People applauded his statements and the businessman smiled.

"Again, I wouldn't be here without the wonderful team behind me." He gestured to another man that stood nearby. "Especially my partner and friend, Norman Osborn."

The man simply nodded. Y/N lowered his camera and stared at him, letting out a quick breath through his nose.

The sight and mention of Norman Osborn still irked him. He had an understanding that Norman was a thorn in the side of his variants and a nemesis to them...and one version of him murdered his father.

But so far he hadn't gotten wind of his world's Osborn being a problem. From what he's seen, he was just his best friend's father and a businessman. He had yet to meet him face to face but based on appearances alone, he seemed all right.

Still, he would have to keep an eye on him.

"The fruits of your labor will soon be seen," Roderick told them. "I thank you all for your support."

With that said, the event concluded and Roderick was on his way to his limo. Norman followed and entered the car with him.

Unbeknownst to the businessmen and the people in the area, a node was shot into the side of the limousine. It latched to the car and began a five-minute countdown.

It was a bomb.

The limo began to drive away. Y/N videotaped them leaving and then panned away for a panoramic shot of the people...even getting a shot of the closed-down building nearby.

Suddenly, his spider-sense blared. He got a quick glimpse of the countdown in his head and immediately realized that the limo was going to explode.

The crowd was oblivious to the situation and sounded off as the car left. Y/N turned his head toward the limousine, a look of firmness on his face.

Spider-Man swung through the street and went after the limousine. The escort was driving on the bridge when the hero landed on the top. Norman felt the thud from inside and arched a brow.

The hero climbed to the side of the car and saw the bomb. He touched it and the two-minute countdown it had immediately cut to thirty seconds. His eyes widened.

"What the—? What happened to my two-minute warning?"

There was a knock on the window and Roderick looked to his left. He was startled by the appearance of Spider-Man but rolled down the window nonetheless.

"You got to stop the car. There's a bomb." Y/N said.

"What?" Norman asked. "But—"

"Now."

Roderick ordered the driver to stop the limousine in the middle of the bridge. They all stepped out and looked at Spider-Man.

"We gotta get going," Kingsley asked. "Security swept the entire limo."

"Only if you want pieces of you scattered all over Brooklyn," Spider-Man replied then turned to the driver. "Leave the keys. I'll take care of this."

Spider-Man manned the car and immediately drove away, leaving the three men bewildered by the situation.

He stopped and then backed up before speeding through the railing. The limo began its descent toward the river and at about five seconds left in the timer, Spider-Man jumped out and zipped away.

The limo finally exploded. With Roderick and Norman safe, Spider-Man swung away from the scene. The remnants of the vehicle went everywhere, with the burnt license plate landing by their feet.

"I liked that limo," Kingsley said with a shake of his head.

"It can be fixed." Norman joked.

"We're scientists. Not miracle workers."

He began to walk away. Norman shrugged and slightly smirked.

"You know...I'm something of a mechanic myself."

• • •

Y/N WALKED INTO the café. He expected to see some of his friends at the spot they usually sat, but he only saw Harry by the counter. The young man turned around and saw his friend.

"My man!" He called out as Y/N went to the counter. "What'll it be?"

The barista, Jimmy, pointed at the frequent café customer and recited the order he'd often get.

"Grande vanilla bean frappe espresso, no foam."

Y/N let out a chuckle and nodded. Jimmy went ahead with beginning the order as the young man leaned on the counter.

"You know your stuff, Jimmy." Harry complimented, then turned to Y/N. "You know what day it is?"

"Friday?" Y/N asked.

"Yeah, but without the question mark, bro. It's the end of the week, playtime. No studying tonight."

"You don't study any night."

Y/N was given his drink and he paid. They started walking to their table.

"I'm just thinking we should do something, I don't know," Harry replied. "The Knicks tonight?"

"Would rather not see them get blown out by the Lakers."

"That new Batman movie?"

"After The Flash last year? Nah."

"You're such a square, man."

Y/N chuckled. Harry also laughed and looked at the television. They were going over the event earlier that day and even the situation with the limousine bombing.

"Just feeling like living a little, ya know?" Harry said. "I know it looks like I do that all the time...but after what almost happened to my dad...you just never know what to expect."

Y/N looked at the television too. He noticed they were showing the footage that he recorded for the Bugle. That wasn't of importance to him though, as he took in his friend's words.

"I get it," Y/N replied, taking in the fact that Harry almost lost his father, something he himself experienced. "It really does make you think."

Harry knew that Y/N lost his parents but didn't know how. By his tone alone he knew that was likely what Y/N was thinking about just now.

Before he can say anything, Y/N spoke again.

"You're right. Sure. Let's do something."

Harry nodded. "It don't even got to be a lot. Just maybe something downtown. We could invite Indy, Flash, MJ..."

Y/N didn't react to his mention of her. He looked down at his cup and drank from it.

"If we end up doing a movie though, I gotta ask her. She's picky at times." He added.

Y/N let out a quick chuckle. He knew that. The young man nodded and kept looking at his cup.

"Not a problem."

He gazed back up at the television, in which the news station was still going over the footage Y/N took of the event.

Sitting in front of a computer, Silvija Sablinova examined the footage. A henchman of hers stood behind her and looked at it with her.

"There." She pointed after pausing it. "You see him?"

The henchman saw the halted frame of the video. It showed the reflection of the cameraman through the tinted window of the limousine.

"Okay. So?" He asked.

"Afterward, he panned across the street to where I was at. I could've sworn he looked straight at me."

Silvija was the one who shot the limousine with an explosive node from the building across from the event. She suspected that the cameraman likely caught her on camera and that would jeopardize the mission.

She resumed the footage and the news anchor continued to speak.

"Thanks again to ESU student and Daily Bugle photographer, Y/N L/N, for that news video."

The assassin-for-hire caught the name.

"And now we know who he is."

The henchman had an inkling of what she planned on doing.

"Silver Sable, we got hired to do a hit. Now, I think—"

"If I paid you to think I would've already asked for my money back." She butted.

The man stood quiet. Sable crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat.

"Find me this Y/N L/N. We have to deal with this before we continue with Kingsley and Osborn."

He nodded and then stepped away. The woman kept sitting back and stared at the screen before her.

• • •

IT WAS SATURDAY night and Y/N had stopped by Kate's penthouse. The archer had taken Lucky for a walk and Y/N ended up staying as he (unsurprisingly) worked on some homework.

He was sitting at a desk in the office as he typed on the laptop. Suddenly, his spider sense went off. Y/N stopped typing, eyeing the ajar door before getting up.

He knew it wasn't Kate returning. She wouldn't have triggered his spider-sense. It was definitely something else.

Y/N slowly went up to the door, turned off the light, and peeked out through the crack. He saw three people, two wearing all black and one wearing white. They each had guns in hand as they walked through the living area.

"Douse the light." Silvija told her colleague.

He nodded and shot out the lights above with his shotgun. Sable looked at the tracker she had and saw something in the room ahead.

The gunmen went up to the door. Y/N stuck to the other side as they went in, not knowing that their target was behind it.

They looked around the dimly lit room. There was no sign of Y/N, only an open laptop and his phone on the desk.

One gunman looked at the door they just opened. He glanced at his colleague and gestured toward it. He nodded, understanding that his partner thought Y/N was behind it.

He neared the door and then quickly moved it. There was no one behind it. They looked at each other before walking out of the room.

"He's not here." One of them told Sable.

"Not anymore..." She replied. "But he was."

One man kept looking around the room as he gripped his shotgun.

"It's a big place. If he's not, maybe the camera could be—"

Suddenly, the man's shoulder was impaled with an arrow and he fell back with a groan.

Sable and the other henchman turned around and were met with the presence of Kate Bishop. She had her bow but didn't have her suit on, only sporting casual wear for her walk earlier.

"What are you doing in my home?" She asked, her bow still trained at them.

The henchman knelt beside his injured colleague. Sable extended her arm backward and let the man know not to engage.

"This is your place?" She asked.

Kate didn't respond. Sable recognized the heroine.

"Bishop. The archer. Fisk's killer."

"I didn't kill Fisk." She corrected.

"No? That's a shame..." She lowered her pistol and was slowly holstering it. "I was going to say I was impressed."

Suddenly, Sable reached for her small chai daggers and threw them at Kate. She quickly dove out of the way to dodge them and they impaled in the wall behind her.

Silvija ran up to the recovering Kate and engaged her. She tried to hit Sable with her bow-staff but she ducked and kicked her in the stomach. Sable grabbed the staff and tried to wrestle it out of her grasp.

The henchman ended up dragging his injured colleague into the other room. He grunted and pulled out the arrow from his shoulder.

"We gotta get out of here." He told the man.

"No." He shot back. "I'm going out there and killing the bitch myself."

The one that was shot got up and was about to leave the room with his gun drawn, but was quickly pulled up by a web. The other henchman was startled and looked up, seeing a shadow. He fired his gun but missed, then it pounced on him, and everything when black.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Silver Sable continued their skirmish. Kate threw a wheel kick that Silvija dodged and she countered with a straight kick to her back. The slightly older and experienced assassin kept her hands up.

"You still have much to learn, kis madár (little bird)." She taunted.

Kate rubbed her back and let out an exhale.

"I got five black belts." She muttered. "What else is there?"

Kate charged at Silvija and they continued fighting, exchanging kicks and punches that would rarely land as they were both formidable combatants.

Still, Sable was able to prove that her experience was greater.

After Kate threw a punch, Sable put it in a hold before taking out one of her small daggers and stabbing it into her side.

Kate let out a pained gasp. Sable then threw her across the room and through the balcony doors where she landed on the terrace. The archer grunted amidst the debris.

Sable only looked at her before going out the same way and connecting to her rope. She leaped off the terrace and rappelled down the building.

Y/N came out of the room, now in his costume. He saw the broken doors ahead and immediately noticed Kate on the floor. He sprinted toward her.

"Kate!" He exclaimed and knelt beside her. "H—Holy shit..."

"I'm fine..." She groaned, moving her hand to her side where Y/N inadvertently put his hand at.

Y/N looked down and saw where his hand was. He took it off and looked at his palm, seeing the blood on it. He stood still for a moment.

Although it wasn't as deep of a wound, the sight of blood and the position they were in immediately brought back flashes of his final moments with his father, Michael. He let out a shuddered breath.

"I said I'm fine. Really." She breathed out. "Just gotta patch it up."

Y/N still didn't say anything. He then heard the screeching of tires below and figured it was the woman fleeing the scene. He looked toward the parapet and glared beneath his mask.

"You'll be okay?" He asked lowly.

She nodded. "Y-Yeah."

"Okay."

With swiftness, Spider-Man got up and dove off the terrace. He was like a bullet going toward the street, then initiated a swing before hitting the sidewalk.

He swung through the streets as he chased the van. Y/N kept his eye on it and wasn't going to let it out of his sight.

Spider-Man dodged streetlights and overpasses with ease before zipping toward the vehicle. He successfully landed on it and held on.

Inside, Sable was with another henchman who was driving her. The arrival of the hero alerted them via alarm within the van.

"Looks like we got company." She told him.

Knowing what to do, the henchman flipped a switch on the console. Outside, it enabled the security measures on the roof of the van which electrocuted Spider-Man.

"Argh!" Y/N grunted.

The driver then swerved and caused the disoriented hero to fall off the van. He rolled across the asphalt as they quickly sped away.

Spider-Man slowly got up. Cars on the road honked their horn and avoided the hero, causing Y/N to wave them down and step onto the sidewalk. He held his abdomen, panting and recovering from the electrocution and road rash.

Y/N looked ahead and saw no sign of the people he was pursuing. They were gone. He seethed his teeth and punched the lamppost he was leaning against.

"Argh!"

He damaged it enough that it began to tilt. Y/N quickly realized what he did. He looked around in case somebody saw him destroying city property, then stepped away.

• • •

IN THE CAFÉ, Y/N was with Harry, Flash, Indira, and MJ. They heard about what happened the night before and to Kate.

"Is she going to be okay?" Indira asked.

"She's patched up and getting some rest," Y/N replied. "Doctor said she should be good to go in a few days."

"Holy shit, man..." Harry said.

"Whoever broke in was able to take on an Avenger," Flash added. "That's insane."

Y/N simply sighed. MJ sat back against the seat.

"What did they want?" She asked him.

"I don't know. But that girl had this tracker on her...like she had something pinged." He replied, then began to think. "And one of the guys mentioned a camera."

"A camera?" Flash asked.

He nodded. Indira also thought about it for a second before grabbing his arm.

"You were there at that event with Kingsley, right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"You captured footage of the whole thing before that limousine bombing. What if...?"

Y/N knew was she was getting at. He ended up finishing her thought.

"...there is something I caught that they want."

"Exactly." Indira replied.

Harry overheard them. "But half the city's seen the footage already."

Y/N shook his head. "No. Not all of it."

They were at Harry's place this time. Y/N was on a computer and going through the tape he had of the event a couple of days ago.

"Can you zoom in?" Indira asked.

"Maybe. This software's been pretty trash." Y/N replied.

"It's because you have the free version."

"Hey, I'm on a budget."

MJ, Flash, and Harry were in the living room with them. They watched as the young man looked through the footage. Indira, majoring in journalism and adept with editing software, was by Y/N's side helping him.

"You can auto-sharpen it here," Indira said and held his arm.

"Aye-aye, Captain." He replied with a chuckle.

Harry glanced at MJ after seeing their friends' brief interaction. Knowing what he was thinking, the auburn-haired girl smirked.

On the other hand, Flash was oblivious and forking down a bag of chips he got from Harry's pantry.

"You guys find anything yet?" He asked.

Y/N paused during his panoramic shot of the crowd. He zoomed and focused in on the abandoned building nearby, seeing someone at a window with a rifle.

It was Silvija.

"I'm pretty sure she was one of the burglars I saw." Y/N said.

"With a look like that, she shouldn't be hard to ID." MJ remarked.

Indira was interning at a local news station called Empire One. She knew what to do to find out who the woman was.

"E1 has a criminal database I can look at. I can run some facial recognition. Should be quick."

Y/N chuckled. "Your fingers are the fastest."

"I bet." Harry chimed in.

She smirked and went to work on the computer. MJ arched a brow after Harry's statement. He shrugged.

"What?"

Flash also chimed in. "This really is some Jason Bourne shit going on."

Indira finally ran the algorithm and found out who the woman was. The burglar's file and mugshots appeared on the screen.

"Silvija Sablinova, aka Silver Sable." Indira read.

"Eastern-European assassin for hire." Y/N also read. "Known relatives...Joseph...Saya...Silvio Manfredi."

"Those ring a bell?" MJ asked.

"That's the Manfredi crime family. If she's still involved with them..."

"What do they want with my dad? With his partner?" Harry asked.

"Whatever it is, the tape shows her face and she obviously doesn't want that out there." Indira said.

"If she's an assassin, then I hate to say it...but she's not gonna stop going after your dad." Flash told his friend.

"They already doubled security for them." Harry replied.

"We should still let them know who's after them." MJ cut in. "Even the authorities."

Harry nodded and stepped aside to phone his father. With her work done, Indira took out her inhaler and breathed it in. At the same time, Y/N brought something out of his pocket and looked at it.

"What is that?" Indira asked after noticing it.

"A bullet casing from one of the burglars." He replied. "Uh...after we're done here, I gotta run back to campus and check on some lab results."

Indira simply nodded and went back to the computer. Y/N looked back at the casing and stared at it.

Meanwhile, a man was outside looking at the building with an infrared camera. He spotted the five college students inside, then stepped away.

Silver Sable rappelled down the gun store into an alley. She landed on a dumpster and was about to jump off, but a voice startled her.

"Didn't know there was an after-hours sale."

She turned around and saw the web-slinger hanging upside down from a web. She put her hands on her hips.

"Spider-Man. Guess you don't know a girl only likes being chased...up to a point!"

She immediately activated two batons from her wrists. Sable swiped at Spider-Man and he jumped down, followed by her.

Sable was very quick in her attacks. Nonetheless, the superhero was able to avoid most of them by ducking under the swipes and weaving.

In her next attacks, she spun like a tornado and one of the tips of the batons slashed his chest. It cut his suit and his bleeding left pec was visible.

"Ow!"

Y/N flipped over Sable and landed behind her. He got in a stance while touching his wound.

"Seriously, ow!"

Sable dragged her baton across the ground before swiping upward at Spider-Man. He jumped over her again and shot webbing at her hands, sticking her batons together.

Suddenly, two henchmen appeared behind him. They aimed their shotguns at his head and he put his hands up.

"I wouldn't give them a reason." Sable began and ripped herself free. "They get so jealous when another man pursues me."

"The whole police force is going to be pursuing you. You won't get to Kingsley and Osborn."

She stepped up to the hero. "How'd you track me?"

"You and your boys have a thing for 30-millimeter carbine tracers. Highly illegal and sold right here." Y/N replied, then tapped his chin. "Oh, I forgot. You're not a paying customer, are you?"

She shook her head. "My beef isn't with you, Spider-Man."

"You hurt a good friend of mine. I really don't appreciate that."

"The Bishop woman?" She asked. "She was in my way and is lucky I didn't kill her."

Sable's response didn't sit well with him. Nevertheless, he contained his anger and questioned her motives.

"What do you even want with Norman and Roderick? I read your file...you usually take on righteous hits."

Silvija paused for a moment.

"It's something I have to do." She replied. "Now, do you want to walk away, or should my men start shooting?"

Immediately, Spider-Man hit the guns away with his forearms and jumped up. He swung away right when the gunmen recovered and fired at him, but missed.

"Let him go." She stopped her men. "He doesn't have a clue."

They then heard tires screeching at the end of the alley. A van pulled up and one of the henchmen came out.

"I thought the eight-legged freak would never leave." He said.

"You get the tape?" Sable asked him.

"No, but something almost as good."

He went over to the sliding doors and opened them. Sable looked inside and put a hand on her hip.

"Hmm."

Inside was a bound Harry, Flash, MJ, and Indira. They even had tape over their mouths.

"And L/N?" Sable asked the man.

"He slipped away with the tape before I could round everyone up. Don't worry. He'll come running when he hears his friends are gonna die."

Sable liked the idea. She gazed back at the young people in the van.

"For once, you have a plan that works."

Y/N ended up going back to Harry's place. Upon entering the home, he noticed how quiet it was. He arched a brow after realizing they were all gone.

He went up to the couch and saw the laptop still there. But one thing caught his eye...Indira's inhaler. Y/N knew that his friend wouldn't willingly leave without it.

The young man held the inhaler in his hand. Suddenly, his cell phone rang and he saw that it was from a number he didn't know. He answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Is this the Y/N L/N who took the news video of Kingsley's limo?"

He recognized the voice immediately. Still, he played the part of an oblivious college student.

"Who is this?"

"Someone you don't want to meet. But here's a hint. I've already been close to you before."

"In that case, I know more than you think." He spoke more firmly. "Your name is Silvija Sablinova. Estranged daughter of Silvio Manfredi. You're after Norman Osborn and Roderick Kingsley."

"As long as that remains our little secret...your friends keep breathing."

Y/N clenched his teeth.

"Where are they?"

"First, a warning. If you're not where I tell you to be in 10 minutes...if the cops show up instead, your little pals are landfill." She threatened. "Central Park. West 65th."

She hung up. Y/N put down the phone for a moment, looking out the window and at the night sky.

With a look of determination, he put away his phone and ran out of the living room.

They could feel the rumble coming from the trains passing by above. The four college students had the duct tape removed from their mouths but were still tied up in the van.

"Help!" Flash exclaimed. "Help!"

"Flash!" Indira harshly whispered.

He didn't hear her.

"Help!"

She tried again.

"Eugene!"

This time he stopped. "Don't call me that!"

"Just be quiet! They could be right outside."

"You just had to play reporter, huh?" Flash asked. "And now we're gonna die!"

"Play reporter? I am a reporter!"

"The campus blog doesn't count, Indy!"

"Shhh!" MJ shushed. "Enough!"

They quieted. The whole time, Harry had been silent but was mostly hiding his fear of the whole situation.

Indira looked down. Suddenly, she started to breathe heavily. It turned into a pant and she began wheezing.

"Indy?" Harry asked.

She tried to calm herself but she was struggling to breath. Flash was the first one to realize what was happening to his friend.

"Oh, shit...she needs her inhaler."

"You don't have it with you?" Harry asked.

She shook her head. "It—It's back—back at your place."

MJ knew that things would turn out bad if she didn't get her inhaler. She started pounding at the door and yelling.

"Hey! Hey, assholes!"

After some more commotion, the doors opened and Sable's henchmen appeared. They had shotguns in hand.

"What's all the ruckus about?"

"She needs her inhaler! Or she's gonna die!" Flash exclaimed.

"That ain't my problem, kid. Now shut up."

Suddenly, one of the henchmen was webbed on the back and pulled away. The other looked to his left and was shocked to see his colleague gone.

The group took the man's reaction as a chance to act themselves. Flash, MJ, and Harry all went out and started beating the man with their bound hands.

The blitz caused the henchman to drop the shotgun but he ended up retrieving a pistol from his ankle holster. He held it up at the students and they stepped back.

Suddenly, he heard a voice beside him.

"Nice shutdown. Time to reboot."

His hand was kicked and disarmed of the weapon. Spider-Man then initiated a wheel kick that sent the henchman into the nearby column and was rendered unconscious.

The hero stepped up to the three. MJ caught sight of Spider-Man and was in awe. She was surprised to see him in person again after so long.

"You guys all right?" He asked them as he ripped Harry's binds.

"Our—our friend." He pointed into the van. "She's having an asthma attack."

Spider-Man turned and saw Indira still struggling to breathe. He quickly ran over to her and took out the inhaler.

"Here." He helped administer the medication into her mouth. "Everything's fine."

With that, she finally was able to relax. She took in a deep breath and then let it out. Spider-Man then helped remove her bindings.

"How—How do you have this?" She asked about the inhaler.

"Uh...I—Y/N gave it to me. He knew something was wrong and...gave me a call."

Flash overheard this. "No way. Y/N has your number?"

Spider-Man ignored him and stepped out of the van. He went up to the first henchman he dealt with, who was now webbed up against a lamppost nearby.

"Where is Sable?"

"You really think I'm going to—"

Spider-Man instantly grabbed him by the mouth and held him. He already was pissed that he was willing to kill his friends.

"One jolt to the right and I can dislocate your jaw right here." Y/N threatened. "Don't test me."

He still didn't say anything. Y/N began to apply some pressure and after a few seconds, the man got scared and relented.

"Okay! Okay!" He quickly said. "She's going to be at the dinner celebrating the HAMMER acquisition."

"How is she even getting to Kingsley? It's going to be loaded with security."

"She—She is the security." He revealed. "She's a part of their detail. Undercover."

His eyes widened. That meant Silvija was closer to her targets than ever. He stepped away from the man.

"You guys going to be okay?" He asked the group.

"Y—Yeah." MJ replied.

He nodded. Indira then spoke up.

"Thank you, Spider-Man."

"No problem."

"I figure you don't have time for an interview."

He shot a web at the building above and was prepared to leave.

"Not today."

Spider-Man swung away from the scene. MJ gazed up at the hero, staring at him then reaching for her necklace. She then looked down before stepping away.

Then there was Flash, who ran up and shouted at the hero who was long gone by then.

"Wait! Can you sign something for me!"

Silver Sable's plan went into action once Kingsley and Osborn entered their limousine to drive to the dinner. She took out the driver midway and broke away from the escort, now going toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

Norman and Roderick couldn't do anything but sit in the back and await their fate. Sable was out of her disguise and in her usual white uniform. Her rifle was in the seat beside her.

"What do you want?" Roderick asked.

"A paycheck," Sable replied, manning the steering wheel. "And frankly, I think I've earned it."

Suddenly, the windshield broke and Spider-Man reached in to take the rifle. He threw it out onto the road. Sable quickly enabled cruise control and ordered Norman to man the wheel, which he did out of fear for his life.

Sable climbed out through the window and got on top of the moving limo, enabling her batons and being face to face with Spider-Man.

"I can't let you kill these men." Y/N said.

"I have to. You don't know what they're capable of!"

Silvija engaged the hero and Y/N dodged her swipes. He blocked her arm and held it.

"What are you gonna tell me? That they're bound to take over the world?"

"They have the only vial of super soldier serum left in the country," Sable said, then tried attacking again but her other arm was put in a hold. "It belonged to my contact and he believes they stole it from him."

"Can't just ask for it back?" Y/N replied.

Sable escaped his hold and threw a succession of kicks and punches, all were evaded by Spider-Man. He dodged another one of her baton attacks and ended up putting in her a chokehold.

"That doesn't mean you can just kill them." He added.

"My contact knows Kingsley," Sable grunted. "He cannot be trusted with that kind of power."

The moving limo then went over a bump, causing Norman to hit his head on the steering wheel and fall into the backseat. He groaned and laid there.

They now were on the bridge. Sable grabbed Spider-Man and flipped him over onto the hood, where he now was facing the road upside down. He recovered and stuck to the hood on all fours, looking up at Silver Sable.

"Do your employers know you're willing to take out anyone in your path?" He asked.

"My orders are by any means necessary. So get out of my way and let me do my job!"

She stabbed the baton into the car and at the steering wheel, where she turned it and caused the limo to spin out in an attempt to get rid of the hero. The vehicle ended up going straight through a blockade which, ironically, was the same place Kingsley's limo crashed through a few days ago.

The limo started to fall toward the water. Spider-Man jumped off and shot a web to the bridge, then at the vehicle below. He held on to the limo and saved it, but the inertia caused the unsecured Sable to slip from the roof off the limo.

Sable continued falling and fell into the water...and she didn't resurface.

Spider-Man held both web lines and let out a breath, looking around and back toward the bridge. He chuckled at how he saved both Norman and Roderick again in the same place in the span of 72 hours.

"Huh...deja vu, much?"

A part of the bridge was closed down for an investigation. A nosy crowd formed just before the entrance of it wondering what had happened. Among the people there included Harry, MJ, Flash, and Indira. Y/N arrived sometime later.

"Hey!" He called out.

They turned around and saw their friend. A part of Y/N thought they were going to be disappointed somehow, that he wasn't there in their time of need and barely showed up. But that wasn't the case.

"Y/N!" Harry called out with a smile.

He went up to them. The first one to greet him was Indira, who embraced him immediately and hugged him tightly. Y/N was caught off guard but reciprocated the act.

"Are—you guys okay?" He asked.

"Thanks to you." Indira replied and looked up at him amidst the hug.

"Yeah, bro. You saved us." Flash said, knowing that Spider-Man showed up because of him.

The Latina knew that things would've gotten worse with her asthma attack if the hero didn't show up, so she was grateful to Y/N for that.

"You saved me." She added.

Y/N softly smiled and nodded, hugging her again. At the same time, Harry pat his back while MJ stood by, smiling.

Suddenly, they heard a shout. Harry recognized the voice and turned around...where he saw his father.

The older man jogged up to him. Harry met Norman halfway and embraced him.

"Are you okay, son?" Norman asked worryingly, checking his face and holding his shoulders. "They—they told me men kidnapped you. The same folk who worked with that wom—"

"I'm okay, father," Harry interjected. "We're okay."

Norman nodded and it seemed like he was trying his hardest to hold back tears. He held the back of Harry's head and brought him in for another hug.

"I'm sorry, Harry. This shouldn't have happened to you. And I'll make sure it doesn't again, I promise."

Harry nodded amidst the embrace. Nearby, Y/N looked at the father and son, and a soft smile formed on his face.

Seeing Norman being a loving father to Harry made him change the way he previously thought of Norman Osborn. It was like witnessing a completely different person compared to the Norman he had to deal with over a year ago. This one seemed...human. A businessman. A father.

Maybe this Norman was all right after all.

• • •

THE GROUP SAT in the café at their spot. It wasn't the usual gang, this time only consisting of Y/N, MJ, Randy, and Flash. Indira had something to do at Empire One and Harry was with his father.

"Damn..." Randy reacted after being told what happened the day before. "That is freakin' wild."

"I know." Flash replied.

"Guess it's good I was out of town this weekend. If I was involved in this whole secret-assassin-footage situation, my mom would ship me off to my grandma's in Kentucky."

Y/N chuckled. "Nah, we need you here, man. You're the life of the party."

Randy laughed. MJ chuckled and fiddled with her cup.

"Guess I kinda got used to it." She said. "The craziness of New York, the world, I mean...most of us got snapped out of existence a few years ago."

Her remark was met with quick chuckles. Out of the four, Randy was the only one who lived through the blip.

"Yeah, I guess I can relate." Flash chimed in, then looked at MJ. "Didn't we almost die in London 'cause of that fake cloud monster?"

"Hard to forget."

Y/N stayed quiet at the mention of his battle with Mysterio in Europe. He seemed to tense up and let out a breath through his nose.

Randy then looked at the time and let them know he had to go. The rest decided it was best to go as well and started getting up from the table, bidding farewell to one another.

The last to leave the table were Y/N and MJ. She bent down to get her bag when suddenly, her necklace detached and hit the floor. Since it was by Y/N's feet, the gentleman in him picked it up for her.

"Oh." MJ giggled and took it. "Yeah, I gotta fix the little fastener."

"It's...it's a nice necklace." Y/N abruptly said, which he now thought he shouldn't have.

"Thanks. It was a gift."

Y/N could've just nodded and left it at that...but something inside him itched to know. He needed to find out what she still knew...if she still even did. He slung his bag over his shoulder and looked at her.

"Uh...from who? If—If you don't mind me asking."

MJ paused for a moment. She had her bag in hand and looked to the side, wondering if she should even tell him.

"You wouldn't believe me." She answered with a chuckle.

Y/N was more curious than ever after she said that. He let out a quick laugh.

"Try me."

MJ smirked back. She let out a breath through her nose, turning around for a moment before looking back at Y/N. She whispered.

"Spider-Man."

• • •

ALONZO LINCOLN LOOKED out the window of his office into the area below. He saw his people taking out, examining, and sorting the merchandise. He had his hands folded behind his back and nibbled on the toothpick he had in his mouth.

A colleague of his came in, a maned named Willis, and he had a dejected look on his face. Tombstone quickly noticed.

"Just lay it on me, Willis." He said. "I know you got something on your mind."

The man stood by the closed door and sighed. He crossed his arms and looked out the same window Lincoln was gazing out of.

"Another shipment got screwed." He said. "The one by Two Bridges."

Tombstone looked over at Willis and took the toothpick out of his mouth. The man continued.

"Spider-Man and Hawkeye...again."

Lincoln went up to his desk rather slowly. All seemed calm and it was quiet, but then Alonzo immediately slammed his hand down and cracked the table in half. Willis stayed composed but was startled.

"This is the fourth bust in the last two months," Tombstone said. "This keeps happening...it'll scare off our buyers...the sellers. Our influence will be destroyed."

"How do you want to handle this, sir?" Willis asked. "We can find a way to get in touch with Davis. I can also get in contact with Gargan—"

"No," Tombstone interjected. "I don't need any of that."

He stepped away from the broken desk and looked back toward the window. He thought for a moment before speaking again.

"I can deal with that costumed son of a bitch. It was bearable...when it was just him."

Lincoln knew that dealing with Spider-Man was already a tough feat in itself, but the fact that he was superhuman was what made it hard to eliminate him.

But that wasn't the case with the Hawkeye.

Tombstone let out a breath through his nose. Willis stood by ready to hear his next words.

"Somehow...someway...I have to get rid of the Bishop girl."