I stand at the very edge of Harry's penthouse building, toes just barely hanging over the side, staring down at the streets of New York way, way below me, and for the first time since all of this started, I'm seriously questioning every life decision that led me to this exact moment. The city looks different from up here, smaller somehow, like everything is part of some giant moving map, cars crawling through the streets, people looking like dots, and the wind hits harder too, rushing past me in sharp bursts that make my suit ripple slightly. My heart's already beating faster than it should be, and I can feel that familiar tightness in my chest creeping in because yeah… this? This is exactly why I don't mess with heights.
"Okay… this is a terrible idea," I mutter under my breath, taking a small step back before forcing myself to stop. I didn't come all the way up here just to back out now. Still, my eyes flick down again, and instantly my stomach drops like it's trying to escape my body.
"Dante," Peter's voice comes through the comms in my mask, calm but focused in that way he gets when he's trying to sound confident for both of us, "you have to overcome your fear to be a hero in the first place. Do you think Superman felt fear when he first practiced flying? Of course he did."
I frown slightly, still staring over the edge. "How do you know?" I ask, my voice a mix of doubt and nerves.
There's a brief pause, then, "I'm guessing," he admits, and I can practically hear the shrug in his voice, "but I believe you can do this. Plus… this was your idea. Swinging through New York like a spider?"
I let out a short breath, shaking my head. "Yeah… you should've talked me out of it."
Before Peter can even respond, Harry cuts in, his voice way more relaxed like we're not talking about me potentially splattering across the pavement. "When has Peter ever been able to talk us out of anything, Dante?"
I actually stop and think about it for a second, running through every dumb idea we've ever had, every plan that should've gone wrong but somehow didn't, and yeah… not once. Not a single time. Peter always tries, sure, but eventually he just sighs, gives up, and joins in like he knows resistance is pointless.
"…Never," I say reluctantly, shaking my head again.
Harry chuckles through the comms. "Exactly. So stop overthinking it. You can do this. All it takes is a leap of faith."
I stand there for another second, letting those words sink in, my eyes still locked on the drop below me, and my heart is pounding now, loud enough that I can hear it in my ears. A leap of faith. Sounds great in theory. Feels absolutely insane in practice. I take a deep breath, then another, clenching and unclenching my fists slightly as I try to steady myself.
"Okay…" I whisper, mostly to myself. "Okay."
Before I can talk myself out of it again, I step forward and then there's nothing under my feet and the world just… drops.
For a split second, my brain completely shuts off as gravity takes over, and I'm falling, fast, the air rushing past me so hard it feels like it's trying to rip the breath straight out of my lungs. The building disappears above me, the ground rushing up way too quickly, and every instinct in my body is screaming that this was a mistake.
"OH SHIT!" I yell, my voice getting swallowed by the wind as panic kicks in full force.
The city blurs around me, my heart slamming against my ribs as I fall faster and faster, and for a second I freeze because I don't know when to do it, I don't know how this is supposed to feel, I don't know…..but something clicks.
That same instinct from before, that weird pull in the back of my mind, like my body knows what to do even if I don't.
Right before I hit the ground, I throw my arm out and a web shoots from my wrist, snapping forward and latching onto the side of a nearby building, and suddenly everything changes. The force yanks me forward, my body swinging out instead of down, and I feel it, the momentum, the shift, the way gravity stops being my enemy and starts working with me instead.
"WOAH!" I shout, my voice turning from panic into pure adrenaline as I swing upward, the city opening up in front of me then I let go.
For half a second, I'm weightless again, flying through the air, and then I fire another web, this time faster, cleaner, like my body's already adapting, and it catches, pulling me into another swing and just like that… I'm doing it.
"I'M DOING IT!" I yell, a grin spreading across my face under the mask as the fear starts to fade, replaced by something way better.
I swing again, higher this time, then let go, twisting slightly in the air without even thinking about it, my body moving on instinct as I flip once before catching myself with another web. The city isn't scary anymore, it's… incredible. Every building becomes part of the path, every swing smoother than the last, and I can feel it, that rhythm starting to build then I go faster.
Another swing then another as I kick off a wall mid-air, spinning slightly before shooting a web behind me, laughing out loud because this is insane, this is impossible, and I'm doing it like I've been doing it my whole life.
"Yo… yo this is crazy!" I shout, flipping forward this time and landing briefly on the side of a building before pushing off again, launching myself back into the air.
Peter's voice bursts through the comms, way louder now. "HOLY SHIT THAT WAS COOL!"
I can hear Harry in the background too, muttering something that sounds like, "Okay yeah, that's actually insane," but I'm too focused on the feeling to really process it.
After a few more swings, I finally slow myself down, shooting one last web and pulling myself up onto the top of a nearby building. I land a little harder than I meant to, dropping into a crouch before straightening up quickly, my chest rising and falling as I catch my breath.
I reach up, pulling my mask up just enough to breathe easier, a grin breaking across my face as I run a hand through my hair.
"That was…" I pause, trying to find the right word, but there isn't just one. "…FUCKING AWESOME!" I laugh, shaking my head. "No..no, I'm awesome." Peter doesn't even hesitate. "YOU ARE AWESOME! That was insane, Dante!"
I chuckle, pulling my mask back down as I take one more look at the skyline, my heart still racing but now for a completely different reason. Then suddenly, something pops up on my display. A red alert flashes across the lens and it says.
BANK ROBBERY IN PROGRESS
I blink, tilting my head slightly. "Uh… guys?" Peter immediately responds, way too casually for what I'm looking at. "Oh yeah, I hacked into the NYPD system and linked it to your suit so you can get real-time crime alerts. Totally forgot to mention that. My bad."
I stare straight ahead for a second. "…You forgot to mention that?"
"In my defense," he says quickly, "I forget a lot of things."
Yeah, that tracks. This is the same guy who loses his house keys at least twice a week.
I shake my head slightly. "What bank?"
"Central Bank," Peter replies immediately.
I nod once, my body already shifting as adrenaline kicks in again, but this time it's different. A slow grin spreads across my face under the mask as I step closer to the edge of the building again, but this time… I don't hesitate.
"Time for my debut."
A couple of minutes later I land on the roof of the bank, my feet hitting the surface a little harder than I meant to, and I stumble forward a step before catching myself, arms windmilling slightly as I try not to embarrass myself on my first official superhero landing. "Okay… yeah, still getting used to that," I mutter under my breath, glancing over the edge for a second before immediately looking away because nope, still not a fan of heights even if I can swing across the city like it's nothing now.
I take a breath, trying to steady myself, then tap the side of my mask. "So… can I go through the vents like a ninja or what?" I ask, keeping my voice low even though I'm pretty sure no one up here can hear me.
There's a small pause, then Peter's voice comes through, already focused. "Technically yes, but I'm pulling up the building layout now… okay, yeah, there's a ventilation system that runs straight into the main lobby. If you go in through the east side vent, you should be able to get a clear view of everything without being seen."
"Keyword: should," Harry adds, his tone way more casual than I feel right now. "But before you go full ninja, let's actually think this through. How many hostiles, Peter?"
Peter doesn't hesitate. "Scanners are picking up five… no, six heat signatures that aren't civilians. All armed. They've got rifles, possibly automatic, and one of them is moving differently, probably the leader."
The word rifles hits harder than anything else, and I feel my stomach tighten a little as my eyes drift toward the skylight on the roof. Real guns not paintballs, not training and not some hypothetical scenario but these are actual people with actual weapons who will not hesitate to pull the trigger, and suddenly this doesn't feel like a game anymore. My fingers flex slightly at my sides, and for the first time since I put on the suit, I hesitate.
"…Yeah, okay, that's… that's a lot," I admit quietly.
Peter picks up on it immediately. "Dante," he says, his voice softer now but still firm, "you don't have to rush in. We can think of another plan, wait for the police…"
"No," I cut him off quickly, shaking my head even though he can't see me. "No, if I'm doing this, I'm doing this. I just…" I trail off for a second, exhaling slowly. "They've got guns, Pete."
There's a brief silence, then he responds, calm but serious. "I know. But you're faster than them. Your reaction time is way beyond normal. You've already proven that. That 'ringing' you feel? That's your advantage. As long as you trust it, you'll know when to move before they even pull the trigger."
I let that sink in for a second, my breathing evening out just a little.
"And you're not going in blind," Harry jumps in right after. "You've got us. We see what you see, we guide you through it. You're basically playing this on co-op mode, except if you mess up you don't respawn, so… no pressure."
I snort despite myself, shaking my head. "Wow. That makes me feel so much better."
"Hey," Harry continues, more serious now, "you've got speed, strength, and that weird spider sense thing. They're just guys with guns. You control the space, you control the fight. Don't let them corner you."
I take another deep breath, then nod slowly. "Control the space," I repeat under my breath.
Peter jumps back in. "Stick to the walls, ceilings, anything that keeps you moving. Don't stay in one place too long. Disarm them first, then restrain. Your webbing is perfect for that."
"Alright," I say, rolling my shoulders slightly as I step toward the vent Harry pointed out. "Alright… let's do this."
I pry the vent cover open carefully and slip inside, pulling it back into place behind me before crawling forward. The metal creaks softly under my weight, but I move slow, controlled, trying to stay quiet as I follow Peter's directions. After a few seconds, I reach a grate that overlooks the lobby, and when I look down, everything comes into view.
Six guys and they are all masked and all armed. Civilians are on the ground, hands over their heads, and one of the robbers is yelling at a teller to hurry up while another keeps his gun trained on the crowd. My jaw tightens slightly as I take it all in, my heart starting to pound again, but this time it's not just fear but anger.
"Okay," I whisper. "I see them."
"Alright," Peter says quickly. "We do this smart. Take out the one closest to you first…."
"Or," I cut in, a small grin forming under my mask, "we do this my way."
Before either of them can stop me, I kick the vent open and drop and I land right in the middle of the lobby in a crouch, and for a split second, everything goes quiet then all six guns snap toward me.
"…Okay, wow, rude," I say, straightening up and raising my hands slightly. "No 'who are you,' no dramatic pause? You guys are skipping all the important parts."
"What the hell are you supposed to be?" one of them snaps, stepping forward.
I tilt my head slightly. "Funny you ask, I was just workshopping that myself. I'm thinking something catchy, you know? Memorable. Maybe something with 'Spider' in it…."
"SHUT UP!" he yells, raising his gun.
The ringing hits instantly so I move before he fires and the shot cracks through the air, but I'm already gone, flipping sideways as the bullet tears through the space I was just standing in. I land against a pillar, one hand sticking to it as I peek around the side. "Okay, yep, definitely guns. Not a fan of those," I mutter, then shoot a web straight at the guy's weapon, yanking it out of his hands before he can react.
"What the..?!" he stumbles forward, and I'm already moving.
I launch off the pillar, spinning mid-air as I slam both feet into his chest, sending him crashing back into a desk. Before he can recover, I fire another web, pinning him to the wall.
"One down!" I call out.
"DANTE, FOCUS!" Peter snaps.
"I am focused!" I shoot back just as another shot rings out.
The ringing spikes again, sharper this time, and I duck low, the bullet passing right over my head. I twist, sweeping the guy's legs out from under him before grabbing his arm and flipping him over my shoulder hard enough to knock the wind out of him. His gun skids across the floor, and I web his hands together before he can even think about reaching for it. The other four spread out now, trying to surround me.
"Yeah, no, we're not doing that," I mutter, jumping straight up and sticking to the ceiling as another round of shots fires off. Bullets slam into the floor where I was standing, and I wince slightly. "Okay, seriously, you guys need better hobbies!"
"Take him down!" the leader shouts.
One of them fires again, but the ringing hits, and I move, crawling across the ceiling faster than they can track before dropping behind one of them. I grab his shoulder and yank him back, slamming my elbow into his jaw before spinning and kicking the back of his knee. He drops instantly, and I web his arms and legs together in one quick motion.
Another one charges me, swinging the butt of his rifle, and I barely dodge, the hit grazing my shoulder. "Okay, that one almost hurt!" I snap, grabbing the rifle and twisting it out of his grip before headbutting him hard enough to stagger him. I follow it up with a quick punch to the gut, then a web to the face, slamming him into the ground and the last two hesitate now, clearly not expecting this.
"Yeah," I say, stepping forward slightly, rolling my shoulders. "That's what I thought."
They fire at the same time and the ringing explodes in my head, and everything slows. I move on pure instinct, weaving between the shots, flipping forward as bullets pass inches from me before landing and firing two quick webs, each one hitting their guns and ripping them away.
I don't give them time to react as I rush in, ducking under a wild swing from one and driving my fist into his ribs before spinning and kicking the other square in the chest. Both go down hard, and a second later, they're wrapped up just like the rest.
The room goes quiet and I stand there for a second, breathing hard, looking around at all six of them stuck to walls, floors, and furniture.
"…Okay," I say slowly, a grin spreading across my face under the mask. "Yeah… I'm definitely getting used to this."
I stand there in the middle of the bank, looking around at the six robbers I just took down, all of them wrapped up in webbing and stuck to whatever surface was closest, and I can't help it… as a grin spreads across my face under the mask. My chest is still rising and falling a little faster than normal, adrenaline running through me like electricity, but I did it. I actually did it.
"Uh… guys?" I say into the comms, glancing around like I'm expecting someone to pop out and tell me this was all a test. "I think that went pretty well."
There's a second of silence, and then Peter's voice comes through, half shocked, half excited. "Pretty well? Dante, you just took down six armed criminals with almost no prior experience. That was insane!"
Harry laughs right after him, clearly hyped. "Nah, forget insane that was clean. You were flipping around like you've been doing this for years. I'm not gonna lie, that entrance? Kinda dramatic. I respect it."
I shake my head slightly, chuckling under my breath as I look around at the civilians who are slowly getting back to their feet. Some of them are staring at me like I'm some kind of alien, others like I just saved their lives which, yeah… I guess I did and a few of them are already pulling out their phones. "Alright, alright, don't gas me up too much," I say, rubbing the back of my neck through the suit. "I almost got shot like… three times."
"Keyword: almost," Harry replies immediately.
Before I can respond, the distant sound of sirens starts to cut through the air, faint at first but getting louder by the second, and that's when it really hits me. The cops are coming and I'm standing in the middle of a crime scene wearing a full-body suit with a bunch of criminals tied up like decorations.
"Okay, yeah, that's my cue," I mutter, already turning toward the exit. "I'm not trying to explain this whole situation to the NYPD right now."
"Probably a good call," Peter agrees. "You've done enough. Just get out of there."
I nod to myself, starting to move toward the door, but I only make it a few steps before I hear a small voice behind me.
"Mister!"
I stop and for a second, I consider just… keep going and slipping out before things get complicated. But something about the way the kid said it makes me pause, and I glance back over my shoulder.
A little kid, maybe seven or eight, is standing a few feet away, looking up at me with wide eyes like I'm the coolest thing he's ever seen. He hesitates for half a second, then takes a small step forward.
"Who are you?" he asks.
The question hangs there for a second, simple but somehow heavier than anything else that's happened today, and I just stand there, looking at him, my mind going blank for a second because I didn't actually think this part through. I didn't think about what I'd say when someone asked me that.
Who am I?
I straighten up slightly, turning fully toward him now, and for a brief moment, everything else fades out. The sirens, the people, the chaos… it all disappears, and it's just me and this kid waiting for an answer and a small smile forms under my mask.
"I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," I say, keeping my voice steady but a little lighter, like it's the most natural thing in the world.
The kid's face lights up instantly, like I just confirmed something he already wanted to believe, and I don't stick around long enough to overthink it. Before anyone else can say anything, before the cops burst through the doors, I turn and shoot a web toward the ceiling, letting it pull me up and out of the bank in one smooth motion.
The second I'm back outside, the air hits me again, cool and sharp, and I swing forward without hesitation, the city opening up in front of me like it did before. Only now it feels different. This isn't just adrenaline or excitement anymore. This actually means something.
"Did you just say 'friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?'" Harry asks through the comms, clearly amused.
I smirk, launching into another swing. "What? It sounded good." Peter laughs. "It did, actually. It's… fitting."
"Yeah, yeah," I reply, flipping slightly before catching another web, my movements already smoother than before. "Don't get used to it. I'm still workshopping."
"Sure you are," Harry says.
The trip back feels faster this time, like my body's already adjusting, learning the rhythm of it all, and before long I'm landing on the side of Harry's building and climbing up toward the balcony like it's second nature. I pull myself over the edge, landing lightly this time, and the second I do, the glass door slides open.
Harry's standing there, already grinning like he just watched the best show of his life. "There he is!" he says, stepping aside to let me in. "The man of the hour."
I walk inside, pulling my mask up just enough to breathe easier, and I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. "Did you see that?" I ask, looking between him and Peter, who's already pacing around the room like his brain is still processing everything.
"See it?" Peter repeats, turning toward me with wide eyes. "Dante, I recorded it. Every movement, every reaction and it was incredible. Your reflexes are even better under pressure, your decision-making…."
"Pete," I cut in, laughing. "I fought some guys. You don't need to write a whole research paper about it."
"I absolutely do," he replies immediately. Harry shakes his head, chuckling as he walks over and throws an arm around my shoulders. "Nah, forget all that. You just stopped a bank robbery on your first try. That's worth celebrating." I raise an eyebrow. "And how exactly do we celebrate something like that?" He grins. "Pizza." I don't even hesitate. "Say less."
A little while later, we're all sprawled out in the living room, boxes of pizza open on the table, drinks scattered around, and for the first time since this whole thing started, everything feels… normal again. Well, as normal as it can be when I'm sitting here in a half-unzipped superhero suit after taking down six armed robbers.
Harry's going on about how I need a better entrance next time, something with more "flare," while Peter's already sketching out upgrades for the suit between bites, muttering to himself about improving the web-shooters and adding more features to the mask. I lean back into the couch, a slice of pizza in my hand, listening to them argue back and forth, and I just… take it in.
Yesterday, I was just a normal kid but today … I'm Spider-Man.
I glance down at my hands for a second, flexing my fingers slightly, then look back up at my friends, a small smile forming again. But who knew this is one of my last happy moments with my best friends because it only gets worse from here.