THE TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD walked through the locker room in the gymnasium of his alma mater. He ran his fingers along one locker, where he pulled off the sticker with the initials of a previous owner. Underneath it...were the initials CLM '16 carved in the section.

The man smiled as he looked at the etchings. Suddenly, there were footsteps behind him.

"Reliving the glory days?"

Carlos looked back and saw Jean, his fiancé. She had a grin and was out of her usual police uniform. He chuckled and sat down on the bench nearby.

"I remember sneaking into this locker room before each game to see you," Jean added as she paced around.

"Probably why we always won." Carlos, the former star wide receiver, replied. "You were like our lucky charm."

Jean chuckled. Carlos smirked.

"Well...at least my lucky charm." He clarified.

Jean smiled. Moments later, a 7-year-old boy ran into the locker room. He called out to his dad.

"Papa!"

Carlos grinned and grabbed his son, Fabian, lifting him as he stood up.

"And now I got another lucky charm with me." He said, kissing him on the cheek.

Jean kept smiling as she looked at her fiancé and son. There was a moment of quiet before she spoke.

"You nervous?"

"Who? Me?" Carlos asked, glancing at his son. "Never."

Jean nodded and looked down. He continued.

"I've had expectations put on me before. During high school...college...my time in South America...it's something I'm used to at this point." Carlos paused. "But I must admit, with how things are now...it's gonna be new territory."

Carlos put his son down and took a breath. The boy went over to his mom as his father sat back down. He kept speaking.

"Everybody in this city expects me to be something. They expect me to be the icon Spider-Man was. I don't want to fail them."

The man remembered the first appearance of Spider-Man. He was finishing high school, and he found him remarkable. He idolized him. Then there were the years without Spider-Man during the blip, a period where the world was in mourning and trauma, and he believed he could help the world somehow, and he did so by joining the army.

During those years overseas, he ended up getting his powers. Now, with Spider-Man gone again, he felt he could use this opportunity to do some good in the city like he once did, especially with the rising crime rates and the appearance of new foes.

Jean went up to Carlos and rubbed his back.

"I know." She said. "Be yourself."

"Yeah."

"They're going to love you. Trust me. You've done so much good in the short time you've been operating."

"Is this my fiancé speaking or my boss?"

The police Captain smirked.

"It could go either way." She held out her pinky. "Good luck."

Carlos looped his finger with hers and kissed her hand.

"Love you."

"Love you." Jean repeated.

"Love you too, Papa." Fabian said.

Carlos rubbed his hair, and the two left the locker room, leaving the man on the bench. He sat there alone, gathering himself before he had to go out.

Sometime later, outside, an entire event was being held in the auditorium. People filled the stands, and the drum-line team played their music. Many cameras and media members were in attendance at the Bronx-based high school.

In the hallways, the Latino man wore his dark costume and had his mask on. He took a moment to compose himself before jogging down the corridor toward the double doors. People waited beside them and applauded him.

Soon, he went through them and entered the auditorium. Students, alums, and fans of the Black Tarantula cheered at the sight of the new hero.

"Carlos! Carlos!"

"Black Tarantula! Woo!"

In the middle of the room, a journalist was waiting for him to begin their broadcast interview. Carlos smiled as he looked around at the audience, where he spotted Jean and Fabian nearby.

He waved at them before jogging over to the middle of the room, the loud cheers and calls of his name still being heard.

THE TELEVISION WAS on, and there was a live broadcast of Carlos LaMuerto's introductory event in the Bronx. Y/N sat in his apartment, watching it as he stood quietly.

He listened to the interview. Carlos spoke about his childhood growing up in the city, his infatuation with superheroes and the authorities who help them, and how Spider-Man inspired him. But when asked about his powers and abilities, he suavely changed the topic and continued.

While he was watching, Harry was in the room. He had just served himself a cocktail.

"What's up with you?" He asked.

Y/N glanced at him. "Mmm?"

"Looking all gloomy and shit." Harry chuckled, then pointed at the screen. "You hate that guy or something?"

"No. It's not that."

"Ah. Let me guess..." Harry sat down. "You think the guy's gonna take the spotlight away from Spider-Man? I get your love for him. You must've been homies and all with all those pics you used to take of the guy."

Y/N scoffed. "Nah. Just...not sure what to feel about him."

"He seems cool. He took down that arms trafficking cell uptown. Stopped a few bad apples last week. Didn't he stop that bank robbery you and MJ were in?"

The young man nodded, still looking at the television screen. Harry took a sip of his drink.

"Look, maybe things will turn out all right. This whole thing...a super-powered guy partnering with the city...it's new. "

"That's the thing, Harry," Y/N replied. "Not sure how that would work."

"What do you mean?"

"There has to be stipulations. Like...restrictions he has to work alongside. The city can't just let him do what he wants."

"Like...how Spider-Man used to do things? Isn't that what the cops hated?"

"Yeah, but it worked. If there was something to be done...he did it. It's like the Sokovia Accords before they were repealed. He didn't want to be tied down to a law or rules. He was responsible for not letting things be brushed aside or ignored."

Harry took in his words, nodding. He took another sip of his cocktail.

"Well, he must've forgotten all about that...since he straight up vanished."

Y/N took in a breath and exhaled. Harry had a point. Everything Y/N had said moments ago was very hypocritical since he had been pretty much going against it. By ignoring his responsibilities.

There was a knock at the door. Y/N got up to answer it and saw that it was MJ. She smiled.

"Hey, Tiger." MJ greeted.

"H—Hey." He smiled back, letting her in. "Harry, guess who's here?"

Harry turned and saw their friend. "MJ! What up?"

"Just came by quickly to tell you about the protest that's happening at ESU."

"Protest?" Y/N asked with a raised brow.

Harry remembered. "Right! About the demolition of Villeroy Towers."

Y/N was still confused. "What...is that?"

"It's a housing complex a block away from campus," MJ replied. "The university is planning on tearing it down. Rumors have it...for some new educational center."

"Oh. Well...that's cool."

MJ made a face. "Cool? They're basically forcing the residents to move without compensation!"

"I—I mean...that's terrible!" Y/N quickly corrected.

"So, you guys want to join me?" She asked. "Randy's already there."

Harry was the first to agree.

"Sure. I mean...I got nothing better to do." He put down his drink and stood up. "Besides, hearing passionate chants and all that yay-rah-rah sounds fun."

MJ nodded and turned to Y/N. The man shook his head.

"Can't. I actually gotta go take pictures for the Bugle in an hour." Y/N said. "Manhattan Museum of Art is adding some priceless gems, and Robbie wants me there."

"Mister Freelancer. Always freelancing for that damn media company." Harry said with a chuckle, patting his shoulder before going to the door. "Let's go, MJ."

MJ nodded before giving a quick smile to Y/N and leaving the apartment with Harry. Y/N stood in the middle of the room, sighing before going to his bedroom.

With his Daily Bugle name tag on, Y/N stood in the frontline, snapping photos of the encased gem. The exhibit presenter continued to speak to the audience.

"It is indeed a pleasure to add these gems to our temporary collection. The jewel before us is this 17th century 253 karat star ruby."

Y/N called out. "Y/N L/N. Daily Bugle. Can I get a shot of you with the gem?"

The presenter nodded and moved to stand beside the encasement. Y/N directed her a bit more closer.

"A little to your left."

Before he could take the photo, his spider-sense blared. He looked to his right and behind him when a blur of white appeared on the stage. Everyone looked on in confusion.

The astronaut-looking figure stretched out his arms and used some type of force pull to quickly take the gem out of the encasement and into his hands. It seemed to happen so fast.

"Later." The thief simply said and sped away.

As he did, the speedy thief crossed an intersection. The blur passing by caused a bus to brake hard and skid into several other cars, causing a massive pile-up. The bus tipped over, and a vehicle crashed into a vacant hardware store. Y/N looked on in shock.

"Oh, my God!" A bystander reacted.

A man waved over some people nearby. He wanted to help the people potentially injured in the crash.

"Come on!"

Y/N was one of the people helping the injured. He couldn't suit up to go after the thief, so he did what he could as a typical New Yorker. He helped a few people out of the bus.

"Help!" A guy shouted from the sidewalk by the shop. "They're trapped in here!"

Y/N overheard and ran over to the shop. He went through the hole in the wall and saw a couple of people trying to get a dazed woman out of a car.

"The damn things jammed!" The man exclaimed. "Crash must've messed the door up."

"She can't open it on her end?" Y/N asked.

"No. I'm going to try and get some more help!" He said before running out.

Y/N tried the door, and it was indeed stuck. He immediately elbowed the window and broke it, reaching in and shaking the woman.

"Ma'am? Ma'am! I'm here to get you out."

She was hurt and still in a dazed state from the crash. "M—My leg. I can't..."

Y/N looked down. He couldn't tell visually, but her leg was broken. Trying to pull her out would be a hassle.

"No problem...we'll just—"

Suddenly, his spider sense went off, and it went off hard. He heard cracking and looked up to see the roof breaking. The crash had weakened the infrastructure of the already dingy shop, and it was going to cave in at any moment. He had to act fast.

"What...?" The woman looked out the windshield and saw the roof shifting. "Oh, my God!"

The man from before was outside but didn't run back in upon seeing the damage to the building from outside.

"Holy shit! It's coming down!" He called out to Y/N. "Get out of there, man!"

He looked back. The woman in the car cried.

"No, no! Please, don't leave me!"

Y/N turned back to her. He had a stern look on his face.

"I won't."

He quickly grabbed the door and tore it off his hinges with his super strength. Immediately afterward, the shop roof collapsed, and debris fell on top of them.

The people outside gasped and looked on in horror, along with the man, who rubbed his face and sighed.

They all stood there, processing the fact that the two people had perished. But...about a minute later, they saw some of the debris shifting.

Y/N, with the car door over his head, moved away the concrete and wood shards and came out of the rubble with the woman at his side. They went onto the sidewalk, where he tossed the car door aside and carefully laid the woman down.

People came to their aid. The man from before was shocked to see them alive and well but also relieved. Y/N looked down at the woman before plopping down against the wall and sighing.

Y/N ended up staying at the scene. Police, firefighters, and EMTs were present, with the latter tending to the injured. The young man sat on the curb, where one of the medics tended to the gash on his forehead.

"That should heal up." She told him.

Y/N nodded. "Thanks."

The EMT grinned and walked off. Y/N sighed, getting up and deciding to walk across the street. There, the woman who crashed called out from the stretcher she was on.

"Hey! Wait! Sir!"

Y/N caught sight of her and walked over. The paramedic tending to her gave her a moment to talk to the young man and spoke to his colleague nearby. The two were now alone.

"I...I can't thank you enough. You didn't have to do what you did. You—you could've left."

He shook his head. "I couldn't. I wasn't. Not when I could do something."

The woman got teary-eyed. She recalled that moment, the moment she thought she was going to die. She thought the young man was going to die with him.

But he ripped the door off the car like it was nothing. He pulled her out and quickly lifted the door over their heads right when the debris fell onto them like he knew it was coming. He took most of the impact and had practically shielded her from all the rubble. It was shocking to her...seeing such a kind soul not care about the pain he had to endure to save her.

She reached out and took his hand. Y/N looked down at it and then back at her. The woman looked at the Daily Bugle name tag he still had, where she then spoke softly, still choked up.

"Y/N...you're my hero."

Soon, the EMT returned and informed her they were now going to the hospital. She was taken to the nearby ambulance, and her eyes were still on Y/N. The young man kept smiling at her until the doors closed, where his expression soon fell.

Those four words rolled around in his head. Hearing it from her, seeing how emotional she was. There was a pang in his heart as he recalled them.

She had called him a hero. Not to Spider-Man. Him. Y/N L/N.

He watched the ambulance drive away. Y/N stood in the middle of the empty street for a moment, hands in his pockets, before turning around and walking away.

• • •

THE NEXT DAY, the group of friends were in the cafe. The TV was on, and a report about yesterday's incident was being discussed.

"I'm speaking from Villeroy Towers, soon to make way for an expanded ESU campus. This is where residents earlier this morning found the 17th-century star ruby stolen from the Manhattan Museum of Art. Residents here say the thief must've dropped the stolen gem while alluding authorities. Now they'll use the reward money for their fight with the University."

The reporter started to speak to Lieutenant Yuri Watanabe, who was on the scene with her.

"Lieutenant Watanabe, do you know how the ruby thief came to be here?"

"We have yet to have any details on who exactly this is or where he came from."

"Witnesses at the museum say that the treasure was stolen by a guy who moved like a vortex."

Flash, who was watching the broadcast, spoke up.

"Damn, and I thought the Kangaroo-looking dude from a week ago was weird. Now we got some sort of roadrunner."

"They're calling him Turbo Jet," Randy said. "Not gonna lie, from the footage we've got so far, he looks pretty cool." Randy said.

"He's not cool," Y/N interjected. "Far from it."

Y/N already didn't like the mysterious thief. Not only did he cause the pileup and many injuries, but he had heard that a few blocks away from the first crash, he had caused another accident that killed a truck driver. It made him angry...and guilty.

"I was there when this Turbo Jet guy stole the gem," Y/N added. "I think he gave it to the Villeroy Towers folks for the reward money."

"You mean...like some sort of Robin Hood, Men in Tights thing?" Harry asked.

"Well...he wasn't wearing tights, I'll tell you that."

MJ came over to them, holding her drink. She looked at Y/N.

"Who wasn't wearing tights? And how would you know?"

"Turbo Jet." He replied.

"Y/N thinks that thief from yesterday is some kind of Robin Hood good guy." Harry said.

Randy spoke up. "Look, if this guy purposely did help all those people...he gets my vote."

MJ heard Randy and agreed, still supporting the protests for Villeroy Towers. Harry chuckled and shook his head, getting up from the couch.

"You two gotta lay off this Hollywood shit."

Y/N turned to him. "Where are you going?"

"I got this meeting with some of my dad's friends. Oscorp stuff."

Y/N nodded. Harry has been more active in his father's company for the last several months, wanting to prove himself to be a worthy successor when the time comes. Norman was currently on a business trip, so anything Harry could do to help, he did.

"Good luck, man." Flash bid his friend farewell.

Harry left the cafe. Y/N looked back at the television, showing a new Black Tarantula segment. Randy was watching it, too.

"And where was this guy when Turbo Jet showed up?" He asked. "You know what I think? The higher-ups in the department don't think it's worth their time to send their guy after him."

Flash snapped his fingers. "You might be on to something. They probably prioritize those Arsenic Candy people and are still going after the guy who killed the deputy commissioner."

Those were all right theories, theories that Y/N somewhat believed. The young man sighed and crossed his arms, still staring at the television screen above.

• • •

AT OSCORP TOWER, Harry was meeting with a couple of the board members. He sat at the oval-shaped table and spoke with an older black man and a blonde woman.

"Your father has been pushing for this new science center to be built at ESU." The man said.

The woman added. "And now that Oscorp has convinced the university to demolish the Villeroy Towers, it can now become a reality."

Harry had known about the demolition for a while. His father had told him in passing that it was one of the expansions they were doing amidst the integration with Stark Industries.

"I knew that a month ago," Harry replied. "Why am I here?"

"We'd like you to make the announcement."

"Really?"

"Your father thinks it'd be a swell idea." The woman said.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the campus protests?"

"Harry..."

He interjected. "Having an ESU student announce a science center on controversial property sorta makes it go down a little easier."

The man chuckled. "You certainly are your father's son."

"You certainly are that." The woman added.

"He thinks the same but also sees an opportunity to do some real good." He turned to the woman. "Show him."

She bent down and picked up an encased artifact. The man began to present it.

"This telescope was once owned by Gallelio."

"What?" Harry was handed it and looked at the telescope. "How come I'm just hearing about this?"

"Your father has always had it, but he didn't think you'd share the same enthusiasm."

Harry let out a sigh. Once again, there seemed to be a communication barrier between him and his dad. It has certainly become more prevalent as Norman has been rising in the ranks as a businessman.

To add to the man's workload, he was also NYC's Public Advocate as he had won the special election back in January.

"The important thing is, we want the university to have this. To auction off."

"A great way to kick off the new science center campaign, Harry." The man said.

"A great way." She added.

Harry nodded, looking back down at the telescope. Wanting to make his father proud and help the company, he agreed.

• • •

TWO SECURITY GUARDS were in front of a bookshop. They were guarding the window, which had a rare first edition of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens on a stand.

"How's the family, Bobby?" One of the guards, Vince, asked.

"You know how it is. Oldest is nervous about college applications." Bobby replied.

"Yeah. I get it."

"She's thinking Harvard."

"That's tough."

"Eh. She believes she can make it. I think so."

Vince nodded and took a puff of his cigarette. Suddenly, they heard a whirring and then felt a gust of wind. The two blinked their eyes and saw the astronaut-like thief before them: Turbo Jet.

The two guards took out their handguns. Immediately, he used his force-pull to break the glass and take the rare book.

While he did so, a wire from a light fixture got exposed and hit Bobby, electrocuting him.

"Argh!" He screamed as his body shook.

Vince looked on in shock and wasn't sure what to do. Turbo Jet also stood there, seemingly emotionless beneath his helmet.

Suddenly, he was kicked and brought down by a dark figure. It was Black Tarantula. He quickly went over to the guard and moved the wire that was stuck to him, shocking him in the process but ultimately freeing the guard from the electrocution.

Bobby now lay on the floor, stiff and unresponsive.

"Get him out of here." Black Tarantula told Vince.

Immediately, Turbo Jet sped off with the rare book. Black Tarantula turned around and sprinted down the street before leaping onto walls and running alongside them with enhanced speed and agility.

Black Tarantula ended up leaping at the speedster and grabbed onto him, but Turbo Jet accelerated and took the hero for a ride. He tried to hold on as the thief zig-zagged erratically.

"Ugh!" Carlos groaned as he kept his grip on him.

"No free rides, buddy!" Turbo Jet exclaimed before coming to a sudden stop.

The inertia forced Carlos off, and he rolled across the asphalt. Turbo Jet then used his force pull to push a nearby bus at the hero.

Black Tarantula leaped over it but quickly realized the sliding bus was approaching a group of people on the sidewalk. He acted fast, sprinting the area and stopping the bus by getting in front of it.

"Argh!" He grunted as he pushed it back, tires screeching.

With the distraction, Turbo Jet sped off, fleeing the scene. Black Tarantula put the bus back down, sighing as he looked at the empty street. He shook his head and looked down, angry at himself.

Authorities came to the scene. Someone tended to the injured Bobby before taking him to the ER. Carlos, now unmasked, stood around and was silent.

Jean, who was on the scene, approached her fiancé after speaking with some people. She now started to question him.

"It was that fast guy. The same one who stole the gem a couple of days ago." Carlos said.

"Yeah, that's what I'm hearing." Jean replied.

"He's still out there. Have you been told of any whereabouts? Any places he frequents?"

"Uh...Carlos—"

"He went westbound. You...know, I'm thinking maybe he could be working—"

"You're not going to pursue this."

Carlos was taken aback. "What?"

"The...department doesn't want to take you away from the pursuit of Arsenic Candy and Sin-Eater. They want all the resources and all your time dedicated to that."

"Jean..." He began. "I can't just—"

"Please, Carlos. You have to listen to me. It's our order. Your orders."

"Orders? I took this opportunity so that I can help no matter—"

"As your boss, it's an order you have to follow. But as your fiancé...your wife...trust me."

Carlos just looked at Jean in silence. With a sad look, he relented and gave her a nod. Jean nodded back.

"I have to talk with the media. They're waiting on some statement. I'll be right back."

Jean DeWolff walked off to speak with the reporters waiting nearby. Carlos watched her leave, standing where he was and still quiet.

He looked down at the mask in his hand, staring at it as he began to ponder.

• • •

Y/N WAS AT May's house. He picked up Anya from school and stayed there for a bit, speaking with the lady. The conversation ultimately lead to Turbo Jet.

"I don't like it, May," Y/N said, sitting at the table as May made food. "This guy...people think he's doing good when he's just making things worse."

"I get it." May replied.

"First, that whole crash happened at the intersection. Then, that security guard last night. He's in a coma! They—they're not sure if he's even going to wake up."

Y/N lowered his head and rubbed his hair. May glanced at him and saw how much it was affecting him.

"Unfortunately, people see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. Yes, this man is causing harm, even if he might not be trying to on purpose, but as long as he's supporting that protest...that's all people will think about."

"It's sucks that's how it is."

"Devil's advocate here, but people might bring up a pedestrian being run over during a police chase and compare it to that."

Y/N scoffed. "Two wrongs don't make a right."

May nodded, agreeing. Y/N looked to the aside, shaking his head.

"And people aren't doing anything to stop it." He added.

She continued to stir the pot a bit. There was a brief silence before she put it to a simmer and went over to sit at the table with him. The woman spoke again.

"Your dad often said that inaction is the cause of many of society's problems—the lack of wanting to change things, not acting on one's responsibilities. He said that a reason people don't act is, I guess, because of the scare factor. The fear of the unknown. Fear of getting it wrong. But how will people make a difference without at least trying first? And if things do go wrong, does it hurt to try again?"

Y/N heard her words. He looked over at her and tapped his fingers on the table.

"Lots of things have gone wrong in my life. Both personally and even at the shelter. But...you just keep going. You channel that courage in you...that hero you could be. Because a hero makes a difference when they can."

She continued.

"I believe there's a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest. Gives us strength. Makes us noble. And, finally, it allows us to die with pride. Sometimes, we must be steady and give up what we want the most. Even our dreams."

The young man continued to heed the words. He had never thought of it that way.

"Spider-Man did that for a lot of people. For Anya. For me. Even...for Michael. He saw him as the hero we all needed to look up to. I still wonder...where he's gone?"

May looked at at her hands for a moment before getting back up and resuming her cooking. Y/N sat there, pondering the words and her question. He looked to his right, looking out the window onto the street in thought.

In his room at his apartment, Y/N was at his desk. The draft typed up by his father was in front of him, opened and being read.

As he looked over the words, he could hear Michael speaking. It was like he was talking directly to his son.

As a citizen, I know how we're feeling. We all live with unresolved things. And it's not a surprise. The world we live in constantly changes, with the arrival of new faces...new threats...new ideas that can be good or bad. We leave it to the heroes to solve it, heroes like our very own Spider-Man, but we have to ask ourselves...how can we help?

Take it from an old fella like me—the usual New Yorker—a widow and father to a teenaged son. The flaws we have, the ones that we so desperately try to bury or ignore, take us down a road. They make us who we are. They shouldn't stop us from taking action and attempting to better our situation. If we have the power to do so...then we have the responsibility to act. Spider-Man acts on his responsibility when he doesn't have to, which makes him great. Like him...we are all destined for greatness.

Y/N turned the page. He started reading the following passage but arched a brow upon seeing it wasn't typed this time. It was handwritten...and directed to him.

And if anyone I know is destined for greatness, too, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them. People look up to heroes, the Avengers, and all these folks who are both costumed and not.

You once told me that I was your hero and saw me as that, but...you are my hero, Y/N. You always have been. When I lost your mother, you were there to keep me still. You gave me strength. You pushed me to be a better father and a better man. You did what a hero does...and that was being there for me.

I love you, son. Never forget that.

Tears streamed down his face after finishing the passage. Y/N realized the draft was an article Michael was about to write on Spider-Man years ago, right before discovering his son was the hero. He ultimately decided not to submit it and finished it off on a personal note, leaving it as a message to him. He just never got to show it to Y/N.

He closed the packet, covering his mouth and holding back a sob as he looked out the window.

Y/N pondered and let the words roll around in his head. Not just his words but those from May, Anya, and even MJ. He also thought back at the article Indira wrote about Spider-Man and the actions of a hero.

He repeated a sentence from his dad's draft in his head once again.

You did what a hero does...and that was being there for me.

Y/N was there for him. He could've been a delinquent and gone off and done many other things, but he stayed with his dad, and they supported each other. He didn't let the grief of his mother's death and guilt of it harm that relationship.

But now, he was letting his grief about Indira and Captain Stacy keep him from being that hero. It was keeping him from being there for the city. He was letting his fear dictate his actions...or, more so, his inaction.

Y/N couldn't keep this going. It would continue to eat at him if he did. They were right. They've been right this whole time...and Y/N now realized it.

He got up from his desk and went to the dresser, where he had some picture frames. Besides the one of him and his friends, he picked up the one that had him as a baby with Michael and his mom, Aubrey.

Both his parents had given him advice that he kept close to his heart...advice that fueled his goals as a hero.

And once you uncover your gifts...use them, not only for you, but for the betterment of others.

You have a gift. You have power. And with great power, there must also come great responsibility.

Y/N continued looking at the picture and then looked at the nearby closet. His stern look was unwavering.

He went upstairs to the tower above their apartment. He opened his briefcase and opened it, revealing the spider suit within.

The young man put on his costume piece by piece, finally putting on the mask. He stepped out of the shadows.

Y/N leaped up the room's walls toward the window, where he then perched outside the hole, looking out onto the streets below. With a breath, he jumped off, initiating his swing.

At Villeroy Towers, Zachary Wyler was in his room working on his suit. He used a screwdriver to tighten a bolt on his helmet.

On his wall nearby, there were newspaper clippings. Along with headlines about recent stolen artifacts, some were old and were about a NASA engineer who was fired for allegedly stealing parts. One was even about a failed attraction-slash-repulsion device that could be implemented into space suits...but it never got any funding.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. He stopped what he was doing and went to answer the door, going through the curtain in his hallway.

"Jolene?" He greeted upon opening it.

"Hey, you." She smiled. "Protest committee is meeting in the community room. They got pizza and stuff. Want to come down there with me?"

"Jo, you know I don't go for that." Wyler said.

Portrayed by Nat Wolff

"Still messing around in that work room of yours?" She tried to look through the curtain behind him. "Watchu got in there anyway?"

"Just some stuff." He injected.

She sighed and shook her head. Jolene got serious.

"You have to face the fact that we are all gonna have to move soon. The protest committee says that we—"

"The protest committee is not helping anyone except people that like being on protest committees. Free pizza and useless talk. They got everyone out there running around like sheep."

"You think you know better?"

"You say that like it would be difficult."

Jolene gave up. She rubbed the back of her neck.

"All right...see you around."

The woman left, and Zachary shut the door and returned to his room. He looked at his reflection through the visor of his helmet.

"All these people...they don't understand the work that must be done to make a difference. They'll see soon enough."

He moved the top part of his suit so that the back of it faced a mattress at the wall. He pressed a button on the trigger he had, which expelled energy from the back thrusters and tore apart the mattress.

Outside, the blue flashes could be seen through the window. Spider-Man was perched on the side of a nearby building, noticing the lights. His lenses formed a look of intrigue.

Later, Zachary, wearing a long trench coat, left Villeroy Towers and walked a few blocks before turning into an alley. He met up with a well-dressed man who stood in the dark. He had a box in his hand and handed it to Wyler.

"It's all there. Minus my commission."

Inside the box was a bunch of cash. It was for the rare book he stole earlier in the week, and the man's boss was quite a collector of antiquities.

"The Undertaker is happy to do business." The man added. "What's next?"

Zachary took out a newspaper and showed it to him. It was the story about the Galileo telescope Oscorp was going to give ESU.

"A telescope. A 4 million dollar telescope."

"Whoa. That could be a problem to fence. I got a couple of easy scores—"

"No." He interrupted. "I want the telescope. For what it stands for."

The man scoffed. "You could be a rich man if you quit this high and mighty hero business you're trying to do."

"I just do what needs to be done. If people want to make me a hero...it's only because they're too stupid to help themselves."

"Okay, man...whatever." He started walking away. "Call me when it's done."

They went their separate ways. Zachary looked back as he walked but ran into a face that surprised him upon turning back around.

"There's a word for someone like you, Wyler," Spider-Man said, dangling from his web-line. He got off and landed on his feet. "A criminal."

A police car driving by with his sirens caught Y/N's attention, causing him to look back momentarily. But upon turning around, he saw Wyler now out of his trench coat and wearing his entire Turbo Jet suit. It let out a high-pitched sound as it charged up.

"Someone should've stayed gone."

Turbo Jet used the gravitational mechanics of his suit to pull a dumpster from behind him and throw it at Spider-Man. The hero ran back and leaped away to dodge. It impacted a door nearby and caused the alarm of the nearby check-cashing place to sound.

Wyler bent down to grab the bundle of cash from the box, but Spider-Man webbed it and took it himself.

"I know you won't be going anywhere without this." He said.

Suddenly, sirens were heard, and a police cruiser rolled into the alley. Two officers came out and had their guns drawn.

"There's two of them!"

Immediately, Wyler used his turbo to jet out of the alley. It happened in the blink of an eye. The officer thought he had seen things before.

"No, just one. Must've been a shadow." He corrected and then realized it was the long-gone hero. "What? Spider-Man?"

"Listen—"

"He has cash on him! What are you doing robbing the place?"

Y/N was stunned. "No! You got the wrong guy!"

"I knew he was trouble!" The other cop remarked. "Drop the money and put your hands up!"

Spider-Man quickly tossed the bundle of cash toward them before running up the side of the building. The cops immediately fired at the vigilante, but Y/N was able to make a clean escape.

What a welcome back that was.

• • •

Y/N WAS IN science class with Harry and MJ. They sat together at the same table as the professor continued her lecture. Of course, Harry wasn't listening and was lowly talking to MJ beside him. Well, he is pretty much apologizing about knowing Oscorp was tearing down Villeroy Towers the entire time.

"Come on, you know something was going to be built on that land no matter what. I'm just helping make it worthwhile."

"I'm sorry?" MJ turned to Harry. "Were you calling science worthwhile?"

Harry leaned back on his chair.

"Yeah, I had trouble buying that myself." He looked over at Y/N. "Little help?"

"I...don't think things are so black and white." He replied, moving his gaze to MJ.

"As in...your feelings for...?"

"Like one person's good deed might be another person's crime." He clarified.

MJ looked forward and rested her chin in her palm, seemingly disappointed at his response and expecting another.

"Oh."

"Okay, how about you both come with me to make my presentation tonight?" Harry asked. "Look, I'd really appreciate the support. I promise to make sure both sides of the argument are heard."

MJ thought about it before ultimately agreeing. "Well, in that case..."

Harry beamed. "Great. I got to get there early. You two should show up about six."

MJ turned to Y/N. "Pick me on your way?"

At the same time, the professor called on Y/N to answer a question of hers. He suavely answered without missing a beat.

"SO2 with a polyvalent ion." He said loudly, then turned to MJ and whispered. "Can I meet you there? I...have to do something this evening."

MJ arched a brow, wondering what it could be. Harry chuckled and leaned back against his seat.

"Eh? See? Suddenly, my behavior sounds pretty reliable."

• • •

THAT EVENING, A crowd was in front of one of the ESU buildings. Both media members, supporters, and protestors were present for the announcement. A chairwoman of Oscorp stood on the podium.

"We're here tonight to celebrate our bond with Empire State University, a campus beloved by our founder of Oscorp, Norman Osborn."

Some of the people sitting cheered. Among those in the front was MJ, who sat without really reacting. She often looked around for Y/N, who was still not present.

"To make tonight's presentation, I would like to introduce esteemed ESU student, and who many would call the future of Oscorp, Harry Osborn!"

The young man, wearing a suit, smiled as he got up from his seat on stage and stepped up to the podium. There was a mix of applause and boos, the latter coming from the protesters present.

"Uh...I'm not sure if esteemed is the right word." Harry spoke into the microphone. "Maybe if I've been to class more, I'd know what it meant."

There were some laughs from the audience. Suddenly, a protester shouted at him.

"You suck, Osborn!"

MJ looked back and glared in their direction. Harry went along and pointed at the person.

"Thank you! Thank you very much." He cleared his throat and continued. "I had a prepared speech but...my friend, Michelle Jones-Watson, got me thinking about how an institution like Empire State University should grow who it helps...who it hurts."

MJ was taken aback by the mention of her name and being the inspiration for his speech. She was also proud of what he was saying. The chairwoman gave Harry the telescope, and he presented it.

"Which brings us to Galileo. Galileo looked through this and saw the possibilities..."

Nearby, Turbo Jet was hidden in an alley and overhead the speech. He smirked beneath his helmet.

"And so do I."

He held onto his triggers and sped his way to the stage. Everyone looked on and saw the thief, with many cheering and applauding for the Robin Hood-esque figure. He used his force power to pull the encased telescope from Harry's hands.

"Later." Turbo Jet saluted.

He tried to speed away, but a wall of webbing blocked his path. He stopped and looked up, seeing Spider-Man stuck to the wall of the building.

The people there were in awe at the presence of Spider-Man, the hero who had been gone for the last six months. MJ looked on and let out a chuckle of delight, knowing Y/N was back doing what he was destined to do.

"Give it up, Wyler." Spider-Man spoke.

Turbo Jet pointed up at the hero.

"How do you know that cops won't turn you in, too? You saw what they did—shooting at ya. The city ain't so keen on you anymore. Especially with that new DA coming in and the force having their own pony in the race."

"I'll take my chances." He simply replied.

There was a mix of cheers from the crowd for both Spider-Man and Turbo Jet, but the chants were louder for the latter. Wyler basked in the glory.

"The people like how I get things done! You're history, spidey boy!"

"Those people?" Y/N got down and perched on the edge of the stage beside him. "Oh? I thought they were the ones you said were stupid for making you a hero. You did say that, didn't you, Wyler?"

Many of the people heard what he said and were stunned. Y/N continued.

"How you said you had to take care of things because they couldn't."

In what seemed like the snap of a finger, support for Turbo Jet flipped. The people cheering for him now shouted and cussed him out. At the same time, three cops came up on the stage and aimed their guns at Wyler. Harry stood with MJ behind them.

"Back off!" Turbo Jet lifted the telescope over his head. "Or this little piece of history is history!"

"Go for it. It's a fake." Y/N said.

"That bullshit."

"Spider-Man's right." One of the cops said. "He tipped us off in advance, and we set it up with the Oscorp board."

MJ turned to Harry, who looked back and nodded in agreement. Wyler glared and seethed his teeth.

"Argh!"

Turbo Jet threw the fake artifact at the crowd, hitting one poor student and knocking her down. Y/N quickly leaped at Wyler, who dodged using his thrusters. Y/N stuck to the wall.

"I'm not going down!" He shouted. "I helped those people!"

"Yeah...and you did it with such good feelings," Y/N replied sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure that's what touches them the most."

Turbo Jet used his force pull to pick up a bench nearby and directed it at Spider-Man. He leaped off the wall, but Wyler shifted the direction and hit Y/N with the bench, knocking him down.

"Argh!"

While he was on the floor, Turbo Jet used his force pull at the cops, but they dove out of the way. Instead, he was able to lift MJ off the ground and was pulled in his direction. She let out a yell.

"MJ!" Harry shouted, trying to grab her.

Wyler caught MJ and held her in one arm. The cops got up and aimed their guns but were hesitant to shoot since he had a hostage.

"Later!" The man saluted before speeding away with MJ.

Spider-Man stood and stared ahead, seeing the white blur descending through the street. He glared beneath his mask before leaping off the stage and initiating a swing.

Turbo Jet swerved past cars and zig-zagged, all while holding on to MJ. The girl tried to writhe out of his grasp and hit his armored chest.

Spider-Man was close behind. Wyler could tell and shouted at the hero.

"Back off!"

He accelerated, but Y/N was able to stick a web at his back and was pulled with him. He held on and was basically being flung with every sharp turn and shift of his moments. Still, he kept a hold of the line and pulled himself closer.

"Let...me...go!" MJ demanded as she hit his helmet.

As Y/N pulled himself closer, he shot another web at a passing lamppost, then flung the same line onto Wyler's back. He did the same when they passed by another streetlight. Afterward, he continued getting closer to Turbo Jet.

"You don't know what a desperate man might do!" Wyler shouted.

Spider-Man finally reached him and got onto his back. "In that case..."

Y/N knocked the trigger from his hand and webbed it, forcing it to get stuck in its compartment beneath his forearm. It shut off his suit, and he couldn't move at high speeds anymore.

Immediately afterward, MJ elbowed the man's helmet, shattering the visor. Wyler grunted and let go of MJ just before the web lines pulled him back like a bungee cord.

MJ shouted while in the air, but Spider-Man was there to catch her. He held her bridal style and chuckled.

"Nice hit." He remarked.

Meanwhile, the web was still pulling Turbo Jet. Soon enough, thanks to the bungee-cord-like webs, he would be propelled back to where they were.

"Uh...I'd take a few steps back if I were you." He added, putting her down.

MJ did as told, and Y/N stood his ground, looking down the street at the incoming villain. Wyler looked up, seeing that he was flying toward Spider-Man at high speeds, who was winding up his punch.

Finally, his fist impacted Wyler's face. He fell to the ground on his back with a groan before being rendered unconscious. Y/N shook his hand around.

"Ow...I forgot how much that freaking hurts."

He kept rubbing his hand. MJ went up to him and touched his shoulder.

"Here you are...saving me again." She said.

He shrugged. "A man's gotta have hobbies."

The girl chuckled, giving him a sincere and proud look.

"You came back. Are you...back?"

Y/N looked down the road and saw the incoming police cruisers coming to detain Wyler. On the sidewalk nearby, people had their phones out and pointed them at him. Some applauded and cheered for Spider-Man.

"I am." He replied, turning to her. "And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

MJ smiled, rubbing his shoulder. He grinned beneath his mask and looked back at the incoming cops.

"But...I'm going to have to go now. You know me and the police..."

"Right. Right." MJ snickered. "Go on."

Y/N ran forward and jumped, initiating a swing out of the area just when the police cruisers stopped. MJ looked up at the sky, smiling, as the hero swung off into the night.

• • •

THE VERY NEXT day, the story of Spider-Man's return hit every news outlet. There were varying opinions from many sides; some were happy that the hero was back, while some were hesitant to accept him after being gone for so long. They didn't know his state of mind...especially with many believing he was at fault for the death of Indira Sanduval and Captain George Stacy.

The city also now had to figure out how it would deal with having Spider-Man along with their own department-sanctioned hero, Black Tarantula. The higher-ups, like Samantha McBride, and department heads, like Jean DeWolff, had to work with that.

The television was on in the cafe, reporting about Spider-Man stopping Zachary Wyler, AKA Turbo Jet. Y/N, MJ, Randy, and Harry were watching, but the story they were most looking forward to was just coming up.

"And in other news, residents of Villeroy Towers are busy planning moves to new homes, thanks to the donation of a priceless Galileo telescope to their relocation fund. Empire State University junior Harry Osborn made the announcement last night."

MJ looked over at Harry. "I can't believe you didn't tell us before the presentation. You did know you were going to make that donation, didn't you?"

Harry glanced at Y/N who was standing behind the couch they were sitting on.

"Y/N? A little help?"

He chuckled and answered MJ's question.

"You see, MJ...it might be hard to comprehend, but, Harry, like all great men, knows that actions speak louder than words."

MJ looked back at him and gave him a look.

"Really? Hard to comprehend?"

Y/N cleared his throat and glanced at Harry, who gave a thumbs up. He couldn't have said it better himself. Well...besides the whole assuming MJ was dumb remark. Y/N honestly didn't mean for it to sound that way.

MJ ultimately brushed it off and chuckled, getting up from her seat.

"Gonna get a snack. Any of you want anything?" She asked them.

"Nah." Randy replied.

"You know...I've been wanting to try that new frosted donut they got."

Y/N spoke as well. "Mind getting me a bagel?"

She smirked. "What? Me no comprende."

Y/N snickered and held his hands up as MJ went over to the counter. Moments later, Flash ran into the cafe. He had a grin on his face and went up to them.

"Guys! Guys!"

Randy spoke. "We know, bro. Spider-Man's back."

"Not that." He scoffed. "I'm going on a date."

"That's cap." Harry quickly replied.

"Dude, I'm not kidding. And she's banging, bro!"

Y/N chuckled. Moments later, he felt his spider sense go off and looked out the window to see two cop cars drive by with their sirens. He let out a breath through his nose and excused himself.

"Gotta go, guys. Tell MJ something came up."

"Oh, all right." Randy said.

As he was walking out, Flash called out.

"You don't want to hear about my 10 out of 10 pull?!"

"You could tell me all about it later." Y/N replied.

Y/N exited the cafe and walked a couple of blocks into an alley. He quickly changed out of his clothes and into his Spider-Man costume before swinging out and down the street.

Unbeknownst to him, a woman with a scarf and sunglasses was across the street and had seen the hero leave the alley. She kept her gaze on the swinging vigilante.

The woman then picked up her phone, putting it to her ear before walking away. She spoke to the person on the other end.

"Foxtrot, I think I found him."

• • •

INCUMBENT NEW YORK County District Attorney Blake Tower was walking toward his car through the dimly lit parking lot. He had his briefcase in one hand and used the other to text his wife, telling her he was on his way home.

He put his phone away and unlocked his BMW, entering the vehicle. Blake placed his briefcase on the passenger's seat and put on his seatbelt. He then turned on the car.

Before he could put the car in reverse and back up, he looked into the rearview mirror...where he spotted a masked man in the darkness in the backseat.

The sight horrified him, and he became stiff.

"Blake Tower." The man spoke.

"W—What do you want?" He stammered, still looking at him through the rearview mirror. "What...?"

"You've been the DA for almost ten years. You took down Wilson Fisk; you've done good for the world. But as time went on...you've presented your true colors. You've shown what transgressions and immoralities you inhibit."

Blake's heart beat fast and hard. He knew who this man was. He knew it was the same killer who shot down Deputy Commissioner Barr.

"Please...tell me what you want. I'll—I'll give you whatever."

There was a beat before Sin-Eater finally responded.

"I want a confession."

"F—For what?"

"Admittance for your negligence. In the Carter case. The suspects...why were they let go?"

"I—We didn't have anything to go on. There wasn't mich for remand. And—"

"Not much? You know what I think? What I witnessed?"

Blake didn't respond, only swallowing hard. The masked man spoke.

"I saw a man who demonstrated disinclination to action. I saw negligence. I saw someone who chose not to endure the labor of further investigation so that they could move on to better cases. More so-called important ones. More beneficial for your career."

The attorney was still silent and frozen in fear. Sin-Eater leaned in a bit closer and continued.

"I saw a sinner. One...who wears the stain of sloth."

He pumped his shotgun, aiming it at the back of Blake's seat. Sin-Eater then pulled the trigger.

BLAM!