KINGSLEY HAD GOTTEN out of bed later than usual. He sat in silence at the edge of his bed in the dark as his curtains had yet to be pulled back. All he could hear was the white noise of complete silence as he sat there deep in thought.

In his high-rise apartment, the man finished showering and then brushed his teeth. He made sure to moisturize his face before combing his greying hair. As he looked into the mirror the man wiped his glasses and put them on.

He had breakfast alone. Kingsley, now in his suit, sat at his dining table eating the omelet he made himself. Classical music played from his stereo system and he stared out of the floor-to-ceiling windows as he chewed.

The man also had his answering machine playing the messages he missed. Some were usual business matters but a couple of them were from people he knew closely. The first was from Norman.

"Hey, Roderick. It's Norman. Was informed last night that Qeng Enterprises pulled their offer. Not surprised after the fiasco a few days ago and what happened to the board. But we still have to address the media. Call me back as soon as possible."

The machine beeped. Kingsley kept eating and it moved on to the next message. It was from Ned Leeds.

"Good morning, Mr. Kingsley. Sorry I wasn't available the last few days. Just been...feeling weird suddenly. But I'm better now. I'd like to continue working with you. Call me back. Or I'll just see you at work. Yeah. Okay, bye."

There were no more messages. Roderick finished eating and put his dish away before getting his briefcase. He adjusted his tie in the mirror by the door.

"Pipe dream? Time to prove them wrong."

Roderick walked away from the mirror and left his home.

Osborn had woken up bright and early. In his penthouse, he stood by the window with the curtains pulled back looking out into the city. He smirked before walking to the bathroom.

The man finished showering, brushed his teeth, and did some light shaving. He also put some eyedrops in and blinked away the excess water that came from it. As he did, he suddenly heard contemporary music in the dining room.

Norman joined his son for breakfast. He was surprised that Harry had woken up earlier than usual and chose to eat with him. Although Norman wasn't really fond of the music his son would listen to, he let it continue as they dined.

The delicious food was made possible by their butler, Bernard. Norman chewed his food and looked to his right where Harry sat a couple of seats down. He stared at his son.

"That feeling all right?" Norman asked pointing at his head.

Harry glanced at his father, knowing he was referring to the injury he sustained at the festival a few days ago. He just shrugged and changed the topic.

"You still haven't told me where you were that day."

Norman let out a breath through his nose. He still held his fork as he replied.

"Didn't I say I was stuck in traffic? I had to do something at HQ before getting there."

"All right." Harry muttered.

He understood that the young man felt some type of way for being somewhere and almost dying with his friends while his father was nowhere to be found.

"Look, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have gone through that. Just know that what Roderick and I are planning is a step toward taking on maniacs like—"

"That maniac had you and your partner's tech." Harry interjected.

Norman kept quiet for a moment before nodding. He looked down.

"That's unconfirmed."

Harry shook his head and kept eating. Norman finished his food and went to put his plate away.

"I'm going to give Roderick a call."

After putting the dish away that was what he did. He stood in the hallway and phoned Kingsley but there was no answer. He decided to leave a message.

"Hey, Roderick. It's Norman. Was informed last night that Qeng Enterprises pulled their offer. Not surprised after the fiasco a few days ago and what happened to the board. But we still have to address the media. Call me back as soon as possible."

Norman put his phone away. He then started getting ready to leave for work and Harry got his things for school. The college student was the first to get to their door and was about to leave.

"Harry." Norman called out.

He looked back. The elder Osborn was fixing his tie and nodded.

"Good luck in class, son. I love you."

Harry's stoic demeanor he had all morning cracked and he finally smiled at Norman.

"Love you too, father."

Harry left the penthouse. Norman got his bag and went to the door, but not before looking at himself in the mirror. He fixed his hair a bit.

"Scrap every idea of ours, huh? Of mine? No one says no to me."

With that, Norman left the room.

Ned Leeds woke up with a gasp. He sat up and looked around the dimly lit guest room of his grandmother's house. He was shirtless and his chest was glistening with sweat.

He needed to shower as he felt really icky. After doing so, Ned brushed his teeth and then took the vitamins he had in his medicine cabinet. He didn't even drink anything with it and simply swallowed them dry.

Ned changed into some fresh clothes and finally looked at his phone that was by the dresser. He saw multiple missed calls by Betty and the man groaned. He felt really guilty for not being able to answer during his struggle with the flu.

Before he could think to call her back, there was a knock at his door. His father soon came in and saw Ned changed and by his bed.

"Oh? Feeling better?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"All right. Look, I'm taking your mom to the doctor's again. She's getting headaches and I think it might be the medicine she's taking."

Ned simply nodded. His father nodded back and was about to leave the room.

"So...if you're feeling better then, good luck at work."

"Yeah, Dad."

He bid farewell and closed the door. The mention of work immediately reminded Ned of Kingsley and their conversation earlier that week. He hadn't seen him since that day so he chose to call him.

There was no answer. Ned decided to leave him a voicemail.

"Good morning, Mr. Kingsley. Sorry I wasn't available the last few days. Just been...feeling weird suddenly. But I'm better now. I'd like to continue working with you. Call me back. Or I'll just see you at work. Yeah. Okay, bye."

He put away the phone, not even thinking to call Betty like he first planned to. Ned grabbed his stuff, which included his bag and laptop, and went to the door.

But before he could leave, he looked at himself in the mirror on the dresser. He rubbed his face and chin.

"Here's to a better tomorrow."

With that, Ned left his room.

A WOMAN'S SCREAM could be heard by the hero in the sky. Below, a bus was out of control and swerving at high speeds through the street.

Spider-Man diverted his path and swung toward the vehicle. He stuck a web to the back of it and zipped toward the bus where he landed on the street.

There was still incoming traffic. Y/N front-flipped over a taxi coming toward him and kept running. His enhanced speed matched the bus's as he sprinted beside it and tried getting to the front.

"Damn! Are Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock manning this bus?"

He hopped over another incoming car and ran in front of the bus. Y/N then back-flipped and stuck to the side of the driver-side window and looked into it.

The bus driver was unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel. Everyone else was in their seats and continuing to panic. Spider-Man immediately climbed to the underside of the moving bus and webbed up one of the axles.

He tugged it and forced the back tires to halt and the vehicle started to screech to a stop. It skidded, narrowly avoiding other cars until it finally came to a halt in the middle of an intersection. All the other cars in the area immediately stopped before they could hit the bus.

Nearby and unbeknownst to the wall-crawler, a man with sunglasses stood by the streetlight. He watched with a phone to his ear as Spider-Man made sure everyone on the bus was okay.

"I have acquired visual on the subject in sector A. Speed clocked at 72 miles per hour, top strength, breathing controlled..."

Spider-Man quickly swung away as the police finally arrived at the scene. The man watched as he fled the area.

"...now headed northeast to sector D."

Several blocks away, inside the empty cabin of the moving train, a balaclava-wearing mugger had a young woman in his grasp. He also had a knife by her neck and ordered her to quiet down.

She tried to fight back and bit the man's hand which caused the mugger to slam her against the back door of the train. He pinned her to it by the neck and brandished the knife right in her face.

Suddenly, Spider-Man crashed through one of the windows and got in a three-point stance. The mugger turned around but was immediately stuck with a web-line on his arm.

He was pulled away from the woman with great force and he was flung toward the hero.

Spider-Man didn't even deliver the blow himself. He moved out of the way and let the mugger hit one of the poles. It knocked him unconscious and the people who were once watching in fear in the other cabin were astounded.

Within the group, another man in shades was speaking into his phone. He had watched the entire ordeal with Spider-Man and the mugger.

"Sector D reporting. Subject's reflexes registered 10.2 on the Goleman-Flinker standardized test. Off the charts."

Spider-Man immediately leaped out of the window he came from and swung away. The man watched from the cabin of the moving train.

"He's headed south."

A few blocks away from ESU, another science building was being constructed. Suddenly, a wire snapped and the large steel frame detached from the crane. It plummeted and a couple of workers below shouted and shielded their faces.

Fortunately, Spider-Man swung in and perched onto the crane. He shot a web line that stuck to the steel frame and stopped it from crushing the construction workers below.

He kept it above their heads and with ease, moved it aside and let it drop down beside them.

Nearby on a rooftop, an Asian woman wearing a taut green bodysuit watched it all unfold. She had a sword sheathed on her back and was speaking on the phone to her men.

"Subject acquired in sector B. Single-handedly lifted 10,000 pounds. Extremely formidable."

Spider-Man gave a quick two-finger salute to the workers on the site before swinging away. The swordswoman put down her phone and smirked as she watched the web-slinger disappear down the block.

Portrayed by Natasha Liu Bordizzo

"My kind of challenge."

• • •

RANDY WAS SLAPPED in the face. Still, he kept his composure and stared at the woman before him. He spoke to her.

"I told you...that's the goal."

The woman, Diane, was angry and shouted back.

"You want a goal? Take up soccer! I don't want to relate...I want a boyfriend."

Randy scoffed. "See? You don't get it. You can't do it."

"Because you make it so difficult!"

Randy slammed the table he was beside and startled the woman. His face was filled with annoyance and had a hint of rage.

"No! You know damn well what the problem is..." He said and pointed to the side. "Him."

Diane let out an exasperated breath and took a seat in the chair beside her. She buried her face in her hands and sat there for a moment as Randy awaited her response.

"Oh, God..." She began. "Yes. I still care about him."

They stood there for a few more seconds until a voice called out to the both of them.

"And...scene." The casting director got up from his seat and looked at the two. "All right...Robertson! You're back tomorrow for a screen test."

Randy smiled and was very excited. Although his scene partner, Diane, wasn't asked to be brought back, she went up and congratulated him. The two hugged.

Nearby, Y/N and Harry were standing away from the set and had been watching the scene. Since they had some free time (which for Harry is basically all the time) they decided to come along and support their friend in his newfound acting endeavors.

"So...maybe we'd better go now." Y/N told Harry and started walking to the door.

Harry stopped him. "Uh-uh. Look, now that Randy's made it he'll be thrilled that we saw him."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Y/N chuckled and crossed his arms, looking back at the set where Randy was. "Hey, how cool would it be if Randy became a movie star?"

"I've already got it all figured out." Harry began and started counting his fingers. "Actress parties, supermodel parties, actress and supermodel parties..."

"I'm sure you can't wait for those."

"Hey, meeting Leni Klum is still on my bucket list."

As they conversed, two hard-faced men dressed in suits walked out of the room through the door beside them. One was brunette and had a bulkier build while the other was dirty-blonde and had a thinner frame. The bulkier man opened the door for the other and followed him out.

"What's with Versace and Armani?" Y/N asked Harry, taking a jab at their fine Italian formal wear.

Harry glanced at them leaving. "Don't know about muscle man but the freaky hipster is Richard Damien."

"Is he a part of the film or something?"

"He's the one putting up the money for this turkey—" Harry corrected himself. "I mean...this Oscar-worthy independent film."

He took a swig of his caffeinated beverage. Y/N still had his arms crossed and looked toward the door.

"So freaky hipster is also a rich freaky hipster."

"He does have money since he's got ties with Joseph Lorenzini."

"Who's that?"

"Restauranteur and businessman. He owns like most of the Italian joints in the city."

"Ah." Y/N nodded. "So Versace and Armani work for...Ferrari?"

Harry snickered. "Now you're bringing up a car brand with clothing brands. Joke doesn't work."

Y/N scoffed. "Whatever."

The car pulled into the Bay Ridge-based mansion. The driver nodded at the security guard before parking in front of the building. Richard Damien and his bodyguard, Doug, came out of the vehicle.

They entered Richard's office where their guest was already waiting for them. It was the green-clad swordswoman, Shikata. She ran her fingers along the miniature gold rhino on his desk.

Richard beamed and opened his arms.

"Thank you for your patience. I've got movement in a new movie that's casting. Couldn't pull myself away from the auditions."

"In my business, if I don't pull away fast enough...I die."

She pressed the horn of the rhino and it made another room open up. Cages of various animals including monkeys, exotic birds, cheetahs, and other rare species were present in it. Shikata walked up to a cage containing a chimp that was in the corner of the office.

"Odd hobby. You collect rare species yet you have no desire to hunt them yourself?"

Richard laughed as he went over to his sofa and sat down.

"Someone already had the hunting gimmick...and it landed them in prison."

Shikata went over to another cage in the office. It was empty but already had a name engraved.

"I've studied the subject." She said. "I accept your terms."

"Excellent. 2.5 million, but remember...I want him alive."

Shikata didn't respond, only simply staring at the engraved name on the cage: Spider-Man. Richard spoke up.

"I know, I know. His name's Spider-Man, but the way I figure, he's mostly spider." He pointed back at a stuffed head mounted on his wall. "No more man that that bonobo. He belongs in a cage."

"I told you I accept the terms. No need to explain yourself." Shikata replied.

Doug stood behind Richard with a large briefcase. He opened it and showed the woman the cash inside.

"Half now, the other half upon delivery." Richard said.

Shikata ran her palm along the stacks of cash before walking away. Doug closed the briefcase before leaning over and whispering into his boss's ear. The swordswoman quickly turned her head around.

Richard spoke. "Doug doesn't think you—"

"I know what he said. If he doesn't feel I'm up for the task..." She drew her sword and pointed at the man. "He can prove it right now."

Richard was intrigued. "You challenging my guy to a sword fight?"

"He carries a weapon in the small of his back. I believe it's a 9 millimeter."

Doug took out his pistol and held it by his face. Richard shrugged in his seat.

"Have at it. En garde."

Doug immediately aimed at Shikata and shot his gun. For Shikata, the bullet came in slow motion and she deflected it with a swing of her sword. The round ricocheted and hit one of Richard's stuffed heads.

"I'm having so much fun I won't even deduct it from your pay." Richard told Doug.

"She was lucky." He shot back before firing another time.

Shikata deflected it again and the bullet flew back toward Doug where it hit his pistol and caused him to drop it.

"Argh!"

Doug bent down to pick up his pistol but Shikata reached out and used her telekinesis to push the firearm further away. Doug looked up and glared at her.

Shikata, with a stoic look, looked back at the man and sheathed her sword. Richard stood up and grinned.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely getting my money's worth."

• • •

SPIDER-MAN KEPT UP with his patrol through the streets of Manhattan. He made a sharp right turn into the next block, passing by workers who were there in the night jackhammering asphalt.

He kept swinging when he suddenly felt his spider sense go off. Y/N stopped his current swing before shifting momentum into another street where he shot another web line and continued swinging.

In an alley, a man was on top of another and holding a gun to his face.

"Give me your watch, n0w!"

Spider-Man made it to the scene and stuck to the wall, looking down at them.

"Why bother? Your time is up." He quipped.

The man on top then grabbed the other's hand and helped him up. Spider-Man was confused as the mugger stood beside the mugee and aimed his gun at the hero.

"Huh?"

The man didn't shoot and simply ran out of the alley. A truck suddenly arrived and blocked the entrance, where it deployed a fence that blocked the top part of the alley so that Spider-Man couldn't swing away. He landed on the ground and looked around.

"This was a set-up." He muttered.

Shutter doors opened nearby and Y/N saw the swordswoman standing with her sword drawn. She pointed at him.

"Spider-Man...prepare to be defeated!"

Shikata somersaulted off the platform and landed in front of Spider-Man. The hero stepped back a bit and was visibly confused at the sight of the green-clad woman.

"I'm sorry...did I stumble upon the set of a Kill-Bill remake? Trust me, I'm not the one playing Bill."

"Hyah!"

Shikata swiped her sword and attacked Spider-Man. The hero was able to dodge and duck under her swings with ease. He back-flipped and stuck to the wall behind him.

The swordswoman knelt and held the weapon behind her back, grinning. She was so far impressed by the vigilante.

"Mm. Good."

"It's over, lady. I have the high ground."

Shikata leaped up and tried to kick Y/N but he jumped off the wall. Shikata was able to quickly bounce off and went to attack him in mid-air, but the hero grabbed her foot and brought her to the floor. He pinned her to the ground as he held her leg.

"Is there something I did that I should know about?" He asked her. "Did I accidentally take your Starbucks order? Stole your seat on the subway?"

She was able to free herself from submission by kicking Spider-Man in the face and then throwing him off of her. She kipped back to her feet and held her sword up as Y/N got in a boxing stance.

"Okay. Now you're definitely not getting an apology." He added.

Shikata was like a blur as she charged at Spider-Man. She jumped and swiped down at Y/N where she slashed his left pec. He grunted in pain as his skin was now exposed and bleeding.

"Ow!"

Y/N was now on the offensive as he attacked Shikata. She dodged his punches while she countered with swipes from her sword, but Spider-Man was able to weave away from them. He push-kicked her away and onto a wall.

Shikata charged at him once more and attacked. Spider-Man dodged and jumped to avoid her slashes. With one move, she leaped and stabbed downward at the hero but he succeeded in dodging by flipping away.

He dove at her and tackled the woman but she kicked him off. Y/N stuck his feet onto the fence above them and grabbed onto Shikata's head once she stood up. He was now upside down and speaking to her as he held her in place.

"One hell of a first date." He joked.

She replied. "You're a noble fighter, but not my type."

The sounds of police sirens alerted them along with her henchmen. The sunglasses-wearing duo ran up to the combatants.

"Shikata, cops!"

The other one drew his pistol. "Hold him steady. We'll bag him."

He fired at Spider-Man who quickly let go of the woman and flipped away to avoid the gunfire. He jumped over them and landed behind the men. The shooter turned around and aimed at the vigilante, but before he could fire...Shikata swiped her sword and precisely cut off his trigger finger.

"Argh!"

The gun dropped along with his finger. Shikata glared at her henchman as she cleaned the blood off her sword.

"No one decides how to take down an opponent...but me."

She sheathed her sword. At that moment, two police officers arrived and saw the group. One of them was Jefferson Davis.

"Hold it right there!" He demanded as he pulled out his firearm. He then noticed the hero. "Spider-Man? What are you—?"

Shikata quickly dropped smoke pellets that blew up with a flash, disorienting everyone. Smoke filled the area and allowed the swordswoman and one of her henchmen to escape through the shutter doors from before.

Spider-Man watched through the chaos as the doors started closing. Shikata looked back with a smirk before they fully shut. The smoke began to clear and the two officers coughed and were regaining their sight.

"Ugh...what the hell?"

Once everything cleared, Spider-Man was gone as well. The only one left was the injured man Shikata had maimed earlier. Jefferson cleared his throat and went up to the kneeling guy.

"Looks like we got ourselves a magician." Jefferson quipped and took out his handcuffs. "All right, man. Get your ass up."

They pulled him to his feet and walked him to their cruiser as Jefferson read him his Miranda rights. Up above, Spider-Man was perched on the rooftop and watched as they took the henchman away. He noticed that the cops didn't see the cell phone he dropped and immediately picked it up with a web line.

He looked at the mobile device for a moment. Spider-Man questioned what the deal was with the swordswoman and wondered if she'd ever confront him again.

Y/N wasn't going to let that happen. He needed to find her first.

• • •

THE NEXT DAY, Shikata was meditating on the rooftop of the Bank of America Tower in Midtown Manhattan. She held up her sword with both hands and had her eyes shut.

"Doing a little past-life regression?"

The voice cut into her meditation and she opened her eyes. She looked through the corner of her eye and saw Spider-Man stuck to the side of one of the cell towers. He continued.

"Let me guess. You used to be a hitman for The Mandarin."

"I underestimated your tracking skills, Spider-Man." Shikata replied.

"You underestimated 21st-century technology." He pulled out the cell phone from last night. "I matched frequencies with your cell phone. A woman in your position—Lotus, I believe—should be more careful."

He tossed the device to her and she swiftly caught it with one hand before it could hit her head. She turned around and stared at Spider-Man.

"You mistake me for someone who cares about dying."

"And you don't?" Y/N asked.

"The only thing that matters to me is honor."

She stood up from her sitting position. Spider-Man was still taken aback by her reply.

"Ah, as in, it would be an honor to kill you, Spider-Man." He said.

"Exactly," Shikata responded. "Worthy adversaries are so hard to find in this city."

"Great. You like me. You really like me. Now let's move on." He leaped off the tower and landed several feet away behind her. "Do you come with me peacefully or not?"

"No fighting. Not now." She sheathed her sword. "You'll have your chance soon."

She started walking away. Spider-Man stepped forward and reached to grab her arm, but Shikata spun around and blew orange dust in his face. It caught the hero off guard and coughed as he was disoriented.

"Ugh! The hell?"

He waved the dust cloud away and opened his eyes, seeing that Shikata was gone. He shook his head and stared out at the skyline before leaping off the rooftop.

• • •

THE CAFÉ WAS busier than usual. Still, the friend group was able to secure their usual spot within. They were always lucky like that.

Randy, Harry, Y/N, and Indira were there. MJ had just arrived and went up to Randy with a smile.

"Well...if it isn't Denzel himself."

The young man chuckled. With the news of him being cast in the film he auditioned for, his friends were proud and also were giving teasing compliments.

"Damn, no pressure." Randy replied.

MJ laughed and sat down with the group. Y/N was on his phone checking out his social media page. His civilian one...not his Spider-Man page.

Indira took notice and spoke up.

"You've been buried in that for a bit now. What's up?"

Y/N looked up at her. "Sorry. RJ Barrett's been tweeting some cryptic stuff. I'm afraid he's looking to get traded."

She shrugged and took a sip of her beverage.

"Wouldn't have to worry if the Knicks actually made the playoffs last season."

"I know that." He replied.

Randy finished chewing his snack and spoke to Indira.

"Hey, the director's still looking for a co-star."

She turned to him. "Okay?"

"He saw your tape. The one you sent me. He wants to see you do a screen test."

The Latina was surprised. "Are you serious?"

Randy nodded. Y/N arched a brow and put his phone down.

"Wait...you act?" He asked.

"I've done plays in high school but didn't heavily pursue that going into college. When Randy told me he was auditioning for this independent film and they were looking for more actors, I decided why not do self-tape?"

"She was really good," Randy added. "And the guys wanna see more."

"Damn," Harry spoke up after overhearing. "Imagine Randy and Indy being co-stars in this? You gotta invite us all to the Oscars when this blows up."

"Relax." Randy chuckled. "Let's lower our expectations for now."

"So when do they want to see me?" She asked him.

"Tonight. The man behind it all, Mr. Damien, is going to have it at his place in Brooklyn."

"Cool."

MJ raised a brow. "You going alone? A young beautiful aspiring actress going to the home of a lecherous producer?"

Harry glanced at his girlfriend. "MJ..."

"Hey, we know how the movie industry is. Those Weinstein types."

He shrugged. "You do have a point."

Y/N turned to Indira. "You sure about it? Don't need...? Uh..."

"An escort?" She interjected. "Someone to watch over me?"

He stammered a bit. "Y—Yeah. Pretty much. I don't want anything to happen to you."

She giggled. "I'll be fine. You know the Girl Scout motto."

Harry chimed in. "Don't leave home without lip-gloss?"

Indira pulled out mace from her bag and showed it to them.

"The cookies are a cover-up."

"Smart girl." MJ remarked.

"And if all else fails..." She glanced at Y/N. "I know Spider-Man ain't that far."

The young man caught her remark and let out a nervous chuckle. He wondered if she knew. Did she? How? It couldn't be the case. She simply looked at him out of coincidence.

"Well, you know how it goes," Y/N said. "He's always around."

He then looked at the television in the corner of the room that was muted. It was breaking news of an out-of-control crane in Harlem where a worker was stuck. Y/N picked up his phone and acted like someone was calling him.

"Ugh...damn. It's the Bugle." He told his friends. "I gotta go."

"JJ being an ass again?" Harry asked.

Y/N got up from his seat and picked up his bag.

"He's an ass. But a lovable ass." He caught what he said and cringed. "Yeah, that sounded better in my head."

He bid them farewell and left the cafe. MJ looked to Harry on her left and saw the bandage he had on for the last few days. She moved some of his hair aside.

"That getting better?" She asked to which he nodded.

"Better than the day after. Jesus, I still can't believe that whole thing at the festival really happened."

MJ and the rest agreed as they bought back at the attack at the Unity Day Festival. They still weren't sure who the perpetrator was, but the media named him the Hobgoblin.

Well...the name was coined by J. Jonah Jameson himself. He wanted a nickel every time someone said it but that obviously wasn't going to happen.

It was such a horrifying experience that would surely stick with the friend group for a long time. More horrifying than when they were kidnapped by Silver Sable and her goons.

"Hopefully we never see that guy again." Indira remarked.

• • •

IN THE EVENING, Shikata arrived at Richard's mansion. She was escorted into the office by Doug as his boss was currently speaking to a colleague via his Bluetooth.

"She's willing to do it? Good. Tell her to come by at 8. Thanks, baby."

"Business matters?" She asked.

"Just for a little independent movie project." He replied. "It's just one of my many artistic endeavors."

"So you keep saying."

She had something in a large burlap sack and placed it on the table in front of him.

"Shouldn't you be out hunting down our favorite insect?"

"It's arachnid." She corrected.

"Tomayto. Tomato."

Shikata sat down on the sofa across from him.

"I have already found Spider-Man, and I fully intend to face him again soon."

"In which case, you'll have earned you 2.5 million."

She took out a case from the sack and opened it. It contained the half of the money she was already given.

"It wouldn't be honorable to take your money."

He was confused. "But you just said—"

"But I can't no longer promise I'll capture Spider-Man alive."

"Why in the hell not?"

"It would be dishonorable."

Richard was beginning to become irate. He raised his voice.

"So you can fight him but not capture him?"

"In a bout such as this, only one comes out alive." She calmly replied.

"We had a deal!" He shouted as he stood up.

Shikata got up as well. "And now it's off."

She walked toward the door but Doug got in her way. With ease, she pushed him to the side with her telekinesis before leaving Damien's office.

Doug got up and looked out the door. Richard got behind him and glared.

"She knows your plans about Spider-Man..." Doug turned around and spoke to his boss. "If anybody gets word of it...if Mr. H finds out you're doing this behind this back...we're in trouble."

Richard nodded. "Then make sure she keeps quiet."

Shikata walked down the sidewalk of the borough. Any passerbys that took notice of her attire simply brushed it off as normal New Yorker hijinks.

Suddenly, the sounds of tires squealing caught her attention. She looked back and saw an incoming van before deciding to quickly leap into a nearby alley.

The van stopped by the entrance of the alley and parked. A trio of men which included Doug came out of it holding handguns. They looked into the darkness and saw no sign of Shikata.

"You stay here," Doug told one of them. "We'll go up to the next block."

One man stood by the van while the other two walked further into the alley. He held his handgun up and watched for any movement.

He decided to look up at the fire escape. Unfortunately, he couldn't react fast enough as Shikata dropped down and cut open his throat. The goon held his bleeding neck before falling to the floor.

Doug and the other goon heard the commotion and ran back to the van. Shikata turned around and faced them, her sword drawn. Doug had two pistols and aimed them toward her.

"A real man wouldn't be afraid to fight me alone." She taunted Doug.

"Yeah. We'll write that on your gravestone."

He and his colleague shot at her. Shikata deflected the bullets with ease and they ricocheted through the alley. Doug and the goon took cover.

Suddenly, another goon came out from the van and fired at Shikata. She reacted just in time for him to miss her back and instead grazed her shoulder.

The trio continued to shoot at her and with one arm Shikata kept deflecting the bullets, but it was tougher to do so because of her injury. Thankfully, someone arrived to assist.

Spider-Man landed behind her and immediately webbed the third goon. Y/N pulled him and landed a clean jab at his face, knocking him out.

Shikata ended up deflecting a bullet that flew back at the second goon and took him down. Doug fired a couple more times before booking it and running down a narrow pathway.

Spider-Man immediately gave chase. He tried to web Doug but he made a sharp left and avoided it. He made a right through the maze-like alleyway and Y/N was still on his tail.

Y/N made it out of the alley and stumbled upon a crowd of people walking down the sidewalk. He looked around for Doug...but he was nowhere to be found. He cursed.

"Damn it!"

Back in the alley, the third goon woke up and immediately went back into the van. He drove off before Shikata could do anything.

She let out a breath and looked at the wound on her shoulder. The swordswoman held up her blade and reflected the moonlight onto her injury. In mere seconds, she was healed and the rip on her sleeve was repaired.

"Hey, you throw a great party." Spider-Man jested as he walked up to her.

"You continue to impress me with your character."

Shikata sheathed her sword and stepped passed him but not before turning back around and bowing.

"Now, more than over, I know it is our destiny to fight to the death. But not now."

Shikata immediately ran into another narrow passageway. Y/N quickly followed but was met with an empty space.

Again, Shikata was gone. The hero shook his head.

"Who does she think she is? Batman? Ugh."

• • •

BACK AT THE mansion, Richard Damien was in a panic. He heard about the failed assassination attempt on Shikata and was locking down his property.

"You hear me? No one gets past the front gate. No one!"

He stormed into his office with Doug following. The bodyguard had a double-barrel shotgun in hand.

"That includes the wannabe actress who's on her way." He added. "You think you can manage that?"

"Mr. Damien, I've never seen anything like her. And that sword!" Doug spoke. "Then Spider-Man swung in and things got out of control."

Richard drank a shot and slammed the glass back down.

"Those were two of my best men." He pointed at the open double doors. "Close that!"

Doug went over to lock the doors. Richard picked up his phone and called the security guard at the front gate...to no avail.

"Great. Is the front-gate guy dead now too?" Richard asked.

Doug shut the doors but they were suddenly kicked open. The man was sent flying back as Shikata leaped through and landed inside the office.

"Good. You figured out how this works." She said stoically as she walked up to them.

Richard stepped away and went to his desk. Doug got up and grabbed his shotgun from the table, but before he could fire, Shikata sliced the barrel off and then stabbed him through the stomach.

"Ugh!" He groaned. "Uh...."

Shikata pulled the sword out of him and he fell to the floor. She twirled it around and walked toward Richard who was by his desk.

"You shouldn't have sent your men to kill me."

"It—It was Doug, not me." He nervously chuckled. "He's such a hothead."

Richard quickly took out a handgun from his drawer and fired, but Shikata defected each bullet. Shikata got closer.

"At least he has a head."

With a swift move, she spun around and swiped her sword, decapitating Richard.

Outside of the mansion, Indira came out of the Lyft and walked up to the gate. She found it weird that it was wide open and that even the doors to the building were as well.

She walked inside, unknowingly passing by the corpse of the front-gate security guard who was behind the limousine.

"Hello? Mr. Damien?" Indira called out as she walked up the dark staircase. "Hello?"

She walked through the hallway and finally made it to the office. There was still no sight of anyone and it confused her.

"Okay...this is the only room with the light on." She said then called out. "If you're trying to get me up to the bedroom, I'm just going to leave."

As she walked further inside, she spotted Richard seemingly lying down behind his desk. She arched a brow.

"Mr. Damien? What are you doing under your desk?"

Indira walked up to him and crouched down, but upon looking behind the desk...she was met with a grisly sight.

It was just his head.

Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. Immediately, she ran out of the office and went down the stairs. But she stopped at the window after noticing somebody outside.

It was Shikata, who was meditating in the courtyard and holding her sword up toward the moon. She wasn't her young self like before and looked older, with greying hair and wrinkling skin.

She chanted in a foreign language as she looked forward to the moon. After a moment, she brought the sword back down to her lap...where her entire physical features reverted to youth.

Indira watched it all from the window and was in shock.

Shikata opened her eyes and shot a look directly at Indira. She gasped and quickly ran off. The swordswoman smirked before getting up and walking away.

In the streets of Bay Ridge, Shikata, joined by one goon, was in the middle of the road. She walked slowly and was in her own world as traffic built up behind her.

"Hey, lady!" One taxi driver shouted. "Take your walk somewhere else!"

She looked back and stabbed through his hood and into his engine, disabling his car. Shikata turned back around and kept walking.

The sound of a thwip caught her attention and she looked up with a smirk. Spider-Man came to the scene after hearing reports of the swordswoman in the city. He landed in a three-point stance in front of her in the middle of the street.

"Prepare to kill or be killed, Spider-Man."

Y/N stood up straight and faced the woman.

"Wasn't it just a couple of hours ago we made such a handsome crime-fighting duo?"

Bystanders on the sidewalk stopped and stared at the vigilante and the swordswoman. People in the cars stuck in traffic were also nosy and gazed at the scene before them.

"That is why I honor you with the chance to fight me." Shikata replied, pointing her sword at him.

Spider-Man raised his fist, getting a stance and ready to combat Shikata.

"Time to get your The Bride ass off the streets."

They stood there for a moment before Y/N beckoned her with a come here hand gesture. Shikata engaged the vigilante and swiped her sword.

Spider-Man dodged the attacks but was ultimately kicked back. He flew but was able to web a nearby streetlight. He flung himself back and landed in front of Shikata.

He kicked her in the face but she back-flipped and bounced off the streetlight, jumping over Spider-Man. He webbed her back while she was in mid-air and pulled her down.

"Ugh!" She grunted as she hit the asphalt.

Shikata jumped back to her feet but was met with a hard punch to her chest by Spider-Man. She was sent back and crashed against a news rack.

He quickly webbed her to it and she tried breaking out. Y/N stood over her.

"It's over, Shikata."

"Not until one of us is dead!" She shouted.

Using her powers, she broke apart the webbing and leaped back to her feet before charging the hero. They once again engaged in combat.

Meanwhile, within the crowd on the sidewalk, Indira strolled by with her phone at her ear. She'd been trying to call both Harry and Y/N but they weren't picking up.

"This is Y/N. If I'm not answering it's probably because the Knicks lost...or I'm sleeping...or I'm just busy. Please leave a message."

Indira waited for the beep and did just that.

"Y/N, if you get this, please come see me. I—I need someone to talk to. I was home but I totally freaked out and you won't believe what happened at Mr. Damien's place—"

The commotion in the street got her attention and she put the phone down. The short girl tried looking through the crowd of people.

"What's going on?"

She squeezed through the people and made it to the front, where she saw the scene transpiring. Spider-Man was battling Shikata, avoiding her swipes and ultimately landing on the roof of a parked car.

"Spider-Man!" She called out.

Y/N heard and looked toward the sidewalk. He was stunned at the sight of his friend.

"Indy?"

If luck would have it, Shikata's goon immediately went over to grab Indira. People nearby stepped back in fear as the man held up his gun.

"Listen and listen well," Shikata spoke to Spider-Man. "You fight me to the death...or she will die."

Spider-Man looked back at Indira who's mouth was roughly being covered by the man. He looked back at Shikata, the lenses of his mask mimicking a glare.

He leaped off the car and toward Shikata, but she used her telekinesis to push him back. He hit the wall and Shikata immediately used her powers again to throw the car onto him.

Indira and the bystanders looked on in panic. Seconds passed before the vehicle was lifted by Spider-Man. The hero grunted as he held it over his head.

The right sleeve of his suit was ripped open along with a tear along his pant leg, all damage sustained throughout the fight.

Shikata charged at Y/N as he tossed the car aside. He weaved away from her initial swipe and countered with two quick hits across her face. She stumbled back and Y/N held up his hands, awaiting her next move.

Shikata swiped down again but the hero avoided it. He countered with a punch to her stomach and then kneed her face as she doubled over. He followed up with another left hook that sent her stumbling again.

She regained her balance and thrust her sword straight at Spider-Man. With swiftness, he stopped it before it could stab his face and held it in between his hands. It was still able to penetrate a couple inches into his shoulder but it still didn't deter him as he pulled it out.

He kicked the sword out of Shikata's hands and it landed on the sidewalk by Indira's feet. She immediately took out her mace and sprayed it in the eyes of the goon, freeing herself from his grasp.

"Ahhh!" He groaned and stumbled back.

With him taken care of, the girl called out to the superhero.

"Spider-Man, the sword! It gives her power!"

Y/N heard and took in the information. He leaped at Shikata but he kicked him away before he could grab her. Indira ran over to the sword, picking it up and slamming it against a pole.

It was a fruitless attempt to shatter it and it only caused her discomfort as the vibration forced her to drop the blade. Shikata looked in her direction and used her telekinesis to lift the sword from the ground and summon it.

It flew toward Shikata but Y/N dove for it and took it out of the air.

He rolled back to his feet and held the sword in hand. Shikata, now fearing the worst, had a look of terror and shouted.

"Wait!"

Spider-Man looked back at the swordswoman, glaring through his mask. He stood in front of Indira and the crowd as he held the sword in his left hand.

"Done waiting."

Spider-Man stabbed it down into the pavement and with both hands started bending it. He grunted as he added more torque until the blade ultimately shattered.

Green smoke came out of the broken piece, signifying that the power imbued had now dissipated. Shikata looked on in defeat.

"No..."

The look of defeat was soon replaced by one of acceptance. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before bowing at Spider-Man.

Then in an instant, he youthful features reverted to her hag-like appearance. She then looked up and let out a scream as her body evaporated in a green hue. Soon enough, Shikata vanished and was gone for good.

Spider-Man dropped the grip of the sword and held his injured shoulder, letting out a breath. He finally defeated Shikata and, although inadvertently, gave her what she wanted...an honorable death.

The cops soon arrived and arrested the goon before he could escape. Jefferson Davis was once again on the scene and personally apprehended him.

"Another one of you sunglasses-wearing idiots? You're not in The Matrix, brother."

Meanwhile, Spider-Man stepped into an alley, wanting to be clear of the police and allow them to properly settle on the scene. He groaned as he held his shoulder and also felt the gash on his right forearm.

"Hey."

He heard the voice and turned around. It was Indira who wanted to check up on the hero after seeing him try to slip away unnoticed.

"Oh. Hey." He simply replied, grunting again as he held his arm.

Indira noticed his injury. She got closer to him and carefully touched his wrist.

"Your arm..."

"It'll be okay." He reassured her.

Indira brought her eyes from the gash to the man's masked face. She spoke softly.

"You fought her...for me."

"Not alone." He replied. "Handy piece of information, that sword thing. How'd you know?"

"My expert investigative reporter skills, of course." She said with a smirk, then scoffed. "I wish. I saw her recharging a few blocks away."

Y/N nodded. He rubbed his arm and looked back at her.

"Well, good work...again, in fact. I'm not going to forget the time you helped me find Kate—uh, Hawkeye! You know...when you and Y/N found the warehouse she was in and relayed it to me."

"Yeah, I remember. Glad to be of service."

Spider-Man nodded. He looked back to see if anyone was around. Indira grabbed his arm gently and he turned to her again.

"Again, thank you. That fight....you didn't have to. Especially for someone you barely know."

"It's what I do." He replied. "I...I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

They stood there for a moment, the tension being felt within their silence. The girl then slowly reached for his mask, lifting it to his nose. The young man was unmoving and allowed it to happen.

The five-foot-one Latina then went up to kiss him to which the hero leaned in and met her halfway. Their lips connected and they embraced.

He held her by the hips while she placed her hands on his biceps. After a few more seconds, they parted and Indira opened her eyes, pulling his mask back down for him.

"Uh..." Indira blushed and stammered a bit. "Th—Thanks for allowing me to...do that."

She breathily laughed and so did Spider-Man. Indira stepped back and leaned against the wall.

"So...uh...that freak with the sword killed the guy bankrolling the movie my friend and I were supposed to be in..." She snickered and shook her head. "Why am I telling you this?"

"In case I run into any showbiz types looking for a leading lady?" He replied.

"Would you do that?"

"I don't really travel in those circles. I could probably ask Ant-Man...he's got connections."

"Really?"

Spider-Man shot a web up to the rooftop and held the line.

"If he ever answers my calls. Which is never. The bug bond ain't as strong as people think."

He heard more police sirens. Y/N didn't really feel like staying and answering for the damages. He also wasn't sure how to explain that he fought some mystical sword lady.

"Well...I guess I'll see you around?" Indira asked.

"You know how it goes," Y/N replied. "I'm always around."

The superhero zipped up, leaping off the rooftop and initiating a swing away from the scene.

Indira looked up into the sky and softly smiled, repeating the hero's words in her head...the same words she remembered her friend telling her earlier that day.

• • •

HAMMERHEAD CALLED A meeting with his associates after the death of one of his underbosses, Richard Damien. He wanted to know what exactly happened.

The room had a long table with seats all around and about half were filled. Joseph stood on one end, slamming his fist down and startling the others.

"I want to know who, what, when, why. The four frickin' W's. The man had his damn head cut off his shoulders! Now that is some brutal shit."

"Spider-Man was in the area after it happened. Was fighting some sword chick." One man said. "One of her goons is at the precinct in Brooklyn."

"Find a way to get him out on bail and once we do...bring him here. I want to know everything."

Another man spoke up. "You think the spider's involved with Damien being whacked?"

"He doesn't get his hands dirty like that. Not like us. My money's on the sword chick. But I need to know where she is and where she came from. Hell, I want to know who even called her in the first place."

"I can provide an answer to that."

Hammerhead looked up toward the end of the table. One man sat alone and wore an oversized coat. He even had his face hidden underneath a hood but went further and had a hat on.

"And who the hell are you?" He called out then looked toward one of his men in confusion.

"A man with similar aspirations as you, Joseph. To seek power. Control. For people to be beneath our boot. And I believe we can help each other."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, jerkwad."

Hammerhead motioned one of his men to deal with the man and send him out. The henchman reached for his arm but before he could touch the hooded visitor, he grabbed the man by the neck and snapped it with ease.

His body dropped to the floor. Hammerhead and his associates looked on in shock and were ready to draw their weapons. The hooded man stood up from his seat.

"The time to strike is now, Joseph. Together we can fill the void Wilson Fisk has left in the city. We can have total control if we put our heads together."

He removed his hat and then took off his oversized coat, revealing his blue armor and orange hood scarf. They still couldn't see his face as it was obscured in the darkness of his hood. But what they could see...was his glowing blood-red eyes.

Everyone was still taken aback by the sight of the man who wrecked last week's festival. They understood how chaotic he was but also knew he was powerful...as he went toe-to-toe with Spider-Man.

The Hobgoblin leaned over the table and faced Hammerhead. They couldn't see it, but he menacingly smirked.

"So how about you help me...build a better tomorrow?"