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Chapter Text

Amazing Fantasy

“Are you a fan of Greek Mythology, Alador?” The green haired woman asked as she looked over the microscope.

“Can’t say I’m very fond of it.” The tired man answered as he sat nearby and typed on a keyboard, not paying much attention to what his wife had been saying.

“The myth of Arachne is one that always caught my attention. Athena discovered a mortal on Earth was a better spinstress than the Goddess herself. Can you imagine it? A mortal who surpassed a God. Athena rained down fury and destroyed the woman’s creations. The woman was quick to hang herself.” She monologued. “Athena took pity on the mere mortal, and saved her life by transforming her into a spider.”

“Fascinating.” Alador declared in a sarcastic tone.

“What I mean to say is that…” The woman declared as she moved away from the specimen she had been looking over, revealing it to have been a black widow spider. “I have surpassed God!”

New York City, Queens.

“What are you making again? Some type of webbing?” Manny asked as he looked over his daughter carefully mixing the chemicals.

“They’re not webs, they’re a nylon polymer shear-thinning liquid similar to glue.” Luz Noceda explained, carefully mixing together the white chemicals.

“Well, they look like webs.” Manny shrugged, making his daughter giggle for a moment.

“I came up with this formula a few weeks ago at the science class, so I figure I’d make some and take it to the field trip at Blight Industries. Maybe I could patent it and sell it.” Luz explained as she finished mixing the chemicals. She placed a small spoon inside the bottle and pulled out a drop of the white concoction. She flung it at the wall, and it stuck to it in the shape of a web.

“That isn’t going to stay there forever, is it?” Manny asked in slight worry.

“It dissolves in an hour when in contact with air.” Luz explained as she closed the glass bottle, making it air tight.

They heard the sound of the garage door opening, and turned to see Luz’s mother, Camila Noceda.

“If you two don’t come eat your breakfast now, we’re all going to be late. The two of us for the job, and Luz for school.” She explained.

“I can’t be late today!” Luz declared as she picked up the fluid bottle and started to walk towards the door. “Any other day but today.”

Manny and Camila looked at each other and smiled, before closing the door to the now empty garage.

Midtown High School.

Luz made her way through the crowded corridors as she heard the sound of the bell ringing. She carefully looked down at the bottle of fluid in her hands and smiled, when a foot suddenly tripped her, and she fell to the ground, the bottle smashing open on impact and throwing the fluid onto her clothes. Luz looked down at her chest in shock, when she heard the sound of laughing.

“Boscha!” Luz yelled in anger.

“What’s up, Luzer?” Her classmate asked in a sarcastic tone of voice.

“You did it on purpose!” Luz declared as she once again looked down at her dirty clothes. Luz got up and tried to stare her bully eye to eye.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?” Boscha asked as she took a step forward, reminding Luz that she was barely tall enough to reach her bully’s shoulder.

“N-nothing…” Luz whispered, making everyone around her begin to laugh. Luz sighed and walked away as she tried to ignore the mocking giggles. She kept walking forward and went through a door at the end of the corridor.

“Hey kid, are you okay?” Luz asked, as she turned to see her science teacher, Eda Clawthorn. Eda had a worried expression as she pointed at her student’s shirt with her only arm. “You look like a hurricane just flew through you.”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” Luz answered as she walked towards a desk, the other students ignoring her. The teacher continued to loo the girl over with a suspicious expression, but then shrugged and reached for her piece of chalk with her only hand.

“Genetics, the code of evolution. Many species have evolved differently from us humans.” Eda explained as she began writing on the board. “Take the owl, for example. Those creatures have incredible night vision, can rotate their heads 270 degrees, can fly without producing any sound, and some recent tests even suggest that in the future, some species of owls might evolve into regrowing lost limbs.”

Blight Industries Headquarters.

“For decades this company has been dedicated to providing innovations, may they be technological or chemical. It would not be an understatement to say that this very building is forging your future.” The tour guide declared as she led the classroom of children through the large factory. Most of the class seemed uninterested, with the exception of Luz, who looked around in amazement while taking pictures with her cell phone. “I now greet one of the greatest scientific minds of the current century: Alador Blight!”

A metallic door opened, and a tall man walked through it. It was clear from his expression that he was tired and overworked, but the students were focusing less on his face, and more on the objects coming out of his back.

“What is he wearing?” One of the students asked. “Are those tentacles?”

“Actually, those are–”

“Mentally controlled, electronically powered, telescoping, prehensile titanium-steel prosthetic limbs attached to a wearable stainless-steel harness!” Luz declared in amazement as she took a few steps forward, taking a picture of the device around the man’s body. “I read about those, but I never thought I’d get to see them in person!”

“I can see I have a fan in the crowd, and a bright one at that.” Alador declared as he took a few steps towards the girl. “What is your name?”

“Luz Noceda.”

“Very well, Luz Noceda. You, and all of the others in this class, have a gift. The gift of intellect.” Alador declared. “You must always remember: This gift is not just for you, but for all of us, a gift you must use for the good of mankind.”

Luz simply stared at the tall man in amazement and admiration, as a few other students in the class clapped. Alador signed for them to follow, and led them to a series of small glass cages, most of which contained tiny spiders.

“Ew, that’s disgusting!” Boscha whispered to herself.

“We’ve been recently doing genetic experiments to combine the genomes of several different types of spiders into those five unique specimens.” Alador explained. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to produce a specimen who had a longer lifespan than a few hours, so by the end of the day all of those spiders will be dead.”

“There are only four.” Luz commented as she counted the spiders. Alador turned to the cages, counting them and realizing Luz was indeed correct.

“My wife must have taken it back to do more research.” Alador explained, to which Luz nodded and continued walking, unaware of the tiny black spider crawling up her arm. “I will now go back to my studies. Have a nice tour.”

Alador nodded and left through the same door he had arrived. The guide signed for the students to continue following her.

“Here you can see–”

“AH!” Luz screamed in pain as she felt a powerful spider bite on the back of her neck, making her jump up in surprise. The sudden movement sent the black spider flying, falling right on the face of Mattholomule. The boy yelled and pushed the arachnid to the ground, as several of the classmates screamed in terror. Boscha ran in and stomped onto the spider with all of her strength, killing the small animal.

“Nobody panics!” The tour guide warned.

“The nerd is spasming out!” One of the classmates declared as Luz began having what seemed to be a seizure, and fell to the ground powerless.

“Luz! Luz! Can you hear me! Luz!” She heard the voice of several of her classmates through the ringing in her ears, before her vision went black and everything went silent.

Bellevue Hospital.

Luz carefully opened her eyes as she began to regain consciousness. She shook her head for a few moments and looked around, to see she was inside a hospital room. She felt so tired, but she forced herself to sit up on the bed, when the door opened and a doctor walked in.

“Slow down there, sport.” The doctor declared as he approached Luz. “You were bitte by a spider.”

“A spider?” Luz asked, still feeling slightly off as she shook her head again. “What time is it? Where am I?”

“You’re in the Bellevue Hospital, in Manhattan. It’s almost 6 PM.” The doctor explained, to which Luz’s eyes widened. “You’re recovering surprisingly well, but we’ll still have to run some tests–”

“I have to go!” Luz declared as she shot up from the bed. “My parents must be worried.”

“Wait, we’re not sure if you’ve fully recovered yet!” The doctor warned as Luz made her way to the door. “We have no idea what other side effects might occur!”

“Sorry… I just want to go home…” Luz explained as she left the room. The girl made her way through the corridors and left the hospital, walking down the street. Luz looked upon her hands as she crossed the street.

She felt strange, but she couldn’t exactly pin down why. She was about to reach the other sidewalk, when she felt a strange tingling sensation on the back of her skull. Her instincts suddenly all flew into high gear as she leaped, back flipping through the air and dodging a speeding car that was about to run her over from behind.

“What?” Luz asked in surprise as she looked down at the car speeding away. She turned to her hands, and her eyes widened in shock as she realized her fingertips had just instinctively glue themselves to the side of a building without her noticing. “WHAT?”

Luz looked at her own hands in surprise. She wasn’t sure how she had done this, but she had just done it. She carefully pulled one of her hands back, took a deep breath and raised her hand, sticking it higher onto the wall, before doing the same to the other hand, then doing it again, and again. Luz was crawling up a wall, and somehow it felt as natural to her as walking.

“Mommy! Look! Someone is walking up the side of the building!” A little kid on the street pointed.

“That’s the last horror movie I let you watch, young man.” The boy’s mother declared as she kept walking without turning her head.

Luz reached the top of the building and pulled herself to the rooftop. She stared at one of her hands in shock, while the other hand tried to support herself onto a small metal pipe. She heard a metallic sound, and turned to see she had just accidentally crushed the hard pipe as if it was made of paper. Luz took a step back in surprise, and once again felt that strange tingle, as she turned around to see she had nearly fallen off the building. Luz screamed and tripped, luckily falling to the other side and landing onto the rooftop.

Luz took another glance at the side of the building, her heart beating faster as she saw the view from the top of the skyscraper. The truth is, Luz had always been scared of heights. Her hands were shaking.

“Stairs it is!” Luz declared t herself as she turned around and made her way to the rooftop door of the building. Luz looked down upon her hands in disbelief. It was like she could do whatever a spider could.

Midtown High School.

It had been a whole day since the wall crawling event. Luz didn’t mention a word of it to her parents, of course, why the hell would she? ‘Look, dad, I’m a creepy spider monster!’ Luz sat near the basketball field as the school team practiced, holding one of the Good Witch Azura books in her hands. Luz had read this book enough times to recite it from memory, but she hoped a distraction would help her get her mind off the spider thing. It didn’t help, but it was worth a try.

Luz felt that strange tingle yet again, and moved her head just in time to dodge a flying basketball that nearly hit her on the head.

“Look! If it isn’t Luzer Noceda?” Boscha asked. “Still recovering from yesterday, you brat?”

“Leave me alone, Boscha!” Luz warned as she got up and began making her way to the door.

“Someone is grumpy today!” Boscha declared in a mocking tone as she threw the ball towards Luz, only for the girl to grab the ball with a quick reflex, sticking it to her fingers. Luz looked at the ball in her hands with slight surprise, when a smile formed on her face. “Give me back that thing!”

Luz nodded and took a few steps toward her bully, holding the ball in between them. Boscha grabbed the ball and tried to pull it, only to realize it was stuck to Luz’s palm and simply wouldn’t move. Boscha stared at Luz in confusion, as the girl simply gave her a smug smile. Luz pulled the ball away from Boscha’s hands and began bouncing it on the ground. Boscha tried to take it in midair, only for Luz to swiftly take it back with lightning-fast reflexes.

Boscha stared at Luz in anger, who simply smiled and turned away. Luz threw the ball over her shoulder, which flew over Boscha’s head and struck the basket perfectly. Luz’s eyes widened as she heard the sound of shattering, and turned back to see her ball had struck the basket with such an impact that it had destroyed the entire structure.

The rest of the basketball team stared at the broken glass that had scattered across the field, and then turned to Luz with weirded out expressions. Luz felt awkward as she took a few steps back, and then turned around and ran out of the field.

Abandoned Factory.

Luz walked into the old building, and looked up to see several owl nests across the ceiling. She could certainly understand why everyone called this place ‘The Owl House.’ It had been three days since she was bitten by the spider, and she still had not told anyone about it. From a quick research, Luz had come to the conclusion that she possessed the proportionate characteristics of a spider. Superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, stamina, equilibrium, and reflexes. Luz didn’t want to go around breaking everything she touched, so she would have to get used to her powers.

Luz took a deep breath and then ran, back flipped and landed upside down with her hand on a table, easily lifting up her entire body. Luz took another deep breath and leaped from the table, gluing her fingers to a small piece of the ceiling and scaring away some of the owls. She crawled through the ceiling for a few moments, and then leaped, back flipping again and sticking herself upside down on one of the walls. Luz smiled and hopped, grabbing onto a small chain on the ceiling and swinging on it. She let go of it and tried to grab another chain, only to miss and fall flat on her face, the noise scaring away several of the nearby owls.

“That didn’t even hurt!” Luz declared in surprised as she got back to her feet. She looked down upon her hands, and a smile formed across her face. “This is something else!”

It had been four days since she was bitten by the spider. Luz stood before an abandoned car on the back of the Owl House. She threw a punch, shattering the front part of the car and making it bounce.

“Still too much strength...” Luz whispered to herself as she threw another punch holding back even more. The car moved slightly, but it did not break to pieces. “Yeah, this level is about right.”

Luz grabbed the car with her fingertips, gluing them to it, and casually lifted it off the ground, holding the vehicle over her head with one hand. Luz threw the car upwards and then perfectly caught it with her other hand, that same tingly sensation warning her of the exact movements she should make.

“Some spiders possess sharp instincts that warn them of incoming danger! I have a danger sense!” Luz declared as she placed the car down. “Better yet, a Spider Sense!”

It had been five days since Luz was bitten by the spider. She carefully sowed the red and blue costume using some pieces of spandex bodysuits she had taken from her school’s dance team. She also bought some one-way mirror glasses to cover her eyes. Luz took out the red mask and put it on, completely covering her face.

“How do I look?” Luz asked a nearby owl, who simply stared at her. “It will look better when I draw in the web patterns, don’t worry.”

It had been six days since Luz was bitten by the spider. She carefully finished putting together the small devices around her wrist, and then placed a tiny cartridge into it.

“Dad’s name ended up sticking, so now we call the glue Web Fluid.” Luz explained to herself. “I guess it’s fair I call those Web Shooters.”

Luz carefully aimed and pressed the button on the center of her palm with two of her fingers, releasing a jet of fluid that expanded into the shape of a spider web upon hitting the wall. She changed the Web Shooters to another mode and then fired again, this time the web taking the shape of a ball that broke right through the metal wall.

“Impact Webbing! Neat!” Luz declared. She once again changed modes and fired, the fluid this time taking the shape of a line that glued itself to the wall, Luz tightly holding the other end with a smile on her face. “What is a spider without her web?”

Queens.

It had been a week since Luz had been bitten by the spider. She walked into the small building, hearing the sounds of punches being thrown. A large muscular man easily lifted someone else over his head and tossed them out of the stage without difficulty.

“He’s invincible, everybody!” A man with a microphone declared. “Who else is willing to take a chance against Crusher Hogan?”

“I’ll take him on.” They heard, when a teenage girl wearing a red and blue spandex suit covered in a web pattern and with a small spider symbol on the chest suddenly landed onto the stage. “I bet a hundred dollars I can beat him. Two hundred I can do it in less than five minutes.”

“Who are you supposed to be? Some masked marvel?” Hagan asked, towering over the girl.

“Spider-Girl.”

“Ladies and gentlemen! The Amazing Spider-Girl!” The man with the microphone declared as he left the stage.

The bell rung and Hogan dashed towards Spider-Girl, who easily leaped over the muscular man without difficulty. Hogan couldn’t even react as Spider-Girl glued her palm to the back of his shirt, and then leaped, gluing her feet to the ceiling and holding the wrestler in midair. The crowd cheered in amazement.

“You’re not human!” Hogan declared in shock.

“Well, thank goddess for that, or else I wouldn’t be able to do this.” Spidey declared as she let go of the wrestler’s shirt, making Hogan fall onto the stage and faint. She leaped down from the ceiling and landed on her feet perfectly, giving a boastful bow as the crowd cheered for her.

“Alright!” Luz declared with a smile, back in her regular clothing, and holding the dollar bills in her hands as she approached her house. She put the money on her pocket and entered the home, only to see her parents sitting on the table, seeming to have been waiting for her. “Mom? Dad? Is everything okay?”

The two glanced at each other, when Luz’s mom began speaking.

“Luz, we need to talk. We are worried about you.” Camila explained. “The principal called. He said you didn’t go to school today. He also said you had been leaving your classes before they’re over ever since last week.”

“We’ve also noticed you’ve been coming in late from school those last few days.” Manny declared. “Where have you been?”

“I was…” Luz commented. “Where I was is none of your business, okay?”

“As long as you’re living in our house, yes, it is!” Manny declared as he got up from the sofa.

“We’ve also been told you’ve been breaking school property!” Camila explained in worry. “Are you involved with something you shouldn’t? Are you in a gang? Just tell us so we can help you!”

“What are you even going to do?” Luz yelled back in anger. “For years that school has been a hell on Earth for me, and what have either of you done? Nothing!”

“You are not going to speak with your mother like that, young lady!” Manny yelled as he approached Luz, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Luz, listen to me. You have a gift. You are only fifteen years old, and you are brilliant. Our family has a philosophy: If there is one thing in the world only you can offer, something you can do better than anyone else, then it is your responsibility to help. Don’t try to be something you’re not, Luz, please. You have great things ahead of you, I know you do, and with great power comes great responsibility.”

Luz stared at her father in silence for a few moments, when tears began flowing down her eyes.

“Responsibility… so where were you? Where were you when I needed you?” Luz yelled from the top of her lungs, before turning around and running out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Her parents stared at the closed door for a few moments, and then turned to look at each other in worry.

“Luz is in some kind of trouble.” Manny declared. “I’ll go talk to her.”

“You lost to a little girl?” Hogan’s boss yelled at him as the two stood in the man’s office.

“She wasn’t human! She was very strong and fast! She must have been a mutant or something!” Hogan explained. The boss opened his mouth to say something, when they heard the sound of knocking, and turned to see Spider-Girl opening the window from the outside and crawling in.

“See! I told you! She’s not human!” Hogan declared, when Spidey fired a web that covered his mouth.

“What do you want here?” The boss asked.

“A job would be nice.” Spider-Girl declared as she walked into the office. “Fire this loser and make me your champion. As long as you pay me, I’ll win any match you want.”

“Honey, this is wrestling, not a circus. You think anyone will pay to see a freak aberration such as you?”

“What did you call me?” Spider-Girl asked in anger.

“Get out of my office before I call the police, mutant freak!” The boss threatened.

Spider-Girl stared at him in anger, clenching her fists before turning around and leaving through the door. She bumped into a skinny blond man with messy hair, but she ignored him and continued walking. Spidey reached the elevator at the end of the hallway and pressed the button, when she heard the sound of screaming, and turned to see that same blonde man running right towards her.

“Thief! Don’t let him get away!” The boss screamed.

Spider-Girl took a step to the side, the man running past her and getting into the elevator, successfully escaping.

“You let him go!” The boss yelled in anger. “You could have beaten that guy up!”

“Sorry, pal. I’m done being pushed around.” Spider-Girl declared, as the empty elevator came back and she walked into it. “From now on I only look after one person, me!”

Luz Noceda walked through the cold night of New York. She could hear police sirens echoing through the dark blocks as the cars passed through the streets. Her expression suddenly changed into one of pure horror as her Spider Sense suddenly hit her like a truck, and the sound of a single loud gunshot echoed through the night skies. That terrifying sound echoed for several seconds, before slowly dissolving alongside the tingly sensation on the back of the girl’s skull.

“Dear God!” Luz declared, terror noticeable in her voice, as she ran into an alley and leaped over a fence, running full speed towards the next city block. She saw several people gathered on the street, surrounding someone, as police cars drove nearby. Luz knew what had just happened, but she did not want to believe it. Luz ran into the crowd, carefully pushing people away, and her eyes widened as she saw the dying man on the sidewalk. “Dad!”

Luz kneeled right next to Manny, who stared at her with tears in his eyes. There was a gunshot wound on his chest, and it was bleeding to the point of soaking his shirt with warm blood.

“Dad… d-dad…” Luz whispered as she held her father’s hand, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. “I’m here… y-you’re going to be okay…”

“Luz…” Manny whispered weakly as he used the last strength he had left to tightly hold to his daughter’s hand. His strength suddenly vanished, and Luz felt his pulse stopping as he closed his eyes.

Luz continued to cry, as she hugged her father’s dead body. Her father was dead… it couldn’t be…

“We’ve got the shooter!” One of the nearby police officers declared. “The abandoned Acme factory, at the waterfront!”

Luz’s eyes widened in shock, which then changed into an expression of anger.

Luz ran towards her home, swiftly jumping over the police cars and running in through the door.

“Luz!” Camila called, looking away from the officers in surprise. “Luz! Look at me!”

Her daughter ignored her calls, running straight up the stairs and into her room.

“Some people deal with grief differently, ma’am.” One of the officers explained. “Kids take this the hardest. This is her way to let it out.”

Luz slammed the door shut behind her and opened a drawer, pulling out several cartridges of Web Fluid and replacing the ones on her Web Shooters. Luz quickly took off her civilian clothes, revealing the Spider-Girl outfit she worn underneath.

“He is hiding in the Owl House! That place could hold off an army if he barricades it right.” Luz declared in anger as she put on her mask and jumped out of the window. “But it won’t hold off Spider-Girl!”

Spider-Girl climbed a nearby building, which she then used to jump to another taller building, then to another, until she was finally at the tallest building in the neighborhood. Luz looked down, noticing the incredible height of the structure. The cars looked like just dots from her perspective. Her heart was beating fast and her hands were shaking. Luz took a step back, and Spider-Girl ran in and jumped out of the building.

She aimed and fired her web, gluing it to a building and swinging from it. She let go of the web in midair, back flipping and then firing another web.

“My heart is racing… my muscles almost move by themselves… I’m not even thinking, I’m just doing it… I can do this!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung through the city.

The Owl House:

“You are surrounded! Walk away with your hands up!” A police officer with a megaphone declared from the outside of the factory.

“The place is completely barricaded. We can’t get in.” One of the officers informed their captain, when a swift shadow suddenly flew over them. “Look! Something just invaded through the ceiling!”

The inside of the factory was dark, the only source of light being the little moonlight getting in through the broken windows. The yellow eyes of the owls on the ceiling were clearly visible as the murdered walked through the darkness.

“I just have to hold them off until the moon is down, then I can blend into the darkness!” The criminal whispered to himself. He heard the sound of footsteps and turned around. He saw what appeared to be a humanoid figure hanging upside down, but it was gone by the time he aimed his handgun. It must have just been his imagination. “I’m getting out of here no matter what!”

“You will never escape again!” The killer heard, as he turned around to see what appeared to be a skinny humanoid clinging upside down to the metal wall, and staring at him with anger. “Murderer!”

The killer opened fire, which Spider-Girl easily avoided with a back flip off the wall. The killer turned around, but it was too late, as a swift web flew from Spider-Girl’s wrist and pulled the gun away from his hands. Another web struck the weapon in midair, gluing it to the metal wall. The killer turned around and tried to run, only for a web to tangle his foot as Spider-Girl pulled him towards her, throwing a punch right onto his jaw and knocking him to the ground.

“Please! Don’t hurt me! Just give me a chance!” The killer yelled from the top of his lungs.

“What about my dad? Did you give him a chance? Did you?” Spider-Girl demanded as she punched the killer a second time, knocking him to the ground. One of the police helicopters outside shined a flashlight, which illuminated the room through the window. Luz’s expression changed into one of shock as she realized who she had been fighting. “That face… n-no… It can’t be!”

Luz could not deny it, this was the same blonde criminal who had run past her earlier that night, the one she chose not to stop when she had the chance.

The sound of slamming echoed through the factory as the police finally managed to break down the door and run inside. Their flashlights illuminated the room, and all they could see was the criminal they had been chasing, tied up and unconscious.

“It’s him! He’s still alive!” One of the officers declared. “What is this? It’s a spider web!”

At the top of the Owl House stood a lean and silent figure. She took off her mask and looked at it. It was her fault. If only she had done the right thing when she had the chance, her father would have still been alive.

“Dad… you told me this before, and I didn’t understand it back then… but I think I do now…” Luz put her mask back on and swung away from the building, fading into the surrounding darkness. “With great power, comes great responsibility!”

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Inspector Strikes!

Chapter Text

The Inspector Strikes

The sound of police sirens echoed across the night as they chased after a figure in the darkness. The fugitive appeared to be just a shadow as it ran into an alley and climbed over a fence.

“Don’t lose her!” The policewoman declared as she ran out of the car and swiftly chased after. “You’re under arrest, Smerdyakov! Put your hands where we can see them!”

The figure crawled through the shadows, hiding from her pursuers. She climbed over another fence and carefully walked into a street where a single bystander was walking. She sneaked onto the man, who turned around at the last second. The man’s expression was one of pure shock as he turned to see the woman morphing into a perfect copy of himself.

“You… are me?” The man asked in shock, when his copy suddenly opened its mouth. A blue aura appeared around the man’s body, and was swiftly drained by the copy. The man fell to the ground unconscious, as the copy grabbed him and threw him into a nearby dumpster.

The fugitive, now looking completely different from a minute ago, casually put his hands on his pockets and walked down the street. The policewoman and the other cops ran out of a nearby alley, passing by the fugitive and ignoring him. The criminal smiled as he escaped into the night.

“The life force I drained back in Russia was tasty, but I hope the one from the Americans will be more fitting…” The Inspector whispered to herself.

Manhattan.

It was another sunny day in New York city. The sky was beautiful, and the day seemed to be going great for most citizens, except for a teenager named Luz Noceda.

“Sorry! Excuse me! Passing by!” Luz commented as she ran through the streets, avoiding bumping into bystanders as she ran around a corner, seeing the large library right at the end of the street. “I had to get two buses, but I got here in time!”

Luz smiled as she prepared to run towards her new job, when her Spider Sense activated, and the sound of an alarm echoed across the city block. She turned around, to see a large bank at the other end of the street.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

“Hands up, everybody.” The tall black man declared as he held up his revolver, the people around the bank all freezing in shock. His face was blocked by a ski mask, and so was the face of his partner in crime. “Just do what we tell you, and nobody is going to get hurt.”

“We’re taking all of the money! You better not be hiding even a cent!” The partner, even taller and more muscular, ordered in an angry voice, holding up his own handgun. “You clients will be giving your stuff as well! Cellphones, jewelry, whatever you have!”

“Y’know, if you guys plan on going skiing, I think you’re in the completely wrong side of the state.” The two robbers heard. They looked up, to see a teenage girl in a red and blue costume clinging to a wall above them.

“Who the hell are you?” The taller robber asked.

“Name’s Spider-Girl, punk, but if you want you can call me Web-Head, Spidey, Wall Crawler, just don’t call me late for dinner.” The hero jested with a shrug. Her Spider Sense tingled as the criminals aimed their gun. Spider-Girl swiftly fired a pair of webs, and pulled the weapons out of their hands and across the room before they could pull the trigger. She jumped off the wall with incredible speed and landed right in front of the two, firing a web that expanded into a large net, tying up them both.

“Ew! This is disgusting! Get this goo off me!” One of the robbers declared, as Spidey walked up to them and pulled off their masks. She webbed their mouths shut before they could say another word, and reached for their cloths, pulling out their identities.

“Darius Deamonne and Aleksei Wrath. You guys aren’t from here?” Spider-Girl asked with a mocking tone. She heard the sound of the door flinging open, and turned to see several police officers running into the bank. “Don’t worry, guys, I got them!”

Her Spider Sense suddenly warned her of danger, as the officers all pointed their weapons at her.

“You’re under arrest! Put your hands up!”

“You’re welcome!” She yelled as she jumped, the super strength of her legs allowing her to reach the ceiling, and crawled out through an open skylight. The cops aimed at her but did not open fire, as the bullets could bounce off and hit the bystanders. Spider-Girl jumped off the building and swung away. One of the policemen stared at her for a moment, and then turned to the two tied up criminals.

“I’ve never seen either of you around here.” The black-haired Asian cop commented as he straightened his glasses.

“Captain Park.” Another officer called. “We should help the hostages.”

Gilbert Park nodded.

“I’m here! I’m here!” Luz declared in a loud voice as she ran into the library, only for the readers to shush her. Luz blushed, and noticed the librarian, Malphas, approaching her. He was a white old man with grey hair and light brown eyes. “Mister Tatasciore!”

“You’re late, again.” Malphas declared in an annoyed voice. “You’ve only been working here for a week, and you’ve already been late three times. If you want to work here, you have to be here.”

“I’m sorry…” Luz explained, scratching the back of her head. “It won’t happen again, I promise!”

“This is what you said yesterday.” Malphas declared. “You keep on showing up almost half an hour late, and when you do show up you always appear exhausted. You’re supposed to be helping this library, but you’re more disturbing it than anything. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to fire you.”

“What?” Luz asked in almost a yell, only for the readers to once again shush her. Luz blushed and continued speaking. “You can’t fire me! I need this job! Can’t you at least give me another chance?”

“Go home, Luz.” Malphas declared. “You’re fired.”

Luz sighed, and then turned around and walked away through the door.

Queens:

Luz unlocked the door to their small house and walked inside. She made her way across the living room and took a few steps to the empty kitchen. Luz was about to take a seat, when she noticed a small piece of paper on the table, and read it with a worried expression. Their rent was late by about ten days. If it reached twenty days past due, they’d go into foreclosure. Luz heard the sound of a door opening, and look up from the papers, pretending not to have seen them.

“Hey, mom.” She declared as she walked to the living room.

“Good evening, Luz.” Camila greeted. She looked around for a few seconds, her instincts expecting her husband to come greet her from the next room, until she realized what she was doing, and had to hold back a tired sigh. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be at the library.”

“Uh… It’s a long story.” Luz whispered in response. “How is your day going?”

“I applied again to that veterinary hospital. My friend Carmen works there, so I think I might actually get it this time.” Camila explained as she forced a smile. Luz forced her own smile and gave her mother a thumbs-up, pretending not to notice how tired Camila clearly was. Camila nodded and made her way upstairs. Luz sighed and sat on the sofa.

Luz had to help her mother somehow. She looked down upon her own hands, as an idea formed on her mind. She had super powers, she could do anything, and nobody would be able to stop her. She could break into any safe, rob any bank, she could easily run circles around the police if they tried to get her!

Luz closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. No, her parents didn’t raise a criminal. She also could not afford to break her mother’s heart a second time. Luz got up from the sofa and opened her eyes. There was one other way she could use her powers to help.

Keibler's Circus

“Come in, come all, ladies and gentlemen! Come see the greatest acrobat of them all! The amazing Spider-Girl!” The presenter declared as the spotlight focused on Spidey, who was clinging to a wooden pillar, dozens of meters into the air.

“I just hope Boscha never finds out about this.” Spidey whispered as she jumped off the pillar and free fell for a moment, suddenly using her web to swing around as the crowd cheered. She climbed up the web mid-swing and back flipped off it, sticking to the ceiling. She made another web and slowly lowered herself upside down, before jumping and sticking to another pillar. Spider-Girl waved as the crowd cheered.

“Name, please?” The circus employee asked as he began writing down the payment check.

“Uh…” Spidey whispered to herself. She could not reveal her secret identity. “Spider-Girl?”

The bank obviously wasn’t able to let her cash the check the day before, how could she? ‘Spider-Girl’ is not exactly a legal citizen. She swung across the buildings and landed right in front of the circus. This was the eleventh day that their rent was late, and she needed the money. Wouldn’t she have to reveal her actual name? She could only hope the secret would not spread. The door opened before she could get inside, and her employer walked out.

“Get out of here, Spider-Girl. There will be no show today. You’re fired.”

“What?” She asked. “Why? What did I do?”

He handed her over a newspaper, and she carefully read the first page.

“Spider-Girl: Threat or Menace?” She read the page in surprise, and quickly checked the name of the article’s writer. “Jacob Hopkins?”

Daily Bugle Inc.

“This masked figure is a menace, you hear me? A menace! We cannot allow this lawless and inhuman monster to get her way!” Jacob Hopkins declared as he sat at his desk while wearing a business suit, a greenscreen behind and a camera in front. “This outlaw is fanning the flames of vigilante justice! She is a threat to our freedom, our goodness, and the rules of society! There is no place for this dangerous villain in our city! From this day on, I am declaring war against this Spider-Girl, and I will not cease until she crawls back into the deplorable hole from where she came!”

Manhattan.

“It’s all his fault! Because of him, I won’t be able to make money with my super hero identity!” Spider-Girl complained as she stood on top of a small building, looking down upon the images of Hopkins on the televisions in a window store. A familiar figure walked on the sidewalk in front of the window, taking her attention away from the screen. “Mom? What’s she doing here?”

Spidey watched her mother walking to the end of the street and entering a small building. Spider-Girl leaped and swung with her web, landing on top of the store and climbing down to a nearby window.

“Yes, this will do.” The man on the counter declared as Camila showed him a box of jewelry. He took the box from her, and then handed over several dollar bills.

“Thank you.” Camila nodded and left the store.

“Mom just pawned her jewelry… she has had those since before I was born…” Spider-Girl whispered, and quickly crawled up the wall, beginning to swing randomly through the skyscrapers. “I don’t get it! Despite all of my super powers, I can’t do anything to help!”

Spider-Girl leaped and landed onto a gargoyle on the top of a tower.

“What do I do? Why does this only happen to me? All of the other super heroes are never bothered like this…” Spidey whispered, when her eyes widened in realization. “That’s it! Why didn’t I think of this before?”

The place was a bizarre gift shop, more of a tourist trap than anything, located right at the heart of Manhattan. It was somewhat small, or at least it looked to be from the outside, and could easily be confused for a gigantic scam. Most of the supernatural objects within it were indeed fake, nobody can deny that, but there are secrets hidden within it if you dare to look for it.

“There it is!” Spidey declared as she landed on the side of one of the nearby buildings. The letters on the roof originally said ‘Mystery Shack’, but the ‘S’ had fallen off long ago. There was no doubt about it, this was the place. Spidey swung with her web and landed onto the roof, opening a window and crawling inside to see a room filled with strange machines. “Y’know, I was kind of expecting this place to have better defenses.”

Spider let go of the ceiling and safely landed on the wooden floor, stepping onto a tiny red laser. She felt her Spider Sense triggering, as a large metal came out of the ground and locked itself around her, as a loud alarm began playing all over the shack.

“I just had to open my big mouth, didn’t I?”

She heard the sound of footsteps, when the alarm suddenly stopped and a pair of kids ran in, followed by a red-haired teenager.

“Dipper! Mabel!” The teenager called.

“Sup, Wendy?” Mabel greeted.

“Focus, guys!” Dipper declared as he approached the cell. “We put on fly paper, ended up getting an arachnid! You’re that Spider-Girl that has been all over the news, aren’t you?”

“You’re a fantastic observer, but if you didn’t want me to break in, maybe you should have put on better defenses.”

“Well, it was enough to catch you, Web-Head, wasn’t it?” Mabel declared confidently.

“Are you sure about that?” Spider-Girl asked as she struck the cage, easily shattering it to pieces.

“That was made of titanium!” Dipper declared in shock, as Spider-Girl easily back flipped over the three, landing right in front of the door.

“How about a demonstration?” Spider-Girl asked, when she suddenly felt her Spider Sense. There was a large figure standing right behind her.

“Soos!” The three declared, as a hand grabs Spider-Girl by the shoulder. The hand was not made of flesh, however, but instead of orange stone.

“Sorry I wasn’t here in time, guys.” That man… that monster declared as he pulled Spidey up, easily lifting her with one hand. “But I’m here for when it’s clobberin' time!”

The Thing punched Spider-Girl on the face. She could tell he pulled back his punch, but it was still the hardest that Spidey had even been hit. The impact sent her flying onto the wooden wall, making large cracks. She swiftly jumped back up and fired her Web Shooters, hitting the Thing with a flurry of impact webbing.

“Oh no! Webs! My only weakness that I just found out I have!” The Thing declared as he shielded his face.

“Eat this, sucker! Es hora de palear!” Spider-Girl declared sarcastically, firing her impact webbing with incredible speed and precision.

“Hey! Only I get to throw party streamers around here! Flame on!” Mabel declared as her body lit itself ablaze, and she began flying around the room.

“Mabel! You’re gonna set fire to my equipment again, you dumbnut!” Dipper yelled.

“She might also, y’know, burn the house down.” Wendy pointed out.

“Yeah, that too.” Dipper nodded. Wendy turned invisible, and Dipper stretched his limbs like rubber.

The Human Torch flew towards Spider-Girl, who swiftly changed the mode of her Web Shooters and fired two webs at the Thing, tying him up and throwing him towards Mabel, tossing the two against a wall.

“You guys might be as hard as rocks, but I’m just warming up!” Spidey declared.

“That’s enough yapping for you, Wall Crawler!” Mister Fantastic declared as he stretched his arms towards Spidey, making his hands grow enough to encase Luz’s entire body. Spider-Girl swiftly leaped out of the way before Dipper could encase her with his palms, and once again changed the mode on her Wed Shooters, firing large net shaped webs that tied Dipper up in place. “Shear-thinning long-chain nylon liquid to flexible and adhesive fiber conversion? Clever, I must admit.”

Spider Sense suddenly flared up, and Spider-Girl turned around and threw a kick, hitting a force field. Invisible Girl unfaded and revealed herself, holding the force field right in front of her.

“How did you find me, you freak?” Wendy asked in slight anger.

“Figure out, you freak!” Spider-Girl answered.

“Alright then, keep your secrets, you freak!” Invisible Girl declared with a small smile and pushed the force field, the momentum sending Luz into the air, only for her to backflip and land perfectly while striking a pose.

“I’ve had enough of you, funny guy!” Mabel yelled as she flew around Spider-Girl at incredible speeds, creating a circle of flames around the heroine. “I’m the God of destruction!”

“Mabel, don–”

Before Dipper could finish his sentence, the ring of fire closed in on Spider-Girl, only for her to safely jump out of it at the last second, sticking to the ceiling. The flames suddenly took the shape of a ball and exploded, sending sparks all over the room and starting several fires.

“My equipment!” Dipper screamed. Luz looked around, seeing a fire alarm on the other side of the room. She shot her web, breaking through the security glass and tangling the lever, which she pulled, activating the sprinklers and putting out all of the fires, including the flames around Mabel’s body.

“Hold your applause! I know! I am amazing!” Spider-Girl declared as she let go of the ceiling and landed back on the wooden floor.

“What do you even want here, you creep?” Mabel asked in anger.

“About time you asked! I’m here to join your team! I want to become a member of the Fantastic Four!” Spider-Girl declared. “You just saw how good I am, so I figure I’m worth your top salaries!”

“Dude, I think she has rocks for brains.” Soos commented.

“Yeah, I noticed!” Dipper declared in anger as Wendy helped him out of the web net. “The Fantastic Four is a non-profit organization, Spider-Girl! All the money we get in our missions goes to scientific research! None of us gets paid for saving the world!”

“We only get paid for working at the Mystery Shack, so you can take my spot if you want.” Wendy declared with a shrug, clearly not serious. “It’s not like I do anything with it anyway.”

“What? Oh man! This isn’t going to work either!” Spider-girl declared, and then turned around and jumped out of the window. “Fine! Keep me out of your little group! I work better alone anyway!”

The four ran towards the window, only to see Spider-Girl had already swung away.

“Did she just come in, beat us up, and then leave?” Soos asked in slight disbelieve.

“She also broke all of my scientific equipment!” Dipper declared in anger. “How am I going to find the author of the journals now?”

“I like her style.” Wendy commented.

“She must be in some kind of trouble.” Mabel commented. “I wish we could have helped her.”

Queens:

“Extra! Extra! Masked menace Spider-Girl attacks the Fantastic Four!” Declared a man selling papers, as a tall white woman in a business suit walked by on the other side of the sidewalk.

“Spider-Girl, hm?” The Inspector whispered with a smile as she walked into an alley, away from everyone’s view, and magically shapeshifted into the form of Spider-Girl. “The height might be slightly off, since I’ve never seen her personally… but it will work just fine!”

Midtown High School:

“Welcome to our rumble establishment, madam.” Principal Hal declared as the Inspector walked up the steps leading to the entrance. “You must be the new substitute teacher.”

“Greetings. If everything is in order, I’ll be happy to cover for you.” The Inspector declared, doing her best to keep up appearances. The truth was that she had dealt with the real substitute, and the reason they even needed a substitute in the first place was because she had dealt with the teacher.

“Wait!” The two heard, when they turned to see a young girl running up the steps. Luz arrived at the door and breathed heavily. “Sorry I’m late, Principal Hal, but I need to reach my class before Mrs. Clawthorne locks me outside again!”

Bump signed for her to get into the school, to which she nodded and ran inside.

“That was Luz Noceda, brilliant but lazy. Don’t worry, she’s not in your class. She is with Miss Clawthorne.” Principal Hal explained as they walked inside.

“Please behave, children. I’ll be back in a minute.” The Inspector declared as she left the classroom where she had been doing a lecture for the last five minutes. She calmly walked down the hallway and entered the female bathroom. The Inspector began laughing maniacally as she morphed into Spider-Girl. “This form will make the perfect disguise! All of my crimes will be blamed on that masked hero!”

The Inspector quickly made her way back to the class, kicking open the door and getting inside with a back flip to keep up appearances.

“Spider-Girl? It’s that Spider-Girl they were talking about on TV!” One of the students declared in shock.

“Good eye, punk!” The Inspector declared in a generic woman voice, since she had never heard Spider-Girl’s actual voice. “Now let’s see if you can put up more of a fight!”

The Inspector made her way towards the student who had spoken up. A large mouth appeared over her Spider-Girl’s mask and drained the life force of the little boy, who fell to the ground unconscious. The other students all screamed, only for the Inspector to run in and block the door before they could escape.

“I am Spider-Girl… and you are food!” The Inspector declared.

“This is why penguins cannot fly.” Professor Eda declared as she wrote on the black board. Luz paid complete attention to the class, when she suddenly raised her head upon the activation of her Spider Sense. The loud sound of screams came from the outside of the classroom. “What is going on out there?”

Eda made her way towards the door and opened it, just in time to see the last child being drained and falling to the ground. The Inspector turned to Eda and roared as she jumped into her class.

“Spider-Girl?” Eda asked in shock. Luz stared at the scene before her in disbelief. How can this be possible.

“I will swallow every single one of you!” The Inspector declared as she opened her mouth and revealed her sharp fangs.

“She is not Spider-Girl!” Boscha yelled.

The students all screamed and began running around aimlessly. Luz used of the confusion to run into a storage room on the other side of the classroom.

“Luzer run and hides! Why am I not surprised?” Boscha whispered, when the Inspector suddenly knocked the bully to the ground and prepared to drain her life force.

“They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery!” They all heard, when an air vent on the ceiling suddenly burst open, and Spider-Girl jumped out, landing right in the middle of the classroom. The real hero was noticeably shorter than the imitation, and also had a higher pitched and less adult voice. “But I think you’re just a rip-off!”

“What?” The Inspector asked in shock. “Why are you here?”

“I guess we spiders just attract each other!” Spidey declared as she kicked the Inspector right on the chest, making the faker groan in pain as she flew and hit a wall. Spider-Girl turned to the students. “What are y’all waiting for? Run!”

The students all dashed out of the classroom as fast as they could, inadvertently pushing Boscha, who was about to yell about how much of a fan of Spider-Girl she was. Eda quickly reached for the fire alarm, pushing it as all of the other classes began evacuating.

“You little brat!” The Inspector declared as she opened her mouth and tried to drain Spider-Girl’s life force, only for Spidey to leap out of the way, sticking to the ceiling and firing a web that tied the imposter’s mouth closed. Spider-Girl dashed and threw a punch, which the Inspector dodged and threw her own. Spider-Girl purposefully rolled with the attack and threw herself to the ground to avoid breaking her opponent’s wrist, but quickly recovered and jumped back up, kicking the Inspector on the face in the process.

“Many will try to copy me, but nothing beats the original!” Spider-Girl declared, as the Inspector finally managed to rip the webbing out of her mouth.

Luz felt her Spider Sense going off, when three security guards armed with beating sticks ran into the classroom.

“Hands up! You’re both coming with us!” The guard declared, when the Inspector suddenly ran to the light switch. Spider-Girl aimed her Web Shooter and fired, only to hear a click as no webs came out, and the Inspector turned off the lights. Great, out of Web Fluid and in the dark. Spidey leaped and landed right in front of the door, blocking it as one of the guards turned the lights back on, revealing there to now be four of them.

“Nobody moves!” Spider-Girl ordered as she looked over them. They all had different faces, she didn’t recognize any of them, and none of them seemed to be familiar enough with each other to tell which one wasn’t there just a moment ago. She continued to block the door as they all surrounded her.

Luz closed her eyes and took in deep breaths. She couldn’t trust what she saw or heard, but she knew her Spider Sense would not betray her. Luz stood still for a few more seconds, and then opened her eyes and threw a punch, knocking the Inspector out just as she was about to drain Spider-Girl’s life force.

The Inspector groaned in pain as she fell to the ground and her body began morphing, turning from the guard into Spider-Girl, then into the substitute teacher, and into several people they did not recognize. Finally, the Inspector revealed her true form, that of a massive Greater Basilisk, before falling unconscious. All of the life force she had stolen flew out of her body at once, and then split apart to separate directions, returning to whoever it belonged to.

“I could beat you while blindfolded!” Spidey declared in a joking tone, and then turned around to see the guards preparing to hit her with their sticks. She groaned and leaped away, crawling into the vents from where she came. “Why is it that every time I try to help, I just get into even more trouble?”

“Where did she go?” The guard asked, when they heard a door opening, and turned to see Luz walking out of the storage room.

“Um… Hi?” Luz asked in an awkward tone of voice.

Queens:

Luz walked into her house, placing her backpack with her books on the sofa. She made her way to the kitchen, where she saw her mother asleep on a chair, her head on the dinner table. Camila must have been so exhausted that she slept there by accident. Luz approached her mother and carefully gave her a kiss on the head, when she saw something from the corner of her eye. It was that same eviction warning she had seen earlier that week. Luz sighed and made her way to the window, glaring at the stars in the sky outside. Their rent was twelve days late, and she did not know what to do.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Deadly Duel with the Bat Queen!

The Spider’s Web:

Spider-Girl swung through the sunset with her incredible spider powers. She swung at a low altitude, waving to the nearby cars, and then with another web she pulled herself up. Spidey landed on a building, leaping off it and striking a pose in midair. She then fired her web at a flagpole, swinging around it in circles to build up speed, before flinging herself upwards, landing on top of the Empire State building, a beautiful American flag waving right behind her.

Spider-Girl then turned to you, the reader, and took off her mask.

“Hola, true believers! It’s me, the amazing Spider-Girl!” Luz declared with a smile. “I hope you enjoyed my adventures in this chapter! I’ve been receiving some messages from my fans, and I figured I’d take some time at the end of each chapter to respond to them!”

Ri2: Huh, wasn't expecting Eda to become Curt Connors.

“Mrs. Clawthorne is an overall great person, she always pushes us to better ourselves, and is also always there to help us when we need it. I actually considered telling her about my bullying problem, but I figured she already has enough worries of her own after she lost her right arm.” Luz explained, sighing for a moment. “I can’t trouble Mrs. Clawthorne even more by having her worry about what I’m going through. I also don’t want to distract her from that new research she’s been doing on owl DNA and how it could potentially be used to regrow human tissue. I think she might be onto something there.”

celtarican: Wow, that was something.

Good chapter, felt a bit like everything happened at once, but other then that I liked things, Eda as Curt Connors is gonna hurt, I also was surprised to see Manny Alive, should’ve known he’d die so soon lol.

This fic seems good and I’m excited to keep reading it, from one SpiderLuz author to another, I wish you the best of luck in writing this fic!

“I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! This actually means more to me than you can imagine!” Luz answered with a smile. “You guys motivate me to continue being the best hero I can be, and I hope you can stick around for all of the adventures I’ll have in the future! My story is only just beginning!”

Somedud3: “Sorry, pal. I’m done being pushed around. From now on I only look after one person, me!” That’s a direct line from the comics, right? If so, really cool! I also noticed some parallels to the Ultimate Comics, that’s neat :)

“Glad someone noticed that! I’ll probably be dropping more pop culture references in the future. A Spider-Girl can never go without her quips, am I right?” Spider-Girl answered with a smile. “I haven’t had time to read many comics lately, because of the super hero business and all, but they’ve without a doubt been my biggest inspirations. I’d specifically like to highlight two guys named Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. You know what is another thing I really like? Cartoon shows. Have you watched that animated series made by John Semper Jr.? I love that one. Another cartoon I recommend is that one by Greg Weisman and Victor Cook. I also really like super hero movies. I am a huge fan of Sam Raimi.”

Luz put her mask back on.

“Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. It truly means a lot to me that I was able to entertain you, even if for just a few minutes. I’ll be back as soon as possible, with more amazing fantasies. Excelsior!” Spider-Girl declared as she leaped off the building and began swinging away through the night.

Chapter Text

Deadly Duel with the Bat Queen

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Crap, crap, crap, and crap.” Jacob Hopkins declared as he flipped over the blurry and out of focus pictures on his desk, and stared at three teenagers. A goth one with brown eyes, a tall black boy with hair covering his eyes, and a pale boy with glasses. “Why is it that I bother to pay you hippies if you can’t even find me one good picture of this vigilante?”

“She moves way too fast, by the time we aim the camera, she’s already out of shot.” The boy, Robbie Robertson, declared with an uninterested voice.

“Maybe if you didn’t run a hate campaign against her on a daily basis, she wouldn’t be so shy.” The boy with the glasses, Ned Leeds, commented with a smirk.

“I can try to make a drawing of her if you want, but I doubt it will sell any more papers than the pictures.” The goth teenager, Masha Brant, commented in a calm tone of voice.

“Put it on the front page: Cash money for a picture of Spider-Girl!” Hopkins declared as he got up from his desk and looked out of the window. “If she doesn’t want to be famous, our only choice is to make her infamous.”

A large shadow suddenly flew past the window in a swift motion, making Hopkins jump back in surprise and trip on his own chair. The grown man fell to the ground as the teenagers ran to the window. They heard a loud scream and looked down to see a man in a suit screaming in desperation.

“Something just flew by and stole my suitcase! It had a fortune inside! I was taking it to pay a loan I had gotten at the bank!” The man declared in desperation. “It was so fast! I couldn’t see anything but a shadow! It must have been… Spider-Girl!”

The three teenagers gasped in surprise.

Midtown High School, Queens:

Luz stood inside the school’s laboratory as she carefully put together several mechanical pieces. The assignment was to build a flashlight from scratch, which wasn’t very difficult for the biggest nerd in class. Luz finished adding the last piece and pointed it at a wall, turning it on as a spotlight flew out. She smiled with pride, when her Spider Sense flared and someone pushed her back. She nearly dropped the device, only saving it by making it stick to her palm at the last second. Luz closed her hand around the flashlight quicker than anyone could realize what she had done, and turned around to see exactly who she had been expecting.

“What do you want, Boscha?” Luz asked in restrained anger.

“Just saying hello to my favorite chicken. Chip, chip, chip!” Boscha responded with a sarcastic tone. “I’m surprised to see you here. Figured you’d be hiding inside another storage room.”

“I don’t have time for this.” Luz whispered as she began walking towards the front of the class. Her Spider Sense flared as she sensed Boscha trying to trip her, and jumped over Boscha’s leg with a quick hop.

“Used that trick too many times, hm?” Boscha whispered to herself.

“Here it is, Mrs. Clawthorne.” Luz declared as she handed over the flashlight. Her one armed teacher put down the newspaper in her hand and reached for the device, looking it over and turning it on while pointing at the ceiling.

“Quite strong light. Could probably be seen from a mile away.” Eda commented as she turned it off and handed it back. “Excellent work, Luz, keep it up.”

Luz nodded with a smile, when she suddenly saw something from the corner of her eye. Eda had been reading the newspaper.

“Spider-Girl: Serial Robber!” Luz read in shock. “What?”

“There have been some robberies all over the city, but there is actually no evidence that it was actually Spider-Girl. That idiot Hopkins is just jumping to conclusions again.” Eda commented. “I just bought this for the Felix the Cat comic strips.”

Luz nodded and read further into the page.

“Cash money for pictures of this criminal…” Luz read, as an idea began to form on her head. She had just found a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Queens:

“Where are you going with that tool box, Luz?” Camila asked as she saw her daughter making her way down the corridor. Luz turned to look at her face. Camila tried to disguise it, but it was clear by her expression that she had been overworking and the stress had been catching up to her.

“I haven’t worked on anything since dad… uh…” Luz commented, feeling slightly awkward. “So, I decided to try building something to pass the time.”

Camila nodded and walked away. Luz sighed and walked into the garage, turning on the lights and closing the door behind her. She sat down and opened the box, pulling out a small mechanical belt she had put together, alongside her flashlight and a camera.

“I can use this utility belt to store more Web Cartridges. I can’t afford to keep running out of Web Fluid like I did last week against the Inspector.” Luz whispered to herself as she pulled out the screwdriver and began modifying the belt. “It has to be the exact proportions for me to hide under my super suit without it becoming noticeable. I’ll also add a camera to the buckle, and a small surprise of mine.”

Luz hadn’t fully lied to her mother, as she truly was doing this partly to pass the time, but there was more to it. Their rent was eighteen days late, and they were about to be kicked out before the end of the week. She had to get this right. She wouldn’t get any other chance if she messed this up.

Staten Island:

“Spider-Girl, hm? Seems like I fly so fast that I’m being confused for that clown.” Declared as shadowy figure, holding a paper in her hands as she sat in the darkness inside a tall building. “Doesn’t matter, I do this for the money, not for the recognition. Regardless, if Spider-Girl tries to get in my way, I’ll just crush her, like a mighty bat crushing a tiny rat.”

The figure threw the paper away and got up from the armchair, taking several steps towards the light and looking at herself in the mirror. She was a skinny pale woman, with a head that was just slightly too big to be proportionate with her body. She had long dark hair, and lipstick that made her lips seem black. She had a wide smile that revealed her sharp teeth, and was wearing a bizarre green costume with large bat wings.

“There will be a jewelry exchange in just a few hours! Diamonds worth millions of dollars! They might be doubling security expecting someone to fly in, but it won’t matter! None of their defenses will stop me!” The Bat Queen declared as she jumped out of the window, easily flying out of the last floor of the building and slicing the clouds in the sky with her wings. “Who is going to stop me? Who?”

Manhattan:

Spider-Girl swung through the city, somersaulting through the air and landing on top of the building right across the street from the Daily Bugle. Judging by all the pictures and witness accounts she could find by reading the paper, this seemed to be the favorite area of their mysterious flying friend. If she got this right, Spider-Girl could prove her innocence, and Luz would get enough to pay rent for at least another month.

“Right on cue!” Spidey whispered as she felt her Spider Sense, and turned to see a bat-like figure flying around the buildings. She pressed the button on her belt and activated the automatic camera she had set up, which was taking one picture every thirty seconds.

“This is the area where the car taking the jewelry will drive through. I have to memorize it so I can come up with an escape plan.” The Bat Queen whispered with a wide smile. Her expression changed into one of confusion as she heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and before she knew it, a teenager wearing spandex jumped right onto her back. “What the hell?”

“Bat, meet Spider! I figured us Halloween animals had to stick together!” Spider-Girl joked as she tried to position herself in a way that her camera would get a shot of the Bat Queen’s face.

The rodentlike evildoer suddenly began spinning at high speed, trying to shake the heroine off her back, yet Spidey’s wall crawling feet simply did not let go. Luz suddenly felt her Spider Sense flaring as the Bat Queen tried to slash her using the razor-sharp wings of the suit, to which Spidey reacted by jumping off her on instinct, dodging the blade by a split second, and landing perfectly on top of a nearby building.

The Bat Queen squeaked in anger like an actual bat as she flew towards the hero. The camera snapped a picture of the furious villain right before Spider-Girl jumped away to avoid the attack and began swinging from building to building.

“You’re that little punk I’ve heard about! Spider-Girl!” The Bat Queen declared as she chased after the arachnid themed hero through the buildings of Manhattan.

“Y’know, when I got started with the spider motif, I didn’t think there were many animal-themed freaks around.” Spidey commented as she avoided several more strikes from her flying adversary, before jumping off her web and landing at the top of a tall building. “What do we say we all come together in a convention? It would be fun!”

Spidey turned around, to realize the Bat Queen was nowhere to be seen. Her Spider Sense tingled and she instinctively leaped away, but it was too late, as both of the Bat Queen’s claw like boots had already grabbed Spidey by the shoulders and began flying upwards at incredible speeds.

“You might be quick while near all of those buildings, Spider-Girl, but only I rule over the skies!” The Bat Queen declared as she flew about a dozen kilometers in a single second.

“Hey, Hei Hei from Moana, let me go!” Spider-Girl yelled.

“The name is Bat Queen, you little–”

A web struck the Bat Queen’s face, gluing her mouth shut. She stopped flapping her wings and reached for her face. Luz was expecting them to go on freefall when the wings stopped moving, yet they were still simply hovering in the air. Spidey stared at the Bat Queen’s outfit for a moment, when her eyes widened.

“I got it!” Spider-Girl declared.

“Get this!” Bat Queen declared as she thorn the webbing out of her face and threw Spider-Girl forward as fast as she could. Spider-Girl tried to fire another web to link herself with her flying enemy, only to hear a click as she realized she had run out. Before Spider-Girl could react, she flew right through the door of a flying airplane.

“Spider-Girl! It’s Spider-Girl! She’s the one from TV!” The passengers all yelled in shock as the plane began losing pressure, several of their personal belongings flying out through the open door.

“Did she just throw me into an airplane? Damn, girl!” Spider-Girl declared as she quickly pulled two Web Cartridges from her belt and replaced the ones on her Web Shooters. She fired the webs at the entrance, calculating in her head the exact amount of webbing needed. The webs hardened to create a makeshift wall, replacing the broken-down door. “There! Good as new!”

The entire place suddenly shook violently, making the passengers scream in shock as Luz realized they were losing altitude.

“Okay, maybe not!” Luz declared as she ran to the cockpit, to see the pilot and the co-pilot struggling.

“Spider-Girl!” The two screamed in unison.

“The plane is depressurized, the airport is too far away, if you try to keep it flying it will crash!” Spider-Girl declared. “Head to the Central Park! There is an open area there where you can do an emergency landing!”

“The landing gear is stuck!” The pilot declared.

“Leave it to me, capitán!” Luz declared as she ran back to the passengers, who were still screaming in panic. She pushed the makeshift wall just enough for her to crawl out and then closed it again, adding in more webs for security. “My Spider Sense is telling me this is dangerous, half of my brain is calculating the exact weight and acceleration of the aircraft, and the other half is telling me I’m probably going to die! I guess it’s now or never!”

Spider-Girl climbed into the opening where the landing gear should be coming out, and forced it down with all of her strength, locking it in place with her webbing. She crawled back out and noticed the ground was getting closer and closer each second. Luz swiftly did the same with the other landing gear.

“Will my webs be able to withstand it? Well, just as everything in this world, it comes down to simple mathematics. The average plane weights around ninety thousand pounds. It is full on fuel, so add another forty thousand or so pounds. Commercial planes normally fly at around six hundred miles per hour, so we multiply the mass for the acceleration…” Luz declared as she held both of her webs, the strength of her arms forcing the landing gear to stay in place. “According to my calculations, I have come to the conclusion that this will hurt a lot!”

Spider-Girl screamed in pain as the plane landed in the middle of the park, her arms struggling to support the weight of the entire plane to avoid the landing gear from retracting. Luz heard parts of her webs start to break, and part of the metal around her begin to bend, as the plane began losing acceleration, and safely managed to land in the middle of Central Park.

“I guess those algebra classes were good for something after all.” Spidey whispered as she crawled out from under the plane, holding her back in pain. “Ouch!”

Luz took a few steps and fired her web at the makeshift wall she had created, pulling it out so the passengers wouldn’t be stuck inside.

“Spider-Girl! You saved us!” The co-pilot yelled from inside the plane.

“Who even are you?” Asked the pilot.

“I’m your friendly neighborhood, Spider-Girl!” Luz yelled in response, and then ran away and leaped, leaving the park and once again swinging through the buildings.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“What am I looking at?” Hopkins asked as he looked over the pictures.

“Her name is the Bat-Queen.” Luz explained, sitting on the other side of the desk. “She fought Spider-Girl earlier today. She’s the one that has been robbing the city, not Spider-Girl.”

Hopkins stared at the pictures for a few seconds, and placed them down on the desk.

“I’ll give you $200 for all of them.”

“$200?” Luz asked in slight surprise. “The add in the paper said $400!”

“$400 for pictures of Spider-Girl, not for this flying bozo you brought me.” Hopkins declared, and then pressed his teleprompter, while Luz stared at him with an annoyed expression. “Mr. Robertson, can you come here for a moment?”

The door opened as the tall black boy came in, and Hopkins handed him the pictures.

“I want those on my front page by tonight.” Hopkins declared.

“Headline?” Robbie asked in a calm voice.

“Terrorist partners: Spider-Girl and the Bat Queen attack airplane.”

“What?” Luz asked, flabbergasted at Hopkins’ ludicrous response. “Spider-Girl literally helped land the plane!”

“You take the pictures, and I write the headlines. How about that?” Hopkins declared as he signed a check and handed it over to Luz.

“Also, I’ve been searching for a job–”

“Maybe if you bring me pictures of that masked clown Spider-Girl.” Hopkins declared as he crossed his legs. “Until then, get out of my office. Both of you, you’re distracting me.”

Luz sighed and walked out of the room, Robbie following right after.

“Hopkins has always been a pain to work with, but don’t worry.” Robbie declared. “Everyone else thinks Spidey is dope.”

“Not as dope as this pretty new girl we have here.” They heard, and turned to see Masha Brant approaching the two. They were shuffling a deck of tarot cards in their hands, which she held towards Luz. “Pick a card, any card.”

Luz blushed and hesitated for a moment, until Robbie gave her a friendly and light push on the back. Luz reached and pulled out one of the cards at random.

“The Star, representing the overcoming of great challenges, and renewed hope and fate for the future.” Masha declared with a smile, as they took the card back from Luz. “I’m Masha. That over there is Ned.”

They pointed at the other side of the room, where a white boy waved at the three.

“I’m… um… Luz Noceda.” She answered awkwardly as she shook Masha’s hand.

“Welcome to the Daily Bugle.” Masha declared, pretending not to notice Luz clearly blushing.

Queens:

“You want pictures of Spider-Girl, Hopkins? Fine!” Luz whispered as she screwed her camera shut, while sitting in front of an old table in the garage. She was normally a very calm person, but she’d be lying if she said the stress of the situation wasn’t getting to her. Luz needed to get that job. She had just installed motion sensors to her camera, that way it would automatically take a picture whenever something moved in front of it at high speeds. “Now for my next trick…”

Luz put down the camera and turned to another small contraction she had on the table, beginning to add a few more pieces.

“This time I’ll ground that bat!” Luz whispered.

Manhattan:

Spider-Girl stood at the top of a small building as she watched the fortified car from far away. She figured the jewelry was what the Bat Queen was after. The Bat Queen had been flying around this neighborhood to memorize the area for about a week, and this was the only significant event schedule to take place in that general part of the city. Luz heard the sound of blades, and looked up to see there was indeed a helicopter following the fortified car for extra security. They all knew very well the Bat Queen would show up eventually

“You better not screw this one up, Noceda.” Spidey whispered to herself as she used her web to glue the camera to the side of the building, the lenses facing downwards towards the car. “Now I just focus on the skies…”

The fortified car stopped in front of a large jewelry, and a man carrying a box full of diamonds walked out of a nearby building, carefully moving them towards the car. Luz felt her Spider Sense tingle and looked up in preparation, only to notice something unexpected.

“It’s not coming from above!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung towards the scene. A manhole right next to the man with the box suddenly exploded, and the Bat Queen flew out, taking the box in her hands. The camera automatically snapped a picture, as the Bat Queen flew upwards just in time to avoid Spidey.

“It’s the Bat Queen! Spider-Girl too!”

“Where did she go?” One of the pilots of the helicopter asked as the Bat Queen became a blur in the sky and disappeared from their sight. The two pilots suddenly screamed as the wings of the Queen sliced right through the metal of their helicopter and pulled them out, throwing them downwards.

“Fetch!” The Bat Queen yelled at Spider-Girl as she flew away.

Spidey swiftly swung upwards and caught the two pilots, jumping down to safely place the two on the sidewalk.

Spider-Girl jumped back up and followed the Bat Queen. Luz closed her eyes for a moment as she felt her Spider Sense, and then jumped to the direction it had been leading, arriving just in time to see the Bat Queen flying into the underground subway. Unfortunately for her, Luz was used to taking that subway.

“If she tries to escape through the underground tunnels while avoiding bumping into any trains, the best strategic exit would be…”

“Right here!” The Bat Queen declared as she flew back out to the streets through another subway entrance. “The police and the wall crawler will be busy searching me underground! By the time they realize what happened, I’ll be long gone from this city!”

The Bat Queen laughed, when suddenly a bright red light engulfed her body. The Bat Queen looked away in surprise, and gasped upon seeing that the light was actually a signal, shaped exactly like Spider-Girl’s face. The red light was incredibly powerful, to the point where it could probably be seen from a mile away.

“What is the meaning of this?” The Bat Queen demanded in anger.

“It means you’re busted!” Spider-Girl declared from the top of a nearby building, revealing that the light was actually coming from her belt.

“How did you get here before me?”

“Maybe your train arrived late!” Spider-Girl declared as she turned off the Spider Signal and dashed towards the Bat Queen. The Queen flew upwards and tried to get away, only for Spidey to fire a web that glued to her feet. The Queen flew up and down at high speeds to try shaking off Spider-Girl, but Luz continued to holding onto the other end of the web as it pulled her across the sky.

“Damn you!” The Bat Queen declared as she sliced the web with her wings. Spider-Girl used the web to jump upwards at the last second upon sensing the tingle, and fired two other webs, that glued themselves to the flat parts of the two wings. Spidey pulled, the momentum sending her flying towards the Bat Queen, as Luz glued her feet to the Queen’s suit. The Bat Queen began spinning, but Luz’s feet would simply not detach from the back of the suit. “You little insect!”

“Arachnid! Common mistake!” Spider-Girl declared as she reached for her belt and pulled out that same device she had constructed. Spidey used a web to glue the device to the Bat Queen’s back, and then pressed the button to turn it on. The Bat Queen suddenly felt her entire body shaking.

“What did you do?” The Bat Queen asked, as the two suddenly began falling from the sky. “I can’t fly!”

“I noticed that you don’t actually need to flap your wings to fly! You only do it for show! You don’t fly using the wings, but instead the backpack! It creates a field of electromagnetism that keeps you in the air! The wings are just a way for you to control where you go!” Spider-Girl declared as the two fell at incredible speeds. “I built a magnetic disruptor!”

“You fool! You’ve killed us both!” The Bat Queen declared.

“That’s what you think!” Luz answered as she began spraying her webbing onto the Bat Queens body while crawling around her like a spider, until the Bat Queen was completely tied up by the webs. Spider-Girl took the box of jewelry and jumped away to a nearby build. The Queen screamed in terror as she prepared to hit the ground, only for the back part of the webs to open into a web parachute, slowly floating the Bat Queen down to the street.

“Damn you!” The Bat Queen screamed in anger. “You’ll pay for this, Spider-Girl! Do you hear me? We’ll meet again!”

“Look! There she is!” Declared one of the police officers as several cop cars arrived around the tied-up Bat Queen. The officers heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and turned to see a spider web on a nearby wall, with the box of jewelry right there for them to take. One of the officers approached the box and took it, realizing there was a small note on it.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Bat Queen captured. Spider-Girl fugitive.” Hopkins declared as he looked over the picture Luz had given him. It featured the Bat Queen about to snatch the diamonds and Spider-Girl swinging in. “How is that for a headline?”

“Are you giving me the job or not?” Luz asked in annoyance.

“Alright, alright, you hippie!” Hopkins declared as he signed another check and handed it to Luz. “$400. I want you out there tomorrow trying to get more pictures of this freak.”

“Very well then.” Luz declared as she got up.

“You can’t keep on slandering Spider-Girl like this!” Robbie argued. “She literally captured the Bat Queen.”

“It’s not slander.” Hopkins declared as Luz left the room. “Slander is spoken. In print it’s libel.”

Luz took a few steps towards the elevator, when she heard footsteps heading towards her.

“You’re the new girl, aren’t you?” She heard, and turned to see none other than Ned Leeds.

“Yep. Luz Noceda.” She answered as she shook Ned’s hand.

“I’m quite impressed by those pictures you’ve taken of Spider-Girl.” Ned declared as he straightened his glasses, staring at Luz with an expression of suspicion. “How did you get so close to her? It’s almost like you know who she is…”

“I guess I’m just really lucky.” Luz answered, doing her best to disguise how nervous this conversation was making her. Ned stared at her in silence for a few moments.

“Good luck with the new job, Noceda.” Ned declared, turning away and walking back to his desk.

Queens:

“Alright, the rent is paid for the next month.” Luz declared as she sat near her mother. “As long as I can keep this job stable, I should be able to pay next month as well.”

“I got a job as a veterinarian, so I should be able to pay the other bills in the meantime.” Camila added, to which Luz nodded. Her mother pulled her closer and embraced her with a hug. “I’m very proud of you, mija.”

“It was the least I could do.” Luz commented with a smile. “I guess with the two of us out there for most of the day, this house will become very silent…”

Luz stared at the ground for a few moments, only for Camila to break the silence and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I bet your father is watching you from up there, and he’s very proud of what you did today.” Camila declared with a smile. “I am very proud of who you are, and you should be too. Never forget this.”

“Yeah…” Luz whispered as she thought over everything she had gone through since becoming a super heroine, and a weak smile formed on her face. “I guess you are right.”

The two smiled and hugged each other once again. No matter how dark things got, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel, and Luz could see that light from a mile away.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Strange Doctor Octopus!

The Spider’s Web:

Ri2: Hopkins, you're no JJJ.

“Hopkins is a weird fellow if I’ve ever seen one. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as egocentric as him. He is so self-centered that he can’t even see the truth when it is right in front of him, which is quite worrying when you remember he is somehow a popular reporter.” Luz explained as she sat at the top of the Empire State building, looking at the clouds on the horizon. “I was legitimately kind of worried that he would figure out my identity when I went there to offer him the pictures, but now that I’ve met him in person… Yeah, he couldn’t discover my identity even if I walked around with a name tag.”

GodzillaMaster: Wasn't expecting for the Mystery Shack to make an appearance here, but Soos makes a perfect Thing

Jacob Hopkins, no surprise that he's Jameson. And much less likable since he's a crazy piece of shit without any redeeming qualities...

And Boscha as Flash Thompson? That's funny. How will she react if she discovers that the superhero she fangirls over is her usual bully victim?

I've been enjoying this story so far, and I definitely love the little bit at the end where Luz responds to the comments.

Can't wait for more

“Thank you so much. Your support legitimately means a lot to me, and I am very happy that I can do what I love and entertain you all at the same time.” Luz declared with a smile as she stood up. “I love being Spider-Girl, and you guys are the ones who motivate me the most to continue being a hero, and to be the best hero I can possibly be. I can’t wait until you see all of the adventures I will have in the future. Thank you very much for sticking with me through it all.”

Luz put her mask back on and began swinging away through the city.

“Thank you all for reading! I hope I get to see you next chapter, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Strange Doctor Octopus

“Over there!” One of the police officers declared as they ran down the street, following a small group of criminals. The thugs ran into an alley, and the two officers prepared to chase after, when they saw a blur flying above them and heard gunshots, followed by several ‘thwip’ sounds. The cops entered the alley, to see the criminals all tangled on a massive web. They once again heard the ‘sound, and looked up to see a costumed figure swinging away.

“Damn it!” Spider-Girl whispered as she swung as fast as she could. “I’m going to be late for school again!”

Midtown High School, Queens.

“Right on time!” Luz declared, no longer wearing her Spider-Girl costume but instead her regular clothing, as she ran down the sidewalk and entered the school. Luz breathed heavily as she walked down the hallways, when her eyes widened and she hid behind a corner.

Luz peeked to see her classmate Mattholomule being forced inside his own locker by another classmate, a skinny girl with purple hair. The girl whispered something as she locked Mattholomule inside, and then walked away as if nothing had happened. Luz waited a few moments to make sure she would not come back, made her way to the locker, and opened it. This situation had happened so many times that Luz had memorized Mattholomule’s locker code.

“Sup, Matt?”

“Sup, Luzura?” Mattholomule commented as he left the locker. “Thank God you showed up. Didn’t want to miss another class because of Bria.”

“I’ve missed my own fair share because of Boscha.” Luz commented with a smile. “I guess we losers have to stick together.”

“Easy for you to say, you’ll probably become a scientist or something. I can’t get even a single grade higher than C.” Mattholomule declared, when he suddenly remembered something. “By the way, you know that demonstration thing at Blight Industries that you invited me to go see with you?”

“The cold fusion reactor battery testing.” Luz interrupted.

“Yeah, that. I won’t be able to go with you.” Mattholomule explained. “My parents grounded me because I kept on being late for classes.”

“Did you tell them about Bria?”

“What would they do about it?” Mattholomule asked. The bell suddenly run and Luz’s eyes widened.

“I forgot I’m running late!” Luz yelled as she went back to running.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Dogs catching Frisbees? Pigeons in the park? A couple of geezers playing chess?” Hopkins asked as he looked over Luz’s pictures. “Why are you giving me this junk?”

“I can’t get pictures of anything else.” Luz explained. “Spider-Girl hasn’t fought a super villain since the Bat Queen, so there is nothing for me to photograph!”

“When I fire you, maybe you’ll get a job telling bedtime stories, because you’re sure as hell putting me to sleep.” Hopkins declared. “Are you telling me there is nothing interesting happening in this town? I need something for the sixth page by sunset.”

“Well… Blight Industries will be housing an experiment today.” Luz explained.

“What kind of nerd would want to cover that?” Hopkins asked.

“Luz has a point.” They heard, and turned to see Ned Leeds, speaking without looking away from his computer. “Alador Blight is the one running this experiment. He is one of the greatest radiation specialists and engineers of the current times.”

Hopkins thought over the situation for a moment.

“Fine, but you take the brat over there.” Hopkins declared as he pointed at Luz.

“Rude.” Luz declared as she crossed her arms.

“Done.” Ned declared as he straightened his glasses, got up from his desk, and turned to Luz. “It’s me and you, Noceda.”

Luz stared at Ned, not exactly sure what to expect.

Blight Industries.

“Wow!” Luz whispered in amazement as she looked around the large testing area. The place was filled to the brim with advanced technology, the likes of which she had only dreamed of.

“Focus, Noceda, we’re here for work.” Ned declared. Luz nodded and turned around, only to bump right onto a tall figure.

“Sorry, I didn’t–” Luz gasped as she looked up at the person in front of her, and realized she had just bumped onto the one and only Alador Blight, his metallic extra arms moving around him almost as if by themselves.

The tall man looked down at the teenage girl, recognizing her as the same who had been bitten by their experimental radioactive spider the month before. She was quite lucky, there was about a 99.9% chance that the radioactive blood of the spider would have simply killed her. Alador looked away from her and made his way to the center of the room, his metal tentacles lifting his body onto a platform.

“Noceda, wake up! Shoot the pictures!” Ned declared.

“Oh, yeah!” Luz nodded and began doing just that.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first live testing of our cold fusion reactor battery.” Alador declared, showing off the metal tentacles coming out of his back. “My wife was supposed to be here with me, but she is busy with… another experiment, that one is private. Those prosthetic limbs are going to help me manage the radioactive experiment from a safe distance.”

“Did you know Alador is the only person permitted to wear those?” Luz whispered to Ned, speaking in the nerdiest voice he had ever heard. “He created them himself, and nobody else ever figured out how to operate them!”

Ned nodded, pretending to be interested.

“I have always believed that science is the most important thing in the world. Compared to it, the rest is meaningless. Science justifies all that we do in its service, and builds the way to our future. Commencing experiment.” Alador explained as he reached for the protection goggles on his forehead, putting them over his eyes, while his four metallic arms reached for the small battery and turned it on. The battery began glowing in a bright orange light, as the fusion energy began forming within it. “The power of the sun… in the palm of my hand!”

The crowd cheered and clapped in amazement, as the battery successfully achieved a fusion reaction.

“This is incredible!” Luz whispered with a wide smile, as she continued to take pictures. “We’re witnessing a breakthrough beyond anything we have ever imagined! This discovery could change the world forever!”

Luz’s smile suddenly dropped as she felt her Spider Sense tingle.

“Something is wrong!” Luz declared. The battery suddenly flared up and began intensifying, a powerful heat spreading across the room. The people in the crowd screamed as sparks of electricity began flying out of the device, striking the walls and leaving large burn marks. Loud alarms began ringing.

“Keep calm! It is only a spike! It will soon stabilize!” Alador declared as his tentacles continued to try operating the battery. A large spark of electricity flew out of the device and struck the ceiling, breaking off a large chunk of it.

“Ned! Watch out!” Luz yelled as she easily pulled the man who was worth twice her body weight out of the way of the crashing rubble.

“How did you…” Ned whispered. Had it just been adrenaline? Luz barely looked at him, as she turned around and ran out of the room as fast as she could. “Luz!”

The crowd began running out of the room as the intense heat began blowing the light bulbs of the surrounding machinery. Ned got up and followed the others out of the room, when he heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and looked up to see Spider-Girl swinging in through the window. Ned gave her a quick suspicious glance, and then ran away.

“Spider-Girl?” Alador asked in shock.

“Time to turn this off!” Spidey declared as she leaped towards the wires that powered up the battery. Alador’s eyes widened as he instinctively moved his tentacles, swatting Spider-Girl away like an insect, her body breaking through a brick wall.

Another spark of lightning flew from the device, distracting Alador for a moment. Spidey suddenly shot up and leaped towards the wires, swiftly tearing them out of the wall as bolts of electricity flew around the room

“No!” Alador yelled as he turned away from his invention to look at Spider-Girl. The battery began to forcefully power down, a bolt of radioactive lightning struck Alador on the back, hitting right at the center of his metal tentacles. Alador screamed in agony as the bolt burned his spine, and the electricity moved up into his brain. More sparks of electricity flew out as the battery exploded, filling the entire room with smoke.

“What is going on in there?” Ned asked from outside of the building as he saw the smoke flying out. The doors suddenly flung open, and Spider-Girl walked out carrying an unconscious Alador in her arms, his metallic tentacles still attached as smoke flew out of his back. Ned was the first one to run towards the two. “Spider-Girl! We already called an ambulance! What happened in there?”

“The testing got… a little too heated.” Spider-Girl declared as she safely placed Alador on the ground, and then leaped up and swung away from the building. Ned watched as the super hero swung away. There was something about her voice that sounded familiar to him.

Bliss Private Hospital.

“His body has absorbed a great amount of radiation. This guy is lucky to still be alive.” One of the doctors explained as they looked over Alador’s x-rays. “He has received some amount of brain damage due to the electricity, and the prosthetic arms have been fused with his spine. We cannot remove them without killing him, not even surgically.”

“We need to hold him here for observation.” Another doctor commented. “This man’s life will never be the same again.”

Any normal person would be in bed for days after such an accident, but Alador? Alador was different. The great scientist slowly opened his eyes and shook his head, as an expression of anger formed on his face. Spider-Girl had ruined the experiment. He just had to stabilize it. Alador sat up and turned to the window, seeing it was covered by bars. They were trying to make a prisoner out of him, but nobody could hold Alador Blight.

The metal tentacles on his back came to life with but a mere thought, moving as if they had a will of their own and breaking right through the bars. Alador glanced at his tentacles, moving them as easily as he could move his arms or legs. The prosthetics had been thought activated before, but never to this extent. They felt as if they were an actual extension of his body. The radiation must have fused them to his nervous system.

“What is going on in here?” Asked one of the doctors as they ran in after hearing the noise. Two metal tentacles flew at incredible speeds and grabbed them by their necks, raising them off the ground.

“Gentlemen…” Alador declared as one of his tentacles helped him off the bed, while another one carefully closed the door behind the two. “Let us prepare an experiment.”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“You didn’t take any pictures of the accident?” Hopkins asked in annoyance as he stared at the photos. All of them were taken before the machinery had begun malfunctioning.

“I was too busy, y’know, trying not to die and all.” Luz explained with a shrug.

“Actually, where did you even run off to?” Ned asked in suspicion. “I couldn’t find you anywhere near Blight Industries.”

“Why would I want to stay near that place? It was about to explode.” Luz answered, technically not telling a lie.

“Whatever, we’re not here to talk about what you hippies do in your free time. You two better go to the hospital and interview that guy.” Hopkins declared. “How about this for a first page headline: Doctor Octopus, mad scientist!”

“Blight Industries is in two pages in the same day, how interesting.” Ned commented, to which Luz turned to him in slight confusion. “Masha is doing a story on them as well, for page seven. Apparently while Alador was doing his experiment, someone broke into another one of their testing locations and stole an experimental one-man miniature turbofan-powered vertical thrust bat-shaped glider.”

“Will you two quit with the nerd talk and just go get the interview already?” Hopkins complained, to which the two teenagers sighed and left the room. Hopkins sat down on his desk and crossed his legs. “Damn teenagers.”

Bliss Private Hospital.

“This is the place.” Ned commented as they got out of the taxi and made their way towards the entrance. Ned looked around. “Strange, there is nobody at the door.”

Luz felt her Spider Sense tingling, when large metal bars suddenly flew out of a window at the third floor and landed on the sidewalk right next to them. Ned looked up in shock, seeing what seemed to be a pair of metal tentacles retracting back into the hospital room.

“What the hell was that?” Ned asked as he turned to Luz, only to see she had disappeared. “Noceda?”

“Damn it, Ned is onto me!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she climbed the other side of the building. She quickly approached the other window of the very same room, carefully peaking inside. “What the holy macaroni is going on in there?”

“Is this the best you can do? You’re all worthless!” Alador declared as his tentacles easily thorn apart a large x-ray machine that was twice as big as the mad doctor himself. “I can’t build a battery out of this garbage!”

“This is the best machinery we have in this hospital! We can’t give you anything else!” One of the many doctors Alador had made into hostages declared, when a metal tentacle suddenly struck the part of the wall right next to the hostage’s head, making large cracks.

“Silence! Nobody is to speak over Alador Blight!” He declared in anger while two other tentacles picked up the pieces of the broken-down machinery. It was impressive how quickly he had gotten used to his extra appendages. “Interrupt me again and I will crush your skull!”

“What is going on? Mr. Blight shouldn’t even be able to get out of bed yet! He is the greatest scientific mind of the modern age, why is he acting like this?” Luz whispered to herself. Her eyes widened as Alador’s tentacle grabbed the hostage by the neck. She jumped off the window and then used the webs to pull herself back, breaking right through the glass and into the room, the surprise making the tentacle let go of the hostage as the others screamed. “What’s up, doc?”

“You!” Alador declared in anger.

“It sure as hell ain’t Captain America!” Luz declared as she somersaulted over the tentacles as they thrusted towards her.

“Jest while you can, arachnid! You’ll be singing a different tune once I’m done with you!” Alador declared in anger. He attacked with his tentacles once again, which Spider-Girl easily avoided. She suddenly felt her Spider Sense tingling, but couldn’t react in time, as the same tentacle she had just dodged returned and struck her on the back of the head. Luz felt her head ringing as she leaped back up and glued herself to the ceiling.

“He’s not joking around! This guy is actually trying to kill me!” Spidey declared as she fired several massive nets of webs, tangling the tentacles together. Luz jumped over the four tied up tentacles and prepared to punch Alador on the face. “How about that, Doctor Octopus?”

Spider-Girl felt her Spider Sense shooting up and heard the sound of ripping, as one of the tentacles grabbed her from behind and tossed her at the walls, large cracks appearing.

“He broke right through my webs! Nobody has ever done this before!” Luz declared in surprise as she got back up after some struggle. She looked up to see Doc Ock approaching her, two of his tentacles raising his body from the ground, as the other two prepared to attack. The two tentacles thrusted, Spidey grabbing them in her hands at the last second. Luz would normally pull her punches, but she could not do that now, as it took all of her spider strength to stop the attack of those tentacles. She felt like the tentacles were about to rip right through her fingers at any moment. “Just how strong are those things?”

“Feel the power of my scientific genius, Wall Crawler!” Octopus declared as his two other tentacles charged and struck Spider-Girl from the sides. She smelled metal, and realized for the first time a super villain had made her bleed. The four tentacles tangled Luz’s body before she could even fall to the ground, and began pulling her around in midair like a child playing with a rag doll. For the first time ever, Spider-Girl was completely helpless. “No quips or jokes? Where is your sense of humor, Spider-Girl?”

The tentacles suddenly thrusted at full speed, breaking Spider-Girl’s body through a wall and sending her flying out of the building. Luz tried to fire a web, only to hear a click as she was out of Web Fluid. Spider-Girl landed onto a garbage container, and then rolled off of it and fell onto the sidewalks. Luz looked up to see Alador using his tentacles to jump out of the same hole in the wall he had just created, only to then climb another building with his tentacles and escape through the rooftops.

“Damn it! I didn’t even stand a chance! He could have killed me at any moment!” Spider-Girl whispered as she tried to get back up, only for the pain all over her body to overpower her as she fell back down. “Even my spider powers couldn’t beat that freak! What am I going to do?”

Atomic Research Center.

“Intruder alert! I repeat, intruder alert! Someone is invading!” Declared the voice from the speakers, as a loud alarm flared and several armed security guards ran through the corridors. “I can’t see him through the cameras!”

“No matter what, this intruder cannot get through us, do you understand?” The captain declared as they prepared their rifles. “We’re the only thing standing between this invader and the greatest atomic research facility this side of the US!”

They aimed their weapons at the door, ready to fire once it opened. A large metal tentacle suddenly broke through the metallic ceiling and grabbed one of the guards by the neck, waving his body around like a ragdoll, sending several others of the guards flying in the process, and then slamming the guard on the ground. The guards that were still standing opened fire upon the tentacle, the bullets simply bouncing off. Three other tentacles came from the ceiling and struck the guards down. The tentacles retracted and then opened a large hole on the ceiling, allowing Alador to jump down. Nothing stood between him and his goal.

“Between my incredible strength and the nuclear fusion power I will soon hold in my hands, I can confidently say: I am the most powerful man alive!” Doctor Octopus declared with an evil smile.

Midtown High School, Queens.

Luz made her way to her classroom, her head low as she avoided making eye contact with anyone. Doctor Octopus had humiliated her. He had made Spider-Girl look like a complete joke. What else could she do? That guy is Alador Blight, Luz’s idol for as long as she could remember. What chance did she have of defeating him? She tried to ignore the pain on her ribs where the tentacles had struck her as she entered the classroom. Professor Clawthorne was already speaking, so it seemed like Luz was late again. She carefully sneaked in, trying not to draw too much attention, and sat next to Mattholomule.

“What did I miss?” Luz whispered from the side of her mouth.

“Because of that terrorist attack on the atomic research center, they’ll be having a special guest speak with us before the lesson.” Mattholomule answered.

“Special guest?” Luz asked. Eda made her way to the door and opened it. Luz’s eyes widened as she saw a familiar face walking in.

“What’s up guys! It’s me, Mabel, but you can call me the Human Torch!” Mabel declared in a cheerful voice as she ran in, a wide smile across her face. The class all cheered as the hero walked in. “Do ya’ll like studying? No? Me neither! We’re already having a connection!”

Mabel laughed for a moment, and most of the students laughed with her. It was quite impressive how easily she captivated the crowd.

“You guys are probably worried about this Doctor Octopus guy. Well, the Fantastic Four would normally be right on the job to stop him, but I unfortunately have lost access to most of my flame. I guess you can thank our old friend Mad Thinker for that one, hm?” Mabel spoke like a mix between government speaker and a stand-up comedian. It felt like she could keep the students calm and entertained no matter how bad the news she was giving were. “I’ll be back at full power by the end of the day, but for the next few hours I only have enough fire to light up one finger.”

Mabel lit her finger ablaze and began using it to draw on thin air as if it was paper, drawing the shape of a flaming shooting star. Luz stared at the scene with light in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, we ain’t gonna let the octopus man hurt you.” Mabel declared with a smile. “You guys just focus on your studies, okay? Don’t be discouraged when things seem hard. Anyone can win when the odds are easy. It is when the going gets tough, when there seems to be no chance, that’s when it counts. That’s when heroes are born!”

Luz’s expression changed into one of purpose. If felt as if she was speaking directly to Luz. Mabel was right. What was Luz thinking giving up? The Fantastic Four had faced defeats before, and they always got back up. Spider-Girl could do the same!

“I don’t have much time! I need to act fast!” Luz whispered to herself in the chemical lab of the school, as she carefully put together several chemicals, and boiled them until they began bubbling. For a moment she felt almost like a witch making potions, as she stewed the chemicals until they changed color to a bright shade of purple. She carefully placed the liquid inside several small round glass bottles, which she fastened to a belt and put it around her torso. “To beat a brilliant scientist, I have to think like a brilliant scientist! I’m not sure if this will work, but I have to try!”

Atomic Research Center.

Spider-Girl stood at the top of a building right in front of the large facility. She fired her webs at the two buildings surrounding it and took several steps back. She then let go of the ground, and the webs worked like a massive slingshot that send her flying forward. Spidey flew at high speeds and broke right through a massive window, landing onto a steel bean on the ceiling, from which she back flipped and landed onto the ground.

“Knock, knock, doc!” Spider-Girl declared.

“You little brat! Back to ruin another one of my experiments?” Alador declared as he watched through the cameras while carefully building his fusion reactor. Doctor Octopus reached for the control panel with his two hands, while his metallic arms continued to work on his invention. “This time I’ll make sure you’ll never return!”

Her Spider Sense flared up, as she dodged a large metal box that was about to crush her, which had been released by a large metal claw on the ceiling. Another machine came to life and fired a bolt of electricity, which Luz avoided with a summer sault. She used her webs in midair to pull herself out of the way of a large spinning piece of machinery, and ran up the wall while avoiding metal projectiles.

“He’s controlling the entire factory! Think, Spidey! If you were the greates scientist in the world trying to kill Spider-Girl, what would you do?” Luz whispered to herself. She changed her Web Shooters to impact webbing and fired several of them, destroying every single one of the cameras Doc Ock had been using to watch over her.

“Damn you! I can’t tell where you are!” The mad doctor declared as he stared at the screens, which all showed nothing but static.

“Right here!” He heard, and turned to see Spider-Girl breaking through the metal door with a kick. Spidey grabbed one of the potions she had prepared and aimed it at the battery, when Alador attacked with one of his tentacles. Luz leaped over the tentacle and instead threw the potion at it. Doc Ock attacked with another tentacle, hitting Spidey right on the face and making him groan in pain. The impact made the potions all fall to the ground and shatter, except for two that Luz grabbed at the last second, one in each hand. Spidey threw one of the potions at Alador, which he blocked  with another one of his tentacles.

“You think you can defeat me with such simple tricks?” Alador asked, when he suddenly realized the two tentacles that had been hit by the potion were beginning to melt. Doc Ock placed the two tentacles together, and glanced at the spot on the metal where the other potions had landed, to see it had melted into a puddle, which then hardened once again after just a few moments. He glanced back at the two melting tentacles, to see they were fused together. “A corrosive metal melting fluid! You fool! I can fix those tentacles easily once I get rid of you!”

Luz placed the last potion she still had back on the belt. She was starting to feel the effect of that last hit. Her head felt light and her ears were ringing. Luz could feel the heat from the fusion reactor spreading across the room, as sparks of electricity began flying from the device and destroying the nearby machinery. She quickly fired her webbing at the doctor, tangling him on a massive spider web, only for Alador to easily break through it.

“Two tentacles are more than enough for me to end your life, you fool!” Doctor Octopus declared as he thrusted with one of his metal arms, which Luz grabbed at the last second, holding it just centimeters away from her face. “Surrender!”

Alador attacked with the other arm, which Spider-Girl avoided with a leap, only for the two fused arms to trust forward and hit her like a club, striking Spidey on the side and then slamming her on the wall, making a large imprint on the metal. Luz smelled blood and heard the sound of bones cracking, the excruciating pain spreading around her body as she screamed, yet she continued to hold onto the tentacle.

Doctor Octopus attacked with another metal arm. Spider-Girl thought quick, swiftly avoiding the strike and stomping onto the tentacle with her foot, using her powers to glue it to her sole. Spider-Girl was breathing heavily as Alador raised her body with the tentacles and began trying to shake Spidey off, intensifying the pain across her bones.

Luz’s Spider Sense was going insane as Alador prepared to slam her once again with the fused tentacles, and Spidey swiftly fire a web onto Doc Ock’s face. The heat was getting unbearable, blowing up nearby screens from the surrounding machinery, Luz felt as if she was about to be boiled alive. Alador groaned in annoyance as he trusted forward with the fused tentacles, missing and breaking through the metal ceiling, making pieces of metal fall and nearly hit Spider-Girl. It seemed like the best defense against this octopus was a smashing offense.

“This blasted web! I can’t see!” Alador declared as he struggled to tear the webbing out of his face.

There were no jokes or quips, Luz didn’t have time, she simply let go of the tentacles and ran towards the doctor. Alador swung his tentacles blindly, which Spidey swiftly avoided, each movement making her entire skeleton hurt. Spidey jumped onto Doc Ock, pinning the fused tentacles to the ground with her foot, and prepared to throw a punch, only for the other two tentacles to come flying and grab Luz’s hand, trying to pull her away from Alador. Spidey glued one of her feet to the fused tentacles and the other to the ground, preventing the metal arms from moving her. She screamed as she felt the tentacles almost breaking her arms. All of her four limbs were immobilized.

“You little brat!” Alador declared as he finally managed to remove the webbing, mostly due to it being weakened by the intense heat. Spidey continued to scream in pain, feeling as if her arms would snap at any moment. The battery continued to release sparks of electricity as the heat increased by the second. “Let’s see you scurry out of this, Spider-Girl!”

Spider-Girl’s eyes squinted in anger as she gathered all of the strength she had left and trusted her head forward, striking Alador with a might headbutt to the face. Alador groaned in pain as his protection glasses shattered, and he fell to the ground, finally defeated. She could barely stand, but as soon as the tentacles let go of Luz’s arms, she threw the final potion, hitting the battery perfectly as it began to melt. Spidey grabbed Alador’s unconscious body and stumbled out of the room while carrying him, managing to escape right before the battery exploded into a large blast of radiation, blowing up the entire room and creating a shockwave that threw Spider-Girl to the ground.

“I’m a big fan of your… if that helps…” Spider-Girl whispered as she laid on the ground for a few moments, breathing heavily. Luz slowly got back up, her entire body hurting, as she looked down upon the unconscious villain and changed her Web Cartridges. “This guy is the most dangerous villain I’ve ever faced! Better not take any chances!”

Spider-girl began webbing up the criminal.

“Look!” One of the police officers declared as they ran into the factory, seeing the tall man and his metallic arms tied up by webs. “Doctor Octopus has been defeated!”

They approached the tied-up villain and noticed a small note glue to the webs.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

“Farewell, Doctor Blight…” Spider-Girl whispered in slight melancholy as she watched over the scene. Luz carefully held the parts of her chest and ribs that Alador had cracked. It was still hurting, but it seemed like Spider-Girl would heal faster than regular people. “There is only one thing I still have to do!”

Mystery Shack:

“Your system has almost completely eliminated the Mad Thinker’s virus.” Dipper declared as one of his machines checked over Mabel’s vitals. “You should already be able to use your powers again, just don’t set the house on fire.”

“Alright! Flame on!” Mabel declared as her entire body lit up into flames. “Let’s go wreck that octopus!”

“That won’t be necessary.” The two heard, when their window opened from the outside and Spider-Girl jumped in.

“You again?” Dipper asked. “What do you want this time.”

“Shush it, Stretchy Armstrong. I came here to thank her.” Spidey declared, as Mabel powered down her flame and stared at her in confusion. “Doctor Octopus has already been captured, and it was all thanks to you! I just wanted to say, you’re an inspiration to us all, Torch! You are the greatest hero you could possibly be!”

Spider-Girl jumped back out of the window and began swinging away.

“What was that about?” Dipper asked as they watched the crimson clad crime fighter leave the area.

“I don’t… know?” Mabel asked in slight confusion.

Queens:

“Sorry that I left you back then, Ned.” Luz apologized as the two walked through the sidewalk, stopping right in front of her house.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I’d expect you to jump in and fight Doc Ock, right?” Ned asked, a tone of suspicion noticeable in his voice as Luz laughed awkwardly. “But you’ll be the one explaining to Hopkins why we don’t have any pictures.”

“It’s okay. See you at work tomorrow.” Luz declared as she went up the steps to her house.

“One more thing.” Ned commented, as Luz turned to him. “Thanks for everything you did today, Luz.”

Luz hesitated slightly, not sure how much Ned knew, and then nodded. Ned waved her goodbye and walked away. She stared at him as he left, and smiled as she entered her home. Ned was her friend, and that’s all that mattered.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Nothing Can Stop the Abomination!

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: Wonder how long the employees would handle Hopkins's bullshit before they decide they've had enough?

“We have to make ends meet somehow.” Spidey commented as she stuck to the side of the Empire State building, glaring at the pink clouds illuminated by the sunset. Looking up, she noticed the cloud seemed to resemble the faces of her friends at the Bugle, which made her blush a little. “I learned to tune Hopkins out. It is not like he had anything useful to say after all. Robbie takes his job more seriously, and he actually tries to do whatever damage control he can to the madness Hopkins wants to publish. Robbie is the reason some signs of sanity eventually slip through into the papers. At first, I thought Ned was only in it for the money, but he seems to be the curious type. I think he legitimately likes to work as an investigative journalist, even if it means he has to handle Hopkins yelling at him on a daily basis. As for Masha… honestly, I have never met anyone quite like them before.”

Shadowsnake89: This was very very entertaining and you've done an interesting job of compressing a lot of story into a fun read. I'm a huge classic Marvel fan so I loved the entire Mystery Shack scene being a nod to ASM #1. Love how you are setting up the Owl House characters to take on some very iconic Marvel roles. Luz is really looking to uphold the high standard that comes with that mask and moniker. Even when in the dire straits that her mother is in financially and not being able to make ends meet, she refuses to resort to criminal acts even when it is the easiest road to take. Kudos to her.

“Thank you very much. This legitimately means a lot to me. I am very glad you’ve been enjoying my adventures so far.” Luz answered, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. “Looking back at it now, I’m a little bit ashamed that I even considered crime in the first place, but I guess everyone has intrusive thoughts here and there. What matters is that I made the right choice at the end. I am not going to disappoint my parents, neither the one I still have or the one who is no longer with us.”

Luz put her mask back on and leaped off the building, beginning to swing away.

“Thank you all for reading. Special thanks to all who are sending me those messages. This means more to me than you realize. This might not have been the best story you’ve ever read in your life, but I hope I was at least able to entertain you, even if for just a few minutes. I hope I get to see you all next time, with more amazing fantasies!” Spider-Girl declared. “Marvel on, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Nothing Can Stop the Abomination

Police sirens roared through the night streets of Queens, New York, as a single car sped up in hot pursuit of the airborne figure, which swung through the buildings.

“Spider-Girl! You are under arrest for vigilantism!” Captain Gilbert Park declared through a megaphone as he sat on the passenger seat, being careful not to lose sight of the super hero. “Get down here and put your hands where I can see them!”

“Why does this only happen to me?” Spidey whispered to herself as she continued to swing, glancing back at the car that chased after them. They were in a residential district, so she knew they wouldn’t shoot at her, as that would risk hitting a bystander. If she didn’t lose them quick, however, she would have to explain her mom why she was out so late. Some big hero she was, having to go back home in time for mommy. “The Fantastic Four never got chased by the police!”

Spider-Girl pulled on her web and flew upwards, back flipping over a tall building and landing on the other side of the block.

“Over there! She’s over there!” Gilbert declared, which his partner was quick to follow, drifting around the building and stopping right in front of the slender figure. Gilbert jumped out of the car and pointed his flashlight at the shadow before them. “You are…”

“Um… Hi!” Luz declared, already out of her Spider-Girl costume and back on her civilian clothes. “Can I help you, officer?”

“Hey little girl, have you seen Spider-Girl around here?” The other officer asked as he got out of the car.

“That masked freak? Not that I recall.” Luz lied with a shrug. “In fact, I think Spider-Girl isn’t even real. Her powers must all be special effects.”

Gilbert stared at the girl for a few moments, when they suddenly heard voices from their radios.

“Prison break. Darius Deamonne. Pursued on Ryker's Island. Over.”

“We’re on our way. Over.” Gilbert declared and turned to his partner. “Seems like we’re not catching that Spider today.”

“We’ll get her next time, don’t worry.” The other officer declared as they got back in their car and drove away.

Luz let go of a heavy breath and began walking down the sidewalk, reaching for her pocket and pulling out a bottle of Anticoagulants. Just her luck, she’s buying her mom’s medicine and there is a robbery, then after the robbery the police shows up. It was better if she headed home. She needed to wake up early the next day to study at the library.

Ryker's Island

The tall black man ran through the grassy area, as he heard the sound of barking dogs and footsteps, and saw the beams of the flashlights, the police chasing right behind him. He kept running until he hit a small metal fence, which he quickly climbed, jumping to the other side and landing on a small pile of sand that spread all over his clothes.

“Ew! That’s disgusting!” Darius declared in slight anger. Good thing those were just prison clothes, and not the clothes he’d normally wear. He wasted no time and continued to run through the sand. Darius tripped and fell into a large hole, rolling through concrete and landing onto a large pile of strange purple goo. “Ugh! It’s in my eyes! Dammit!”

Darius got up and looked around in anger, when a bright light suddenly lit up above him. For a moment he thought it was the police, only to be surprised as several shining metal poles lowered themselves around him and began spinning. Darius’ expression changed into one of shock as he looked around in a frenzy.

“Hey! Stop! I’m down here!” Darius screamed as he jumped and waved his arms, to no effect. The super collider continued to operate around him, spinning faster and faster, until a large hurricane of purple goo surrounded his body. “Help! Please! Somebody!”

Darius screamed in anger as the light covered his body. He looked down upon his hands and screamed in shock as they began to melt and turn purple. The hands were quickly followed by his shoulder, and then his legs, and the side of his face. Darius screamed helplessly as his entire body began melting into purple slime, until nothing else remained.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Mr. Hopkins, you need to stop treating Spider-Girl like this.” Robbie declared as the two walked into Hopkins’ office.

“Haven’t you seen what happened last week with Blight Industries? That masked creep shows up and everything goes off the rails! Did you see what she did next? She fled the crime scene! What does that tell you?”

“If that battery had exploded, it would have brought down the entire building!” Robbie declared. “It would have killed six people! Spider-Girl is a hero!”

“I can step on a spider, why can’t I step on her?” Hopkins asked as he sat on the chair behind his desk, and his eyes widened. He got back up, only for the chair to go with him, as it had been glued to the back of his pants. “It’s a web! She put a web on my chair! I’ll have her head on a platter!”

Spider-Girl giggled as she watched the scene, glued to the side of the nearby building. She quickly leaped off and began swinging through the city.

“Alright! Hopkins is probably going to be fuming when I show up, so I better go get some pictures for him!” Spider-Girl commented, when she heard the sound of an alarm coming from a nearby bank. “Right on time!”

Luz landed on top of a nearby building and glued her camera to it with her web.

“Alright! Who is stupid enough to rob a bank in this neighborhood in the middle of the day?” Spidey asked as she looked down upon the alley right behind the building, from which a familiar criminal casually walked out. “Darius Deamonne! What is this? The third time this month?”

Spidey leaped and fired her web, quickly tying Darius up as she landed right in front of him with a pose.

“Ugh! This disgusting web!” He declared in anger, looking down upon the fancy black and purple outfit he worn. “It is all over my clothes!”

“Sup, old pal!” Spidey commented in a sarcastic tone of voice. “I heard you escaped from prison yesterday. Say ‘hi’ to your buddy Wrath for me when you get back there.”

“Jest while you can, Wall Crawler!” Darius declared. Luz heard the sound of blades, as the web around the man’s body fell to the ground in pieces. She stared at it in surprise, and realized the web had not been ripped, but instead sliced. “How about we play a little game I call: Crush the spider!”

“Something is wrong!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed and threw a punch, only for her fist to go right through Darius’ chest, which had transformed into a strange purple slime upon contact. “What is this?”

Darius’ entire body suddenly melted into that same strange substance, allowing him to easily slide around Luz’s body, passing by under her arms and over her shoulder, before reforming right behind her into the shape of Darius’ body. Spider-Girl’s spider sense began flaring up intensively.

“Impressed? You’ve seen nothing yet!” Darius declared as he morphed his hand into a purple axe and swung it at Spider-Girl, who was just barely able to avoid it with a somersault. Spidey changed the mode on her Web Shooters and began firing her impact webbing, which simply went right through Darius’ body as if it was made of water. “Having trouble? I’ll give you a fighting chance!”

Darius covered his eyes with his hands.

“C’mon, Web-Head! Give me your best shot!” He declared with an overconfident smile. Luz stared at him in anger, as she dashed and threw a punch to his face, only to pull her hand back in surprise.

“His jaw is as hard as iron! But his body was almost liquid just a moment ago!” Spider-Girl declared in surprise. “You can alter the solidity of your body at will! What is the meaning of this?”

“Check this out, slick! No hands!” Darius declared as he put his hands on his hips, and his chest suddenly morphed into a massive purple fist, which flew and struck Spider-Girl, who was too distracted trying to rationalize those powers to react. The strike sent Luz flying onto a wall, making large cracks as she fell onto several garbage cans. She brought her hand to her face in pain, only to gasp in chock. Darius had just ripped her mask in two. Luz quickly jumped up, making sure to hide her face, and climbed to the top of the building, swinging away from the scene as fast as she could. “Run away, you coward! Nobody can stop me now, not even Spider-Girl!”

Darius laughed maniacally as his entire body melted into that purple mass, which went into the cracks between the bricks on the ground and seemed to disappear.

“I can’t let him see my face! He’d tell everyone! If Hopkins finds this out, he’ll turn the entire town against me! My studies, my job, it will all be gone!” Luz whispered as she landed on top of a tall building. “What about my mom? If I’m driven out of town, what will happen to her?”

Luz quickly fired a web at her camera, pulling it off the side of the building and into her hands, before swinging away from the scene.

Queens.

“That’s right, everybody! Here we have it! Spider-Girl and her new partner Darius Deamonne, or how I’ve come to call him, the Abomination, have teamed up to rob a bank in our beautiful Manhattan!” Hopkins’ voice declared from the TV, as he sat on his desk in front of the green screen, the pictures Luz had taken appearing behind him. She had obviously deleted the ones where her face was visible. “How long will our great city of New York have to suffer in the hands of this masked menace? But first, a word from our sponsors!”

Luz turned the TV off and closed the curtains of her bedroom, before taking her civilian clothes off to reveal the Spider-Girl outfit she worn underneath.

“Look what I got myself into! The amazing Spider-Girl having to sew her mask back together!” Luz whispered in annoyance and she carefully placed the thread into the needle. “I’m probably gonna have to remake the mask with some stronger material! I can’t have it ripping during fights again… But first I need to figure out what to do about our slime friend out there!”

“Luz? Are you here?” She heard as the door began opening. Luz shot up as her eyes widened. She quickly hid the mask under the covers of her bed and reached for a bath robe, using it to cover her costume.

“Hi mom!” Luz greeted.

“Why are you all covered up like that?” Camila asked.

“I’m wearing… nothing under it…” Luz lied, her voice sounding awkward as her mother nodded in understanding.

“I’m going to the store. Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“Can you bring some cherry pie? I love those.” Luz commented, to which Camila nodded and left the room. “I love you!”

“I love you too.” Camila yelled from the stairs as Luz closed the door.

Luz sighed heavily in relief as she took off the robe.

“This super hero business will be the end of me!”

Bonesborough Library.

The library worker stood near the entrance, her vacuum cleaner draining all of the dirt from the floor, to the annoyance of the people trying to concentrate on their books. The sound of the vacuum suddenly stopped, and she looked down to see the machine had clogged. She whispered a few curse words under her breath as she tried to fix it for a few moments, when the door opened behind him.

“Do you want help?” Luz asked.

“You don’t work here anymore.”

“True, but I still want to help.” Luz commented as she got down in front of the vacuum cleaner and opened it. She casually moved a few wires and then closed it again, turning it back on to reveal it was working perfectly.

“Wow, thanks.” The worker declared, straightening her glasses as she went back to cleaning. Luz nodded and made her way to the shelves.

After she sewed the mask back together, Luz did the only thing she could do when she needed more knowledge, she went to the library. She was supposed to be studying for school or doing her homework, but instead she was looking over different types of slime. She was specifically searching for a type of purple goo that could change solidity. The closest she could find was a strange type of liquid mixture of silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, and a strange purple type of Alamogordo glass. The final product would be nicknamed ‘Abomination Goo.’

Next step was finding out what had happened to Darius. Looking over some local newspapers, the only relevant thing Luz could find was the testing of how Abomination Goo responded to being exposed to a superconducting particle accelerator complex, or a ‘super collider’ if you will. The testing was being done on Ryker's Island, the exact same island as the high security prison Darius had been held.

“Why does every scientific experiment in this city result in a super-powered being?” Luz whispered under her breath. Truth be told, she was legitimately surprised Darius had been able to simply walk away from complete demoleculization. His chances of survival were actually even lower than Luz’s chances when she got bitten by the radioactive spider. His body had been reduced to nothing but an amorphous blob of animated goo, which only made things even worse for Luz. “He is indestructible!”

Manhattan.

“Stop right there! You’re under arrest!” Darius heard as he casually walked out of yet another destroyed bank, large bags of money in his hands. The Abomination opened a hole in his chest and threw the bags inside, before perfectly closing it.

He turned to see a police car heading towards him. Within the vehicle were none other than Gilbert Park and another police officer. Darius smiled confidently, and instead of running away as he’d normally do, he simply walked down the street and hid behind a truck. The car stopped and the two men of the law quickly ran after the criminal, each one approaching from one side. To their surprise, Darius had vanished.

Captain Park heard movement at the top of the truck, and signed for the other officer. The two nodded and climbed the vehicle, to see the back was full of nothing but a strange purple goo.

“Wha–”

The purple slime suddenly came to life, knocking the two officers out of the truck and taking the shape of a massive humanoid abomination with green eyes. The two cops screamed and drew their weapons, opening fire as their bullets harmlessly phased through the creature’s body.

“What is that thing?” The officer asked in shock. Darius morphed his hand into an axe and brought it down upon the cop, Captain Park pushing his partner out of the way at the last second. The axe struck the asphalt, piercing right through it and making large cracks. Darius laughed as he heard the sound of police sirens, and turned to see several more police cars approaching them.

Abomination laughed loudly as its massive goo body suddenly exploded, creating a wave of purple goo that flooded the entire street, sending several of the police cars flying away. Captain Park coughed as he climbed out of the remains, and looked around to see several wounded officers. Darius, however, had seemed to disappear.

A small piece of slime gained life at the top of a building close by, and then morphed into the shape of Darius, back at his regular size. He looked down upon the scene.

“Nobody died? How lucky.” Darius commented. “Not that it would make any difference. For every cop I kill, two more appear, this is getting tiresome. I better find some place to hide.”

Bonesborough Library.

Luz suddenly raised her head as she felt a strong tingle starting at the back of her skull and racing down her spine. Her spider sense had just detected something strong, and she didn’t have much time. Luz got up and made her way to the bathroom, and the exact moment she closed the bathroom door, the entrance door flung open, and Darius Deamonne walked in with a confident smile.

“Your floor better be clean.” Darius declared. “If it isn’t, I’ll sweep it with your face.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Malphas asked in shock as he approached the criminal.

“Shush it, grandpa!” Darius declared in a sarcastic tone of voice as he morphed his hand into a massive purple fist. “I’ll be taking over from here!”

Malphas gasped and took a few steps back.

“Listen here! I demand to know–”

Darius struck the ground with his massive fist, making the ground shake and tossing the old man to the ground. The several teenagers around began screaming and trying to run away, when Darius grabbed Malphas by the neck and raised him over his head.

“Y’all better chill! It would be a pity if something happened to the fossil here!” Darius declared with a smile, as the others all stopped running and froze in place. “I’m about to teach you all a lesson!”

“Too bad, because you just got an F!” Darius heard, and turned to see Spider-Girl swinging in and slamming onto his body with her two feet, blowing Darius into a puddle of slime on the ground, two bags of money rolling around the floor. “Everybody, run!”

They all nodded and began leaving the building. Luz sensed the slime beginning to move under her feet, as Darius began to reform his body. She had to keep him busy until the building was evacuated.

“Let’s dance, T-1000!” Spider-Girl declared as Darius fully reformed, staring at her with a bored expression.

Darius morphed his hand into a sledgehammer and threw a punch. Spidey felt her spider sense warning her, but if she dodged it, it would hit the fleeing bystanders behind her. Luz thought quickly and fired a massive amount of webbing onto the ground, which tangled together in the form of a tick pillar, blocking the strike.

“My webs are ten times more durable than steel when it comes to tensile strength!” Spidey bragged, hoping that her taunts would divert Darius’ attention away from the bystanders.

“If I can’t break it, then I just have to cut it!” Abomination declared as he formed an axe, slicing right through the web pillar. Darius prepared to strike, but Spidey moved faster, trying to trip him, which only resulted on his legs blowing up into goo. Spidey spun to maintain the inertia from the last hit and threw a punch to Darius face, who hardened his head at the last second. A loud slamming sound echoed across the library as Spider-Girl struck him, making small cracks appear on his face, which instantly healed. “Impressive… but not impressive enough!”

Darius struck Luz with a punch and sent her flying, which she recovered from by spinning in midair and landing on her feet. Spider-Girl kicked one of the large wooden tables, sending it flying towards Darius, who easily broke right through it. She picked up a massive wooden bookcase, almost tall enough to hit the ceiling, and threw it at him. The bookcase crushed his body, only for him to reform and break right through it.

“You thought you would defeat me by throwing wood at me?” Darius asked.

“It’s called ‘distraction’, slime boy!” Luz answered as she heard the sound of the doors closing. All of the bystanders had left the area. “We have our privacy now!”

“Good… nobody is coming to save you!” Darius declared as he dashed towards Luz.

Spidey swiftly changed her Web Cartridges and began firing a massive barrage of webs, completely tying up Darius into a massive mass of webs. Darius instantly liquified and poured through the webs, quickly reforming and stretching his arms into a massive punch. Spider-Girl dodged and landed on top of a bookcase, which the Abomination struck, making it crash onto other bookcases that all fell like dominos. Darius followed Spidey up the stairs to the second floor. Luz leaped and fired a barrage of impact webbing, which all just went through Abomination’s liquefied body.

Spidey landed right behind Darius, who turned around right in time to be punched right through the chest by the hero. Darius suddenly hardened his chest before Luz could pull her arm out, making her arm become stuck inside of him. Darius grabbed Spidey by the neck and struck her with a mighty headbutt. Luz took a few steps back, which Darius kept up with by taking a few steps forward, until Luz felt her back hitting the wall.

“Godspeed, Spider-Girl!” Darius declared as he threw another headbutt, about to crush Luz’s skull. Spidey suddenly struck his arms with all of her strength, making him let go of her neck, and dodged at the last second. Darius’ head struck the wall and broke right through it, the surprise making him liquify his body on instinct and allowing Luz to pull her arm out. Spidey jumped away as Darius pulled his head out of the wall.

“You have one thick skull, hm?” Spider-Girl commented.

“You’re clever… but this won’t save you! I can see you’re slowing down, Wall Crawler, but the Abomination never tires!”

As much as Luz hated to admit it, Darius was right. This fight required her to use her full power non-stop. She was starting to breathe heavily, but Darius’ goo body was physically incapable of ever getting tired. Luz needed to find a way to beat him fast, she couldn’t keep playing keep away forever.

“I know what will make you tire even faster!” Darius declared as he morphed his entire body into goo and dashed towards Spider-Girl at incredible speeds. Luz dodged it by leaping over it, only for Darius to form a hand and grab her by the ankle, pulling her into the purple mass. “How long can you hold your breath, Spider-Girl?”

The inside of the mass of slime was airtight. Darius was going to suffocate Luz if she didn’t do something quick. Spidey quickly hugged her own legs, her position forcing the mass into a generally spherical shaped. She forcefully pushed it, making the goo ball roll down the stairs to the first floor where the fight had started, splattering against the wall and setting the hero free. Spider-Girl breathed in heavy gasps and coughed for a few moments, as Darius swiftly reformed. Abomination morphed his arm into a hammer, and Spidey took a few steps back, preparing to dodge. Luz felt the back of her leg hitting a small object.

“Time to hammer it out!” Darius declared with a smile. Spider-Girl quickly fired several nets of web, which were about to cover Darius’ entire body. The Abomination simply liquified himself, allowing the nets to go right through him. “Haven’t you learned yet that nothing can touch me? You really suck as a hero, don’t you?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth!” Spider-Girl declared as she reached back, not giving Darius time to solidify his body, and pulled out that same vacuum cleaner she had fixed earlier, using it to suck Darius’ goo body.

“Wait! What are you doing?” Darius asked in shock as he tried to solidify his body, but it was too late, as every last bit of his goo had already been sucked into the metallic device.

“This is how you clean house!” Spider-Girl declared as she put down the vacuum cleaner. Luz smiled, only for her expression to change into one of frustration as she came to a realization. “Damn it! I forgot to take pictures of the fight!”

Luz looked around, seeing several pieces of leftover goo on the ground, which Abomination no longer had control over due to it not being linked to his body. She pulled out her camera and glued it to the wall with a web. She then picked up large pieces of the purple goo and threw it into the air, pretending to punch it, which the camera automatically photographed.

“Since this all really happened just a minute ago, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t count as forgery!” Spider-Girl joked to herself.

Manhattan.

Police sirens flared as several police cars surrounded the library. Captain Park stood behind several of them as he held his megaphone.

“Darius Deamonne! You are under arrest! Come out with your hands where we can see them!”

Captain Park heard a strange commotion going on around him, and turned to see an adult man trying to walk past the other officers.

“Let me through! I’m a journalist!” Jacob Hopkins declared as he approached Gilbert. “What are you waiting for, Captain? Just go in there and capture Spider-Girl!”

“We’re not here after Spider-Girl, Hopkins!” Gilbert declared. “Why don’t you keep on publishing your sensationalism while we take care of the police work?”

The two were suddenly illuminated by a powerful red light that took the shape of Spider-Girl’s face, and looked up to see the hero standing at the top of the building with a vacuum cleaner in her hands.

“Hey, Captain, here is an early Christmas present for you!” Spidey joked, as she glued a note that read ‘Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl’ to the device and slowly lowered it with a web, Gilbert taking it in his hands. “The Abomination is inside, but he probably won’t be happy when you open it, so watch out for that.”

“Spider-Girl! You vigilante!” Hopkins yelled in anger. “Take off your mask and let us see your face, you coward!”

“Nah, I don’t really feel like it.” Spider-Girl declared as she dangled from the building, mimicking a sloth.

“Captain! As a taxpayer I demand you apprehend this criminal right now!” Hopkins yelled in anger.

“Anyway, I’ll be going now. Peace.” Spider-Girl waved them goodbye, and then swung away into the city.

“Spider-Girl!” Hopkins yelled into the skies in anger.

Midtown High School, Queens.

“Oh, man!” Luz declared as she walked down the steps of the school, holding a small note that Mrs. Clawthorne had written for her mom. Luz hadn’t done her homework that day, she just didn’t have the time. She sighed and put the paper on her backpack, when her spider sense suddenly flared, and she jumped back right in time to dodge a water balloon. “What?”

“Hey, Luzer! Catch!” Boscha yelled from a window on the second floor of the school, as she and several of her friends began throwing water balloons at Luz. Luz easily dodged all of them, doing some quick flips through the air.

“Wow! The nerd’s got the moves!” One of Boscha’s friends declared.

Luz’s expression changed into one of worry, as she noticed all of the bullies were shocked by her showcase of skill. If it spread around that Luz had become a great athlete all of the sudden, it would just raise suspicion of her secret identity. Luz sighed in annoyance, and stood perfectly still. Boscha and the other bullies once again threw their water balloons, which blew up on Luz and soaked all of her clothes. The bullies laughed, and so did many of the students around Luz. She groaned in annoyance and walked away.

“This super hero business will be the end of me!” Luz whispered as she walked away from the school.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Doomsday.

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: A bat-shaped glider, huh? Sounds like a goblin's about to appear...

This was a fun read, can't wait for more

“Now that you mention it, Master, I did forget to investigate that…” Luz whispered as she looked over the city from the top of the Empire State building. Luz put her hand on her chin and thought for a few moments, only to shrug. “It’s probably not all that important. What’s the worst someone could do with a glider?”

Shadowsnake89: Well, they say the burden hardest to bare is the one you carry alone. Fortunately it looks like Luz won't have to carry that load by herself any longer now that Ned is in on it. Kid needs a good support net. And despite all the gruffness from him, I guess you can't be too mad at Hopkins. Running a physical newspaper in this day and age has got to stress you the heck out just trying to stay alive. So you do what you have to to grab readers attention. Still could dial it down a bit on the anger.

Sad to see such a great mind shattered by that accident. And it looks like the Blight's company is taking a threefold hit with the experiment a failure, their best researcher behind bars and the experimental flight platform stolen.

“Y’know, Shadow, I think Ned is very… how do I put this… hard to read? He is kind of standoffish, but he’s friendly at the same time. Ned is also very curious and a good journalist. I am legitimately not sure what to make of him. I just hope he hasn’t figured out my identity, at least for now.” Luz explained. “As for Doctor Blight… yeah, it was truly a tragedy. I still have a hard time believing this actually happened. Alador blight was my idol, I looked up to him since I was ten. It is sad to see him fall from grace. But who knows? Maybe someday he’ll regret what he did and use his intellect for good again? That’s probably just wishful thinking on my part.”

celtarican: Damn am I late to the party! This was another great chapter!

First off the gravity falls reference was on point, amazing, especially the “Webs! My only weakness!”

Jacob as JJJ just works, it just does

And a first supervillain! But we all know the real villain is Camaila’s landlord, lol

“The Fantastic Four sure are something, huh? They are all very cool, but I think I work better alone!” Luz commented, and then scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “I guess we’re all fantastic in our own ways!”

celtarican: Once again I’m late! Gonna try and be on time for these now. Sorry!

Hopkins is Hopkins, “it’s not slander it’s libel” dang sometimes you really gotta punch a guy in the face

Very excited to see more members of the cast show up, curious for the plans on the Blight Family especially

“Thanks, Cel! I am very happy you enjoyed it! This actually means more to me than you can possibly imagine!” Luz declared with a smile. “It’s okay to be a little late here and there! I’m late all the time nowadays!”

celtarican: Alright, subscribed, hopefully I’ll be able to actually get updates now.

This was another good one, right after I said I was looking forwards to the blights we get this! Nice.

I have to ask, will there be any Luz centric ships? I know the tags kinda answer that already but I feel the need to ask anyways.

Ned is on to her, Ned already knows, but what’s he gonna do with this information?

Love seeing the cast take on Marvel character roles, and I love the way you do comments, it’s actually awesome! I love seeing more spiderLuz fics, thank you!

“I’m still not even totally sure if Ned does know, but if he does, he’s no snitch. He already had plenty of time to reveal my secret identity, but he hasn’t. As for my love life…” Luz blushed, an awkward expression on her face. “This is… complicated? I’m only 15, so things are prone to change eventually in this regard… b-but I’ll let you know if I ever find the right person! Don’t worry!”

Luz put her mask back on and began swinging away through the city.

“Thank you all for reading. I’m very honored that I was worth your time.” Spider-Girl declared as she swung away. “See ya’ll next time, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Doomsday

“There is one reason we’re all here… to do something I’ve been preparing for a long time…” Boscha declared in a serious voice, as a wicked grin appeared on her face, and she turned the lights on. “The first meeting of the Spider-Girl fan-club!”

The other students clapped excitedly, as they all stood in Boscha’s room, which was filled with Spider-Girl themed decorations and posters, most of which Boscha had made herself. Boscha stood proudly as her friends all clapped.

“That’s right! The greatest super hero this world has ever seen!” Boscha declared with a smile.

“I wonder how those webs come out of her!” One of the club members commented. “I heard she can produce organic webbing from within her body!”

“I actually tried to go around the city and take some of her webbing, but they always disappeared after an hour or so.” Another club member commented.

“Spider-Girl must create her webbing in a way that it dissolves after a certain amount of time, that way her enemies can’t follow her using the webbing trail.” Boscha declared in excitement. “Spider-Girl is such a genius! I bet she is out there thinking of new ways to protect the city as we speak!”

Manhattan.

“Spider-Girl! Spider-Girl! Como araña moviéndose! Con su red atará! Ladrones caerán! ¡Miren! ¡Ahi viene Spider-Girl!!” Luz quietly swung to herself as she swung through the skies of Manhattan. It was another beautiful day in New York, the sun shining brightly above her. The truth is that Luz actually really enjoyed swinging around, it helped her de-stress a little bit. Luz suddenly felt her spider sense tingling, and looked around to see small explosions of colorful flames blasting the skies around her. Tiny sparks of the flames touched the web she had been using to swing, burning through it and sending her on a free fall. She quickly fired another web, pulling herself to the side of a building and climbing to the rooftop. “Fireworks? Who is throwing fireworks at this time of the morning?”

Spidey ran to the side of the building, looking down upon the source of the fireworks.

“Oh! Why am I not surprised?” Spidey asked herself.

“Firework party!” Mabel declared excitedly with her hands lit up on flames, her two friends Candy and Grenda cheering around her. “The Fantastic Four are going to space today, and we probably won’t be back for about a week, so I figured I should go out with a bang!”

“Mabel! You’re on fire!” Grenda declared with a smile. “I mean that both in the literal sense, and in the figurative sense!”

“This strange biological mutation resulting from a traumatic accident involving cosmic radiation that had a 99.9% chance of giving you terminal cancer is incredible!” Candy declared in a cheerful voice.

“Another one! Another one!” The two cheered in unison.

“Alright, ladies! This one will be a doozie!” Mabel declared as she once again lit her fingers on fire and shot two blasts of flames upwards. The flames changed color to a bright neon green and a strong shade of pink. The two flames flew higher than the skyscrapers and exploded, forming the shape of a shooting star and a circle with the number four inside. Mabel blew onto her finger, like a cowboy blowing onto the pistol after firing, as her two friends began clapping. “Now for my next trick–”

A large shadow suddenly flew over them, and the three girls looked up to see a large bat-like creature flying in circles over them. Grenda and Candy screamed and hugged each other. Mabel lit her entire body ablaze and flew near the strange monster.

“Alright, you weird thingy! You’re throwing off my flow!” Mabel declared in anger, which the creature ignored and continued to fly in circles. “Wait a minute…”

The Human Torch grabbed the creature, realizing it was not actually flying but instead dangling on a web. She flew back down and turned off her flames, holding the strange prop in her hands.

“This isn’t a real monster! It’s a fake! It’s made of some weird string!” Mabel declared as she thorn up the fake bat open with her hands, sending webs flying all over her body.

“That’s Web Fluid for you, Shooting Star.” The three heard, and looked up to see a familiar hero sitting on top of the Mystery Shack with her legs crossed.

“Spider-Girl?” Mabel asked in annoyance as her body heated up and burned away the webs. “I should have known it was you!”

“Stop crashin’ our party, Web Head!” Grenda yelled.

“Mabel, can’t you get rid of her?” Candy asked.

“Chill out, Hot Head! It’s just a prank!” Spidey declared as she once again fired her webs, forming the shape of a large bird and sending it gliding across the air. “Here! Have another one!”

Mabel stared at Luz in anger, and shot a fireball right at the web prop. The bird lit into flames, transforming into a large burning phoenix, which flew around Luz in circles for a few moments, and then exploded into a harmless blast of rainbow colored sparkles.

“Show her, party girl!” Candy declared in excitement as the two clapped for Mabel.

“It will be like that? Alright then, Razzle Dazzle!” Spidey declared as she leaped and began swinging. “Race you to the beach! Last one there is a rotten octopus!”

“Show her, Mabel” Candy declared.

“Restore your honor!” Grenda yelled while throwing her arms up.

“Alright then, Web Head! You asked for it! Flame on!” Mabel declared as her body lit into fire and she chased after Spider-Girl, the two about even in speed as they raced towards the beach. Human Torch stared at Spider-Girl with a confident smile. “I can go easy on you if you want.”

“Don’t worry, Matchstick! You’re about to get owned!” Spider-Girl declared as she leaped off her web and back flipped over a tall skyscraper. Luz when into free fall as she quickly used her webbing to form a pair of wings on her underarms, which she used to glide and perform a perfect landing on the sand of the beach. “I am vengeance! I am the night! I am… Gosh! This will hurt my throat! How does Jeremy Shada keep this voice for a whole movie?”

“You’re just showing off at this point!” Mabel complained as she flew near the sand.

“That’s an awfully roundabout way of saying that you just got owned!” Luz declared as she used her webs to make a net and grab a bunch of sand, throwing it at Mabel. The sand reacted to Torch’s flaming body, trapping her inside a block of glass. Spider-Girl approached the glass block and pulled out her camera, taking a selfie with it. “I’m never gonna let you live this down!”

The glass around Mabel’s body suddenly began changing color to a burning shade of red as it began heating up. Luz leaped away as the glass exploded into a large wall of flames, which then dispersed to reveal Mabel flying over a large glass statue of herself standing victorious over a defeated Spider-Girl.

“The future is in the past, Wall Crawler!” Mabel declared as she flew around her clear sculpture. “I knew how to get out of that one because I accidentally trapped myself in glass before, multiple times!”

“I’m calling apple sauce on this business bologna!” Luz declared as she fired an impact web, shattering the head of the glass statue of Mabel, before quickly using her webs to make a pig head in its place. “This one says ‘I’m a pig… with a dark side!’”

“Joke’s on you! I take that as a compliment!” Mabel declared as she landed right in front of Spider-Girl.

“Alright then, Torchie! Check this out!” Spider-Girl declared as she prepared her Web Shooters, only to stop as she heard the sound of an alarm coming from her pocket. Her eyes widened as she came to a realization. “I’m gonna be late for school again!”

Luz leaped and began swinging back through the city, Mabel staring at her in confusion.

“You’re such a dork!” Mabel yelled as Spider-Girl left the scene.

Unknown location.

“Just today local masked menace Spider-Girl has clashed in combat against one of the greatest heroes in the world, the Human Torch!” Declared Hopkins’ voice from the television screen, as a figure in the shadows sat on a large throne on the other side of the room. “Spider-Girl belongs behind bars! I am offering a thousand-dollar reward to anyone who can bring me Spider-Girl’s true identity!”

The video suddenly froze, as the mysterious figure held his remote control.

“This Spider-Girl fella’ managed to match Matchstick Mabel?” The figure declared as he got up from his throne, shadows still covering his body. “If I manage to get this kind of power on my side, not even that accursed quartet would be able to stand in my way ever again!”

The figure walked into the light. He was actually not very tall, wearing a tiny baby blue business suit, covered by a blue cape and a hoodie. Most important of all, a hard metal mask covered his face.

“Men tremble at the mention of my name! The entire civilized world fears Gideon Gleeful!” Gideon declared in a voice of restrained anger. “Once I get Spider-Girl’s power on my side, not even the Fantastic Four will be able to match the wrath… of Doctor Doom!”

Midtown High School, Queens.

“Remember, kids. Tonight, my family and I are going on a trip to Florida for biochemical research, so for the next week you’ll be having a substitute teacher.” Eda explained as the bell rung and the students all exited the classroom. Luz sighed as she looked at her report card. She had always been a straight A student, but now her grades were slipping to Bs and Cs. She just didn’t have the time to study due to Spider-Girl.

“Hey! Luz!” She heard, and turned to see the voice was coming from a nearby locker. “Get me out of here!”

“I was wondering why you weren’t in class.” Luz commented as she freed Mattholomule.

“I’ve been in there for half an hour!” Mattholomule yelled in anger in between heavy breaths. “I’ve had it with Bria!”

“Relax, Matt.” Luz commented. “You’re probably never going to see Bria again once we move onto college.”

“I’m done with this! I’m going to tell Mrs. Clawthorne about what Bria’s been doing to me! You should do the same with Boscha!” Mattholomule declared in annoyance as he stormed down the hall. Luz stared at him for a few moments and shrugged. She turned and began to walk away, only to be forcefully pinned on the wall.

“Well, well, well! If it isn’t our favorite Luzer!” Boscha declared in sarcasm, and then held a newspaper near Luz’s face. “You’re the one who’s been selling pictures of Spider-Girl to that Hopkins guy, aren’t you?”

Luz began sweeting slightly. She couldn’t say anything that would raise suspicion of her secret identity.

“I gotta pay the bills somehow.” Luz answered, technically not lying.

“Spider-Girl is a hero! She is a greater person than you’ll ever be, you stupid nerd!” Boscha declared in anger. “I won’t just sit here and let you continue lying about her! Now get lost before I change my mind!”

Luz didn’t say another word, simply walking away as fast as she could. She let out a sigh of relief as she left the school through the doors.

“Spider-Girl!” Luz heard in a Southern American accent. Her expression changed into one of confusion as she looked around, realizing nobody on the street was reacting to the voice. Has she finally lost her marbles? Luz then remembered her enhanced spider sense. The message was being sent across the city in a frequency that only Spider-girl could detect. “Come to me, Spider-Girl! I’ll be sending you the coordinates!”

Manhattan.

“Just who could have advanced enough technology to reach me through my spider sense? I’m not sure what I am dealing with. Better approach carefully.” Spidey commented as she swung through the city, approaching the spot where the coordinates had been leading her. It looked to be a completely average building from the outside. Luz entered through the window. She could see nothing but darkness, but her spider sense let her know she was not alone. The lights suddenly turned on, to reveal she was standing in the middle of a large laboratory, with Gideon sitting on a metal throne. “Holy smokes! It’s Doctor Doom! I should have brought my autograph book!”

“You have finally arrived, Spider-Girl!” Doom declared, petting a small action figure of himself as if it was a cat. He threw the toy away and got up from the throne, walking towards the costumed hero. “I have an offer for you! We should join forces to defeat the Fantastic Four! Once we have my intellect and your powers, nobody will be able to stand in our way! Together we can rule the world!”

“I bet Hopkins sure would have some words to say about that, hm?” Spidey joked, and then suddenly fired large nets of webbing, tying Doom to the wall. “The answer is no, you buster!”

“You’ve just made a huge mistake, fella!” Spidey heard, and turned around to see a door opening and Doctor Doom walking in through it. She turned to the Gideon she had just tied up, realizing he was nothing but a DoomBot. “If you won’t join me willingly, I have no choice but to steal your powers!”

Doom pressed a button on his glove. Spidey felt her spider sense flaring, and somersaulted away right in time to avoid a large titanium cage falling onto her.

“Did you just try to trap Spider-Girl with a cage? Yikes, my dude!” Spidey commented as she dashed towards Gideon and threw a punch, only for her fist to strike an invisible barrier around his body.

“Kinetic force field projector belt! Absorbs the pressure of physical blows and send them right back at ya’!” Gideon declared and he pressed a button on his buckle, and Spider-Girl was tossed to the other side of the room by the pressure of her own strike.

“I’m not good under pressure!” Spider-Girl joked, exaggerating her voice to make her seem more desperate than she actually was. She back flipped and landed on her feet, before webbing a large piece of metal on the ceiling. She pulled the web and broke the metal open, releasing several electrical wires that fell onto Gideon. The electricity struck the force field and traveled through it, short circuiting the belt. “I hope you have a spare!”

“Jest while you can, Wall Crawler! Let’s see you deal with my photon blasts!” Doom declared as he pointed at Spidey with his index finger, and a straight blast of green light flew out. Her spider sense once again flared, and she carefully back flipped several times to avoid the lasers.

“You better replace that tin can you call a mask for a tin foil hat if you think this is enough to stop me!” Spider-Girl declared, trying to sound as confident as she could to not give Gideon the satisfaction of knowing she was actually having some trouble dodging. Spidey fired a web at the ceiling and swung towards a window, breaking right through it and leaping straight across the street, landing on top of a nearby skyscraper. “So long, sucker!”

“Damn you, Spider-Girl! If she tells anyone about the location of my lab, Dipper Pines and his annoying friends could end up finding me!” Gideon declared in anger. He reached for his gantlet and pressed a button. His whole body glowed with light as the teleporter activated and he disappear. The entire building suddenly blew up, collapsing onto itself.

“I'm beginning to think this armor-plated gargoyle doesn't like me! Good thing there was nobody inside!” Luz declared as she pulled out her cameras and took several pictures of the destroyed building, while bystanders stared at the scene in shock.

Queens.

“This masked terrorist is a menace to our society!” Hopkins declared on TV as the pictures of the destroyed building appeared on the green screen behind him. “Spider-Girl has just performed an act of domestic terrorist by exploding a whole building! When will the authorities do something about this?”

Boscha turned off the TV and turned back to her friends, showing off the Spider-Girl costume she had been wearing.

“It looks so realistic!” One of her friends declared. “That Halloween store you commissioned this from did a great job!”

“Although Spider-Girl is a little bit buffer than you, Boscha.”

“This will give that bookworm a scare!” Boscha declared as she put on the Spider-Girl mask. “I wanna see her continued to slander our great hero after ‘Spider-Girl’ herself shows up to have a word with her! She’ll be running off to her mommy before I can even say ‘Go web!’”

Unknown location.

“I’ll find you, Wall Crawler!” Gideon declared as he built a small device on his underground lab. “This will release high-pitched impulses that will react to the signal of her spider sense! Using this, I will easily be able to find out her secret identity!”

Gideon turned around and made his way to a small helicopter. The ceiling opened and his vehicle flew out.

“I am a master of science! There is nothing I can’t accomplish!” Doctor Doom declared as the autopilot vehicle drove itself across the city. “Spider-Girl dared to oppose me! I will make her pay!”

Queens.

“There she comes…” One of Boscha’s friends giggled as they spied on Luz, who had been casually walking down the street. Unknown to her, Boscha was waiting right behind a small fence, wearing a Spider-Girl costume and preparing to scare her.

“Luzer will be a laughing stock when I’m done with her…” Boscha commented as she prepared to jump out and scare her classmate. She suddenly heard the sound of a helicopter, and looked up to see the small vehicle flying overhead.

“My device says she is in this general area, but it can’t get any more specific… There she is!” Doom declared as he noticed Boscha. Doom suddenly jumped out of the helicopter, landing right in front of the disguised bully.

“Hey! What is going on?” Boscha asked, when Gideon suddenly blasted her with an electric taser from his gauntlet. Boscha fell to the ground unconscious, and Doom picked her up before using rockets in his boots to return to his helicopter and fly away.

Luz, in the meantime, simply continued to walk, unaware of the scene that had just happened nearby.

Noceda Residence.

“I’m home!” Luz commented as she entered the living room, seeing her mom sitting on the sofa and watching TV. Camila seemed to be very tired after a day of work. “What are you watching?”

“Just some weird talent show I found.” Camila explained. The screen suddenly morphed into static, only to change into the image of a familiar face.

“Doctor Doom!” Luz declared in shock

“Isn’t that the weirdo who fights the Fantastic Four?” Camila asked in confusion.

“It is I, Doctor Doom! Behold, New York!” Gideon declared, as he showed the picture of a tied-up teenager in a Spider-Girl costume. Luz gasped in surprise as she stared at the scene in confusion. "Your heroine has been defeated! I shall be taking over the city from here!”

A home address appeared on screen, as Gideon held up a small red journal, with a golden six-fingered hand on the cover that had the number 2 drawn on it.

“I am searching for a book similar to this one! It must be delivered to this location!” Doom declared. “If I get no response in 24 hours… this spider will be squished!”

Without saying another word, Gideon cut the feed, and the screen went back to show the singing contestants of the talent show.

“Dios mío!” Camila whispered in shock. “The Fantastic Four are in space right now! Who is going to stop him?”

Luz continued to stare at the screen, trying to piece together what was happening. She heard the sound of ringing, and turned to pick up the phone.

“Hello?” Luz asked.

“Hey, bookworm.” Bria’s voice answered. “Where is Boscha?”

“Bria?” Luz asked. “Why would I know where Boscha is?”

“She said she was going to hang out with you.” Bria explained. “She’s not answering the phone.”

Luz’s eyes widened as she hung up the phone without saying another word.

“Hey, mom, a friend from school needs my help with something! I’ll be back in a few hours!” Luz declared as she ran to the door.

“Be careful out there, Luz!” Camila added. “You never know what this Doom guy might be planning!”

“Oh, you have no idea!” Luz yelled back as she left the house.

Manhattan.

“Damn it, Boscha! Why are you always making things harder for me!” Luz declared in slight anger as she swung through the city and landed on top of a building. She looked down upon the address Gideon had given, seeing a large factory. “Doom probably has defenses all over the entrances in case someone tries to intervene. I have to get in using a way only Spider-Girl could!”

Luz looked over the area for a few moments, and then swung to one of the massive chimneys at the top of the factory. She tore the bars right out with her bare hands.

“I’m not Santa, but I’m going in!” Spidey declared as she jumped into the massive chimney.

Doctor Doom’s Factory.

“You have to let me out of here!” Boscha yelled to the cameras. “I’m not the real Spider-Girl!”

“Silence, you coward!” Gideon declared as he looked over the cell through a series of screen. “You’re just acting like a frightened weakling!”

Doom suddenly heard the sound of metal breaking and turned. He looked around for a few moments, when a piece of the metal ceiling above him shattered, and Spider-Girl jumped in, landing with a pose.

“You’re gonna need an actual doctor once I’m done with you, bucket head!” Spidey commented with a tone of sarcasm. “I’ll turn you to scrap-metal!”

“What? Impossible!” Gideon declared as he turned to the screen. “Two Spider-Girls?”

“There is only one Spider-Girl! The one and only!” Spider-Girl declared as she prepared to fire her web. Her spider sense flared, and she jumped out of the way just as Gideon fired another photon blast from the index finger of his gauntlet. “Talk about being trigger happy!”

Spider-Girl struggled to dodge a barrage of light beams, until she quickly fired her webs to the floor, which tangled themselves and took the shape of a solid web pillar. She hit behind the pillar and switched her Web Cartridges. Spidey leaped out and fired an impact web, hitting Gideon’s finger and clocking it. Doom tried to fire it once again, when the gauntlet overheated and stopped working.

“Let’s not go pointing fingers, doc!” Spider-Girl declared, as she began firing a barrage of impact webbing towards Gideon, who groaned in pain as they struck his body. “Here’s a little trick your old buddy the Thing loved!”

“Don’t ya’ ever shut your mouth?” Gideon declared as he backed up to the wall and pressed a button on a small control panel. A piece of the ceiling opened to reveal a large freeze ray, which aimed at Spider-Girl.

“Sorry, Nick Chopper, I don’t!” Spidey declared as she formed a solid shield out of webs, which froze as it blocked the ice blast. She then leaped over it and grabbed the ice cannon with her bare hands, ripping it out and throwing it away. “My fans expect a certain level of comedy in every battle!”

Spider-Girl turned to Gideon, who had run off and picked up a super flamethrower. Doom pulled the trigger and released a massive blast of flames towards the hero. Spidey swiftly fired a web at the ceiling and pulled herself up, just barely avoiding the massive explosion of flames. Spider-Girl stood upside down on the ceiling and fired an impact web, breaking the flamethrower in his hands.

“You need to chill!”  Spidey declared as she ran across the ceiling and jumped, leaping and throwing a punch towards Doom. Gideon swiftly pulled out a gravity gun from his utility belt and fired it at Spider-Girl, halting her inertia and making her float helpless in midair.

“I am in control here, Spider-Girl!”

“Can it, tin can!” Spidey declared as she fired a web and tangled Gideon’s arm, pulling him up and punching him on the face.

The impact shattered the anti-gravity aura around Spider-Girl’s body. The two fell, Spidey stepping onto the anti-gravity gun and shattering it, releasing a cloud of smoke that blocked her vision for a few moments.

“You’re running out of gadgets, Doomy!” Spider-Girl declared sarcastically. She dashed and threw a punch at Gideon, only for her fist to go right through.

“You fool! You can’t outsmart Doom!” Gideon declared from the other side of the room, holding the hologram projectior he had used to create the mirage of himself Spidey had just tried to punch. Spidey felt her sense flaring up, but it was too late, as a DoomBot jumped at her and held her from behind. Doom was quick to drop the hologram projector and reached for a control panel, releasing a laser from the ceiling that began slowly heading towards Spidey’s location. “It is time to meet your fate, Wall Crawler!”

Spidey struggled to overpower the DoomBot for a few moments. She glued her feet to the metal floor and flipped the robot with all of her might, managing to throw the robot at the control panel and shattering it. The laser began glitching and spinning around the room randomly, destroying many of the surrounding machinery. The laser distracted Gideon for a moment, which was enough for Spidey to run in and throw a punch.

“You insolent arachnid!” Doom yelled in rage as he punched Spidey right on the face. As much as she hated to admit it, Gideon was stronger than she had expected. Gideon grabbed her by the neck and held her in place. Her spider sense flared as she noticed the laser was heading right towards her. She quickly fired her impact webbing at the laser on the ceiling, breaking into it and causing it to explode. The blast threw both the hero and the tyrant flying, and filled the room with black smoke. “You will pay for this, you clumsy fool!”

Doom got back up as the smoke began clearing, and then gasped in shock as he saw the scene in front of him.

“What? This can’t be! You’re supposed to be in space!” Gideon declared in shock, as before him stood Mabel Pines, Wendy Corduroy, Soos Ramirez, and his personal rival Dipper Pines. It was the Fantastic Four.

“Alright, rusted head!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed right in front of the four. “Now that most of your machines are broken, can you handle all five of us?”

“Damn you… You were lucky this time! I will be back! Do you hear me! I’ll destroy you all!” Gideon declared, as he turned around and ran away through the door.

Luz stood there for a few second to make sure he would not come back, and then sighed in relief. She pulled the hologram projector that she had picked up from the ground and glued to her back with her webbing, and then turned it off, the hologram of the Fantastic Four disappearing.

“How do the Fantastic Four stand listening to that guy monologuing? He just doesn’t shut up!” Luz commented to herself, and then began running down the corridors. “There is just one more thing left to do.”

“Doctor Doom! Let me go!” Boscha yelled at the camera, still tied up inside the cell on a Spider-Girl costume. She heard a large slamming sound, and turned to see Spider-Girl breaking down the door. “Spider-Girl! I can’t believe it! I’m your biggest fan!”

“I know…” Spider-Girl declared as she pulled the mask out of Boscha’s face and then broke the chains around her body. “And that’s really, really sad.”

Midtown High School, Queens.

“Then me and Spider-Girl broke out of the cell together, and Doctor Doom was so scared when he saw the two of us that he ran away like a little kitten!” Boscha declared to her friends. “Then Spider-Girl turned to me and said that I was the greatest ally she has ever had!”

“You were incredible, Boscha!” One of her friends declared as they began clapping for her.

“Thank you, but most of the credit has to go to the amazing Spider-Girl.” Boscha declared. “Now that I’ve met her in person, I can confidently say that she is the greatest hero we have ever had! Spider-Girl deserves nothing but respect, and from this day on I shall do everything in my power to protect her image.”

Luz passed by with an Azura book in her hands, and accidentally bumped into Boscha while distracted.

“Get out of my way, Luzer!” Boscha yelled as she pushed Luz away. Luz stared at her bully in slight surprise and continued walking. “You stupid, stupid idiot!”

To be continued.

Next Chapter: Face-to-Face with the Owl Beast.

The Spider’s Web.

Celtarican: At long last… I’m finally on time! God this was a top tier chapter.

The bit with Darius ending up in the compressor, god that sounds like a terrifying thing to go through.

Loved the quips this time around, the “time to clean house!” Was my favorite.

It’s also nice to see how the rest of the city seems to know Hopkins is an idiot, lol

Alright last one, the more I see of Boscha the more I hope Luz gets the chance to stand up to her!

Hope you don’t mind the long comments! Have a great day!

“Don’t worry, Cel. I don’t mind long messages at all. After all, if someone got interested enough in my adventures to write something so long, I must be doing something right, don’t you think?” Luz commented with a smile as she glanced at the sunset from the top of the Empire State building. “I won’t lie, I did think about beating Boscha up once or twice, but I figured it’s not worth it. I could punch her into the next week, but it’s not the right thing to do, and I doubt it would make things any better.”

GodzillaMaster: Of course Darius is going to be this story's Sandman. Just fits.

And sucking him into a vacuum cleaner? Reminds me of how Nega Globby was defeated

So does Jacob have a hate-boner against Spider-Girl or something? Only reason I can think of...

Sucks that he's the only option Luz has for employment

“Well, Master, I guess it’s a good thing I think fast.” Luz commented with a smile as she thought over her battle against the Abomination. “As for Hopkins… I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea what is going on through that guy’s mind.”

Shadowsnake89: Too bad Spider-Girl can't reveal her identity because whatever company produced that vacuum would be lucky to have her as a spokesperson. The villain catching vacuum! I can imagine the commercial now. And Luz's banter is improving, though she needs to look into upgrading her costume for the next time.

And poor Boscha. If only she knew who she was messing with.

“Thanks, Shadow. The truth is that sometimes my spider sense feels like a freeze frame, it slows action down to a crawl. I’m like ten steps ahead of the game, so if it sounds like I’ve been working on my jokes for hours, that’s because I probably have.” Luz explained with a smile. “I really need to upgrade my suit. This one rips a little bit easily, and it is hard to sew it back up. The spandex can also feel a little bit stiff and hard to move in sometimes. I made this suit to be a wrestling costume, so I guess it makes sense that it isn’t all that perfect for crime fighting. I’ll look into that later, if I have the time.”

Luz put her mask back on. Spider-Girl jumped from the top of the building and began swinging away.

“Thank you all for reading! See you all next chapter, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Face-to-Face with the Owl Beast.

Orlando, Florida.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear King! Happy birthday to you!” Eda and Raine sang and clapped, as their 8-year-old son smiled and blew the candles.

“Did you make a wish?” Raine asked as they placed their hand on his adopted son’s shoulder in a gentle manner.

“Yeah, yeah! I wished for–”

“Don’t say it.” Eda interrupted with a smile. “If you say it, it won’t come true.”

“Alright, let’s cut the cake.” Raine declared, as Eda used her one arm to hand them a kitchen knife. King tried to reach for it, but Raine held it away from their son’s reach and then cut the cake themselves. “Alright, who gets the first slice? You have to give it to the person you love the most.”

“Me!” King declared with an innocent smile, to which his parents laughed for a moment.

They heard a ringtone.

“The doorbell? Who could it be at this time of the night?” Raine asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go check it. The two of you just enjoy the party.” Eda explained as she took off her party had and made her way to the living room. She opened the door, and stared at the two before her with slight surprise. “Mr. Baker? Mr. Ifans?”

Eda was quite surprised to see members of the board of directors of her lab standing at her door at night.

“We’ve been trying to message you all day!” Baker declared.

“Oh! Sorry about that!” Eda explained with an awkward smile. “It’s my son’s birthday, so we went to Disney World, and I turned off my phone. When we came back we went straight to serving the cake, and I forgot to–”

“Your budget is getting cut, Mrs. Clawthorne.” Ifans declared.

“What?” Eda asked as her smile dropped. “B-but I’m almost getting ready for human testing! I just need to run through the formula a few more times!”

“With all due respect, Mrs. Clawthorne, you haven’t been able to give us any results in six years. Its over.” Ifans declared. “I’m sorry, Eda. We’ll send someone to take back the equipment tomorrow.”

Eda stared at the two, her expression showing a mix of thoughtfulness and worry, as she nodded slowly. The two left as Eda closed the door, and then made her way back to the other room.

“Who was it?” King asked with a piece of cake in his mouth.

“Nobody important, don’t worry about it!” Eda declared, putting on a smile and waving her only hand. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Eda left the room and walked through the corridor, going upstairs and entering her lab. She closed the door behind her and turned on the lights. She approached her equipment, pulling out a syringe containing a pitch-black liquid.

“I am so close! This one will work this time! It has to!” Eda whispered as she made her way to the other side of the room, opening a small cage of lab rats and realizing it was empty. “Ugh! I’m out of test subjects!”

Eda closed the cage and put down the syringe. She breathed heavily for a few moments, keeping her eyes closed as she thought over the situation. Eda took in a deep breath and made her way towards a small mirror. She looked over her own body, just as she had done so many times before. She glared at her arm, moving her fingers slowly and carefully. She then turned to where her other arm should be, seeing nothing.

Eda’s expression changed into one of determination, as she ran to the other side of the room and picked up the syringe.

“I’m an agent of chaos!” Eda whispered as she injected her own shoulder. Eda closed her eyes in pain and her veins turned black for a few seconds as the serum spread around her body. She opened her eyes, which were pitch black, until they turned back to normal and she shook her head. “Chaos hurts more than I remembered.”

Eda turned off the light and left the room, making her way back to her family.

Midtown High School, Queens, New York.

Luz ran through the corridors as fast as she could, only stopping after going through the door of the classroom.

“I’m here! I’m here!” Luz declared, breathing heavily.

“You’re on time, Miss Noceda! What a miracle.” Professor Hermonculus declared in slight surprise. “Right on time, even! I was about to close the door!”

“Where is Mrs. Clawthorne?” Luz asked as she sat on one of the desks. “Wasn’t she supposed to come back today?”

“If you had arrived at the same time as most people, you’ve have known that Mrs. Clawthorne did not return from her business trip this morning, so I’ll have to continued taking her place until she decides to actually arrive for once.” Hermonculus answered in a tone of annoyance as he began writing on the board.

“She just didn’t come back?” Luz asked. “She didn’t even give an explanation or anything? What happened?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Hermonculus declared. “I am about to start the lesson, meaning I want absolute silence!”

Luz was taken back by how direct the professor was being. She swiftly pulled out her book and used it to hide her worried expression.

“Why would Mrs. Clawthorne just disappear?” Luz whispered to herself. “This is not like her…”

Luz left the school as the bell rang. Even as she walked down the stairs, she still couldn’t take Mrs. Clawthorne out of her mind. Why would her teacher just vanish like that?

“Hey, nerd!” Luz heard.

“Bria?” Luz asked as she turned around.

“Have you seen Mattholomule around here?” Bria asked, to which Luz simply shook her head.

Luz crossed the street and reached the other sidewalk, about to go into an alley so she could change into her Spider-Girl costume and begin web swinging, when she heard a word coming from a nearby TV store that caught her attention.

“We’re here directly from Orlando, Florida, where a series of strange sightings have been reported.” The reporter declared to her microphone. “The creature is described as a large beast taking a shape similar to that of an owl. It has been reported attacking civilians and hiding in the darkness of the night. The creature is allegedly bulletproof and incredibly dangerous. No deaths have yet been confirmed, but at least one person has gone missing. If anyone has any information of the whereabouts of Professor Eda Clawthorne, please contact the authorities.”

Spider-Girl swung over the buildings, moving as fast as she could through the skies. She was planning to just patrol the city for a few hours and then head home, but it seemed like she would have to go a little further.

“Next stop: Florida!” Spider-Girl declared to herself.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!” Hopkins laughed sarcastically as Luz stared at him in confusion. “You want to be paid in advance so you can go waste time in Florida? Wait? You’re serious? Let me laugh even harder!”

“Don’t you want some exclusive picture of this Owl Beast?” Luz asked. “Nobody else is gonna be able to get those! I don’t have the money to just go there by myself!”

“You stupid hippie! There is no such a thing as an Owl Beast! That thing is obviously just a special effect created by the governor to draw attention to the state!” Hopkins declared as he got up from his chair and looked out of the window. “Spider-Girl is the one we should watch out for! She’s a menace, I tell you! Now go out there and don’t come back until you have pictures of that arachnid!”

Luz sighed and began walking to the door. Hopkins was way too overconfident to listen to anything Luz was saying. But Luz knew a certain someone else who Hopkins was sure to listen to.

Hopkins took a quick glance at the starry sky outside of his window and smiled. He loved closing time at the Daily Bugle, because it was the only time he didn’t have to constantly be bothered by teenage hippies. He reached for the light switch so he could turn it off and close up, when a sudden beam of red light invaded his office, taking the shape of Spider-Girl’s face.

“I can’t believe it! It’s… it’s…”

“It’s not Iron Man, I can tell you that much!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped in through the skylights and landed right onto Hopkins’ desk.

“You’re breaking and entering! I’ll have you prosecuted!” Hopkins yelled in anger, when Spidey fired a web at the ceiling, and then glued the other end to Jacob’s shirt, which pulled him up and left him dangling above the ground.

“Just hang in there, old man.” Spider-Girl declared as she sat on the desk and crossed her legs. “I’m just passing by to tell you that I’m going on vacation for a while. Maybe I’ll go to Orlando, Disney World is very nice these days. You keep photographing squirrels in the meantime, you boomer!”

“Let me down from here! I demand you release me immediately!” Hopkins screamed.

“The webbing dissolves in an hour.” Spidey declared as she jumped out of the window and began swinging away.

“You will pay for this! Do you hear me? I’m going to find you and reveal to the public the menace that you truly are, no matter where you go!” Hopkins yelled in anger, still hanging from the ceiling. He reached for his jacket and pulled out his phone, dialing a number. “Brant! Call Noceda! Tell her we’re going to Florida!”

Orlando, Florida.

“Why did you have to snore so loud the entire flight.” Luz asked as the two walked out of the airport. “Everyone was staring at us.”

“Focus on the job, Noceda!” Hopkins declared in annoyance, carrying a large pile of bags and luggage that covered the entire upper half of his body. “We’re here for work, not on vacation! You haven’t been giving many good photos lately!”

“Right.” Luz nodded as she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. “I bought a map of the city, and during the flight I highlighted some of the spots where the Owl Beast has been seen, that way we can track it down and–”

“Forget about this Owl Beast! We’re here after Spider-Girl!” Hopkins declared.

“Whatever. I’ll go buy some fresh film for my camera.” Luz explained as she walked away.

“Why didn’t you buy this junk back in New York before we left? Actually, isn’t your camera digital?” Hopkins asked, getting no response. He looked around as much as he could with the large pile of bags in his hands. “Noceda?”

A swift shadow flew by above Hopkins, and he looked up to see a figure in red and blue spandex swinging through the buildings, the bystanders gasping in amazement at the sight before them.

“Spider-Girl! There she is! Noceda, snap a picture, quick!” Hopkins declared as he struggled to look around. “Where did this girl run off to?”

“First things first! I have to go check on Mrs. Clawthorne!” Spider-Girl whispered as she swung through the brand-new city. “If my triangulation was correct, which it always is, her vacation home is located near the very center of the Owl Beast’s most active area! I just hope she’s okay!”

Clawthorne Residence.

“Alright! Mrs. Clawthorne is missing, so she obviously isn’t home right now, but it might still be a good place to search for clues!” Luz commented as she landed at the rooftop of the house. She looked down, seeing the streets seemed to be deserted. “Real ghost town here! Anyway, first I have to find the Owl Beast!”

Spidey felt her spider sense flaring all of the sudden, and she back flipped away just in time to avoid a mighty claw slashing right through her. Luz landed on another rooftop and stared in shock, as for the first time she got a glimpse of the Owl Beast. The monster was massive and full of dark feathers. It walked on four legs, had large wings, and a white face that seemed familiar somehow. The thing that caught Luz’s attention the most were the eyes, that pair of terrible empty black eyes.

“Well, that wasn’t hard!” Spider-Girl declared.

The Owl Beast roared in fury and dashed towards Spidey, who somersaulted away at the last second. The Beast opened its wings and flew towards Luz, who threw a punch in midair, sending the Owl Beast crashing on the asphalt.

“Ouch!” Spidey commented as she landed, holding her fist in pain. Her spider sense seemed to be going insane, as she turned to see the Owl Beast getting back up. It seemed like the last hit had done more to make it angry than to hurt it. “This monster is built like a tank!”

The Owl Beast dashed at Spider-Girl, who fired large nets of webbing to hold it down. The beast roared and began slicing through the webbing with it teeth and claws, when Spider-Girl swiftly jumped in and kicked the monster in the face with both of her feet, to no effect, as the Beast simply roared and nearly stabbed Luz with her claws, the arachnid somersaulting away at the last moment.

The Beast opened its wings and flew towards Spider-Girl at incredible speeds. Luz fired a barrage of impact webbing, which seemed to hurt the creature slightly, but to Spidey’s surprise it simply powered through. Spider-Girl felt her spider sense flare as she tried to jump away, but it was too late, as the Owl Beast had already bitten her on the shoulder.

Luz screamed in pain. The force of the jaw alone could have easily crushed the skull of a normal human, and it only gets worse when you add in the sharp teeth. Spider-Girl tried to grab the monster’s head to push it away, but her hands were too busy trying to stop the claws from mauling her body. Despite having the proportionate strength of a spider, Luz had to use all of her force to stop the Owl Beast’s claws.

“They say the easiest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, but I didn’t think this applied to eating spiders as well!” Spider-Girl joked, trying to distract herself from the anxiety she felt at the moment.

Luz closed her eyes and tried to focus as much as she could on her strength, when she heard what seemed to be the sound of a violin. She opened her mouth, to see the Owl Beast’s expression had changed from one of anger to one of slight confusion. The Beast let go of Spider-Girl and took a few steps back, looking around trying to find the source of the requiem in the air. The Owl Beast roared, less in anger and more in pain, and ran away into the trees.

Luz slowly got back up and turned to the source of the music, seeing that it was coming from Eda’s house. Standing right there on one a broken window on the second floor was a skinny figure. They wore a pair of glasses, with brown skin and green hair, and seemed to be entering their middle age. Luz couldn’t tell if they were a man or a woman.

“Who are you?” Spider-Girl asked between heavy breaths.

“My name is Raine.” They declared, finally stopping their violin. “Raine Whispers Clawthorne.”

Three days earlier.

Raine opened their eyes in response to the sunlight invading the bedroom. They yawned and sat up, realizing that their wife was not laying peacefully near them like she did every morning, but instead sitting on the end of the bed, her back turned to them.

“Eda?” Raine asked as he reached for his glasses, putting them on and staring at his wife in confusion. “Eda, is everything okay?”

“Raine…” Eda declared as she turned around. She had tears of joy in her eyes and a wide smile. She showed Raine her arm, and then showed the other. “I did it!”

Raine gasped in shock for a few moments, and then ran and hugged Eda. She hugged them back with both arms.

“Your arm just grew back?” King asked as he sat on a small chair and watched his parents play together, Eda with a mandolin and Raine with a violin.

“It’s a little more complicated, but until you get a degree on biochemistry and spend six years studying owl DNA, let’s just leave it at that.” Eda declared in a sarcastic tone, as she once again looked at her arm, just to make sure it was still there. “I just made amputations obsolete! Where is my Nobel Prize?”

Raine continued playing for a few moments, when they noticed something on the back of Eda’s neck. Raine played a wrong note, and then stopped the melody altogether. Eda turned to them in slight confusion.

“Hey, King. Why don’t you go play that new video game we got you yesterday?” Raine asked.

“Oh yeah!” King answered as he got up and ran out of the room. “Kingdom Hearts 3, baby!”

“What are you–”

“Show me your back.” Raine interrupted. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, before Eda nodded, pulling down her dress and pushing her hair away. Raine gasped in shock, not believing their eyes, as he noticed feathers growing from their wife’s skin.

“This mutation is affecting my entire biology!” Eda explained as she wrote down a series of complex symbols that Raine could not understand. Her hands suddenly began to twitch and scribble all over the paper, until she let go of the Felix the Cat pen. “Owls have very primitive brains… It’s like the further my body mutates and evolves, the further my mind devolves…”

Eda began coughing as she felt her internal organ slowly change in size and rearrange themselves. Raine ran to her as they realized the feathers were spreading all over her body and her nails had begun growing.

“Raine… it’s like there is something other than me inside my head… something that is getting stronger each second… I’m literally losing my mind…” Eda whispered. Raine carefully moved her head, so that the two were staring at each other eye to eye, and they realized her eyes seemed to slowly becoming darker. “The formular is rearranging my DNA into that of an owl… I can’t make an antidote… the formula creates new birdlike DNA sequences faster than they can be analyzed… I have to create a similar formula with human DNA… it will overwrite the owl sequences with human sequences and cancel them out…”

“What should I do?” Raine asked.

“You have to… you have to… get away from me!” Eda yelled as she pushed Raine away and ran upstairs, heading into her lab. “I’ll work on the formula as fast as I can! I can’t get distracted!”

Raine heard the sound of footsteps.

“I know you’re in there.” Raine declared. King opened the door and walked in.

“I once read that bird moms will throw their sons off the nest to see if they can fly, and if the son can’t then they’ll just die trying.” King explained in an awkward voice, avoiding direct eye contact. It was clear the boy was anxious. “I also heard that when baby birds fall off the nest, and someone else puts them back, the mom won’t want them anymore.”

“King…” Raine whispered as he put their hand on their son’s shoulder. “Your mother loves you more than anything, I know she does. And no matter what happens, I know she always will.”

The two hear a sudden loud scream. Raine signed for King to stay and ran upstairs. King ignored Raine’s order and ran upstairs as well. The two entered the room and gasped in shock, as Eda’s body began to grow and morph right in front of them. Eda took the form of a large quadrupedal beast shaped like an owl. She stared at the two, her eyes pitch black. King ran and hid behind Raine, who was frozen in shock. The Owl Beast roared and broke right through the window, running out to the streets.

“Eda!” Raine screamed in shock as the creature vanished into the dark night.

Present day.

“That’s how it happened.” Raine finished the explanation as they sat on the sofa, Spider-Girl standing in front of them.

“I can’t believe it! Eda Clawthorne of all people is the Owl Beast!” Luz declared, more to herself than to Raine. “She is mutating at a rapid rate. If we don’t find a way to cure her fast, she might mutate to the point in which there is nothing human left of her anymore. The process could become irreversible, and God knows what she will turn into when that happens!”

“Please, you have to help us!” Raine declared as they got back up. “I’ve seen you on TV! You’re Spider-Girl! You’re a super hero! Can’t you do anything to save my wife?”

Luz thought over the situation for a moment. The truth was, she had no idea what to do. She was not a biochemistry genius, but she did know someone who was.

“Those notes Eda wrote down before she transformed, do you still have them?”

Raine nodded and reached for a small sheet of papers on the table.

“I have no idea what any of this even means.” Rained explained as Spidey began flipping through the pages. “I’m just a musician.”

Luz continued to flip over the pages at a quick rate, until she suddenly stopped. All of the pages after that one were just illegible gibberish and senseless scribbles, but it seemed like Eda had put all of her intelligence to test right before she transformed.

“I won’t be the one saving your wife!” Spider-Girl declared. “She’ll be the one saving herself!”

“Have you ever worked on something like this before?” Raine asked as Spidey carefully mixed together the chemicals. She had been making this formula for hours, it was already dark outside.

“I did something similar once, but it wasn’t biochemistry. It was a formula to melt metal.” Spider-Girl explained.

“Let’s hope you don’t melt my wife’s internal organs.” Raine commented. Luz carefully placed a single small drop of the final ingredient Eda had listed on her notes. The black potion glowed for a few moments and began bubbling, finally changing color to a bright orange.

“Alright! Anti-Owl Beast potion!” Spidey declared as she screwed the round glass closed and held it in her hands. “We only had enough materials for one potion! I’ll have one chance!”

Raine nodded and Luz made her way to the broken window, only to stop and turn as they heard the door to the lab slowly opening, and a small child walking in.

“King?” Raine asked. “I thought you were asleep.”

King took a few steps, approaching Spider-Girl in a timid manner.

“Mrs. Spider-Girl… please…” King whispered, and then closed his eyes and declared. “Please save my mom!”

Luz stared at the kid for a few moments, her memories flying back to the day she lost her father. Luz placed her hand onto King’s shoulder and nodded.

“I will. I promise.” Luz declared, to which King nodded. Spider-Girl leaped out of the window and began swinging away.

“She will bring Eda back.” Raine explained as they approached King. “I know she will.”

“I can’t say what I want to happen…” King whispered. “If I say it, it won’t come true.”

Orlando.

“If I was a 7’6 owl monster instead of a 5’8 spider, where would I hide?” Luz asked as she ran through the rooftops of the city. She felt her spider sense flaring and heard the sound of screaming. She back flipped and landed onto the top of a building, looking down upon a large crowd of people running away from a church. The sound of a loud roar echoed across the area. “Maybe she’s searching for salvation?”

Spider-Girl glued the antidote to the side of her belt with her webbing and jumped towards the church. The bystanders screamed and ran in a panic as the Owl Beast roared. A little girl tripped, and before she knew it the Beast was on her. She screamed as the monster roared, only for a web to come flying and tie the Beast’s mouth closed.

“Didn’t your mom teach you not to eat at church?” Luz asked as she back flipped and landed right behind the Beast. The creature turned around in rage, now completely ignoring the civilians as they ran off. The Owl Beast ripped the webbing out of her mouth with her claws and roared. “Let’s dance, birdbrain!”

The Owl Beast dashed, which Spider-Girl avoided by leaping upwards and climbing the wall, ending up upside down on one of the steel beams on the ceiling. Luz fired large nets of webbing onto the creature, who simply roared and ripped through it with her claws. The Beast opened her wings and flew upwards, breaking right through the steel beam and making it collapse. Spidey leaped out at the last second and swung with a web, running through a wooden door as the Beast jumped back down and chased after her.

“Y’know, I’m so used to hear the villain monologuing that just having you roar at everything kind of bothers me!” Spidey declared as she arrived at the bottom of the bell tower, and began swiftly using her webbing to pull herself upward. The Owl Beast roared as it broke right through the door and began flying after Luz, scratching the walls with her claws as she flew.

Spider-Girl reached the top of the tower, the Owl Beast coming in mere seconds after. Spider-Girl just barely managed to avoid by pulling herself with her web as the Owl Beast shattered right through large pieces of the ground and struck the large golden bell, a loud ringing echoing across the city. Spider-Girl began freefalling, avoiding the falling debris by pulling herself with her webbing. Luz looked up to see the Owl Beast flying towards her at incredible speeds, about to crush her skull with her jaw.

“Gotcha!” Spidey declared as she fired her webs onto the Owl Beast’s eyes. The Owl Beast screamed in shock as Spider-Girl swung with another web and ended up behind the Beast, grabbing her on a chokehold. The Owl Beast yelled in anger as Spider-Girl pulled out the glass of antidote. “Open up, Eda Clawthorne!”

Luz shoved the glass into the Beast’s mouth while the two were still freefalling. Spider-Girl screamed as the Owl Beast bit down on her arm with enough strength to tear off a regular person’s limb. Spidey crushed the glass inside of the Beast’s mouth, shattering it and sending the antidote down her throat. The two hit the ground, the Owl Beast’s body landing right on top of Spider-Girl. If Luz didn’t have her powers, every bone in her body would have been broken.

“It’s like every spot of my body was hit by a sledgehammer all at once!” Spider-Girl whispered as she got back up after some struggle. The Owl Beast suddenly jumped back up, her eyes still pitch black as it roared and swung at Luz several times, the super hero just barely being able to avoid the slashes. “The antidote didn’t work? What did I do wrong? Ugh! I can’t give up!”

The Owl Beast suddenly stopped, shaking her head in dizziness. The monster screamed in pain as the black began fading from her eyes. Her body began to shrink and her feathers began to fall off. Her teeth morphed back to normal, as one of her arms lost its claws and returned to a regular hand, and the other arm dissolved and fell off into nothingness. Eda looked up, breathing heavily for a few moments, and then fell to the ground unconscious.

“I’m gonna add ‘Monster Hunter’ to my resume.” Luz breathed heavily as she fell to her knees. Her entire skeleton was hurting. “Now to take Eda home.”

Clawthorne residence.

Eda gasped as she opened her eyes and looked around in a panic. Before she could react, she was suddenly caught in a hug. Her vision slowly cleared, and she realized she was being hugged by Raine and King.

“I’m… I’m… okay?” Eda whispered. She took a glance at her arm, realizing it was gone.

“I’m so happy to have you back!” Raine declared, a tear coming out of their eyes.

“What happened?” Eda asked, still clearly tired.

“Spider-Girl saved you!” King declared in excitement. Eda looked up, to see the figure sticking to the wall on the other side of the room.

“The antidote is going to hold back the owl genes in your system for a while, but your DNA will continue trying to mutate.” Spider-Girl explained. “Make more antidote and take it once a week or so. The Owl Beast dies here, leaving behind a mystery that will never be solved.”

Eda nodded. Spider-Girl made her way to the window.

“Spider-Girl, wait!” Eda called. Luz turned to her teacher and Eda got up from the bed and slowly walked to her. “Thank you for what you did today. I will never forget you.”

Luz handed Eda a small paper, and then leaped out of the window and swung away. Eda looked down and read the paper.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Orlando airport.

“Sup, Mr. Hopkins!” Luz declared as she approached her boss.

“Where have you been?” Hopkins demanded in anger. “You disappeared all day!”

“Never mind that! Here’s what I have for you!” Luz declared as she handed over a series of pictures. “Exclusive pics of the Owl Beast! They’ll look great on the papers, don’t you think?”

“You stupid idiot! Can’t you recognize a fake photo when you see one?” Hopkins asked as he ripped up the pictures, making Luz’s jaw drop in shock. Hopkins pulled Luz by the arm as the two made their way back into the airport. “This whole trip was a waste of time! You owe me your plane fare! Let’s go back to New York!”

Midtown High School, Queens, New York.

“I’ve finally found you!” Bria declared as she cornered Mattholomule against a locker. “I’ve been searching for you all week!”

“Wait! Bria, don’t hit me!” Mattholomule whispered in fear, protecting his face with his hands. “I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hit me!”

“I’m not gonna hit you!” Bria declared in annoyance, letting out a sigh. “After you told the teacher on me, the principal called my dad, and now I have to apologize and make up with you, or else he’ll take away my allowance.”

“Wait, really?” Mattholomule asked in surprise.

“Do you want to go watch a movie with me and a few of my friends next Friday?” Bria asked as she held up her hand. Mattholomule stared at it in disbelief. “Just shake it before I change my mind.”

Mattholomule nodded and shook her hand, a smile beginning to form on his face.

Luz walked pass the two and made her way down the corridor. She was focusing on the Azura book in her hands, when she bumped into a tall figure and heard the sound of a small object hitting the ground.

“Sorry, I didn’t–” Luz declared, as she looked up to see a familiar face. “Mrs. Clawthorne! You’re back already!”

“As good as ever.” Eda declared with a smile. Luz stared at her for a few moments, and then turned to the ground.

“You dropped this.” Luz declared as she picked up the Felix the Cat pen and handed it back to her teacher.

“Thank you, Luz.” Eda declared as she stared at Luz with a pair of knowing eyes. “Thank you for everything.”

Luz’s eyes widened, as Eda nodded and walked away. Luz stared at her teacher for a few moments, and then shook her head and simply continued down the hallway.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Rampage of the Master Planner.

Celtarican: “My fans expect a certain level of comedy with every battle!” Hey I get that reference!

Well, another awesome chapter, at this point I’m thinking you should just add gravity falls to the list of fandoms featured lol

I also wonder when/if Luz will tell Camila about the whole spider thing. Or if Camila already knows and just doesn’t mention it

The bit with the miniature action figure Gideon had me laughing more then it should’ve, thank you

Owl Beast? Oh no… I suppose it had to happen eventually

I have to ask, is the excelsior but a reference to anything or just something fun?

Wait a damn second I just checked the tags was that implied/referenced suicide always there??? I am truly terrified

All in all 10/10 chapter keep it up! :D

“I thought about adding the Fantastic Four as featured, but I decided against it. I doubt they’ll be the only super heroes I’ll be meeting. As for ‘Excelsior’… if you allow me to be a little cheesy, I took it from a comic book.” Luz explained with a smile as she scratched the back of her head. “There was this comic book writer, his name was Stan Lee, who would always respond to the letters of his fans, and at the end of his messages he would write ‘Excelsior.’ It means something among the lines of ‘Onward and upwards’, and it made his responses feel very unique. I figured I’d use it as well, kind of like a homage. Stan Lee was a great guy, so I think he deserves it.”

GodzillaMaster: Really loving this story so far, though I'm worried about what's going to happen in the next chapter

The semi-friendly banter and competition with Mabel was pretty funny to read, though I'm hoping that it doesn't escalate.

As for Boscha... Just what is Luz going to do with her?

Also, what's going on with the Blight kids? Is Luz gonna meet them one day?

“Don’t worry that much about hot-head over there, Master. She’s got nothing to complain about, with fans, cool space adventures, and about as much cash as she’ll ever need. Mabel is kind of goofy, but her heart is in the right place.” Luz explained with a shrug. “Now that you mention it, Doctor Blight does have children, doesn’t he? I read that when I was doing a paper on him for school. I wonder how they’ve been doing since the accident. If I’m not mistaken, their names are Edric, Emira, and… what was the third one?”

Ri2: ...GIDEON is Dr. Doom?! Wow.

“Don’t feed Gideon’s ego too much, Ri.” Luz explained with a joking smile. “That guy’s ego is so big that not even my wall crawling powers would be enough to climb it.”

Shadowsnake89: Well when you are facing a hero like Spider-Girl your plans are, dare I say it, doomed to fail.

I know Boscha isn't the nicest to Luz and that's an understatement, but at least she knows a real hero when she sees one. Well when they are in costume anyway. How does that feel? The guy you work for in your civilian guise hates your hero persona and the person who loves your hero self hates you in you regular life.

And it looks like Matt is getting fed up with this locker treatment.

“Well, Shadow, I guess you could say Gideon got caught in a… Web of Doom!” Luz declared in an exaggerated voice as she laughed at her own lame joke. She then cleaned her throat as she regained her composure. “Matt did the right thing. I thought about doing the same, but Mrs. Clawthorne has too much going on in her life already, so I don’t want to worry her with my own problems. Plus, I guess I’m just too much of a lone wolf to ask for help, if that makes sense.”

Luz put her mask back on and leaped off the building. Spider-Girl fired her webbing and began swinging around the city towards the sunset.

“See you next time, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved at you. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Rampage of the Master Planner

Blight Industries.

Another silent night had arrived to the massive factory. The security guard walked through the cold hallways, holding his flashlight. He heard the night shifts at Blight had become quite unusual those past few months. The guard heard the sound of heavy footsteps and turned, seeing nothing. He turned back, only to find himself face to face with a tall humanoid figure that seemed to be made of a solid purple material and pieces of metal.

“Good afternoon, gentleman.” The creature declared in a tone of sarcasm, its mouth not moving as the heavily distorted voice seemed to come out of its helmet. The guard screamed in shock as the creature grabbed him by the throat. The flashlight fell to the ground and shattered, leaving the room in darkness.

Midtown High School.

“Dodge ball.” The physical education teacher declared as he held a red ball in his hands. All of the students were gathered at the basketball stage. “Let’s make this a fair game. No cheap tricks or anyone getting hurt, got it?”

Luz remembered she used to despise dodge ball less than a year earlier, although compared to the acrobatics she had to do as Spider-Girl, dodge ball would probably be a piece of cake. She took a glance at the basket she had broken when she first got her powers. The school had already fixed it, and nobody had brought it up to her for months, probably because the accident happened so close to her father’s death that it kind of got overshadowed.

The teacher blew his whistle, and Luz felt her spider sense flaring. She instinctively back flipped, avoiding a ball that was about to hit her on the back. Her spider sense flared once again and she heard a ball hitting a classmate and bouncing back towards her. Luz casually moved her head to the side, the ball instead hitting Mattholomule. Luz was about to say something, when her sense once again flared and she casually hopped, avoiding a ball that was about to hit her feet.

Luz turned back, and her expression changed as she realized everyone was looking at her. She then came to the awkward realization that dodge ball was now way too much of a piece of cake for her. Luz sighed and stood still, consciously stopping her body from instinctively dodging, as the other students threw several balls at her.

“I hate dodge ball!” Luz commented in annoyance as she left the changing room, now wearing her regular clothing.

“You and me both.” Mattholomule, who had been waiting by the door, commented as the two began walking down the corridor.

“You’re the only one shares those beatings with me, Matt.” Luz commented with a smile.

“Well, not for long.” Mattholomule commented as he reached for his pocket and handed Luz a small pamphlet. “I’m going to the movies with Bria tonight. By the end of the week, I’ll be hanging out with the cool kids.”

“The Nameless Thing from the Black Lagoon in the Murky Swamp.” Luz read, giggling slightly by how bad the movie looked. “Starring Don Johnson. Directed by B.J. Kosmos. Story by Perry Edwards. Special effects by Adrian Graye.”

“The quality of the movie is not what matters, okay?” Mattholomule declared in annoyance. “I have to give a good impression tonight! I am not going to get stuck inside a locker ever again!”

“Okay, calm down, I’m just joking.” Luz declared as she handed him back the pamphlet. “I’ll help you pick the outfit later, okay?”

Mattholomule nodded. The two waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Luz made her way to the exit, only to find her teacher sitting on a small bench right next to the door, a newspaper in her hand.

“Good evening, Mrs. Clawthorne.”

“Hey, Luz.” Eda commented. “You’re the one who takes pictures of Spider-Girl to the Bugle aren’t you?”

Luz nodded, and Eda handed her the paper with her one arm.

“I was wondering if Spider-Girl has seen this.” Eda commented as Luz read the headline.

“Series of strange robberies at Blight factories.” Read the paper. “Three guards injured.”

New York Police Department.

“The only common factor we could find is that all of the attacks happen at Blight factories.” The officer declared as he stood in front of Captain Park’s desk. “The time of day seems to be random, and so is the choice of which factory to attack.”

“That doesn’t help much when there are five factories across the city.” Captain Park commented, crossing his legs. “Let me know if you find anything else.”

The officer nodded and left the room. Gilbert got up and made his way to the door, locking it.

“I know you’re in there.” The Captain declared as he turned around, and Spider-Girl got in through the window.

“Hey! Captain Park! My good old friend!” Spidey greeted.

“Give me one reason not to arrest you right here and now.” Gilbert declared as he crossed his arms.

“You could try, but I’d just get away, and I don’t think either of us have time for a chase right now.” Spidey commented with a shrug as she looked over the pictures on his desk. “I want to help with this serial robber we’re dealing with, but I don’t really have a way to track them. Maybe you could help out?”

Gilbert stared at her for a few moments carefully thinking over the situation. He took in a deep breath and began speaking.

“Judging by the pictures, the creature seems to be tall and bulky. They wear golden machinery and seem to be made of a strange purple mineral.”

“Purple? Maybe it could be the Abomination?” Spidey commented. “Nah, Darius is not exactly the tech wiz.”

Spider-Girl thought over the situation for a few moments.

“Can you give me a list of the stolen items?” She asked. “The newspaper explained it all very poorly.”

“An experimental air pump and a super vacuum chamber.”

Luz’s eyes widened.

“Those could be used to build a nuclear reactor!” Spider-Girl declared in shock. “The only things missing would be a particle accelerator and deuterium gas generator… but then why didn’t they steal the particle accelerator in the factories they already robbed? Unless those aren’t powerful enough! He needs a bigger accelerator! The biggest accelerator is in the factory on Staten Island… Yeah, but that one isn’t mobile, if the criminal tries to tear it off, it will become non-operational! The biggest portable particle accelerator is the only in Manhattan! They’ll attack the Manhattan factory next!”

Captain Park stared at her in slight suspicion.

“Very well… I’ll organize a stakeout.” Gilbert declared as he nodded. Spider-Girl nodded back, and then leaped off the window and began swinging away.

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl stood at the top of a building right in front of the Blight factory, a box of donuts in her hands. She had been waiting there for about half an hour, and she didn’t know how much longer she would have to wait. For all she knew, it could take until midnight for this robber to arrive. She just hoped it didn’t take much longer, or else she’d have to explain to Mattholomule why she didn’t show up to help him. Luz took a doughnut from the box and slightly lifted her mask to eat it. She took a glance downward, seeing a police car parked right in front of the factory. Those guys had been waiting for about as long as Spidey herself.

Her spider sense flared and she heard the sound of an alarm, followed by screams from the inside. The two police officers got out of the car and ran to the other side of the street, only to find themselves unable to open the door.

“It’s like it’s been sealed shut!” Declared one of the officers.

“Let’s go through the backdoor!” The other officer declared as they began going around the building. They noticed a shadow above them, and looked up to see Spider-Girl swinging in and entering through the skylight. “That show off!”

Spider-Girl back flipped and landed on a metal beam on the ceiling, looking down upon the robber, who had been sealing the door shut with Abomination Goo as several nearby workers ran around in a panic. The power set of the robber involved Abomination Goo, but otherwise seemed to be different from the Abomination. Just a glance was enough for Luz to know that this sure as hell wasn’t Darius.

“Keeping Newton’s third law in mind, you should have planned for the equal and opposite reaction to your crimes.” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped and threw a punch. “I am that reaction!”

The robber turned around at the last second and blocked Luz’s punch, which sent him sliding through the ground for a few moments. Despite his bulky body, this enemy was surprisingly fast.

“Spider-Girl! I was wondering when you’d get in my way once again!” Declared the heavily distorted voice from the robber’s head. His mouth was motionless even as he spoke, and he held a small particle accelerator in his hands.

“Do we know each other?” Luz asked. “I’ve fought a lot of generic super villains, it’s hard to keep count.”

“You may call me the Master Planner!” He declared. “That is, for the few moments that are left for you!”

The Planner dashed and threw a punch, which Luz avoided by leaping. Spidey fired her web at the Planner’s chest and pulled herself towards him in midair, throwing a punch to the face that made him flinch. His body seemed to be made of Abomination Goo, but unlike Darius who could control his solidity at will, the Planner remained solid at all times.

“Now for my next trick…” Spider-Girl declared with a smile as she threw a punch. Her expression suddenly changed as her spider sense flared, but it was too late, as the Master Planner had already punched her on the chest, sending her flying onto a metal pillar. “He didn’t actually flinch with my punch… he just pretended so I’d drop my guard!”

“Disappear, arachnid!” The Master Planner declared as he fired several purple spinning blades out of the metal armor pieces that he had been wearing. Spidey jumped over them with her spider sense and fired a web at the ceiling, using it to swing at her opponent. Luz’s eyes widened as she felt her spider sense tingle, and one of the blades flew back like a boomerang and sliced through her web. Spider-Girl was sent on a free fall, as the other blades flew back and struck her in midair.

Luz fell to the ground, but quickly jumped back up, several sliced parts of her costume revealing scratches in her brown skin. Great, now she would have to fix up her costume. Her spider sense flared as the Master Planner fired a small missile from his metal armor. Spider-Girl easily jumped over it and ran towards him.

“You missed!” Luz declared as she prepared her arm to throw a punch.

“Did I?” The Planner asked, as his missile struck a pillar behind Luz. The pillar collapsed and brought down a large metal beam from the ceiling, which struck Spider-Girl’s shoulder. Spidey screamed as she heard the sound of a crack and held her arm in pain. It was broken. Spider-Girl felt her spider sense flaring, but it was too late, as the Master Planner had already caught her by the throat. “You’ve spun your last web, Spider-Girl!”

The Master Planner threw Luz with all of his strength. Luz heard the sound of a door opening as she flew, and noticed she was about to hit the two police officers as they entered. Spider-Girl swiftly fired her webs using the arm that she could still move. She created a massive spider web in between two pillars, landing on it like a cushion and stopping her momentum without harming the guards.

Spider-Girl took a few seconds to breathe and then looked up, to see the Master Planner had disappeared.

“Spider-Girl! You’re under arrest!” One of the officers declared. Luz sighed and fired a web at the ceiling, pulling herself upwards and escaping through the skylight. “The robber took the particle accelerator!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” The other officer declared as he pointed at the web Spider-Girl had created, realizing the small particle accelerator glued to the middle of it.

Unknown location.

“Damn you, Spider-Girl!” The Master Planner declared with his heavily distorted voice, as he held the box of doughnuts in his hands. “I was focusing so much on the battle that I didn’t even notice her taking the accelerator out of my hands and replacing it with this!”

The Planner threw the box to the ground and stomped on it.

“It seems like before my master plan can continue, I will have to take care of this annoying arachnid!” The Planner declared. “And I know exactly how to find her!”

Queens.

“Ugh! Swinging here with just one arm was a pain!” Luz whispered as she entered her room through the window. Even the slightest arm movement would send a volt of pain all over her body. Luz took off her mask and looked down at her clothes, seeing her costume had been basically shredded. She sighed, not looking forward to having to sew a new costume with only one arm.

“Luz? Are you there?” She heard as the doorknob turned and the door opened. Camila looked around the room, confusion noticeable in her face as the place seemed to be completely empty. “I could have sworn I heard something.”

Camila closed the door and walked away. Luz, who was glued to the ceiling, jumped down with a casual back flip. She took a glance at the digital watch on the wall, and her eyes widened as she began taking off her costume.

“I’m gonna be late to help Matt!” Luz declared in annoyance.

Tholomule residence, Queens.

“How did you break your arm again?” Mattholomule asked as the two looked over his wardrobe.

“I got ran over by a paperboy on a bike.” Luz lied. She glanced down at the solid case she had made around her arm. The webs were white, so it looked enough like an actual arm case. It would dissolve after an hour, but by then she’d probably already be back home. “I guess it is kind of my fault. The papers would probably not have been all that heavy if my pictures weren’t in them. Hehehe.”

“Don’t let Boscha see that. She’ll probably spread around that you broke it by turning too many book pages at the same time.” Mattholomule joked. He pulled out a small green tuxedo. “This is the fanciest thing I own. Which tie do you think I should wear?”

Luz looked over the small ties on the wardrobe, and then pulled out a small yellow bow tie.

“This one could look cute.”

They two heard knocks on the door, despite it already being open, and turned to see a tall teenager standing at the door frame. He had blue eyes and was wearing a yellow and red wool football jacket.

“Matt, I’m going to the supermarket. Do you want anything?” Matt’s brother asked.

“Don’t worry, Steve, I’m fine.” Matt answered.

Steve nodded and walked away.

“I’m a little bit nervous. If I don’t mess this up, things are finally gonna change.” Matt declared with a smile as Luz handed him the bow tie. “No more ‘nerdy loser Matt’, can you believe it?”

Luz smiled.

Daily Bugle headquarters.

“Master Planner?” Hopkins asked as he looked over the pictures. He looked up at Luz and Robbie, who sat at the other side of his desk. “Why is it that a new bozo appears every week?”

“Spider-Girl fought him at the Blight factory in Manhattan.” Luz explained. “He was trying to steal a particle accelerator.”

“Seems like we have a gang war in our hands.” Hopkins declared as he crossed his legs. “Here is the headline: Spider-Girl vs Master Planner. Menaces clash, police caught in the crossfire.”

“Spider-Girl was there to protect the factory!” Robbie explained in annoyance. “If it wasn’t for her, the particle accelerator would have been taken.”

“If that vigilante wants to argue she can come here herself and try to sue me. Get rich like a normal American.” Hopkins declared. “Now get out of my office, you two are bothering me.”

Robbie sighed and got up, followed closely by Luz as the two left the room.

“Is your arm going to be okay?” Robbie asked.

“Don’t worry. You’ll need way more than that to keep me down.” Luz answered. Robbie nodded as the two headed for the elevator, when they suddenly heard the sound of glass breaking. They turned back to Hopkins’ office, and gasped upon seeing the scene before them.

“What is the meaning of this? Put me down!” Hopkins yelled in desperation as the Master Planner held him by the throat, having just barged in through the window. The Planner squeezed Hopkins’ neck, which made him stop talking.

“Quiet.” The Master Planner ordered. “The photographer who takes pictures of Spider-Girl. Bring her to me.”

“I don’t know her personally! She just sends the pictures in the mail!” Hopkins declared in desperation, to which the Planner squeezed his throat even more.

“Luz, we have to get out of here!” Robbie declared as he turned, and then realized his coworker was nowhere to be seen. “Luz?”

They all heard a ‘thwip’ sound, as Spider-Girl suddenly flew in through the window, striking the Planner’s back with a double kick. Luz back flipped and landed on the wall, as the Planner dropped Hopkins in surprise.

“Let Hoppy go, big guy!” Spidey declared. “This is between you and me!”

“I knew the two of you were in this together!” Hopkins declared, only for Luz to fire a web that glued his mouth shut.

“Settle down, honey. The adults are talking.” Spider-Girl declared, as Hopkins groaned in annoyance and left the room. “What do you want with Noceda? Pictures of pigeons?”

“You!” The Master Planner declared, lifting Hopkins’ desk and throwing it at the super hero. Spidey somersaulted out of the way, the desk shattering to pieces upon hitting the wall.

“If you want me, get in line, cause you ain’t the only one!” Spider-Girl declared, hoping the Planner would not realize how nervous she truly was. She wanted to wait until her arm had healed before fighting the Planner again, but it seemed like things could never go as planned.

The Planner fired several blades, which Luz struck down using her impact webbing, which she followed by back flipping and firing several nets of webbing onto the Planner, tying him up. The Master Planner’s armor began heating up as he fired several sparks, burning right through the webbing and freeing himself.

“Oh no! Fireworks! Whatever will I do about that?” Spider-Girl commented in a sarcastic tone as she jumped onto the wall and began running down the corridor.

“Jest while you can, arachnid! I will be the one laughing once I am done with you!” The Planner declared as he chased after Luz.

The Planner fired several missiles, which Spidey avoided with a somersault, before landing on the ground and dashing towards the Master Planner. She threw a punch with her good arm, which the Planner blocked with both of his hands. Luz instinctively punched with her broken arm, the strike sending the Planner flying to the other side of the hallway. Spider-Girl held her arm and screamed in agony, the pain making her legs give in as she fell to her knees.

Spidey’s spider sense flared and she looked up, but it was too late, as the Planner had already run in and grabbed her by the neck. The Planner threw a punch, aiming at her broken arm, but being blocked by Spidey raising her foot at the last second. The Planner raised Luz and threw her. Luz fired a web in midair and pulled herself upward, landing on the ceiling. The Planner tried to fire more missiles, only to hear a click as he had run out of ammo. The Planner tried to throw punches, only to realize Spider-Girl was too high for him to reach.

“Bad time to notice you have Napoleon Syndrome?” Spidey commented. The Planner reached for one of the nearby doors and pulled it out, swinging it at Luz like a fly swatter. Spider-Girl swiftly crawled across the ceiling to avoid the attacks. The Planner swiftly swung a final time, the door shattering upon hitting Luz’s body and sending her flying to the other side of the hallway. Luz broke right through a brick wall, ending up in another room. “His speed and precision are incredible! It’s almost like he’s not a human, but… that’s it!”

“It’s over for you, Spider-Girl!” The Master Planner declared as he ran and prepared to throw a punch. Spidey swiftly fired several blasts of impact webbing, breaking right through the pieces of metal armor around the Planner’s body. Sparks began flying around as the Planner threw the punch, but mere moments before it could hit Luz, the Master Planner’s solid body suddenly dissolved into liquid, until nothing was left but a puddle on the floor.

“I was under the impression that I was fighting a living being. It took me a while to realize it was a robot.” Spider-Girl explained, holding her still hurting arm. “The pieces of armor actually weren’t armor at all. They were creating a gravitational field that kept the Abomination Goo from dissolving. What do you call this robot? The Abomaton? The Living Brain?”

“You might have destroyed this proxy, Wall Crawler, but don’t get cocky!” The heavily distorted voice declared from the communicator located inside one of the pieces of metal. “This is not the last you’ll see of the Master Planner!”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard that before!” Spider-Girl declared as she stomped onto the communicator, shattering it. “Keep on trying to come after me! I’ll destroy any robot you send! Maybe I’ll even figure out your true identity and go after you!”

Spider-Girl heard muffled noises, and turned to see Hopkins running into the room, his mouth still tied by the web as he tried to pull it out.

“My webbing has a high tensile strength, so you won’t break it by pulling. It’s easier to cut it out with a sharp object.” Spider-Girl explained casually. Robbie came in holding a small pair of scissors and carefully cut open the webbing on Hopkins’ mouth.

“You’re a menace! A criminal! I’ll have you arrested for breaking and entering!” Hopkins declared in anger.

“I think what my boss is trying to say is: Thank you for the help, Spider-Girl.” Robbie explained.

Luz nodded and pulled out a small card, throwing it at the remains of the robot. She then jumped out of a window and began swinging away. Robbie carefully approached the destroyed robot and picked up the card, reading the words on it.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

“That little pest! She will pay for this!” Hopkins declared in anger.

“Spider-Girl just saved your life.” Robbie commented. “I’ve always wondered: Why do you even hate her so much?”

“That’s none of your business!” Hopkins yelled in anger, to which Robbie shrugged. Hopkins made his way back through the corridor and entered his office, closing the door behind him. Jacob Hopkins sat at his desk and slammed his fist onto it in anger. “Damn that Spider-Girl! All my life I’ve only been interested in making money, but then this costumed freak shows up and starts risking her life to save others without expecting any reward! What am I in comparison to her? I can never respect myself as long as she lives!”

Hopkins crossed his arms and sighed.

“Spider-Girl is everything I am not! She is selfless and brave!” Hopkins whispered in anger. “Why do I envy her so much? I’m a millionaire, and I run the most popular news organization in New York, but yet I still can never climb to her level… Then all that is left for me is to take her down! If I can’t be Spider-Girl, then she can’t either!”

Luz walked down the steps of the Daily Bugle. She had sneaked back in and then changed to her civilian clothes, that way it wouldn’t be weird for her to just walk into the building but never walk out. She was about to head home, when she felt someone poking her from behind, and turned to see a familiar face.

“Masha?”

“Hey, Luz.” They greeted. “I heard someone broke in there searching for you? I was down here the entire time.”

“Yeah, but Spider-Girl showed up to help.” Luz explained with an awkward smile. “Thank God she’s always there when we need her, because I’m myself ain’t really the heroic type.”

The two laughed for a moment.

“I was wondering, if you’re free right now, would you like to go hang out somewhere?” Masha asked. “I know an arcade just around the corner that has the best games.”

Luz stared at her in slight surprise, and a smile slowly formed on her face.

“I’d love to!” Luz answered, and the two began walking down the street together.

“Y’know, Luz, whenever I’m with you, I always get this weird feeling that you’re hiding something.” Masha commented with a smile.

“You keep using that perfume, and maybe I’ll tell you.” Luz answered sarcastically, and the two laughed as they walked together.

New York State Prison.

“Damn you, Spider-Girl!” The Master Planner declared as he put down the remote control that he had been using to command his robot. He quickly hid it under his bed. Moving around inside that tiny cell was quite hard now that the police had deactivated his tentacles.

“Hey, Blight! Stop mumbling inside that cell and go to sleep already.” One of the guards declared as they turned off the lights in the prison.

Alador Blight did not answer, simply getting onto the bed and closing his eyes.

“It seems like the two of us are destined to clash, arachnid! Doesn’t matter! You’ve done nothing but delay my master plan!” Doctor Octopus whispered.

Queens.

“Hey, Bria!” Mattholomule called as he ran down the street, stopping as he reached the girl in front of the movie theater. “I’m here! I made it!”

“Took you long enough.” The purple haired girl declared with a bored expression, while typing on her phone. “I for a moment thought you had walked out on me.”

“Sorry, I had some trouble with my tie.” Mattholomule explained as he smiled, showing off his yellow bowtie, which combined perfectly with the fancy green suit his mother had bought for him. Matt really did go the extra mile to look as beautiful as he could for that night. “Sorry if I got here late.”

“Oh, no. You’re just in time.” Bria declared as she turned on her phone’s camera and pointed it at Matt. He stared at her in slight confusion, when suddenly several of her friends came running out of the theater with paintball guns in their hands. Mattholomule gasped in shock and instinctively protected his face as they opened fire, soaking his body with different colored paint.

“My suit!” Mattholomule yelled in surprise as he looked at his own body and the bullies all laughed. Matt glanced at Bria, who had a cruel smile on her face as she recorded the whole scene.

“Smile, nerd! The entire school will be seeing this!” Bria declared as she laughed.

Clouds began forming on the night sky above them, just as tears began forming on Mattholomule’s eyes, when his expression suddenly changed into one of pure hatred.

“I hope you all rot and die!” Mattholomule screamed from the top of his lungs, and then ran down the street as fast as he could, covering his ears to avoid hearing their laughter. Tears continued to flow from Matt’s eyes as he went around the corner, just barely avoiding the incoming cars, and continued running, not exactly sure where he was even going. Drops of water began falling from the sky as a large storm formed above the city, and Mattholomule ran into a dark alley. He screamed from the top of his lungs, his voice cracking due to his crying. “I’m so stupid! I’m so God damn stupid!”

Mattholomule fell to his knees and cried for a few more seconds, the raindrops soaking his clothes even more. He looked up, seeing a large neon sign at the top of the building. Mattholomule stared at it for a few moments, and then got up and climbed a small metal ladder, until he reached the top. He carefully approached the edge of the building, looking at the cars passing on the street below. One more step and it would all be over.

Mattholomule closed his eyes, tears still flowing. His heart was beating fast, and his hands were shaking. He breathed in and stood there for several seconds, and then ran back to the neon sign. He couldn’t do it. Mattholomule cried in silence for a few more moments, looking up at the large yellow neon sign right next to him.

“Damn you! Damn you all! Damn the skies and the earth! Damn the world and all that live in it!” Mattholomule screamed from the top of his lungs, so loud that he felt his throat burning, in a massive burst of anger and hatred. The skies roared in a massive flash of yellow light, and Mattholomule gasped as the bolt of lightning struck both him and the neon sign at once. The electricity from the sign and the lightning shocked his body, seeming to cancel each other out in a massive explosion of light and sparkles, the entire building crumbling to nothing but burning rubble.

The passing cars suddenly stopped in shock, as the bystanders all stared at the destroyed building, a giant cloud of black smoke flying upwards into the skies. Unknown to any of them was a humanoid figured standing right at the center of the rubble, unphased by the smoke and fire. He opened his eyes, which had changed color to yellow as small sparks of golden electricity flew from around his body.

“Bria…” Mattholomule whispered, his hatred and fury noticeable in his voice as sparks flew.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Enter Electro.

The Spider’s Web.

Luz sighed as she looked at her arm. It was still hurting like hell, but she had an accelerated healing factor, so it should be okay when she woke up the next day. She looked out the window of her bedroom. It seemed like the storm of the century was raging on across the city.

“No web swinging tonight, unless I want to spend all day tomorrow drying my costume.” Luz whispered. She reached for her outfit on the ground, putting her hand through the large cut the robot had made on the chest. She sighed in annoyance and threw the costume on her bed. “Alright! No Empire State building this time! It will have to be from here!”

GodzillaMaster: Master Planner? Who could that be?

Oooh, does Eda know who Luz is?

“Mrs. Clawthorne must have recognized my voice or my mannerisms. Getting this close was probably a bad move, but I was so worried. I had to make sure she was okay. I can only hope she won’t tell anyone about this.” Luz commented, trying to ignore the pain coming from her arm. “As for the Master Planner, I’m working on it, okay? Whoever he is, this guy is certainly a genius. The engineering skill that went into that robot is unmatched. I doubt even Alador Blight would have been able to build something like that.”

Celtarican: This chapter was a doozy. Honestly though I’m loving it. Eda knows, there’s no way she doesn’t, probably recognized her voice. That or just Eda magic

Jacob I feel was honestly at his worst this chapter, god what an asshole

I’m glad Eda ain’t in jail, let the woman be happy!

I’m now wondering if there’s gonna be a big bad overarching threat? It’s probably too early to tell though, but either way I will be happy to keep reading!

Now I’m thinking, would there be any other little crossover bits going around? We’ve had the GF cast show up a bit, wonder if anyone else might

Also last chapter Luz mentioned a suit upgrade, now I’m imagining something like the ps4 game’s spider suit!

Great chapter, I loved this one, cannot wait for more!

“Y’know, Cel, I hope everything goes well for Eda’s family. We are very lucky that a tragedy didn’t happen in Florida, and to think this could all start over if Mrs. Clawthorne misses even one dose of her medication… On a side note, speaking of the suit upgrade, I should probably get started on that.” Luz explained as she turned to her suit, and groaned in annoyance at all of the rips and scratches from the battle against the Master Planner. “As for other heroes I might meet, who knows? I live in a city where there is a guy jumping around through the rooftops at night dressed up like the devil, of all things, and beating people up with a Billy club. Although I can’t really judge, seeing how I spend my free time. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Ri2: Hopkins blows.

Is this truly the end of the Owl Beast?

“We can only hope, Ri, we can only hope.” Luz commented.

Shadowsnake891: Well, you saved the day, but still have to pay. The price of working for Hopkins, eh? No good deed goes unpunished.

Still, you saved Eda and reunited the family even if there's a long road for Eda to keep herself human. Also it's a good thing Hopkins is a moron or he might actually put two and two together. At least you have another possible confidant in your teacher.

And it looks like Matt help to solve his problem. So good for the both of you.

“Hopkins is so dumb he can’t tell what state he is in, so I guess my secret is fine.” Luz commented and giggled a little. Her movement while laughing made her arm flare up a little as she held it in pain. Luz sighed and continued to speak. “I haven’t seen Matt all night, actually. I hope everything is going well for him and Bria. He worked things out the best way he could, so I doubt there will be any trouble coming from those two for a while.”

Lightning illuminated the night sky as the sound of thunder echoed across New York. Luz looked out the window, staring at you, the reader.

“Thank you for reading. See you next chapter, true believers!” Luz waved goodbye with a smile. “Excelsior!”

Luz gently closed the window.

Chapter Text

Enter Electro.

Queens.

A speeding car dashed through the streets, ignoring red lights and almost running over pedestrians. A police car followed close behind.

“Stop the car! You’re under arrest!” The officer on the passenger seat declared, to which the criminals replied by pulling out handguns and opening fire, missing the police car and hitting the side of a building. “Well, I tried.”

The officer pulled out his own gun and aimed with great care.

“Watch out! You could hit a civilian!” The other officer declared.

“I know what I’m doing!” The officer declared as he fired three times, hitting three of the tires of the speeding car. The car drifted without control for a few moments, and then crashed through a fire hydrant and onto a power pole.

“Damn it!” One of the criminals declared as they climbed out of the car, the water from the fire hydrant spraying onto them and soaking their bodies. They prepared their guns as the cops approached, unaware that one of the wires of the pole had come loose in the crash, and was about to fall onto them.

Two spheres of impact webbing came flying from above and knocked the weapons out of their hands, followed by two lines of web pulling them away from the power pole and tying them up on the other side of the street. The criminals turned to see the wire falling onto the water and electrocuting the empty car, sparks flying out, and their eyes widened as they realized they had just been saved from certain death.

“That was Spider-Girl!” One of the police officers declared as they looked up to see the red and blue blur leaving the scene through the rooftops. “It seems like she’s in a hurry!”

“Understatement of the century!” Luz whispered, holding a plastic bag in her hand as she swung through the city. She took a quick glance at her costume and groaned in annoyance.

Her arm had healed since her battle against the Master Planner the day before, but her costume was still ripped on several places, such as the chest or the side of the leg, exposing her tan brown skin and making it easier to guess her secret identity. She tried to sew it back, but it was beyond repair, she’d have to make a new one from scratch. Until then, she had to avoid being seen by too many civilians. Spider-Girl landed in a dark alley, and Luz Noceda ran out wearing her civilian clothing. She made her way across the street and entered her house.

“Mom! I’m back with your medicine!” Luz yelled as she made her way upstairs and into her mother’s room.

“Thanks, mija.” Camila commented, still on her bed as she looked up to see her daughter walking in. “How did you get back so fast?”

“Let’s just say I have my secrets.” Luz commented with a smile as she opened the medicine bottle and handed one of the pills to her mother, who swallowed it. “Didn’t even need a glass of water?”

“I’m not as feeble as I look.” Camila commented.

“Okay then. Just rest and try to sleep for now.” Luz commented as she put the medicine bottle on the table near the bed, and then made her way to the door.

“I love you.” Camila declared as she closed her eyes.

“I love you too, mamá.” Luz answered as she closed the door.

Luz sighed and made her way to her own room. She pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. Camila still hadn’t realized that Luz had begun locking up her room, but Luz sure as hell wasn’t looking forward to having to explain it if her mom ever realized it. Luz locked the door behind her and turned to the many spandex bodysuits she hoped to transform into a new costume. She didn’t plan to change much from the original, just make it a little more aerodynamic.

“I made the first one after a guy named Ditko told me the school’s dance team was throwing away a bunch of spandex bodysuits. I guess I can retroactively call the first one ‘The Ditko Costume.’” Luz commented to herself as she approached the sewing machine and began sewing. “I got the materials for the second one from a guy named Romita, who gave me a discount at a Halloween store, so this one will be ‘The Romita Costume.’”

Queens.

“Cole?” The old woman asked as she opened the door to her son’s room.

“Sup, mom?” Cole asked, looking away from his TV for a moment.

“You remember Mattholomule, that kid your friends invited to go to the theater?” She asked. Cole’s expression changed into one of slight anxiety. “His mom called. She said he didn’t come back home yesterday. Do you know what happened to him?”

“No. I didn’t even see him, actually. He didn’t show up at the theater.” Cole lied in response. His mother nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Cole sighed in relief and turned back to his TV.

The video on the TV stopped all of the sudden, being replaced by nothing but static. Cole pressed the button to change the channel several times, but nothing seemed to happen. He groaned and got up from the chair. He approached the TV and tried to move the antenna around.

“Come on, you stupid thing!” Cole commented, and his eyes widened as sparks of electricity began flying out of the screen. “What the–”

The sparks flew to Cole’s neck and took the shape of a solid hand, holding him by the throat. The electricity formed the rest of the body as the lights around the room began flickering. Cole’s eyes widened as he recognized his attacker, despite the green and yellow lightning themed costume he had been wearing.

“Mattholomule…” Cole managed to whisper.

“You never knew when to shut up, did you, Cole?” Electro asked, his hatred visible in his eyes through the yellow crown shaped mask he worn. He laughed maniacally, firing a blast of electricity through his victim’s chest. The lights flickered faster as the sparks flew around the room, until both the TV and the light bulb exploded, leaving the room in darkness.

“Cole? What is going on here?” Cole’s mother asked as she opened the door. Her eyes widened and she screamed in terror, as there was nothing in the dark room other than the dead body of her son.

Noceda Residence.

“Mom? I’m home.” Luz called as she opened the door. She looked around the living room for a few moments after getting no response. Luz had a confused expression on her face as she made her way upstairs, which suddenly changed into a shocked expression, as she saw her mother on the ground in the middle of the corridor. “Mom!”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“The medicine worked for the first day, but after that she began having shortness of breath,  fatigue, and just general weakness.” Luz explained to the doctor as they stood in the hospital room. Camila laid on the bed, receiving serum to her vein. “I didn’t think much of it until I got home and found her on the ground.”

“My head just began spinning, and before I knew it everything was black.” Camila explained, still somewhat dizzy from the experience.

“The blood samples aren’t looking very good.” The doctor commented as he looked over his notes. “We might need to keep her here for treatment until second notice.”

“Wait! I can’t!” Camila declared as she tried to get up. Her head once again began hurting and she laid back down. Luz ran to her and held her hand. “Luz, if I stay here you’ll have to be all alone...”

“Don’t worry, mamá.” Luz declared as she tried to calm her mother down. “I can survive by myself for a while.”

Camila nodded, believing her daughter.

“Also, someone will have to pay the hospital bill.” The doctor added.

Luz’s eyes widened.

Midtown High School.

It had been one day since Camila was hospitalized. Luz stood in front of her open locker, placing her books inside. She looked around for a few moments, wondering where Mattholomule had run off to. She hadn’t seen her fellow bully victim all day. Her spider sense suddenly flared, and she turned to see Boscha grabbing her and forcing her into the locker. Luz could have dodged it, or simply overpowered Boscha without hurting her, but that would draw too much suspicion. Boscha closed the locker with Luz inside and then knocked onto it as if it was a door.

“Knock, knock, Luzer.” Boscha greeted in a mocking tone.

“What do you want this time?” Luz asked in annoyance.

“Your lunch money would be a nice start.” Boscha declared. Luz pulled out her dollar bills and pushed them through the small holes on the metal locker. Boscha grabbed them and walked away, the locker still closed.

“Boscha? Boscha! I’m still in here!” Luz yelled. She could break out with her super strength, but then her locker would be broken, and would also risk to reveal her secret identity. Her only choice was staying there until someone let her out. Luz gently hit her head on the metal locker door, making a small ‘bonk’ noise.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

It had been two days since Camila was hospitalized. Luz stood in front of Hopkins desk, who was barely paying attention to her as he read a magazine.

“Please! Can’t you just pay me in advance just this time?” Luz pleaded.

“Bring me those Spider-Girl pictures, and maybe I’ll think about it.” Hopkin explained in an uninterested tone of voice, still looking at his magazine.

“My mom is in the hospital!” Luz explained, making Hopkins finally look up to look at her. “Please! I really need the money!”

Hopkins reached for his phone.

“Miss Brant, please give Noceda a get-well soon card when she leaves.” Hopkins declared in slight sarcasm. “But don’t seal the envelope, that way it’s a penny cheaper.”

Luz groaned and stormed out of the room.

Manhattan.

It had been three days since Camila was hospitalized. Luz sat inside a Chinese restaurant, Masha on the other side of the table as the two ate noodles.

“Thanks for bringing me here.” Luz commented with a smile. “Having someone else pay a meal for me, even if just this once, helps more than you can imagine.”

“Who said I’m going to pay?” Masha asked. Luz, who had just put a noodle in her mouth, stared at them in shock. Masha laughed. “I’m kidding! You need all the money you can get to help your mom.”

Luz swallowed and began breathing heavily.

“Don’t do this to my heart! One family member in the hospital is enough!” Luz declared, half joking as the two laughed.

“Luz, I don’t know if I ever told you, but I am very happy to have you as my best friend.” Masha declared with a smile.

“Yeah…” Luz nodded. “I’m happy to be your best friend too.”

Queens.

It had been four days since Camila was hospitalized. It was a dark and stormy night in New York. A loud alarm echoed across the streets as the police car raced and stopped near a jewelry that had had its window display broken, alongside most of the safes inside. They ran to the owner of the jewelry, who was just walking out of the store.

“Did you see where the robbers went?” The officer asked. The store owner pointed up, and the officers noticed two masked robbers tied up to a large spider web. A swift shadow flew by above them, swinging from building to building and appearing as nothing but a blur.

“Ugh! Do you know how hard it is to dry this costume!” Spider-Girl complained as she swung away from the scene, the raindrops soaking her clothes.

Noceda residence.

It had been five days since Camila was hospitalized. Luz had her costume in a clothes line inside her room to dry. She stood near the lines and held up a small hair drier to speed up the process a little. She couldn’t put them to dry outside, of course, because her neighbors would see. This is also the reason the curtains of her room window were kept closed most of the time.

“Great hero I am! Have to call off the day because my costume hasn’t dried yet!” Luz commented to herself. She turned off the hair drier and made her way to a small desk. She held a pencil and began writing on her school notebook. “Well, if that’s the case, I should probably take the time to do my homework for once!”

Luz carefully read the page, realizing most of those questions came from classes she had missed, because she was busy being Spider-Girl.

“Ugh! The exams are coming up!” Luz whispered in annoyance, as she opened a small drawer and pulled out one of her books. She quickly began searching the pages for whatever subject she had missed lately. “I have to know this stuff!”

New York Police Department.

It had been six days since Camila was hospitalized.

“You were attacked by… what again?” The officer asked in slight disbelief.

“A man made of electricity who could fire lightning from his fingers!” The teenager girl, Cassy, explained in an anxious manner. “I was just walking back home from school, when all of the sudden all of the lights on the street began flickering, and he came out from one of the street lights!”

“Okay, relax! I’ll see what I can do!” The police officer declared as he began typing on his computer, only for the screen to suddenly glitch and begin flickering. “What the–”

Cassy screamed in terror as a bolt of lightning flew out of the screen and struck the officer, sending him flying to the other side of the room. The other officers around the room suddenly turned just in time to see the lightning morphing into a humanoid form. They drew their weapons, but Electro fired a single bolt of electricity. The electricity traveled around the room at lightning speeds, hitting belt buckles, metal tipped shoe laces, guns, police badges, metal dental fillings, and any other conductor they could find. All officers were on the ground in a second.

Cassy screamed in terror and tried to run away, only for Mattholomule to morph into electricity and travel at incredible speeds, reforming his body in front of the door and blocking her exit.

“Coward as always, hm, Cassy?” Electro asked, staring at her with nothing but pure hatred in his eye and a wicked smile. “You can’t outrun lightning!”

“You were the one who killed Cole!” Cassy screamed in shock as she fell to the ground in fear. “Please, don’t do this! I’ll do whatever you want! Just please let me go!”

“I’ve waited so long to hear you begging!” Mattholomule declared with a deranged smile as he charged his hand with electricity and slowly approached it to Cassy’s face, the girl screaming in terror.

The bystanders outside turned to the building in shock upon hearing the screams. A bright light came out of the windows of the building for a moment, and then the screams stopped. Electro kicked the door open and casually walked out, ignoring that all of the people had pulled out their phones and began recording. He stepped onto a power pole, gluing his soles to it with electromagnetism, and walked up to the top, disappearing into the power lines.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

It had been seven days since Camila was hospitalized.

“Who is this Electro guy?” Luz asked as she looked over the pictures the bystanders had taken. It seemed to just be a vaguely humanoid shape walking up a pole. “I can’t see anything.”

“They got too close. The electricity glitched the cameras and corrupted the pictures.” Masha explained. “I did the best I could to restore them. The pictures would probably come out better if they were taken from further away.”

“What’s with Mr. Sparky Fingers over here? Does everyone have a gimmick nowadays?” Hopkins asked as he looked over the pictures. His expression changed into one of suspicion. “Wait… There is only one person I know who can just walk-up objects like this!”

“You better not–”

“The height also seems to be about the same! There is no doubt about it!” Hopkins declared, cutting off Luz, who was staring at him with a flabbergasted expression. Hopkins got up from his chair. “New headline: Electro is really Spider-Girl!”

Luz sighed and shook her head.

“Who were the victims again?” Hopkins asked.

“The first one was a boy named Cole. The electricity caused major organ failure.” Masha explained. “The second one was a girl named Cassy. When the police officers woke up, there was nothing left of her but bones.”

Luz raised her head as she recognized the names.

Queens.

“I don’t understand! Why would this guy be targeting Bria’s friend group?” Spider-Girl asked as she swung through the small buildings. “The only ones left are Flynn and Bria herself! Just my luck, now not only do I have to protect them, I also have to catch this Electro guy to clean my name!”

Spider-Girl somersaulted and landed right on top of the building where Flynn lived. She climbed down the wall like a spider, reaching his rooms window. The lights were all turned off, leaving the room in complete darkness. Luz also noticed that all of the electric appliances seemed to be turned off, probably unplugged. Spider-Girl wasn’t even sure if Flynn was in the room.

Her spider sense flared and she heard a loud scream. The scream did not come from Flynn’s apartment, however, but instead from the floor above it. Spider-Girl looked up to see lights flashing, and before she knew it a bolt of lightning had broken through the roof of Flynn’s room, forming a humanoid shape . The electricity illuminated the room, and Flynn screamed in terror, revealing himself to have been hidden under the covers of his bed.

“W-who are you? What do you want from me?” Flynn asks in shock as he tried to crawl towards the door.

“You were never the brightest, were you Flynn?” Electro asked as he charged his hands with electricity and prepared to fire a lightning towards the boy. “Let’s change that!”

“Lights out, Lightning Butt!” Electro heard, followed by the sound of glass breaking as Spider-Girl dashed inside and fired webbing onto Electro’s face. Electro brought his hands to his mask, trying to tear out the webbing.

“Spider-Girl? Weren’t you two the same person?” Flynn asked, when Spidey ran to him, picked him up, and then leaped off the window.

“How about we survive now and ask questions later? Hold on!” Luz declared as she began swinging away with Flynn on her back.

“Alright…” Electro declared in anger, as the electricity from his body burned off the webbing on his mask. “Now I’m really getting upset!”

Electro jumped off the window and morphed into electricity, which flew towards the top of a power pole and began traveling through the power lines, chasing Spider-Girl down the neighborhood at the speed of lightning.

“Oh God!” Spidey commented as her sense flared up, and she leaped upwards right on time to avoid a bolt of lightning flying out of a nearby power pole. The bystanders began screaming and running away from the scene. Spidey landed on top of a large building, as the lightning morphed into a humanoid shape and began running up the wall. Luz turned to Flynn. “I’ll distract him! Run!”

Flynn nodded and began running down the stairs into the building. Spider-Girl changed the mode of her web shooters and fired several spheres of impact webbing, striking Electro and knocking him off the side of the building. Spidey jumped towards him and swiftly changed the mode of her web shooters again, firing several nets of webbing that tied Electro up in midair between buildings.

“Sorry, Electro. I think I’ll have to cut off your power!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed onto the web.

“Don’t worry! I can pay the bill!” Electro screamed in anger. Spider-Girl’s spider sense flared up and she jumped off the web, just as large blasts of lightning shot out of Electro’s skin, flying in every direction and burning off the webs. Electro landed on his feet and stared at Spider-Girl in rage, pieces of burning webbing gliding down around him. “I’ll fry your insides!”

“I’m gonna be honest, I haven’t heard that one before!” Spider-Girl responded.

The two stared at each other, expecting the other to make their next move, when they suddenly heard the sound of a door opening. They turned to see Flynn running out of the building and down the sidewalk as fast as he could.

“You!” Electro declared in rage as he prepared to fire a lightning. Two webs flew in, one grabbing his mask and the other his shoulder, and pulled Electro down the street, making him miss the electricity blast, which simply struck a piece of the ground.

“I can see you like to hear your own voice, but don’t worry. You’ll have a lot of time to talk in front of the judge!” Spider-Girl declared as she changed her web cartridges. She could see with the corner of her eyes that his mask had fallen off and was now on the ground. Luz ran towards Electro, only to suddenly stop as her enemy looked up to stare at her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the face before her. “Mattholomule?”

Spider-Girl felt her spider sense hitting her like a truck, but it was too late. Mattholomule held up his hand and fired a lightning, which flew right through Luz’s chest and travelled down the street, hitting Flynn who was about to go around a corner. Spider-Girl and Flynn both screamed in agony, and Luz’s web shooters exploded on her wrists. Large burn marks appeared all over Spider-Girl’s costume, and one of the one way mirror lenses she had over her eyes exploded outward. The camera and flashlight on her belt both burned, and the extra-web cartridges all blew up. Electro finally released the electricity, and Spider-Girl fell to the ground, smoke coming out of her costume.

“No single human is strong enough to challenge me!” Mattholomule declared as he put his mask back on, and then morphed his body into lightning, flying to a power pole and disappearing into the power lines.

Luz coughed as she once again began breathing. She didn’t want to have to resort to playing dead, but it was better than actually being dead. Her whole body was hurting as she slowly got up. Her head was spinning. She made her way towards Flynn. She placed her fingers on the side of his neck, sensing no heartbeat or breathing.

“Dead…” Luz whispered. She got back up and continued to limp away. She looked down at her web shooters, seeing they were busted, alongside most of her costume. Luz made her way to a small payphone near the end of the street and dialed 911. “Hello? Police? You know that Electro criminal we’ve been seeing on the papers? I know who he will attack next.”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“Your dad was so scared the day he asked me to marry him.” Camila explained on the hospital bed. Luz was sitting on a small chair near it. “He told me to close my eyes, and when I opened it and saw the wedding ring, it was so beautiful that I thought it was a dream.”

Luz laughed for a moment, and then reached for her chest in slight pain. The wounds from the battle against Electro still hadn’t fully healed. Camila stared at Luz in slight worry and put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. I’ve just been having a… bad day.” Luz explained.

“You have to be careful out there.” Camila declared. “It’s been raining those past few days, and you didn’t even bring an umbrella.”

“Somehow I don’t think an umbrella would help with what I’m up against.” Luz commented and looked around the room, trying to avoid eye contact. The truth is, she never truly felt comfortable hiding her secret identity from her mom.

“You have something on your mind.” Camila declared. She wasn’t asking, she could tell. “If it’s about my health, I’ll be fine. The doctor said they’ll have to keep me for a while, but still–”

“I like someone.” Luz interrupted. “I, like, like someone, and I really want to tell them… but I’m not sure what will happen afterwards…”

Camila stared at Luz for a few moments, a feeling of nostalgia in her eyes as she carefully sat up.

“Luz, I believe that if someone is going to love you, they have to love you for who you are.” Camila explained, Luz listening carefully. “If you have to pretend to be someone you’re not, then what is the point of love?”

Luz thought over the situation for a few moments, and then nodded.

“You’re right.” Luz declared with a smile. She had finally made a decision. Luz was going to tell Masha she was Spider-Girl. Luz got up from the chair and hugged Camila. “Thanks, mom. I don’t know where I would end up if it wasn’t for you.”

New York Police Department.

Spider-Girl stood at on one of the walls outside of the building, right next to a window, hidden within the shadows. This should be enough distance for the electricity not to corrupt the pictures. She carefully glued her camera to the wall with a web, the lenses pointed to the inside of the station, as she listened to the conversation.

“You can’t keep me here! I know my rights!” Bria declared in anger as she stared at Captain Park. All of the computers around the room were unplugged.

“We’re keeping you here for your protection.” Park explained. “We’ve received an anonymous call saying you’re Electro’s next target.”

“And how are you planning on stopping him?” Bria asked in a loud voice of anxiety. “That guy has gone through your officers before! They couldn’t stop him back then!”

“We will do everything in our power to protect you. I promise.” Gilbert explained, getting on his knees to look at the teenager eye to eye. “We will keep you safe, even if it costs us our lives. It is our responsibility.”

The lights suddenly began flickering. The officers all stood up and prepared their weapons, as Bria began screaming in horror.

“Responsibility? What a joke!” Electro declared, as the light bulbs above them exploded, releasing a rain of sparks that merged together into a humanoid body. Mattholomule laughed maniacally as he fired a lightning, which travelled around the room grazing every single one of the officers, who all fell to the ground unconscious. Bria screamed and ran to the door, only for Electro to hit the entrance with a lightning, making his bully stop running. “It is finally just you and me, Bria!”

“How about a plus one?” They heard, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Electro fired a lightning at Bria, only for the electricity to change trajectory in midair and fly towards several small spheres that had just been thrown through the window.

“What?” Electro asked in surprise.

“Those are steel marbles!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped in. “They attract your lightning bolt!”

“That suit…” Bria whispered.

“Like my new look?” Spider-Girl commented. Her costume was similar to the original, but with a few major differences. The spider logo on the chest was slightly larger, and the webs were more spaced out. Both the red and the blue were more vibrant and livelier, and the suit was made of a nicer spandex that allowed Spidey to move more freely. The webs looked clearer and were visible from a distance. The Romita Costume was finally complete. “Now run!”

Bria nodded and ran out of the police station. Electro fired a lightning, only for Luz for throw more marbles into the air, which attracted the electricity, giving Bria just the time that she needed to run off. Electro ran after, only for Spider-Girl to jump in front of him and block the door.

“Step aside, Spider-Freak!” Mattholomule ordered in anger, small bolts of electricity flying out of his body due to his hatred. “This is all her fault! She turned me into this!”

“Matt! You have to listen to me!” Spider-Girl pleaded, her spider sense tingling. “I know how you feel… I know what you’re going through… but I can’t let you do this!”

“No! No one understands!” Electro declared in rage as he fired a bolt of lightning. Spider-Girl jumped over it and landed on the other side of the station. She reached for her belt to pull out more marbles, realizing she had run out. Mattholomule fired another lightning, only for Spider-Girl to kick up the handgun of a cop on the ground. The metal of the gun attracted the lightning, making a large explosion of sparks in the air.

“Bria is 15! She is just a kid! She didn’t know what she was doing!” Spider-Girl declared as she used her webbing to make a barrier around her hands, similar to plastic gloves. “What about those police officers? All of them were innocent!”

“No one is innocent! They just haven’t had the chance to laugh at me yet!” Mattholomule declared as he fired another lightning bolt, which Spidey somersaulted over and then jumped towards Electro, throwing a punch to his jaw that sent him flying onto a wall. The webbing around Luz’s hand melted due to the heat. Had the webbing not been there, it would be her skin melting off.

“Matt! You have a gift! You can do things nobody else in the world can do!” Spider-Girl pleaded, breathing heavily as Electro got back to his feet. “Someone once told me that with great power comes great responsibility!”

“Shut up!” Electro screamed in anger as his electricity created a large flash of light. Luz screamed in pain as the light hit her eyes, blinding her.

“Spider sense, don’t fail me now!” Luz whispered as she leaped around the room with her eyes closed, avoiding several lightning bolts with perfect precision. Mattholomule screamed in fury as sparks of electricity flew around his body like an aura. If Luz didn’t put an end to this fast, all of the police officers on the ground would be killed. Spider-Girl breathed and let her spider sense guide her, ignoring all of the surrounding noise.

Luz fired a web, which flew over Electro’s shoulder and hit an object at the other side of the room. She pulled it, and a fire alarm echoed across the station, sprinklers activating on the ceiling and raining water upon the room. Mattholomule screamed in pain as the water hit him, short circuiting his electricity as it went out of control, shocking his own body.

“It burns! It burns!” Mattholomule screamed in anger as his own electricity continued to course around his body. Spider-Girl walked towards him at a slow pace, her arms extended and her eyes closed.

“Matt, please! You have to let me help you!” Spider-Girl pleaded as she approached a wall.

“I’m gonna kill you!” Electro screamed in rage as his eyes began glowing, and he dashed towards Spider-Girl, his body glowing with electricity.

“I’m sorry…” Luz whispered as she punched through the wall, pulling out a ground wire and shoving it into Electro’s neck. Mattholomule screamed in agony as his body began glowing more and more intensively, transforming into electricity as the wire absorbed his body, and then scattered it across the city at the speed of lightning. “I’m sorry, Mattholomule… I’m sorry for everything…”

Luz blinked several times as her eyes began to gradually heal. She shook her head in slight confusion. Spider-Girl stared at the scene for a few more seconds, and then turned around and made her way to the window, swinging away through the dark city.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“No! It can’t be!” Hopkins declared in shock as he looked over the pictures. “Those pictures ruin everything! Spider-Girl isn’t Electro! I’ll be a laughing stock!”

“You should have more fate in Spider-Girl.” Masha declared from the other side of the desk. “Every time you accuse her of something you turn out to be wrong.”

“Silence! I will have to print a retraction! I haven’t printed a retraction in 20 years!” Hopkins declared as he slammed his fist on the desk.

“Can you at least just give me the money already so I can give it to Luz?” They asked.

“Where even is that hippie Noceda? She couldn’t even come here to give me those pics herself?”

“She is busy.” Masha explained. “She has to attend a funeral.”

Drearcliff Cemetery.

Luz stood before the gravestone, the words ‘Matt Tholomule: Beloved son and brother’ ingrained on it. She gently put the flowers on the grave. They had buried an empty coffin. She wanted to remember Matt as the friend she knew, but she just couldn’t forget the hate in Electro’s eyes. Luz looked around to see the graveyard was starting to close up.

“I just hope wherever you are, Matt, you finally found your peace.” Luz whispered as she walked away.

A small light pole in front of the grave turned on, illuminating it with a blue light. The light changed color to yellow as small sparks flew out and began to take form, only for them to once again dissipate.

Luz, not noticing the light, walked out of the cemetery. She reached for her pocket as she walked down the sidewalk, dialing a number and placing it on her ear.

“Hey, Masha. Yes, the funeral is done. I was wondering, would you like to go on a date tomorrow? You’ll have to visit your brother? How about next week?” Luz asked. “Okay, I’ll see you next week. There is something I want to tell you.”

To be continued.

Next chapter: Turning Point.

Nothing will ever be the same!

The Spider’s Web.

“Hey, guys!” Luz greeted as she landed near the large American flag at the top of the building. “Before we start today, I just wanted to take the time to thank you call for helping my story reach 616 hits! I appreciate it and I’m very glad you guys are here! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far!”

GodzillaMaster: Ah, so Hopkins is a petty, spiteful little shit. Figured as much.

And Matt as Electro? Oh, Bria and her stooges are in so much trouble. And Luz is gonna be in for one hell of a fight if she's going against her friend

“I…” Luz whispered. She looked over the sunset illuminating the city from the top of the Empire State building. Luz sighed. “I really don’t want to talk about Matt right now, Master.”

Celtarican: Hopkins is just a sad insecure little man, so sad, to bad

Aw hell nah MATT NOOOOOOOOO

I have to say, seeing Luz be friends with Masha was something I always thought would’ve happened if she went to summer camp, it’s cool to see here!

I’ll be real I expected the MP to be Gideon, but this was good! Excited for the next chapter, and hope to see more characters join the roster!

“Masha is… something else. Let’s leave it like that, Cel. I wonder how they will react when I tell them I’m Spider-Girl.” Luz whispered to herself with a nervous smile. “As for the Master Planner, the police still hasn’t been able to find the technology he stole, but in the meantime I guess we’ll just have to keep looking. If he shows up, I’ll just have to kick his butt again.”

Shadowsnake89: Figures. No prison of iron and stone can contain one of the greatest intellects of the modern era. You better be careful. Someone called the Master Planner usually has all of their bases covered. Not a bad idea of going after the only person who gets good pictures of Spider-Girl for the papers. This job might have just become a bit riskier.

Hopkins may be a big jerk and an unabashed Spider-Girl hater, but at least he didn't give up Luz to the Master Planner.

Also, Matt may actually need help now that things have hit the fan for him. Kind of figured Bria was being a bit too nice to the kid for things to go over that smoothly. This is that point where someone could really use a friend.

“Y’know, Shadow, I was so busy with everything that has been happening that I didn’t even have any time to investigate the identity of the Master Planner. Things have been… rough, to put it bluntly.” Luz explained, as she got up and tapped her foot on the rooftop, before beginning to walk in circles. “Well, I can tell he is egocentric, since he literally called himself the Master Planner, so that leaves us with… just about every villain I’ve ever faced!”

Luz put on her mask. She breathed heavily and forced on a smile, before leaping from the top of the building and beginning to swing across the city.

“Thank you all for reading!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung towards the sunset. “See you all next time, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Turning Point.

Luz put down the sponge and washed her hands. She was done with the dishes and the laundry. Luz made her way to the living room and sat down on the sofa. She looked around for a few moments. Her house had become awfully quiet since her mom was put at the hospital. She reached for the remote control and turned on the TV. The first thing that appeared was Hopkins’ ugly face. Luz sighed.

“It’s not enough to see that guy at work?” Luz asked in slight sarcasm. Thinking of her work lead her thoughts to Masha. Luz had decided it, she was going to tell Masha her secret identity. After everything that had been happening lately, it was actually quite a relief for Luz that someone else would know for once. Luz looked back at the TV, seeing Hopkins sitting right next to a short man in a suit.

“You have just managed to release your client through an insanity plea, which is actually quite rare.” Hopkins commented as he read the paper in his hands. “What can you tell us about the legal process?”

“It is actually notoriously difficult for the insanity defense to be accepted. I would probably have had a hard time arguing for it had it not been for the very specific situation my client went through.” The lawyer explained. “We had to have him analyzed by psychologists and psychiatrists, and all of them came to the conclusion that my client was indeed not truly in control of his action when the crimes were committed.”

“You’ve heard it right here everybody. Alador Blight has been legally accepted as insane.” Hopkins explained. Luz’s eyes widened in shock. “He will be officially moved from the New York State Prison to a mental treatment facility in Philadelphia.”

Luz got up from the sofa, a hopeful expression on her face.

“Could there be hope for Doctor Blight after all?” Luz whispered to herself. She turned off the TV and then ran upstairs.

New York State Prison.

Alador Blight sat on a small workshop inside the prison, all of his attention to his tentacles. After Spider-Girl had wrecked them in their last battle, Blight asked for permission to fix them. They were quite literally part of his body at this point, so it was granted, as long as he agreed that they would only be turned back on upon his release. What nobody knew, however, was that he was not only fixing them, but upgrading the hardware.

Those new tentacles could extend to reach longer distances. The hands of the tentacles now had greater precision and dexterity. Alador could command them as easily as he commanded his two natural hands.

“Hey, Doc Ock!” One of the guards declared. “You’re being released in a few hours! Go pack your things!”

“Very well.” Alador nodded and put away his equipment. If he wanted, he could have turned his tentacles back on by himself and escaped, but then he’d be on the run, and would probably have to deal with that meddling Spider-Girl once again. It was easier this way.

Queens.

“I am hopeful that Doctor Blight is being given a second chance, but I just cane get the image of Doctor Octopus out of my head since the last time we’ve fought.” Luz whispered to herself as she sat in her garage, carefully putting together a spider shaped contraction. This mechanical gizmo could easily be confused for a real spider from a distance. “Spider tracer! No matter where it is, it will send coded messages to me that I can pick up with my spider sense!”

Luz placed the tracer on her pocket and made her way back to the house.

“I just have to put one on Doctor Blight so I can keep track of him for a while. I have to make sure he’s not up to anything.” Luz whispered as she ran upstairs. She put on her Spider-Girl costume and jumped out of her window, swinging away through the city. “But first I’ll have to get close… Ugh! That guy was my childhood hero! I want to believe in him so badly, but I just have this bad feeling after our last battle!”

New York State Prison.

“Good luck out there, doc.” The guard declared as he turned Alador’s prosthetic arms back on. One of the arms reached for Alador’s pocket, pulling out a cigarette and bringing it to his mouth, another arm lighting it up with a lighter. A third arm carefully straightened Alador’s green suit, and the last one placed a small green hat on his head. “It shouldn’t be hard for someone like you to land a job in Philadelphia. Just stay clean out there, fella.”

“A job was what put me in this situation, officer.” Alador declared without looking back as he walked towards a small car. Doctor Octopus got on the back seat and the car drove off, none of them being aware of the spider-themed hero standing at the top of the prison building. Spider-Girl jumped off and swung in pursuit, careful not to be seen.

“Maybe I won’t even need the spider tracer! I can just follow them to the airport!” Luz commented with a smile as she looked over the small vehicle, until the car suddenly turned left instead of right. “What? They are not going to the airport! What is going on?”

Spidey followed the car for a few more minutes, until it parked on a seemingly random street. Luz stood at the top of a nearby building as Doc Ock got out of the car.

“You’ve made an excellent decision, dear boy.” Alador commented as one of his tentacles pulled out a roll of hundred-dollar bills and handed it to the driver. Alador made his way into an alley. “Good evening, Bennett.”

A short man in a suit walked out of the shadows. Spider-Girl’s eyes widened as she recognized his face from TV. It was Alador’s lawyer.

“You actually do have a lot of money, huh?” Bennett commented.

“How else do you think I bribed all of those psychologists and psychiatrists?” Alador asked as he pointed one of his tentacles at the lawyer, the metal hand spinning 360 degrees. The metal arms could never do that before. One of the arms reached for Alador’s suit and pulled another roll of bills, tossing it at Bennett. “You don’t become as successful of a scientist as I am without having a basic understanding of economics.”

Bennett took the bills in his hands and began counting them.

“Hey! We agreed to five thousand dollars!” He declared. “There is only two thousand here! I can’t pay for my treatment with this!”

“You’ll receive the rest when I arrive at Philadelphia.” Alador declared. “Good luck getting there by yourself.”

“This wasn’t part of the dea–”

“I am changing the deal!” Alador interrupted, one of his tentacles flying forward and stopping mere centimeters away from Bennett’s face.

“I am going to tell the police about this!” Bennett declared. “Once they know your insanity diagnoses was forged, you’ll be a wanted man once again!”

“If you do that, you’ll be wanted alongside me for aiding my conspiracy. What will your sister do when you’re behind bars?” Alador asked in a tone of sarcastic confidence. “They will also likely take away the money I just gave you. Good luck treating that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of yours when that happens.”

Bennett stared at Doctor Octopus for a few moments, anger visible in his eyes. Alador was right, Bennett had much more to lose in this situation than the bad doctor.

“Very well.” Bennett nodded. Alador smiled and turned around, making his way back to the car.

“Don’t keep me waiting, Brant.” Alador declared as he got into the car and drove away. Spider-Girl was about to chase after, only to freeze in place upon hearing that familiar family name.

“Wait… Brant?” Luz asked herself.

“I know you’re in there.” Bennett declared. For a moment Spider-Girl thought he was referring to her, until another teenager stepped out of the shadows behind Bennet. Spidey’s eyes widened, as she recognized Masha. “How much did you hear?”

“I heard everything, big bro!” Masha commented as they approached their brother. “Bennett, I am worried about this! You shouldn’t be getting involved with Doctor Octopus!”

“I have no other choice!” Bennett declared, and then brought his hand to his head in slight pain. Masha stared at him in worry. “I don’t have much time… As awful as he is, Alador is my only chance of survival! I have to go to Philadelphia!”

Masha stared at him for a few moments, and then nodded with an expression of understanding.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll go with you!” They declared. Bennett was about to object, but stopped as he noticed the conviction on his sibling’s expression. “We’re together to the end. As always.”

Bennett nodded. Spider-Girl stared at the scene from above, her mask covering her expression of shock and worry.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

It was near closing time at the Daily Bugle, the sun beginning to set as the moon became visible in the sky. Masha sat at their desk, going over several papers, when they heard a knock, and turned to see a familiar face opening the door.

“Luz?” Masha asked. “Why are you here so late?”

“I forgot my camera.” Luz pointed at a nearby table, walking to it and picking up the trinket. “What about you?”

“I’m just finishing everything up so I can go on a business trip.” Masha explained. “I convinced Hopkins to let me cover the Doctor Octopus story at Philadelphia. He kind of owed me a favor when I got him that exclusive interview with Alador’s lawyer.”

“I was actually searching that up. Doctor Blight’s lawyer is your brother?” Luz asked.

“You did your homework.” Masha commented with a quick giggle, still going over the paperwork. “His name is Bennett. Dad died when I was a baby, and mom walked away and never came back, so Bennet has raised me by himself.”

“He sounds like a good person.”

“He sure is.” Masha answered with a smile. Luz noticed their face morphing into an expression of worry, but Masha was quick to disguise it with another smile. “Bennett is the only family I still have. I’d do anything to protect him.”

Luz stared at Masha in silence for a few moments.

“You have something on your hair.” Luz commented as she reached for Masha’s head, pulling out a tiny grain of rust. It had probably fallen there back when Masha was hiding in the alley.

“I haven’t had time to clean my head lately.” Masha explained in an awkward tone. “I have had a lot of things on my head lately.”

Luz nodded and waved them goodbye. She made her way to the door and took a quick glance back at Masha, hoping she wouldn’t notice Luz had placed the spider tracer on their hair.

Forest Hills Hospital.

“I feel so bad for you being home alone for so long, mija.” Camila commented, still on her hospital bed.

“I’m not all that lonely. I have friends.” Luz answered. “The doctor said you’re not getting better. They might have to do a surgery in the next few days.”

“I’ve had surgeries in the past, don’t worry.” Camila answered with a smile. Luz nodded. The two sat there in silence for a few moments, until Luz took in a deep breath and finally spoke up.

“Mom, I need to borrow some money.” Luz whispered. She did not want to have to bother her mom in a moment like this, she really didn’t, but she had no other choice. Luz needed money to go to Philadelphia. “It is for a trip. There is somewhere I have to go.”

“You want to travel at a time like this?” Camila asked, somewhat surprised. “If this is a business trip, I’m pretty sure the Bugle would–”

“You know that person I told you about?” Luz interrupted. “I think they’re in trouble, and I want to help. I feel like it is my responsibility.”

Camila stared at Luz for a few moments, and then nodded in understanding.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“My purse! He stole my purse!” A woman screamed as the thief ran as fast as he could down the street. The criminal saw a shadow above him and heard a ‘thwip’ sound, when webs suddenly flew down from above him and tied him up. The bystanders look up in amazement at the figure swinging above them.

“It’s Spider-Girl! The one from New York!” One of them declared, as the super hero ignored them and continued to swing away. “What is she doing here?”

“Come on, Luz tingle…” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she landed at the top of a tall building. She closed her eyes, carefully searching the area with her spider sense. Luz noticed a signal and opened her eyes. She turned to the direction the signal was coming from. “It’s my spider tracer!”

Unknown location.

“Very well… Here we are…” Bennett whispered as he parked the car in front of the tall building, his sibling on the passenger seat. The two breathed heavily as they heard the sound of the train passing through the nearby rails. Bennett would do anything to be able to turn the car back on and drive away, but both of the siblings knew they had no other choice. “When we get inside, you stay close to me at all times, do you understand?”

Masha nodded. Bennett nodded back, and the two walked out of the car, making their way into the building. They entered a dark room, to see Alador Blight sitting on an armchair. One of his mechanical arms held a cup of tea as he took a sip.

“You’re late.” Alador declared.

“We got lost on the way here.” Bennett explained, taking a single step forward and signing Masha to stay behind him. “Do you have the money?”

“A Blight always upholds their end of the deal.” Doctor Octopus declared as another one of his arms reached behind the armchair and pulled out a briefcase, which he opened to reveal it was full of ten-dollar bills. “You can count them if you want. Five thousand.”

Bennett nodded and hesitated for a moment, before taking a few steps forward. Alador closed the briefcase and handed it, and Bennett felt his heart almost skip a beat as he took it. Bennett nodded and turned around, about to walk out of the room.

“But, of course, the deal never said anything about you walking out of this building alive.” Doctor Octopus declared as the lights turned themselves on. Masha screamed and Bennett dropped the briefcase, as they realized they had been surrounded by armed men this whole time. “I hired those henchmen as soon as I arrived in Philadelphia.”

Alador got up, making Bennett and Masha both turn to him.

“Did you really think I would let you walk away? You thought I’d risk you telling anyone about our deal?” Doctor Octopus asked, holding up two of his tentacles that menacingly looked down upon the two from above. “All of those psychologists and psychiatrists have woken up to find a bomb in their mailboxes. The car driver will soon find out that the breaks of his car have mysteriously malfunctioned. As for you… your bodies will never be found.”

“Big bro, do something!” Masha screamed in a terrified tone of voice, as Bennett looked around with a hopeless expression.

“Open fir–”

Alador stopped his order mid-sentence, his expression changing into one of suspicion. One of his tentacles suddenly thrusted through the ceiling, and pulled down Spider-Girl, who had been listening from the rooftop.

“What’s up, doc?” Luz asked.

“You! It’s always you!” Alador yelled in anger. The henchmen all turned their attention to the super hero, which Bennett took as an opportunity to pick Mash up in his arms and run out of the building. “Look what you’ve done!”

Doctor Octopus threw Spider-Girl onto the floor, the henchmen surrounding her.

“I always have a way to get on your nerves, right, Nutty Professor?” Spider-girl asked as she leaped back to her feet.

“Your ability to quip does not make you intelligent!” Alador declared.

“The ratio of arms to sanity hasn't exactly been established either.” Spidey declared with a shrug.

“Kill him!” Alador declared as he turned around and climbed up the hole on the ceiling using his tentacles. Luz tried to follow, only for the several henchmen to block her way.

“Eight against one? That’s not fair!” Spidey declared with a smile. “You guys are at a clear disadvantage!”

Bennett and Masha rushed to the car, Bennett quickly turning on the engine and preparing to drive away. Bennett suddenly froze, as a realization came to him.

“What are you waiting for?” Masha asked. “Let’s go!”

“I forgot to take the money!” Bennett declared as he got out of the car.

“What?” Masha asked in disbelief. “Forget the money! Let’s just leave!”

“Wait in the car! I’ll be right back! Don’t follow me, no matter what happens!” Bennett asked as he ran back inside. Masha stared at the scene for a few moments, and then pulled out their phone to call the police.

“Since everyone is making speeches, I might as well furnish some entertainment, so here it goes.” One of the henchmen opened fire, only for Spider-Girl to easily jump over the bullet and fire a web at the ceiling. Luz swung and punched one henchman while kicking the other, knocking them both to the ground. Six henchmen left. “You guys are so ugly that when you tried to join an ugly contest, they said ‘Sorry, no professionals’.”

Another henchman tried to shoot, only for Luz to dash and give him a gentle tap on the face, which sent him flying onto two more henchmen, knocking all three out. Three henchmen left.

“You guys are so ugly that when you were born, the doctors said ‘What a treasure! Let’s go bury it’!”

Her spider sense tingled as she somersaulted and avoided several gunshots, before firing her web and swinging towards two more henchmen, knocking both out with casual kicks. One henchman left.

“You are so ugly that people break into your house just to close the curtains!”

Spider-Girl turned to the final henchman as he pointed his gun at her. Luz prepared to knock him out, when she suddenly heard the sound of the door flinging open, and turned to see Bennett running into the room. Luz’s widened in shock as her spider sense flared, and her body instinctively leaped out of the way of the bullet while she was distracted. The sound of the gunshot echoed on the room for several seconds, as the bullet struck Bennett right through the neck, sending him to the ground.

Spider-Girl’s expression changed into one of anger, as she turned around and lightly shoved the killer, sending him flying onto a wall and knocking him out.

“Bennett!” Masha yelled in shock as they ran in through the door after their brother. They had an expression of horror on their face as they ran towards him, trying to pick him up in their arms. Bennett stared at his sibling, his neck bleeding profusely as life began leaving his eyes. “Bennett! Please! Stay with me! God! He’s not breathing!”

Spider-Girl stared at the scene before her. Luz was almost frozen in shock, as she could do nothing as Bennett’s life vanished and disappeared. The room was silent for a few moments, until Masha looked up at Spider-Girl, an expression of hatred in her eyes.

“This is all your fault! Hopkins was right about you!” Masha declared in fury, tears floating out of their eyes as they got back up and pointed at Spider-Girl in anger. “I hate you! Do you hear me? My brother is dead because of you! I hate you more than anything!”

Luz stared at the scene before her in disbelief, still frozen in shock. She suddenly heard a metallic sound, and looked up at the hole on the ceiling. Doctor Octopus was getting away. Spider-Girl took a quick glance back at Masha, who was still crying over their brother, and then leaped out of the window, beginning to swing after Alador.

Doctor Octopus jumped from building to building using tentacles, when he heard a ‘thwip’ sound. He turned around and thrusted a tentacle, which Spidey avoided by leaping over it. Spider-Girl fired a web onto Alador’s face, which he blocked using a tentacle and then pulled Spidey towards him. Spider-Girl reacted quick, by firing a web at a nearby building and pulling herself away, just barely avoiding another tentacle attack.

“Why prolong the agony?” Alador asked in a serious tone of voice as he turned to Spider-Girl, who had been standing on the side of a building. “I’ll get you sooner or later!”

“Watch me, doc! I’ll give you a lesson in aero-gymnastics!” Spider-Girl declared. Luz wished she was truly as confident as she was trying to sound.

Doc Ock attacked with two of his tentacles, which Spider-girl avoided with a backflip. She fired a pair of webs in midair, hitting Alador’s shoulders and pulling herself towards him. Spider-Girl prepared to throw a punch, only for the two tentacles to come back and grab her in midair.

“You’re getting on my nerves.” Alador declared.

“I have a knack for that!” Spider-Girl declared and fired her webs, tying up the two tentacles that Alador had been using to hold himself over the ground. Doctor Octopus almost fell from the top of the building, but he let go of Spider-Girl at the last second and used the two other tentacles to hold himself up. Spider-Girl swung above him with a web and then changed the mode on her web-shooters, firing several nets of webbing that tied Alador in place. Luz took a moment to change her web cartridges, and when she looked back Alador’s tentacles had already broke out of her webs. “What now?”

“I’ve got you, that’s what!” Alador declared. Spidey sensed her spider sense flaring, but it was too late, as the bad doctor had already struck her on the face with one of the tentacles.

Luz fell out of the building, but fired a web midfall, which glued to Doctor Octopus’ chest and pulled him off the building and towards her. The two wrestled as they fell towards the rails, only for a train to pass by at that exact moment. The two landed on the top of the speeding train and faced each other eye to eye.

“I won’t let you get away!” Spider-Girl declared.

“You fool! Even if you put me behind bars, I will simply find a way out once again! What are a few more weeks inside a jail cell? I will just come up with another plan and start over!” Alador declared as he thrusted a tentacle, Spidey firing a web to the side of the train and pulling herself just in time. The passengers inside gasped as they saw Spider-Girl standing at the window, only for Doctor Octopus to climb to the side of the train using his tentacles.

Luz threw several punches, which Doc Ock managed to ward off with his metal arms. Alador thrusted several times with his tentacles, Spider-Girl avoiding them at the perfect moment through the use of her spider sense. Spider-Girl fired her webbing and tied two of the tentacles together. Alador easily broke free after a moment, but that moment was just the distraction Luz needed to dash forward and punch Alador right on the jaw, making him groan in pain.

Spidey felt her spider sense flaring, and Doc Ock leaped off the train just at the last second, before another train drove in and ran Spider-Girl over, sending her flying off the track and onto the streets below. Luz jumped back to her feet and fired her web upwards, pulling herself to the top of the buildings and looking around.

“Gone! He got away!” Spider-Girl declared as she looked around, seeing no sign of Doc Ock anywhere. “I have to go check on Masha!”

Spider-Girl swung through the rooftops, swiftly arriving at the same building where the fight had started. She looked down from the ceiling, seeing several police cars. The henchmen were being arrested, and Bennett’s body was being taken away, but what grabbed Luz’s attention was Masha. They still had tears in their eyes as they spoke with the officers.

“You’re safe now, Brant.” The police officer declared, doing the best he could to calm them down. “I’m sorry about what happened to your brother.”

“It’s not your fault… it was Spider-Girl!” Masha declared, an expression of fury in her eyes. “Hopkins was right about her all along! I don’t know who she is, but I swear now, as a sibling and as a journalist, Spider-Girl is going to pay! I will not rest! Even if it is the last thing I ever do, even if it takes all of my journalistic skills, I will make sure Spider-Girl is put behind bars for this!”

The officers nodded as Masha entered the police car, and they drove away.

Luz took off her mask and stared from the rooftop, as the cars all left and the scene finally became quiet. Luz let out a loud sigh, her expression showing disappointment and sadness. She could only wonder how Masha must have felt. Luz put her mask back on and stood up. Spider-Girl swung away through the night, now carrying another heavy burden she had not been prepared for. Luz knew there was only one person to blame.

“Doctor Octopus!” She whispered in anger.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Spider-Girl Unmasked.

EXTRA LONG CHAPTER! 6000+ WORDS GIANT!

The Spider’s Web.

Luz sat inside the plane as it flew over the United States. Her mind was racing ever since the shoot out hours earlier. She kept on going over the situation again and again in her head, thinking of what she could have done differently. Luz needed to distract herself somehow. She glances at the person sitting near her, seeing he was asleep. Everyone else in the plane seemed to not be paying attention to her. She glanced to you, the reader.

“I’ll just respond whispering tonight.” Luz explained in a quiet voice. “My story has officially surpassed all of the previous ones in hits and become the most popular story ever posted on this account… I wish I could be happier right now, but with everything that has been happening…”

Celtarican: Holy shit that was… holy shit, I did not expect that

I mean- fist off fuck Jacob, he’s just evil for fun at this point

Dammit Camila got sick too? God Luz can’t catch a break these days huh

Masha/Luz? That’s something I’m interested in seeing. I hope things go ok for Luz and them! I get the feeling Masha will respond better then the average person to this (please don’t let this age like milk)

“Y'know, Cel, your first sentence kind of sums up how I’m feeling right now.” Luz commented, a smile appearing on her face for a single moment before dropping. “You did get one thing right… I cannot catch a break.”

GodzillaMaster: It really sucks for Luz to have to have done that. Nobody wants to fight their friend like that

And hope that Camila gets better

“Ugh! Mom’s still in the hospital…” Luz whispered in slight anxiety. “I can’t take even a moment to think of one of my problems, that fifty other problems come raining down!”

Luz sighed and looked out the window. She could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, as the airplane approached New York.

“Doctor Octopus…” Luz whispered in restrained anger. “He’ll pay for this… I promise!”

Chapter Text

Spider-Girl Unmasked.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Spider-Girl: Traitorous murderer.” Luz read the newspaper in her hands, an expression of worry on her face as she sat on a small desk, her boss and co-worker standing nearby.

“This is going too far, Hopkins!” Robbie declared in annoyance. “This is a worst accusation than anything you’ve ever published before!”

“It wasn’t me who came up with this headline, actually.” Hopkins explained with a shrug. Robbie stared at him in slight confusion, when the sound of the door opening caught his attention.

“Good morning.” Masha declared as they stormed into the room, a cup of coffee in their hands and an expression of slight anger on their face. Without saying another word, Masha made their way towards their own desk and began typing on her computer. Luz and Robbie glanced at each other for a few moments, and Luz got up and hesitantly approached them.

“Hi, Masha.” Luz greeted with a smile. Masha glanced at her for a moment and nodded, before once again focusing on their computer, making Luz’s smile drop. “You look tired.”

“I’ve been busy since my brother’s funeral. Bills to pay and all.” Masha explained as they took a sip of their coffee. They continued to type as they spoke, not turning to look at Luz. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Luz stared at Masha in slight worry for a few moments.

“So… Remember when I said I wanted to hang out last week after the whole Electro situation, and that I wanted to tell you something?” Luz asked, scratching the back of her head in awkwardness. “I think I’ll have to cancel it. Something came up–”

“Oh yeah! I completely forgot! I’ll have to cancel it as well.” Masha declared, still typing. “I have to write this new article on Spider-Girl.”

“Yeah… Spider-Girl…”

“Speaking of which, do you have any new pictures of that bug?” Masha asked, finally looking away from the screen. Luz shrugged and shook her head. “Then go get some! Try to find her secret identity while you’re at it! That would help a lot!”

“You’re starting to sound like Hopkins.” Luz commented.

“Good! Hopkins was right, wasn’t he? Now can you please let me concentrate? I have to finish this article before the deadline!” Masha declared, with traces of anger noticeable in their voice. Luz nodded hesitantly and then made her way to the door. Masha sighed in annoyance and turned back to the computer.

Noceda residence, Queens.

Luz stared at the television with a worried expression on her face as she read the headline at the bottom of the screen.

“Doctor Octopus strikes again.”

“The genius researcher turned wanted criminal Alador Blight, better known by his pseudonym Doctor Octopus, has continued his crime spree in the attempt of attracting Spider-Girl. Those attacks have been happening all over the state of Pennsylvania for days, and they seem to show no signs of stopping.” The new anchor explained, and then the video changed to the images of the attacks.

“Your weapons cannot stop me!” Alador’s voice declared, despite the footage only showing the image of an armored tank, which seemed to be searching around for their target. A pair of metal tentacles suddenly appeared from behind the vehicle, coming from the vehicle’s blind spots, and easily lifted it over Doctor Octopus’ head. The tentacles ripped the metal tank in two as if it was made of paper. Alador threw to remains of the train into the distance and walked towards the camera with his tentacles. “Only Spider-Girl can match me!”

The second recording showed a helicopter about to fly off, only for a single metal tentacle to fly in and grab it, casually holding it in place. The cameraman turned to film Alador, who casually grabbed the helicopter blades with another tentacle and ripped them off, sending the vehicle crashing as everyone inside screamed. Alador turned to the cameraman, who dropped the camera and ran off. One of the tentacles grabbed the camera and brought it to Alador’s face.

“I challenge you to a duel, Spider-Girl! The destruction will not stop until you show yourself!” Doctor Octopus declared as he crushed the camera.

The third video was from a security camera, showed several bystanders running out of a bank, an expression of panic in their face, when a single tentacle easily shattered the wall where the exit door was. Doctor Octopus walked out using two of his tentacles, the other two holding the metal door of the bank’s safe. Alador threw the door, crushing police cars on the other side of the street.

“I know you’re watching me, Spider-Girl!” Alador declared as he used his tentacles to climb the wall and approach the security camera. “Stop hiding away like a coward and face me!”

A tentacle crushed the security camera, the image turning to static before cutting back to the news anchor.

“It has truly been a devastating week for us all.” The news anchor declared. “Only one question remains in the air: Where is Spider-Girl?”

Luz turned off the TV.

“Where is she? She’s trying to pay the electricity bill, that’s where she is.” Luz whispered to herself. “How am I supposed to get to Pennsylvania? I already used all of the spare money we had on that last trip.”

Luz got up from the sofa and sighed, walking around the room in circles.

“Ugh! Mom isn’t getting paid for the workdays she’s been missing while she’s at the hospital!” Luz whispered in worry. “My school exams are coming up! I didn’t have time to study at all!”

Luz’s hands formed a fist of anger as she remembered Alador’s words. She had defeated Doctor Octopus before, but he all that happened was that he was put away for a few weeks, and now Masha’s brother was dead. Luz just couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was all her fault. No matter how many times she defeated Doc Ock, he would simply escape and do everything all over again. Luz looked down upon her hands. She was the only person in the world with the power to stop her, it was her responsibility. If Luz wanted, she could stop him. Not just defeat him, but stop him for good, and never have to worry about him ever again… But was that the hero she wanted to be?

Luz heard the sound of a ringtone, and made her way to a table on the other side of the room, reaching for a small phone.

“Hello?” Luz asked, when her eyes suddenly widened and an expression of pure despair took over her face. “My mom had a heart attack?”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“Mom! Is everything okay?” Luz asked as she ran into the room as fast as she could. She got on her knees near her mother’s hospital bed, seeing her eyes were closed and she had an expression of discomfort. Camila opened her eyes just barely and mumbled something Luz couldn’t really understand.

“She’s still under the effect of sedatives.” The doctor explained as he approached Luz. “We managed to kickstart her heart this time, but she’s prone to more heart attacks in the future. We’ll have to operate.”

Luz nodded, beginning to calm down.

“But before the operation, you’ll have to–”

“How much will it cost?” Luz asked in annoyance.

“It’s not that.” The doctor explained. “Camila needs a blood transfusion. What is your blood type?”

“Blood?” Luz asked and then looked down at her hands. The radioactive spider that gave her power had also affected her blood. Truth be told, Luz had no idea what would happen if she were to donate her blood. Luz had an expression of doubt, when she heard the sound of breathing. She turned to her mother, seeing her breathing loudly with that same expression of discomfort. Luz clenched her fists and turned to the doctor. “I’ll do it!”

Luz laid on a small hospital bed as the doctor pierced her arm with the needle. She was quite surprised when the blood tests showed nothing out of the ordinary with her blood sample. It seemed like the hospital didn’t have advanced enough technology to detect her powers. Luz glanced at her mother on the bed right next to hers. Camila still held her eyes closed, and Luz couldn’t even tell if she was conscious.

“You’re about to give a lot of your blood, so you’ll have to take it easy for a few days, do you understand? No big physical activities, or else you’ll be back to a hospital bed in no time.” The doctor explained in a half-joking tone. “You might feel somewhat weaker until your blood cells rebuild themselves. Remember to eat well in the meantime.”

Luz nodded as her blood began being drained and passed onto her mother’s veins. Luz glanced at Camila once again. What Luz was doing was a huge risk, but if it meant her mother would get better, it was a risk she was willing to take.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

Luz stood in the elevator as it made its way up the building, until the doors opened and she walked into the office. Her head felt a little light ever since the blood transfusion, but she figured it was nothing to worry about. She was holding two cups of coffee, one in each hand. She looked around to see Robbie, Ned, and Masha, all working on their desks. Hopkins was standing behind Masha, looking over their shoulder. Luz sighed and approached the two.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to go visit my mom at the hospital.” Luz commented, catching both of their attentions. She held one of the cups to Masha. “I brought you coffee.”

“Oh, thanks.” Masha commented as they took the cup.

“How are those pictures of Spider-Girl going?” Hopkins asked in a demeaning tone. “Masha here is writing just the perfect article, and I need some pics to go with it.”

“Just give me some time, okay?” Luz commented. “Spider-Girl has been pretty quiet lately.”

“I wonder what that insect is scared of.”

“Arachnid.” Luz corrected Hopkins, who waved his hand to show disinterest. Luz shrugged and began walking away. She took a sip of her coffee, only to feel a such irritation on her head as her vision went blurry. Luz groaned and held her head, the cup falling from her hands. She shook her head as her vision went back to normal.

“Noceda! What the hell?” Hopkins asked in anger, as Luz looked down to see her coffee splattered all over the ground. “You better clean that up!”

“Luz, are you okay?” Ned asked as he got up from his desk and approached his friend, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry, I just…” Luz whispered and shook her head. Her eyes suddenly widened as her spider sense flared, and a large pair of metal tentacles suddenly broke through the window.

“Hey! We just fixed that!” Hopkins screamed in shock.

“Doctor Octopus!” Robbie screamed, as the bad doctor climbed in through the shattered window. “You came back to New York!”

“You have the nerve to show up back here?” Masha screamed in anger. “You helped Spider-Girl kill my brother!”

“Interesting that you brought up the arachnid. That’s exactly why I am here.” Alador declared in a calm tone, as one of his tentacles grabbed Masha by the neck and lifted them up. Robbie and Ned screamed in shock as they ran in to help, only for another tentacle to toss them aside. “Spider-Girl wouldn’t come to me, so I have no choice but to go to he! See has come to your rescue before, Miss Grant, so you’re the perfect bait!”

“Let her go, Octohead!” Luz declared in anger, only for two more tentacles to dash forward. One grabbed Luz by the waist, and the other grabbed Hopkins by his feet and held him upside down. Luz stared at Alador with a serious expression, only to feel another headache as her strength seemed to leave her for a moment. Masha stared at Luz in worry, and tried to speak, only for the tentacle to squeeze their throat.

“Don’t play hero, you brat.” Alador declared as he threw Luz against the wall. He brought Hopkins close to his face, the reporter screaming like a little girl. “Listen here, you slime. You’re going to publish a message to Spider-Girl on your paper. Tell her to meet me at the amusement park at Coney Island at midnight, and to come alone.”

Hopkins nodded in fear. Alador tossed him away, and then made his way back through the window. Masha screamed in terror as the mad scientist carried her away through the rooftops.

“Masha!” Ned yelled in worry as he ran to the window, watching as the villain left the area.

“Is everybody alright?” Hopkins asked. Luz shook her head and looked around the room to see the others managing to seat up. “Robertson! Put that message on the paper, immediately!”

“I’m going there!” Robbie declared. Hopkins and Ned both turned to him. “Someone has to cover the story!”

Luz stared at the shattered window, and her expression changed into one of pure anger.

“He went too far this time!” Luz whispered in fury with her fists clenched as she got back to her feet.

Coney Island.

“Let me out of here!” Masha declared in anger as Alador climbed the large Ferris wheel with his tentacles, placing Masha on the car at the top. “I know you and Spider-Girl are both dangerous menaces!”

“Shut your mouth, you little brat!” Alador ordered, hitting the car right near Masha’s head with his tentacle, bending the metal behind her. “Spider-Girl must already be on her way! You’re only alive because I allow you too!”

“What if she doesn’t show up?” Masha asked, their voice showing a mixture of anger and fear.

“That would be very unfortunate, my dear.” Alador commented as he climbed down the Ferris wheel. “Unfortunate for you.”

“Damn it! What was I thinking? That I’d web him up and leave him for the cops with a friendly little note, and maybe someday he’ll become a better person?” Spider-Girl asked herself as she swung through the buildings as fast as she could. Luz still felt her head light, and her entire body was moving as if she was underwater. She shook her head and continued swinging. “Alador is just going to keep breaking out and doing it all over again! Doctor Octopus will always be who he is! The killer will always be hiding inside of him! There is only one solution here! This is my power! My responsibility!”

Luz swung into the amusement park and onto the side of a roller-coaster. She glanced at the Ferris wheel, seeing Doctor Octopus standing in front of it. Alador was not aware of her presence yet, she just had to swing in and finish him off with a surprise attack. Luz prepared to jump, when she suddenly felt another headache. Her feet and fingers suddenly unstuck to the wall, and she fell from the roller-coaster, falling onto several wooden boxes and breaking through them, the loud noise echoing across the area.

“My guest has finally arrived!” Alador declared as he turned to Luz. Luz could barely hear him, her head spinning.

Luz glanced, and realized a familiar black figure moving behind Doctor Octopus. Robbie wasted no time once Alador got distracted. He made his way towards the controls of the Ferris wheel, being as silent and quick as possible. Alador heard the wheel moving, but ignored it and focused on the hero before him.

“Long time no see, you pest!” Alador declared. “Once I am done with you, I will finally be able to complete my experiment in peace!”

Luz stared at Alador in anger. She got up and ran towards him as fast as she could, her fists clenched. She couldn’t prolong this battle, she had to finish him off with a single blow. She had to put an end to this now. Alador prepared to thrust his tentacles, but Luz moved faster, punching Alador right on the face with all of her strength.

“W-what?” Luz breathed in weakness, staring in surprise as the strongest punch she could muster was only able to slightly move Alador’s head to the side.

“Is this some form of stunt, Spider-Girl? I know you can hit harder than that!” Alador declared in suspicion, grabbing both of Luz’s hands with his tentacles. “You won’t get another chance!”

Luz’s vision was so out of focus that it hurt to keep her eyes open. She could barely see even an inch in front of her face. Doc Ock held Luz up with two of his tentacles, and then struck her with the two others. Luz screamed in agony as she felt her ribs cracking. Luz could see nothing but strange dots as Alador struck her one final time on the head. Luz let out a breath as she fell unconscious.

“Masha! Let’s go!” Robbie declared as he helped them get down from the Ferris wheel. He took Masha’s hand with care and tried to run away, but Masha signed for him to stop. Masha was focused on the scene before them, seeing Doctor Octopus holding New York’s greatest hero by the neck.

“Spider-Girl was defeated too easily!” Masha declared in a serious tone of voice. “Something is wrong!”

“Why won’t you fight back?” Alador asked as one of his tentacles reached for the mask and pulled it out. Masha gasped in surprise. “You’re not Spider-Girl! You’re an imposter!”

Alador threw Luz to the side with his tentacles. Masha and Robbie caught her, the two falling to the ground due to the impact.

“Luz did it to save me! She must have known the real Spider-Girl wouldn’t come!” Masha declared as she looked at her friend’s unconscious body. “You idiot! You could have been killed!”

“I don’t understand…” Robbie whispered.

“Take your puny wannabe hero! I am after the real Spider-Girl!” Alador declared as he turned around and began climbing the rollercoaster with his tentacles. Doc Ock reached the top and then leaped away, using his tentacles to climb the buildings and escape into the city.

“We have to take her to a hospital!” Robbie declared as he picked Luz up in his arms. Masha nodded, and the two ran off of the park.

???

Luz opened her eyes and shook her head as she sat up. Everything still appeared to be spinning for a moment, but it was all quick to slow down, and she looked around to see she was sitting on the floor of the Owl House, the same place where she first trained her powers. Luz held her head for a few more moments and looked up, seeing a figure standing on the ceiling alongside the many owls. Luz got up, just as Spider-Girl jumped down, and the two stood face to face.

“What are you? Some kind of nut?” Spider-Girl asked.

“I know… I shouldn’t have tried to fight right after a blood transfusion.” Luz commented, scratching the back of her head. “It’s just that I was worried about Masha, and–”

“You tried to do the unthinkable! You’re lucky that your powers failed!” Spider-Girl interrupted.

“What else am I supposed to do? Blight will keep on coming back no matter how many times I defeat him! Every time he shows up, people get hurt!” Luz declared. “Dad told me that with great power comes great responsibility, so I have to–”

“Do you think dad would be proud of you right now?” Spider-Girl asked. “What makes you so different from that mugger who shot him?”

Luz thought over the question for a few moments, and then looked at the ground.

“You almost made a mistake, a terrible mistake at that, and that is okay.” Spider-Girl declared as she approached Luz and put her hand on Luz’s shoulder. Luz looked at Spider-Girl in the eyes. “Now you take responsibility for it, and do the right thing next time.”

Luz opened her eyes. She sat up and looked around. The room was dark. She could hear beeping, and realized it was coming from monitors. Luz was in a hospital bed inside a hospital room, and she had just had the realest dream of her entire life.

Forest Hills Hospital.

Luz laid on the hospital bed, glancing at the blue sky through the window. It had been a week since the last battle. She had no idea where Doctor Octopus had run off to. Robbie, Masha, and Ned had all visited her earlier that day, so she at least knew they were okay. Luz sat up, feeling a quick pain on her chest. Alador had broken her ribs, but they were already starting to heal. Luz guessed this meant her powers were starting to come back.

Luz sighed and heard the sound of the door opening. She turned, and her expression changed into one of slight surprise as she saw a familiar face.

“Mom?” Luz asked. Camila nodded and entered the room. She had a walking stick and was moving at a slow pace. She sat on the small armchair right next to Luz’s bed. “You should be in bed!”

“You came to visit me, so I came to visit you.” Camila commented with a smile. “I needed to stretch my legs a little bit.”

“You just had a surgery last week!” Luz whispered.

“Dear, I might be old, but I’m not a quitter.” Camila nodded. The two sat in silence for a few moments, until Camila finally spoke up. “The doctors told me you ended up here because you tried to help your friend.”

Luz nodded, an expression of melancholy on her face.

“I should be mad at you… but I’m not.” Camila admitted. Luz turned to her expectantly. “You were willing to put yourself in danger to help someone who needed you. That was stupid… and it is exactly what your father would have done.”

Luz continued to stare at her mother.

“You tried to do the right thing, and I am proud of you. You are strong, Luz, much stronger than people think.”

“Did you steal that from my Captain America comic books?” Luz asked, to which they both laughed for a moment. “Didn’t they find her alive inside a block of ice, or something?”

“Your father believed that this is what makes a hero. The willingness to do the right thing, even when it seems impossible. To stand up even when the rest of the world would lay down.” Camila declared. “There was this thing he used to say… Anyone can win a fight when the odds are easy. It’s when the going’s tough, when there seems to be no chance, that’s when it counts. That’s when heroes are born.”

Luz stared at her mother for a few seconds, thinking over those last few days, and nodded.

“Thank you.” Luz whispered.

Unknown Location.

“I can’t believe it! They’re making me a laughing stock! Saying I got fooled by a teenager!” Doctor Octopus declared as he ripped up the newspaper, which he held with one of his hands and one of his tentacles. Alador turned around and walked to the other side of the large abandoned warehouse. He picked up a large wooden pillar that had fallen and lifted it with his tentacles, tearing it in a half with anger. “Let’s see who will be laughing when I’m through with them! Spider-Girl will come out and face me, no matter the costs!”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“You’ve had an excellent recovery.” The doctor commented as he looked over Luz’s x-rays. He turned to Luz and Camila, and spoke in a joking tone. “I’m quite surprised, if I say so myself. Are you sure you’re not a mutant?”

“I’m at least 90% positive.” Luz answered in a joking manner.

“If everything keeps healing at this rate, you should be able to return home by the end of the week.” The doctor explained. “This is about the same time you’re expected to have healed enough to return home, Mrs. Noceda.”

“We’re finally going home together.” Camila commented with a smile. “I guess the house won’t have to be so silent after all.”

Luz and Camila laughed for a few moments, when they suddenly heard the sound of screams in the distance. Luz turned to the window in worry, as she heard what seemed to be explosions. All three stared in confusion for a few moments, when Luz reached for the remote control and turned on the small TV near the ceiling.

“Here we are at the heart of Manhattan, where the criminal known as Doctor Octopus seems to be going on a rampage!” The reporter declared as she ran across the streets alongside a large group of people. They heard a loud explosion in the distance, the shock wave making the camera shake. A large car was thrown upwards in the background, hitting the top floor of a building and exploding. The cameraman let go of the camera, which hit the ground as he began running away alongside the reporter. A metal tentacle picked up the camera and used it to film Alador’s face.

“Come and face me, Spider-Girl! I will make sure New York never forgets the power of Doctor Octopus!” Alador declared as he crushed the camera with his tentacles. Luz stared at the screen with a serious expression.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” Luz explained as she got up from the hospital bed.

“Be careful when you’re moving around. Don’t try to get up too fast.” The doctor warned. “You’re not fully recovered. Too much physical strain could make your wounds worse.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Luz declared as she made her way to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Luz waited a moment to make sure neither of them were listening, and then jumped and landed on the ceiling, crawling out through a small window.

Manhattan.

“Spider-Girl better show up soon!” Alador declared as he crawled through the streets with his tentacles. He heard the sound of sirens, and turned to see a cop car speeding towards him. One tentacle flew and lifted the car, throwing it into the distance. The officers screamed as the car flew towards a crowd of screaming people who were trying to run away. The civilians closed their eyes in fear as the car was about to crush them. There was a moment of silence, until they opened their eyes to see the car was being held in midair by white threads.

“It’s a web!” A woman in the crowd declared, when a swift red and blue blur swung over them. “Go, Spidey! Go!”

Spider-Girl back flipped in midair and landed on top of a water tank. She turned to see Alador climbing onto the building.

“Knock, knock, doc!” Luz commented. “If you wanted another dance, you could have just called!”

“You’ve shown up at last!” Alador declared in anger. “I was half expecting another copycat!”

“Watch and learn, doc!” Luz declared as she cracked her knuckles. “You beat Luz last time, but now you’re dealing with the real deal!”

Alador thrusted one of his tentacles, Luz leaping away at the last second as the metal struck the water tank and forced it off the building. The bystanders on the street screamed, when Spider-Girl fired her webs in midair, gluing the tank to the side of the building as the civilians ran away. Doctor Octopus attacked once again, this time with four tentacles, only for Spider-Girl to position herself perfectly in midair to avoid them, and then step into one of the tentacles and use it as a platform to jump off it and onto the side of a large building.

“This time I will show no mercy!” Alador declared as he jumped onto the building and began climbing it after Spider-Girl.

“Only this time? You haven’t exactly been person of the year material, doc!” Luz commented as she ran to the top of the building as fast as she could, pulling herself with the webs to outpace the tentacles and ignoring the pain of her ribs beginning to flare up. Spider-Girl leaped, landing on the side of the last floor of the building.

“There is nowhere left to run!” Doc Ock declared as he thrusted with his tentacles. Luz reached for her belt and turned on her spider signal, the sudden light hitting Alador’s eyes and blinding him for a moment as he groaned in pain. Spider-Girl used the distraction to leap off the building and over Alador’s head, avoiding the tentacle, and firing eight quick webs, gluing all four tentacles and Alador’s own hands and feet to the side of the building.

“Geronimo!” Spider-Girl declared as she fired a final web, covering Alador’s eyes.

“Damn you!” Alador declared in anger as his tentacles broke the webbing holding them, and then thorn the webbing off Alador’s limbs and face. Alador turned to see Spider-Girl was already on a building on the other side of the city block.

“Y’know, for a doctor, you’re actually pretty slow!” Luz yelled as she waved at Alador. She had to attract him to a place without civilians.

“You can’t run forever, arachnid!” Doctor Octopus declared in anger as he chased after. “I am tireless!”

“I know! If all that yapping doesn’t tire you out, nothing will!” Spider-Girl commented as she leaped from building to building, just barely avoiding the massive tentacles as they tried to crush her. She continued to dodge, until landing on a chimney. One of the tentacles purposively struck not her body, but the chimney under her, making it collapse. Luz fell for a moment, which distracted her just enough for a tentacle to hit her right on the face, sending her flying. Luz thought fast and fired a pair of webs that hit the sides of the nearby building, creating a massive web slingshot. “Newton’s third law!”

Spider-Girl flew towards Alador, her body carrying the same kinetic energy he had just hit her with. The tentacles protected Alador’s body at the last second as Luz struck him with a mighty kick, almost sending him off the edge of the building, but the tentacles grabbed onto the large gargoyles at the last moment. Luz held her ribs and tried to disguise her pain, not daring to take her eyes off Doctor Octopus even for a moment.

“You fool! You only have two arms! I have six!” Doctor Octopus declared as all four of his tentacles thrusted forward. Spider-Girl avoided them with a quick back hop, and then dashed forwards before the tentacles could recover. She grabbed Alador by the collar and pulled her arm back, preparing to knock him out, when one of the tentacles suddenly grabbed her fist and pulled her away from Alador.

The tentacles raised Luz over the doctor’s head, and then struck the ground with her. Spider-Girl groaned in pain as she felt the wounds on her ribs reopening. The impact was such that it cracked the ceiling of the building right open, and Luz fell into the building. She fired her webbing at the last moment, gluing it to Alador’s chest and pulling him down with her.

Deserted Sculpture Studio.

The place was dark as Spider-Girl and Doctor Octopus crashed through the ceiling. Luz could tell through her spider sense that there was nobody in the building but the two, which was just what she needed. She jumped back up, and her body automatically jumped away from a tentacle coming from the darkness. The tentacles struck a table and knocked over a sculpture cleaning fluid, starting a large fire. The flames illuminated the room, and Spidey noticed she was surrounded by massive sculptures, depicting angels, warriors, and giant heads of historical figures.

“Y’know, becoming toast today wasn’t exactly on top of my list of priorities, but you do you!” Spider-Girl declared as she back flipped to avoid more tentacle attacks, and then leaped and landed on top of a large statue of Cleopatra. She glanced at the fire, seeing it spreading fast.

“The flame will be the last of your worries once I am done with you!” Alador declared as he attacked with his tentacles, Spider-Girl leaping away at the last moment as Cleopatra fell apart.

Doc Ock prepared to attack once again, when a massive statue of Abraham Lincoln’s face fell in between them and shattered to pieces, making Alador jump back. He looked around, realizing the room was filled with smoke. He could barely see even an inch in front of his face.

“You fool! Don’t you understand that you cannot win?” Doctor Octopus asked in anger as he looked around the smoke-filled room. “Even if you defeat me here, you will do nothing but delay my plans! Lock me up and I’ll escape! Put me away and I’ll be back!”

Alador heard a ‘thwip’ sound and turned to the source, seeing the silhouette of Luz through the smoke. He smiled and thrusted his tentacles, going right through Spider-Girl’s chest and breaking a piece of the wall behind her. Alador laughed for a few moments, until his smile suddenly dropped as he realized what had truly happened. He had not impaled Spider-Girl, but instead a mannequin made of webs that looked just like her, and the wall he had destroyed was not actually a wall, but instead the base of a large Leonidas statue. Doctor Octopus screamed in surprise as the statue fell onto him, breaking to pieces and burying him beneath the rubble.

“Then I will stop you again! And again, and again, as many times as I have to!” Luz declared as she jumped out of the flames and began digging through the rubble. She grabbed Alador’s unconscious body and placed him over her shoulder. His tentacles were heavy, and the weight was only making her ribs hurt more. “Doing it your way would be easy! Anger is easy! Anyone can win when it is easy! Heroes are different! Heroes do the right thing, even when it seems impossible! This is my power! This is my responsibility! I swear that for as long as I live, I will never go down that dark path ever again! You can come back as many times as you want! I will never let you win!”

Luz carried Alador through the smoke. She couldn’t even see an inch in front of her face as she tried to find the exit. She approached a large statue of Marilyn Monroe, which superheated due to the flames and exploded, the pieces almost hitting Luz as she protected her face on instinct. Luz heard the sirens outside and turned to the direction the sound was coming, seeing the light coming out through the window. She took a step towards it, only to scream as the super-heated pieces of the exploded statue burned the sole of her foot.

The pain in her ribs was getting worse by the second, the weight of Alador’s tentacles was almost unbearable, and the room wouldn’t stop heating up as the flames got bigger and the smoke got darker. Spider-Girl coughed as she tried to fire her webs onto the ground, only to hear a click and realize she had run out. She reached for her web and exchanged her web cartridges, a loud explosion going off on the other side of the room as the flames continued to approach her.

Spider-Girl fired at the ground several times, creating large stepping stones made of webbing. Luz walked through them as fast as she could, coughing and sweating as her ribs felt like they would shatter, until she finally jumped out through the window. A large explosion went off just as she escaped, flames engulfing the entire room, the shockwave sending both her and the unconscious Doctor Octopus crashing from the last floor of the building and rolling onto the ground. The fire truck arrived, and the firemen jumped out and ran to her.

“Spider-Girl! Are you alright?” The fireman asked.

Spider-Girl coughed a few more times and got back to her feet after some struggle. She handed the fireman a small piece of paper, and then jumped upwards and began swinging away, leaving the unconscious Doc Ock behind. The fireman watched her leave, and then glanced at the paper in his hands.

“Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“Didn’t the doctors say you were getting better?” Masha asked as they stood in front of Luz’s hospital bed.

“Yeah, but something happened that I hurt my ribs again.” Luz explained with a shrug. “I probably slept in a bad position, but I’ll be fine.”

“Thank God.” Masha commented. “You said you had pictures. How did you get them if you were here at the hospital?”

“A magician never reveals their secrets.” Luz joked as she reached for a small table near the bed, pulling out several pictures of her battle against Doctor Octopus. She handed them over to Masha, who looked them over and nodded.

“I can’t believe the police let Spider-Girl escape again!” Masha declared in a tone of annoyance and anger. “You know that burning down that building makes her a domestic terrorist, right?”

“Spider-Girl was fighting Doctor Octopus! I doubt the fire was on purpose!” Luz argued.

“Don’t defend that pest! We both know what she did!” Masha declared as they looked over the photos. “Look! She even saved Doctor Octopus! I wouldn’t be surprised if they were working together!”

Luz hid a tired sigh as she simply nodded in silence.

“Anyway, have a good recovery.” Masha commented as they made their way to the door. “See you later.”

Luz waved them goodbye as they left. The door closed, and Luz looked out of the window, seeing the blue skies outside.

“I will never let him win.” Luz whispered to herself, as she for once allowed herself to close her eyes and relax.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Menace of Mysterio.

The Spider’s Web.

Luz slowly opened her eyes and shook herself awake. She looked around, realizing she was still on the hospital room. Luz glanced at the window to see the orange hue of the sunset coming in. She sighed and relaxed her head against the pillow.

“Alright guys, let’s go.” She whispered.

Celtarican: Ah shit that did age like milk

First: Honestly why did bennet go back in!? He was fine out there

Welp, there goes the change for Luz and Masha, shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit Luz is really suffering from the "Peter Parker can't be happy" effect isn't she? I hope she's able to talk some sense into Masha

Wait a second Spider-Girl unmasked?? Oh no

“Being Spider-Girl is… not easy, to say the least, Cel.” Luz commented, tapping the side of the bed with her index finger. “It is like my hero life and my normal life are always at odds. Whenever I succeed, Spider-Girl loses, and vice-versa. Either that or both of my identities get beaten up.”

Shadowsnake89: Sorry to see that not only did Alador not change but now the Sider-Girl has lost a possible confidant. What's worse is that now Luz has to continue to work for the Bugle with one less person on the hero's side who hates her for what happened. And with Masha's declaration, it will make taking photos and being a hero even worse.

And it's said that Camila is still in the hospital and may have to have surgery with money the family doesn't have. Things have just been hitting left and right and the amount of people you can turn to for some aid or support is slowly dwindling.

Stay strong, and Spider on.

“Shadow, things have been… difficult, to say the least… but hey! I caught Doc Ock! A-and the doctor said my mom is showing some recovery after the blood transfusion!” Luz declared, trying to stay positive. She liked to think of herself as an optimist, but that could be difficult in times like this. “I might have hit rock bottom… as in, the absolute bottom, I mean, like, way down being crushed by the pressure in the bottom of the ocean… but this just means there is nowhere to go but up! … I hope!”

Luz sighed and turned to the window, a weak smile appearing on her face.

“Thank you for reading, true believers! See you all next time, with more amazing fantasies!” Luz declared. “Excelsior!”

Luz closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

Chapter Text

Menace of Mysterio.

“Home at last!” Camila commented as she entered the Noceda residence, Luz following close behind. “I was tired of being in that hospital bed.”

“I wasn’t. It was the only chance I had to relax.” Luz commented, to which the two giggled. Luz made her way outside and approached their mailbox. Luz pulled out the mail, most of it being junk, until she found a familiar envelope. “It’s the water bill!”

Luz ripped it open and read the bill, an expression of worry forming on her face. Most of their money had gone to paying the hospital bill for both of them. Camila had also lost many workdays while hospitalized, and she was not getting paid for those. They had just enough to pay the bills, but that was about it. If any emergency occurred, they would have no money left.

“Mija.” Luz heard and turned to see her mother at the door of their house. “There is a phone call for you.”

Luz nodded and ran back into the house, approaching the phone and putting it on her ear.

“Good morning, Luz.” A voice that she recognized as Robbie Robertson, one of her co-workers at the Daily Bugle, greeted.

“Robbie!” Luz commented. “What a surprise!”

“Long story short, I need your help with a story.” Robbie explained. “I’d normally call Ned, but he’s busy covering those mass firings at Hollywood.”

“That’s great!” Luz declared, until she realized what she had just said. “Not the mass firing, I mean, me getting more work.”

“Just meet me in front of the Daily Bugle building in about two hours.”

“I’ll be there.” Luz explained. “By the way, what story are we doing?”

“I managed to get an exclusive interview with a famous theoretical physicist.” Robbie explained. “His name is Luong Lao Shi. Have you heard of him?”

“You mean the world’s biggest expert in nuclear physics and gamma radiation? Yeah, I think I might have heard of him.” Luz declared in a joking manner. “I’ll be there, don’t worry.”

Manhattan.

Robbie and Luz made their way through the large laboratory, the girl holding tight onto her camera as she looked around. Luz was quite amazed, as she saw areas specialized in electronics, mechanics, chemistry, physics, and biology. The only area relevant to them that day, however, was nuclear research.

“Doctor?” Robbie asked as they entered the research room, seeing the Asian elderly man sleeping on top of his table, which was filled with papers. Luz snapped a picture, to which Robbie turned to her and she shrugged. Robbie approached the old man and held his shoulder in a gentle way. “Doctor, please wake up.”

“Ugh… Sorry…” Lao Shi commented as he opened his eyes and sat up. Luz continued to take pictures.

“We’re from the Daily Bugle.” Robbie explained. “You agreed to an interview.”

“Yes! Of course!” Lao Shi declared as he shook himself awake. “Sorry about that. I’ve been having a lot of research to do lately.”

“What have you been up to?” Robbie asked as he pulled out a small paper notebook and a pen.

“Gamma mutation.” Lao Shi explained. “More specifically ways to revert the mutative effects of gamma radiation on the molecular structure of living tissue.”

“Sounds quite specific.” Robbie commented. “Is this in any way related to the failed testing of the Gamma Bomb in New Mexico from a few months ago?”

“Absolutely not.” Lao Shi declared. Luz noticed he had answered a little bit too quickly for her liking. “The reason I’m doing this research is–”

They all heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to see an Asian teenage boy. He had black hair with green tips and a red jacket.

“Jake!” Lao Shi declared in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Sup, G.” Jake answered in a relaxed manner. “I’m just passing by to see how the research is going.”

“I apologize. This is my grandson, Jake Long.” Lao Shi explained. “He wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“Weren’t you also present during the Gamma Bomb testing?” Robbie asked.

“This has no relevance to this interview!” Lao Shi interrupted and then turned to Jake. “I’ll call you if I find anything relevant. Just go home for now.”

Jake shrugged and left the room. Robbie and Luz stared at them as he left, until Robbie turned back to Lao Shi.

“Why don’t you show us what you’ve discovered so far?” Robbie asked.

“Of course!” Lao Shi nodded and then turned to his papers, beginning to search through them. Robbie winked at Luz and pointed at the door with his head, to which Luz nodded and followed after Jake, Lao Shi still going over his papers.

Jake put on his helmet as soon as he left the building and placed his skateboard on the ground, getting on it and preparing to roll out. He heard footsteps coming from behind him and turned, seeing nothing, only to turn back and see Luz standing right in front of him.

“Good morning. My name is Luz Noceda.” Luz declared. “I’m from the Daily Bugle. Would you be willing to answer some questions?”

“How about you answer this one, mate: Weren’t you supposed to be bothering my grandpa, not me?” Jake asked in a tone of disinterest.

“I figured the kid who survived being nuked was interesting enough.” Luz commented with a smile. “I’ve read the newspapers about that accident. A teenager got lost and ended up in the blast area. You ran out of the bunker and saved him. You were caught in the explosion of a Gamma Bomb.”

“That was fake news.” Jake explained in a defensive tone. “If I had been caught by the thing, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’d be in hell.”

“You’re one hell of a kid.” Luz commented as she aimed her camera at Jake and took a picture, the boy trying to cover his face from the flash. “General Ross, or ‘Huntsmaster’, stupid nickname, has tried again and again to put you at the top of the most wanted list of the FBI.”

“You’re making me angry.” Jake declared as he picked up his skateboard and walked around Luz. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

“I’m trying to help you, Jake Long.” Luz declared as Jake once again got on his skateboard. “Just tell me what is happening.”

“Get off my back, girl.” Jake declared as he rode away on his skateboard. Luz reached for her camera and pulled out the picture she had just taken of Jake. She could see a clear red glow in his eyes.

“He thinks he is as cool as cucumbers, but he’s as sour as pickle.” Luz whispered to herself as she put the photo in her pocket.

Cosmos Productions Headquarters.

“You are all worthless!” The man in the white business suit declared as he walked in circles around the meeting room. “The Nameless Thing from the Black Lagoon in the Murky Swamp was our worst box office in years, and it has dropped more than 70% since release! The movie industry is crumbling around us, and none of you can be bothered to do anything!”

“You’re right, B.J.” The three other men in the meeting declared in almost unison as they nodded. “So true, B.J.”

B.J. Cosmos, the once famous movie director, sat down on a small chair and looked at the others in annoyance.

“All of you are just a waste of time!” B.J. yelled in anger as he pointed at the three. “I need some real source of inspiration! Something true and legitimate!”

“If that is what you desire, then you’re dealing with the right man.” The three heard a dramatic voice, and gasped in surprise as the lights all suddenly went out, leaving the meeting room in complete darkness.

“What is the meaning of this?” B.J. demanded in anger. The three noticed a strange green light coming from the outline of the door. The door opened slowly, as the green light filled the room, alongside a dense fog coming from the outside. The director gasped in surprise as he saw a silhouette making its way into the room. “Who are you?”

“I am the world’s greatest master of the arcane arts! The preventer of the poison against progress that banished the old magic from this world!” The figure declared in a booming and dramatic voice as he walked into the room. The three all gasped at the sight, for before them stood a man wearing a green alien costume filled with lizard scales, complete with neon green gloves and boots. There were a pair of purple unmoving eyes on his collarbone, to which was tied a long purple cape. Strangest of all was the man’s head, which seemed to be nothing but a clear crystal ball. “I am… Mysterio!”

Mysterio posed with his hands up, and what appeared to be green sparks of lightning flew out of his fingers.

“What do you want?” B.J. asked in shock.

“I have heard your plead for help, and I shall be your salvation!” Mysterio declared. “I shall be your next movie star! This movie shall be co-starring Spider-Girl!”

“Spider-Girl? Nobody likes that freak!” B.J. declared. “Who would even play her? Xochitl Gomez? Ariana Grande?”

“You fool! I shall bring the real Spider-Girl here to play herself in the movie!” Mysterio declared in a confident tone of voice.

“What? But that’s impossible!” B.J. declared. “nobody knows who Spider-Girl is!”

“Silence!” Mysterio declared as bolts of lightning flew around his body, the sound of thunder making B.J. and the others all shrink back in fear. “Mysterio does not lie! You will do as I say!”

“Okay! Okay! Anything you say! I’ll make the movie for you!” B.J. declared in shock.

“I shall return soon… with Spider-Girl! Shia Kazing!” Mysterio declared as a bolt of lightning struck his body. The entire room glowed in green for a moment, and then went back to how it was before Mysterio had arrived. Mysterio was nowhere to be seen, as if he had never been there to begin with.

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl swung through the city as her mind wondered. She had been so busy those last few days with the Master Planner, Electro, and Doctor Octopus, she didn’t really have any time to think about money. Above all, she was worried about Camila. How would Luz pay for the hospital if she had another heart attack?

“Hear my call, Spider-Girl!” Luz heard as she landed on the top of a small building. She looked around in slight confusion, as the voice seemed to be coming from every direction at once. “My voice is being projected to you in a frequency that only your spider senses can detect! I have been waiting for you for a while!”

“Show yourself!” Spider-Girl ordered. “This better not be another scientist turned super villain!”

“I am beyond science! I am much more! Look upon me and behold!” The voice declared as a small explosion of smoke appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind Spider-Girl. Luz turned to see the figure walking out of the smoke cloud. “Behold the power of Mysterio!”

“You have a fishbowl on your head?” She asked in slight confusion, and then shook her head. “Whatever! Who are you? What’s the pitch?”

“I have the opportunity of the decade for you, Wall Crawler! I, the great and powerful Mysterio, represent Cosmos Productions, and I want to offer you the starring role in the greatest audiovisual production in years! The Amazing Spider-Girl movie!” Mysterio declared in his grand and dramatic voice.

“A movie?” Luz asked in confusion. Who would want to watch a Spider-Girl movie? “How much will they be paying?”

“Four hundred thousand dollars in cash! No checks or contracts! No interviews or publicity tours! No need to reveal your true identity!” Mysterios explained. “This would also do wonders for your public image! No more Masked Menace! It is time you become a movie star!”

“Four hundred thousand…” Luz whispered as she carefully thought over the situation. She stared at Mysterio with a serious expression. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“You dare doubt the wonderful Mysterio? If you do not take my word, do not show up! But if you want to be part of something greater, come to Cosmos Productions tomorrow at two in the evening! The marvelous Mysterio shall await you there!” Mysterio declared as the cloud of smoke formed around his body and he seemed to disappear into thin air.

“Four hundred thousand dollars…” Luz whispered to herself as she looked over the empty space where Mysterio previously stood. “That would help me so much… but what if it is a trap?”

Luz turned around and looked over the city, as she carefully thought over the situation.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Come on! Can’t you pay me in advance at least this once?” Luz asked as she walked after Hopkins, who was casually making his way through the building and paid no attention to what Luz was saying. “My mom was in the hospital! She couldn’t go to work for almost a month!”

“I won’t give you money, but I can play you a sad violin solo if you want.” Hopkins declared in a sarcastic tone. “If you want to get paid, bring me more of those Spider-Girl pictures.”

“Spider-Girl haven’t fought any villain since the last Doctor Octopus battle!” Luz insisted in an almost pleading tone.

“If Spider-Girl won’t show up, neither will your paycheck.” Hopkin declared with a nod as he got into his office, and then closed the door behind him, blocking Luz from entering. Luz sighed and made her way to the elevator. At that exact moment the doors opened, and Masha walked into the room.

“Luz! Are you here to give Hopkins more pictures?” Masha asked. “What has that bug been up to this time?”

“Nothing, actually. I’m just passing by.” Luz explained as she stared at Masha, doing her best to hide how awkward she felt. Masha nodded in slight disappointment. “Wanna go get lunch together? We can split the bill.”

“Sorry, I have to write this new article on Spider-Girl.” Masha declared.

“Not today, Masha.”

“Everyday.” They declared in annoyance as they made their way back to their desk. “I won’t stop until that Masked Menace is behind bars!”

Luz sighed as she watched Masha leave, and then got into the elevator, an expression of annoyance on her face. Everybody seemed to hate her, even those who didn’t realize that they hated her, and what did she get in return? Breadcrumbs. That was it, she had made her decision.

Cosmos Productions Headquarters.

Spider-Girl stood at the top of a tall water tower as she looked down upon the huge movie studio lot. Truth be told, she was kind of nervous about being in front of so many cameras, but the mask helped her a little. If she was going to do this, she better make a flashy entrance. Luz jumped off the water tower in the opposite direction of the lot, only to fire a web at the tower and use it to swing, the inertia sending her flying through the open window of the studio. She did a back flip in midair and perfectly landed right in the center of the set.

“The one and only friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl, at your service!” She declared in a confident tone of voice. “Hooray for Hollywood!”

“I can’t believe it! It’s really her!” B.J. declared as he got up from his chair and stared at Spider-Girl in amazement.

“You should not have doubted the word of Mysterio!” They heard, and looked up to see what seemed to be a storm cloud appearing on the ceiling. The cloud parted to reveal a portal, from which Mysterio floated down. The portal disappeared in a flash of green light as Mysterio landed on his feet, and Spider-Girl stared at him in suspicion. “At long last, we are finally all here together! We can begin crafting this world’s greatest cinematic masterpiece!”

Luz stared at him in suspicion, and then turned to B.J.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s with the fishbowl head over there?”

B.J. shrugged.

“Mysterio is a master of the mystic arts! There is a reason for my disguise!” Mysterio declared in a dramatic tone. “If my enemies, the terrifying Elementals of the Underworld, were to discover my real identity, they would stop at nothing to destroy me! They’d burn down this world just to get to me!”

Spider-Girl stared at him with a suspicious expression.

“Anyway, let us begin filming!” B.J. declared as he ran in between the two and raised his arms victoriously. “Show business, here we come!”

“Unload the equipment and get the cameras ready!” B.J. declared as they walked into the set. Luz looked up from the script in her hands and whistled in surprise. She couldn’t deny that the fake Times Square was nigh-identical to the real thing. “Thirty minutes until we begin shooting.”

“Did you write this script yourself?” Spidey asked as she approached Mysterio.

“Obviously! The great Mysterio is the master of many arts, including writing!”

“Seems to me like the great Mysterio is the master of referring to himself in the third person.” Spider-Girl commented as she read the page. “It says here I have to fight drones?”

“Precisely!” Mysterio declared and snapped his fingers, to which several small drones seemed to appear out of thin air in flashes of green light. The drones unfolded to reveal automatic gun barrels, making Luz get in a defensive position on instinct. “Be not afraid! Those bullets are but blanks!”

Luz looked around the drones in suspicion.

“Let us begin rehearsing while they are setting up the cameras!” Mysterio declared. “Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt!”

Spidey nodded and put down the script, getting into position as one of the drones flew behind her and prepared the firearms.

“In this scene the drone will fire at you, and you’ll avoid the bullets by somersaulting over it! I, the great Mysterio, will then appear to your rescue!” Mysterio declared. Luz rolled her eyes at his overconfident tone of voice. “Action!”

Luz prepared herself for the jump, and her eyes widened as she felt the last thing she was expecting: the tingle of her spider sense. The bullets flew out of the drone and Spider-Girl leaped over them on instinct. She looked down in shock as she realized the bullets were flying straight at B.J., who heard a ‘thwip’ sound and was pulled out of the way of the gunfire by a web. The bullets struck the director chair where B.J. had been sitting, filling it with holes.

“What just happened?” B.J. asked, his ears ringing from the gunshots as the cameramen and other workers ran out of the set in a panic.

“Those weren’t blanks! Those were live rounds!” Spider-Girl declared.

“You’re cleverer than you look, but it is too late!” Mysterio declared as he flew over the two, the drones flying around them. “You are surrounded!”

The drones opened fire, the machine gun rounds flying towards the two from all directions. Luz grabbed B.J. and jumped upwards. Her leap covered the height of two stories, just barely avoiding the bullets as she stuck to the ceiling. The drones turned up and opened fire, which Spidey was just barely able to outrun as the bullets made holes in the metal roof. Spider-Girl jumped off a window and landed on the sidewalk outside, putting B.J. down.

“Run!” Spider-Girl ordered, which the washed-up director obeyed. Luz turned back to the studio and kicked down the door. The place was empty, save for a quick glance of Mysterio as he left through the door on the other side of the room, which lead to another set. Luz swiftly swung to the door with her webs. “Are you taking off that fishbowl yourself, or do I have to break it?”

Spider-Girl arrived at a set that appeared to be a perfect replica of the surface of the moon, and saw Mysterio hovering over the ground right in the middle.

“Break me? You gullible creature! How will you break me… when I am not here?” Mysterio asked as he transformed into smoke and seemed to disappear into midair. Spider-Girl looked around, realizing the exit door and the cameras had all vanished. If Luz didn’t know any better, she would think she was actually on the surface of the moon. “Cosmos always had to die, but not you! You just needed to be a nice fall girl and take the blame for the murder!”

Spider sense tingled as arms suddenly broke out of the ground. They were skeletons that seemed straight out of a Sam Raimi movie. Spider-Girl was quick to leap over them and try to tie them up with her webs, only for her web fluid to evaporate into smoke as she fired it. Spidey was quick to recover from the surprise and run to the skeletons, easily breaking them apart with her fists.

“You are but a child!” Mysterio’s voice declared, seeming to come from everywhere at once. “Look at yourself!”

The skies above Luz suddenly shattered as if they were made of glass, and the massive shards fell around her, trapping her inside a mirror prison as everything around it went pitch black.

She glanced at her reflection, when a massive metal tentacle suddenly broke through the mirror and tried to choke her. Spider-Girl groaned in pain as she broke the metal apart, and jumped away into the surrounding darkness just in time to avoid bolts of yellow lightning from the sky. She felt the ground beneath her melting into Abomination Goo. Luz began to sink, but leaped away just in time to get caught by a giant bat that swoop her into the skies. Spider-Girl decided to end the sinister sequence of events and struck the bat’s legs. The creature let her go, and she fell onto a massive spider web that tied her up.

“I control the truth! Mysterio is the truth!” The booming voice declared as a gigantic spider made its way towards Luz. The spider evaporated, and its glowing eyes suddenly morphed into several clones of Mysterio, which all fired bolts of lightning off their hands towards Luz. Spider-Girl managed to free herself from the web at the last moment, just barely avoiding the lightning. The bolts struck each other, creating a large blast of green light.

Luz looked around, finding herself standing on the snow, in the middle of a massive frozen wasteland that resembled New York.

“You have made your choice!” Mysterio declared, and Luz turned around to see a massive statue of him. The stone statue suddenly came to life and grabbed Spider-Girl in its hands, holding her close to its stone round mask. The stone mask suddenly morphed into a clear crystal ball with a green flash, and Luz could see a flaming skull inside, with flaming green eyes and green fire. The skull’s jaw moved as Mysterio spoke. “Now you will die here!”

The skull opened its mouth, and Luz managed to force the stone hand open just enough for her to leap away, just barely avoiding the flaming breath of the skull. The skull roared and punched Luz in midair, sending her flying right through and invisible wall. Spidey flew out of the movie studio, landing right in the middle of the street outside.

“What is going on here?” Luz heard a familiar voice, and turned to see who else happened to be passing by that street at that exact moment but Jake Long. He stared at Spider-Girl as his expression changed into one of worry. “No! No! I can’t get involved! I have to get out of here!”

Spider-Girl’s spider sense flared, and she looked up to see the drones following her out of the studio through the hole she had made on the wall. Luz grabbed Jake and began swinging away. Jakes screamed as Luz avoided the gunshots in midair, and then dove through the window of an abandoned building, hiding inside as the drones searched over the area from above.

“Sorry! I don’t have time to explain everything right now, but you have to–”

“No!” Jake screamed, interrupting Spider-Girl as he took a few steps away from her. He held his head in pain, and then opened his eyes to reveal they were glowing in red.

“What the hell?” Luz asked in shock as Jake’s body began to grow, his clothes ripping as scales began appearing out of his skin. The scales began changing color to red, and his features began morphing into a less humanoid shape, taking the form of a dragon as wings grew on his back. The dragon stared at Spider-Girl and roared in anger, small sparks of flames coming out of his mouth. “You’re the American Dragon… from the Avengers…”

“Colorful girl attacks Dragon!” The American Dragon declared in rage. “DRAGON SMASH!”

“I’ve been traumatized for life after this.” Luz declared with an awkward smile and her eyes widened.

The American Dragon dashed forward at high speeds, Spider-Girl avoiding it at the last second as a single slap from the creature blew up the wall. Several of Mysterio’s drones flew down and opened fire onto the Dragon, the bullets simply bouncing off his skin. Dragon roared in anger and released his fire breath, easily obliterating most of the drones. The drones suddenly turned around and rushed back to the movie studio as fast as they could. The creature turned to stare at Luz, who was sticking to the wall on the other side of the room.

“You have to listen to me! I am not your enemy!” Spider-Girl declared in fear. “We’re both super heroes, aren’t we, Jake?”

“No Jake! Only Dragon!” The creature yelled in anger. Luz’s eyes widened even more as she just barely avoided the punch by jumping from the wall onto the ceiling. The entire city seemed to shake with a localized earthquake caused by the impact of the Dragon’s fist against the wall, as the entire building collapsed upon them.

“My back…” Spidey whispered as she crawled out of the rubble, only for the American Dragon to suddenly break out from underneath whatever was left of the building, roaring in anger. Luz swiftly fired her webs, surrounding Dragon with a massive net of web fluid. “This should keep you still for a while!”

The Dragon roared and broke through the webbing as if it was made of tissue paper.

“Okay, maybe not for that long!” Spider-Girl commented as the dragon picked up a large piece of rubble from the ground, almost as big as an entire ceiling, and threw it at Luz. Spidey somersaulted over it and gasped as the Dragon flew towards her with his wings. He threw a punch, and Luz reacted fast by stepping onto his fist and jumping off it, back flipping and landing behind him. “Alright! No more Mrs. Nice Spider!”

Dragon turned around and Spider-Girl punched him right on the face. The creature stared at her in confusion for a moment, as Luz pulled back her fist in pain.

“Ouch! That was like a normal person punching a concrete wall!” Luz yelled as she jumped back, getting as far away from the Dragon as she could. The American Dragon roared and flew towards Spider-Girl. “Fine! If I can’t outfight him, there is only one thing I can do!”

The American Dragon struck Spider-Girl with a punch straight to the face. Luz fell to the ground and stopped moving. The Dragon stared at the defeated opponent before him. The creature had a worried expression as he checked to see if she was still breathing, and smiled as he realized she was.

“DRAGON IS THE STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!” The American Dragon screamed to the skies, and then opened his wings and flew away, leaving the scene and quickly escaping New York city altogether.

“Ouch!” Luz groaned as she held her face in pain and jumped back to her feet. “I rolled with the punch to reduce the impact! He barely touched me, but it’s still the hardest hit I’ve ever felt! This guy is stronger than the Thing!”

Luz shook her head in slight confusion and leaped, swinging back as fast as she could towards the movie studio. Spider-Girl broke through the ceiling and landed right in the middle of a set that resembled the middle of a road of yellow bricks, surrounded by a field of grass, and leading towards a city of emeralds.

“Child, what you just did was madness!” Mysterio declared as he appeared with a flash of green light.

“Your lies are over, fishbowl head!” Spider-Girl declared.

“Lies? You fool! You dare doubt the great and powerful Mysterio?” He declared as a massive circle of green flames formed around Spider-Girl. “This world is mine to command! To control!”

Luz looked around, to see herself surrounded by a large lion, a living scarecrow with a shotgun, and a large robot holding an axe. Mysterio’s laughter echoed across the air, as Spider-Girl used her webbing to create a blindfold and used it to cover her eyes and ears.

“May the spider sense be with me…” Luz whispered to herself as she took in a deep breath. The three enemies attacked her all of once, and she stood still as the three holograms went through her and vanished. She could sense the drones, which were projecting the holograms, moving around her at a quick pace.

The drones opened fire with their automatic firearms, which Spider-Girl avoided with a somersault and changed the mode on her web shooters. She fired spheres of impact webbing, striking the nearby drones and blowing them up. Spider-Girl landed and casually avoided more bullets with a quick head movement.

The ground shook as a massive tyrannosaurus rex approached Spider-Girl and roared. The dinosaur ran towards Luz and tried to bite her, only for her to avoid it at the final moment. Luz kicked the T-rex on the face, making the head of the animatronic fly off as the machine fell to the ground motionless.

“Y’know, I’m sure this is all very entertaining to someone who can actually see.” Spider-Girl commented. Several Stormtroopers came running from around her and fired their lasers, which she avoided by leaping and firing a web at the ceiling. Luz swung around as she fired her impact webbing and struck the Stormtroopers, which were actually just drones disguised by a hologram, the lasers actually being bullets. “Entertaining, but effective? Not so much.”

Spider-Girl broke through a window and landed on a set that resembled an old west bar, with western music playing. There were several cowboys sitting around the bar, who all got up and looked at Spider-Girl. They all transformed into clones of Mysterio with flashes of green light, and ran towards Luz.

Spidey avoided several punches and knocked one of the robots down with a kick. She grabbed a piece of the broken robot and used it to slam another robot, shattering both. Another robot came out from behind the bar counter and struck Luz on the back of the head with a glass bottle, to no effect. Luz stood still for a moment as she tried to compute the fact that someone legitimately thought hitting her with a bottle would do anything, and then destroyed the robot with a quick backhand punch. Spider-Girl casually left the bar through the door.

“Somebody doesn’t want to play!” Spidey whispered, as Mysterio ran off through a pair of curtains.

“Damn it! I’m out of drones!” Mysterio whispered to himself as he messed with a large control panel her had hidden in there, when Luz suddenly dashed through the curtains as pulled the blindfold off.

“You’re also out of time!” Spider-Girl declared. She fired a net of webbing at him, only for Mysterio to wave his hand and the webbing evaporate into smoke. Luz dashed through the smoke and grabbed Mysterio’s hand, pulling his glove out and crushing it, a small liquid falling out of it. “Acid spray to dissolve my webbing? Built in remote control for the robots as well? Clever misdirection. You have no power at all, do you?”

“You fool! I am the great and powerful Myste–”

Spider-Girl punched Mysterio right on the face, shattering the mask and sending him to the ground. She reached and forcefully pulled the mask off, finally seeing his real face.

“Okay! Now you know! It was me all along!” Mysterio declared in anger. “Don’t you love a good twist?”

“You are… wait, who are you?” She asked in confusion.

“What do you mean ‘who are you’? I’m Adrian Graye!” Mysterio declared. Spider-Girl stared at him for a few moments, the name not ringing a bell. “Special effects master? Hello? B.J. Cosmos fired me and I was going to kill him as revenge!”

“Oh yeah! I think I saw a movie you worked on.” Luz commented. “I believe it was from… Martin Scorsese?”

“Christopher Nolan!” Graye yelled in annoyance.

“Whatever.” Spider-Girl shrugged in response, when she heard the sound of police sirens coming from the outside. “Someone must have called the police after all of that. Great, that makes things easier.”

“I will not be taking notes of this time!” Graye yelled in anger as Spider-Girl began to web him up.

Manhattan.

“The legendary special effects master Adrian Graye Vernworth has just been arrested following the attempted murder of the famous director B.J. Cosmos. Reports from witnesses say Spider-Girl was his accomplice.” Hopkins declared on TV, as pictures Luz had taken during the battle appeared behind him. “How many lives must be threatened before this wall crawling menace is brought to justice? Only time will tell… but until then, let’s talk about our new sponsors.”

B.J. Cosmos turned off the TV and relaxed on the armchair of his building. He heard the sound of knocking, and realized it was coming from the window. The director got up and opened it, seeing a familiar crimefighter glued to his wall.

“You should be more careful with the people you hire, specially if they have a fishbowl on their heads.” Spider-Girl declared. “Now, about those four hundred thousand dollars–”

“Sorry, kid, we won’t need you anymore. The project is cancelled.” B.J. declared. “Who will want to watch a Spider-Girl movie after that fiasco?”

“Huh? But what about our deal?”

“Didn’t you read the fine print? No money until the movie is complete.” B.J. shrugged. “Since we won’t ever complete this movie, we won’t have to pay you.”

“You’re not related to Jacob Hopkins by any chance, are you?” Spider-Girl asked in sarcasm, as she stood up straight sideways on the wall and crossed her arms.

“Now get out of here before I call the poli–”

Luz fired a web at B.J.’s mouth, gluing it shut. The director struggled to pull the webbing out, as Spider-Girl leaped from the building and began swinging away. Luz swung for a few more minutes, and then landed on an alley, coming out in her civilian clothes as she walked down the sidewalk.

“I got some money from the Mysterio pictures I gave Hopkins.” Luz whispered to herself. “I could get a fortune for these…”

Luz reached for her pocket and pulled out the pictures she had omitted. They were taken by the automatic camera on her belt, and showed Jake Long transforming into the American Dragon. Luz thought about Jake Long’s grandfather, Lao Shi, and remembered the Huntsmaster, who had been trying to turn the boy into a wanted criminal since the Gamma Bomb accident. Luz sighed and ripped up the pictures, throwing the scraps into a public garbage dumpster.

“Sometimes someone who exiles themselves doesn’t have something to hide, but something to protect.” She whispered as she continued to make her way down the sidewalk.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Eberwolf’s First Hunt.

The Spider’s Web.

Spider-Girl swung through the city at high speeds, feeling the wind blowing around her body, and then leaped up from her web, back flipping and landing on the top of the Empire State building, a large American flag flowing on the pole behind her.

“Alright!” Luz declared as she took off her mask, a smile on her face. As hard as things had been lately, she was really happy that nobody was in the hospital anymore. “How I missed this spot!”

celtarican: You motherf- that title had me going

Nice bait and switch though, impressive as hell

Wait a damn second… blood tranfusion… with Camila… Camila’s recovering… SPIDERMOM SPIDERMOM SPIDERMOM SPIDERMOM

“Jacob’s right you know” Masha he pays you like $3 an hour do not defend his ass

“More like $2.59 an hour.” Luz commented in sarcasm, before laughing for a few moments. “Sorry about the title. I just had to. Ain’t I a stinker?”

GodzillaMaster: Is Camila going to have spider powers too? That sounds so cool. And rather worrying, too

The bait and switch had me there

And dammit, Masha, I know you're hurting, and I sympathize with you, but it's not Luz's fault...

Superheroes are still human, they can still make mistakes

“I actually got a lot of you with the title, huh? I guess Mysterio is not the only master of misdirection here!” Luz commented with a smile.

Luz put her mask back on and leaped off the building, waving at you, the readers, as she swung into the sunset.

Thank you all for reading! See you next time, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung away. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Eberwolf’s First Hunt.

Ryker's Island.

The guard walked through one of the long and dark hallways of the prison. The place had been fuller than ever since Spider-Girl showed up the months prior, but the guard was only there to see one specific inmate. He approached the cell, and realized that everything behind the bars was pitch black.

“Why is it so dark in here?” The guard asked as he knocked on the bars. “Hey, Smerdyakov! We didn’t see you at breakfast today!”

The guard waited for a minute, getting no response. He had an expression of annoyance as he reached for his earpiece.

“Why are the lights on Smerdyakov’s cell turned off?” He asked. “Yes, they are! Turn them back on!”

The guard heard the sound of typing, and the lights of the cell went back on. The guards eyes widened in surprise, as inside the cell was another guard, gagged and tied to a chair.

“Alert! Smerdyakov is off her cell! I repeat! Smerdyakov is off her cell! We have a breakout in process!” The guard screamed to his earpiece, as an alarm began ringing across the entire prison.

Bronx.

A man in a security guard uniform walked down the street with a calm expression on his face. The same guard who at that exact moment had been tied up inside the cell. He looked at the bystanders near him, taking a quick glance at a little girl walking on the sidewalk while holding hands with her mother. The guard hid inside a small crowd for a moment, and swiftly morphed into the shape of that same little girl. She continued to walk down the street with a smile on her face.

“Another victory for the Inspector.” She whispered to herself as she left the area.

Unknown location.

“Your skills are quite impressive, Mrs. Smerdyakov.” Declared the heavily disguised voice from the computer monitor, as the Inspector sat on a large armchair in the middle of the room, her body back into her Greater Basilisk form.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it if you hadn’t hacked into the cameras and the lights. It was also nice of your part to send that guard into my cell.” The Inspector commented with a smile. “What was your name again?”

“They call me the Master Planner.”

“Right, right. I assume you didn’t help me escape out of the kindness of your heart.” The Inspector commented. “What is the catch?”

“We share a common interest, Smerdyakov.” The Master Planner explained. “I believe we have both had our encounters with Spider-Girl.”

The Inspector growled in anger for a moment.

“You want me to kill that insect?” The Inspector asked.

“Arachnid.” The Master Planner corrected. “What makes you think I’d ask you to kill her? You lost to her when she was a beginner. She now has months of experience. No, you cannot kill her, but you know someone who can, and I need you to call him for me.”

The Inspector’s expression changed into one of annoyance.

“If I knew he was involved, I’d have stayed back in the cell.” She whispered.

Manhattan.

“Here we are, the greatest hunting convention this side of the globe.” Ned commented as he walked through the large halls of the building, Luz following him close behind and taking quick pictures of the surrounding area. The place was quite massive, showcasing large cages featuring animals such as phytons, bears, or gorillas. “The convention happens once a year. It normally isn’t relevant enough for us to run a story on it, but this year it’s different.”

“Quite a lot of people here, huh?” Luz commented as she looked around the massive crowd. “I didn’t expect hunting to have such a large audience.”

“It normally doesn’t, they’re here for the same reason we are.” Ned explained, when the lights of the room dimmed, and a spotlight appeared on the stage at the end of the room. “Speaking of which! Eberwolf the Huntsman!”

Luz looked up at the stage. The man was quite short, to the point of dwarfism, with flurry orange hair tied into a ponytail and magenta eyes. He worn a jacket that resembled the face of a lion, and his belt had what appeared to be fangs glued to it. His pants appeared to be made of leopard skin.

“Eberwolf is a living legend! He is the greatest hunter of all time!” Ned explained. “He is known as the most dangerous stalker on Earth! This is the first time he has ever come to New York!”

“You all know who I am, so let’s not waste any more of my time.” Eberwolf declared in a disinterested and stoic tone of voice. “Ask away.”

Several reporters at the crowd raised their hands. Eberwolf looked over them and pointed at one at random. The others all put their hands down and Ned took a step forward.

“Mr. Eberwolf, you are invited to come to this convention every year, but you always refuse.” Ned commented. “What made it different this time?”

“This convention always offers me a lot of money to show up, but I’m not after fame or fortune. I’m a hunter.” Eberwolf explained. “I came here to hunt the most dangerous game of them all. I am going to hunt down–”

They heard a loud breaking sound followed by screams, and turned to see one of the metal cages had broken open, and a massive gorilla had escaped. The ape yelled in anger as the guests all began running.

“Luz, we have to get out of here!” Ned declared as he turned, his partner nowhere to be seen. “Luz?”

Eberwolf suddenly dashed off the stage and ran towards the gorilla like a bullet train. The gorilla yelled and tried to grapple Eberwolf, who avoided it and returned the favor by grappling the animal instead, throwing it to the ground and pulling out one of the fangs from his belt. He pierced the gorilla with the fang, careful not to hit a vital, as the fang released a powerful tranquilizer. The gorilla fell to the ground and closed its eyes, Eberwolf casually walking back to the stage without looking back at the defeated animal.

“Holy smokes!” Spider-Girl whispered as she watched the scene from the ceiling. “By the time I changed costumes, Eberwolf has already defeated him! This guy is like a one-man army!”

“I apologize for the interruption.” Eberwolf declared.

Ned looked around for a few moments, until he saw Luz running towards him.

“Where have you been?” Ned asked in a suspicious tone of voice.

“I was trying to get some good pictures of the scene.” Luz lied, coming up with that excuse on the fly.

“Did you get the pics?” Ned asked.

“Um…”

“As I was saying, I am here to hunt down something who is more beast than human! This will be my final and greatest conquest!” Eberwolf declared in a serious tone of voice. “The greatest game of this world! I shall hunt down Spider-Girl!”

Luz’s eyes widened as she gasped in shock.

“Oh, brother!” Luz whispered.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Eberwolf the Huntsman swears to heroically strike down masked menace Spider-Girl.” Luz read the newspaper. “What kind of headline is that?”

“This is going too far, Hopkins!” Robbie complained as he looked at their boss. “You’re not just insulting Spider-Girl anymore! At this point you’re rooting for her defeat!”

“I wasn’t the one who wrote this one, actually.” Hopkins commented as he took a sip of coffee.

“It was me!” They heard and turned to see Masha walking into the room with a smile. “Good morning, gang!”

“You seem happy today.” Luz commented with a smile.

“Heck yeah, I am! Spider-Girl’s days are numbered!” Masha declared in a joyful tone. Luz’s smile almost dropped, but she quickly disguised it with a fake smile. “I can hardly believe that once Eberwolf hunts down Spider-Girl, this will finally all be over!”

“Excellent work today, Brant. Keep it up.” Hopkins declared as he went back to his office, to which Masha smiled and Luz nodded awkwardly. Robbie simply stared at the scene with a surprised expression on his face.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go… get some fresh air.” Luz commented, trying to hide her nervousness as she made her way to the elevator.

Noceda Residence.

Luz sat on the sofa with an annoyed expression on her face. She used to read her old Captain America comics, and she always dreamed about how great it would be if she became a super hero. It was great, alright, a great fiasco. She was being hunted down by a crazy stalker, and her crush was smiling at her disgrace. Luz heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to see her mother entering the house, still wearing her veterinarian outfit.

“Mom! You’re back already?” Luz asked in surprise as she got up. She had completely lost track of time.

“Hi, Mija.” Camila greeted with a smile, only for her expression to change. “What is bothering you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Luz, I can tell when my daughter is going through something.” Camila declared, her tone being stern but understanding all at once. “What is it?”

“It’s… that person I told you about…” Luz whispered as she passed her hand through her own hair. “It didn’t work out…”

Camila nodded with a somewhat worried expression.

“Heartbreaks are a part of life, unfortunately. Your dad wasn’t my first crush, and I wasn’t his first either.” Camila explained as she put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “It might feel like the end now, but life goes on. There will be other chances.”

Luz nodded, her expression making it clear she was still doubtful. Camila thought for a moment, when her face lit up.

“I know, I’ll find you a date!”

“What?” Luz asked in surprise.

“Back when I was in the hospital, there was a girl who was doing community service there. She was so nice to me.” Camila explained. “She seemed to be about your age, and she is so kind. Her name is Amity, I bet you’ll love meeting her.”

“Uh… Sorry, mom, but I really don’t feel like going on a blind date right now! I think I should focus on schoolwork! That will cheer me up!” Luz declared in an awkward tone of voice, as she was quick to make her way upstairs and into her room. She closed the door and began whispering to herself. “A blind date with a girl my mom recommended? She’s probably the corniest girl I’ll ever meet. ‘She’s so nice and kind’, which is code for her being so ugly that she gives Freddy Krueger nightmares. No thanks!”

Unknown location.

“Sergei Kravinoff, the legendary Eberwolf the Huntsman.” The disguised voice from the Master Planner declared from the screen, as the hunter entered the room. “I’ve read a lot about your achievements.”

“Did the slime over here tell you about all the times I put her in a cage?” Eberwolf asked in an uninterested tone, to which the Inspector growled in anger.

“Your physical capabilities far surpass the human limit.” The Planner commented.

“I had to spend a few days in an indigenous tribe during my hunting times in Africa. They were very kind. There I met a witch doctor who could create a mystical potion.” Eberwolf explained. “One cup was all it took. I am stronger than a raging elephant, faster than a sprinting cheetah, and my endurance surpasses that of a camel.”

“Impressive.” The Planner commented. “Did you befriend the witch doctor so he would give you the potion.”

“That would have taken too long, so I just stabbed him to death and stole it.” Eberwolf declared, unflinching. “The rest of the tribe tried to stop me from leaving, so I massacred them as well.”

“Very interesting indee–”

“Listen here, you old stick! I hope you understand that I do not respond to you!” Eberwolf declared in a tone of restrained anger. “I am only here for the hunt!”

“Very well.” The Planner declared. “If hunting is what you want, hunting is what you will do. I have a master plan.”

Manhattan.

“Ugh! Mom is going to kill me if I get home past midnight again!” Spider-Girl whispered as she swung through the night, the full moon above her. “Great hero I am! I bet the Avengers never have to worry about their curfew!”

Spider-Girl landed on top of a building and halted in place as she felt her spider sense tingle. She heard the sound of punches being thrown and turned to a small alley, where several men were beating up what appeared to be a small child wearing a cloak. The criminals heard ‘thwip’ sounds as they were suddenly pulled away from their victim and tied up by webs.

“Hey, kid! Are you okay?” Luz asked as she landed on the alley and made her way towards the child. Her spider sense suddenly flared, and before she knew it a booby-trap had triggered and she was hanging upside down with a rope around her leg. “You have to be kidding me!”

“I must admit, the old stick did come up with a great plan to attract you.” The victim declared as he got back up and threw away the cloak, revealing himself to be Eberwolf. The dwarf reached for his hair and pulled out a long hunting spear. “I was expecting more of a challenge.”

Eberwolf ran and trusted the spear, only for Luz to swiftly fire a web to the top of one of the buildings, pulling herself upward at the last second and avoiding the attack. Eberwolf aimed and threw the spear, only for Spidey to position herself perfectly in midair, the spear cutting the rope around her ankle without touching her skin.

“Such a speed and skill!” Eberwolf declared in surprise as Luz landed at the top of the building.

“Mate, I’m kind of in a hurry right now! Can’t we postpone this?”

Eberwolf was already on the move before Luz was even done talking, swiftly climbing the building by doing parkour on the windows. Spider sense flared as Eberwolf tried to grapple Luz, the super hero somersaulting away at the last moment.

“He’s fast! A normal person would see this guy as a blur!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself. She fired her web to tie up the hunter, only for Eberwolf to pull out a hunting knife and cut the web in midair before it could go taut. Luz’s eyes widened as Eberwolf dashed towards her like a raging lion. She tried to leap over his head, only for Eberwolf to grab her by the ankle and slam her back to the ground with the strength of a raging bull, cracks forming on the concrete.

 “The same trick won’t work twice against me!” Eberwolf declared with a smile. Luz got back up and leaped away, the two standing at the opposite ends of the rooftop. Spider-Girl felt a painful tingle spreading all over her left arm, when the limp suddenly became limb and unmoving.  Luz looked over her arm, noticing a small scratch. Eberwolf’s knife had grazed her during the last attack. “Stonefish venom! One of the most deadly poisons in the seven seas! Your blood must be quite resistant to toxins to not be having a seizure right now!”

“Okay, buster! No more Mrs. Good Girl!” Spider-Girl declared in anger as she held her paralyzed arm. Eberwolf dashed and trusted with the knife, which Luz avoided by stepping onto the side of the building with her wall crawling powers and kicking the knife out of the hunter’s hands. The blade flew and stuck itself to the wall of another building.

“Fists!” Eberwolf declared as he cracked his knuckles.

“I’ll show you where you can shove those fists!” Spider-Girl declared as she got back to the rooftop. Eberwolf dashed and grappled her, only for Luz to counter it by gluing her feet to the floor and throwing him to the other side of the building. Eberwolf spun in midair and landed on his feet, a smile on his face. Eberwolf dashed towards Spidey and threw a flurry of blows, Luz just barely being able to block them with her one arm. “I can’t effort to hold back against this guy! I’ll have to use the same punch I used on the American Dragon!”

Luz threw a mighty punch to Eberwolf’s chest, making the hunter spit blood as he flew out of the building like a ragdoll. Eberwolf recovered in midair and pulled out a large machete, sticking it on the side of the building to stop his fall. Eberwolf climbed onto the machete and cleaned the blood from his chin.

“My heart is pounding… my muscles are burning… I never thought it would happen…” Eberwolf whispered as a wide smile formed on his face, almost looking like the fangs of a wild beast, and he looked up to see Luz trying to swing away from the area. “A worthy opponent! I’ve found it!”

Spider-Girl heard the sound of a ringtone as she swung and groaned in annoyance. She stopped at the top of a building for just a moment to pull out her phone, picking up the call and making the phone stick to her ear before going back to swinging.

“Hi, mama!”

“Luz, do you know what time it is?” Camila asked from the phone.

“Sorry! I’m on a taxi and we got caught in a traffic jam!” Luz explained, when her spider sense flared and she swiftly avoided an incoming spear. “Talk about a jam!”

“Just try to come home a little earlier today, okay?” Camila asked, as Spider-Girl just barely avoided several incoming throwing knives. “It is dangerous outside, and I get very worried.”

“Oh, you have no idea!” Spider-Girl whispered as she felt her sense flaring, and just out of the building just in time to avoid another grapple from Eberwolf. “I’m on my way, okay? I love you! Bye!”

Camila hung up as Luz ran through the rooftops as fast as she could. Eberwolf landed at the top of a large building and looked around, realizing his prey was nowhere to be seen.

“The poison should have made her too weak to even move a finger! How can she move so fast?” Eberwolf asked in amazement, as a smile formed on his face. “The ultimate hunt continues!”

Unknown location.

“She’s far stronger, far faster than anything I have ever faced before!” Eberwolf declared with a wide smile on his face.

“You don’t seem very bothered by having let your prey escape, Eberwolf.” The Master Planner declared in a serious tone.

“Spider-Girl is exactly what I have been searching for! The ultimate prey that will push me to my limits!” Eberwolf declared as he laughed. “What a triumph it will be once I capture her! I shall have the spider’s head over my fireplace!”

Noceda Residence.

“Ugh…” Luz whispered as she opened her eyes and sat up on her bed. She had barely gotten any sleep last night due to the pain in her arm from Eberwolf’s poison. Luz looked up at her hand, closing and opening it slowly. She had regained movement and it wasn’t tingling as much, but in the middle of the night it had begun to shake. Luz sighed and got back up, her hand still trembling uncontrollably. “Great! I’ll have to hide this all day!”

Luz carefully placed the toothpaste on the brush and brought it to her mouth, aiming for her teeth, only for her hand to shake and spread toothpaste all over the lower part of her face.

“Come on!”

Midtown High School.

“Alright… just a single drop…” Luz whispered to herself as she carefully handled the chemicals in her chemistry class. She gently placed a single drop of the green chemical onto the mixture she had been preparing, only for her hand to suddenly shake and drop the entire bottle. “Oh, come on!”

The students and teacher all ran away screaming as Luz’s chemicals exploded the entire room.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

Luz brought the cup of coffee to her mouth at a slow pace. She carefully took a sip, when her hand suddenly began shaking and the coffee all fell onto her clothes.

“Come on!”

“Noceda! What the hell?” Hopkins yelled from the other room.

Luz walked out of the elevator. Thank God she could web swing, or else paying for a taxi to take her home just to change into a clean shirt and then come back would probably weight on her wallet. Luz walked into the room and gasped in shock, hiding her hands in her pockets as she saw a familiar face. Eberwolf glanced at Luz for a moment, although to her it felt like an eternity.

“Remember, this has to be perfectly legal.” Hopkins declared, taking Eberwolf’s attention. “I won’t stand anything that violates the law, even if it is to destroy Spider-Girl.”

“Watch your tone when speaking to a huntsman, Hopkins.” Eberwolf declared as he turned and went into the elevator. Hopkins shrugged and went back to his office. Luz glanced at the hunter’s predatory eyes as the doors closed.

“Let me guess, he’s a Leo?” Luz commented as she turned to the others.

“He asked us to publish on the journal the he is challenging Spider-Girl to a duel.” Robbie explained, trying to hide the worry in his voice. “Tonight, at the Central Park.”

“I can’t wait!” Masha declared with a confident smile. “It’s about time the insect gets what she deserves!”

Luz turned to the elevator in worry.

Near Central Park.

“I could just not show up, but then Eberwolf would try to hunt me down again! At least this time he won’t get me by surprise!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung to the top of a large building near the park. Luz searched over the place from above, seeing Eberwolf standing in the middle of an open area near several trees. The hunter was speaking with several reporters, as if he didn’t have a worry in the world. “This seems easy… too easy…”

Luz carefully jumped off the building and landed onto several bushes. She carefully sneaked through the area, until she was hiding on the trees behind Eberwolf. The huntsman continued to simply speak with the reporters without noticing her.

“This place is too calm… I don’t understand…” Spider-Girl whispered. Her eyes widened as her spider sense flared, and a boobytrap was triggered, sending down a chain that tied itself around her neck and hanged her from one of the trees. A dwarf suddenly jumped out from the bushes, a spear in his hands and a smile on his face.

“You fell for it, you fool!” Eberwolf declared as he prepared to stab Spider-Girl. Luz’s eyes widened as she looked up at the chain. Chains are only as strong as their weakest link, and Luz only had a split second to find it, instantly localizing the link that had a small crack in it. Luz reached with her super-fast spider reflexes and pulled the damaged part of the metal, breaking it open and rendering the chain useless as she jumped out of the way of the spear. The entire sequence happened in a third of a second.

Spidey back flipped and landed on her feet, looking up to see Eberwolf had disappeared into the bushes. Luz knew staying still for too long was dangerous, so she swiftly leaped out of the trees and began running while looking around the area for a new hiding spot. The saw a glance of the TV cameras filming her from the left, and heard the sound of African drums coming from her right. Her spider sense was going insane. Luz glanced right to see a shade of orange, only for Eberwolf to jump in from behind her with the speed of a raging panther, sticking an iron manacle to her arm and another to her leg.

Eberwolf pulled out a spear and thrusted, only for Spider-Girl to leap away at the last moment and land at the top of a tree.

“I don’t know how those charm bracelets are supposed to stop me, but you can keep on making a fool of yourself if you want.” Luz commented. Eberwolf’s mouth formed a wicked smile, and Luz’s eyes widened as she felt the two manacles trying to pull her ankle and wrist together. “Those aren’t just bracelets! They’re magnetic! They’re attracting each other!”

Spider-Girl struggled to overpower the magnetic attraction, as her poisoned arm had not yet recovered its full strength, and Eberwolf laughed in confidence.

“There is no hope, Spider-Girl! The magnets get stronger every moment! There are also bells in them that ring when you move!” Eberwolf declared, as he showed a small key he was wearing on the collar around his neck. “If you want to escape, you’ll have to get this!”

Eberwolf threw his spear, which Luz was just barely able to dodge by jumping off the tree. Spider-Girl ran as fast as she could while Eberwolf was busy recovering his weapon, but her arm and legs trying to pull each other was slowing her down. Her spider sense flared as Eberwolf threw a pair of bolas, which struck Luz’s legs and tied them up, sending the teenager rolling across the dirt until she landed near a small lamp post containing a wiring circuit box.

“Rest in peace, Spider-Girl! I shall bury you after I slay you!” Eberwolf declared as he aimed his spear, only for the entire park to suddenly go completely dark, as Luz had just thorn off the master wires of the box. Eberwolf heard the ringing of the bells and threw the spear, which struck only the lamp post, piercing through it and becoming stuck. The hunter smiled. “If this was any regular human, the spearhead would have gone through her skull! She is much faster!”

“I can’t see a thing!” The reporter declared to her microphone as the cameraman looked around in confusion. “We have lost sight of Spider-Girl! I repeat, Spider-Girl’s location is unknown!”

Luz jumped into a bush to avoid several flying knives, grabbing one of them that was stuck to a tree and using it to cut the bolas, before gently putting the knife down. As long as those bells continued to ring, Eberwolf would always know where she was. She held her breath and began slowly pulling her ankle and wrist away from each other.

It hurt so much that Luz felt her bones were about to shatter, but she forced herself not to scream. She managed to separate them just enough for her to fire her web fluid onto the manacles. The bells were stuck in place and the magnetism was weakened by being blocked. Spider-Girl got out of the bush and carefully sneaked around, the bells no longer making any sound.

Eberwolf walked through the darkness and paid complete attention for the sound of the bell, when a ‘thwip’ sound suddenly echoed, and he was pulled by a web up into the trees above, his arms and legs tied up as Spider-Girl sat on a tree branch before him.

“Sup?” Luz commented. Eberwolf opened his mouth, but Spidey quickly fired a web at it, gluing his jaw closed. “Hold on, girl! Can’t let you call for your friend out there, or let you drain my life force, isn’t that right, Inspector?”

Eberwolf groaned and tried to break free from the web, as his body morphed into the shape of a Greater Basilisk. Spider-Girl had figured there were two of Eberwolf. Her spider sense had been feeling weird since she arrived at the park.

“You hang in there! Time for the huntsman to become the hunted!” Luz commented as she leaped out into the darkness, the Inspector still struggling to escape.

Eberwolf walked through the darkness. The trees of the park reminded him of the jungle, which to him felt more like a home than any city. The hunter couldn’t hear any bells, he figured Spider-Girl must have found a way around them. He found that quite exciting. Eberwolf heard the sound of groan from above, and looked up just as a bright red light lit up the tied up Inspector.

“Two against one? That’s not fair!” Spider-Girl declared, pointing her spider signal at Eberwolf. “You’re clearly at a disadvantage!”

“Damn you!” Eberwolf declared as he jumped into the bushes. He didn’t expect the Inspector to get caught. He needed a new hunting strategy. Eberwolf seemed to disappear from sight as Spider-Girl turned off the signal. “There is no jungle trick I haven’t mastered! Not even the greatest trackers in Africa can find me when I hide in the forest!”

Eberwolf carefully climbed a tree and began searching the area for Spider-Girl with his trained eyes, only for that same bright red light to suddenly appear from the darkness and light up his body.

“Hey, how are you?” Luz waved from a nearby tree. Eberwolf’s expression changed into one of shock as he leaped off the tree and once again hid through the bushes. Eberwolf vanished into the shadows as Spider-Girl turned off the signal.

“She must have found me by luck! She won’t be able to track me this time!” Eberwolf whispered as he crawled through the bushes. The red spotlight suddenly came from above and revealed Eberwolf.

“Are we gonna keep playing Where’s Waldo, or are we going to fight?” Spider-Girl asked from the top of a tree. Eberwolf’s expression changed into one of rage as he leaped out of the bushes and leaped over several rocks, dashing through the open area.

“No more hiding! No more traps! Face me hand to hand!” Eberwolf declared as Spider-Girl dashed to her.

“Hate to be a party pooper, but I’m calling the signals here, Ebby!” Spider-Girl declared as the hunter dashed to her. Her spider sense flared as Eberwolf aimed for her pressure points and nerves. Luz carefully avoided the dwarf’s strikes and sidestepped him, throwing him to the side with her super strength. Eberwolf landed on his feet and pulled out his machete, only for a web to fly in and pull it out of his hands, throwing it away and making it stick to a rock.

“Damn you!” Eberwolf declared as he reached for his belt and threw a small ball to the ground, which exploded into a large cloud of smoke. Eberwolf turned around and dashed as fast as he could. “She turned every trick against me! I have to retreat and hunt her again another day!”

“You said there wouldn’t be more traps…” Spider-Girl’s voice came from above. Eberwolf looked up and stepped on a boobytrap, which shots several webs from the nearby rocks, tying Eberwolf up from every direction. Luz jumped in from above and landed right in front of the hunter. “But I felt we needed this last one.”

Luz poked Eberwolf on the nose, to which the hunter tried to bite her finger, and she pulled it back at the last second. Spidey giggled as she took the key from Eberwolf’s neck and released the manacles from her limbs.

“Much better!” Spider-Girl declared as she pulled out a small note and glued it to Eberwolf’s chest with a web. “So long, sucker!”

“I will be back! Do you hear me? I will hunt you down, even if it is the last thing I ever do!” Eberwolf yelled in anger as Spider-Girl escaped the area with her webs. Eberwolf looked down at the note on his chest, just barely being able to read it.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“The Inspector was there?” Hopkins asked as he looked over the pictures Luz had taken of the two villains being arrested.

“The news crew left during the blackout, so those are exclusive.” Luz explained.

Hopkins signed a check and handed it to Luz. The girl nodded and turned to the door, just in time to see Masha walking in. The two stared at each other for an awkward moment, until Luz nodded and left Hopkins’ office.

“I heard what happened.” Masha explained, a tone of disappointment in their voice. “I was sure Eberwolf would have beaten Spider-Girl, but the Inspector ruined everything…”

Hopkins stared at them for a moment, and then sighed and got up from his desk.

“Brant, I have been a journalist for a long time, and one thing I learned is that sometimes you’ll have to report on a story that you didn’t want to hear.” Hopkins explained as he approached the teenager. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to do stories on natural disasters, political violence and human suffering. Those things can really get to you, and it is very easy to get caught up in the middle of it all and forget one thing.”

Masha looked up at Hopkins expectantly.

“You are a person too. Take care of yourself, okay? You deserve it too.” Hopkins explained. Masha thought over his words for a few moments, and then nodded. “Now go back to work.”

Luz, who had been listening from behind the door, nodded to nobody in particular and made her way to the elevator.

Noceda Residence.

“Hey, mom.” Luz greeted as she entered the house.

“Luz, I’ve been waiting for you.” Camila commented. “I have some bad news.”

“I’m beginning to think there is no other kind of news.”

“I called the girl I told you about, Amity, and asked her to go on a date with you.” Camila explained. Luz froze in place with wide eyes and an expression of shock on her face. “But unfortunately, she’s got a cold and can’t come.”

Luz sighed in relief as her expression went back to normal.

“I mean… Oh no! What a shock! Whatever will I do?” Luz commented in an exaggerated voice as she made her way up the stairs.

Ryker's Island.

Eberwolf sat in the prison cell, an expression of anger on his face as he thought over the battle from the night before. He heard the sound of the cell opening, as several prison guards walked in.

“Pack your things, you’re being let out.” One of the guards declared, to which Eberwolf raised an eyebrow.

Eberwolf got into the large limousine and closed the door. The vehicle began moving, the driver separated from him by what appeared to be a soundproof and bulletproof one-way mirror. A small television screen slowly came down from the ceiling.

“Good evening, Mr. Kravinoff.” The Master Planner declared.

“It got much better now that I’ve been let out.” Eberwolf answered. “Turns out all of the evidence that I was working with the Inspector just disappeared.”

“Bribing those officers was costly, but it was worthy.” The Master Planner declared. “I was quite impressed with your battle against Spider-Girl.”

“I figured you were watching.” Eberwolf commented in a bored tone of voice. “Just wait until you see the next one. I’ll go practice my hunting skills and come up with new strategies. Once I’m back in shape, I’ll come back more powerful than ever!”

“I’m happy you are still willing to hunt her down, Mr. Kravinoff.” The Master Planner declared. “As you can imagine, I did not get you released out of the kindness of my heart.”

“What is the next master plan you’ve been cooking?” The huntsman asked.

“Something…” The Master Planner whispered. “Sinister!”

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Man Without Fear.

The Spider's Web.

“What’s up, guys?” Luz asked as she landed on the top of the Empire State building and took off her mask, an American flag on the pole behind her. “We’ve just reached one thousand hits! Thank you so much! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

Celtarican: Another day another attempt to leave more Kudos, great chapter!

Ok, I knew this had to be some kind of reference when I saw the name Jake Long

Jacob "Bitch" Hopkins can refuse to give up Luz sure, he doesn't want a hand in killing her, he doesn't care about if she doesn't get paid and goes homeless I guess, maybe Luz should work at a Wendy's or something lol

Ok the Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan bit was funny

“Y’know, Cel, I wasn’t even trying to mess around with Mysterio, I actually didn’t know who he was.” Spider-Girl commented as she looked over the city. “I do know who he is now… a washed up who is too full of himself!”

GodzillaMaster: Ooh, wasn't expecting for American Dragon to make an appearance here. Loved that

Luz just can't catch a break, can she? Hopefully her luck can turn around

“I hope Jake Long is doing okay, wherever the hell he is.” Luz commented as she looked up into the skies above. “If I already have trouble with people hunting me, imagine what that guy goes through?”

Criebag: Coḿment #47W75Hm AI détect́ion algorithm has detectéd this ẃork as AI generated by Śudowrite.́ ́Readers, scan wórks before you read them with an ÁI detector like gowinstoń.

“What?” Luz asked with slight confusion. “Is this another Mysterio trick?”

Shadowsnake89: Well, that's an spectacular finish for Mysterio. Would have been nice to earn near half a million dollars though. This hero gig really doesn't pay the bills. That said at least Camila is home and you're both okay. Someday folks with appreciate the Spider-Girl. Just stay strong and spider on my friend.

“That money would have helped so much, Shadow, you have no idea…” Luz commented as she thought over the battle in the movie lot. “But, hey, I saved lives at the end, and I guess that’s all that truly matters. At least, that’s how I think my dad would view it.”

Luz sighed and put her mask back on, before jumping off the building and beginning to swing into the sunset.

“See y’all next chapter! Marvel on, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved goodbye. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Man Without Fear.

It was another beautiful day in Queens, and the young Luz Noceda was washing the dishes.  She glanced at her hand and smiled. The poison from her battle against Eberwolf took so long to lose its effect that she was legitimately happy to see her hand not shaking. Luz heard the door opening, and turned to see her mom walking in, already in her veterinarian uniform.

“I’m going to work.” Camila explained, to which Luz nodded. “Oh, by the way, I tried to call that girl Amity I told you about, but her family had to leave town on a business trip, so you might have to wait a few more weeks for that date.”

Luz held back a sigh of annoyance and put on a smile as she turned to her mother.

“Don’t worry, mama. I don’t even want any blind dates right now.” Luz commented. She put down a plate and went to her mom, giving Camila a kiss on the cheek. “Good luck out there. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Camila commented as she kissed Luz on the top of the head and made her way to the door. Luz waved as her mother left the house.

“Alright.” Luz whispered to herself as she washed the final plate and put it to dry. “Now I can go get some fresh air.”

Manhattan, Hell’s Kitchen.

“Mom means well, but I doubt I’ll be interested in this Amity girl. I’m also too busy being a super hero regardless.” Spider-Girl commented to herself as she swung around the city. She landed at the top of a building and her spider sense tingled. She turned to see a large blast of red light in the horizon. “Speak of the devil!”

“Bow before us, pathetic mortals! This world has been ruled by you for too long!” Declared one of the three floating women as they laughed maniacally, the bystanders running away in fear as the eyes of the three glowed in red. “Now that the American Dragon has left the city, this place is up for the taking! New York will be but the first empire to fall! Soon the entire world will bow to Fury!”

“Euryale!”

“Medusa!”

“The Gorgon Sisters!” The three declared in unison as they laughed maniacally. They opened their eyes and released a massive blast of red light, which engulfed all of the bystanders and turned them to stone.

The three suddenly stopped laughing, as they heard the sound of what appeared to be a cane hitting the ground. They turned to see a teenager, wearing a dark business suit and a hat that covered his entire hair. He had black sunglasses and was holding a white cane.

“What is happening around here?” The kid asked, turning his ear to the sisters. The movement of the air currents around them let him know they were about average height for adult women, and the vibrations their body released when they laughed let him know they each weighted 140 pounds. He could smell the melanin and sense the body heat that told him they had dark skin, and also smell the scales of the living sentient snakes they had instead of their hair. He could taste particles of the fabric of their clothing in the air, which let him know they were wearing ancient Greek dresses.

“How come that guy isn’t a statue right now?” Euryale asked in slight confusion.

“He’s blind!” Fury explained in anger. “The petrifying gaze only works if he sees the red light!”

“That is easy to fix!” Medusa declared as the snakes on the heads of the three sisters began hissing and they prepared to attack. The blind boy, however, was not focusing on the three, but instead on the figure above them. Webs suddenly flew in from above and tied up the snakes, before a figure wearing red and blue spandex landed in front of the kid.

“You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would you?” Spider-Girl asked and pointed at the blind kid. The Gorgons hissed and fired their petrifying gaze at the hero. Luz’s spider sense flared and she instinctively leaped out of the way of the beam of light, avoiding it just at the last moment. She fired three jets of webbing that covered the eyes of the Gorgons, and then dashed forward, knocking the three to the ground and then firing a large net of webbing on top of them.

Their eyes stopped glowing red as the three hit the ground, and all of the petrified bystanders suddenly turned back to normal and ran off.

“Damn it! She’s fast!” Fury declared as the snakes on their heads quickly used their fangs to bite through the webbing. “Gorgon Sisters! Retreat!”

A bolt of magic lightning suddenly flew down from the skies and struck the three, creating a large cloud of smoke as they disappeared in a flash. The blind man felt a small atmospheric change, which let him know they had teleported away.

“Hey, mister! Do you need help getting where you’re going?” Luz asked, as the blind teen turned his ear to her. 5’8 judging by the air currents. 108.5 pounds judging by the vibrations. 15 years old judging by the skeletal structure. Healthy judging by the heartbeat and blood flow. Dark skin judging by the melanin and body heat. Latina judging by the way her mouth moved when she spoke.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. But thanks for the help.” The teen explained. “You’re that hero I’ve heard about. Spider-Girl, is it?”

“That’s the name, pal!” Luz declared pridefully. The boy reached for his pocket and pulled out a small paper, handing it to Spidey.

“If you ever get in trouble with the law, give me a call. I’m about the only lawyer in this city that will take cases involving super heroes.” The boy explained. Luz looked at the card and read it.

“Kick Buttowski: Suburban Attorney.”

“How did you get a law degree when you’re a teenager?” Luz asked.

“I’m a very good lawyer.” Kick explained with a smile.

Luz shrugged and leaped onto a nearby wall.

“Be careful out there, okay?” Spider-Girl commented. “Try not to walk alone in those neighborhoods, especially in dark areas.”

“Dark and light feel about the same to me.” Kick explained with a smile and nodded. Luz nodded back, not realizing that Kick would logically have no way to know she had nodded back, and then swung away from the area.

Kick waited for the exact moment Spider-Girl was out of earshot, and then folded his walking cane into the shape of a Billy club and made his way into a nearby alley. A figure dressed in red leather jumped out of the alley and parkoured to the top of a nearby building with incredible acrobatic skill. The figure was wearing a crimson costume resembling the devil, with red eyes and horns. The costume had the letters ‘DD’ ingrained to the chest.

“I could have fought the Gorgon Sisters myself, but I didn’t want Spider-Girl to discover my identity.” Daredevil declared as he ran through the rooftops, jumping from building to building. “Gunther and Kendall must be worried about me. I’ll travel faster from above.”

The devil smiled as he leaped across the gap between two buildings, his senses focusing on acrobatics while also patrolling the below streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

Magnuson and Buttowski Law Office.

“If it isn’t Clarence Buttowski?” Kendall Perkins, their tall and blonde secretary, commented as the blind teenager entered the room, once again wearing his business suit and hat. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“I don’t ever see you coming in, so I guess we’re even.” Kick commented, in a tone that was not very joyful but also made it clear he was joking, and turned his ear to Kendall as his eyes stared into nothing in particular. The three giggled for a moment, and Kick pretended to be surprised at the third voice in the room. “Hey, Gunther.”

“What’s up, Kick?” Gunther Magnuson, the slight overweight fellow lawyer and best friend to the suburban daredevil, commented in a casual tone as he looked over a stack of papers. “During the lunch break, the two of us are going to that fancy art gallery that opened in the neighborhood. Do you wanna come?”

“What would I do in an art gallery? Listen to the ambient music?” Kick asked in an uninterested tone as he sat on a small armchair, placing his cane near it.

“You shouldn’t let your handicap make you a recluse, Kick.” Gunther commented as he finally looked away from his papers and towards his friend. “You also need some relaxation. You always look so overworked. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen you without your hat.”

“I’m a ginger, if you’re wondering.” Kick added, reaching for his hat and straitening it on his head.

“On the plus side, you get to spend time with me, and there is no better time than that.” Kendall commented in a sarcastic tone. Kick’s expression finally changed as he slightly raised his eyebrows. He thought over the situation and sighed.

“On second thought, maybe I do need a break.” Kick commented, trying to sound as bored as he could.

“Wonderful!” Kendall declared as she raised her fist towards Kick for a fist bump. Kick ignored her for a few moments. Her face changed into one of realization and she put her hand down.

Unknown location.

“The Dragon is out of the city, you said!” Medusa complained as they teleported into the small abandoned building. “It will be easy, you said!”

“I didn’t know that Spider-Brat would show up!” Fury yelled in return. “Don’t worry, I already have another plan. We just have to–”

“Sis, I won’t follow another plan from you even if it is to save my life!” Medusa declared in anger. “You’re the reason we lost to the American Dragon… twice! I’m not waiting for the third one!”

“Medusa is right!” Euryale declared. “If we keep on following you, we’ll end up petrified again!”

“You idiots! I have my best plan yet!” Fury declared in anger. “We can’t even use our petrifying gaze unless the three of us are together! I was the one who freed you two from the stones! I’m the reason you’re both here!”

“You’ll be the one kissing us goodbye! Pack your things and leave!” Medusa declared, to which Fury glanced back in anger, her snakes hissing and her eyes glowing in red.

“You’ll regret this!” Fury declared as she fired a laser from her eyes, which Medusa responded with her own laser. The two jets of light clashed exactly in between the two, stuck on a stalemate until Euryale joined in, her laser combining with Medusa’s to overpower Fury and blast her to the ground.

“Damn you! I’ve had enough of you two!” Fury declared as she got back up and turned around, storming out of the building. She reached for her clothes and pulled out a hat, using it to hide the snakes in her hair. “This is not the last those two see of me! I will take over the entire world, and instead of ruling with me, they too will bow before my feet!”

Midtown High School.

Luz walked out of the school as the bell rang, a small science magazine in her hands.

“This Phyllis Pym made some quite impressive discoveries lately.” Luz commented to herself. “Once I get to college, should I specialize in bio-chemistry or physics?”

Luz’s spider sense flared, and she sighed, knowing very well what was coming. Bosha ran in and knocked the magazine out of Luz’s hands, stepping on it on the ground. Luz stared at her with an annoyed expression.

“Sorry, Luzer! You were in my way!” Boscha declared in a sarcastic tone with a shrug, and then walked away.

Luz sighed. She felt her phone vibrating and picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Luz.” Ned declared. “I’m doing a story.  Do you want to come?”

“Why not?” Luz commented. “Where to?”

“Hell’s Kitchen.” Ned explained. “A new art gallery just opened up.”

Hell’s Kitchen.

The gallery was quite fancy, considering the area of the city. Luz looked around as she came in through the door, and prepared her camera to take pictures of the area. A tall figure walked in through the entrance behind her, pushing her onto a teenager.

“Sorry! I didn’t–”

Luz stopped talking as she recognized the face of the teen she had just bumped into.

“It’s okay. I didn’t see you either.” Kick answered, although he was focusing less on Luz and more on the person who had just bumped into her. It was a tall figure, their entire body covered by a cloak and holding a walking stick.

“Luz.” Ned called. “Come and take some pictures.”

Luz nodded and began photographing the gallery.

“You might not be able to see the paintings, but at least you get some fresh air.” Kendall commented as she held Kick’s shoulder.

“Everything feels fresh when I’m with you.” Kick answered. Kendall wondered for a moment if he was referring to her in specific or to his friends in general.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.” Declared a woman, taking everyone’s attention. She was quite a short woman, with black hair and wearing white business attire. Luz was quick to begin snapping pictures of her. “My name is Vanessa Marianna, and it is an honor to have you all here in my humble gallery. Let us begin with what is per paths our most valuable item.”

Vanessa approached a large painting on the wall, which showed the image of a sea of green snakes.

“The Nest of the Gorgons, recovered directly from ancient Greece!” Venessa declared.

“I’ll try to describe it to you. It’s a painting of–” Gunther commented as he turned, to see his friend had disappeared. He turned to Kendall, who shrugged, equally confused.

The cloaked figure approached Vanessa, and then pushed her to the ground with one hand. The crowd gasped as the figure took the painting off the wall. Everybody screamed in shock as the cane suddenly transformed into a large snake, and she threw off the cloak, revealing herself to be Fury.

“Luz, we have to get out of here!” Ned declared as they turned, to see his co-worker had vanished. An expression of suspicion appeared on his face.

“Pathetic mortals!” Fury declared with a smile as the snakes in her hair began hissing. The bystanders all turned and tried to run, only for the large serpent to block the entrance. “You will all kneel before me!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” A pair of voice declared in unison, as two figures jumped in from different rooms. One was wearing red and blue spandex, and the other red leather. The two noticed the presence of the other, and they then turned and pointed at each other in surprise.

“Spider-Girl?” Daredevil asked.

“You’re that guy I’ve heard about! Daredevil!” Spider-Girl commented.

“Now there are two of them? So be it!” Fury declared as her eyes glowed in red, and she released a massive blast of light that engulfed the whole room. “I can’t use my petrifying gaze without my sisters, but I have just enough power to cast a hypnosis spell!”

“Hypnotizing me?” Daredevil commented. “Good luck.”

“I feel just fine as well.” Spider-Girl declared in confidence. “What’s the problem, snake head? Can’t get it up?”

“I’m not sure why my spell didn’t affect you, but I have all that I need!” Fury declared with a smile. Luz’s eyes widened as she turned, to see all of the bystanders staring at the two heroes with glowing red eyes. “Now darlings, do me a favor and… kill them!”

“Oh, fudge!” Luz whispered. This was not actually the word Luz said, but this story is for teens.

Several of the bystanders dashed towards the two in anger. Luz felt her spider sense flare and easily avoided several blows, only for Ned to suddenly jump in and punch her right on the face. Luz was quick to roll with Ned’s punch and throw herself to the ground, as Ned’s wrist would have been broken had Luz not done so.

“I subconsciously see Ned as an ally! My spider sense won’t warn me against him!” Spider-Girl whispered as she quickly jumped up and somersaulted over several bystanders. Luz glued herself to the ceiling, out of reach from the civilians, and dashed towards Fury, only for her spider sense to tingle and the massive python to knock her back to the ground.

Daredevil split his club into a nunchaku as the bystanders dashed towards him. Kick carefully avoided several strikes. Vanessa ran towards him at full speed, only for Kick to tie the cable of the nunchaku to her wrist and redirect her momentum, sending her flying onto several others. That would hurt the next day, but none of them were hurt severely, which Kick knew because he couldn’t smell any blood or hear any cracks.

Daredevil somersaulted over Kendall and Gunther, and then threw one of his nunchaku sticks at fury, the cable extending to act as a projectile. Fury caught the stick in midair and Kick held tightly to the cable, about to pull Fury to the ground. Kick heard the sound of Kendall’s breathing behind him, which distracted him for a fraction of a second and allowed Fury to blast him with a laser from her eyes. Kick groaned in anger as he fell to the ground, and both Kendall and Gunther began stomping onto him.

“How am I supposed to fight back?” Spider-Girl whispered as she continued to avoid the blows. She held her strength back as much as she could and gently pushed a large man, which send him flying to the other side of the room, the impact knocking down several of the paintings. Luz gasped in shock and back flipped to dodge several more strikes, only for the python to once again hit her on the back and knock her to the ground.

“Remember this defeat, heroes, and fear the power of Fury!” The Gorgon declared as she laughed maniacally. Her eyes glowed as the hypnotized bystanders all turned to their mistress, following her outside as they all left the building.

“I knew my reputation was bad, but I didn’t think I was this hated.” Luz commented as she got back to her feet, her back still hurting from the serpent’s blows.

“What are you talking about?” Daredevil asked as he leaped back to his feet, holding his ribs in pain.

“It’s a joke. Because we just got attacked by civilians, and the civilians hate me because of the newspaper and all…” Spidey whispered. “Whatever, if I explain it then it’s no longer funny.”

“I’ll laugh when we catch that gorgon.” Daredevil declared with a serious expression. “And I know very well where to go next?”

New York docks.

“Y’know, I wasn’t expecting to team up with the prince of darkness tonight.” Spider-Girl commented as she leaped through the rooftops. She glanced back to see Daredevil being able to perfectly keep up to her web swinging with his acrobatic skill. She glanced onto the horizon, seeing the sun was beginning to set. The two heroes landed on top of a small building and Luz began looking around. “I hope you didn’t bring me here just because you wanted to go fishing.”

“Can you please be quiet?” Daredevil asked as his radar sense carefully searched the area. He had noticed that Fury smelled like ocean salt and dirt, so an abandoned building near the sea was his best guess. Kick needed to focus, his feet could feel the vibrations of people walking around the neighborhood, smell the ocean and the fuel of the ships, hear several dozens of heartbeats, and taste the ocean salt in the air. The sound he focused on, however, was the quiet hissing of a snake. “Over there!’

Daredevil jumped into a nearby abandoned building. Spidey leaped after him as the two broke through a glass window. Euryale and Medusa gasped as the two heroes landed before them.

“Sorry for breaking in, ladies...” Luz declared with a smile. “Cause we’re going to break something else!”

“I am begging you to shut up.” Daredevil declared and then focused on the two Gorgons. “Your sister Fury! Where is she?”

“We don’t hang with her anymore, Mr. Horns, but if a Gorgon is what you want, you’ve found two!” Medusa declared as the eyes of the creatures glowed in red and they fired blasts of light. Luz suddenly picked up one of the broken shards of the window and used it to block the light beam, which reflected and flew back. The Gorgons gasped in surprise as their own spell struck them. Their expressions suddenly became blank as they were hypnotized by their own spell.

“You were right, mirrors can block the lasers.” Spider-Girl commented.

“I figured that’s why you weren’t hypnotized. You have mirrored lenses covering your eyes.” Daredevil explained. “It is also why I brought you here. Your superhuman reflexes allow you to block the light beam, something I couldn’t do due to not having super powers.”

“Makes sense so far, but how come you weren’t hypnotized?” Luz asked.

“I look at the world differently.” Kick declared with a serious expression as he made his way towards the hypnotized Gorgons. “Where is Fury?”

“We don’t know.” The two answered in unison with a monotone and emotionless voice.

“Do you have any other hideout where she could be?”

“The abandoned warehouse on west 22nd street.”

“Now turn around and walk away. Don’t stop until you’ve left the state of New York, and then keep walking.” Daredevil declared. The two Gorgons turned around and began walking away towards the exit.

“Walk like a chicken while you’re at it!” Spider-Girl added. The Gorgons left while making chicken noises. “Are they going to be okay? What if they walk into a river and drown?”

“They’re ancient mythological beings who once ruled the Earth. I doubt any harsh environment will kill them.” Daredevil declared. “Now to get the third one.”

22nd Street.

“It is almost midnight! I can feel it! The Gorgon blood that was used to create this painting all those centuries ago!” Fury declared as she placed the stolen painting on top of an alchemy circle small table. “I just have to keep this painting inside the circle until midnight, and my power will be increased threefold! I will finally be able to cast the petrification spell whenever I please!”

Fury grinned as she turned, and her smile dropped as she realized there was nobody else there other than the hypnotized civilians, who didn’t seem interested on her monologue. Fury sighed. She turned back to the painting, when the entire room was suddenly invaded by a red light.

“Have you ever heard of good neighbor policy? You’re screaming bloody murder in here!” Spider-Girl declared as she turned off her spider signal and climbed in through the window, Daredevil jumping in right after.

“Stick to the plan!” Daredevil declared. “This time… the fight is mine!”

“Don’t worry, fun police! I know what I’m doing!” Luz declared with a smile.

“Attack, my slaves! Attack!” Fury declared as the civilians all ran towards the two heroes.

Spider-Girl fired her webbing, which formed a large net above the hypnotized victims and fell onto them, tying most of them up. Daredevil ran in, not holding his Billy club, as he threw several swift pokes at the hostages with his index fingers, which seemed to do nothing at first, until the hostages fell to the ground, as Kick had just struck their pressure points. Luz somersaulted over several others and fired her webbing at the ground, gluing their feet to the floor. Kick leaped over Kendall and Gunther, before gently squeezing the back of their necks, the two falling to the ground asleep. Spider-Girl turned around and fired several more webs, which tied Ned to the ceiling. All hostages defeated without a drop of blood spilled.

“Y’know, the two of us actually work very well together.” Spider-Girl commented as she changed her web cartridges.

“As long as you stop yapping and follow my plan… yeah.” Kick commented with a smile, which quickly dropped as he pulled out his Billy clubs. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Fury! You’re outnumbered!”

“Foolish human! Haven’t you forgotten someone?” Fury whispered. Daredevil sensed something moving towards him at high speeds and leaped. Spider-Girl felt her sense flaring as the massive python flew underneath Daredevil and struck her, sending Luz flying through a wall and onto the next room. Daredevil split his Billy club into a pair of batons as he focused on Fury. “Aren’t you going to help your little friend?”

“Spider-Girl doesn’t need my help to handle that pet!” Daredevil declared. “I’ve only known her for a few hours, but I can tell that as long as she still has even an inch of strength in her body, she will never surrender!”

“I have ruled this world in the past, and I shall rule it again!” Fury declared in anger. “You mortals shall follow my laws!”

“I follow bigger laws! The laws of our lord and savior Jesus Christ!” Daredevil declared.

“Jesus Christ?” Fury asked in confusion. She remembered hearing about someone with that name back in Greece, but she wasn’t sure what relevance he had right now. She shook her head and fired her laser, Daredevil dodging her aim with an aerial side flip.

“I can’t dodge your lasers, but I can dodge your eyes before you fire them!” Daredevil claimed as he dashed forwards. Fury aimed and Daredevil dodged, the laser hitting a window on the other side of the room, and reflecting back to hit Daredevil from behind.

Kick screamed in agony as the light engulfed his body, creating a small explosion as he fell to the ground, small trails of smoke coming out. Fury smirked confidently and turned back to the ritual, only for her eyes to widen as she heard heavy breathing, and turned around to see Daredevil back to his feet, holding his sticks in a fighting stance

“I didn’t hear no bell!”

The snakes in Fury’s hair began hissing as she dashed towards Daredevil. The snakes stretched and flew towards the devil, who was swift to avoid their fangs and somersault over the Gorgon, striking the back of her neck with one of his sticks. Fury groaned and kicked Daredevil away, knocking him to the ground.

“Do you really think a mere mortal stands a chance against a Gorgon?”

“I think you won’t be able to move the left side of your body for a few minutes.” Kick declared as he got back to his feet. Fury’s eye widened as she felt her body begin to go limp. Daredevil had just hit one of her pressure points. “The night is young!”

“Alright, you snake!” Luz declared as the massive python dashed towards her. She leaped over the animal’s fangs and landed on its head, forcing it to the ground. Her spider sense flared as the snake began to wrap itself around her. Spidey acted fast and fired a web at the wall, pulling herself out of the snake’s coils and placing the snake’s own head in the sport where she was previously. The snake hissed as Luz held it by the neck and grabbed the tail with the other hand, pulling it and tying the python into a knot. “You’re knot my problem, if you know what I mean!”

The snake screamed as it transformed back into a staff and fell to the ground, shattering to millions of pieces.

Spidey laughed at her own joke for a moment and then turned back to the hole on the wall, dashing to the other room.

“Damn you!” Fury yelled as she knocked Daredevil to the ground once again. Her snakes flew and tried to bite him, only for the devil to leap back up and strike the snakes with his batons, knocking the reptiles unconscious with his quick blows. “It will be midnight in seconds! The ritual is almost complete! Why won’t you just stay down?”

“The measure of a man is not in how he gets knocked down to the mat, but it is in how he gets up!” Daredevil declared as he put his batons together into a staff and dashed towards the Gorgon. More snakes flew towards him, which Kick knocked away with his weapon. The Gorgon suddenly heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and glanced back to see a web pulling the painting out of the alchemy circle. Her eyes widened as she realized Spider-Girl had just broken her spell, and she turned back just in time to see Daredevil striking her on the head with his staff. Fury fell to the ground unconscious.

“Seems like Web Head and Horn Head make a good team after all!” Luz commented.

“I’ll let it pass just this one time.” Kick declared, trying to hide the quick smirk that came to his face.

“Huh… what?” The two heard, and turned to the tied up hostages, whose eyes were no longer glowing in red. “What is going on here?”

“Can you do me a favor and take them out of here?” Spider-Girl asked. “I better scram before Hopkins blames me for this mess.”

“Will do.” Daredevil declared as the two super heroes shook hands. “See you around, Web Head!”

Half an hour later.

“You will pay for this…” Fury whispered weakly, still not fully recovered from the battle as the police officers took her away. Her snake hair was tied up and her eyes were covered by a blindfold. The final hostages were put inside the last of the ambulances by the paramedics, and the medical vehicles swiftly drove away from the scene.

“Pose for the camera, you snake.” Luz commented as she stood nearby, taking pictures of the arrest with her camera. She heard footsteps and turned, to see a familiar blind teenager walking past her.

“If you need a lawyer, here is my card, ma’am.” Kick commented as he held his card in the general direction of Fury, not turning his head to look at her.

“Get lost!” Fury yelled back as the police closed the car and drove her away. Kick shrugged and turned.

“We seem to be meeting quick often today.” Luz commented and approached the teen.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Kick commented as he held up the card that he was going to give Fury. “Do you need a lawyer?”

“I’ll let you know if I ever do. Thank you.” Luz answered. Kick smiled and shook his head, before walking away from the scene.

Noceda residence.

Luz opened the door and carefully walked in through the dark, making as she little noise as she could. The lights suddenly turned on, and she saw her mom standing on the other side of the room, an annoyed expression on her face.

“Do you know what time it is?” Camila asked in a stern tone of voice.

“It’s… um…” Luz stuttered with an awkward expression. “1 AM?”

“Go to your room.” Camila ordered. Luz nodded and ran up the stairs.

“Just my Noceda Luck…” Luz whispered.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Coming of the Scorpion.

The Spider’s Web.

Celtarican: Another week another chapter, love to see it

10/10 quips this time around

Ok maybe I was a bit harsh on Hopkins, he’s still a jerk though

At long last, Amity, I’m sure they’ll meet eventually, Luz could use another friend, date or not

I still have my bets on Luz’s blood transfusion giving Camila superpowers

“Oh yeah! Mom still wants me to go meet this Amity girl who she won’t shut up about! I completely forgot about her, Cel!” Luz whispered in a tone of annoyance as she got onto her bed and covered herself with the blankets. “I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but I really don’t have the time for a blind date right now! I just fought a monster from ancient Greece! What teenager does that?”

GodzillaMaster: Oh Luz, you shouldn't be so quick to judge Amity. Especially since you haven't even met her yet

These villains are just crawling out of the woodwork now. Good thing that Luz is able to handle them

As for Masha, maybe Luz and/or Spider-Girl can have a heart-to-heart conversation with them. Let them know that what happened to their brother was an accident

“Y’know, Master, I’ve been wondering that myself: Where do all these guys come from?” Luz whispered. “There is a woman with metal bat wings, a dude with a fishbowl on his head, I remember I once fought a guy who was made of… slime?”

Shadowsnake89: Wow, for someone who's not very popular, you sure have gotten the attention of some rather famous people. That must be weird. But you did beat the world's greatest hunter at his own game so that's something.

Huh, could Hopkins actually be a half decent person? Emphasis on the "half".

And getting set up on a blind date by your mom? She means well but you might have dodged a bullet on that one.

“You can say that again, Shadow.” Luz commented. “Eberwolf is such a weird guy. He’s like a midget from Africa with a Russian accent? Although I just fought a Gorgon, so I'm in no position to complain about a guy with a spear.”

Luz sighed and gently put her head onto the pillow. She was just tired.

“Thank you for reading. See you all next time, true believers.” Luz whispered as she closed her eyes. “Excelsior…”

Chapter Text

The Coming of the Scorpion.

“Mom, I’m going to work.” Luz commented as she walked down the stairs. She approached her mom, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV, and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

“Don’t you get tired of working on Saturdays?” Camila asked.

“If Hopkins fires me, I won’t be working any day of the week.” Luz commented with a shrug. Her life was quite busy, she worked six days a week on her day job, and seven days a week on her spider job. Luz glanced at the TV, seeing the reporter standing in what appeared to be a bio-lab.

“The bio-chemistry master Farley Stillwell has cracked what many believed to be impossible: Found a way to cause artificial mutations in animals.” The reporter declared on TV, and Luz’s eyes widened in surprise. “Quite impressive for a scientists know for having several cardiovascular diseases.”

“Someone cracked it? This is huge!” Luz declared in excitement. “This guy could cure cancer!”

“Don’t you have to go?” Camila reminded her daughter.

“Oh yeah!” Luz nodded and then made her way to the door. A motorcycle rider drove by just a Luz stepped out of the house. “I love you, mama! Bye!”

Camila waved goodbye as her daughter left.

Manhattan.

Luz got out of the bus and walked a few steps down the sidewalk. She heard the sound of an engine as a motorcycle drove by the street. That was about the fifth time she had seen that same rider pass by near the bus. Luz walked for a few moments, when a truck passed by and obstructed her for just a moment.

“Huh?” The rider asked as they looked around, realizing Luz had seemingly disappeared. They were so distracted they didn’t even notice the red and blue blur swinging above her.

“Okay, that punk was definitely following me. Now they’re just looking around confused. Everywhere but up. Right above you, dude.” Spider-Girl commented to herself from the top of the building. The rider looked around for a few more moments, and then drove away down the street. Spidey jumped from building to building as she chased after the mysterious figure. “Hopkins will yell at me until my ear falls off if I get there late, but I have to get to the bottom of this. Time for the stalker to become the stalked!”

Luz surprisingly did not have to chase the drive very far, as the motorcycle only went down a few blocks before stopping. The rider took off the helmet, revealing herself to be an adult woman with tanned skin and brown hair. She got out of the vehicle and made her way into a familiar building.

“The Daily Bugle?” Spider-Girl asked in surprise. She swung towards the building and carefully climbed the wall, until she stopped right next to Hopkins’ window.

“Flora D'splora, as I live and breathe!” Hopkins greeted as the woman entered his office. “I knew that hiring you was the right choice! I never forgot the time I ran a story on your incredible climbing of Mount Everest!”

“Stop grinning and show me the green, Hopkins.” Flora interrupted him. “I have a flight scheduled to Nepal so I can explore the Kali Gandaki Gorge Canyon tomorrow, then the two days after that I’ll be going to South America to map the Amazon Rainforest, then taking a sidestep on Venezuela to bungee jump down Angel Falls, then back to New York to parachute onto the head of the Statue of Liberty, after that I might have a coffee to end the week.”

Hopkins groaned in annoyance and pulled out a check worth fifty thousand dollars. Flora smiled as she took the check, and then reached for her handbag, pulling out an envelope. Hopkins opened it and pulled out several pictures of Luz. Hopkins looked them over for several seconds, and then turned to Flora with an annoyed expression.

“I don’t see Spider-Girl in any of these.” Hopkins complained. “I hired you to discover how Noceda gets her pictures.”

“I didn’t find anything about Spider-Girl.” Flora commented. “I’ve been spying on her all morning, and I found out she likes cherry pie, she’s lactose intolerant, and she really likes reading fanfiction about cartoons.”

“You’re worthless!” Hopkins declared in anger as he began walking around the office. Spider-Girl giggled as she listened to their conversation, since it seemed like she had nothing to worry about. Luz jumped off the building and swung away. Hopkins continued to walk in circles, until his expression changed into one of realization. “Wait… there is one thing you can do!”

“You better have one hell of a good motivator if you want me to lose my flight.” Flora declared in a tone of annoyance.

“Double the last job.”

“A hundred grand?” Flora asked with a confident smile. “Now we’re talking!”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

Masha had a smile on their face as they calmly typed on their keyboard. They heard the sound of the elevator doors opening, and turned to see Luz walking in.

“You’re on time? What a miracle.” Masha commented as they got up and approached the girl. Luz looked at her co-worker, and her expression changed into one of positive surprise.

“You seem less tired today.” Luz commented.

“Yeah. I took Mr. Hopkins’ words to heart.” Masha commented. Luz raised an eyebrow for a moment, as she couldn’t remember even hearing someone call Hopkins ‘Mr.’ “After Spider-Girl and Doctor Octopus killed my brother, I was focusing so much on taking them down that I was forgetting to take care of myself. I’ll take down Spider-Girl later, for the moment I have to focus on myself.”

Luz nodded in an awkward manner.

“So… do you want to go have lunch together today?” Luz asked. “We can share the bill like we did before.”

“Oh! Sorry Luz, I already have an appointment at that time.” Masha explained. Luz heard the sound of the elevator opening behind her, and turned to see Ned walking in with two cups of coffee in his hands.

“I brought your coffee.” Ned commented as he handed one of the cups to Masha.

“Thanks!” Masha declared with a smile as they gave Ned a quick kiss on the cheek. The two smiled at each other, before Masha made their way back to their desk. Luz turned to Ned, staring at him with a flabbergasted expression.

“You and them?”

“After everything that happened last week with the Gorgon and Daredevil, I realized life is too short for me to be a coward, so I decided to ask Masha out.” Ned explained, and then took a sip of his coffee. “I guess you could say one thing led to the other.”

Luz was about to respond, when she heard the door to Hopkins’ office flinging open, and their boss walked out, followed closely by Flora.

“I’ll be gone for a few hours.” Hopkins declared. Flora followed him across the room, taking a moment to glare at Luz from the corner of her eye. “Brant, take all my messages in the meantime.”

“Ay, ay, captain!” Masha declared in a clearly sarcastic voice as Flora and Hopkins left through the elevator.

Stillwell Labs.

“This is unbelievable!” Flora declared with an expression of amazement on her face as she stared at the fish tank and the large cage. Inside the tank was a small lab rat, peacefully swimming underwater with the fishes. Inside the cage was a goldfish, excitedly running around alongside the rats. “I have never seen anything like it!”

“Let me get this straight, you mutated a rat to swim and breathe underwater like a fish, and you mutated a fish to run and breathe on land like a rat?” Hopkins asked as he looked over the bizarre experiments.

“Mutation isn’t the exact term, those pets aren’t joining the X-Men any time soon, but other than that you summed it up very well.” Stillwell commented. “I’m happy you found interest in my experiments. An influential man such as you publishing my findings could further the cause of science immensely.”

“It is not the science I am here for, Doctor.” Hopkins declared. “I want you to work on a special project for me. I’m willing to pay a hundred thousand dollars if it works.”

“A hundred thousand… with this money I could buy new equipment for my research… I am in no position to refuse! But what project would that be?”

“I want you to experiment on a human being!” Hopkins declared. “You must give the legendary explorer Flora D'splora powers greater than even Spider-Girl!”

“What? But this would be immoral human experimentation! This is more than my fragile heart can handle!” Stillwell declared in shock. “I can’t even guarantee the results! The risks alone are unbelievable!”

“I’ve lived my whole life taking risks. This one is no different.” Flora declared with a confidence smile and put her foot on a wooden chair. “If I can already break all of those world records as a human, imagine what I could do as a God?”

“This serum will give you the proportional powers of a scorpion. Scorpions are stronger than spiders, so this should make you superior to Spider-Girl.” Stillwell explained as he injected the transparent serum into a vein in Flora’s neck. “I have no idea what side effects this serum might have when in contact with your human DNA.”

“As long as I get the money and the powers, I’m willing to risk anything.” Flora explained with a confident smile. She was wearing a patient gown. Stillwell had a worried expression on his face. He knew this experiment was immoral, but a hundred thousand was simply too much money for him to deny.

“Get into that chamber right there. It is going to blast you with radiation to activate the scorpion genes.” Stillwell declared, to which Flora nodded and entered the small chamber, the door closing behind her. “The radiation is controlled to not give you cancer, but I must repeat that I have no idea what side effects this will have.”

“Shut up and pull the trigger, doc.” Flora declared in a tone of impatience.

Stillwell nodded and turned on the radiation. The entire chamber glowed in green for several seconds, Flora’s screams of agony echoing across the laboratory. Stillwell turned off the radiation, and the chamber open to reveal it was filled with black smoke. Flora tumbled out of the chamber, stepping out of the smoke to reveal her head was now completely bald. Flora held onto the door of the chamber to keep her balance, and her hand crushed the metal of the door as if it was made of paper.

“It worked!” Stillwell exclaimed, his voice showing a mixture of happiness and shock.

“I feel like a thousand fireworks are exploding inside of me…” Flora whispered, when a wide smile formed on her face. “I like it!”

“The greatest weapon of a scorpion is its tail, so I built this suit.” Stillwell declared as he placed the robotic armor around Flora’s body. The suit was green and covered her entire skin except for her face, with her eyes being protected by yellow shades that hid her identity. The suit had a large scorpion tail coming out of the back. “It should offer extra-protection, and the tail is linked to your nervous system, meaning you can control it with mental commands and nerve impulses.”

“It’s kind of like the tentacles of that octopus geezer from the papers?” Flora asked.

“Something similar.” Stillwell commented, when they heard the door opening and turned to see Hopkins entering the room.

“How is my super soldier?”

“You’ve arrived just in time. We’re about to begin testing.” Stillwell explained as they approached a large punching machine which seemed to be about as big as a truck and was made of pure titanium. “This will calculate your punching power.”

Flora smiled and struck the device with her fist, the machine exploding to millions of pieces.

“I feel like I can take down an army right now!” Flora declared and laughed, when her tail suddenly came to life and struck a nearby metal table, shattering it to pieces alongside the chemical bottles on it.

“Be careful!” Stillwell warned. “The tail is sensible! It will respond to even the slightest impulse!”

“This tail is like a sledgehammer!” Hopkins declared with a smile. “Spider-Girl won’t stand a chance!”

“This one will leave a sting!” Scorpion declared with a wide smile.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“I really like this new article you wrote.” Masha commented as they looked over Ned’s shoulder, to which he smiled. “Maybe if you keep going like this, you’ll be offered a job out of town and won’t have to listen to Hopkins anymore.”

“I probably will get an offer, but I don’t think I can ever leave New York.” Ned explained and turned to Masha. “As long as you’re here, I’d just keep coming back.”

“Okay, Prince Charming.” Masha commented in slight sarcasm as Ned took their hand and kissed it.

Spider-Girl stood at the top of one of the nearby buildings, looking over the office through the window. Luz sighed in disappointment. She knew things would not work out with Masha, but she didn’t expect that it would sting so much. She glanced back at the office to see Hopkins walking int and going into his own office without speaking with anyone. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed a small object on his ear, which seemed to be an earpiece. Luz glanced up, seeing the clouds beginning to getter above her, signaling an incoming thunderstorm.

Her eyes suddenly widened as her spider sense flared. All she could see was a green blur as her body flew through a nearby wall.

“Well, well, well! I put down some flypaper and catch a spider!” Scorpion commented as Spider-Girl got back to her feet.

“Did you get lost on your way to a costume party?” Spider-Girl asked in annoyance. “I don’t have time to play games!”

“This is no game, little girl! Just game over for you!” Scorpion declared, staring at Spider-Girl with a predatory gaze.

“Smash him, Scorpion!” Hopkins declared to his earpiece as he watched the fight from the window. Scorpion heard his voice on her costume, and a wide smile formed on her face.

Spider-Girl felt her spider sense flaring as the Scorpion trusted with her tail, which Spider-Girl just barely leaped over. Scorpion laughed as she continued to attack with her tail, Spider-Girl only having a split second to dodge as the strikes missed her by centimeters.

“Everybody has a gimmick now, huh?” Luz asked as she leaped and fired her web at Scorpion’s chest, pulling herself towards her enemy and striking Flora right on the face with a punch. Spidey felt as if she had just punched a brick wall, and Scorpion looked back at her with a smile. Luz felt her spider sense glaring as Flora struck her on the face with a mighty punch. Luz felt as if she had just been struck by a wrecking ball.

“Don’t you know a spider can never beat a scorpion, you child?” Flora asked confidently. Spider-Girl tried to leaped away, but Scorpion grabbed her by the neck and hit her on the chest with the tail. Luz coughed as all of the air was blown out of her lungs, and the Scorpion struck her with a flurry of strong blows that struck like a jackhammer, the sound of the cracking of bones echoing across the rooftops, before throwing her to the other side of the building, cracks appearing on the ground where she landed.

“This woman is a powerhouse!” Luz whispered to herself as Flora casually walked towards her with a wide smile, like a predator approaching her prey. “Not one more step, you windbag!”

Spidey jumped back to her feet and began firing a series of web nets towards the Scorpion, swiftly tying Flora up underneath several layers of webbing. Luz smirked as Scorpion froze in place, only for the Scorpion’s laugh to resonate throughout the battlefield. Spidey heard the sound of slicing, only to realize the Scorpion had just cut through her webbing with sharp retractable blades that had just come out of the fingers of her gauntlet.

“Scorpions have pincers!” Flora declared with a wide smile. Luz gasped in shock as Flora sliced her webbing as if it was made of straw. The Scorpion retracted her blades, picked up what was left of the webbing and threw it as Luz, tying her up instead. Scorpion dashed towards Luz and attacked with another flurry of swift strikes, before knocking her out with a strike from her tail.

“You’ve done it! Spider-Girl has been defeated!” Hopkins declared with a smile. Scorpion picked up Luz and jumped to the top of the water tank of the building. She reached for Luz’s belt and ripped it out, before opening the tank and throwing the unconscious Luz inside.

“Nothing in the world can stop me now!” Scorpion declared with a wide smile as she put her hands up and screamed into the skies.

Stillwell Labs.

“Have I done the right thing?” Stillwell asked himself as he walked down the corridors towards his research room. “I got my money, but I can’t shake this feeling that I have made a mistake.”

Stillwell opened the door to his lab, and his eyes widened in shock as he looked at the scene before him. His fish tank was red with blood, as the lab rat had just sliced the fish to shreds with his teeth. The cage was in no better position, as the fish stood by itself surrounded by the dead bodies of the lab rats. The two mutated animals turned to Stillwell and roared in anger, as if they had entered a berserk state of pure violence and rage.

“I’ve made a huge mistake!” Stillwell declared in horror, as he ran into his lab and towards his chemicals. “I have to make an antidote!”

Manhattan.

“This is incredible! I feel alive!” Flora declared as she got on top of a large gargoyle and looked around with a wide smile, a bolt of lightning lighting up the skies behind her as her laughter echoed across the rooftops. “I was already the world’s greatest explorer, but now I am beyond human! In the name of God, now I know what if feels like to be God!”

“Alright, Scorpion. Bring me Spider-Girl.” Hopkins declared from the communicator. “I’ll call my photographer so we can take a picture of the menace being unmasked.”

Scorpion looked around, the strong wind blowing as lightning continued to crash in the distance. She glanced down and saw an armored car driving down the street. She smiled and released her claws, using them to climb down the side of the building.

“Scorpion, what are you doing?” Hopkins demanded. “Come back immediately!”

Scorpion jumped off the side of the building and landed on top of the armored car, using her claws to easily tear off the metal ceiling. The guards inside screamed in shock as they aimed their shotguns and fired, the shots not even scratching the Scorpion’s armor. Flora smiled as she jumped into the vehicle and knocked the guards out with her tail, before striking the driver. The vehicle hit a light pole and toppled over. The Scorpion kicked down the metal doors as the nearby civilians ran away in terror, and Flora walked out carrying a large bag of money.

“This should pay for my next travels!” Flora declared as she began laughing, lightning continuing to illuminate the skies above. She struck the armored car with her tail and broke the vehicle in two. “Nobody tells the Scorpion what to do!”

“Scorpion! Stop what you’re doing immediately! Scorpion!” Hopkins ordered in shock, which Flora ignored. “She’s gone rogue! I’ve gone from the frying pan into the fire!”

“Water?” Luz asked as she began waking up, and saw herself floating inside a dark tank filled with water. She looked up to see the opening, and tried to fire her webbing, only to hear a click as she was out of fluid. She reached for her web cartridges, only to realize Scorpion had taken off her utility belt. Spidey groaned in pain as she reached for her chest. “That Scorpion fella cracked some of my bones… I can’t just sit here and float! I’m gonna drown!”

Spider-Girl swam to the wall of the tank and tried to climb in, only for her fingers to slip and for her to fall back into the water.

“The wall is too wet and slimy for me to stick to it!” Spider-Girl declared in annoyance as she thought over her options. She closed her eyes for a few moments, realizing Spider-Girl was completely helpless. Luz opened her eyes in realization. Spider-Girl might be helpless, but Luz Noceda was not. “What is wrong with me? I got an A+ in physics!”

Luz held her breath and began swimming down to the very bottom of the tank. She reached the bottom and squatted down underwater, before suddenly hurling herself upwards. One half mass multiplied by the velocity squared. She quickly calculated the average strength of spider legs and multiplied it by her own size when compared to that of the arachnid, then converted it into acceleration while taking into consideration the weight of both herself and the water around her. Luz’s super strong legs worked as a slingshot, sending her body flying out of the water and right through the exit, landing on her feet on the side of the water tower.

“Super powers are cool, but you know what is cooler?” Luz asked as she jumped down and put her belt back on. “Math!”

Scorpion smiled confidently as she walked down the street, still holding the large bag over her shoulder, as the civilians ran away in terror. Everyone but one man, who instead ran towards the armored villain.

“D'splora! Thank heavens I’ve found you!” Stillwell declared as he approached the Scorpion, holding a small syringe in his hands. Flora turned to the doctor with an annoyed expression.

“What are you babbling about?”

“The experiment I’ve done on you, it has terrible side effects! The stronger you get, the more your mind will be taken over by violence and insanity! You need to take this antidote!” Stillwell declared as he showed Flora the small syringe in his hands. “If we don’t revert it quickly, you might never be able to change back! You’ll lose all your sense of right and wrong!”

Flora stared at the doctor for a few moments, and then began to laugh as the strong wind flew around them.

“You fool! I am never changing back! Why would I need a sense of right and wrong! The Scorpion does as she pleases!” Flora declared as she turned around and used her claws to begin climbing the side of a building.

Stilwell stared at her in shock. The doctor looked around for a few moments, and then saw a small fire ladder on the side of the building, which he used to climb after the emerald clad maniac. Stillwell had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery.

“D’splora! Come back!” Stillwell declared as the strong wind of the storm continued to try blowing him out of the ladder. “I can’t let you go on a rampage!”

“I can’t see when I asked for your opinion! Can you kids at home help me find where I asked?” Scorpion commented in a sarcastic tone as she struck the ladder with her tails and laughed maniacally. Thunder echoed across the skies as Stillwell fell from the side of the building, the syringe flying out of his hands. The doctor screamed in shock as the syringe shattered against the sidewalk, and a figure in red and blue swoop in and caught Stillwell in midair, swinging and landed on top of a nearby building.

“Your friendly neighborhood Spider-girl arriving just in time!” Luz declared with a smile, which suddenly dropped as she looked down at the old man in her arms and began shaking him. “Hey! Hey! He is not breathing! Must have had a heart attack during the fall! This man is dead!”

“You’re too late, Spider-Girl!” Scorpion declared in between laughs as she dropped the bags of money, seeming to forget about them.

“I’m right on time to smack you!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed towards the villain.

Luz threw a punch to Flora’s face, who recovered and tripped the girl with her scorpion tail. Luz grabbed the tail in her hands, trying to tear it off, only for the Scorpion to lift Spidey’s entire body into the air and then slam her down against the concrete floor, large cracks appearing beneath them. Scorpion pulled Spider-Girl back up by the neck and threw several punches to her chest, the sound of ribs cracking echoing across the rooftops, as Flora threw Luz to the other side of the building.

“This time you won’t be getting back up, you punk!” Flora declared as she struck a chimney with her tail, sending high speed pieces of rubble flying towards Spidey. Luz felt her spider sense tingle, but she was in too much pain to move out of the way, as the pieces of concrete struck her. Scorpion dashed forward at high speeds and punched Luz right on the face, the impact popping all fingers on Flora’s hand as Spider-Girl fell off the building and onto the sidewalk below. “I’m invincible! I’m like a walking bulldozer! There is only one man who knows my true identity! I shall kill Hopkins, and none will stand in the Scorpion’s way!”

Flora’s laughter echoed across the streets as she headed towards the Daily Bugle, unaware of the figure slowly getting back to her feet on the streets below.

“If I’m still breathing…” Luz whispered as she got back to her feet, holding her ribs in pain. “I can still fight!”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

The sound of rubble crashing echoed across the building as the Scorpion broke through the stone wall right into Hopkins’ office. Flora kicked down the door and looked around the entire floor, seeing that the place appeared to be empty. The place was too quiet, they couldn’t have evacuated on such a short notice.

Flora picked up one of the desks and threw it out of the window, sending it crashing onto the sidewalk outside. The criminal made her way to the storage room and pulled the locked door out of the wall, hearing a scream as Masha and Ned were hiding inside. Ned grabbed Masha by the hand and pulled them behind him on instinct.

“Where is Hopkins?” Scorpion demanded in anger as she prepared to strike the teenagers with her tail.

“Over here, D’splora!” She heard, and turned to see Hopkins running out from under one of the desks. The man had an expression of terror and panic on his face as he signed with his eyes for Masha and Ned to leave the room. The two nodded and ran out the door. Flora ignored the two and took a step towards Hopkins, which was enough to make the man shake on his boots. Hopkins seemed to be paralyzed in fear as he stared at the monster he had created. “W-wait! I’ll pay you any price! I’ll give you a thousand dollars! A hundred thousand! Five hundred! A million! I’ll give you anything you want! Just let me go!”

“You fool! Money has no more meaning to me!” Scorpion declared with a wide grin. “Godspeed, Jacob Hopkins!”

Hopkins closed his eyes in fear as the Scorpion attacked with his tail, only for him to hear a ‘thwip’ sound and be pulled off his feet. Hopkins opened his eyes to see he had been webbed up to the ceiling.

“Hang in there in the tower, Sleeping Beauty!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed before the Scorpion. “I’ll take care of this ugly dragon!”

“I’m not surprised you’re still alive!” Scorpion declared. “But I am surprised you had the nerve to come back for another beating!”

“I’ve never been one to refuse a beating!” Luz declared with a smile. “But you’re the one who will be getting beaten this time!”

Flora hissed and attacked with her tail, Spidey leaping over it and pulling herself over Scorpion’s head with her web, Flora trying to attack her in midair only for Luz to fire a blast of webbing onto her eyes. Scorpion began flailing her tail randomly and striking nearby desks, as Luz fired several more blasts of webbing and glued the Scorpion’s feet to the ground. Spider-Girl jumped in and grabbed the tail.

“I made my webbing extra sticky for you today!” Luz declared as she held onto the tail with all of her strength. Flora cut the webbing out of her eyes and tried to use the tail to slam Luz, only to find herself unable to lift Spidey’s body. Luz had stuck her soles to the floor and her palms to the tail. Scorpion yelled in anger and tried to slice Spider-Girl with her claws, only for Luz to leap away at the last second, her palms still glued to the tail. Flore screamed in shock as the teenage girl ripped the tail right out of her metal armor. “You won’t be turning Oozaru any time soon, ‘cause I got your tail!”

“Joke while you can, you brat!” Scorpion declared as Luz threw the tail at her, Flora deflecting it with a smack. Flora prepared to cut the webbing around her feet with her claws, but Spider-Girl dashed forward at incredible speeds, and Flora attacked her instead on instinct, Luz just barely avoiding her slashes.

“Hard to land a hit on someone with spider sense when you can’t move your feet, huh?” Luz commented as she avoided several more slashes, and then began hitting back with a flurry of punches, purposefully aiming for joins such as the neck, shoulder, or hip, which she figured were the weak spots of the armor. Flora screamed in anger and pain as Spider-Girl continued to dodge all of her attempts to counterattack. “You might be stronger, but that won’t help you if I don’t let you land a hit!”

Luz avoided one final slash and grabbed Scorpion’s helmet, pulling it out of Flora’s head to reveal her bald skull. Flora gasped, and didn’t have time to react as Spider-Girl struck her with a southpaw punch. Luz was ambidextrous, but most fighter were right-handed, so she used her left to surprise Scorpion. Flora whimpered one final time as she fell to the ground, and Luz tied her up with her webbing. Luz breathed heavily as she looked over her defeated opponent, and then held her ribs in pain.

“Get me down from here!” Hopkins yelled. Spider-girl sighed and jumped to the ceiling, pulling Hopkins out of the webs and ruining his jacket, before jumping back to the ground and safely putting him down. “You came back despite her being stronger than you! You could have run away! Why did you come here to help me?”

“It wasn’t because I like your ugly face, I can tell you that much!” Spider-Girl declared as she made her way out through the broken window and began swinging away. Luz could have just run off and let Hopkins to deal with the Scorpion, but it wasn’t the right thing to do.

Hopkins breathed heavily as he stood in the middle of the destroyed office and looked down upon the defeated villain. He had created this menace, it was his fault, and he had to be saved by the very one he wanted to destroy.

Daily Globe Headquarters.

Why didn’t Luz ever think of this before? The Daily Bugle wasn’t the only newspaper in town, she just had to take her pictures to someone else. She sat before Mr. Bushkin in his office as he looked over her pictures of the Scorpion battle.

“Those pictures are terrific!” Bushkin commented as he looked them over and placed them on the desk. He then stared at Luz with a suspicious expression. “How did you get them?”

“I was there.”

“Are you sure? We’re running a story on this Scorpion fella, and none of the witnesses described anyone that looked like you.” Bushkin commented, making Luz’s eyes widen. “Speaking of which, how did you even get so close without getting involved in the battle? The Scorpion should have seen you from this distance. How did you get the pictures from this angle? This would only be possible if you were hanging from the side of a wall.”

“Actually, now I think of it, it is better if I take those to another paper!” Luz declared as she shot up and took her pictures from the desk, before making her way out of the room as fast as she could.

“Wait! I can pay you double!” Bushkin exclaimed, but it was too late, as Luz was already running down the stairs to the exit.

Now she remembered why she never thought of this before. Hopkins is the only publisher in town without the common sense to put two and two together.

Manhattan.

“Hero Jacob Hopkins victoriously defeats terrorist duo Spider-Girl and Scorpion… by Jacob Hopkins.” Luz read the newspaper as she stood in front of the Daily Bugle building, and then rolled her eyes. Luz heard the sound of the door opening and turned, to see Masha and Ned walking out of the building while holding hands. The two were talking and smiling, and simply walked past Luz without even realizing she was there. Luz glanced at them as they left, and then sighed and walked to the opposite direction.

Luz thought over the day as she walked through the night. Masha was happier with Ned. Luz could never be with them, not if it meant having to hide half of who she was. No matter how much she wished things were different, there was only one Spider-Girl, and that would always be who she was.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Spider-Girl Goes Mad.

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: Kick Buttowski as Daredevil? Who's next, Kim Possible as Black Widow?

And the gorgons from Greek myth? What other mythological figures are real?

At this rate, Camila's probably going to find out that Luz is Spider-Girl

“Black Widow? Is there another spider hero that I just don’t know about? I’ll keep an eye out for that.” Luz commented as she sat on top of the Empire State building, glancing upon the beautiful orange sunset over the marvelous city. “My mom is smart enough to figure it out, Master, but I think she trusts me way too much to even consider the possibility that I’m lying to her. This is probably for the best, I’m not sure how her heart would react if she found out I’m out here almost getting killed on a daily basis.”

Celtarican: Well I’ll be damned, turns out your referencing every show I thought I’d forgotten about!

Good chapter, I enjoyed it.

Damn Camila, she was just out saving the world! Cut her some slack lol

“Daredevil is quite an interesting fellow, isn’t he?” Luz commented, letting out a sigh. “You know, Cel, things aren’t looking too bright right now, but I’m happy you are all still here with me.”

Ri2: Wait, why didn't they have the other gorgons turn themselves in?

Also, suburban daredevil = Daredevil. Clever.

“I guess we could have turned them in, Ri, but Horn Head probably wanted to keep the three as far away from each other as possible. Seeing what those Gorgons can do when they are together, I get where he’s coming from.” Luz explained with a shrug. “The Gorgons weren’t actually even supposed to be our problem, they usually fight the American Dragon, but after everything that happened with Mysterio a few weeks back, the Dragon flew away to hide in a cave or something, so me and DD had to intervene.”

Luz put her mask back on and leaped off the building, swinging away into the sunset.

“Thank you all for reading! I hope to see you all next time, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved goodbye. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Spider-Girl Goes Mad.

Manhattan.

“Mayday! Mayday!” The policewoman screamed to the radio as she held onto the controls of the helicopter, while her co-pilot was pressing several buttons, the two desperately trying to regain control of the crashing vehicle as it flew in between the skyscrapers, losing altitude by the second as the sound of the blades disturbed the quiet night sky. “We’re about to crash! Can anyone hear me?”

The two officers screamed as their vehicle was about to crush the screaming bystanders beneath, only for the two to hear a ‘thwip’ sound. The helicopter suddenly stopped falling and was pulled up, caught by a gigantic web in between a pair of buildings. The two looked up to see a girl wearing spandex swinging in and landing onto the vehicle.

“I’m always picking up after you guys, huh?” Spider-Girl commented as she thorned the helicopter door right out with her bare hands. The two officers held to her back as she swung to safety landing right on the roof of a building. “Don’t mind us. They just need to use the elevator.”

The two officers stared at Luz with a smile, only for their expression to suddenly change into shock as their eyes widened.

“What?” Luz asked. “Is there something on my face?”

“B-blood! Blood!” The policewoman declared.

“Are you hurt?”

“Not on us! On you!”

Luz had a confused expression on her face as she glanced at her arms and chest. She was sure the wounds from the battle against the Scorpion the week before had already healed. Luz glanced back to the policewoman, and noticed she was pointing a little bit lower on her body. Luz looked down and her eyes widened.

“Oh…” Spider-Girl whispered. “Oh no…”

Noceda residence.

“Mija?” Camila asked as she carefully got into the room, holding a small package in her hands. “I bought your pads. Do you want me to teach you how to put them on?”

Camila heard a groan in response. Luz was curled up on top of her bed with a blanket covering her body. Camila carefully approached her daughter and sat near her, putting her hand on Luz’s shoulder.

“Are you having cramps?”

“No.” Luz whispered as she sat up. She wasn’t lying, her super powered body was so resilient to pain that she could barely feel any discomfort. The blood would just come out without her even realizing it. “I feel like I peed my pants in public, except worse in every way. It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s okay, Cariño. I felt the same when I got my first period.” Camila commented. “It was even more awkward for me. I was having a summer vacation in a resort in Hamptons. I freaked out so much that I asked your grandparents to cancel the whole thing. It sure did get me into a lot of trouble.”

The two smiled for a moment.

“You’re going to be okay, Luz. This might be scary, but it just means you are growing up. This is normal, every girl goes through this.”

“Even Captain America?” Luz asked with a smile.

“Yes, even Captain America.” Camila commented, as she pulled Luz into a gentle hug and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You’re going to be okay. I promise. Luz, you are the only family I have left. I don’t know if I could handle it if anything happened to you.”

Luz’s smile almost dropped, but she put on a fake smile before her mom could notice it. Luz nodded, trying to hide how bad she felt.

“Alright!” Camila declared a she picked up the package of sanitary napkins. “Let’s put those on!”

Midtown High School.

Luz kept her eyes on her feet as she walked. Not just because she was wearing those red shoes she rarely put on, but also because she really didn’t want to bring any attention to herself at this point. She wanted to just go in, study, and then go back home, without speaking with anyone. She felt her spider sense flaring, and she sighed knowing exactly what was coming.

“Hey, Luzer!” Boscha declared as Luz turned to her, only to be met with a paper spitball Boscha had just blown onto her face with a straw.

“I’m not in the mood today, Boscha!” Luz declared in anger as she cleaned the paper ball from her face, only for Boscha to walk up to her and push her chest, Luz purposefully taking a few steps back to make it seem like Boscha was actually strong enough to move her.

“You better be in the mood to explain this, photographer!” Boscha declared as she reached for her backpack and pulled out a newspaper, shoving it onto Luz’s face. Luz’s expression changed into one of confusion as she read it over.

“Everyone hates Spider-Girl!” Luz read in shock. “The brutal backlash from the public?”

Noceda residence.

“It is very clear to me that she suffers from narcissistic personality disorder. Why else would someone dress up like a spider and begin jumping around the rooftops?” Declared a woman with a long hair as the reporter held the microphone near her. “This could also indicate sociopathy, schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder. She craves attention due to her narcissism, but her sociopathy prevented her from acting as herself, she was forced to create this second identity to herself, this Spider-Girl.”

“She’s a complete nutcase.” Declared a man with a mustache and a small hat. “There is no way this vigilante is anything but a complete nut. Someone should deal with her before she hurts someone.”

“She’s a lunatic, I tell you. A complete public menace.” The old fat woman with grey hair declared. “Who in their right minds does what she does? Prowling the city without even showing her face.”

“Here we have it, fellas! What this city truly thinks about Spider-Girl! If that many people are agreeing with me, it must be true!” Hopkins declared as he sat on his desk in front of the green screen. “Now let’s take a moment to talk about our sponsor!”

Luz rolled her eyes away from the TV and crossed her arms, an expression of restrained anger on her face. After everything she did for this city, this was the thanks she got? Everyone thinking she was crazy? How could they all be so wrong?

“Hey, mija.” Luz heard and turned to see Camila walking into the room. “How has it been with the period?”

“I still haven’t gotten used to it, but it’s nothing to go crazy about.” Luz commented. “I’m just watching this report about Spider-Girl.”

“Spider-Girl?” Camila commented. “What are they saying about her this time?”

Luz had to hold back a sigh at her mother’s comments, as Camila sat near her and the two focused on the screen.

“Now for the person who gave me the idea to interview the public in the first place.” Hopkins declared as an old man with a business suit and a walking stick entered the frame and sat on the armchair right near his desk “The world-renowned therapist and psychologist, Doctor Ludwig Rinehart!”

“Thank you very much for having me. The truth is that I am very interested in this Spider-Girl of yours.” Rinehart commented. “I have handled similar cases before, and from my experience I can tell she suffers from severe mental illnesses. Spider-Girl needs to be put under treatment immediately.”

“Sounds very logical.” Hopkins commented. “So, you’re saying she’s a loon?”

“You see, I believe Spider-Girl lives in a fantasy world. Look at the way she acts, she always seems anxious, exhausted, and uncomfortable. When I compare her to other heroes, such as Captain America or the Human Torch, I wonder if she is truly happy doing what she does.” The good doctor explained, in a calm voice and a matter-of-factly tone. “Someone who believes themselves to be a spider is clearly suffering from severe schizophrenia. She is lost inside her own mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out she suffers from hallucinations. It is only a matter of time before her ID and her ego become so confused that she suffers a severe panic attack and mental breakdown. If we don’t get her help soon, she might completely dissociate and forget who she truly is.”

“Oh my God!” Camila declared in shock, as Luz stared at the screen with an expression of disbelief. Luz had a lot of things on her mind lately, but she still felt like herself, or at least she thought she did. “I can’t believe it! Spider-Girl has been mentally ill this whole time! How did we never notice this?”

“No… this can’t be true!” Luz shook her head, finally looking away from the screen and turning to Camila with a worried expression. “I’ve been taking pictures of Spider-Girl ever since she began fighting villains! If there was anything wrong with her mental health, I’d have noticed it! Right?”

“They did bring a psychiatrist! I can’t argue with a professional, can I?” Camila asked. Luz slowly turned back to the screen, still holding that same expression of denial. “Luz! I don’t want you to take pictures of Spider-Girl anymore! She is too dangerous for anyone to get close! We never know when she could just snap!”

“I… I…” Luz whispered and then shook her head.

“Is there anything you want to tell Spider-Girl, in case she is watching this?” Hopkins asked.

“I want to make it clear that I am trying to help her.” Rinehart declared, and then stared directly into the camera. “Spider-Girl, I need you to know that I am not your enemy. I believe you are not aware of what is going you. I am very worried about you, and I believe it is time for you to self-reflect. In order to prove this, I will be publicly revealing my home address. Once you realize that you need my help, my door will be open for you.”

“I’ll go get some fresh air.” Luz declared as she shot up from the sofa and made her way to the door.

“Luz, is everything okay? You seem nervous.” Camila commented. “If it’s about the period–”

“I’ll be fine! Don’t worry!” Luz answered with a forced smile as she left the house.

Manhattan.

“I’m not going crazy… N-no! I’m fine! I’m totally fine!” Spidey-Girl whispered to herself as she swung around the city. Luz back flipped and landed on top of a building, looking down at her own crotch to see everything was okay, no blood. She was still getting used to swinging around while wearing the pad, but she figured it wasn’t exactly the highest priority when those things were designed. Luz approached the edge of the building and took in a deep breath, as she looked down upon the passing cars underneath. “I’m okay… I am okay…”

Luz’s eyes suddenly widened as she heard a loud slamming sound, and turned around to see four metallic tentacles climbing the other side of the rooftop, as none other than Alador Blight arrived.

“Doctor Octopus!” Spider-Girl declared in shock as her body shot into her fight or flight response. “I didn’t even know you had escaped prison!”

Doctor Octopus attacked with his tentacles, which Luz avoided with a series of calculated back flips, before dashing forward and throwing a punch to Alador’s face. The punch when through him as if he was a ghost, and Spidey’s strike shattered to pieces the door that led to the stairway into the building. Luz gasped and turned, seeing that Doc Ock had vanished.

“What?” Luz asked as she looked around in a frenzy, but Alador was truly gone. “Is Blight a magician now?”

Luz brought her hand to her forehead and began shaking her head. She must have been overworked or something. She should head back home. Luz back flipped from one rooftop onto the other and prepared to fire her web, only to feel a strange slimy material under her sole. She looked down to see she had just stepped onto a puddle of purple goo, which came to life and took on a humanoid shape.

“The Abomination! I must have fallen into some kind of trap!” Spider-Girl yelled as her eyes widened in shock. Her focus was entirely on Darius as his body fully formed and he morphed his hand into an axe.

Luz dodged with a quick back-hop, almost falling off the building, before firing several nets of webbing as fast as she could. She had to completely web Darius up, even a little gab would be enough for him to slide through. The webs flew right through his body as he disappeared, and Luz began breathing heavily as she saw that she had just fired her webs at the wall. Luz took a step back and looked at her hands, seeing they were beginning to shake.

“I have to get out of here!” Luz declared as she jumped off the building and began swinging away. She saw a shadow above her, and looked up to see a woman wearing a bat costume with large wings. “The Bat Queen! Is she really there? Ugh! I can’t take a chance! She’s too dangerous!”

The Bat Queen flew towards Spider-Girl and tried to slice her with the wings, only for Luz to avoid it by jumping off the web mid-swing. Luz fired another web at a nearby building and swung towards the Bat Queen, jumping and throwing a punch to her face, only for Luz to phase through the Bat Queen as she disappeared. Luz landed on her feet on the top of the building, only for her legs to lose their strength and tumble, Luz rolling across the rooftop.

“What is happening to me?” Spider-Girl asked as she got back to her feet, her legs shaking just as her hands did. Her vision was blurry and her heart was beating so fast she felt like it was trying to jump off her chest. Luz looked around in desperation, her head moving quickly and frenetically. Luz brought her hand to her own neck, as she felt like she could not breathe. “I’m seeing…”

Luz exhaled mid-sentence and almost fell to her knees.

“I’m seeing things… I can’t trust my eyes and ears!” Luz whispered in between breaths. She saw a shadow and looked up in terror, to see it was just a small pigeon flying above her. A cat suddenly ran near her with a loud meow, and Luz screamed in shock and fell off the building.

Spider-Girl screamed and fired a web at a gargoyle, but instead of swinging, she simply broke her fall and then slammed herself onto the side of the building by accident. The web escaped her hands and she fell for a few more moments, before she reached for the building and glued herself to it with her fingers. Luz took a few moments to breathe, and looked down to see she was actually close to the ground. She jumped onto the alley below, only to trip and fall to the ground. Luz curled herself up on the ground while gasping for air. Her heartbeats were so fast that she felt she was about to explode.

“I have to… I… I… I can’t… I…” Luz breathed weakly in between gasps. She groaned in pain as she forced herself back up, almost losing her balance. “I am losing my mind!”

Noceda residence.

Luz, now wearing her civilian clothes, ran to her house as fast as she could. She pushed open the door and basically flew up the stairs, Camila only realized Luz had arrived when she had already reached the second floor.

“Mija?” Camila asked as she saw the door to the bathroom upstairs being slammed closed. “Luz? Is everything okay?”

Luz didn’t even bother to take her clothes off as she dashed to under the shower and turned it on, and tightly shut her eyes as the water fell onto her. No matter how hard she inhaled, she still felt like she was suffocating, but at the same time, no matter how hard she exhaled, she still felt like there was too much air in her lungs. Luz’s heart felt like a bomb going off in her chest a thousand times per minute.

“I’m going crazy! I’m going crazy! I’m going crazy!” Luz whispered to herself. She turned off the shower and made her way to the mirror. Her pupils were dilated and her skin was going pale. She had just come out of the cold shower but she was sweating. At the same time her hands were shaking. She felt like if she closed her mouth she would suffocate. “What is happening to me?”

“Luz?” She heard alongside knocks on the door. Luz turned to the door with an expression of almost horror, her body going into shock even from something as familiar as Camila’s voice. “Are you okay in there? Do you want help?”

Luz turned back to the mirror, looking at herself as if she were a ghost.

Yes… she did need help!

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Bye, Mr. Hopkins.” Masha commented as they and Ned entered the elevator while holding hands.

“See you tomorrow.” Hopkins answered, before the elevator closed. Hopkins nodded and began making his way back to his office. He loved closing time at the Daily Bugle. It was always so calm.

“Hopkins!” Robbie yelled as he ran into the room.

Okay, maybe not always.

“It better be important for you to be here this late.” Hopkins commented. “I hope you realize I don’t pay overtime.”

 “It’s about Doctor Rinehart!” Robbie declared.

Robbie told Hopkins the information he had just found, and the old man’s expression changed into one of shock.

“What?” Hopkins yelled, his voice being so loud that the people walking on the sidewalk below looked up to the building in surprise. Hopkins ran to the elevator as fast as he could. “If this is true, I’ll be a laughing stock once again!”

Queens.

“The paper said this is Rinehart’s address.” Spider-Girl commented as she landed on the sidewalk in front of the small suburban house. “He was the only one who realized I was mentally ill… If anyone can help me, it is him!”

Luz approached the house and pressed the doorbell. She looked up to see a small camera recording the door.

“Spider-Girl! Thank heavens you came.” Rinehart’s voice came from a small audio device near the door. “I am always willing to help someone in need.”

Luz heard the sound of the door unlocking automatically, and walked into the house. The living room seemed to be completely normal, with a mirror, a fishbowl, and a large TV.

“I’m in here!” Rinehart called from the other room.

“I can’t get cold feet now! Even though we’ve never met, Rinehart predicted I’d crack up! He must understand my mind better than I do!” Luz whispered to herself as she slowly made her way to the other room. She opened the door, and gasped in shock at the scene before her.

“Hello, Spider-Girl.” Rinehart declared as he stood on the ceiling, except the ceiling was actually the floor. The entire room was upside down. Despite this, nothing in the room seemed to be affected by gravity, as nothing from the furniture to any of Rinehart’s trinkets were falling from the ceiling. “Please take a seat.”

“I’m having another hallucination!” Luz declared as she turned around and ran back to the way she came. The living room she had just walked across was also upside down, yet nothing was falling, not even the water and the fish in the fishbowl. “It’s too late! I can’t trust myself any longer!”

Luz jumped and stuck to the floor, which was now the ceiling, and opened the door, only to gasp upon seeing the entrance had been covered by a solid brick wall. Luz once again began to hyperventilate with her head spinning. She covered her eyes with her hands, not knowing what else to do.

“Spider-Girl?” Rinehart asked as he gently placed his hand on Luz’s shoulder.

“I-I’m going crazy…” Luz whispered, more to herself than to the doctor.

“Please, you have to let me help you. I need you to trust me. Open your eyes.” Rinehart whispered in a paternal tone of voice. Luz hesitated slightly, before taking her hands off her eyes and seeing the room was once again as normal as when she first came.

“I think I’m going mad…” She whispered.

“Nothing is hopeless. Come with me.” Rinehart declared as he led Spider-Girl back to the room she had just ran away from. Everything there seemed normal also. Rinehart pointed to a small therapy couch. Spider-Girl nodded and got onto it. “Now… what has been troubling you?”

“I’ve been having those hallucinations… I can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is just in my head…” Luz explained, a tone of fear slightly noticeable in her voice. “I think I’m about to lose my mind…”

“That is to be expected. You’ve been living a double existence for too long.” Rinehart declared in a matter-of-factly tone. He made his way to his desk and pulled out a paper with a Rorschach test. “You’re in need of prolonged psychotherapy. Now tell me… what do you see?”

“I see…” Luz whispered, when the black blob on the paper suddenly morphed into the shape of a tentacle, which flew out of the page and almost struck Spider-Girl on the head, Luz dodging at the last second. Doctor Octopus pulled back his tentacle, and Luz looked around to see the Abomination and the Bat Queen approaching her from the sides. “They’re here! They’re coming out of the walls! They’re going to kill me!”

“Spider-Girl! You have to believe me!” Rinehart declared as he approached her, completely ignoring the villains that surrounded them. “We’re the only ones in this room! There is nobody else, just the two of us!”

“I can see them! I can see them as clearly as I can see you!” Spider-Girl declared in desperation.

“This is merely a symptom of your schizophrenia!” Rinehart declared as he held to her shoulders. “Just close your eyes and count to five!”

Spider-Girl nodded and did as he said. She breathed for a few moments and opened her eyes, to see the villains had all disappeared.

“They’re... gone… I’m… okay?” Luz asked.

“This means there is still hope for you!” Rinehart explained. “I need you to relax and let your guard down. I must begin your treatment immediately.”

Luz nodded for a few moments, and then laid down on the couch. She had to do what he said, she had no one else to turn to.

Queens.

Boscha walked down the dark sidewalks, wearing a large overcoat that covered whatever outfit she was wearing under it and holding a handbag. She glanced at her wrist, looking at her small watch.

“If I get home late again, my mom is going to kill me!” Boscha whispered and then looked ahead, to see a taxi parking near her and a man running out. “Wait… that is… Jacob Hopkins!”

“That is the place!” Hopkins declared as he ran towards Rinehart’s house.

“Hey!” Hopkins heard, and glanced back to see Boscha running after him. “You’re the one who’s been slandering Spider-Girl, aren’t you? As the president of the Spider-Girl fan-club, I wanna protest your policy!”

“If you got a gripe, send a letter, you brat!” Hopkins declared and continued running to the house.

“Is that how you treat your readers? I even used to deliver your papers after school!” Boscha declared in anger as she continued to run after him. “Why don’t you pick on the actually lame heroes like the Human Torch or the X-Men?”

“My heart bleeds for you! Now shut up!” Hopkins yelled back sarcastically as he ran right into Rinehart’s house, Boscha still chasing after him.

Therapy session.

“The root of your issues is your secret identity.” Rinehart declared. “Much of the strain would be gone if you revealed who you truly are.”

“I can’t!” Spider-Girl declared. “Too many people would be hurt!”

“Why don’t you take off the mask and let me be the judge?” Rinehart asked as he gently put his hand on Luz’s shoulder. “You can trust me. I am your doctor.”

“I… I…” Luz whispered in hesitancy.

“Spider-Girl, I am the only person in the world who can help you.” Rinehart declared. “I need you to let me in.”

Spider-Girl thought over the situation for a few moments. She nodded. She reached for her mask and began taking it off.

“You!” Hopkins yelled as he stormed into the room. They both turned to him in surprise, Luz putting her mask back on in a reflex. Hopkins pointed at Rinehart in anger. “The real Doctor Rinehart is currently on a business trip to Europe! Whatever your real name is, you are a fake!”

“You idiot!” ‘Rinehart’ whispered in anger. Hopkins turned to Spider-Girl in surprise, wondering what the hell his arch-nemesis was doing there.

“Wait… You’re not a real doctor?” Spider-Girl asked in surprise as she pointed at Rinehart.

“Don’t listen to him! He is lying!” ‘Rinehart’ yelled in response, starting to panic slightly. They suddenly heard the door flinging open once again, and turned to see Boscha running in.

“And another thing… Spider-Girl?” Boscha asked in surprise, only to suddenly gush in excitement. Spider-Girl stared back at her school bully with confusion. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Remember me? I helped you fight Doctor Doom!”

“Damn it! This situation has gone out of control!” ‘Rinehart’ declared as he began running to the other side of the room, throwing his walking cane to the ground. Spider-Girl ran after him, only for Doctor Octopus, Abomination, and Bat Queen to block her way.

“What the hell are those three doing there?” Hopkins asked in shock.

“Kick their butts, Spidey!” Boscha yelled.

“They can see them as well! This means they’re not hallucinations… This doesn’t make any sense!” Spider-Girl declared, when her face suddenly morphed into an expression of realization.

Spider-Girl closed her eyes and ran straight towards the three villains, dashing right through them as if they were ghosts. She opened her eyes and looked down, seeing the suit ‘Rinehart’ was wearing, alongside the facemask and wig he worn to look like the real Rinehart.

“Show yourself, Mysterio!” Spider-Girl ordered.

“You’ve finally figured it out, you little brat!” Mysterio declared as he appeared into the room in a cloud of green smoke, Spidey’s mask reflecting on his fishbowl helmet. “If I can’t make you take off the mask, I’ll just have to rip it out of your corpse!”

The several drones around the room that were creating the holograms suddenly de-cloaked themselves, and prepared their machine guns, all aimed at Spider-Girl.

“You know, Hopkins, I’ll kill you last, that way you’ll die knowing that the blood of both Spider-Girl and that other brat are in your hands!” Adrian Graye declared in anger as he seemed to turn invisible.

“What the hell is going on here?” Hopkins yelled in shock, while Masha did nothing but scream like a little girl.

“Everybody, get down!” Spider-Girl ordered, which the two obeyed as she dodged the bullets, she quickly grabbed the therapy couch and ripped it out of the ground. That’s why it didn’t fall when the room was upside down, it was welded to the floor. She quickly used it to block the following shots, before gluing a web to it and spinning it around, exploding the drones surrounding her. “You were the one spreading around that I’m schizophrenic! I’m assuming you paid off the other people Hopkins interviewed?”

“Maybe I did! Maybe I didn’t! What would be the point if I just gave you the answers?” Mysterio’s voice echoed across the room. Cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, and thousands of small spiders crawled out, before they came together into humanoid shapes, and the enemies made of spiders dashed towards Spider-Girl. “Maybe I've been around for some time, and you just didn't know it! Maybe I'm behind all those little things that have been going wrong with your life! Maybe it's all been me!”

“Your holograms really had me going there! I actually freaked out!” Spider-girl declared in anger as she dashed and struck one of the spider creatures, revealing it to actually be a robot hidden behind holograms. She turned around and knocked several other robots away with a flying kick. Luz smelled blood and looked down at her own crotch. Really? Now of all times?

“You fell for another illusion, Web Slinger!” Mysterio declared as the room suddenly began spinning upside down. Hopkins and Masha screamed, before Spidey fired her webs and glued them to the floor, preventing them from falling on their faces. Spider-Girl turned around to see a cat and a bird dashing towards her. Their faces opened up to reveal they were actually robots with machine guns. Spidey avoided the shots and struck the two with impact webbing, the robots breaking to pieces. She looked down at the remains, seeing small bottles labelled ‘dextroamphetamine’ near a small machine that released it in the form of odorless and colorless gas.

“Those chemicals cause anxiety and panic attacks!” Spider-Girl declared as several rats with bat wings flew out of the walls and began firing bullets from their mouths. Spider-Girl back flipped to dodge and struck them with impact webbing, blowing them up and revealing them to actually be drones. “If it affected me then it must have been a high enough dose to enough to overdose a normal person! You could have killed me!”

Mysterio simply laughed in response, his voice echoing across the house. Luz closed her eyes and fired blasts of impact webbing, destroying the final five drones as the illusion dissipated. She saw Mysterio running on the ceiling with his magnetized boots and dashing towards the door. Adrian opened it and pressed a button on his wrist, making the brick wall that blocked the entrance retract.

Spider-Girl fired a web and swung towards Mysterio as fast as she could. She could see with the corner of her eye that the fishbowl on the living room was actually empty, both the water and the fish were holograms. Mysterio turned to her in shock as she struck him on the head, shattering right through his mask and knocking him to the ground.

“You just had to make it personal, didn’t you?” Spider-Girl yelled as she prepared to punch Adrian again. Adrian closed his eyes in fear, and Spider-Girl sighed, swiftly webbing him up. She made her way to the other room and leaped to the ceiling, tearing both Hopkins and Boscha out of her webs.

“Spider-Girl! I’m your biggest fan!” Boscha declared. “Do a backflip!”

“You two were working together to humiliate me, weren’t you?” Hopkins declared in anger. “I’ll have you behind bars!”

“Shut up!” Spider-Girl yelled in utter rage. Luz had had enough madness for a single day. “Boscha, you go back home! Hopkins, you go publish a retraction, and you!”

Spider-Girl turned to Mysterio.

“I better not be seeing your ugly face for a while, or so help me!” Luz screamed from the top of her lungs, and then made her way out of the house, swiftly swinging away.

The three stared at her in shock, before Boscha suddenly smiled.

“She knew my name!”

Noceda residence.

“Luz? Are you okay in there?” Camila asked as she knocked on the door, and then entered her daughter’s room. Luz was on bed, staring at the ceiling with her whole body covered up. “The Daily Bugle just released a retraction, Spider-Girl isn’t actually crazy. Forget what I said about you not taking pictures of her.”

Luz glanced at Camila, and then went back to looking at the ceiling. Camila entered the room and sat on the bed near Luz.

“Are you okay?”

“Not right now, no.” Luz admitted. “But I will be.”

“Luz, I know what you’re going through right now is hard, but this is just a part of growing up.” Camila explained. “Everyone goes through hardships and challenges, those things can sometimes make us doubt ourselves, but at the end of the day, when you see through the lies and find out what is real, they just help us find out more about who we are… and I know you’re a wonderful kid, Luz. I just can’t wait to see the wonderful adult you will become.”

Luz thought over her words for a few moments, and then nodded with a sigh.

“Thanks, mom.” Luz whispered. Camila smiled and gave Luz a kiss on the forehead.

“Try to get some sleep.” Camila advised. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Luz declared as Camila left the room.

Ryker's Island.

“Damn that Spider-Girl!” Adrian declared as he laid on the bed inside his cell. “I will have my revenge! I swear I will! No prison will keep Mysterio down for long!”

“Time to get some sleep.” The guard declared outside as the lights from all of the cells turned off. Adrian’s expression changed into one of confusion as he noticed a small purple light coming from underneath his bed. He reached and pulled out a small tablet.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Vernworth.” Declared a voice from the device.

“Mysterious! I like your style!” Adrian declared with a cocky smile.

“You may call me the Master Planner.” The voice declared. “I have a proposition for you…”

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Spider-Slayer.

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: Wow, stealing the credit for defeating Scorpion? I knew that Hopkins was a piece of shit, but that's low even for him. Especially since he started this mess

Bit of a shame that Luz can't be with Masha; but if they're happy, that's all that matters

“I got used to Hopkins being scum, but he still gets to my nerves sometimes.” Luz whispered, and then brought her fingers to her forehead. “I’ve got such a headache…”

Celtarican: No fucking way, he literally *funded* this one! I’m surprised he doesn’t get arrested for this shit!

Also damn, Luz could’ve gotten the big bucks if Hopkins wasn’t the only idiot in the papers. sucks to see, but I hope things turn up soon

“Hopkins is so self-centered and obsessed that he almost blocks everyone else out. This guy couldn’t figure out who Spider-Girl is even if she was standing right in front of him, which most of the times she is.” Luz whispered with a weak expression. “Although I do wonder where Scorpion came from. I never found out how she got her powers and armor. I never found out where those came from.”

Luz shook her head and looked directly at you, the reader.

“Sorry I can’t be as energetic as always. I’m kind of going through… something…” Luz whispered as she shook her head, and forced a small smile to appear on her lips. “But I just want you guys to know I’m happy you’re here. Thank you for 1.5 thousand hits. It means a lot to me. See you next time, true believers. Excelsior.”

Luz’s smile dropped as she put her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. It had truly been a long day.

Chapter Text

The Spider-Slayer.

Manhattan.

“I can’t get late for work again!” Spider-Girl declared as she swung through the rooftops as fast as she could. Luz suddenly stopped as she felt her spider sense tingle, and turned to see three men walking towards a car. One of them pulled out a screwdriver and jammed it into the upper side of the window, while the other two surrounded him and looked around. “Really? I don’t have time for this!”

Spidey prepared to swing in, when she noticed something from the corner of her eye. There was a guard passing by right at the end of the street. Luz reached for her belt and activated her spider signal, the red light engulfing the entire scene and attracting the guard’s attention.

“Ah! It’s Spider-Girl!” One of the thieves declared, when the red light disappeared and the guard ran towards them.

“Hey! What is going on here?” The guard asked.

“Alright!” Spider-Girl declared as she pulled out her camera and took a few quick pictures of the arrest, before swinging towards the Bugle as fast as she could. “Work smarter, not harder!”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“I’ll give you $200 for those pictures.” Hopkins declared.

“$200?” Luz asked as she sat on one of the chairs across Hopkins’ desk, Robbie sitting on the other. “Our regular is $400!”

“Our regular is Spider-Girl pictures, not this guard plying cops and robbers.” Hopkins declared.

“Just ask the witnesses! They saw the spider signal! Spider-Girl was there!” Luz declared, to which Hopkins simply shrugged.

“Luz owes me $600.” Robbie explained. “She was supposed to have paid me three days ago.”

Robbie had truly been a life saver. Luz was going through so much during the battle against Mysterio the week before that she completely forgot to take any pictures, and she needed to pay rent somehow. The downside is that she’d have to pay him back eventually, and they haven’t exactly been seeing many super villains for her to photograph.

“I missed the part where that’s my problem.” Hopkins declared as he signed the check and held it forward. Luz sighed loudly and took the check, before the two walked out of their employer’s office.

“Sorry, Robby.” Luz whispered. “You can keep those two hundred now, and when I get the rest, I’ll–”

“Don’t worry I can wait a few more days.” Robbie interrupted. “Although I’ll need my money eventually. You’re not the only one here who has to pay rent. Is it okay if I show up at your house tomorrow to work this out?”

“Yes! Of course! That would be great!” Luz declared, trying to hide how awkward she felt. Robbie nodded and walked to his desk. Luz had until the next day to find a villain to fight so she could take pictures. Luz heard the elevator door opening, and turned to see a skinny tall woman with dark skin. Alongside her was a large muscular man with a beard and dark skin, who was pushing a robot into the room. “Why is it that we can’t have even one normal day in this newspaper?”

“What is this junk you’re bringing into my building?” Hopkins asked as he left his office.

“Greetings, friend!” The woman declared with a smile and a tip of her straw boater hat, and then straightened her red bowtie. Masha, Ned, and Robbie all turned to look at the woman with an expression of confusion. “My name Smythe, Severine Smythe, and I am here to present you the only effective solution to your problem!”

“Problem?” Hopkins asked.

“Yes! Ya got trouble, my friend! Trouble named Spider-Girl!” Severine declared firing a finger pistol at Hopkins, and then took a step forward and shook his hand. “You’re a clever man, Jacob! You are the only one to see how troublesome things are, and speaking of ‘are’, ‘R’ stands for ‘Robot’!”

Severine snapped her fingers twice and then ran back to the machine.

“I present you… The Spider-Slayer!” Severine declared as she struck a pose while pointing at the robot. “Forget all the other robots you’ve seen before, my friend! This one is a real doozy! I guarantee you that Spider-Girl wouldn’t last a second against this wonder of modern technology! Not even Flynn Industries could create something so advanced!”

Luz stared at the robot with an unimpressed expression. That pile of junk was supposed to defeat her? It would probably have an easier time making her laugh to death. Hopkins stared at the robot, seeming to be just as doubtful. Luz glanced at the machine once again, and a smile formed on her face. This would be a piece of cake, she just had to crush this junk as Spider-Girl and then take a few pictures. It was basically free money.

“I believe her.” Luz lied, to which Severine turned to her with a smile. “It takes guts to try fighting Spider-Girl, so if Smythe is so confident in this bizarre looking thing, I say she deserves a shot.”

“Clever girl! I like her! Give her a raise!” Severine commented, pointing at Luz several times by extending and then pulling back her arms.

“Silence, Noceda! This decision is mine to make!” Hopkins declared and then turned to Severine. “You know what? It takes guts to try fighting Spider-Girl, so if you’re so confident in this bizarre looking thing, I say you deserve a shot. Good thing I thought about that.”

“I couldn’t agree more, my dear friend! Now to demonstrate my mechanical wonders!” Severine declared as she practically skipped back to the robot and extended her hand to the muscular man. “Harvey! Spiders!”

Harvey reached for the compartment in the back of the robot, pulled out a small transparent jar filled with spiders, and handed it to his boss. She then made her way to Luz and handed her the jar. Luz stared at it in confusion, as Harvey handed Severine a small controller, which reminded Luz of a video game joystick. The robot suddenly came to life, Severine’s face appearing on the screen.

“Is this safe?” Luz asked as the robot stepped towards her. She had to stop her body from dodging on instinct as her spider sense began to flare.

“Don’t worry, kid! I’m a professional!” Severine declared with a smile as she controlled the robot to approach Luz. “Now let’s play squish the spider!”

Severine pressed the attack button, and the robot suddenly released several tendrils. However, instead of attacking the spiders in the jar, the tendrils flew and tied Luz up. Luz gasped in shock, as she realized she wouldn’t have been able to break those metal tentacles even if she wanted to.

“Weird… the robot is programmed to attack the spider… must have been a glitch, I’ll fix it later.” Severine commented, whispering to the point in which Hopkins couldn’t have heard her. She quickly returned to her joyful demeanor as she skipped towards Hopkins and put her arm on his shoulder in a relaxed manner. “Impressed, friend? Just $100 thousand, and it is yours!”

“This is incredible!” Hopkins declared. “I’ll take it!”

“Can someone get me out of here?” Luz complained, still stuck in the tendrils. Just what had Luz gotten herself into this time?

Midtown High School.

A whole day had passed.

“That was how I helped Spider-Girl take down Mysterio!” Boscha declared in an overconfident tone of voice as she held her nose up, and all of her friends sitting near her on the cafeteria began clapping in excitement.

“This story gets better every time you tell it!”

“You’re so cool, Boscha!”

“You beat both Doctor Doom and Mysterio! Spider-Girl should just take you up as a sidekick already!”

“What would even be your superhero name? Agent Spider?”

Boscha smiled with overconfidence as she heard the same compliments she heard every single day, and her expression changed as she saw Luz coming into the cafeteria through the door.

“Well, well, well! Look who it is!” Boscha declared as she got up and made her way towards Luz, who felt her spider sense tingling and sighed as she let Boscha trip her. “Knock, knock, Luzer!”

“What do you want, Boscha?” Luz asked as she sat up.

“Your lunch money would be a good start.” She declared while looking down upon Luz.

“I don’t have lunch money! I don’t have any money!” Luz declared as she got back up. She sounded less angry and more tired.

“Oh! Boo hoo!” Boscha declared in a mocking tone, when the school bell suddenly rang. Boscha pushed Luz once again. “You better have some money for me when we leave, or else the only thing you’ll be having will be my fists on your face.”

Boscha walked out of the cafeteria alongside all of the other students. Luz stared at the door for a few moments with a tired expression, and then made her way back to the classroom.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“You move the arms like this and the legs like this. This one makes it attack.” Severine explained as she showed the buttons, and then handed the controller to Hopkins. “For safety reasons, the Spider-Slayer is programmed to only attack when it senses the essence of a spider.”

“This is great!” Hopkins declared with a smile as he turned on the controller. Hopkins’ face appeared on the screen of the robot, and the small screen at the center of the controller showed what the robot was seeing. Hopkins giggled like a little girl as the robot began heading to the elevator. The Spider-Slayer looked around at the workers of the Bugle as Hopkins’ voice came out of it. “What are you looking at? Go back to work!”

“The Spider-Slayer is built with a radar that will track down spider impulses.” Severine explained as the robot when down the elevator. “Spider-Girl can’t hide from us.”

Midtown High School.

Luz walked down the stairs as she left the school grounds. She knew Robbie must have been heading to her house right now, and she still didn’t have the money to pay him. She saw something from the corner of her eye, and gasped as she realized the large robot coming around the corner of the street. If that thing attacked her while she was in her civilian clothes, she wouldn’t be able to fight back without giving away her secret identity. She had to get into her costume.

Luz’s eyes widened as her spider sense flared, and she quickly back flipped over a figure attacking her from behind.

“You little witch!” Boscha declared in annoyance as she turned to Luz.

“Get her, Boscha!” One of Boscha’s friends cheered as they watched the scene. “Beat that nerd up!”

“You still haven’t got my money, Luzer?” Boscha asked in a teasing tone of voice. “What are you gonna do now?”

“I know exactly what I’ll do.” Luz declared with a serious expression, and then turned around and ran away from the teenagers as fast as she could.

“Come back here, you chicken!” Boscha yelled in anger as she pursued Luz, all of her friends chasing after.

“Hey, what is going on there?” Hopkins asked as he noticed his radar was pointing towards the commotion. “Spider-Girl should be right there! Those damn hippies are blocking my view! I can’t see who she is!”

The Spider-Slayer headed after the crowd of teenagers. Luz swiftly ran around a corner and into a dark alley. Boscha and the others followed, only to see their bully victim was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she run off to?” Boscha asked, when her expression changed into one of annoyance. “Alright! If she’s going to hide, I’ll just have to go straight to her house!”

The bullies saw a blur flying above them, and looked up to see a figure in spandex standing right at the top of a nearby building.

“Look! It’s Spider-Girl!”

“Great! The world’s saddest fan-club!” Spidey whispered.

“You’ve finally shown up!” Hopkins declared as the Spider-Slayer looked up at the hero. The robot fired its own fists like grappling hooks, the fists still being linked to the arms by chains, which grabbed onto the side of the building and pulled the robot to the rooftop. “If I want a job done right, I’ll just have to do it myself!”

“I don’t know what’s scarier, the robot or your ugly face!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped off the building and began swinging away. “Care for a little game of tag, Jacob?”

“Get back here, you miserable insect!” Hopkins declared as the Spider-Slayer’s legs unfolded from inside the robot, to reveal they were actually extremely long, to the point in which he could simply walk from one building to the other by taking a step.

“Arachnid!” Spider-Girl corrected as she continued to run through the rooftops. Luz just wished she was as confident as she sounded. Luz turned on the automatic camera on her belt and turned back to the Spider-Slayer. She changed the mode on her web shooters and fired several blasts of impact webbing. The web spheres flew like bullets and struck the robot’s hard shell, only to bounce off and fly onto the nearby building, making cracks on the walls. “This thing is stronger than stainless steel! What is it made of?”

“I’ve finally found a way to clip your wings forever, Spider-Girl!” Hopkins mocked as the robot continued to head towards Luz. She swiftly changed the mode on her web shooters and began firing several nets of webbing, which tied up the robot. Hopkins laughed as several spikes suddenly came out of the robot’s body, slicing the webbing and then morphing into tendrils that flew towards Spider-Girl, Luz somersaulting away at the last second. “Dodge all you want, insect! I’ll catch you eventually!”

“Those tentacles are almost as fast as the ones Doctor Octopus uses! Except instead of four, there are like fifteen!” Spider-Girl declared as she once again changed the mode of the web shooters and began swinging away as fast as she could, the Spider-Slayer chasing closely after. “I can’t hide from this robot because he can track my spider powers! Worst of all, I have to listen to Hopkins’ annoying voice the entire time!”

“You can’t escape me! I’ll chase you all the way to hell and back if I have to!” Hopkins declared as the Spider-Slayer chased Spider-Girl through the rooftops.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“You’re genius, Smythe!” Hopkins declared with a smile as he piloted the remote-control robot. “This is the most wonderful machine I have ever seen!”

“Anything for you, friend!” Severine declared with a smile as she looked over the check Hopkins had given her. Unknown to the two, however, was a figure watching them from behind the door.

“This is terrible! I have to help Spider-Girl somehow!” Ned whispered to himself. “If I’m right about her secret identity, then it is even worse!”

Ned breathed in and entered the room, trying to sound as calm as he could.

“What’s up, Hopkins?” Ned commented as he entered the room.

“What do you want? Can’t you go bother Masha?” Hopkins asked in annoyance.

“Masha already got all of their work done for today. They went home.” Ned explained. “I’m going to get coffee. Do you want one as well?”

“Don’t bother! Just leave me alone, you hippie!” Hopkins declared, not taking his eyes away from his controller. Ned turned to Severine and pointed at her, to which she smiled.

“Bring me a cappuccino espresso with two tablespoons of finely ground dark roast coffee and exactly four ounces of water and four ounces of carbon free milk, not a single drop less and not a single drop more.” She explained as she pulled out a few dollar bills from her pocket and handed it to Ned, who nodded and left the room.

He made his way to the elevator, and only then dropped the façade and anxiously pulled out his phone. Ned wanted to help Spidey, but he also needed to check something.

“Hello?” Asked the voice from the phone.

“Hello.” Ned asked. “Could I speak with Luz Noceda? I’m a friend from work.”

“She’s not home, sorry.” Camila explained. “Luz probably already left school, but she always gets bad traffic and ends up coming home late.”

“She’s not there, huh?” Ned asked as a suspicious expression appeared on his face. “Thanks for your time.”

Ned hung up as the elevator door opened and he walked out.

“Bad traffic, Luz?” Ned asked himself as he left the Bugle building.

Noceda residence.

Camila gently hung up the phone and sat back down on the sofa, looking at her guest with a smile.

“It was just a friend of my daughter.” Camila explained. She reached for one of the cups of tea and took a sip.

Queens.

“That should be it.” Robbie commented as he saw Luz’s house in the distance. The place looked about as average as he was expecting. He made his way to the tiny house, when he noticed a small group of teenagers walking down the sidewalk. “What is going on in there?”

“Let me pass! Let me pass!” Boscha declared as she made her way towards the entrance, walking right near Robbie. “Who are you?”

“Robbie Robertson.” He answered calmly. “I work at the Daily Bugle.”

“Oh, so you suck as well.” Boscha declared nonchalantly.

“Rude!” Robbie answered in a calm tone of voice as they reached the door and Boscha knocked on it angrily. Robbie glanced back to see Boscha’s friends waiting down the sidewalk for her to come back. “Do you always travel in a pack like this, you lost child?”

“That’s Boscha for you! You poor excuse for a journalist. Boscha Thompson!”  She declared as she crossed her arms. “It’s not my fault if I can’t get rid of my admirers!”

The two heard the doorknob moving, and turned to see Camila opening the door.

“Hi, I’m from the Daily Bugle. Luz said she’d be here.”

“I’m from Midtown High School. I’m searching for her as well.”

“Oh!” Camila commented as she stared at the two in curiosity. “Is either of you Luz’s boyfriend?”

Boscha’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Robbie choked on seemingly nothing for a moment.

“N-no! We’re just friends.” Robbie explained, regaining his composure.

“Well, my daughter isn’t here right now, but you can wait for her if you want.” Camila explained and signed for the two to come in.

“Thank you very much.” Robbie commented as they entered the house. Robbie was looking straight forward and keeping his professionalism, while Boscha was looking around with a disinterest expression.

“By the way, I already have a guest in here, so I hope you don’t mind.” Camila explained, as the guest came out of the bathroom and stood in front of them with her arms crossed. Boscha and Robbie both gasped in amazement as their eyes almost glowed in awe. Standing before them was the most beautiful girl either of them had ever seen in their entire lives. The goddess that they now saw made Hollywood stars and super models look cheap in comparison. “Meet my friend, Amity Blight.”

Manhattan.

“This thing just won’t give up! I thought the batteries would have run out by now! Just what is powering this robot?” Spider-Girl whispered as she ran across the rooftops, the Spider-Slayer in close pursuit. “He won’t even give me any time to breathe!”

“What? Getting tired of old fun-loving Hopkins?” The voice from the Spider-Slayer asked in a mocking tone as the robot tried to tackle the hero, who just barely avoided it with a back flip that sent her flying onto another building.

“Do I sound this corny when I quip?” Spidey asked herself as she turned to see the Spider-Slayer jumping after her, his landing on the rooftop making the entire building quake. “If I keep on running, I’ll just end up tiring myself out and he’ll catch me! I have to make a stand and fight!”

“Tired of fleeing, insect?” Hopkins declared with a laugh as the robot released its tendrils. Spider-Girl leaped over them, only for the coils to suddenly speed up and bent in midair, tying Luz up in the metal ropes that were stronger than any chain. “I wish I could bottle up this moment, so I could take off the cork and re-live it whenever I want!”

“I can barely move!” Spider-Girl declared in annoyance as the metal ropes became tighter and tighter by the second. If Luz was a normal person, all of her bones would have been shattered. “This guy is going to kill me!”

“What a wonderful sight! A freaky inhuman vigilante defeated by the scientific knowledge of humanity! Who doesn’t love an underdog story?” Hopkins commented with a smile. “I must reward Noceda for convincing me to use this device! To prove my gratitude, I will be unusually generous to her! I will for now on call her Luz!”

“I’d like to reward her as well… with a slap to the face!” Luz whispered to herself as she continued to struggle against the tendrils. “C’mon, Spidey! If you’re still breathing, there is still hope!”

“Once my triumph is made public, I will probably be asked to join the Avengers!” Hopkins commented. “Can you imagine that? Me standing shoulder to shoulder with Captain America! I bet I’d actually be taller than her!”

“I don’t know what is killing me faster, the robot or you blabbing!” Spider-Girl complained.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Now say your last words before defeat, Spider-Girl! I want to hear you surrender!” Hopkins declared with a wide smile.

Severine seemed to be more interested on her fingernails than in whatever was happening in the battle. The scientist heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to see Ned walking in with two cups of coffee in his hands. Severine signed for him with her head as he approached her.

“Here is your coffee.” Ned commented as he was about to hand the cup to her. He suddenly pretended to trip, the cup flying out of his hands and hitting Hopkins on the chest, the control flying out of the old man’s hands and hitting the ground.

“My jacket! Do you know how expensive this is?” Hopkins complained as he looked over the coffee stains on his clothes. “You’ll have to pay for this, you brat!”

Severine stared at the millionaire in slight surprise while Hopkins continued to complain about his jacket, neither of them realizing that Ned was actually focused on the screen that showed Spider-Girl still struggling against the tendrils.

Manhattan.

“Huh?” Spider-Girl whispered as the robot suddenly stopped moving, and the tendrils stopped tightening themselves around her. Luz wondered what had happened, but quickly shook her head, deciding it didn’t matter. She struggled against the tendrils for a few more seconds, just barely managing to reach for the robot’s chest. She glued her fingers to it and pulled back her arm, tearing its chest right open and revealing the circuits inside. “Time to put my mechanics to the test!”

Luz looked over the circuits for a few moments, and then reached for one of the wires. She pulled it out and the tendrils suddenly opened up and released her.

“Alright, Boscha, after this one you can call me a bookworm all you want! I’ll take it as a compliment!” Luz whispered to herself as she began to tinker with the insides of the machine.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Ugh! What is going on in here?” Hopkins asked as he picked the controller back up, just finished with taking off his jacket. His eyes widened as he looked at the screen, seeing that the Spider-Slayer was not holding Spider-Girl, but instead a mannequin made of webs. “She got away!”

“Hey, ugly face! Up here!” Spider-Girl declared, as the robot looked up to see her standing on the side of a nearby building.

“You should have run while you still could, you little rascal!” Hopkins declared as the robot dropped the mannequin and prepared to fire its tendrils at the hero. The tendrils suddenly stopped moving in midair, as the Spider-Slayer suddenly began shaking and sparks began flying out of it. “Smythe! What is the meaning of this?”

“This isn’t supposed to happen!” Severine declared in shock. “She must have messed with the hardware!”

The Spider-Slayer continued to shake for several seconds as Hopkins yelled and complained, only for the robot to suddenly explode in a large blast, the pieces falling to the ground worthlessly.

“I wonder if you know how beautifully your eyes glisten when you’re angry, Hoppy!” Spider-Girl quipped in a tone of sarcasm.

“I want this arachnid prosecuted! I want her strung by her own web! I want Spider-Girl!” Hopkins screamed, as the screen on the ground suddenly cut to static, before going pitch black. “He made a fool out of me again! I should never have listened to that idiot Noceda!”

“I’m impressed with Spider-Girl. All of my calculation said the Spider-Slayer should have been able to beat her. I guess I’m going back to the drawing board.” Severine declared, as she scratched her chin with an expression of slight interest, and then shrugged. “I’ve been paid anyway, so whatever.”

“Get out of my building, you stupid Tinkerer! And take your stupid robots with you before I wrap this controller around your scrawny neck!” Hopkins yelled in anger.

Queens.

“Hey, Boscha!” One of her friends called as she walked away from the house. Boscha glanced back to see both Robbie and Amity leaving into different directions, Robbie heading to the bus stop and Amity heading to a small limousine. “Did you find Luzer?”

“She didn’t show up for hours! She must be hiding in fear of facing me!” Boscha declared as they began walking away. “Whatever! Let her be a chicken all she wants! We got to see Spider-Girl in action today, so I consider this a win!”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“Vandalism: Domestic terrorist Spider-Girl destroys Daily Bugle property.” Robbie read the newspaper headline as the two walked out of the elevator. “Hopkins loves his fancy headlines, doesn’t he?”

“Sorry that I didn’t show up to pay you back home.” Luz commented as she handed Robbie the check she had taken from Hopkins in exchange for the pictures. Robbie nodded, when the two heard footsteps and turned to see Ned passing by them.

“Hey, Luz.” Ned commented. “I haven’t seen you all day. Where have you been?”

“Stuck on traffic.”

“It is always bad traffic with you, huh?” Ned commented with a suspicious expression, before he nodded and left the building.

“Why is it that we can’t have even one normal day in this newspaper?” Luz whispered as she and Robbie walked out of through the exit door.

Noceda residence.

Luz walked into the house and basically collapsed onto the sofa. She was even more exhausted than normally. She heard footsteps and looked up to see her mom walking down the stairs.

“Hey, Mija!” She greeted. “You remember that girl I told you about, Amity? She was just here earlier today. Too bad you got stuck in traffic, because you just missed her.”

“Oh no. Whatever will I do about that.” Luz whispered in response.

“When I was showing her the house, I let her take a glance of your room, and she noticed this behind your bookcase.” Camila commented as she revealed that she was holding Luz’s old Spider-Girl suit, the Ditko Costume. Luz’s eyes widened in surprise. “What is this?”

“Oh! That’s… a Halloween costume!” Luz declared as she got up from the sofa. “It is right around the corner, isn’t it?”

Camila nodded.

“I’ll put it back where it was.” Camila explained, and then took a look at her daughter. “You look exhausted.”

“It’s been a busy day!” Luz declared.

“Be careful out there, querida.” Camila commented as she began heading upstairs. “You’re a strong kid, but you’re no Spider-Girl.”

Luz nodded and then collapsed back into the sofa, sighing loudly.

Unknown location.

Smythe looked up at the large building before her. The Tinkerer couldn’t deny that the place was quite a menacing sight.

“Tinkerer…” Severine whispered to herself in annoyance. It seemed like Hopkins’ stupid nickname had stuck. Didn’t matter, Smythe would get back to Jacob by shifting all responsibility to him if anyone tried to sue her for property damage, since he was the one controlling the robot. The Tinkerer walked towards the entrance, so lost in her thoughts that she bumped onto a tall green haired woman who was just walking out through the door. “Excuse me.”

The woman’s blue eyes glanced at Severine, and she almost felt a shiver going down her spine as that judgmental gaze seemed to look right through her. The woman turned around and continued to walk away. Severine shook her head and walked into the building.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” The receptionist asked, to which Smythe showed a small paper. It was a job acceptance letter.

“I’ll be working here.” The Tinkerer explained. The company had been impressed by her design of the Spider-Slayer, so it wasn’t hard to get a job offer. “I’m just here to get everything signed before my first day.”

“Very well.” The receptionist declared as she typed on her keyboard. “Welcome to Blight Industries.”

To be continued.

Next chapter: Never Step on a Scorpion.

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: This was a hard chapter for Luz to deal with.

Just how was he able to drug Luz anyway?

And Captain America is a woman?

Anyway, must be awkward that Luz's bully is also the one person who'll always be on Spider-Girl's side no matter what

Maybe Luz can use that? Have a little chat with Boscha as Spider-Girl and ask her to stop bullying Luz and other people so much? Maybe offer a selfie as payment?

“Captain America! She’s is just the greatest super hero ever!” Luz declared with a wide smile as she jumped and threw several punches and kicks in the air, mimicking her childhood idol in stars and stripes. “When Captain America throws her mighty shield! All those who chose to oppose her shield must yield! If she's led to a–”

Luz stopped singing the theme song and glanced back at you, the readers, before blushing and scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

“Sorry, got a little carried away there.” Luz whispered and sat back down, looking upon the beautiful sunset from the top of the Empire State building. “What Mysterio did is that he basically put dextroamphetamine inside his robots, and the machinery inside converted it into a colorless and odorless gas. He then disguised his robots as a cat and a pigeon, and just had them wait around Manhattan for whenever I swung by. They sprayed it on me to force a panic attack. I believe he also had the same robots create the holograms of my enemies, which only made it even worse.”

Celtarican: 1.5k? Let’s GOOOOOOOOOO!!! Congrats!

Well, that was an awfully menacing chapter title

I really hoped when she said “I need help!” She’d tell Camila, but alas, I can only hope

Still hoping for spider Camila soon lol

Another awesome chapter! Alador’s gonna be teaming up with Adrian? Hope Amity and the kids are ok

“The title might be menacing, but it is accurate to how I felt back then.” Luz whispered with an awkward laugh, followed by a sigh. “I just hope they actually keep Adrian locked up this time. I’m not sure if I could go through something like that again any time soon… but enough talking about Mysterio! We’ve hit 1.5k hits just a week ago! I’m sure everything will be much brighter from here on!”

Shadowsnake89: Well, despite the personal things you were going through, you managed to take down Graye a second time. Judging by your reaction, seems like you're quickly growing tired with him. First he tries to get at you with money and then with your own mind. He might not want to push his luck with third times the charm.

“We’ve fought before, but this time he made it personal! I didn’t want it to be personal, but he chose to make it so! The amount of self-control it took to not just take his head and… UGH!” Luz groaned in anger. She sat back down and took a few moments to breathe, her mind calming as the seconds went by. “But it wasn’t the right thing to do. This is the difference between me and Graye. He crosses lines that I would not cross, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep it that way.”

Spider-Girl put her mask back on and jumped off the building, beginning to swing away towards the sunset.

“Thank you all for reading! It means a lot to me!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved at you. “Hope to see you all next time, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Never Step on a Scorpion.

It was a dark and stormy night on Ryker's Island, as several armed security guards walked around the building in the rain.

“Ugh! Couldn’t they at least have given us an umbrella?” One of the guards whispered as they patrolled the area near the energy generators. The two heard the sound of footsteps, and held tightly to their machine guns as they turned, and a large purple figure wearing armor approached the two.

“Gentlemen.” The Master Planner’s distorted voice came from within the robot. The two guards put down their weapons as the Planner looked up at the surveillance cameras. He had hacked them to play a recorded video on loop. The two guards nodded, recognizing the voice that had bribed them earlier that day, and simply walked out of the area. The robot approached the generators and placed a small device onto it, which was only about as big as a golf ball. Sparks of electricity came out of the device as the generators all fried themselves, and the entire prison went into complete darkness. “May my master plan begin!”

A loud alarm played all over the prison as the guards ran in desperation. Several armed guards approached Alador’s cell, preparing their machine guns.

“Don’t worry! His tentacles are turned off!” One of the guards declared.

Alador stared at them and smirked, as his tentacles suddenly came to life and pushed away the bars of the cell, breaking them out of the wall and knocking out the guards with them. Alador casually walked toward the cell right in front of his own and broke it open. He approached the small metal vase inside the cell, shattering it to pieces with his tentacles. A purple slime came out, and then took a humanoid shape.

“I’ve been having to listen to you monologue twice a day for almost three months!” Darius declared in annoyance.

“Will you shut your mouth and come with me, you pathetic excuse for a science experiment?” Alador asked in annoyance.

Darius rolled his eyes as the two ran down the corridor. They broke through a wall and reached another cell block, knocking out several more guards. Darius approached one of the cells and broke it open with his abomination hand.

“Prepare yourself, Times Square! The great Mysterio has returned!” Adrian declared as he walked out of the cell.

“Can someone please shut that guy up?” The Bat Queen complained as Alador broke her cell open. Doctor Octopus turned and broke open another cell, from which Flora D'splora walked out.

“Couldn’t you have broken us out without making so much noise?” Flora complained, holding her head in slight pain.

“We can leave you behind if that’s what you want.” The Bat Queen declared with a cocky smile. Alador approached a wall and easily broke it open with his tentacles, leading to the outside of the prison. The five ran out as several guards dashed towards them and opened fire. Darius jumped in and morphed his body into a large barrier, easily blocking all of the bullets. Doctor Octopus climbed over him and threw the guards away with his tentacles, knocking them out before they could react.

“What now? Do we climb the wall?” Flora asked in annoyance. Alador signed for her to wait, when a small arrowhead suddenly broke through the large wall that surrounded the prison. They heard a beeping sound before the arrowhead exploded, making a large hole on the wall.

“Hawkeye would be jealous of my archery skills.” Eberwolf declared with a bow in his hands as the other villains walked out of the prison through the hole he had made. He signed for them to follow him and then led them to the helicopter that was hidden nearby. Inside it was several Abomatons, which handed Adrian, Flora, and the Bat Queen large briefcases.

“You brought my business suit? How nice.” Adrian commented as the three opened the cases and pulled out their outfits, quickly putting them on.

Alador got into the helicopter and signed for the other five to follow him. Four of them did.

“D'splora, let’s go!”

“I’m not going with you!” Scorpion declared in anger, as she showed her claws. “I’m done taking orders from anyone! I don’t answer to you, to Hopkins, or to whoever this Master Planner is! There is only one person who can decide what I will do next, and that is me!”

“Very well.” Alador declared, not truly interested in the Scorpion’s monologue. Doc Ock sat down and signed for one of the Abomatons, which quickly got into the pilot seat as the helicopter took flight. Scorpion hissed and ran off into the night, preparing to swim back to New York. “It seems like we will have to be six instead of the planned seven.”

“Six?” Eberwolf asked. “There are only five of us.”

The Bat Queen glanced at the skies outside and smiled, as she got up and jumped off the helicopter, using her suit to fly near it.

“Oh! How I missed this!” The Bat Queen declared with an evil laugh.

Hexside Academy, Manhattan.

Luz looked around the academy. The place was gigantic, which was quite shocking for someone who is used to a small local high school. She noticed most of the students there seemed to be about her age, which would be strange for a regular university, but Hexside was an academy for the gifted, so it makes sense most of the people there were allowed to skip a few years, just like Luz was about to do.

She glanced around for a few seconds, and then walked towards a tall man wearing uniform.

“Excuse me, Mister… Bump?” Luz asked as she read his nametag.

“Yes. Hieronymus Bump.” The man commented. “How can I help you?”

“Where are the entrance exams being taken? I’m about to graduate from high school, so I decided to apply here.” Luz asked. Bump pointed to the side, and Luz glanced to see a massive line that seemed to go on forever. Luz sighed and stood at the end. “Does this place have a course on how to wait in line? ‘Cause I think I’m gonna need it!”

Queens.

“Pickles so green and meat so brown! Lunchtime's fun with Slushy the Clown!” Sung the man in the large foam clown costume as Luz and Camila entered the restaurant.

“Mom, are you sure we can afford this?” Luz asked, her voice showing slight worry but still keeping the smile on her face.

“The food here is not all that expensive.” Camila answered with a shrug as they passed by the several tables, where the many bystanders were sitting. “Plus, you’ll only turn 16 once.”

The two approached a small table at the center of the restaurant.

“Luz!” Their friends greeted in unison as they got up from the battle and approached the girl. Eda jokingly petted her head. Ned gave her a quick high five. Masha gave her a friendly hug. Robbie casually shook her hand.

“16 years! I remember back when I was your age!” Eda commented.

“Were the dinosaurs still around?” Masha asked, to which they all laughed, including Eda.

“Oh please! I might be old, but I am workin’ it!” Eda declared in an over-the-top tone, to which they all laughed.

Luz giggled as she looked over her friends, only for her to notice something on the corner of her eyes. Luz turned her head, and her eyes widened in shock. A familiar pair of eyes stared back at her, just as shocked, as Boscha stood on the other side of the room, wearing one of the restaurant’s employee uniforms. The high school bully panicked and ran through a door that had a ‘Staff only’ sign.

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” Luz whisper as she got up and ran to the door of the restroom, which was right next to the door Boscha had just gone into. Luz entered the bathroom and put her ear to the wall.

“What’s wrong?” A voice Luz did not recognize asked.

“I know that girl in table 22! She goes to my school!” Boscha answered.

“Good. You’ll be even more of a friendly face.”

“Jeremy!” Boscha complained. “If she tells anyone at school that I work here, I’ll be done for! It will ruin my reputation!”

“Thompson, remember the policy of Slushy Burgers. We serve with smiles to make them smile.” Jeremy explained. “My list even says that there is a birthday on that table. Those clients have to feel extra welcome today.”

“Come on! Can’t you help me out here?” Boscha pleaded.

“If the manager finds out you’re slacking back here, you’ll be fired. What are you going to tell your parents then?”

Boscha sighed.

“Fine!”

Luz got out of the bathroom and ran to the table, sitting back down just as Boscha left the staff only room.

“That’s why penguins cannot fly.” Eda explained, to which the others nodded in understanding. They all turned as Boscha approached them, several menus in her hands and a fake smile on her face.

“Hello! Welcome to Slushy Burgers! I hope you enjoy your stay!” Boscha declared in an overly joyful tone as she handed them all their menus.

“Haven’t I seen you before?” Robbie asked. Boscha pretended to not have heard him.

“I heard it is a special day for one of you! We are very proud that you chose to spend your birthday with us here at Slushy Burgers!” Boscha declared with a wide smile. She glanced at Luz, who was simply staring at her with a weirded-out expression. Boscha had to consciously stop her expression from changing into one of panic. “If you need anything just let me know! Have a good stay!”

Luz stared at Boscha as she turned around and walked a few steps, only to suddenly sprint the rest of the way to the staff only area.

“This is one of the weirdest moments in my entire life.” Luz whispered to herself. “Which is saying something, all things considered.”

Midtown High School.

Luz glanced at the building as she walked towards it. She had been studying at that place since she was 11 years old, and now she was a 16-year-old about to graduate in a few days. Things sure had changed a lot, both for herself and for those around her. Luz shook her head as she thought of Mattholomule.

Luz’s expression changed into one of annoyance as her spider sense tingled.

“Hi, Boscha!” She declared as she turned around, seeing the waitress walking towards her with an angry expression on her face.

“Shut up, string bean!” Boscha insulted as she pushed Luz, who took a few steps back to make it seem like Boscha’s push had actually had any effect. “You better not think anything will be different because of what you saw this morning! If you tell anyone about this, I’ll paste you one!”

“If I didn’t know any better, sunbeam, I’d think you’re threatening me.” Luz declared in slight annoyance. “I don’t care about what you do in your free time, you brute!”

Boscha grabbed Luz by the collar of her shirt, basically fuming in anger.

“I’m serious, Luzer! One peep from you and I’ll beat you up so badly you’ll look like the bride of Frankenstein!”

“Get your hands off me!” Luz declared as she pushed Boscha away, making her bully stumble back and hit a tree. Boscha looked up at her in anger.

“Hey! What is going on here?” They heard and turned to see an old man with grey hair walking towards them.

“It’s nothing, Principal Hal, we were just–”

“You be quiet.” The principal ordered to Boscha and then turned to Luz. “As for you, I’ve seen enough. You’ll get detention for the rest of the week.”

“What?” Luz asked in shock. “I have a job! If I keep on showing up late, my boss is going to fire me!”

“You should have thought about that before starting fights.” Principal Hal declared as he turned around and walked away. Luz blew him a raspberry and then turned to Boscha, who was getting back up.

“This isn’t over, Noceda!” Boscha whispered as she walked past Luz and into the school.

“Thanks for the birthday present, Boscha! I loved it!” Luz breathed in annoyance as she made her way into the school. Things sure had changed a lot, but some things always stayed the same.

Detention.

“So… You got detention! You screwed up! You know what you did was wrong, now the question is, how are you going to make things right?” Captain America asked in the recorded video that was playing on loop in the small TV screen. “Maybe you were trying to be cool. Take it from a girl who has been frozen for 65 years, the only way to really be cool is to follow the rules!”

Luz tapped her pencil on her school desk as she looked at the screen with a bored expression on her face. She glanced at the teacher, seeing he was asleep and snoring on his desk. Luz rolled her eyes and got up, before climbing out of the room through the window.

“Jumping out the window?” One of the bored students commented in a sarcastic tone. “Who does she think she is? Spider-Girl?”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“You typed ‘their’ instead of ‘they’re’ right here.” Ned commented as he looked at the computer screen from over Masha’s shoulder.

“Great catch, honey.” Masha answered as she looked at him and the two smiled at each other.

Luz groaned as she sat at a nearby desk. It was bad enough that Ned stole her crush, but now she also had to be a third wheel for their lovey dovey flirting? Talk about unfair. They heard the sound of the elevator door opening, and turned to see several police officers walking into the room.

“I’m getting to the point where the sound of this door is almost triggering my fight or flight response.” Luz joked with an expression of annoyance, as Hopkins walked out of his office to meet the officers.

“What is going on here?” Hopkins asked in confusion. “If this is about the Spider-Slayer, I’ll let you know that all of the responsibility falls to Severine Smythe!”

“There has been a large jailbreak on Ryker's Island. The Scorpion has escaped capture.” One of the officers declared. Luz’s expression changed into one of seriousness, while the expression of the others showed a mixture of terror and anxiety. “D'splora would constantly threaten your life on a regular basis while in jail, Hopkins, so the chief sent me to offer you police protection.”

“Threatening me?” Hopkins repeated in surprised, only to suddenly scratch the back of his head. “What would the Scorpion want with little old me?”

Hopkins was playing dumb. He knew very well why the Scorpion would target him, but he was not about to reveal the skeletons in his closet any time soon, especially not when the police were listening. What Hopkins didn’t know, however, is that he wouldn’t be getting protection just from the men in blue, but also from a girl in blue and red.

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl sat at the top of the Bugle building, a bored expression on her face as she played around with a small yoyo she had made of webbing. She yawned as she glanced down at the skyscraper, seeing that nothing seemed to be out of order.

“Spending my birthday protecting Hopkins is already annoying enough, but it seems like Scorpion is playing the long game now.” Luz commented in a bored tone of voice. “Where is she?”

Unknown to the web slinger was that her question was about to be answered, as a tall figure wearing a trench coat stood near a window on the building behind the Bugle. The figure opened the window and climbed out, using her claws to stick to the wall, and then used her green tail as a spring to send herself flying across the street. Scorpion ripped off the trench coat and laughed loudly as she flew right through the wall of the Bugle, landing right onto Hopkins’ desk.

“Knock, knock, Hoppy! Remember me?” Scorpion declared with a wide smile. Hopkins screamed like a little girl and ran to the door, only for Scorpion to back flip and land in front of the exit, blocking his way. Several police officers ran in and pointed their guns at the villain. They opened fire with their pistols, the bullets simply bouncing off Scorpion’s suit. Flora laughed and knocked the cops away with her tail. “It seems like my mutation gets stronger with time! I’m more powerful than ever!”

Scorpion glanced at the teenagers on the other room through the open door. Masha gasped in shock, before Ned picked them up like a princess in his arms and began running towards the elevator.

“We can’t leave Mr. Hopkins behind!” Masha argued.

“There is nothing we can do!” Ned declared as the two got into the elevator, quickly leaving the area.

“Wait! Wait! Flora! Let’s just talk it out! Don’t be hasty!” Hopkins pleaded, taking a few steps back until his back touched the wall.

“I’ll end this quick!” Flora declared as she swung her tail, only to hear a ‘thwip’ sound as webs glued the tail to the ceiling.

“I’ll end your career quicker!” Spider-Girl commented, and the two turned to see her leaning against the wall with her arms crossed after coming in through the window. “Sup, Grinch? Long time no see!”

“You!” Flora declared as she sliced the webs around her tail using her claws and stared at Spidey with anger. “I was going to kill Hopkins first and then go after you, but if you want to skip the line, I’m willing to comply!”

Scorpion dashed and tried to stab Spider-Girl with her claws, only for the hero to back flip over her, Flora’s claws piercing the wall. She pulled her claws off and turned just in time for Luz to punch her on the face, to which the Scorpion reacted by striking with her tail. The hit sent Spider-Girl flying out of the window, but she thought fast and fired a pair of webs to both sides of the window frame, acting as a makeshift slingshot and sending her flying back into the office, only for Scorpion to whip her with the tail once again, the impact sending Luz flying through the wall and into another room of the building.

“I have to get out of here…” Hopkins whispered as he made his way towards the door, only for Scorpion to slam the ground in front of him with her tail.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Scorpion declared. “I’ll only let you leave this building inside a bag!”

“You should really work on this hostility complex of yours!” Scorpion heard, and turned to see Spider-Girl dashing back towards her. Flora attacked several times with her tail, Luz just barely avoiding it with her spider sense before throwing a punch to her enemy’s face. Flora groaned in anger and struck Spidey with another tail whip, sending Luz flying onto a wall. Luz landed on her feet on the wall and then jumped off it, flying back towards the Scorpion. Flora attacked with her claws, which Luz avoided by pushing her arms away, only for the tail to fly in and knock Luz to the ground with a loud slam that shook the building, cracks appearing on the floor beneath them. “Sweet dreams, Spider-Girl!”

“Watch out!” Hopkins yelled.

“Don’t worry! I’m not hurt!” Luz declared as she rolled away from the Scorpion and jumped back to her feet, avoiding several more attacks from the tail.

“Who cares about you? You’re breaking my office!” Hopkins yelled in anger.

Spider-Girl leaped over an attempt of the Scorpion to trip her with the tail, and then jumped towards Flora, knocking her right through the building as the two went on a free fall. Scorpion pushed Spidey away and began climbing the building with her claws. Spidey glued to the side of the building and began climbing after. Hopkins groaned in anger as the two climbed pass the floor of his office and headed towards the rooftop.

“Damn it! Spider-Girl is my only hope!” Hopkins whispered to himself with clenching his fists. “If that annoying arachnid loses, I am done for!”

“After today, you’ll have to find a new sparring partner, Scorpy!” Spider-Girl declared as the two landed on the roof of the building. She dashed towards Flora, avoiding the tail and throwing a flurry of punches, which the Scorpion blocked with her arms. Luz grabbed Flora’s wrists, only for the tail to hit Luz on the chest and sent her flying to the other side of the rooftop.

“I’m going to kill you!” Scorpion declared in rage.

“Hate to be a spoil-sport, but I have other plans.” Spider-Girl commented as she got back to her feet and revealed that she was still holding the Scorpion’s gauntlets. Flora’s eyes widened as she realized that Spidey had actually tricked her into blocking so she could steal them, as the gauntlets contained her claws. Spider-Girls shoved the claws onto the rooftop, making them become stuck to it. “Can’t slice my webs now!”

“If I can’t cut your head off, then I’ll just have to break your skull!” Scorpion declared as she dashed towards Luz.

“And let you ruin my beautiful face? I don’t think so.” Spidey commented with a smile as she began making small web constructs in her hands.

“You’re trying to defeat the Scorpion with little yoyos?”

“They’re not yoyos!” Luz declared as she spun her web weapons around. “They’re bolas!”

Flora dashed towards Spidey, only to get her legs tangled by the bolas. Luz threw a kick that sent Scorpion tumbling back, only for Flora to place her tail onto the wall, using it as a spring to send her flying forward and tackling Luz, sending the two off the building and onto a free fall. Spidey kicked her away and fired several blasts of webbing, tying the Scorpion up before grabbing her and beginning to swing away.

“Let’s tie you up willy-nilly so the cops can come get you!”

“Shut your mouth!” Scorpion yelled as Luz felt her spider sense tingle, and Flora hit her with a headbutt. Spidey heard a ripping sound as the Scorpion's tail broke her webbing and struck her, sending Spider-Girl flying over a building and into the Hudson River. She swam back to the surface, but it did no good, as her spider sense tingled and the Scorpion jumped in, dragging her deep into the water.

Luz held her breath and struggled for several seconds as Flora held her on a headlock. Spidey struck Scorpion on the chest with her elbow, making the Scorpion let go as she began swimming back to the surface while gasping for air. The Scorpion’s tail flew in through the water and struck Luz on the back, sending her flying deeper into the river. Luz tried to fire a web and nothing came out. She just barely avoided another strike from the tail as she reached for her belt and changed her web cartridges. She turned around to see Flora dashing towards her with an expression of hatred, and swiftly fired several nets of webbing onto her. Flora struggled underwater as the webs tangled her, while Spider-Girl swam to the surface as fast as she could. Luz took in a loud gasp of air as she came out of the water, and continued to breathe heavily for several moments.

“I really suck at fighting underwater…” Spidey whispered in between breaths. She looked down, seeing that the Scorpion was not coming out. Luz took in a deep breath and sunk back in to the river. Several seconds passed, before Spider-Girl came out of the water carrying the unconscious Scorpion on her back. Luz quickly swam to the shore and climbed back to land, before tying up the Scorpion with the rest of the webbing she still had. Luz took a few moments to breathe as she once again changed her web cartridges. “I hope it’s still fishing season…”

Spider-Girl heard the sound of police sirens and nodded, before swiftly swinging away from the scene. The police cars arrived and several officers ran out. They looked at the unconscious tied up villain, and noticed a small card glued to her chest.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Midtown High School, Principal’s office.

“You sneaked out of detention.” Principal Hal declared with a stern voice as he looked down upon Luz, who simply looked down at her own feet dangling from the chair. “You’ve never misbehaved like this before. Has something been troubling you lately?”

Luz could write a whole laundry list of things that had been troubling her.

“I think I can handle my own problems, principal.” Luz answered without making eye contact, technically not lying.

“Look, I don’t know what has been going on with your personal life, but I can’t just stand still and let you mess around in my school.” The principal declared. “If I catch you starting trouble again, I will have to suspend you.”

Luz sighed, when the two suddenly heard the door of the office opening. Luz glanced back and her expression changed into one of surprise, as Boscha walked into the room.

“Ms. Thompson, how may I help you?” Principal Hal asked.

“I’m here to make things right.” Boscha declared. She glanced at Luz for a moment and then focused on the principal. “Luz didn’t start the fight earlier today. It was I who went after her, she just fought back.”

Luz stared at Boscha in slight surprise. Principal Hal looked at her for a few moments, and then nodded.

“A week of detention for you, Ms. Thompson. Ms. Noceda’s detention will be forbidden, and I’ll also overlook her sneaking out.” Principal Hal decided. The two students nodded. “Now get out of my office before I change my mind.”

Luz got up and the two got out, closing the door as they left.

“Thanks for the help.” Luz commented.

“Forget it, Luzer! I didn’t do it for you! It was the right thing to do!” Boscha declared as she crossed her arms. “In return, I expect you to keep our little secret to yourself!”

“My lips are sealed.” Luz commented as she mimicked the motion of closing a zipper on her mouth. Boscha rolled her eyes and began walking away.

“I can’t wait to graduate, that way I won’t have to deal with you, nerd.” Boscha declared.

“The feeling is mutual, meathead.” Luz declared as Boscha went around the corner.

A smiled formed on Luz’s face as she went down the corridor on the opposite direction. Some things always stayed the same, but sometimes they could take a surprising turn.

Unknown location.

Have you ever done cocaine? The boy sure as hell hadn’t, but even if he had, it would be nothing compared to the rush he felt as a whole city worth of power coursed through the scattered molecules of his body. He should be dead, but instead he felt like he was being born again and again every moment. He wondered if this was what madness felt like.

He couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Sometimes it felt like moments, and other times it felt like an eternity.

He couldn’t tell where he was. Sometimes it felt like he was everywhere, and other times it felt like he was in the middle of nowhere.

He felt as if it would never end, until suddenly everything changed. The boy felt a large disturbance in the city’s electromagnetic field, as if some strange force was reaching all over the city and pulling him together, molecule by molecule. He screamed in surprise as the sparks flew out of Doctor Octopus’ machine, and then came together in the shape of his body. He had returned.

“What?” The boy asked in confusion as he looked around, seeing the five villains surrounding him, four of them having uninterested expressions on their faces. “What happened? Where am I?”

“Mister Matt Tholomule, I believe?” Alador asked as he took a few steps forward. Blight was the only one who seemed to be happy with the teenager’s presence. Doc Ock gave Matt one of his tentacles, which the boy took, and the scientist pulled him back to his feet. “I’ve heard great things about you, my dear boy.”

“Actually…” Matt whispered, still not used to having a physical body once again after so much time. “I go by Electro now.”

“I understand completely.” Alador declared as he gently put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Electro… welcome to the Sinister Six!”

Noceda residence.

Luz took the envelopes out of the mailbox and made her way to her house while going through the papers. Most of them were either bills or advertisements.

“Mama! I’m home!” Luz commented as she entered the house.

“Mija!” Camila declared with a smile as she walked out of the kitchen, holding a mug of coffee in her hands. She put the mug on a small table and approached her daughter. “How is the birthday going?”

“Surprisingly well.” Luz commented as she continued to go through the junk mail. She suddenly noticed an envelope that caught her attention, and opened the letter that had the symbol of Hexside Academy. Luz read the letter and a smile formed across her face. “I did it! I was accepted! This baby is going to Hexside!”

“Ay, Dios mío! That is great!” Camila declared with a smile as she ran to Luz and hugged her. “I’m going to make that cherry pie that you like!”

“I already ate cake this morning.” Luz commented with a smile as she crossed her arms. “Isn’t that a little too much sugar for one day?”

“Today is the first day of your bright new future! We have to celebrate!” Camila commented with a smile as she once again picked up the coffee mug. The two laughed for a moment, and Camila let out a small cough.

Luz’s smile dropped, and the entire room seemed to grow more silent as Camila coughed again. Camila’s expression morphed into one of pain as she let go of the mug, which shattered to pieces on the floor. She began hyperventilating as she held her chest in pain.

“Mama?” Luz asked in worry and ran to Camila, who grabbed her hand.

“Luz… I… I…” Camila wheezed while gasping for air, and then collapsed to the ground unconscious.

“Mom!” Luz yelled in shock, and then quickly turned around and dialed 911 on the phone. “Hello? I need an ambulance! Quick!”

To be continued.

Next chapter: Rising Action.

6000+ WORDS GIANT!

Camila Noceda’s hangs onto life by a thread!

The Spider’s Web.

Spider-Girl swung through Queens with a worried expression, not daring to take her eyes away from the small ambulance speeding down the street. They had offered to let her into the vehicle alongside her mom, but the teenager legitimately didn’t know if she would be able to handle looking at Camila going through so much pain. Luz wasn’t sure what felt worse, the anxiety she now felt or the loud sound of the siren coming from the vehicle she had been following. Spidey glanced at you, the reader, words not being needed as she continued to swing over the streets.

GodzillaMaster: Another chapter, another missed opponent to meet Amity

And Camila found your costume? She must be getting suspicious. Wouldn't be surprised if she already figured it out

And again, always able to have Spider-Girl talk to Boscha and convince her to stop being a bully. Could save Luz a lot of trouble in the future

“I’d take mom figuring this out over what is happening right now!” Luz whispered as she ran on the top of a building, leaping off the other side and once again swinging to follow the ambulance. “Come on, mama! Don’t die on me!”

Celtarican: Goddammit, missed amity by an inch

Out of curiosity, how long do you think this will end up going for?

Also Jesus at this rate Hopkins could kill someone on live tv and get away with it, the man’s been doing all this, and just- damn

I am praying things turn up for Luz soon

“I can’t really sue Hopkins, because then I’d have to reveal my identity. If Crazy Jacob over there ended up in jail, I’d also be out of a job.” Spider-Girl explained as she swung and ran up the side of a tall building, leaping off at the end and continuing to swing after the ambulance. “Ugh! I can’t think about this right now! I have to focus!”

Spider-Girl landed at the top of a small building, and watched as the ambulance stopped in front of the hospital. The back doors of the vehicle opened, and two men ran out, carrying the stretcher into the hospital with her mom in it. Spider-Girl leaped down to the alley in between two buildings, and Luz ran out wearing her civilian clothes. Her muscle memory was so used to changing in and out of her costume that she could do it almost automatically, which was a good thing, since she didn’t have even a second to lose.

“I can’t let it happen again!” Luz whispered as she ran across the street towards the hospital, just barely avoiding the passing cars. “She’s the only family I have left! I can’t lose her too!”

Chapter Text

Rising Action.

Forest Hills Hospital.

Luz Noceda sat on a small chair in the waiting room, tapping her finger on the arm of the chair to distract herself. She hadn’t felt so anxious since her last meeting with Mysterio. The sound of the clock on the other side of the room echoed as her thoughts continued to go back to her mother. She just couldn’t forget Camila’s face when she fainted, and all the anguish Luz could see in her expression. The door opened, and Luz turned to it in almost desperation.

“Luz Noceda?” The doctor asked, to which she nodded. “You may come in.”

Luz shot up from her seat and basically flew towards the door, before the doctor lead her into her mother’s hospital room. The sight before Luz broke her heart, as Camila was still unconscious, and linked to several machines near her bed.

“Your mother is very weak. We’ve done several tests, but we haven’t figured out what is wrong with her.” The doctor explained. Luz took a few steps towards her mother and gently took her hand into hers. “The medication seems to have helped a little, but that’s the most we can do right now. We’ll have to keep her here for the rest of the day for further inspections.”

Luz nodded, staring at her mother for a few more moments before turning to the doctor.

“If anything happens to her, please call me.” She asked, to which the doctor nodded.

Unknown location.

“Gentlemen, allow me to introduce our host and benefactor. The Master Planner.” Doctor Octopus declared as his tentacles pressed the buttons on his large computer, and began playing a recorded message on the large screen, which the other villains believed to be a live communication.

“Octopus has informed me that Mrs. D'esplora has declined my offer.” The Planner declared. “This is disappointing. I was excited to inaugurate the Sinister Seven.”

Alador put his hands on his pockets and pressed a hidden pause button on the video, as he knew his co-workers loved the sound of their own voices.

“You better not be wasting my time here, or else things might get nasty!” Darius declared as he formed his hand into a hammer.

“Chill out, slime boy. I want to hear what the man has to say.” Adrian declared in annoyance, looking up at the screen through his fishbowl helmet. Alador pressed the button to skip a few seconds into the video, that way the Planner’s answers matched what the others had said.

“We are going to bring upon this city the dawn of the age of the super criminal.” The Master Planner declared. “This will be our time, my colorful friends… once we dispose of a certain arachnid, that is!”

The villains all groaned in anger at the mention of their common rival.

“We all lost to her before.” Matt declared and crossed his arms. “How are we going to fare any better this time?”

“Simple, my humble Electro.” Alador declared as he approached the boy and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Each of us almost beat her, all alone. Working together, how can we fail?”

Hexside Academy.

“We are very happy to have you joining our academy, Ms. Noceda.” Bump declared with a smile as Luz followed him through the school grounds. Luz was supposed to be getting a tour of the academy before her first day. She would be graduating from high school just the next day, but she just couldn’t focus. Her thought kept on leading back to her mother.

Luz glanced at the students just walking around the campus, not really paying attention to any of them. A few meters away, a small teenage girl walked forward with a book in her hands.

“Alright… things were rough in high school, but this is a brand-new beginning! Everything will be different now! No more four-eyed loser! Things will be better this time!” Declared the girl as she shot her arms up with a smile, only for her book to slip out of her hands and fly to the side. Luz felt her spider sense tingle, but was too distracted to react as the book hit her right on the face. “Oh, chucks!”

The girl ran to Luz as fast as she could, while Bump stared at the scene in surprise.

“Sorry! Sorry!” She declared as she helped Luz up.

“It’s okay. It seems like everything wants to hit me in the head nowadays.” Luz commented, and then handed the girl her book back. She glanced at the cover, and her expression changed into one of surprise as she saw it was a book about demolition derbies. “I’m Luz Noceda.”

“Willow… Park!” The girl explained as she straightened her glasses. “I’ll be studying here as soon as I graduate from high school.”

“Really? Me too!” Luz declared with a smile. “Maybe we’ll be classmates!”

“Wow! Really?” Willow asked as a smile formed on her face. She looked around and waved to a dark-skinned boy in the distance. “He’s from my old school. Hey, Gus! Come over here!”

The boy nodded and ran towards the two.

“Luz Noceda, meet Gus Porter.” Willow explained as the two shook hands.

“I like your hair.” Luz commented.

“I like your clothes.” Gus answered.

“Excuse me? We’re supposed to be in an academy tour here!” Bump declared, to which Luz nodded.

“See you guys later.” She declared, to which the two waved her goodbye and began walking away.

Luz followed bump into the building, and the two walked for a few more minutes until they reached a large pair of doors.

“This is the library. It currently isn’t in use.” Bump explained as the two entered the room. “A pair of students are helping me prepare the place.”

Luz saw a tall teenage boy sweeping the floor. The boy turned to Luz and smiled, and Luz gasped in awe, her eyes widening in amazement as she stared at his face.

Damn teenage hormones. Luz heard footsteps and turned her head, to see a tall teenage girl organizing the books into the shelves. She turned and waved, making Luz once again gasp as her eyes practically glowed in amazement. Two at the same time? That’s not fair.

“Hi. I’m Emira.” The girl greeted as the two walked towards her.

“I’m Edric.” The boy explained.

Luz blushed awkwardly and tried to keep herself from giggling as she stared at the two dream boats that stood before her.

“Luz Noceda, meet the Blight twins.” Bump explained.

“Blight?” Luz whispered as her smile suddenly dropped and an expression of shock formed on her face. “I… um… I gotta go to the bathroom!”

“It’s right at the end of the hallway.” Bump explained, and Luz awkwardly made her way out of the library.

Luz breathed heavily for a few moments as she closed the library door behind her. She turned around, and her eyes widened, as she saw none other than Boscha standing right in front of her, staring back with an expression that was just as surprised as her own.

“What are you doing here?” The two screamed in unison as they pointed at each other.

Manhattan.

“Great! Boscha just happened to get an athletic scholarship to Hexside! Should have figured that an academy for the gifted would also include those who are gifted in playing football! I’ll have to handle her for a few more years!” Spider-Girl whispered as she swung across the city. Luz groaned in annoyance as her thoughts quickly went back to her mom in the hospital. She jumped up from her web and landed at the top of a tall building. “I need to distract myself somehow…”

Spidey looked around for a few moments, until she noticed a single teenager standing on the sidewalk with an umbrella over his head. Luz looked up, seeing there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

The teenager glanced at his wristwatch, and the sound of thunder suddenly roared across the skies. The clouds suddenly flew from the horizon and covered the entire skyline in a massive thunderstorm. Spidey gasped in surprise as a massive rainbow-colored beam flew down from the heavens and struck the ground right in front of the strange teenager, and out of the lightning walked out a blonde teen in a green dress. Her body was radiating energy, so powerful that the raindrops seemed to be bending around to avoid touching her.

“Behold, mortals! It is I, the God of Thunder and Lightning!” The girl declared as she held her wand up and began spinning it on her hand. A bolt of lightning flew down from the skies and struck the wand. “I have once again returned to my banishment from Mewni! Here to protect this world, so that someday I may be worthy once again!”

“Show off.” Marco Diaz declared, still holding the umbrella over his head.

“Killjoy.” Star Butterfly answered with a smile as she stopped spinning the wand. A bolt of lightning suddenly fell upon Star, transforming her into human medical student Daisy Blake. The wand transformed into a walking stick, which Daisy used to walk with her injured leg. Marco signed with his head and the two began to casually walk down the sidewalk.

“How was the mission on Jotu-whatever?”

“Jotunheim.” Daisy corrected with a smile as the two continued to walk away. “I fought a Mountain Giant. I don’t mean a giant who lives on a mountain, I mean a giant who is a literal walking mountain.”

Spider-Girl sat at the top of the building with an expression of annoyance on her face, as the heavy raindrops continued to fall upon her body.

“Do the Avengers have a complaint box?” Luz whispered as she leaped off the building and began swinging into the opposite direction the two had gone.

Queens.

Luz, now wearing her civilian clothing, sat inside a small juice bar and glanced at the raindrops hitting the window. She was so worried, what if her mom… No, she didn’t even want to think about that. Camila would make it. She had to.

“Luz Noceda?” The bartender called, breaking Luz out of the trance she had put herself into by getting lost into her worried thoughts. Luz got up and walked to the counter, taking a cup of orange juice from him.

Luz was so worried she could barely concentrate on anything else. She turned around and began making her way back to her seat, drinking the juice with the straw, when she suddenly bumped onto someone. She instinctively glued the cup to her hand, but the liquid in it flew out and hit both the floor and the clothes of the teenage girl she had just bumped into.

“By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth!” The girl declared in surprise, looking down at her old-looking blue robes and her red cape.

“Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to–” Luz whispered, only for the girl to sign with her hand for Luz to calm down. The girl made a hand gesture similar to an upside-down version of the hand gesture Luz herself made to fire her webbing. Luz noticed the girl’s hands were shaking and not very steady. The hand glowed in green, and then both the juice and the cup seemed to go back in time, literally rewinding as if they were a video playing backwards, the liquid flying back into the cup and being as good as new. Luz stared at the girl in amazement, remembering all of the stories she had read about the Good Witch Azura. “Are you a witch?”

“Actually, I’m a doctor.”

“Strange?” The bartender asked, holding a glass of lemonade. “Molly McGee Strange?”

“You got it!” Molly declared as dark blue portal suddenly opened near her. She reached through it and her hand came out right next to the counter. Doctor Strange pulled the cup back through the portal and began drinking it. Luz stared at the scene incredulous, as Molly nodded for a moment and turned around, walking through the wall as if she was a ghost and vanishing into the rain outside as her body transformed into mist.

Luz glanced at her drink with a weirded out expression, only to shake her head and sit back down.

Noceda residence.

Luz walked around the house with her head low. She wasn’t really going anywhere, she just wanted to hear the sound of her own footsteps. The rain had stopped, and with it had stopped the sound of the raindrops hitting the ceiling, and Luz really couldn’t stand being in her house when it was so silent. Luz stopped and glanced at the wall, seeing a small picture on a frame.

It was a wedding picture. Her parents looked so happy together. Now her father was gone, and the life of her mother was hanging by a thread. It was quite ironic that despite all of Spider-Girl’s powers, Luz had never felt so powerless. Luz felt her phone vibrating on her pocket and reached for it, seeing it was an alarm she had set.

“That was today?” Luz gasped. She had been so distracted with everything lately that she completely forgot.

Drearcliff Cemetery.

Luz carefully placed the small bouquet of flowers on the grave. She stared at it for a few moments, not exactly sure what to say, and then she carefully sat down on the ground in front of it. It was that day, the anniversary.

“Hey, dad…” Luz whispered, an awkward smile forming on her face. “One whole year without you… I miss you… I’m doing my best to make you proud…”

Luz looked at the tombstone for a few more moments and then up into the blue sky.

“Mama and I were planning on visiting you together today, but she had some… complications…” Luz whispered.

She glanced at the gravestone once again. Luz thought over for a few moments, and then sighed and got back up. Alright, no more charades, and no more lies.

“I still remember that night. You are no longer here with us, and it is my fault. In a sense, it was me who killed you… because I didn’t realize in time that with great power comes great responsibility.” Luz declared. She reached for her faced and swiped off a few of the tears that were flowing. “I promise that as long as I live, no other life will be lost because I failed to act.”

Luz gently put her hand on the top of the stone and nodded.

“Thank you for everything.” Luz whispered, and then slowly turned around and walked away.

Manhattan.

“Look! It’s the Fantastic Four!” A bystander on the sidewalk declared. Luz turned to him and then looked up to where he was pointing. The civilians all began clapping and cheering as the flying Fantasti-Car passed over them, the four super heroes inside. Luz giggled to herself as she saw the car, thinking it looked like a flying bathtub.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” Mabel declared as she waved back to her fans.

Soos glanced down at the civilians.

“Hey! Look! They even have their monster with them!” Declared a bystander wearing a shirt with the words ‘Yancy Street’ on it.

Soos groaned and sat back down with his arms crossed.

“I’m not a monster…” He whispered. “Monsters eat babies. I eat cereal… and also the prize inside by accident, sometimes.”

“Don’t listen to them, Soos.” Wendy commented. “Until Mr. Look-At-Me-I'm-So-Fantastic here finds a way to turn you back to normal, you just have to imagine all of them in their underwear.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You can literally turn their clothes invisible.”

“Just give me some more time, okay?” Dipper declared, holding onto the controls of the flying car. “I’ll figure out how to cure Soos, I just need to perform a few more experiments.”

“Last time you said that, you teleported us back through time into the 1940s, you dork.” Mabel commented in a joking tone as the car flew into the Mystery Shack.

Luz hand waved the meeting away and began walking down the street, when she heard the ringing of her phone and picked it up.

“Luz Noceda, it’s from the Forest Hills Hospital.” The voice declared on the phone, making Luz’s expression change into one of seriousness. “We found out what your mother is suffering from.”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“Radiation poisoning?” Luz asked in surprise as she stood in her mother’s hospital room. She glanced at Camila, seeing she was still unconscious and had an expression of pain on her face.

“We have no idea how this happened, but it seems like your mother absorbed some form of radioactive chemical into her blood stream. This type of radiation is almost impossible to detect unless you’re specifically searching for it. We’re doing everything we can, but the mutation is simply too strong and too fast.”

Luz’s eyes widened in shock as she glanced down upon her own hands, remembering the blood transfusion that had taken away her powers during her last encounter with Doctor Octopus. Spider-Girl had gotten her powers after she was bitten by a radioactive spider. Her research showed that there was a 99.9% chance that the radioactive blood of the spider would have simply killed her. Her expression changed into one of pure horror. That same blood was now running in Camila’s veins.

“We are doing what is possible, but we don’t really know how to control this poisoning. I hate to break it to you, but your mother might just have days left, at most. It is possible she might not even see the dawn of the next day.”

“I have to go!” Luz declared, her voice cracking in anxiety as she ran out of the room as fast as she could.

It was her fault. One of the two people Luz loved the most in the world was dead because of her, and now the other was about to follow suit.

“I won’t allow it!” Luz yelled as she ran out of the hospital and began dashing down the street as fast as she could. “There has to be a way to save my mom, and I know exactly who can find it!”

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl swung through the rooftops as fast as she could. She had no time to lose, even a minute could be what separated life and death. Luz’s spider sense suddenly tingled as she heard gunshots and sirens, and she looked down to see a police car on chase after a vehicle full of criminals who were shooting back at them.

“Not now! I don’t have time for this!” Luz whispered as she prepared to swoop in. She had to catch the lawbreakers as fast as she could. A small red dot, only about as big as an ant, stood in the middle of the street, and suddenly grew in size, revealing itself to actually be a teenager who was now as tall as a building. Spider-Girl sighed in relief and began swinging away. “Alright, Mr. Honey-I-Shrunk-Myself! I’ll leave this one up to you!”

“Hello, gentlemen. I am Ant Man! Part-time hero. Please put down your weapons and get out of the vehicle with your hands up.” Penn Zero declared with a smile as the criminals stopped their car. They aimed their guns at the giant man, only for swift yellow lasers to come flying and vaporize the weapons in their hands. The criminals looked to the source of the blasts, seeing a tiny fairy dressed in yellow flying by.

“You didn’t forget your old friend the Wasp, did you?” Sashi Kobayashi asked as she sat on the shoulder of the giant Ant Man. The criminals screamed and ran out of their car, only to put their hands up as the cops aimed their weapons at them. “No casualties and nobody getting hurt.”

“Just the way I like it.” Ant Man declared with a smile.

Clawthorne residence.

Eda sat on a small chain in her lab, as she looked over the several chemicals she had been mixing up. The thought that missing even a single dose of her medicine could mean turning back into an irrational beast was still quite terrifying to her, even after all of these months. Eda’s eyes widened as a figure suddenly swooped in through the window, and she turned to see Spider-Girl taking off her mask.

“Mrs. Clawthorne! Please! You have to help me! It’s an emergency!” Luz declared in a serious tone of voice.

“Luz! Calm down!” Eda declared as she got up and walked to her soon-to-be former student. “Tell me everything.”

“Radiation poisoning?” Eda asked.

“Please! You’re the greatest chemist I know! You have to help me!” Luz declared as she walked in circles around the room. “You came up with an antidote for your mutation! This can’t be harder!”

“Radiation is a complex subject… I can’t promise success…” Eda commented as she tapped her finger on the table. “There is one thing that might help… It is a chemical named ISO-36. We’re studying it in the lab I’m working at. It is extremely rare. There is only one sample in the entire state of New York. We could buy it, but it will cost around thirty thousand dollars.”

“What?” Luz asked in shock. “How am I supposed to get this much money?”

“I do have twenty thousand that I could spare… but that’s still ten thousand too short.” Eda explained.

“Ugh!” Luz whispered as she put her mask back on. “Order the chemical! I’m going to get the ten thousand!”

Eda nodded, as Spider-Girl jumped off the window and began swinging away from the building.

Manhattan.

“You want to pawn off all of this?” The man behind the counter asked as he looked over the box full of microscopes and laboratory equipment.

“Just say how much money I can get for it!” Luz declared in an impatient tone.

“I’ll give you three thousand for everything.”

“Five thousand.” Luz declared.

“That’s outrageous! Done!” The man declared as he began signing the check.

Bonesborough Library.

“Some of those are limited editions.” Malphas commented as he looked over the full collection of Azura the Good Witch books that Luz had just put on his desk. “How did you even get those?”

“My dad gave them too me.” Luz explained, tapping her foot. “Can’t you just buy them already? I really need the money!”

“You don’t seem like the type to get into heavy dept.” Malphas commented as he signed the check. “Three thousand for all of them.”

Luz grabbed the check and ran out of the door without saying another word.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“I don’t pay in advance, Noceda. You know that!” Hopkins declared in a disinterested tone.

“Give me the money now, and I’ll work unpaid for a whole week!” Luz promised.

“Two weeks.” Hopkins declared.

“Whatever!”

“Alright, alright.” Hopkins commented as he signed the check and handed it to Luz. “Two thousand dollars.”

Luz grabbed the check and ran to the elevator.

“Remember! Two weeks unpaid!” Hopkins declared as Luz left the room.

Clawthorne residence.

Eda walked in circles around the room with a worried expression on her face, when Spider-Girl suddenly jumped in through the open window.

“I’m here! I got the money!” Luz declared.

“Luz! Something terrible has happened!” Eda declared in shock.

Luz held a serious expression on her face as she looked over the security footage Eda was showing her. The alarm of the laboratory was ringing loudly as the Abomaton broke through the metal door as if it was made of paper and walked inside. This Abomaton was not the same as the one Spider-Girl had defeated, it was much bigger, its head easily reaching the ceiling of the lab. The guards tried to block the giant robot’s way, only for it to easily toss them aside. The Master Planner’s creation broke open the large safe with one hand and pulled out the metal bottle containing ISO-36. The robot broke a large hole into the window and jumped out, escaping the crime scene.

“It’s the Master Planner!” Spider-Girl declared in anger. “I never figured out who he is!”

“He has a history of stealing scientific equipment! What could he be building?” Eda commented as she put her hand on Luz’s shoulder, only for her student to turn around and run to the window.

“Have the chemicals ready to make the antidote! I’ll be back with the serum!” Spider-girl ordered, and jumped out before Eda could get another word in. “I have to find the Master Planner! Whoever he is!”

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

Ned Leeds sat at his desk and calmly typed on his computer. Hopkins had put him to write a quick article on the Master Planner stealing chemicals once again. Ned felt his phone ringing, reading Luz’s name on it and picking up the call.

“Hey, Luz.” Ned greeted.

“Ned, you were right!”

“I’m right about a lot of things. You’ll have to be more specific.” Ned commented with a smile.

“You were right. I’m Spider-Girl!”

Ned’s smile dropped as his expression changed into a serious one and he got up.

“Love, I’m gonna go take my lunch break now.” Ned declared to Masha.

“Try not to get killed out there.” Masha answered in a joking manner as Ned got into the elevator. He waited until the doors closed to put the phone back on his ear.

“I’ve been trying to find proof of your identity for a whole year, then you just come and tell me?” Ned asked.

“Ned, I need your help!” Luz declared in almost desperation. “I have to find the Master Planner!”

Mystery Shack.

“You’re that reporter who interviewed us a few months ago.” Dipper commented as Ned’s face appeared on the screen of his communicator. “Leeds?”

“Mister Fantastic, I need your help! It is urgent!” Ned declared. “Could you help us find the Master Planner? We need to know his location immediately!”

“I heard of this Master Planner. We didn’t go after him before because it seemed like Spider-Girl had it covered.” Dipper declared as he began typing on his super computer. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Avengers Tower.

“Hello? Can anybody hear me?” Luz asked as her face appeared in the communicator. She gasped in amazement as she realized who had just picked up her call. “You’re Captain America!”

“Yes.” Captain America declared as she took off her mask, revealing her messy auburn hair. “Captain Anne Boonchuy, at your service.”

Luz shook her head. She needed to focus.

“I work with Ned Leeds! He interviewed you right after you were unfrozen!” Luz explained, to which Cap nodded. “Please! We have to find the Master Planner! It’s an emergency!”

“This would probably be a better job for Iron Man, but none of my team mates are here right now.” Anne explained. “I’ll let the other Avengers know about this as soon as I can!”

“Thank you, Captain!” Luz declared with a nod.

Proud School for Gifted Youngsters.

“This is Ned Leeds. I interviewed Professor X when she first opened your school.” Ned declared on the phone. “I need to speak with the X-Men immediately!”

“Good for you! You’re speaking with Professor X herself!” Suga Mama declared as she carefully repositioned her wheelchair. She used one hand to hold the phone to her ear and the other to pet the small white poodle on her lap.

“We have to find the Master Planner!” Ned explained. “Any help will be welcome!”

“Right now? We’re in the middle of a training program.” Suga Mama explained as she looked over the mutants across the room.

“Hey, guys, check this out!” Zoey commented as she used her powers to cover her body in snow, and then put a carrot on her nose, and buttons on her chest. She put on a hat, a scarf, and held a broom in her hand. “I’m a snowman!”

Penny Proud laughed at Icewoman’s antics.

“Is there no place where I can study convex polarity reversals around here?”  Sticky asked in a joking tone as he hung from a metal bar on the ceiling upside down while holding a book in front of his face, as he did not have feet, but instead an extra pair of hands.

“Let her have her fun, Beast.” Angel commented as she flapped her wings and flew near her fellow mutant. LaCienega carefully flew down to the ground and landed on her feet.

“Focus, girls and Sticky! We’re here to train and work hard, not to fool around!” Dijonay declared, and then turned to Zoey, her gaze hidden behind her visor. “Girl, you better cut that out. If you ruin our battle plan, the only snow we’ll be seeing for a while will be in winter.”

“Okay, Cyclops!” Zoey commented, speaking the last word very sarcastically, as she melted the ice around her body. “What was that one we were practicing? Plan 13? 14?”

“To me, my X-Men!” They heard Suga Mama’s telepathic voice in their heads, and ran towards her just as she hung up the call. Penny waved her hand, and several chairs were telekinetically pulled and positioned right in front of the professor for the mutants to sit. “We need to find someone named the Master Planner! It is an emergency!”

“Isn’t that Spider-Girl’s enemy?” Dijonay asked in annoyance. “Why are we worrying about him? He’s not even a Mutant!”

“We don’t fight only for Mutants!” Professor X declared. “We fight for all of those who can’t fight for themselves!”

“Spider-Girl is a weird one.” Penny commented. “Do you think she might be a Mutant?”

“Don’t count on it, Marvel Girl!” Sticky answered.

Noceda residence.

“Ugh! Nobody knows where this guy is!” Luz declared in annoyance as she walked in circles in the middle of the living room.

“Calm down, Luz.” Ned advised. “There is nothing else we can do.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Luz yelled. “I can’t just sit here and wait for some clue to come up! My mom doesn’t have much time! I have to do something!”

The two heard Ned’s phone ringing, and he picked up a call.

“Hey, love.” Ned greeted.

“Ned!” Masha yelled, their voice sounding tired and desperate as the sound of crashing echoed on the background.

“Masha?” Ned asked in a worried tone of voice. Luz turned to him with a worried expression, as Ned heard slamming noises followed by a loud scream. “Masha? What is going on?”

“Sorry. Brant won’t be taking any calls for the rest of the day.” Darius’ voice answered on the phone, before hanging up the call. Ned turned to Luz with an expression of terror.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

“What is going on there?” Luz asked as she ran out of the elevator into the room, Ned alongside her. The two saw the place was a mess, with many computers broken and desks turned over, as well as large holes on the walls. Robbie and Hopkins were sitting on small chairs right in the middle of the room, small bruises on their bodies.

“It was the Abomination!” Hopkins declared in anger. “He just broke in and took Masha!”

“What could the Abomination want with them?” Robbie wondered.

The three heard the sound of the wind blowing, and a swift blur suddenly flew in through the window.

“Elementary, my dear boy! Spider-Girl put herself at risk to save Brant before! She is the perfect bait!” Declared the figure as she stood near the hole in the wall.

“Bat Queen!” Luz declared in anger as she pointed at the flying villainess. “You’re in this with the Abomination!”

“Not just me, young girl!” The Bat Queen declared with a smile. “I have a message for Spider-Girl! Tell her that if she wants to see Brant alive again, she must come to the Flynn electric plant, building four, and face the Sinister Six!”

“Six?” Luz, Robbie, and Ned asked in unison. The Bat Queen laughed loudly and jumped off the building, swiftly flying away.

“Ugh! I don’t have time for this!” Luz declared as she ran into the elevator.

“What is with Noceda today?” Hopkins asked.

“Give Luz a break, Hopkins.” Ned declared. “She’s going through a lot right now.”

Manhattan.

“Just hang in there, mama! I can’t just sit down and let Masha be killed!” Spider-Girl whispered under her breath as she swung over the city. “With great power comes great responsibility! I have to save them! I have to save them both somehow!”

Camila Noceda only had hours left to live. Masha Brant could have even less. Luz had to find the Master Planner before he used the chemical, or else there would be no hope to save her mother. Spider-Girl swung head first into the unknown to battle the mysterious Sinister Six, as this tale approached its decisive darkest hour.

“I am not going to be responsible for another death!” Luz Noceda declared as the electric plant became visible in the distance, and she could almost see Camila and Masha hovering over her head as she swung towards it.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Sinister Six.

Spider-Girl fights like never before!

The Spider’ Web.

“Those chemicals are very delicate! If I misplace even a single drop, I’ll have to start it all over!” Eda whispered to herself as she carefully prepared the antidote. “Without ISO-36, it would be pointless regardless! It is all up to Luz now!”

Eda glanced away from the chemicals for just a moment, catching a glimpse of you, the readers.

“You’re Luz’s friends, aren’t you?” Eda asked as she turned back to the chemicals and went back to work. “She can’t see you right now! Luz is in the middle of something!”

GodzillaMaster: Oof... Some way to end a Sweet 16... :(

Hope that Camila can make a full recovery

So what is Captain America's actual name? And who's Hawkeye here?

“Anne Boonchuy? Everybody knows Captain America.” Eda answered, not daring to stop working on the chemicals for even a moment. “We all heard stories about her. World War IIs greatest hero. I find it quite fitting that Adolf Hitler got punched by a girl named Anne. All I ever wanted back in the day was to be like her...”

Eda glanced at the spot where her missing arm should have been. She sighed and once again focused on the chemicals.

Celtarican: Jesus, yeah this is truly a marvel moment, make sure Pet- Luz just can’t catch a damn break

Oh lord 6000 words, exciting!

My money is maybe Camila still can get spider powers? I’m holding out hope lol

I’m holding out hope for a happy ending but at this rate I feel like Luz might not get one, but I do hope she gets one

“Camila’s condition is critical! If we do everything right with the antidote, her chances will be minimal! If we don’t, her chances will be nonexistent!” Eda declared in a tone of slight worry. “I wish I could do anything else to help, this all just makes me feel so powerless… but it is all up to Spider-Girl now!”

Shadowsnake89: Scorpion just doesn't learn does she? All that fancy equipment didn't stop her from getting stomped by a spider. And it looks like Boscha isn't 100% a jerk.

All those other villains have escaped, but maybe they'll go away and leave you alone forever. With what's going on it would be nice. And I hope Camila will be okay.

“I hope so too…” Eda whispered, a tone of clear worry in her voice as she continued to look at the chemicals. “Why did the Master Planner have to show up now of all times? Luz just has the worst luck!”

Eda glanced at you once again and gave a quick nod.

“It is all up to Luz!” Eda whispered. “She is the only one who can save Camila! Nobody else can! If she fails, it is all over!”

The Sinister Six.

For those of you wonderful readers who require a reminder ahead of the biggest, longest, and greatest battle of good old Web-Head’s life, here are all members of the deadly an undefeatable Sinister Six:

The Bat Queen: High in the clouds, above the towering skyscrapers, there flies a mysterious winged menace. Wearing a metallic carbon fiber body armor, complete with sharp blade-like wings on her arm and a silent electromagnetic harness on her back, this hovering, individual self-guided, heavier-than-air villain would terrify the skies of Manhattan with a series of robberies and attacks, until her inevitable clash against Spider-Girl. The first villain to have ever offered a physical challenge to the hero, the Bat Queen served as a baptism of fire for the Wall Crawler.

The Abomination: Possibly one of the most original and unique villains in this marvelous age of heroism. A habitual offender, Darius Deamonne has spent most of his life in maximum security prisons, where he was known as one of their most incorrigible inmates. During an attempted escape, Deamonne tragically fell into a super collider. The incredible accident should have killed him, but miraculously, the molecules of his body merged with the slime under his feet, allowing his body to take on the qualities of said slime. Now indestructible, the Abomination is to this day seen as one of Spider-Girl’s most powerful enemies.

Electro: Imagine, if you will, all of the unleashed powers of electricity and magnetism, mastery over the greatest forms of energy on this Earth, all in the hands of a deeply traumatized and suicidal abuse victim who is prone to dangerous anger outbursts and mental breakdowns. Matt Tholomule is without a doubt one of the most tragic villains still rampant today, and the idea that in another life she could have ended up just like him brings terror into Spider-Girl’s heart. All who dared to mock the powerless Mattholomule have come to fear the powerful Electro.

Mysterio: Do not trust your eyes and ears, for nothing is what it seems when you stand before the master of illusions. Adrian Graye Vernworth is a special effects master and pathological liar. Despite his normal origins, this mysterious menace is one of the most dangerous and deadly opponents Spider-Girl has ever faced. A physiological opponent more than anything, Mysterio sees right through you with his expressionless mirror-like mask. What are you seeing? Who can you trust? Can you tell reality from fantasy? Like a fly caught in a web, there is only one way to escape the illusions: You have to wake up!

Eberwolf the Huntsman: Don’t be fooled by his short stature, for you are looking at the greatest hunter in the modern world. Eberwolf gained superhuman physical characteristics after he stole a magical potion from an African witch doctor, which combined with his incredible hunting skills has led this predator to defeat every wild beast known to man. Eberwolf’s desire for a challenge quickly grew into an obsession as he came to New York to chase the greatest wild animal of them all: Spider-Girl.

Doctor Octopus: You are now gazing upon one of the most powerful, most dangerous, and most uncanny mortals on the face of the Earth. The Master Planner and de facto leader of the Sinister Six, Alador Blight is one of the most brilliant scientists in the modern world, until a disaster caused by his own experiment merged his spined with four titanium-steel prosthetic limbs. In denial of his failure caused by his pride and the refusal to admit the accident was due to his own mistake, Doctor Octopus now obsesses over recreating the same deadly experiment on a larger scale. The only thing that stands between this mad scientist and the complete annihilation of New York is the amazing Spider-Girl.

Chapter Text

The Sinister Six.

“Just hang in there, mama! I can’t just sit down and let Masha be killed!” Spider-Girl whispered under her breath as she swung over the city. “With great power comes great responsibility! I have to save them! I have to save them both somehow!”

Camila Noceda only had hours left to live. Masha Brant could have even less. Luz had to find the Master Planner before he used the chemical, or else there would be no hope to save her mother. Spider-Girl swung head first into the unknown to battle the mysterious Sinister Six, as this tale approached its decisive darkest hour.

“I am not going to be responsible for another death!” Luz Noceda declared as the electric plant became visible in the distance, and she could almost see Camila and Masha hovering over her head as she swung towards it.

She dashed across the air and broke right through a glass window, landing in the middle of the factory with a back flip. Spidey looked around. The place was dark, but her spider sense could detect danger. All of the lights in the power plant suddenly turned on, and Luz looked up upon hearing a loud high-pitched laugh.

“Surprised to see me, slick?” The figure asked.

“Matt!” Luz gasped in shock as she stared at her former friend, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. “You’re alive!”

“Oh no, honey! Matt is done! I’m new and improved! I’m Electro!” He declared with a smile and then punched through the metal wall, reaching the power cable. The lights on the factory began to flicker as Electro drained their power. Luz stared at Matt in shock as he held up a small paper on his other hand. “This card has the location where Masha Brant is being held! If you want it, you’ll have to get through me!”

“Matt, you have to listen!” Spider-Girl pleaded. “You don’t have to do this! You have a gift that you can use for the good of mankind! A responsibility!”

“I have your responsibility right here!” Electro declared as he fired a massive lightning bolt. Luz’s eyes widened and she leaped away, the bolt striking the wall behind her and making a large explosion. Spider-Girl stared at the villain with a serious expression. He was not this powerful last time. The energy from the plant must have amped him up. “Tonight, it will be cloudy with a chance of thunderstorm!”

Electro fired two more lightnings, which Spidey jumped over and then pulled herself upward with a web. She ran up the side of a machine and then leaped up to avoid another lightning, landing on the ceiling. She picked up a large metal box that was as big as a car and was stuck to a crane on the ceiling, and then threw it at Matt, who fire another lightning and melted the metal box in midair. Electro pointed his hand at the hole he had made on the wall, and the lights once again began to flicker as sparks of electricity flew out of the ripped cable and into his hand.

“You’re as fast as lightning but you can’t catch a single spider!” Spider-Girl asked as she leaped off the ceiling and towards Electro. Her spider sense tingled as Electro’s body released a massive omnidirectional blast of electricity, sending Spider-Girl flying right through a metal pillar and hitting the wall on the other side of the factory, leaving large cracks.

“The Master Planner was right! In this place I can recharge myself as I please!” Electro declared as he laughed maniacally. “My power increases by the second! I’m invincible! Nobody will ever laugh at me again! Nobody!”

“Master Planner?” Luz asked in surprise as she leaped back up. Electro fired another massive lightning bolt, which Spidey just barely avoided with a backflip, before hiding in the smoke caused by the explosion and then silently beginning to climb a metal pillar. “So, he is the one behind the Sinister Six! It must be a way to distract me from going after him! Ugh! I have no choice but to keep on fighting!”

“Hiding won’t save you, Wall Crawler!” Electro declared in anger as he began firing lightnings around the room at seemingly random, looking around for Spider-Girl.

“Matt is absorbing more and more energy every second! His voltage keeps on increasing! If I don’t stop him, he will blow up the whole factory, with me in it!” Luz whispered as she sneaked around the room and ran towards several metal cables. She grabbed one of them and tied it to her ankle, gluing it with her web. She then used another web to swing upwards into high ground. “Hey! Electric eel! Up here!”

“There you are, you fool!” Electro declared as he looked up and fired a massive blast of electricity towards Spider-Girl, just as Luz leaped towards him. Luz screamed but continued to move, as the metal cable she had on her ankle acted as a ground cable, pulling the electricity out of her body as it harmlessly went through instead of roasting her. The pain was still agonizing, even with her spider strength.

Electro only had time to let out a surprised gasp, before Spider-Girl struck him right on the face. Matt screamed as all the electricity he had absorbed flew out of his body at high speeds, and all of the lights in the factory exploded into blasts of sparks as Electro fell unconscious.

“Don’t die on me this time, Matt! I’m taking you in!” Luz declared as she tied Matt up with her web, and then took the small paper from his hands, replacing it with her own paper.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Luz ran out of the factory and read the paper in her hands, when she heard the sound of a jet, and then looked up to see what appeared to be a teenager wearing a red and golden metal armor flying above her.

“What is going on in here?” Iron Man asked. “You guys triggered like thirty different alarms!”

“You’re Phineas Flynn’s bodyguard, aren’t you? I should have guessed you’d show up.” Spider-Girl commented. “There is a criminal tied up inside. I’m kind of busy right now, so could you take him to the police? Just be careful when handling him, he’s already been hurt enough.”

Spider-Girl began swinging away without waiting for Iron Man’s response. The armored teenager watched as the arachnid themed hero swung away into the city.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., could you please look over all the data we have on Spider-Girl?” Phineas asked from within the armor as he watched Spidey swing away. “She seems like she’s in some kind of trouble.”

“As you wish, sir.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered, as Iron Man flew into the factory to pick up the unconscious Electro.

Queens.

Spider-Girl swung with a web and leaped, back flipping right over the bay from the World’s Fair and landing on a large area filled with trees. She looked around with a suspicious expression. This was the place Electro’s card led her to, but she could see no sign of Masha anywhere. Luz held her chest in slight pain, still feeling Matt’s last electric blast, when her spider sense tingled and she heard a loud roar. Spidey jumped away just in time to avoid being mauled by a raging leopard.

“Nice day for a hunting trip, don’t you think?” Declared a dwarf from the top of a large boulder as he held a spear in his hands. The dwarf held up a small card similar to the one Electro had. “The real location right here, but you won’t be leaving this area with your life!”

“Eberwolf!” Spider-Girl declared. The huntsman brought his hand to his mouth and whistled, as two leopards began surrounding Luz. “I can see your fashion sense hasn’t improved a bit since last time!”

“Jest while you can, animal!” Eberwolf declared as he pulled a bow from his back and fired three arrows at once. Due to the huntsman’s superhuman strength when pulling back the bow, the arrows travelled much faster than regular arrows. Luz just barely avoided them, one of the arrowheads slightly grazing her skin, when she suddenly found herself becoming dizzy. “Tranquilizer arrows! They had enough to overdose a human with just the slightest scratch!”

“Okay, Cruella De Vil! Stop talking and let’s fight!” Spider-Girl declared, trying to focus as her vision began to become blurry.

Her spider sense flared and she jumped to avoid one of the leopards, while at the same time blocking off the other leopard with her arm. Luz threw one of the animals away while grabbing the other and shoving it to the ground. She prepared to web the beast up, when her spider sense flared as she leaped away just barely in time to avoid Eberwolf running to her and swinging his spear.

“The tranquilizer is getting stronger by the second! You’re slowing down!” Eberwolf declared with a wicked smile.

“Don’t worry! I’ll never be as slow as you!” Luz declared as she fired her web at Eberwolf’s spear and tried to pull it out of his hands. The huntsman held to it with all of his strength, and the struggle between the two made the spear snap to pieces. Eberwolf pulled out a large machete.

Spider sense flared and Luz back flipped over the leopard, swiftly webbing it to the ground. Spidey landed and leaped away just in time to avoid several machete swings from Eberwolf, before turning around and kicking dirt into the eyes of the second leopard. She grabbed the leopard by the tail and threw it at Eberwolf who easily avoided it as the animal hit a tree and fell unconscious.

“Two cats down! Now to take care of the rat!” Spider-Girl declared with her vision still somewhat blurry as she felt her limbs beginning to forcefully relax.

Eberwolf ran towards her and swung the blade, only for Spidey to avoid it and grab his arm with a grapple hold, forcing him to drop the weapon as she swung him over her head and into the ground. Eberwolf jumped up and tried to pull out another blade, but Spider-Girl moved faster and caught both of his hands with webs, pulling them and throwing the huntsman to the ground once again. Eberwolf looked up just in time to see several nets of webbing flying at high speeds and tying him up on the ground.

“Seemed like the best way to catch a rat was with flypaper!” Spider-Girl declared, taking a moment to shake her head as the tranquilizer continued to course through her veins.

“You’ll pay for this! I’ll have your head over my fireplace!” Eberwolf declared, when Spidey fired a web and glued his mouth shut.

“When you get back to jail, please ask them to give you a better haircut.” Spider-Girl declared as she took Eberwolf’s card, and then glued her own card to him.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Spider-Girl began swinging away from the area as she read the card.

“Spider-Girl!” Luz heard and turned, to see the Human Torch flying towards her.

“If this is another race, I don’t have the time!” Luz declared.

“It’s not that! Ned Leeds told me to tell you this!” Mabel declared as she flew near the swinging arachnid. “The Master Planner’s robots have been seen walking around the Hudson River!”

“Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind!” Luz declared.

“You seem exhausted!” Mabel commented. “Do you need help?”

“I’ll be fine, Matchstick Pineapple! Just don’t get in my way!” Spider-Girl declared in annoyance as she swung towards the next location, Mabel watching as she left the area.

Times Square.

“There it is!” Spider-Girl commented as she landed at the top of a building, staring at a small theater on the other side of the street. That was the exact address on Eberwolf’s paper. Luz held her chest in slight pain from Electro’s blast and shook her head to distract herself from Eberwolf’s tranquilizers. She jumped over the street and landed on the rooftop of the building, approaching a small chimney. “They’re probably expecting me to walk in through the door, so I’ll give them a little surprise!”

Spider-Girl sneaked into the chimney and made her way in through the roof, landing on a small steel beam on the ceiling. The room was dark, but her spider sense could feel danger. The lights suddenly turned on, and Luz looked down to see none other than four of the X-Men standing right in the middle of the stage, wearing their uncanny yellow and blue uniforms.

“Huh? What are you guys doing here?” Spidey asked as she jumped down and landed in front of the four. “Is this about the Master Planner?”

Spider-Girl’s danger sense flared and she instinctively leaped away. Dijonay’s optic blast and Zoey’s ice blast just barely touched her left leg, making Luz scream in pain.

“This has to be a mistake! I’m on your side!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed, holding her leg in pain. Her spider sense flared as LaCienega flew in and grabbed her by the neck, flowing around with Luz for a few moments, before throwing her to Sticky, who held her in place with his super strong arms. “Let me go! I’m a hero just like you guys!”

Cyclops and Icewoman fired their blasts in unison. Spider-Girl’s eyes widened as she glued her feet to the floor and used the leverage to overpower Beast and duck. The two blasts struck Beast, blowing up his body, wires and pieces of metal flying out as his remains struck to the ground.

“You’re not the real X-Men! You’re robots!” Spider-Girl realized. She ran towards the animatronics, a little bit off balance due to her wounded leg, and back flipped to avoid two more blasts. She fired her webbing, blocking off the Cyclops robot’s visor. The robot tried to fire another laser, only for the web to stop it and the robot’s head to explode. “Too bad you couldn’t keep your eyes away from me!”

Luz began somersaulting around to avoid several ice blasts, before firing a web that tied itself around the Icewoman robot, and pulling it at full strength, tearing the robot’s head right off. Spider-Girl kicked the robot’s head in midair and sent it flying like a football, striking the Angel robot’s wing and sending her crashing to the floor, the fall breaking her to pieces. Luz groaned as she felt the pain of her leg worsening.

“Come out, fishbowl!” Spider-Girl ordered as she closed her eyes. Luz suddenly opened her eyes as she heard secret passages opening on the walls, and purple smoke being released into the room. She held her breath to not inhale the poison and ran in the direction her spider sense had pointed. Luz punched right through the fake stainless-steel wall and hit Mysterio right on the face, shattering his fishbowl mask to pieces. Adrian fell to the ground, his card escaping his hand.

“Your luck won’t save you this time!” Mysterio declared as he pressed a button on his wrist, and his suit released a massive smoke screen that covered the entire room. Spider-Girl heard a metallic sound, and turned to see what was left of the Cyclops robot was crawling through the ground towards her. It fired its optic blast towards the card, igniting it into flames. Spidey gasped as she ran and fired her webbing at the fire to put it out. “Activate self-destruct!”

The Cyclops robot began beeping loudly. Luz turned to the source of the voice and ran towards it, breaking right through the emergency exit that Mysterio had just run through. Mysterio ran down the alley behind the theater, Spider-Girl right behind him him. The robot inside the room they had just left detonated, the fireball consuming the entire room and creating a shockwave that knocked Adrian to the ground, while Luz stood strong.

Mysterio began getting back up, only for several nets of webbing to come flying and tie him down. Spider-Girl approached Adrian, who began laughing maniacally.

“You lost, Spider-Girl!” Mysterio declared. “The card was destroyed! You won’t know the next location!”

“Are you sure about that?” Spidey commented as she showed a small mass of webbing. Those were the same webs she had used to put out the fire on the card at the last second. The imprint of the writing could be read on the webs.

“You little brat! You haven’t seen the last of Mysterio!” Adrian declared, only for Spider-Girl to web his mouth shut. She pulled out a small card and glued it to his mouth.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Spider-Girl climbed to the top of a nearby building and began swinging away, trying to ignore the pain on her leg.

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl swung and landed in the middle of the construction site. Luz took in a deep breath in pain as the landing made the wounds on her leg from the Mysterio fight flare up. She grabbed her chest in pain from Electro’s blast, and shook her head to try shaking off Eberwolf’s tranquilizers. Luz looked around to see the place was completely empty, the only sound coming from the still working concrete mixers. Spidey noticed the card simply abandoned on the ground near a large truck filled with concrete, right on top of a puddle of liquid.

Luz limped to the paper and tried to grab it, only for her spider sense to tingle and the puddle under it to strike her in the shape of a massive fist, sending her flying onto a metal pillar. Spider-Girl groaned in pain as she felt her ribs cracking.

“Took you long enough, Web-Head!” Darius declared as he formed his body, holding the card in his hands.

“I don’t have time for you right now, buttercup!” Spider-Girl declared, trying to ignore the pain on her ribs as she dashed and threw a punch, only for her fist to go right through the Abomination’s chest. Darius laughed as he grabbed Spider-Girl by the neck and morphed his other arm into three distinct arms, before using them to throw a flurry of punches that send Luz rolling across the ground. “Gotcha!”

Darius’ eyes widened as he realized Spidey was holding the card, which she had taken without him realizing while he punched her. Luz leaped and began to swing away, only for Darius to morph his hand into an axe and stretch it, cutting right through the web and sending Spidey face first to the ground.

Luz’s spider sense flared intensively as she realized the concrete inside the mixers was actually not concrete at all. The Abomination goo flew out and morphed into fists, striking Spidey from all sides. Luz fell back to the ground and glanced at Darius’ feet, noticing thin lines of goo linking him to the liquid in the mixers.

“The Master Planner was right! This place really gives me the battlefield advantage!” Darius declared as the goo from the mixers flew back into him, and his body grew and morphed into a large Abomination. “Any more quips before I tear you apart?”

“I think actions speak louder than words!” Spider-Girl declared as she got back to her feet and looked up at the Abomination. She fired at web at the Abomination’s chest, Darius making a hole on his body for the web to harmlessly go through. Spider-Girl smirked as the web hit the back of a large truck full of actual concrete. Spidey pulled it and broke the back of the vehicle open. She leaped out of the way as Darius gasped in shock, and the concrete engulfed his body, quickly hardening around him and freezing him in the shape of a statue. “Michelangelo! Eat your heart out!”

Spider-Girl glued a small card to the frozen statue.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Spider-Girl took a moment to reach for her ribs in pain as she read the card, and then leaped and began swinging away from the scene.

Staten Island.

Spider-Girl swung through the skyscrapers, doing the best she could to ignore the pain in her ribs from the Abomination fight, the pain in her leg from the Mysterio fight, the dizziness she felt from the Eberwolf fight, and the pain on her chest from the Electro fight. Her spider sense flared as a blur flew by and sliced her webbing. Luz back flipped in midair as she fell and landed on the side of a building.

“Flying rat alert!” Spider-Girl commented as she climbed to the top of the building, seeing the shadow of the Bat Queen as she flew around her like a hungry vulture.

“I’m quite surprised you got this far, arachnid!” The Bat Queen declared as she held up the small card in her hands. “But alas, this is the end of the line for you!”

Spider-Girl fired a web at the Bat Queen, who sliced it in midair and then flew high into the sky, out of Luz’s range. The Bat Queen held a small cigarette lighter near the card.

“If I burn this, you will never find where Masha Brant is being kept!” The Queen ordered with a wicked smile. “Web shooters off! Now!”

Luz groaned in annoyance as she pulled her sleeves back and began removing the devices from her arms. She had no idea how she would defeat a flying opponent without webs, but it seemed like that was as good of a time as ever to think of a way. As soon as Spidey was done putting the web shooters on the ground, the Bat Queen swooped in at high speeds to slice her with the metal wings. Spider-Girl jumped off the building, and then glued to it with her hands and feet.

“I thought you were a bat, not a chicken! Get down here and fight!” Spider-Girl quipped as she began climbing up the building. The Bat Queen flew above her like a blur, and before Luz knew it a chain had flown in and lassoed her foot. The Bat Queen held onto the chain and flew away from the building as fast as she could. Luz yelled as her other leg cracked, and the pieces of the wall she was glued to broke off the building as the Bat Queen began flying around while Spidey dangled upside down. Luz groaned in pain as the Bat Queen began slamming her onto the sides of buildings. “I’m starting to get the impression that Mrs. Bad Haircut here doesn’t like me!”

Spider-Girl tried to ignore the pain on her cracked leg as she reached up and managed to grab the chain in her hands. Luz carefully freed her foot and then pulled the chain, forcing the Bat Queen down and herself up. The Bat Queen gasped in surprise as Spider-Girl landed right on her back.

“What are you doing?” The Bat Queen asked in shock.

“I’m slicing off your wings, butterfly!” Spidey declared as she punched right through the flying device on the Bat’s back, breaking it and sending the two hurling downwards. The Queen screamed in terror, and Luz pulled her body into the direction of the building where the fight had started. The Bat Queen let out one final scream as the two crashed right onto the top of the building, the Queen falling unconscious. Luz groaned in pain as she held her cracked foot. She forced herself to stand back up and reached for her web shooters, putting them back on. “Just one more…”

Luz took the card and then webbed up the Bat Queen’s unconscious body, gluing her own card to the web.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

Luz jumped off the building and began swinging away.

Westchester County.

“That must be it… my final destination…” Spider-Girl whispered as she looked at the old castle in the distance. It had been imported into this country stone by stone and updated with a modern electricity system. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Ned? I think I know where Masha is being kept! They’re in Westchester County!”

“Luz? You don’t sound all that well.” Ned commented. “Are you hurt?”

Luz thought over the pain on her chest from the Electro fight, the headache she had gotten from the Eberwolf fight, the wounded leg she had gotten from the Mysterio fight, the broken ribs from the Abomination fight, and the cracked other leg from the Bat Queen fight.

“I’m completely fine! Don’t worry!” Luz declared and hung up the call. She replaced her web cartridges and swung to the top of one of the castle’s towers, sneaking in through a window. Spidey began carefully searching through the corridors while glued to the ceiling.

“Is there anyone there?” She heard Masha’s voice coming from down the hallways. Spider-Girl made her way towards the door as Masha slammed onto it from the other side. “Let me out of here!”

Luz half-wondered how Masha would react to being saved by her, seeing as they still believed Spider-Girl had killed her brother. She reached to the lock of the door and prepared to break it, when her spider sense suddenly flared, but her wounds from the previous battles didn’t allow her to move fast enough, and the same massive Abomaton that Eda had shown her on the security footage grabbed her and from behind and threw her right through a wall into another room.

“I’ve been expecting you, Arachnid!” The distorted voice of the Master Planner declared with a smile.

“Fancy new robot you got there!” Spider-Girl declared, hiding her anger behind her sarcasm. “It would be such a pity if someone broke it!”

“This Abomaton is new and improved! You can’t break the gravitation field generators, because they are all inside!” The Planner declared. “Let’s name it… what was it you called the last one… The Living Brain!”

“You can scratch the ‘Living’ part when I’m done with it!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed towards the large robot. The Living Brain threw several punches, which Luz just barely avoided. She leaped and aimed at punch at the robot’s face, but the Living Brain moved faster and grabbed her by the neck.

The Living Brain was not only faster than the last Abomatons, but its grip was also much stronger. The robot tried to slam Spider-Girl onto the wall, but she acted fast and positioned herself so the sole of her feet landed on the wall. She screamed from the pain on her legs as she jumped off the wall, the force knocking the Living Brain to the ground.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall, you over-built can of Pepsi!” Spider-Girl declared in anger as she punched the Brain on the face several times with all of her strength, making pieces of the robot’s Abomination matter fly out and hit the walls.

The Living Brain suddenly sprung back to life and grabbed Luz by her ankle, before holding her upside down and throwing her onto the wall. The wall broke, revealing the several electrical wires inside of it. Spider-Girl forced herself to get back to her feet, sharp pain spreading around her entire body as she felt her head become light and begin to spin.

“This is the end for you, arachnid!” The Master Planner declared as he morphed one of the hands of the Living Brain into a sharp spinning drill. “Any last words?”

“You might defeat me now, but you’ll never find out where I hid Updog!” Spider-Girl groaned.

“What is Updog?”

“Nothing much. How about you?” Spidey declared.

The Living Brain charged forward and trusted its drill, only for Luz to throw herself to the ground at the last second, the drill striking the electrical wires on the wall and shocking the robot with a wave of electricity. Sparks flew out from the machine as its inner systems began to break, and it melted into a puddle of goo on the ground.

“You know… I have to admit one thing…” Spider-Girl whispered as she got back to her feet after some struggle. “I’m quite lucky you six are selfish villains who couldn’t work together to save your lives… if you had all attacked at once, I legitimately don’t know what the hell I would have done…”

Spider-Girl limped her way to the door back to the hallway, when she heard a familiar voice.

“I almost got it!” Ned declared as he fiddled with the lock, before managing to pick it and open the door. Masha ran out of the room and hugged Ned. “I was so worried about you!”

“Yeah, me too!” Masha declared. They then kissed Ned right on the lips. Ned was surprised for a moment, but quickly put his arms around Masha and kissed them back. The two held the kiss for a few moments, before splitting apart. “Let’s get out of here before another villain shows up!”

Ned nodded as the two turned around and made their way to the exit. Ned glanced at the door, seeing Spider-Girl was no longer there. Ned nodded at nobody in particular, as the couple made their way out of the castle.

“I love you, Ned.” Masha whispered.

“Yeah…” Ned nodded. “I love you too.”

Spider-Girl swung away from the castle as fast as she could, heading back to the city.

“Hothead said the Master Planner’s robots were around the Hudson River! This must be where he is hiding!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she swung as fast as she could, the wounds from the battle still sending waves of agonizing pain across her body. “I have to get ISO-36 back from him! Mama’s life depends on it!”

Camila Noceda only has hours left to live. The battle is far from over, as the Master Planner still remained. Luz Noceda charged towards the river full steam ahead, and she could almost see the unconscious face of her mother in her deathbed as she glanced at the skies above.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Rampage of the Spider-Girl.

The ultimate battle continues! Only doctor Octopus remains!

The Spider’s Web.

“What is taking Luz so long? Why did we have to reach 2 thousand hits now of all times?” Eda asked herself as she carefully mixed together the chemicals. “If she’s not back here with ISO-36 in the next few hours, it will all be over!”

Eda glanced to the side, noticing you, the reader. She gave you a silent nod and then turned back to the chemicals.

GodzillaMaster: Luz really can't catch a break. She finally got the money she needed, only for supervillains to steal the one thing that'd save Camila

Really hoping that she'd be able to come out on top here

.....

Oh crap, Masha's gonna be the Gwen Stacy, aren't they?

Wasn't expecting for the Blight twins to show up, but not surprised that Luz freaked out when she heard their last names. And she's probably gonna freak out when she finally meets Amity

Willow and Gus have finally arrived, yay

And jeez, so many superheroes just showing up all at once

So Anne's Captain America, huh? I'm guessing that Marcy's Iron Man, but who's Sasha supposed to be?

“I doubt Marcy Wu would be Phineas Flynn’s bodyguard, but I’ve heard weirder theories. Wouldn’t she be called ‘Iron Woman’ if that was the case? Marcy went missing near the end of World War II, so even if she is alive, she’s probably a grandma by now.” Eda commented, letting out a quick laugh. It helped to lighten the tension, but her smile swiftly dropped as she once again focused on her chemicals. “As for Sasha… I’ve never heard this name before. Who is she? Some kind of United States agent?”

Celtarican: God damn, making every TV show reference you can now? Nice

I can sense a season 1 ending, and then, AT LONG LAST, THE REST OF THE TOH CAST FINALLY

oh, I uh, I see that blood transfusion did not give Camila spider powers

Fuck

10/10 excited for the finale

“Spider-Girl has more weight on her shoulders than she ever had before.” Eda commented. “Let’s leave it like that.”

Ri2: Wait...if Abomination is a Spider-Girl villain, then who's the American Dragon's nemesis?

“Now that I think about it, the American Dragon also had an enemy called the Abomination, didn’t he? Turns out his actual name was the Dark Dragon.” Eda explained. “Our abomination is a guy named Darius Deamonne. His body got dissolved into Abomination Goo after he fell inside a super collider. The two are unrelated.”

Shadowsnake89: Well the stakes have never been higher for you have they? You've sacrificed so much to help Camila and now it looks like these villains are trying to threaten it all. Can you beat all these guys by yourself, save Masha and get what you need to save your mother? I surely hope so but most of them pushed you to your limit alone.

“Spider-Girl is fighting like she never did before! We don’t have much time left!” Eda whispered in worry, still focusing on the chemicals. “Come on, Luz… Hurry up!”

Eda let out a sigh and looked out of the window.

“We don’t have much time…” She whispered and then turned back to the chemicals. “Hurry up, Spidey…”

The Secrets of Spider-Girl.

Have you ever wondered how Spider-Girl’s incredible powers work? Well, dear reader, we’ve got you covered!

Luz Noceda possesses the proportionate powers of a spider, which were granted to her after being bitten by an irradiated spider created by Blight Industries. The process was incredibly dangerous, and had a 99.9% chance of simply killing her due to radiation poisoning, meaning that even if the spider was not a one of a kind specimen, it is practically impossible that another Spider-Girl could ever exist.

The radioactive, complex mutagenic enzymes in the spider's blood that were transferred at the time of the bite triggered numerous body-wide mutagenic changes within Luz, granting her an enhanced chromosome pattern that is the source of the following powers:

Enhanced Strength: Spider-Girl possesses the proportionate strength of a spider, allowing her to lift and throw objects as heavy as a big rig semi-truck with ease. Luz’s strength is such that she must pull her punches when fighting opponents who do not possess comparable durability to herself, or else her blows might prove themselves fatal. Of course, if you know anything about Newton’s third law, this obviously means Spider-Girl is durable enough to take as much as she can ditch out, to the point in which she must roll with the punches of her enemies to prevent their wrists from breaking upon hitting her. This superhuman strength can also be applied to her legs, allowing her to leap several stories in a single bound. Spider-Girl is the fourth strongest super hero you’ve seen in this story so far, behind only the Thing, the American Dragon, and Star Butterfly.

Wallcrawling: The mutated spider venom induced a mutagenic, cerebellum-wide alteration of Luz's engrams resulting in the ability to mentally control the flux of interatomic attraction electrostatic force between molecular boundary layers. This overcomes the outer electron shell's normal behavior of mutual repulsion with other outer electron shells and permits the tremendous potential for electron attraction to prevail. This allows Spider-Girl to affect the attraction between surfaces and make her body stick to any object she can touch, with an upper limit of lifting several tons per finger. Luz mostly uses this power to climb walls.

Enhanced Equilibrium: Spider-Girl possesses the incredible ability to achieve perfect equilibrium in any position imaginable, may that be on the side of a building, upside down on a web, or balancing herself on a thin rope with one finger. No matter what position she is in, the blood will never go to her head and she will never get dizzy or disoriented.

Spider Sense: Possibly Spider-Girl’s most useful ability, this precognitive danger sense warns Spidey of incoming danger by causing a tingling sensation on the back of her skull, allowing her body to automatically and instinctively avoid danger, even if she is unaware, asleep, or stunned. The intensity of the spider sense is proportional to the intensity of the danger in question, with smaller dangers being barely noticeable and bigger threats causing the sense to flare up so intensively that it could cause a momentary headache. The spider sense can also double as a less effective version of Daredevil’s radar sense, allowing Spider-Girl to fight while blindfolded or while in complete darkness. The precognitive abilities of the spider sense allow Luz to dodge attacks that she would otherwise not be fast enough to avoid, such as Doctor Doom’s photon blasts, which fly at the speed of light.

Those are just some of the powers of Luz Noceda, the Amazing Spider-Girl!

Chapter Text

Rampage of the Spider-Girl.

Unknown location.

“Curse that sniveling Spider-Girl!” Doctor Octopus declared, sitting in the shadows as his tentacles carefully put the stolen machinery together into a large device. “My experiment is almost complete! I am so close! This same experiment that fused me with my arms and made me who I am today! This time will be bigger than the last one! I will show the world that I did not miscalculate! I will be the one to change the world! They all will have to admit I am smartest human being alive!”

Alador looked down at his two hands, glancing at the bottle of ISO-36. This chemical was technically not required for the experiment, he had even attempted it without ISO-36 the other times, but adding this extra ingredient would make sure that the machine would not explode.

“If I can complete this machine without Spider-Girl ruining everything again, there is no limit to the powers I… we could gain!” Alador declared, his body still hidden by the shadows. He turned to his gigantic super computer, which he had been using to control the Living Brain and battle Spider-Girl just minutes prior. “The power of the sun… in the palm of my hand!”

Hudson River.

“This should be the place!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed on a building near the bay and began looking around. She closed her eyes as a sharp pain spread around her body. Electro’s lightning had harmed her chest, Eberwolf’s poison was still giving her a splitting headache, Mysterio’s robots had blasted her leg, the Abomination had broken her ribs, the Bat Queen had cracked her other leg, and the battle against the Living Brain had left her exhausted, but she could not afford to take even a moment to rest, not when her mother’s life depended on it. “I have to search for clues!”

Luz began swinging around the area as fast as she could, some of the civilians underneath looking up to her in surprise as she jumped from building to building. Spidey swiftly climbed to the tallest building in the area to get high ground and began looking around, when she saw what appeared to be massive footprints near the water.

“The only human I know who could make those footprints is the Thing, but I doubt Soos is just going for a walk around this area! It must have been the robots!” Spidey whispered to herself as she leaped off the building and began following the trail.

The thoughts of her mother began filling her mind as she followed onward for several minutes. The last time Luz had seen Camila in the hospital, her mom seemed to be going through so much pain, and it was all Luz’s fault. Spider-Girl’s thought snapped back to reality when she noticed what appeared to be two thugs cleaning the footprints from the beach. Luz back flipped and landed right in front of them.

“You don’t look like street sweepers!” Spider-Girl declared in restrained anger.

“It’s that nut the boss told us about! Spider-Girl!” One of them declared as the two threw down their brooms, ran to the other side of the street and got on a car. The engine roared, but Luz was quick to fire three blasts of impact webbing, blowing up three of the tires of the vehicle. The criminals gasped as they noticed the vehicle would not move, and gasped again when Luz easily ripped the car ceiling open with her bare hands.

“Where is the Master Planner?” Spider-Girl demanded in slight anger as she held the two by their neck.

“We don’t know! He just paid us to get rid of the trail!” One of the thugs declared, and then pointed at a large building on the end of the street. “We began on that warehouse!”

“Thank you for your service!” Luz declared as she pulled the two out of the broken car and webbed them up on the sidewalk. Spider-Girl climbed to the top of a nearby building and began swinging towards the warehouse.

Luz felt another wave of sharp pain spreading across her body. She fell to her knees on top of a building, holding her chest in agony, as both the electricity burns and the broken ribs began flaring up. Spider-Girl took in a deep breath and forced herself back to her feet. She prepared to go back to swinging, when she heard a familiar ringtone and picked up her phone. Her eyes widened in both hope and worry as she realized the call was coming from Forest Hills Hospital.

“This is Luz Noceda!” She declared in a tone of anxiety. “Is my mom alright? What happened?”

“We have bad news for you.” The woman on the phone declared. “The doctors have been trying to wake your mother from her coma for hours, but there is simply nothing else they can do. She cannot be saved. We will have to let her go.”

“What?” Luz asked in shock. “No! No! You can’t do this!”

“I understand what you are feeling, but there is simply no other way. Her disease is incurable and terminal. She only has a few more hours to live, and there is nothing this hospital could possibly do to save her.” The woman explained. “There is no point in prolonging her suffering. We are going to pull the plug.”

“Stop! I just need some more time! You have to trust me!” Luz declared, when the call suddenly ended. The woman had hung up. An expression of terror came to Luz’s face and she began walking in circles on the rooftop. “What am I going to do? This is all my fault! What am I going to do?”

Luz began hyperventilating for a few moments, when an idea suddenly came to her mind. Spider-Girl’s expression changed into a serious one as she dialed a number on her phone.

“Hello?” Spidey asked as she brought the phone to her ear. “I can’t explain it right now, but I need your help! Please! It’s an emergency!”

Forest Hills Hospital.

The doctor walked down the corridors of the hospital towards Camila Noceda’s room. He arrived at her door and opened it, taking a step inside, only to walk face first into what appeared to be an invisible wall.

“What is the meaning of this?” He asked as his annoyed expression changed into one of surprise, and he looked over the four figures standing around the hospital bed.

“It’s a force field.” Wendy Corduroy declared with a confident smile on her face, as the doctor realized the entire room was surrounded by an invisible bubble shield. “Not even the American Dragon could break it, but you’re free to try.”

“What?” The doctor asked in shock. “Drop this shield immediately! You don’t have the authority to be here!”

“Who even is this woman?” Soos asked Mabel as he pointed at Camila, still unconscious on her bed.

“I don’t know.” Mabel answered matter-of-factly with a shrug. “But ol’ Web-Head asked us to watch over her, so that is what we’re going to do.”

“I guess you’re not a blue-eyes idol of millions for nothing.” Soos declared with a casual smile and turned to Dipper who had been tinkering with the machines near Camila’s bed. “Hey, Stretch! How’s it going in there?”

“Done.” Dipper declared as he closed the machinery back up. “I hardwired it to keep running even if they try to cut off the electricity.”

“What are the four of you doing?” The doctor asked in shock. “This woman cannot be saved! She’ll be dead by the end of the day, even if we keep the life support running! Only a miracle could save her!”

“He’s right.” Dipper commented as he approached his twin. “I can tell by the data the machinery is getting. She only has hours left. She could maybe hold on until nightfall if we’re lucky. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“I’m not going to let Spidey down.” Mabel declared with a serious tone of voice. “We’ll hold on as much as we can… but it is all up to Spider-Girl now!”

New York Harbor.

Luz took a few moments to breathe as she landed on the roof of the large warehouse. She spied into it through the skylight. There were several thugs walking around, as well as a parked car and a flight of stairs.

Spidey took a close look, noticing several scratch marks on the ground, as if a series of heavy objects had been dragged across it. The Master Planner, when Luz had first met him, had stolen and experimental air pump, a super vacuum chamber, and also tried to steal a particle accelerator. This must have been where the stolen equipment had been kept.

Spider-Girl took in a deep breath and broke right through the glass, the criminals gasping as she back flipped across the air and landed right in the middle of the warehouse.

“I’m a little bit lost! Maybe you guys could give me some directions!” Spider-Girl declared in slight sarcasm. “Where is the Master Planner?”

Several of the criminals turned away and ran to the car, while many others pulled out handguns and opened fire. Spider-Girl somersaulted over the bullets and back flipped across the air, landing right in front of the speeding car. The driver sped up to try running her over, only for Luz to stop the full speed automobile with her bare hands. The criminals in the vehicle jumped off in surprise and began running away, as Spidey threw away the car as if it was a frisbee, the vehicle shattering through a concrete pillar.

“She’s gone insane!” One of the thugs declared as several of them pulled out Tommy guns and opened fire, while many others began running up a flight of stairs into an emergency exit. Spidey leaped over the raining bullets and fired a web at the ceiling, swinging over the armed enemies and landing right in front of the stairs.

Luz grabbed the heavy metal staircase and ripped it out of the wall with one pull as if it was made of paper. The criminals on the staircase jumped off, just as Spider-Girl threw the flight of stairs onto the armed enemies. They jumped to the ground at the last second, the metal stairs breaking right through another concrete pillar. Luz swiftly leaped and webbed up the criminals to the ground.

“Where is he?” Spider-Girl demanded as she grabbed one of the criminals by the jacket. Luz did the best the could to ignore the sharp pain once again spreading around her bones due to the feats of strength she had just performed.

“I don’t know!” The criminal declared in desperation. “A bunch of purple robots were putting some machinery into a truck! The Planner just put us here to guard the place in case anyone showed up!”

“A truck?” Spidey whispered. “I know you criminals are dumb, but you better not be stupid enough to have forgotten a license plate!”

Clawthorne residence.

“The serum is almost ready.” Eda commented as she put the final drop of a small purple chemical onto the bottle. “Now all that is left is adding ISO-36.”

“Have you been seeing the news? Spider-Girl has been running back and forth around the city for hours.” Raine commented, sitting on a chair near Eda’s workbench. “I can only imagine what she’s been going through.”

Eda stared at the chemical bottle, an expression of worry on her face as she brought her only hand to her chin.

“Neutralizing blood deterioration is a complex process. The longer we wait, the stronger the radiation in Camila Noceda’s blood becomes. Even if we can complete the serum, it might not even be effective.” Eda whispered under her breath. “We can’t even be certain if ISO-36 will assimilate the other chemicals successfully. If I got even a fraction of a measurement wrong, it will ruin the entire serum. ISO-36 also slowly loses its effect when not under the controlled conditions of the lab. If Spider-Girl takes too long to bring the chemical, it will lose its potency and become worthless…”

Raine gently put their hand on Eda shoulder.

“I know you are worried, but you already did everything you could.” Raine explained. “There is nothing else either of us can do. It is all up to Spider-Girl now.”

New York Harbor.

Spider-Girl swung around the neighborhood, carefully looking over the vehicles. She squinted her eyes as she noticed a truck that fit the description. Luz jumped down towards it, her legs giving out on the landing and making her fall on her face. She clenched her teeth as the wounds from the great battle against the Sinister Six once again sent sharp pulses of pain across her nerves.

“No time to get jelly legs right now!” Spider-Girl whispered, and then took in a deep breath and forced herself back to her feet. Luz broke the padlock and then opened the back of the truck seeing it was completely empty. Spidey looked at the tires, seeing a trail of black tire tracks. She jumped to the top of the nearest building and began swinging as fast as she could, several minutes going by as she crossed many city blocks, until seeing the tire tracks were leading to another large warehouse. “Might as well make a big entrance!”

Spider-Girl swung right through the massive metal door, breaking through it and knocking it out of the door frame. Luz landed on all fours, another wave of sharp pain spreading around her body, and looked ahead, seeing several Abomatons suddenly coming to life and turning to her.

“I didn’t expect you to get this far, arachnid.” The Master Planner declared, his disguised voice coming from all of the robots at once. “Now it is time to crush this spider.”

“I don’t have time for this!” Luz declared in anger as she charged towards the robots.

Spider-Girl slammed her body against the group of many robots, sending several of them to the ground. Three of the robots grabbed her and tried to push her down, another wave of pain spreading around her body, when Luz did a flip and send the three Abomatons flying onto the walls. Spidey turned around and threw a punch, knocking off one of the gravitational field projectors on one of the robots, making its arm melt into slime.

Several more Abomatons dashed towards Luz, who leaped upwards, her legs releasing a sharp pulse of pain all over her body, and landed on the ceiling. Spider-Girl aimed and fired several blasts of impact webbing, breaking through many of the gravitational field projectors that the Abomatons worn as armor, and making their bodies melt into large puddles on the floor.

“No matter how many robots you send! I’m more than a match for all of them!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped back to the ground. Luz looked down to see small bubbles forming on the purple ooze. There was air coming from a tiny hole on the ground. Spider-Girl punched that exact spot on the floor and broke it open, revealing what appeared to be a massive hidden underground elevator shaft. Spider-Girl turned to one of the Master Planner’s communicators on the slime. “How about we meet face-to-face at last?”

Luz jumped down the massive elevator shaft. She fell for what felt like several minutes, feeling the temperature rising the deeper she went. She landed on top of the elevator, groaning in pain as her damaged legs took all of the impact. Spider-Girl quickly recovered and opened the emergency exit on top of the elevator, using it to jump in and then forcing the metal doors open with her strength. Luz limped into the Master Planner’s lair and looked up, seeing the transparent glass ceiling that gave her a view of the fish swimming across the ocean above them.

“Underwater base? Classy!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she ran through the tunnel as fast as she could, kicking down a metal double door at the end, and then running straight into what appeared to be a massive scientific laboratory. Luz looked up and gasped upon seeing the size of the massive super computer on the wall. She shook her head and began looking around, noticing large pieces of machinery on the other side of the room, and the bottle of ISO-36 on a metal table. “There it is!”

Luz prepared to run for the chemical, but hesitated. The Master Planner didn’t even try to hide the bottle, he had made it too easy. It was obviously a trap. Spider-Girl stared at the table in annoyance, realizing she had no other choice. She ran towards the bottle and tried to grab it, only for her spider sense to flair as four metal tentacles flew in and grabbed her by the limbs, pulling her away from the chemical and holding her upside down.

“Well, well, well. I put down flypaper and ended up catching a spider.” Alador declared as he walked out of the shadows. Spider-Girl stared at him in surprise upon seeing his outfit. He was wearing a mostly green jumpsuit, with an orange collar around the neck. He had orange gloves and boots, as well as an orange belt on his waist. Alador was also wearing his goggles over his eyes.

“Doctor Octopus! You’re the Master Planner!” Spider-Girl declared in surprise as she struggled to free herself from the tentacles. The tentacles squeezed her limbs, making Luz scream in pain.

“This time shall be our final encounter, arachnid.” Doc Ock declared as he began slamming Spider-Girl onto the ground several times, making Luz scream in pain as she felt the wounds on her ribs worsening. “Never again will you interfere with my plans!”

“I don’t have much time left! I have to beat him no matter what!” Luz declared as she put all of her strength into her arms. Spider-Girl screamed as she just barely managed to overpower the two tentacles that were holding back her hands. Luz reached for the ground and glued her palms to it. Alador tried to pull her away, but her hands simply wouldn’t let go. “You’re trying to recreate your experiment, aren’t you? But this equipment is much more potent than the last one! You’re going to destroy all of New York!”

“According to my research, it would be easier for me to tear off your arms than to make your hands release whatever they’re stuck to.” The bad doctor declared with a serious expression as his tentacles continued to pull with all of his strength. “Either option is fine by me!”

“We get it! You’re very smart!” Spider-Girl declared in annoyance, as she used her hands as leverage to flip over, pulling Alador off his feet and flipping him over her head. Alador’s tentacles let go due to the surprise, and quickly dampened his fall by stopping his body before it could reach the ground. Doc Ock thrusted two of his tentacles towards Spider-Girl, who was quick to jumped over them and dash towards him. “I’ve beaten you before, and I’ll do it again, no matter what you call yourself!”

Spider-Girl threw a punch, which Alador blocked with his tentacles. Luz screamed as she pulled back her hand, and her spider sense tingled as another tentacle flew in and hit her on the side. Spider-Girl once again screamed, but recovered on a split second and grabbed the tentacle, making her hand stick to it. Luz pulled the tentacle, Alador holding onto the ground with the other three. Luz screamed in anger as she pulled with enough strength to tear off the pieces of the ground Doc Ock had been holding onto, and then threw Alador towards a concrete pillar, the mad scientist using his metal arms to protect himself as he broke right through.

“You arrogant fool! I am your superior!” Alador declared as he got back up, all four tentacles already recovered and ready.

Spider sense tingled as Alador attack with one of the metal arms. Luz tried to dodge, but a sharp wave of pain spread around her body and made her flinch for a moment, which was enough for Alador to strike her right on the head with his metal arm. Luz groaned in pain, but quickly recovered and grabbed the tentacle. Another metal arm flew in, which Spidey avoided and grabbed, before beginning to tangle them into a knot.

“This fight is so easy that I can even take the time to practice some knot tying while we’re at it!” Spider-Girl declared, trying to hide how worried she truly was.

“You fool! You underestimate the mobility of my mighty arms!” Alador declared as the two tentacles easily untangled themselves and struck Spider-Girl, sending her flying through another concrete pillar.

Spider-Girl immediately got back up, ignoring the agonizing pain around her body, and dashed towards Alador. Doctor Octopus grabbed a massive piece of machinery with his tentacles and threw it at the hero, which Luz just barely avoided by bending backwards at the last second, the machine breaking through another pillar. Spider-Girl jumped back to her feet and ran towards the doctor. Doc Ock attacked with his mechanical arms, only for Spidey to reach down and tear off a large piece of the metal floor, using it to block the arms like a shield.

“I’ve never seen her fight like this before! She’s like a tiger!” Alador whispered to himself in surprise. He attacked with his arms once again, Spider-Girl dodging it as the arms broke through another pillar. Luz reached for another concrete pillar and broke it off with her bare hands.

“I don’t have time to waste with you!” Luz declared in anger as she threw the massive pillar, Doc Ock using his arms to pull himself to the ground and dodge it at the last second, the pillar breaking through five other pillars. “There is someone I have to save!”

Alador’s eyes widened as he felt the ground begin to shake under his feet, and looked around to see the entire underwater base was trembling. Their fight had broken the support beams, and the entire structure was about to collapse. Spider-Girl jumped back to avoid several metal pieces of the ceiling from falling on top of her, just as Alador turned around and made his way to the exit. Luz glanced at the doctor as he left the room and ran off, and then turned to the bottle of chemical on the other side of the room.

“I need that serum!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed, avoiding several pieces of falling metal debris, and took the bottle of ISO-36 in her hands. Luz began running towards the exit, only for large pieces of metal to crash in front of the door, her spider sense making her jump back on instinct. Luz felt a pulse of agonizing pain spreading all over her body as she fell to her knees. “I have to get out of here! I need to take this serum to Mrs. Clawthorne!”

Spider-Girl got back to her feet, only for her legs to give out and make her fall face first to the ground, the bottle escaping her hands and rolling a few meters away. Luz struggled as she tried to get back up, only for her spider sense to suddenly tingle, and her eyes to go wide as she heard a loud breaking sound. Luz looked in the direction of the ominous rumble, to see the Master Planner’s super computer falling off the wall. Spider-Girl tried to get back up, but her entire skeleton flared in agonizing pain as the heavy super computer, which could outweigh a locomotive, fell right onto the super hero.

“Ugh…” Luz groaned in pain as she laid underneath the metal device. The metal rubble covered her entire body other than her head and arms, and there was a thick metal beam in between her face and left arm. She could not squeeze her way out of it. She looked ahead to see the bottle of ISO-36 on the ground. Luz tried to reach for it, realizing it was just a few centimeters too far away. She tried to activate her web shooters, only to hear a click. “I’m out of web fluid!”

Just saying the words ‘web fluid’ worried the hero, as she remembered it was her father who had come up with that name. The serum was right in front of her, but it might as well have been on another planet, as it was just out of her reach. Luz didn’t have much time. If she couldn’t get out of there, her mother would meet the same fate as her father, and it would all be her fault.

Luz heard the quiet sound of dripping, and her eye widened as she realized small drops of water were falling from the ceiling, landing right on top of the bottle. Luz gasped as she realized the drops were beginning to fall faster each time.

“The fight damaged the entire structure! The ceiling is beginning to give in to the water pressure!” Luz declared in shock. “The entire river will come surging through in just a few minutes! I have to get out of here!”

Luz tried to get up, using all the strength she had left to lift the heavy metal above her. She felt a sharp pain across her body and fell back to the ground, not even being able to budge the heavy machinery. It was no use. Luz just couldn’t free herself.

“Help! Please! Anyone! I’m down here! I’m stuck! I can’t move!” Luz Noceda screamed from the top of her lungs as she once again tried to reach the bottle with her arms, and once again it was just out of her reach. She had failed. Just when it counted the most, Luz had failed.

The drops of water continued to fall onto the bottle, each drop being faster, each drop being larger. Faster. Larger. Faster. Larger. Luz Noceda could almost see the faces of Manny Noceda and Camila Noceda beside her.

Dear reader, wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever befalls you, you must not miss the next chapter! The epic conclusion to Luz Noceda’s journey awaits you!

To be continued.

Next chapter: If this be my Destiny...!

SEASON FINALE!

The Spider’s Web.

“Damn that Spider-Girl! She destroyed my equipment!” Alador declared as he crawled up the elevator shaft using his tentacles. Dock Ock arrived at the surface and lost no time, getting out through the busted door and crawling his way up the buildings, ignoring the screaming civilians beneath him as his tentacles walked from building to building without difficulty. “I’ll have to do this the old fashion way!”

Doctor Octopus glanced at you, the reader, with an angry expression.

“You’re still here? Give up! The arachnid is done for! She has no way out of this one!” Alador declared in annoyance. “Although, since I am about to change the world, I think it might be fair to allow you to ask some questions to the smartest man alive!”

GodzillaMaster: Ah, so Phineas is Iron Man here.

And Luz is not looking so good right now. She probably should've accepted the offer for help, six fights in a row is going to make the seventh fight very difficult

“Oh, forget Phineas Flynn! Forget Dipper Pines, Gideon Gleeful, and Phyllis Pym!” Doctor Octopus declared with an overconfident tone of voice. “The world is about to meet the real smartest man alive!”

Celtarican: Phineas as Iron Man? The references just don't stop! I love it!

Come on Luz one more fight one more fight one more fight you got this

Excited to see how it ends, thank god everyone is an idiot and didn't attack at once, lol

“The egos of those five were unbelievable! They would never have been able to work together.” Alador declared as his mechanical arms continued to carry him across the rooftops. He glanced down and smiled, as from up there the people on the streets seemed to be nothing but ants to the great scientist. “Regardless, I just needed them as fall guys to keep Spider-Girl busy while I fulfill my greatness!”

Alador climbed to the side of a skyscraper, seeing Blight Industries in the distance. A wicked smile morphed on his face, as he headed towards the building.

The fate of New York hangs in the balance! Don’t miss the season finale! Only Spider-Girl can save us!

The Secrets of Spider-Girl.

Luz Noceda originally created her Spider-Girl suit as a wrestling costume, which came in handy when she decided to become a costumed crimefighter.

Spider-Girl has so far had two separate costumes, the Ditko Suit and the Romita Suit. Other than slight differences in appearance (bigger logo, spaced out webs, more vibrant colors), the Romita Suit is harder to rip and easier to sew back up. The type of spandex grants extra mobility when compared to the Ditko Suit.

The eyes of both suits are actually two-way mirrored lenses, thus allowed Spider-Girl to see clearly, but preventing anyone from seeing her eyes, thus preventing enemies from recognizing her eye color, which helps to protect her identity. The lenses also protect her eyes from dust in the air, which is quite useful when she is swinging across the city at high speeds, and also protect from certain light-based attacks, such as the hypnotic stares of the Gorgons.

Spider-Girl’s mask not only covers her face, but also muffles her voice, making it harder for her voice to be recognized. However, those who are familiar with Luz on a personal level, such as Eda Clawthorne, might still be able to recognize her voice regardless when at a close range.

The costume is incredibly light and skin-tight, allowing Spider-Girl to perform complex acrobatics without her suit getting in the way. This also allows Luz to easily conceal the costume under her regular clothes, allowing her to quickly change into Spider-Girl in a matter of seconds whenever needed. The length of Spider-Girl’s sleeves was designed to be easily concealed under Luz’s normal clothing, and will not be noticed even if her shirt sleeves become open at the cuffs. Spider-Girl’s shoes are lightweight enough for Luz to fold them and hide them in her pockets.

The spider signal is a powerful flashlight Spider-Girl wears on her belt, which she can turn on to release a powerful red light in the shape of her mask. This light is powerful enough to be seen from a mile away. Spider-Girl can use this light as a way of intimidating enemies, or use it as a simple flashlight to light up dark areas, which is quite useful when battling stealthy opponent such as Eberwolf. The flashlight can also be used to temporarily blind opponents.

Spider-Girl wears a utility belt with several compartments, which she uses to keep extra web fluid in case she ever runs out during battle. The belt can also be used to store small objects, such as the magnetic disruptor to turn off the Bat Queen’s wings or the antidote to turn the Owl Beast back into Eda Clawthorne. The center of the belt has a small automatic camera with motion detection, which will take pictures all by itself whenever an object moves at high speeds in front of the lenses.

Spider-Girl’s greatest tool is per paths her web shooters. They can be used to trigger her web cartridges, which contain a shear-thinning long-chain nylon liquid that converts into flexible and adhesive fiber when in contact with air, taking a shape similar to a spider web. The mechanist is activated by pressing the button located on Spider-Girl’s palm, which resulted in her iconic hand gesture. The button is designed to only react to the specific pressure of her two fingers, so Spidey won’t have to worry about her web going off by accident when she makes a fist or high fives someone.

The web shooters have three distinct modes. The first mode simply fires the web in the shape of a line, which Spider-Girl can use to swing around or to lasso enemies. The second mode fires them in the shape of a net, which Spider-Girl uses to trap enemies. The third mode is named impact webbing, and it fires a hard ball of webbing at high speeds, turning the web into a projectile powerful enough to break through solid metal.

Spider-Girl’s webs have exceptional tensile strength, meaning it is incredibly hard to break the webs by pulling them apart, to the point in which even the Thing has difficulty breaking them. The webs can easily be sliced open by sharp blades, however. Spidey specifically designed the web so it will dissolve and disappear after one hour, similar to how the Invisible Girl disappears, that way her enemies cannot follow her through the trail of webs she leaves. The webbing is 90% fireproof, to the point in which even a flamethrower would be ineffective against it. The webbing can, however, eventually be worn down and burned by flames if their intensity is off the charts, as shown with Spidey’s meetings with the Human Torch. Spider-Girl’s webs can stretch to some extent, although they cannot be compared to Mister Fantastic’s powers.

Spider-Girl’s webbing can be used to create simple constructs, such as shields, parachutes, safety nets, barriers, skis, rafts, clubs, or balls. The webs cannot be used to create complex structures such as firearms or vehicles, however so if you were expecting anything like that, it might be better to go to another universe and read about a green wearing space hero. The tensile strength of the webbing remains even when used in constructs, meaning all of Spider-Girl’s constructs are ten times more durable than stainless steel.

Spider-Girl’s costume has small webbing wings under her arms, connecting them to the sides of her chest. Those do not have any practical function, but they look really cool.

Those were just some of the amazing secrets hidden within Spider-Girl’s incredible outfit.

Chapter Text

If this be my Destiny...!

Have you ever wondered to yourself? ‘What would I do if the dearest person in my life, to whom I owe the entire world, was near death in a hospital bed, the victim of an illness she caught from me? What would I do if I was the only person in the world who had any shot in saving her? What would I do if I was the only one who could stop a mad scientist with a plan that could level an entire city?  What would I do if this all happened because of who I am, what I stand for, and the life I chose to live? What would I do if I was Spider-Girl, and I was stuck under the weight of 129 tons of solid metal? What would I do… if this be my destiny?’

“Help! Please! Anyone! I’m down here! I’m stuck! I can’t move!” Luz Noceda screamed from the top of her lungs as she once again tried to reach the bottle with her arms, and once again it was just out of her reach. She had failed. Just when it counted the most, Luz had failed.

The drops of water continued to fall onto the bottle, each drop being faster, each drop being larger. Faster. Larger. Faster. Larger. Luz Noceda could almost see the faces of Manny Noceda and Camila Noceda beside her.

“I have to get out of here!” Luz declared as she put her hands on the ground and began lifting with all of the strength she had left.

Luz groaned as massive pulses of pain coursed around her body. The burns on her chest from the Electro battle were agonizing. Her head was still spinning from Eberwolf’s tranquilizers. Her leg was still busted after it took the blast from Mysterio’s robots. The broken ribs from the Abomination fight made her feel as if her body was about to fall apart. The cracked leg from the Bat Queen fight felt as if it was about to snap in two any moment. Luz screamed in horrifying pain as her head fell back to the ground. The metal machinery above her hadn’t moved even an inch.

“I… I can’t… I…” She whispered under her breath.

Luz had been fighting for over 12 hours straight without taking even a minute to rest. She barely had enough strength left to keep her eyes open. She heard the dripping sound getting louder and louder each second. Luz felt water hitting her shoulder, and looked up to see another drip had opened. She the noticed a third one on the other side of the room. Luz once again tried to reach for the bottle of ISO-36 in desperation, and once again found herself just a few centimeters too short.

Luz stared right at the metal bottle, as the water continued to drip onto it. She had difficulty focusing as her vision began to blur. That thing was the only hope to save her mother, and she fell just short of reaching it.

“It’s all my fault…” Luz whispered to herself as tears began to slowly flow out of her eyes.

Whatever happened to Camila, whatever happened to the city, it would happen because of her. Because she couldn’t stop Doctor Octopus. Because her blood made Camila Noceda sick. Because she didn’t stop the criminal who shot Manny Noceda. Luz closed her eyes, and she could almost see the faces of her parents in front of her. It was all her fault.

“No…” Luz decided as she clenched her fists and opened her eyes. “I am not going to be responsible for another death! No other life will be lost because I failed to act!”

Luz placed her hands on the ground, intense pulses of pain flowing across her body as the dripping sound echoed louder and louder, and with every muscle in her body, every tiny trace of strength she still had left, Luz Noceda started to stand up.

“The spider… didn’t choose me… it could have bitten anyone else… it bit me by chance…” Luz whispered to herself as she put all of her strength into lifting. The dripping sound echoed louder and louder across the room as the water continued to flow in faster each second. “This gift… is not just for me… I must use it for the good of mankind… even when it seems impossible… or else I don’t deserve it…”

Luz felt her body about to give in at any moment, her bones about to shatter under the unbearable weight above her. It should be too much for her, and per paths it is. Luz felt every muscle burning, her head pounding, the room around her spinning, her eyes blacking out, but above it all, she felt the massive machine above her beginning to move up.

The dripping sound began to speed up, until it was no longer drips, but small holes on the ceiling as the water began flooding in. Luz had maybe a dozen seconds before the entire ceiling collapsed.

Luz felt herself about to faint as she managed to stand on her knees. If she gave in for even a fraction of a second, then the metal would crush her once again. If she closed her eyes even for a moment she would faint. Her entire skeleton felt as if it was about to break as she heard the ocean flooding in.

“Mama! Papa! I won’t fail you again!” Luz screamed from the top of her lungs as she continued to push the weight up with all of her strength. “No matter what! I won’t fail you!”

It should be too much for her, and per paths it is. It should be impossible, but…

“But anyone can win a fight when the odds are easy! It’s when the going’s tough, when there seems to be no chance, that’s when it counts! That’s when heroes are born!” Luz screamed from the top of her lungs as she pushed up with all of her strength, keeping up the momentum as she felt the supercomputer flying off of her, and from out the pain and agony, came triumph. “I did it! I’m free!”

Luz limped towards the bottle, her head spinning as she felt herself about to faint any moment. The water reached her ankles as she picked up the metal bottle.

“If I’m still breathing… I can still fight…” Luz whispered to herself. She heard the sound of cracking coming from above and began limping towards the door. The ceiling suddenly collapsed and the entire river flooded the room, like a localized tsunami striking Luz from behind and carrying her down the tunnel. Luz held her breath at the last second and actually stopped herself from screaming as she felt her bones breaking when the heavy water struck her on the back.

Luz could barely keep herself conscious as she swam underwater with one hand, the other hand holding to the metal bottle as if for dear life. Her incredible strength fought against the raging current of the ocean as it tried to batter her against the walls. Luz could barely see an inch in front of her face, so she closed her eyes, spider sense doing most of the job, as she desperately avoided the wreckage and floating machinery. Getting tangled down there was a death sentence.

Luz was running out of air. She could only hold her breath for a few seconds longer. She opened her eyes just as she reached the end of the tunnel. The river had broken open the elevator doors but the elevator was no longer there, as Alador had used it to make his escape. Luz began swimming up the tunnel, desperate for air, when her spider sense tingled and a stern hand grabbed her ankle and pulled her deeper. Luz’s eyes widened as she looked down to see a pair of Abomatons floating around her.

Luz didn’t have much air left, only a fraction of a second before she began drowning. One of the robots swam in and grabbed her from behind, while the other prepared to throw a punch to her chest. Luz acted fast and threw a mighty kick at the robot that was about to punch her, knocking off a piece of its armor and making its arm dissolve. She elbowed the robot that was holding her, knocking off a piece of its armor. Luz didn’t waste time and squeezed out of its grasp as one of the robot’s arms dissolved. She desperately swam upwards, practically shoving her head out of the water as she began taking deep breaths.

“I… I can’t stop… I can’t…” Luz whispered under her heavy breathing as she swam to one of the walls of the tunnel and began crawling upwards, one of her arms still holding tightly to the bottle of chemical. Luz raced to the top as fast as she still could, her body agonizing as she pushed it to its limit. She broke open the lower half of the elevator and crawled into it, going up through the secret entrance and coming out into the warehouse. Luz felt her legs almost giving in as her spider sense tingled, and she looked around to see she was surrounded by Abomatons. “Eight… against one? That’s not fair… You guys are… at a clear… disadvantage!”

Spider sense tingled as the robots dashed towards Luz, but the hero was too tired to dodge as the robots knocked her to the ground and began curb stomping onto her, Luz protecting the bottle with her arms. Luz was too tired to fight them all, she needed a few moments to catch her breath, which was what she was doing as she let the robots think they were hurting her. This was probably the first time anyone has ever rested by taking a beating, but Luz was never a conformist.

Luz took in a deep breath and jumped back to her feet, sending one of the robots flying with a quick punch. Another robot dashed in and hit her, and Luz’s vision began blacking out, a mixture of blood loss, tiredness, and Eberwolf’s tranquilizers still in her system. Luz closed her eyes, her head aching too much for her to focus on her spider sense, as she began throwing punches around as fast as she could. Luz was not going to fail, not when her mom needed her the most.

“A hero may lose… a hero may be defeated… but a hero never gives up!” Luz declared as she continued to fight the robots off with all of the strength she still had left. “I’m not giving up! I’m not! I’ll keep fighting no matter what! I’ll keep fighting until… until…”

Luz opened her eyes and looked around breathing heavily as she saw all of the robots were now nothing but goop on the ground.

“It’s over…” Luz whispered as she collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily as every muscle in her body felt as if it was about to explode. It was finally over. “I can’t… stop now…”

Spider-Girl took in a deep breath as she forced herself back to her feet, holding the bottle of ISO-36 in her hands as she limped to the door. She quickly changed the cartridges in her web shooters and began swinging across the city, the sky dark and the stars shining above her. It might have been too late.

Clawthorne residence.

“I’m here… I’m here…” Spider-Girl whispered as she crawled into the window. Eda gasped as Luz collapsed into the laboratory. She ran to Luz in worry.

“Kid! You look awful!” Eda declared in shock.

“How is my mom?” Luz breathed in worry.

“She’s just barely holding on!” Eda explained. “What happened? You look like you’re about to have a heart attack!”

Luz held the bottle of ISO-35 up, Eda taking it in her hand.

“We can’t waste a minute…” Luz whispered, when her spider sense tingled and she heard a loud sound echoing across the city. Luz turned around and looked out the window, to see a strange orange hue from behind the buildings, all the way on the other side of New York. “It’s coming from Blight Industries… Doctor Octopus!”

“That nutcase is involved in this?” Eda asked in surprise.

“He’s trying to repeat his experiment on a bigger scale… He’s going to destroy the entire city!” Luz declared in a serious tone, and then turned to Eda. “Take the serum to my mom! The Fantastic Four are there with her! Tell them Spider-Girl sent you!”

“Luz! What are you going to do?” Eda asked as Spider-Girl made her way to the window.

“My responsibility!” Spidey declared as she leaped off and began swinging towards the orange light.

Eda stared at Spider-Girl for a few moments as she left, and then turned to her chemicals.

“Don’t die tonight, Noceda…” Eda whispered. “Neither of you!”

Manhattan.

“What is the situation?” Captain Park asked as he got out of the police car, approaching the other officers on the outside of the building. The orange light coming from the window was intense. From a distance it looked like the entire building was burning. “We’ve just arrested five of the six escapees, so I imagine Blight might be involved?”

“Doc Ock just broke in and forced everyone out of the building. The entire place is barricaded, we can’t go in or get him out.” The other officer declared. “We’ve been contacted by the Avengers and the X-Men, they’re heading here as we speak and will be arriving to help in half an hour. What are the orders?”

Gilbert looked at the building in worry, as he knew neither of the aforementioned teams would be able to arrive in time. Half an hour would be too late, they had maybe five minutes before New York was removed from the maps.

A shadow suddenly flew by above them, landing on the roof of the factory and sneaking in through the ceiling.

“Evacuate the area! Get every civilian as far away from the building as possible!” Gilbert ordered, to which the other officers nodded and began speaking on their radios. Gilbert took one final glance at the building before they got moving. “It is all up to you Spider-Girl!”

Forest Hills Hospital.

“She’s sinking rapidly.” Dipper commented as he glanced at the machinery, trying to hide his worry behind his professionalism. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Sure? No. But if this can stop the blood deterioration, we can do another transfusion.” Eda whispered as she carefully put the tip of the syringe into Camila’s arm. “We’re giving her a fighting chance!”

Blight Industries.

The building was burning hot, as the miniature sun continued to form inside of the massive battery in the center of the room, the entire area engulfed by an orange hue. Alador didn’t want it to come to this, but Spider-Girl had destroyed his base and the stolen equipment, so he had no choice but to break in and perform the experiment in his old laboratory.

Doc Ock glanced at the floor upon hearing a bubbling sound. The massive vat of water on the floor beneath must have been boiling due to the heat of his massive. Alador could still recall when he used to do experiments with electric eels, but now that the eels were gone the vat was just a bunch of water that they didn’t use for anything. He turned back to his device, when one of his tentacles picked up a large piece of metal and threw it at the ceiling, Spider-Girl just barely avoiding it by back flipping onto the floor.

“I’ve been expecting you.” Alador declared.

“Good to know I have top billing on this show!” Spider-Girl declared, hoping the doctor would not realize that she was about to faint any moment.

“Time to close the curtains!” Octopus declared as he attack with two of his tentacles, Spidey leaping over them and tying them up with her webs, only for her spider sense to tingle as the two other tentacles flew in and grabbed her in midair, throwing her to the ground. Alador broke her web with the two other tentacles and tried to crush Spidey with them, but she rolled out of the way at the last second, the two tentacles piercing through the ground and becoming stuck. Spidey used the chance to fire a blast of webbing onto the doctor’s face, covering his eyes. “You annoying arachnid!”

A large orange lightning flew out of the miniature sun and struck the ground in between them, large cracks appearing as the heat began melting some of the machinery around the laboratory. Spider-Girl turned to the device and ran towards it, about to break the wires, only for a tentacle to fly in and grab her shoulder from behind, pulling her away. Doc Ock threw Spider-Girl, her body breaking through large computers and then hitting the wall.

“What will you say next?” Alador asked as he pulled the two tentacles out of the ground and took off the goggles, which were covered by webs. “Another quip or joke before I kill you!”

“Don’t worry… there is nothing I could say that would be a bigger joke than you!” Spider-Girl whispered as she showed the wire she had just ripped out of the machine. Alador gasped as he realized she had fired a web at the wires right before he pulled her, and the two glanced at the large battery.

“Huh?” Luz asked in shock, as the battery simply continued to glow, the artificial sun slowly increasing.

“It has become self-sustaining!” Alador declared with a smile. “Nothing can stop it!”

“I’ve faced worst odds!” Spider-Girl declared as she forced herself back to her feet. Her entire body felt as if it was about to fall apart. Luz leaped to the ceiling and then leaped off it and back to the ground, striking the floor right on the spot that the lightning had struck. Alador heard a loud cracking sound, as the entire ground beneath the two shattered, and they fell right onto the water vat. Alador pressed a button on his belt, and the orange collar around his neck unfolded and took the shape of diving equipment.

“How poetic! I get to defeat you in a manner fitting of the name I’ve been given!” Alador declared as he turned to Spider-Girl, who was holding her breath and trying to swim back to the surface. “A spider could never defeat an octopus underwater!”

Doctor Octopus thrusted with his tentacles, Spider-Girl just barely avoiding two of them and then catching the other two in her hands, before throwing them away and continuing to swim as fast as she could. Luz had been in tight spots before, but what she went through today made them all look like a picnic. Alador swam towards Spider-Girl and continued to attack with his tentacles, which Spidey was just barely able to avoid and reach the surface.

“This is gonna hurt!” Luz whispered to herself as she prepared to fire a web at the battery on the floor above. A pair of tentacles suddenly flew out from the water and grabbed her wrists, and Spidey breathed in right before Alador pulled her back under. Doc Ock threw Spider-Girl all the way to the very bottom of the vat.

“Godspeed, Spider-Girl!” Doctor Octopus declared as he attacked with all four tentacles at once.

Spider-Girl’s expression changed into a serious one as she fired her web shooters, releasing all of the web left in the cartridges all at once. Alador gasped in shock as the webs floated in circles around his tentacles and began entangling them, like a fish trapped by seaweed. Doctor Octopus groaned in annoyance as he tried to break free, but Spidey wasted no time, swimming near the edge of the vat to keep her distance from the tentacles and making her way to the surface as fast as she could. Luz quickly changed her web cartridges and fired a pair of webs onto the burning battery.

“Stop! Don’t do this!” Alador pleaded, still trapped underwater. “This experiment could change the world forever! I did all of the calculations!”

“You miscalculated!” Luz declared as she pulled the battery with all of the strength she had left.

The device fell into the water, dragging the miniature sun along with it. Large sparks of orange electricity spread all over the water, both Alador and Luz screaming in pain as their bodies were electrocuted for several seconds. The entire vat suddenly began glowing, and then exploded in a large blast, both Alador and Spider-Girl rolling across the ground as all of the water evaporated into steam.

“Ugh…” Spider-Girl groaned in pain on the ground as she coughed and took in deep breaths. She turned to the battery, which had burned and melted to the point of being unrecognizable, and the artificial sun had disappeared. She looked around the dark room for a few moments, and noticed an unmoving body on the ground. Luz crawled towards Alador in worry and gently put her hand on his neck, still feeling his breathing and his pulse.

Luz sighed in relief and then fell backward, collapsing onto the ground, completely exhausted. Luz simply breathed for a few seconds, and then a smile formed on her face.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.” Luz whispered.

Daily Bugle Headquarters.

The whole night had passed since Spider-Girl and Doctor Octopus had clashed. Everybody at the Bugle had their hands quite full after everything that had happened, and Masha Brant was no different, sitting on their desk and writing an article about Doctor Octopus and Spider-Girl, and how the two performed a terrorist attack on Blight Industries.

“Ugh!” They heard someone groaning alongside the sound of the elevator opening. Masha recognized the voice as being Luz. “Good morning.”

“Hey, Lu- AH!” Masha gasped as she turned to look at Luz, seeing her face was full of scratches and marks, including a black eye and a split lip. Luz was holding her chest in pain and limping as she walked. “Dear God, Luz! What happened?”

“I had a hard time getting photos of everything that happened yesterday.” Luz answered, not technically lying. “I’ll be fine.”

“Luz! You have to be careful out there!” Masha declared. “You’re risking yourself too much!”

“It’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it.” Luz commented, still not technically lying. “If it has to be me, then so be it.”

“You’re talking just like my brother!” Masha warned as they crossed their arms. “You better not end up like him! I don’t think I could handle this happening again!”

Luz nodded.

“You’re right.” Luz whispered. “I’m not going to die. I promise.”

The two nodded at each other, and Luz made her way to the other side of the room, opening the door into Hopkin’s office.

“Noceda! You look like you’ve been run over!” Hopkins declared in surprise.

“You look like that every day, so I guess we’re even.” Luz commented as she reached for the pocket of her jacket and pulled out several pictures. “I have some pictures of Spider-Girl fighting the Sinister Six. I also got Doctor Octopus being arrested.”

“Christmas came early today!” Hopkins declared with a smile. He pulled out a check and began signing it. “I can see you have nine pictures, so $400 for each would be–”

“$800.” Luz interrupted.

“Excuse me?”

“$800 for each picture.” Luz declared as she crossed her arms. “Not a cent less.”

“What is this? A highway robbery?” Hopkins asked in surprise. “What do you even need all of that money?”

Hospital bills.

“None of your business, Scrooge McDuck.” Luz declared. “If you don’t want to pay me, I can take them to another journal…”

“Why you… Fine! You take advantage of my kind heart!” Hopkins declared as he wrote the check and handed it to Luz.

“Nice to make business with you.” She declared as she took the check and placed the pictures on the desk, walking away without saying another word.

“What has come over that kid lately?” Hopkins asked himself.

Ryker's Island.

“Get your hands off me!” The Bat Queen declared in anger as the officer tried to push her into the cell. “I can walk by myself!”

The guards closed the door and locked it. The Bat Queen sighed as she noticed her five cellmates.

“So, you were the Master Planner this whole time?” Electro asked Alador, his voice sounding more curious than anything.

“Seems like your master plan didn’t work so well after all!” Eberwolf declared in anger.

“If you buffoons had actually defeated Spider-Girl like you said you would, everything would have worked out!” Alador declared in anger. “Just give me some time to think! I’ll try to come up with another plan!”

“Another plan to destroy the entire city? No thanks!” Darius declared in anger. “I’m done taking orders from you!”

“You five fools were only limiting the limitless potential of Mysterio!” Adrian declared in a grand voice that reeked of overconfidence. “It was a mistake joining your insignificant gang! Mysterio’s show must remain a solo!”

“If Mysterio doesn’t shut up, he will be losing his teeth!” The Bat Queen declared in anger. “Couldn’t they at least have given us private cells?”

Forest Hills Hospital.

Luz sat on the waiting room of the hospital, her heart beating so fast that Quicksilver would be jealous. Everything she had done the day before had given her mother a fighting chance, but Luz still had no idea what the doctor would say when he came out through that door.

“Luz Noceda?” She heard the doctor’s voice, and quickly shot up, limping towards him. “Dear Lord, kid! What happened to you? Are you sure you’re not here to be treated?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry!” Luz declared. “What happened to my mom? Is she okay?”

“I’ve got good news for you.” The doctor explained. “The serum Doctor Clawthorne brought her has stopped the blood deterioration. The results are favorable.”

“Oh, thank God!” Luz declared with a sigh of relief.

“She is awake if you want to see her, but she’s still under the effects of anesthesia, so she’ll probably not be able to say anything coherent.”

“Yes! Of course!” Luz declared, to which the doctor nodded and took Luz to Camila’s room.

Luz approached Camila’s bed. Her mother’s eyes were closed and she was barely moving, you would have forgiven Luz for thinking Camila was asleep, but what caught Luz’s attention most of all if that Camila no longer had that expression of pain that had given her daughter nightmares the night before.

“Mom?” Luz asked as she approached the bed.

“Luz…” Camila whispered very weakly as she just barely managed to open her eyes. Camila slowly raised her arm, and Luz took her hand with care.

“It’ okay, mama.” Luz whispered. “You’re going to be alright.”

“Luz…” Camila whispered as a smile formed on her face, and she once again closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Luz smiled, tears threatening to come out of her eyes, as at that exact moment she knew it: It was worth it. Everything she had done the night before… everything she had done the year before. It was all worth it.

Midtown High School, Queens.

“What happened to you, Luzer? Did you trip on an ant?” Boscha asked as Luz limped towards the other student. Boscha wearing a graduation gown was the weirdest thing she had seen all week, which is saying something.

“None of your business, Boscha.” Luz answered as she put the graduation cap on her head. At least miss football star being there meant Luz wouldn’t be the only 16-year-old in the ceremony.

“Everyone, get in line! Single file, please!” Eda declared and then opened the door. The crowd cheered and clapped as the graduates all walked in. Luz blushed and tried not to stand out too much, while Boscha held her nose up, loving the attention.

“Thank you, thank you.” Principal Hal declared from the podium. “You might notice that two of our graduates are noticeably shorter than the rest. This is because due to their incredible curriculum, one in scientific research and the other in professional football, they are both being allowed to skip one year and be sent directly to Hexside University, which specializes in gifted teenagers such as them!”

The crowd clapped. Both Luz and Boscha rolled their eyes, knowing damn well the principal was just using them to show off and see if he could get more parents to put their kids in his school.

“Now for our guest speaker! The great journalist, Jacob Hopkins!” The principal declared, to which the crowd groaned.

“They’re making us get diplomas the hard way.” Boscha commented.

“Gotta hand it to Principal Hal.” Luz commented. “He managed to get the one guy both of us hate.”

“As unaccustomed as I am to be a public speaker, I shall nevertheless tell you about myself!” Hopkins declared with a wide smile, completely full of himself. “When I was young, I also inspired to reach the pinnacle of greatness…”

“You have to listen to this guy every single day?” Boscha asked, to which Luz just nodded. Boscha had a legitimately impressed expression on her face.

Manhattan.

The thief snapped the chain with a plier and got onto the bike, beginning to peddle away down the street as the civilians gasped. The criminal heard a ‘thwip’ sound as a blur flew over him, only for the hero to land right in front of the bike and glue him to a web, which pulled him upwards and tied him to the side of the building.

“Is this anyone’s bike?” Spider-Girl asked as she held the small stolen vehicle and looked around, the bystanders simply shrugging. “Does anyone know who owns this bike?”

Queens.

“You go all the way to the end…” Spidey commented as she stood on the sidewalk near a car, an old lady on the driver seat.

“All the way?” The lady asked.

“Yes, all the way to the end of the street.” Spidey explained while signing the directions with her hand. “Then you turn left. Don’t take the main street, go to the one on the left. Then you go down for three blocks and turn right, then just keep going until you get there.”

“Alright. Thanks.” The old land commented. Spider-Girl nodded and then began swinging away, the lady following the directions Luz had given her.

Staten Island.

A little boy sat on a lonely alley with a broken windmill toy in his hands. He heard a ‘thwip’ sound and looked up, gasping upon seeing the crimson clad crimefighter landing right in front of him.

“Is everything okay?” Spider-Girl asked as she got on her knees, looking at the child on eye level. The boy showed her the small broken toy. Luz smiled and took it in her hands. “Did you make this? This is a wind turbine! It’s super cool!”

Spider-Girl carefully fired her web and glued the toy back together, before handing it back to the kid.

“Good as new, don’t you think?” Luz asked with a smile. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

The boy nodded timidly. Spidey sighed with her head and the two walked out of the alley together, Luz trying to disguise the limp on her leg.

“I’m Spider-Girl. What’s your name?”

“Jorge.” The boy answered, a smile beginning to form on his face. “I hope someday I get an action figure of you!”

“Maybe someday I’ll have one of you.” Spidey responded.

Westchester County.

“Okay! I did it!” The black man declared as he finished putting the spare tire. Spider-Girl nodded and put down the back side of the pick-up truck, which she had been gently holding above the ground. “Thanks, Spidey! You saved me a lot of time!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Luz commented as she picked the flat tire from the ground and put it on the back of the truck. “Just be careful out there. Only you can prevent car crashes!”

Spider-Girl waved goodbye and began swinging away. The citizen smiled and imitated Spidey’s hand gesture for a moment, before getting back into his truck and driving away.

Empire State Building.

“A year ago, my father told me that with great power, comes great responsibility.” Luz whispered as she sat at the top of the building, the American flag waving behind her and her mask in her hands as she looked up at the night sky. “Back then, I wasn’t sure what he meant, but now I think I understand, and whatever life has in store for me, I will never forget it. I just hope that papa is proud of me, wherever he is. This is my gift and my curse… Who am I?”

The sound of police sirens echoed across the night, as Luz turned to see the cars driving down the streets at high speeds. Luz got up and put her mask on.

“Anyone can win a fight when the odds are easy. It’s when the going’s tough, when there seems to be no chance, that’s when it counts. That’s when heroes are born. That’s who I am. I’m a hero.” She declared. “Who am I? I’m Spider-Girl!”

Spider-Girl swung through the night skies at high speeds, the civilians looking up in awe as the building seemed to fly around her, and she dashed towards another amazing fantasy.

Thus, a legend is born, as a new name is added to the roster of those who make the world of fantasy the most exciting realm of all. Robbers, killers, beware. Spider-Girl is here.

To be continued… Next season!

Unknown location.

The place was dark, fitting for a super villain. The figure in the shadows walked across the room, each footstep echoing. The figure held a tablet and was swiping through the news stories. Everybody seemed to be talking about this Spider-Girl, who the figure found quite interesting, but what interested the figure the most was the change of seasons.

“Fall has just begun…” The figure whispered. “The most wonderful time of year… not that it makes much difference to me.”

The figure made way to a workbench on the other side of the room. The figure put down the tablet and reached for the small pumpkin shaped grenades. A smile formed on the figure’s face, as the figure glanced at the bat shaped glider on the other side of the room.

“It will be Halloween all year!” The figure declared, laughter echoing across the darkness.

Season 2 premiere: Night of the Green Goblin.

The Secrets of Spider-Girl.

My dear readers, throughout the journey so far you have been introduced to quite a number of the marvelous heroes of New York, haven’t you? How about we take a closer look back at our favorite crimefighters?

The Fantastic Four:

No better place to start than with the first family. The Fantastic Four were the first heroes of the modern age, their arrival kickstarting the age of heroes in which we now live. Those four adventurers, Dipper Pines, Mabel Pines, Wendy Corduroy, and Soos Ramirez went on an epic space mission to reach planets beyond our moon, launching the ship by themselves before the federal government could cut their funding.

Their ship was struck by a subspace storm that bombarded them with cosmic rays. After miraculously surviving, the four found out they had gained fantastic powers. Dipper was able to stretch his body like rubber, Mabel could light herself into flames, Wendy could turn invisible, and Soos had become a stone creature. The four agreed to stick together and use their newfound powers for the good of humanity.

The Fantastic Four do not have secret identities, instead enjoying celebrity status as they save the world. Despite their incredible powers, the greatest weapon of the Fantastic Four are their intelligence and teamwork, which allowed them to defeat even world devouring threats. What makes the Fantastic Four stand out among all other super hero teams is that the four are more than just a team, they are a family.

Strange villains beware, for when the Fantastic Four flames on, it will always be clobberin’ time!

American Dragon:

What if a monster was actually a misunderstood hero? Jake Long is the grandson of Lao Shi, a brilliant scientist working for the US military. Jake was visiting his grandpa at work during the testing of a Gamma Bomb. Once the countdown had begun, Jake noticed a teenager named Arthur Spudinski, who he would later know as his best friend “Spud”, had accidentally walked into the blast zone.

Jake ran out of the bunker and pushed Spud to safety, but ended up being caught in the explosion and bombarded by deadly levels of gamma radiation. Jake mysteriously survived the blast, but he soon found out that this was not a miracle, but a curse, as whenever Jake is enraged, he will transform into the monstrous American Dragon, a being with limitless strength.

Despite being a destructive beast, the American Dragon is not mindless, always being sure that nobody is killed by his rampages, even as he brings down entire cities. The American Dragon will sometimes act as a heroic figure, protecting the world from magical monsters. Some believe that the Dragon was not actually created by the Gamma Bomb, but is instead a dissociate identity resulting from some childhood trauma Jake Long went through, with the Gamma Bomb simply morphing Jake’s body to better fit the Dragon whenever it takes over. The American Dragon’s strength is linked to his mental state, meaning the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets.

Magical invaders and mystical threats better stay away from Earth, for the American Dragon is the strongest one there is! Dragon Smash!

Daredevil:

Many heroes are known for their incredible powers or unbelievable skill, but how many heroes can you name that are known for what they cannot do? How many heroes have a handicap as their stand out feature? Kick Buttowski was raised in Hell’s Kitchen by his father, the boxer Harold Buttowski, who was secretly a strongarm man for the local mafia. Kick once noticed a blind man, carrying four baby turtles, who was about to get hit by a truck, and heroically pushed the man out of the way. The accident caused some of the radioactive waste to spill into Kick’s eyes, blinding him. This event would cause Kick to be bullied at school, his classmates ironically calling him “Daredevil.”

Harold would later refuse to throw a boxing match and try to abandon his life of crime to take care of his blind son, which would result in his life being taken by the mafia. Kick went through intense training under a martial arts master called Stick, who would later abandon Kick after he couldn’t let go of the desire to avenge his father’s death. The training allowed Kick to slowly heighten his senses to the extreme. Kick’s training would also heighten his mind, turning him into a child genius who would graduate from law school at the age of 10, bringing alongside his best friend Gunther Magnuson, who also got a law degree at a young age due to Kick sneaking him all the answers. The two then worked together to start a law firm.

Kick would create a red costume designed to resemble the devil, alongside a multi-use Billy club that could morph into different weapons. Despite not having any super powers, seeing as his heightened senses were acquired through intense training and not supernatural means, and are something any human being could theoretically develop and harness after going through said training, thus not being a super power, Kick’s incredible martial arts, weapon usage, acrobatics, and detective skills allowed him to become Hell’s Kitchen’s local hero, Daredevil.

Justice is blind, and criminals in Hell’s Kitchen would soon learn that a man without hope is a man without fear!

Iron Man:

We all make mistakes, and some of those mistakes are worse than others. Some mistakes are so terrible that we spend the rest of our lives making up for them, and for Phineas Flynn, that mistake was selling weapons to the military during a foreign war. It seemed a logical thing to do, as he was a child genius and a brilliant engineer, and this was the easiest way for him to make the multi-billion-dollar fortune he now possesses. Phineas never expected this decision to blow up on his face, literally.

Struck by his own bomb in an explosion that damaged his heart and captured by a warlord, who he would later find out to be working for the evil Doctor Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas was forced to build a doomsday weapon. The situation appeared hopeless, any normal person would have given up, but Phineas was made of something stronger. Phineas was made of iron. Creating a reactor to keep his weak heart from failing and a high-tech metal armor, Phineas escaped captivity and dedicated his life to make up for the mistakes he had made by finding and destroying all of the weapons he had sold. Phineas Flynn is the Golden Avenger, Iron Man.

Phineas keeps his identity a secret. As far as the public knows, Iron Man is actually Phineas’ bodyguard. Phineas is constantly updating his armor and creating new models, which explains why his armor might look different whenever he appears. Common traits that most of the Iron Man armors share are the ability to fly, fire repulsor blasts from his hands and chest, and wireless access to his personal AI assistant F.R.I.D.A.Y.

It is easy to blame others for what has gone wrong with your life, it is easy to point fingers, but someday you must wake up and realize that you brought this upon yourself. That is the moment where you must get back to your feet and right the wrongs you’ve caused, even if it means you must be as strong as iron.

Ant Man:

The man in the ant hill! Penn Zero’s story began when he met the brilliant scientist Phyllis Pym at a science convention, and managed to get a part-time job as her assistant. Phyllis discovered a group of subatomic particles that she named after herself, Pym Particles, which had the ability to change the size and mass of any object they come into contact with. Phyllis believed her discovery would change the world forever, until the fateful day when Penn accidentally shrunk himself to the size of an ant.

Penn was almost killed after being dragged into an ant hill, but managed to befriend an ant who he named Antony, who helped him reach the Pym Particles and grow back to normal size. Impressed by how the boy had survived, Phyllis built a helmet that allowed Penn to control ants through sound waves, a durable outfit that protected Penn from ant stings and bites, and finally a belt he could use to expose his body to controlled Pym Particles, allowing him to shrink and grow in size at will. That was the birth of Ant Man, part-time hero.

Penn’s fighting style revolves around the use of Pym Particles, which allow him to either shrink himself to the size of an ant or grow to the size of a building. Ant Man could potentially become even bigger or smaller than the aforementioned sizes, but doing so could cause health problems due to the strain. Penn can also use Pym Particles on others to make them grow or shrink. Per paths his most valuable weapons are his ant friends, his favorite of which being Antony, who Ant Man can summon at will to aid him in battle, be it through transportation or to help him attack.

Never step upon an ant hill, for somewhere within it could be the one small insect that will someday save your life. Nobody, absolutely nobody, no matter how small they may look, is worthless.

Star:

Lightning would light up the skies and thunder would shake the heavens. The old Norse Vikings would look up into the skies and pray for mercy, for Thor was angry. I bet they never expected Thor to actually be a hyperactive teenage little girl.

Turns out this entire time the Norse Gods had long hair instead of long beards, crowns instead of horn helmets, and magic wands instead of battle clubs. Star Butterfly is the God of Thunder. After thousands of years, stories about her were altered and gave birth to the legend of the mighty Thor. She is the daughter of Moon Butterfly, whose stories were misinterpreted into those of Odin. Star was born thousands of years ago in Mewni, which Earth remembers as Asgard, as a magical princess from another dimension. Star is the current wielder of Mjolnir, a magical wand that has been misinterpreted as a hammer. This wand has enough magical power to destroy the universe, and can only be lifted by those that it considers worthy.

Star was a very proud and arrogant princess, which is why her parents decided to banish her to Earth to teach her humility. Star had her memories erased and was transformed into a regular human named Daisy Blake, a handicapped medical student. Moon Butterfly added a subconscious suggestion into Daisy’s mind that eventually led her back to Mjolnir, which at the time was disguised as a walking stick, and upon striking it onto the ground, Daisy got her memories back and once again transformed into Star, but she still has to live as Daisy Blake until she proves herself worthy of returning to Mewni. Star seems to be okay with that, as she made many human friends during her time as Daisy, such as Janna, Jackie, and her best friend/secret crush Marco.

No matter how powerful or mighty you think you are, it is always important to remain humble and human. This is as much true to actual humans as it is to those who hold the power of a thunderstorm.

X-Men:

Mutation is the key to evolution. It is what enabled humans to evolve from single-cellular organisms into the dominant species on the planet. Every few hundred millennia, evolution takes another step forwards. The next step has been taken with the birth of the Mutants.

The X-Men are a team of Mutants formed by Professor Charlette Towne-Proud, known by her close friends as “Suga Mama.” People fear what they do not understand, so this team was formed in an attempt to create a world in which humans and Mutants can coexist in peace. Professor X used her telekinetic powers to locate and recruit five young Mutants who could help her achieve her dreams of peace. Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Icewoman, and Marvel Girl. They are the X-Men.

This is a group of heroes who is fighting to protect a world that fears and hates them. The team’s members are also students at Suga Mama’s private academy, in which they are trained to properly use their powers. Each member of the team has different philosophical beliefs and ideas, per paths making the X-Men the most diverse super hero team in the world.

Mutants are the next step of evolution, and whether they are accepted or feared, I can guarantee one thing: I feel a great swell of pity for the poor soul who comes to that school looking for trouble. To me, my X-Men!

Doctor Strange:

The doctor will see you now! This might be surprising for most of you, but Molly McGee Strange actually did not believe in magic, which is why she always hated stage magicians. Everything changed that fateful night, when an argument Molly was having with her brother, Darryl McGee, distracted their parents as they drove, causing a deadly car accident. The event took the life of Molly’s brother and horribly injured the nerves in Molly’s hands beyond repair. To cope with the death of her brother, Molly focused all her energy into desperate attempts to heal her chronic injuries. Molly eventually was left with no other option but to turn to the occult when she met the Sorcerer Supreme simply known as the Ancient One. The Ancient One refused to heal Molly’s hands, as he believed doing so would not bring Molly the closure she desired, but he was willing to teach her magic so that she could discover the healing energy within herself.

Molly discovered forces far beyond anything she could ever imagine. During her studies she learned a variety of magic abilities. Molly eventually lost interest in healing her hands, and instead decided to use her bizarre magical powers to protect the Earth from occult forces. Inspired by her parents, who are both doctors, Molly took upon herself the name “Doctor Strange.” Strange would make sure nobody would ever have to feel the way she did when she lost her brother. The Ancient One has not yet revealed this to his student, but he believes Doctor Strange will someday take his place as the Sorcerer Supreme.

Strange is a master of the mystic arts, allowing her to channel incredible magic powers, may that be from her own magic or through magical artifacts. She can do incredible feats, such as probe minds, open dimensional portals, create illusions, project her soul out of her body, control time, manipulate matter, and the list goes on.

Sometimes damage can never be undone, sometimes something is ruined in such a way that it will never be perfect again. We cannot change the past, not even with magic, but we can still choose our future, no matter how strange that future might be.

Captain America:

Life doesn’t get much crazier than when you’re a normal girl living in another world. There is no better way to describe Anne Boonchuy than a girl out of time. The first Avenger was a young American patriot during the outbreak of World War 2. Anne believed that she didn’t have the right to not do everything in her power to help, not when her fellow American were risking their lives in the battlefield. She wanted to serve her country by joining the United States army, but was initially rejected due to her young age, asthma, and her skinny physique. Anne refused to give up and continued to try enlisting again and again, which caught the attention of the United States, who got Anne to agree to be a test subject in an experimental Super Soldier Serum.

The experiment healed Anne of her asthma and granted her superhuman physical characteristics, which combined with her unwavering courage and undying determination is what would later turn Captain America into a living legend wearing stars and stripes. The lead scientist behind the Super Soldier Serum would be killed by National Socialist spies, and with him died the secrets behind the serum, making Captain America one of a kind.

Near the end of the war, Captain America’s trusty sidekick Marcy would mysteriously disappear, never to be seen again, and Captain America would suffer a tragic crash landing into the freezing ocean. Any normal human would be killed, but Anne’s powers kept her alive as she remained frozen for years, until eventually being found by the Avengers and awakened into the modern world. Out of time and haunted by her memories, Anne Boonchuy tries to adapt to the modern world, without letting go of the values that turned her into the legend she is today, fighting for the American dream.

Even if the whole world tells you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree and tell the whole world to move instead. She can do this all day.

Spider-Girl:

The Amazing Spider-Girl requires no introductions. 15-year-old Luz Noceda was bitten by a radioactive spider, an event that granted her the proportionate powers of said arachnid, which she also mixed with the use of web-shooters of her own making. Following the tragic death of her father by a criminal she decided not to stop, she comes to learn the hard way that with great power comes great responsibility.

You’d think a hero themed around a spider, which most people are either scared of or disgusted by, who also suffers from money issues would not be a success, but the Wall Crawler is without a doubt one of the greatest heroes in this marvelous world. Spidey also has to worry about her love life, her college studies, and keeping a steady job, all while balancing her life as a super hero.

Spider-Girl has one of the most iconic rogue’s galleries of all time, including villains such as Doctor Octopus, Scorpion, Electro, Eberwolf the Huntsman, the Abomination, the Owl Beast, the Bat Queen, Mysterio, and many others yet to come. Spider-Girl’s story is just beginning, and I hope I get to see you all next season, with more amazing fantasies.

The Spider’s Web.

Celtarican: Well, ok season finale, it’s getting intense. I am very excited and worried, I stg if Camila dies I will… idk I’ll probably cry or something

Really hyped for what comes next, as we may FINALLY see the normal TOH cast!

Oh, and the quality of this chapter didn’t sound all that bad! There was one or two quips that felt a bit flat, but for the most part everything was on par with your usual quality!

“Glad you’re excited, Cel!” Luz commented as she swung across the tall buildings of New York. “Because my story is just beginning!”

GodzillaMaster: Aw, another cliffhanger? D:

But I need to know if Camila will be okay

Hope that you're feeling better from that flu

“I did manage to save mama at the end, and I also saved the entire city! Can you believe it, Master?” Luz commented as she somersaulted over a building and continued to swing. “And I’m ready to do it all again if I have to!”

Windwolf9: Man this chapter was great it really got a lot in there I especially liked how Luz took time to get a handle on her powers and practice with her web shooter's. Also nice work with the fight Luz had with her mom and dad especially considering that nothing was ever done about Luz's bullying problem.

Also one addition to Luz's power list is that all spider people do usually have an enhanced healing factor not on Wolverine's level are anything but something closer to Wesley Snipes Blade's healing factor.

“Glad to see there is a newcomer around, Wind!” Luz greeted with a smile. She gave a quick wave with one of her hands as she swung around. “You chose the perfect time to hop in! Wait, what am I talking about? Every day is the perfect time to hop in! Feel free to join in whenever you like! You’re always welcome!”

Windwolf9: Great chapter poor Luz though literally also Dipper, Mabel, Wendy and Soos as the Fantastic 4 interesting though I'm pretty sure Dipper's equipment was damaged by Mabel's reckless use of her powers.

“Hot head Mabel is always burning things up by accident, ain’t she?” Luz asked with a quick giggle as she jumped off the end of her web, back flipping before firing another one. “Those four might be fantastic, but me? I’m amazing!”

Gay anon: Man

Luz needs a vacation, a proper paycheck, therapy, and a nap worth a whole month

And even i think that's the minimun

“You can say that again, Anon.” Luz nodded as she landed on the side of a building and ran up to the top, jumping off it and swinging once again. “But don’t worry. Halloween is coming up, and I’m sure thing are going to get more calm from here on!”

ImZaxeon: Im on the edge of my seat. I will not be able to handle if Camilla dies. Why must every Spiderman/ Spidergirl live such tragic lives.

“Glad you liked it, Zax! The Sinister Six was without a doubt the hardest fight I’ve ever head!” Luz commented as she let go of the web, posing in midair for a moment, and then fired another and continued swinging. “Can’t wait to see what will come next! This fantasy only gets more amazing!”

Shadowsnake89: Oh no. You tried so hard and got so far. But in the end it does matter! You've got to get up and get that ISO to Eda and fast. Find that strength and determination. You took out the biggest threats this city has ever seen. Faced them all and stood tall. I know there's enough left in there to do it one more time.

“Thanks, Shadow!” Luz commented as she fired a web and climbed it while swinging, before jumping off with a somersault. “You’ve always been one I could count on for motivation, and I thank you for that. I really do.”

Luz back flipped and landed at the top of a tall building.

“Thank you all for everything. From those who have been here since the beginning, to those who have just arrived. I value you all just the same, and I hope you can stick around for more amazing fantasies!” Luz declared with a smile, before she jumped off the building and began swinging. “Marvel on, true believers! Excelsior!”

Special Thanks:

Ri2.

Celtarican.

GodzillaMaster.

Shadowsnake89.

Dana Terrace.

Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita Sr. May they rest in peace.

Marvel on, true believers, and remember: with great power there must also come great responsibility.

Excelsior!

Chapter Text

Night of the Green Goblin.

It was a dark and cold night in New York city. A small spider crawled its way down a web on the side of an old building, the light of the full moon reflected from the webbing, when a swift blur flew over it.

Luz let herself free fall down the building for a few moments, before pressing her palm with her middle and ring finger. A ‘thwip’ sound echoed as a rope made of glue flew out of the girl’s wrist, and stuck onto the side of a building like a web, allowing Luz to swing on it, before jumping off the end and firing another web.

“Whenever the people at Hexside ask me what I do when I’m not at college, I always make sure to leave one detail out.” Luz commented with a smile as she continued to web swing. “I can sum it up with one glorious hyphenated word… Spider-Girl! Luz Noceda: The Spectacular Spider-Girl”

Spidey somersaulted in midair and landed on the side of a building, her hands and feet gluing to the wall, as she sensed a light tingling sensation on the back of her skull. She heard the sound of an alarm, and looked down to see a pair of men in masks running out from the back door of a jewelry store.

“Time for some action!” Spider-Girl declared as she leaped off the building.

“Are you sure this place is clear?” One of the thieves asked as the two ran down the dark alley, holding large bags of jewels over their shoulder.

“Don’t worry! The Big Man made sure the cops would look the other way for a few minutes.” The other burglar declared, only for a powerful red spotlight to appear over the two.

“Really? I don’t think I got the memo!” Spider-Girl commented as she sat on the side of the building, her stance being relaxed as the spotlight came from a small flashlight on her belt buckle.

“It’s her!” One of the burglars declared. Before they could react, Spidey changed the mode in her web shooters and fired a net of webbing, tangling one of the criminals to the ground in a moment.

“The correct grammar would be ‘It is she’, but I’ll give you a pass this time!” Spidey declared as she back flipped off the building, landing right in front of the other criminal. “Who is this Big Man? Judging by the name, he may have some Napoleon Complex!”

Spider Sense tingled as the man reached for his pocket. Luz changed back the mode on her web shooters and prepared to pull the gun out of his hand with a web as soon as he pulled it out. To her surprise, the man did not pull out a gun, but instead what appeared to be a glove. Luz’s confused expression was replaced by surprise as the man fired a blast of electricity from his index finger, Spidey’s instincts making her dodge at the last moment.

“What the hell?” Luz asked as she fired a web at the glove and pulled it out of the man’s hands, the glove rolling through the ground and landing near the hero’s feet.

The man turned around and began to run, when Spidey changed the mode on her web shooters and fired a ball of impact webbing, hitting the man on the back of the head and knocking him out. Luz looked at the strange glove on the ground and picked it up. It appeared to be made of some form of rubber fabric, like a Halloween costume, but it was too heavy to be made of just those materials. She looked at it for a few moments and then crushed it in her hand, sparks flying out alongside the sound of metal breaking.

“Where do they keep getting those toys?” Luz asked as she jumped back to the building where she was before, taking back the automatic camera she had glued to the wall, which had been taking pictures of the whole fight. Spidey climbed to the top of the building, moving like an actual spider, and then jumped off, swinging away into the night.

Hexside University.

It was another beautiful day in New York city, the sun shining bright in the blue sky over the large university for gifted students, the walls of which were adorned with Halloween decorations. The bell rung and the teacher made his way to the door, only for an exhausted teenager to run in right at the last second.

“I’m here!” Luz whispered in between heavy breaths.

“Just a few more seconds and it would have been the third day in a roll.”

“Sorry, professor!” Luz whispered as she ran to the bottles of chemicals on one of the tables.

“I don’t want any exhibitions here! Instructions are on the board! Confine yourselves to the experiment at hand.” The teacher declared as he sat behind his desk.

“Hey, Luz.” Willow greeted from the next table, while Gus waved from the table behind that. “Arrived at the nick of time again, huh? Why does this keep happening?”

“You don’t live all that far away.” Gus commented with a smile. “Is the traffic just really bad in Queens?”

“It is a pretty incredible story.” Luz commented as she began working on the chemicals. She was not lying, as her story was not at all credible. “So… tomorrow is Halloween! Are you guys coming to the party?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about that.” Willow added, as Luz put one of the chemical bottles down. “I managed to convince Principal Bump to let us sell cookies at the party, and I was wondering if you’d like to help.”

“70% of the money goes to charity.” Gus commented with a smile. “The rest goes to us!”

“Oh? That’s a great idea! I’d love to help!” Luz commented. She reached for one of the chemicals without turning around and added it to her bottle. To her surprise, the bottle began to bubble, and then ignited into a small explosion. “What the quack?”

Luz looked at the bottle in her hands, to see it was not the bottle she had put there before, someone had switched it. Luz heard the sound of laughter, and turned to see Boscha giggling from a table near her.

“Noceda! Don’t do that again!”

“Sorry, professor!” Luz apologized.

The bell rang as the students all left class, Luz walking alongside Gus and Willow down the corridor and then out of the university.

“Show up a few minutes before the party starts, that way will have time to set up the stand.” Willow explained, to which Luz and Gus both nodded. The three walked down the sidewalk, when Willow noticed a familiar car driving down the street. “Look! My parents came to pick me up!”

“I’ve actually never met your parents.” Luz commented.

“They’re super cool, you’ll like them.” Gus commented, to which Luz smiled as the door to the car opened. Luz’s smile dropped and she held back a gasp, as she recognized the familiar man coming out of the driver’s seat.

“Hey, Willow.” Captain Gilbert Park greet his daughter, and then turned to Luz. “Are you that new friend Willow told me about? I’m Gilbert, this is my husband, Harvey.”

Another tall man came out of the passenger seat, and his expression showed recognition as he looked at Luz.

“You work at the Daily Bugle, don’t you?”

“Yeah?” Luz asked. “Why?”

“I think we’ve met before.” Harvey commented. “I was Severine’s assistant. Remember? The Spider-Slayer robot?”

“That was you?” Luz asked in surprise.

“See you at the party, Luz.” Willow commented as she got into the back seat of the car. Her dads got back inside and waved goodbye as they drove away. Luz and Gus waved back, the girl trying to disguise how nervous this whole situation was making her feel.

Daily Bugle.

The elevator slid open as Luz walked into the office, taking a sip of the cup of coffee in her hands. She glanced at Masha and Ned, who were putting several items from their desks into large boxes. The door to Hopkins’ office opened, and the man himself walked out.

“Brant, cancel my appointments tomorrow night! Robertson, I have an event for you to cover that night!” Hopkins declared.

“Only if you pay me overtime.” Robbie answered.

“That’s outrageous! Done!” Hopkins declared and then turned to Luz. “Leeds and Noceda, stop loitering and go back to work!”

“What’s the occasion?” Luz asked.

“I’ve been invited to a Halloween ball that is being thrown by my old friend, Odalia Blight!” Hopkins declared, in a tone that made it clear he was bragging.

“Odalia?” Ned asked. “Doctor Octopus’ wife?”

“The one and only! Everybody who is somebody will be there, and we are going to cover it!” Hopkins declared with a smile, which he then dropped. “Now go back to work!”

Hopkins slammed the door closed, to which Luz shrugged and approached Ned and Masha.

“What are you guys up to?” She asked.

“We’re just packing our things before we leave tomorrow.” Masha answered, to which Luz’s expression changed into one of confusion. “Oh! I didn’t tell you? The Daily Globe was impressed by Ned’s journalism and offered him a job. He managed to get me a job there as well, so we’re going together.”

Luz turned to Ned in surprise.

“It pays almost double what we get here.” Ned explained. “I also think it will help Masha’s mental health if they don’t have to spend all their working hours thinking about… you know…”

“Spider-Girl…” Masha whispered, an expression of anger forming on their face. “She killed my brother… I’ll never forgive her!”

Masha turned back to their desk in anger and continued to place their items into the box. Ned and Luz glanced at each other, and Luz sighed before heading back to the elevator.

Blight Industries.

“Blight!” Severine Smythe declared in anger as she charged into the hall of the large building, several of the researchers staring at her in surprise. “Where is that green haired snake?”

“Doctor Smythe?” One of the researchers asked. “What is wrong?”

“This is wrong!” Severine declared as she held up a paper. It was a termination letter. “I show Blight Industries my blueprints for an exoskeleton flight suit! Odalia Blight studies my design and rejects it! One month later I find out she is building an almost identical suit, and next thing I know, I’ve been fired!”

“Don’t be dishonest, Smythe.” They all heard the confident and sarcastic voice, which seemed to silence the entire room.

The researchers all looked up, to see a figure in the shadows walking down the stairs towards them.

“I promised to hire you, Tinkerer, and this is what I did.” The woman declared as she took her final steps out of the shadows, revealing her features. Her stance was straight and perfect as she held her arms behind her back, resembling that of a soldier, and her bright green hair drew all of the attention of those around her. The woman had a gentle smile that felt like a calm before a storm, and her blue eyes seemed to look straight through Smythe. “A Blight always upholds their end of the deal.”

“You stole my work!” Severine accused in anger, to which Odalia let out a calm chuckle. “What are you laughing at?”

“My dear friend, you don’t have one success to your name. Your last project almost took down a building while fighting a woman in spider theme pajamas.” Odalia declared as she brought her hand near her face and looked over her own nails, not even glancing at Severine’s expression of anger. “You can go out there and scream on the rooftops that it was you who designed this project. Let’s wait and see who will believe you. Now will you be kind and get out of my building before I have to call security?”

Severine starred at Odalia in anger for a few moments, and then turned around and began walking away.

“This isn’t over, Blight!” Severine yelled in anger as she exited through the door.

Odalia turned to the other researchers and smiled, raising her eyebrow as she glanced at one of them.

“Wear black shoes next time you wear this shirt. The colors match better.” Odalia commented, and then walked back upstairs, not saying another word.

The smile on her face seemed to vanish the moment she turned away, replaced by a neutral and somewhat bored expression. The sound of Odalia’s shoes echoed across the staircase as she took her monotone and almost robotic steps, before walking into her office and closing the door behind her.

“Forgive me for the interruption, Mister Foswell.” Odalia commented to the man in the green suit, who had been sitting on a chair with his legs crossed as he waited for the woman. “Or perhaps you prefer ‘Big Man’?”

“Stop stalling, Blight.” The Big Man declared in a voice of restrained anger. “The electric discharge gloves you sold me weren’t enough to stop Spider-Girl. Two of my men were arrested due to your incompetence.”

“Unkind choice of words.” Odalia declared in a calm tone of voice.

“Two of my men armed with what you claimed to be one of your best weapons were defeated by a clown in a red and blue costume.” The Big Man declared. “What word would you use?”

“Weakness.” Odalia decided. “Weakness coming from your men, that is.”

The Big Man stared at Odalia for a few moments, and then got up from his chair and pulled out a handgun, pointing it straight at the woman’s head.

“Give me one reason to not blow your brains off.”

Odalia raised her eyebrows for a moment and then signed for her desk. The Big Man stared at her for a moment and put down his weapon. Odalia took a few steps towards the desk and opened the drawer, pulling out a small briefcase, which she opened to reveal a pair of gloves.

“Electric discharger gloves, mark 2.” Odalia explained as she sat down on the chair behind the desk. “Fourteen times more potent than the first one. To apologize for the past failure, I’ll give you a 23% discount.”

The Big Man stared at the glove for a few moments, and then approached the desk.

“Good to make business with you.” The Big Man declared as he reached for the briefcase.

Odalia’s eyes widened as she heard the sound of glass breaking, and a small object broken through the window and rolled across the floor. The two stared at the tiny pumpkin shaped sphere, and it then exploded into a massive fireball, the blast sending the two to the ground and sending Odalia’s desk flying onto the wall, where it shattered to pieces.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!” The laugh echoed across the room as the two struggled to get back to their feet. Odalia heard a sound she recognized, resembling a jet engine but distinct enough, and looked up to see a person in green hovering over her on a bat-shaped glider. “My glider is purring like an anxious kitten! My suit protects me from any fatal error! Santa visits you on Christmas, but this Halloween, you’ll be getting a visit from the Green Goblin!”

Green Goblin was dressed in a green mechanical suit, which covered her entire body neck down. She worn a purple bodysuit on top of the armor, which covered her from chest to groin, leaving only her limbs exposed. She had a purple bag of tricks strapped to her chest. She worn purple boots with sharp points, as well as purple gloves. The most menacing part was her head, including a grotesque green face with yellow eyes, and a wide smile that somehow moved as the Goblin spoke. The mask appeared to be made of some form of plastic, and it also had pointy ears and a purple goblin hat.

Foswell groaned in pain and jumped to his feet, pointing his gun at the goblin and opening fire. The bullets struck the Goblin right on the head and bounced off her durable mask, hitting the walls around the office. Green Goblin let out a high pitched and loud laugh, and then began to fly around the room with the glider, leaving behind a trail of smoke that both Odalia and Foswell cough. The Goblin grabbed the briefcase on the ground, containing the electric gloves, and then flew out through the destroyed window.

“Who the hell was that?” Foswell demanded. Odalia stared out the window in silence, an expression of terror on her face.

Unknown location.

“Ugh! Come on!” One of the three criminals groaned as they stood inside a dark abandoned building, and she tried to crack open a safe with a crowbar.

“How long will you take to crack this thing open?” One of the other criminals asked in annoyance.

“You’re free to come here and give me a hand if you want!” The woman with the crowbar declared.

“How about a finger?” The three heard and shot up to their feet. A sudden blast of electricity flew from within the darkness and struck the safe, blowing the cover right out to reveal the money inside. The three stared in amazement, and then turned to the figure in the shadows. “You’re the one they call the Enforcers?”

“The ones and only!” The black man declared. “Derwin!”

“Katya!” Declared the woman with her hair tied in a ponytail, as she reached for her belt and pulled out a long piece of rope.

“Amber!” Declared the woman with the crowbar. “What do you want?”

“I want your undying loyalty!” Green Goblin declared as she stepped out from the darkness and fired another electricity beam from her fingers, knocking the crowbar right out of Amber’s hand and making it melt on the ground. “Although the dying kind would also do! The Green Goblin is nothing if not flexible!”

“We work for the Big Man.” Katya declared. “If he finds out we’re working for some other freak, we might as well sign our wills.”

“Once I am done, the only thing we will be signing will be the Big Man’s tombstone!” The Green Goblin declared, her grotesque smile seeming to become even wider.

Hexside University.

Spider-Girl swung through the buildings of the city, glancing up at the sky to see the clouds appeared pink when illuminated by the horizon. Hopkins had asked Luz to cover something that had happened the day before at Blight Industries, but Ned said he’d handle it for her. Spidey landed at the top of a building and glanced down, to see the people beginning to walk out of their houses while wearing their Halloween costumes.

“Will you look at that, for once I’m not out of place.” Luz commented as she leaped out of the building and landed on an alley. She heard a ringtone, and then placed her phone to her ear. “What’s up, Willow?”

“Luz. We’re already preparing the stand.” Willow commented, standing near a small cookie stand which Gus and Boscha were setting. Luz nodded as she crossed the street. “Where are you?”

“I can see you, actually.” Luz explained, and Willow turned to see Spider-Girl waving at her. Luz took off her mask and ran to the others. “Nice costume, huh?”

“You can web me up any time, Luz.” Willow commented, and then spun around to show her vampire costume. “How do I look?”

“Hey! It’s the spectacular Spider-Geek!” They heard, and turned to see Boscha standing near the stand, wearing a cheerleader costume. “You look nothing like Spidey, you Luzer!”

“Don’t worry, Boscha, you fill your costume nicely too.” Gus commented from inside the stand, wearing a pirate costume.

“Gustopher! Gustaban! Augustober!” Luz commented with an awkward smile.

“You forgot what my full name is, haven’t you?” Gus asked, to which Luz just giggled in a weird manner. “Whatever. The party is about to start. Let’s get to work.”

Blight Manor.

“The party is about to start. Get to work.” Hopkins declared as he walked in alongside his employee. Robbie shrugged and pulled out a small notebook to begin interviewing the guests. “Leeds and Brant are leaving, and Noceda is already busy doing whatever she does out there, you better not waste my time as well.”

The two heard the sound of a spoon hitting a wine glass, and turned to see Odalia Blight standing at the top of a small staircase that led to the second floor.

“Good evening, my dear guests. I am so glad you all could attend.” Odalia declared with a smile, her eyes seeming to glance right through all of the guests. “I would like to dedicate this event to celebrate Blight Industries new business partnership with everyone’s favorite investment banker, Frederick Foswell!”

The guests all began clapping at Foswell, who had been sitting on an armchair at the end of the room. Foswell glanced at Odalia, who let out a small giggle, knowing well that being the center of attention was the last thing Foswell wanted as he tried to hide his identity as the Big Man.

“May this decision lead us to a brighter future! Just as God intended!” Odalia declared as she raised her wine glass and took a sip. “God bless America!”

“God bless America!” The guests all cheered as they began to clap.

“Enjoy your stay, my friends!” Odalia declared with a smile. She turned around and walked up the stairs, her smile dropping the moment she was out of sight.

Foswell glanced at his business partner for a few moments as she left into a large set of double doors on the second floor. The man filled a small glass wine, which rippled as a hand slammed itself onto his table.

“Frederick Foswell! The name of the night!” Robbie declared, and brought his pencil near the notebook. “Would you have a few words to tell our readers?”

“No comment.” Foswell answered as he got up, the wine glass still in his hands, and began walking away.

“The money you’ve donated to Blight Industries is more than enough to pay for the property damage Doctor Octopus caused last month.” Robbie commented. “Quite interesting you’ve agreed to such an investment without asking anything in return.”

“Is the kindness of my heart not reason enough?” Foswell asked and took a sip of wine. It was obvious the Big Man could not reveal that the money was actually payment for the weapons Odalia had been providing to his gang under the counter. “If my main source of profit were to be attacked by a crazy clown in a costume, I would probably need someone to give me a hand as well.”

Foswell took another sip of his wine, when the ground beneath him shook. The glass flew out of his hand and shattered onto the ground, the guests gasping in shock as the lights began to flicker and blacked out. Foswell looked around with a serious expression, when he saw a green light coming from the windows, and they all looked outside to see green fireworks exploding in the sky, which took the shape of jack-o-lanterns.

“What the hell is going on here?” Hopkins asked as he looked around. The lights returned. Many of the guests screamed as they noticed the three criminals who were standing on the center of the room. They were dressed in fancy suits that made them resemble stereotypical mafia bosses, and their hands held tommy guns. Foswell’s expression changed into one of slight shock as he recognized the faces of the three.

“Happy Halloween, ladies and gentlemen!” Katya declared with a smile. “We’re the Enforcers, and we’ll be taking over this party tonight! You don’t move, we don’t shoot!”

Foswell turned around and began to sneak away in silence. He made his way to the exit door, but stopped when said door was struck by a barrage of bullets. Foswell turned around to see Amber pointing her gun at him.

“Leaving so soon? You’re the special guest of this party!” Amber declared with a wicked smile. “But if you’ll insist, I could throw you out the window!”

Foswell’s eyes widened in shock as the sound of a terrible laugh echoed across the skies. A glider broke through one of the large glass windows and began flying around the room, being piloted by the Green Goblin.

“Greetings, gentlemen! Giggle in glee and glance upon the great Green Goblin!” The Goblin declared with a smile as the guests all screamed. She laughed as she stopped her glider, and turned to look down upon Foswell.

“You’re the same freak from yesterday!” Foswell declared in slight anger. “I don’t know who you are but–”

“That’s the point of the mask, genius!” Green Goblin interrupted with a high-pitched laugh. “Although I know who you are, my small friend! Or should I say… big friend?”

Foswell’s expression changed into one of anger. The Big Man snapped his fingers, and six of the guests pulled out handguns and aimed them at the Goblin. The sound of gunshots echoed as the other guests all screamed, and the six henchmen the Big Man had planted on the crowd fell dead, smoke coming out of the Enforcers’ tommy guns.

“She swings through the air dishing all kinds of fear!” Green Goblin declared as she back flipped of her glider and landed near a large piano. She lifted the massive instrument with one hand and threw it onto the wall on the other side of the room as if it was made of Styrofoam. Her laughter echoed across the room as the guest all screamed in terror. “None shall have peace while the Goblin is here!”

Unknown to the Goblin, however, were certain two guests who had sneaked off and hidden in the bathroom.

“Why is there always a masked freak to ruin everything?” Hopkins asked, desperate to hide the fact that he was trembling in his boots as she searched for something the barricade the bathroom door. He glanced at Robbie, who had pulled out his phone and was dialing a number. “Someone must already have called the police!”

“I’m not calling the police!” Robbie explained as he held his phone to his ear.

Hexside University.

“Alright! People are starting to come in!” Luz commented as she sat inside the small stand near a plate of pumpkin shaped cookies. She heard the sound of ringing, and brought her phone to her ear. “Ned?”

“Luz! It’s an emergency! Robbie just called me” Ned proclaimed. Luz’s expression changed into a serious one as she noticed Ned’s tone of voice. “Robbie and Hopkins are stuck inside Blight Manor! A maniac invaded the party and is holding all the guests as hostages! You have to do something!”

“What? This is happening right now?” Luz asked in surprise.

“Yes! Right now!” Ned declared and then turned off the phone.

Luz stared at her phone in shock before putting it away. She looked around for a few moments, making sure nobody was paying attention to her, and then put on her mask. Spider-Girl leaped out of the stand and made her way out of the party as fast as she could.

“Alright, Luz! How many did you sell so far?” Willow asked as she approached the stand, her smile dropping as she realized it was empty. “Luz?”

Blight Manor.

“What do you hope to accomplish here tonight?” Foswell asked with his hands on the back of his head, the Enforcers pointing their guns at him while the Goblin stared at the scene from above.

“I figured the whole ‘Kill you and take over your empire’ thing was clear enough!” Green Goblin declared with a grotesque smile.

“Hold it, fella!” They all heard, followed by a ‘thwip’ sound, as Spider-Girl swung in through the same window Green Goblin had broken. She landed on the ceiling and stood there upside down with her arms crossed.

“Spider-Girl!” Green Goblin and Foswell declared in unison. The Enforcers opened fired, only for Luz to dodge the bullets and shoot swift blats of impact webbing, breaking the tommy guns to pieces in their hands. Spidey jumped off the ceiling and landed right onto the Goblin’s glider, grabbing the green menace’s wrist.

“Okay then, Gobby!” Spider-Girl declared with a stern voice. “What’s your deal?”

“Punching your brains right in!” Green Goblin declared as Luz felt her Spider Sense tingle, and the Goblin smacked her right on the face. Spidey groaned in pain, as the Goblin’s amazing strength sent her flying onto the ground. “Enforcers! Kill that fool!”

Spider-Girl felt her Spider Sense tingle as Derwin ran in and threw a punch, his incredible strength and the fact that Luz was still recovering from the Goblin’s attack coming together to nock Spider-Girl off her feet. Amber ran in at high speeds, striking Luz with a flurry of blows that targeted her pressure points and fragile spots. Spidey prepared to fight back, when a lasso tied her ankle and pulled her to the ground. Spidey turned to see Katya was the one holding the rope.

“Those guys are stronger than they look!” Spider-Girl whispered. Her eyes widened as she felt her Spider Sense flare up like crazy, and somersaulted away right at the last second to avoid a Pumpkin Bomb.

“The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout!” Green Goblin sung as she flew over the battlefield. “Down came the Goblin and put the spider down!”

Katya swung her rope at Spider-Girl, which tied itself around the hero’s chest and arms. Luz felt her Spider Sense flaring as Derwin and Amber ran towards her. Spidey flexed her muscles and thorn the rope that tied her to shreds from the inside out, leaping over the two attackers right at the last second.

“If you can’t beat them, blind them!” Spider-Girl declared as she fired a blast of impact webbing, which struck the underside of the Goblin’s glider. Sparks flew out of the glider as the back began to release black smoke. The smoke began to spread as the Goblin flied around, and within seconds the entire room was covered in darkness. Green Goblin smacked her glider, making the smoke stop, and looked down with an expression of annoyance. She heard the sound of punches and smacks, but couldn’t see anything. The smoke began to dissipate, to reveal Spider-Girl standing victorious as the three Enforcers laid unconscious on the ground. “Took care of the flying monkeys! Now to handle the witch!”

Green Goblin heard the sound of footsteps, and turned around to see the guests had used the smoke as an opportunity to run out through the exit. This included Foswell, who was nowhere to be seen. The Goblin’s expression changed into one of grotesque hatred as she turned to Spider-Girl.

“You made me lose my prey! You little brat!” Green Goblin declared in anger. Spider-Girl fired a net of webbing towards the villain, only for the Goblin to reach for her back of tricks and throw out a toy frog. The frog exploded into sparks of electricity, which burned the webbing in midair. “This is your last Halloween, kid! Nobody crosses the Green Goblin!”

The Goblin threw a pair of pumpkin bombs, but instead of exploding, they opened to release bat shaped boomerang blades. Spidey gasped and leaped over them. Her Spider Sense tingled as the boomerangs came back to hit her from behind, and she leaped in between them, dodging them perfectly a second time. Spider Sense tingled once again, and Luz began swinging on the webs that she was shooting at the ceiling, managing to avoid the blasts of electricity from the Goblin’s index finger at the last second.

“What are you? Some form of acrobat?” Green Goblin asked in anger as she continued to try hitting the hero with the electric blasts.

“Maybe not, but I know you’re a clown!” Spider-Girl declared as she fired several blasts of impact webbing, which the Goblin dodged by jumping off her glider.

Spider Sense flared as the glider’s autopilot came to life and flew forward at incredible speeds, ramming itself onto Spider-Girl’s body and sending her rolling onto the ground. Green Goblin leaped and landed right onto the glider, before throwing a pumpkin bomb that exploded into a massive flash of light, the flash-bang making Luz cover her eyes in pain. Spider-Girl recovered after an instant, but it was too late, as the Goblin flew in and grabbed her by the neck, holding the hero up with one arm as the glider carried the two right through a window, and then began spinning around the city’s tall skyscrapers.

“You’ve sneered at my prowess for the last time, Spider-Girl!” Green Goblin declared with a grotesque smile, as Spider-Girl tried to free herself from his grip, to no avail. Goblin punched Spider-Girl right on the chest, knocking all of the air out of Luz’s lungs as the teenage girl began coughing and struggling to breathe. The Green Goblin charged her fist with electricity and struck Luz right on the face, the impact creating a shock wave that would have broken a normal person’s neck, knocking Luz out of the glider and sending her on a freefall to the streets below. “Godspeed, Spider-Girl!”

Luz couldn’t breathe, her ears were ringing, and everything around her was spinning. It took a few moments for her to regain her senses and inhale air midfall. Spider-Girl prepared to fire a web, but it appeared the Goblin’s electricity had busted her Web Shooters. She crashed right onto a parked car, the weight of her body crushing the vehicle upon impact.

“My back…” Spider-Girl whispered under her breath as she forced herself to get back to her feet. She looked up, realizing the Green Goblin was nowhere to be seen. “I lost…”

Hexside University.

“Guys!” Luz yelled as she ran towards the small cookie stand as fast as she could. Her Web Shooters had been destroyed, so she had to run all the way back. The party appeared to be wrapping up, many of the students already heading to their homes. Luz stopped in front of Willow and the others, still breathing heavily after the fight against the Green Goblin. “I’m here… I’m here…”

“I thought I smelled a snake!” Boscha declared in anger as she took a few steps towards Luz and pushed her. “You said you’d help us, you liar.”

“Luz, where were you the whole party?” Willow asked. Luz could notice disappointment in her voice. “After the party started, you just disappeared!”

“I had to do double the work, because you weren’t here to help me!” Gus declared in a tone of slight annoyance. “Can’t you at least tell us where you ran off to?”

“I… I…” Luz whispered and scratched the back of her head. “I… can’t…”

Willow sighed and turned around, walking away without saying another word. Gus and Boscha stared at Luz for a few more moments, and then followed after Willow. Luz stood alone as she watched her friends walk away. The young hero looked down at the Spider-Girl mask in her hands, staring at its emotionless eyes with a tired expression on her face.

Daily Bugle.

Masha stood all alone in the middle of the half dark room. They turned off their notebook and closed it, before placing it inside the box with the rest of their equipment. They picked the box up and turned to the elevator, to see the doors opening and a familiar face walking in.

“Luz?” Masha asked, as the photographer stared at her in surprise. It was a good thing she had changed into her civilian clothing before coming in, considering Masha’s experience with good ol’ Web-Head. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see if Hopkins was here to buy some photos, but I guess I’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow.” Luz commented with a shrug as she looked around, seeing the two were the only ones in the room. “How about you?”

“I just finished writing my last story for the Bugle, so now I’ll just pack my things and leave.” Masha explained. “It was probably fitting that this would be my last, considering the subject at hand. No more Spider-Girl from now on.”

Luz nodded. She was happy that Masha was finally willing to move past what happened with her brother, not only because this helped their relationship, but also for Masha’s mental health.

“You’re going to the Daily Globe now?” Luz commented. “I heard they pay almost double what we get here.”

“They pay enough for me to have a hope of going to college. We can’t all be nerds.” Masha commented, to which the two laughed for a moment. “I guess this will be our final day working together.”

“I guess we’ll see each other less often for now on.” Luz commented, sounding somewhat awkward, before a smile formed on her face. “I’m happy I could meet you, Masha Brant. You’re just fantastic.”

“I can say the same about you, Luz Noceda.” Masha answered with a smile, as the two made their way to the elevator. Luz pressed the button to call it, as Masha’s hands were holding the box. “You are amazing.”

Luz nodded, not sure what else to say, as the doors opened and Masha walked inside. Masha gave Luz one final smile, and Luz waved her goodbye as the doors closed.

“Goodbye, and thank you, Masha…” Luz whispered, aware that her friend could not hear her. “Thank you for everything.”

Blight Industries.

Foswell tried to hide his heavy breathing as he walked up the stairway leading to Odalia Blight’s office. He couldn’t believe it, one of the greatest criminal masterminds in New York humiliated by a clown in a goblin costume. The Big Man would get his revenge, he would be sure of it. Foswell grabbed the doorknob, seeing it was unlocked, and opened the door without knocking.

“I know you’re here, Blight!” Foswell declared as he walked into the office, closing the door behind himself. “I knew this would be the first place you’d run to after your house was attacked!”

The lights were turned off. The room was illuminated only by the silver moon visible through the cracked glass window. Odalia was standing with her back straight and her arms behind it as she stared at the view from the window at the top of the skyscraper, not even bothering to turn to look at Foswell. Odalia could see it all from up there, the cars driving through the streets below and the people making their way through the sidewalks. They all looked so tiny from up there.

“Blight! I need more weapons! The best ones you can give me!” The Big Man declared. “I’ll burn this entire city down if I have to, but I’ll have the head of that Goblin on a spike!”

Odalia remained silent for a few more moments, her expression neutral and emotionless as she looked out through the cracked window. Odalia glanced at Foswell’s reflection on the glass, and finally spoke up.

“What do you believe me to be, Frederick?” Odalia asked in a calm voice.

“Excuse me?” Frederick asked in slight confusion. Odalia turned around in a methodic manner, her expression being serene and passive.

“You are under the misconception that I am a human.” Odalia declared, matter-of-factly. She made her way to her desk and sat down on the chair behind it, staring right through Frederick with her empty blue eyes. “I allowed you to believe in this false idea that you can look at me eye-to-eye, and that this somehow makes us in any way comparable. I allowed you to believe this lie, because you were useful to me... Now the lie is over.”

Frederick stared at Odalia in slight confusion. He could feel sweat running down his skin and his blood flow increase as his heart began to beat like that of an anxious child. Odalia continued to stare through him, her expression as emotionless as her voice. Frederick just couldn’t explain why he felt so scared as Odalia pulled open one of her drawers, and then placed a revolver on the desk.

“I am no mere human. I am a unique individual. You are not worth of even breathing the same air as me.” Odalia declared. She did not speak as if it was an insult or a brag, she instead spoke as if she was stating a provable fact. “You see that window behind me? See those tiny little humans down there? They are ants. They are nothing but grains of sand, and you, Frederick, are one of them. As for me, I am the one who stands above it all. I am the only one worth of being at the top.”

Frederick felt himself almost frozen, like a deer in front of headlights. He tried to speak, but his voice wouldn’t come out. He tried to run, but his legs wouldn’t move. This was the first time that night that Frederick Foswell truly felt helpless.

“I am going to kill you now… but I shall give you a choice...” Odalia decided, and glanced at the revolver she had placed on the desk. “You can take this gun and kill me… or you can stand there and let me kill you… it is your choice.”

Frederick didn’t understand it, there was something about her demeanor, the way she spoke and moved, it was different from any other meeting the two had ever had. It was as if every word triggered his fight or flight response. Frederick had always known that someday he would stop seeing Odalia as a partner and start seeing her as an enemy, but what he didn’t expect is that Odalia had never seen him as either. She had always seen him as a prey.

Frederick dashed in desperation and grabbed the revolver on the table. A loud gunshot echoed across the office. Frederick’s body hit the ground, a gunshot wound on his forehead, the revolver on the ground near him, and a smoking gun in Odalia’s hand. Odalia put down her gun and got up. She turned back to the window, her stance still perfect and her face still emotionless.

“I am the one who stands above it all. I am the only one worth of being at the top.” Odalia declared, matter-of-factly. “Just as God intended it… God bless America… There is no God… only me.”

Noceda residence.

Luz opened the door and walked into the house. Her chest and neck were still hurting from the Green Goblin fight, and she was just exhausted. A lot of good it did her to be Spider-Girl. Sometimes Luz wished she had never even heard that name. Why did things just never turn out right for her? Why did she always seem to hurt people, no matter how hard she tried not to? Is this the price she must always pay for being Spider-Girl?

Luz locked the door behind her and turned to her living room, seeing Camila Noceda sitting on the couch, staring at the TV with a worried expression on her face.

“Mom?” Luz asked. “Is anything wrong?”

“Luz! Look!” Camila declared as she pointed at the TV.

“Following her battle against her fellow domestic terrorist Green Goblin, Spider-Girl has not been seen web swinging ever since. A body is yet to be found, although it is believed this masked menace might have had just enough energy left to leave the area before succumbing to her wounds.” Hopkins explained as he sat in front of a greenscreen. “Well, folks, this was an inevitability. I believe it is time for us to admit it… Spider-Girl is dead.”

“What?” Luz whispered under her breath in surprise, as the world’s most human and most misunderstood super hero came to a realization…

The entire city believed she was dead.

To be continued.

Next Chapter: The End of Spider-Girl.

The Spider’s Web.

Luz sat at a small workbench in the garage, the busted web-shooters on the table, and one of the new one in her hands, which she had been putting together with a screwdriver. She glanced at you, the reader, and gave a quick nod.

GodzillaMaster: Yay, Camila's going to be alright. Such a relief

I was wondering when the Goblin would show up

“Mom is still recovering, although she’s not in any life risk anymore.” Luz commented, screwing one of the new web shooters closed, and then pulling up another one. “Mom will have to settle down for a while and avoid any big surprises. Any big scare could worsen her condition again… Ugh! Why did that spider have to bite me of all people?”

Gay anon: >"But don’t worry. Halloween is coming up, and I’m sure thing are going to get more calm from here on!”

I appreciate the positiveness, but-

Can we at the very least agree to avoid any broken bones beyond repair as much as possible?

camila does deserve to have her daughter alive

“I couldn’t have foreseen that a flying crazy woman in a goblin costume would show up, could I?” Luz commented, letting out a nervous smile for a moment, and then reverting back to her serious face. “Where the hell did that woman even come from? My enemies are already crazy, but that one? She was next level crazy!”

Celtarican: Thank GOD she isn’t dead

Lord that was intense, I’m excited for this next season! And what I *know* is gonna be a bigger cast, new baddies, new friends, it’ll be great

 “Yeah, yeah! Great! First day and everything is already going wrong!” Luz commented in slight annoyance. “Although I guess this is part of the charm of being Spider-Girl.”

R22Swing: This is easily the best, or at least 2nd best TOHxSpider-Man fanfic currently online. Just so good. The amount of references to the comics, or cartoons or Movies, while doing its own original thing that blends both medias perfectly, is just so good.

“Thank you very much, Swing.” Luz commented with a smile. “It legitimately means a lot to me that my adventures could entertain you, even if just for a few minutes. It lets me know that all of the time I invested in being Spider-Girl was worth it. Marvel on, true believers!”

R22Swing: Spider-Man TNAS! ^^

“I’m actually very happy someone got that.” Luz commented with a smile.

R22Swing: American Dragon Hulk??! I’m here for it XD

“One of the few heroes who I can confidently say has worse days than me.” Luz commented with a nod. “I wonder how Jake is doing right now. I haven’t seen him since everything that happened with Mysterio. I wish there was a way for me to help him.”

ImZaxeon: Oh i was on the edge of my seat again. Love to see that Luz gets atleast one happy ending! I just wonder who else is gonna be a villian? Specifically if a certain Black cat is gonna make an appearance at all?

“Why are there so many animal-themed bad guys in this city? A certain octopus gave me a lot of difficulty last time.” Luz commented as she finished with the second new web shooter. “Although right now I have a bone to pick with a goblin.”

Luz put on the two new web shooters and inserted the new web cartridges. She got up and aimed at the wall, firing a pair of webs. The new shooters worked perfectly.

“Alright…” Luz commented, and then crossed her arms. “Now what?”

Chapter Text

The End of Spider-Girl.

“Following her battle against her fellow domestic terrorist Green Goblin, Spider-Girl has not been seen web swinging ever since. A body is yet to be found, although it is believed this masked menace might have had just enough energy left to leave the area before succumbing to her wounds.” Hopkins explained as he sat in front of a green screen. “Well, folks, this was an inevitability. I believe it is time for us to admit it… Spider-Girl is dead.”

Manhattan.

“Hahahahahaha!” The Green Goblin laughed, the high-pitched echoes of her giggles flying over the city as she sliced through the skies with her glider. “I am the one who took down Spider-Girl! The Green Goblin will be world famous at last!”

Ryker’s Island.

“I can’t believe it! I won’t accept it!” Alador yelled in anger as he walked circles inside his small prison cell. “After all of the times I’ve failed to take her down, Spider-Girl gets defeated by a clown in a Halloween costume! Victory should belong to Doctor Octopus!”

Queens.

“Damn you! Green Goblin!” Eberwolf declared in anger as he stood inside his secret lair, crumbling up the newspaper in his hands. “You stole my hunt! Only I could have hunted down Spider-Girl! Me!”

Staten Island.

“How could the Green Goblin defeat her when I failed?” The Bat Queen whispered, her voice in a tone that mixed confusion and anger. The Bat Queen jumped off the gargoyle at the top of the building where she had been sitting, and then flew away across the skies. “I don’t understand!”

Mystery Shack.

“Old Web-Head is done for?” The Thing asked in a worried tone as Dipper held the newspaper in his hands. “I thought she’d always escape with her weird little spider ribbons.”

“They’re not ribbons, Soos! They’re web fluid!” Mabel complained with her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face. “This must be a misunderstanding! There is no way Spidey would have lost!”

“Spider-Girl was one of the most powerful heroes in New York.” Dipper commented as he looked over the paper in his hands. “Just who is this Green Goblin they are talking about? This sounds like trouble!”

“Come on, Spider-Girl…” Mabel whispered to herself.

Avengers Tower.

“Today is a sad day for us costumed crime-fighters.” Iron Man commented as he held the newspaper in his armored hands. “It appears that one of our fellows is gone.”

“Poor arachnid!” Star Butterfly commented, standing near Iron Man with her wand in her hands. “She had courage, but it seems like her strength could not match it!”

“I never even had the chance to meet Spider-Girl!” Captain America commented, sitting on a chair nearby and tapping her finger on the table at a slow pace. “She did so much for this city, and this is how she is thanked?”

Hell’s Kitchen.

“Spider-Girl was such a valiant hero! I sensed it the last time we met!” Daredevil commented as he jumped through the rooftops of the city. Kick had an annoyed expression on his face as he used his club as a grappling hook to pull himself into the top of a building. “I wonder, had I been there, could my super-sharp senses have helped her against the Green Goblin?”

Queens.

“I can’t believe this happened!” An old lady commented as she sat on a small bench. “Spider-Girl was such a good person! She helped me with directions once!”

“My daughter loves super heroes…” A man commented as he stood near the bench. “What is she going to think now?”

“I’m more wondering what we are going to do next time Doctor Octopus breaks out of prison.” Commented another man standing near them.

“Excuse me?” Asked a teenage girl as she walked down the sidewalk. The two men stepped aside, and she gave them a quick nod as she passed by. She walked a few more city blocks, and then entered a small house. “Mama! I’m back with you medicine!”

“Luz!” Camila greeted as Luz closed the door. Camila reached for her small walking cane and got up from the wheelchair, making her way to her daughter at a slow pace.

“How are you feeling?” Luz asked as she put the bottle of medicine on a small table.

“Getting better each day.” Camila commented. “I can’t wait until I can walk normally again, then I’ll be able to go back to work.”

“Don’t worry, my job should hold until then.” Luz added with a smile.

“It must be very different to work at the Bugle without Spider-Girl swinging around.” Camila commented as she made her way to the sofa and sat down.

“Yeah.” Luz nodded, and then whispered another sentence to herself. “And without Masha…”

“What happened to Spider-Girl was so horrible! They haven’t even found her body!” Camila commented. Luz took a step to sit near her, but heard the sound of the phone ringing. Luz turned around and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” Luz asked.

“Good morning, Luz.” A voice that Luz recognized from the hospital greeted.

“You’re the doctor who did surgery on my mom.”

“How is she recovering?” The doctor asked.

“She’s fine so far.” Luz answered with a shrug.

“Great. The operation left her very weakened, even for someone of her age, so you must handle her with a lot of care. Do you understand?” The doctor explained. “Remember: In her current conditions, she must have no sudden shocks or excitements. If she has another heart attack, it will certainly be fatal.”

Luz’s eyes widened in shock and she held back a quick gasp.

“You’re lucky that you live quite a peaceful life, at least from what I could tell.” The doctor explained. “All you have to do is keep her calm and unworried.”

“Yes… of course… I’ll do that…” Luz nodded, and then hung up the phone.

“What did he say?” Camila asked.

“Nothing much, just to settle down and not do anything crazy until you recover.” Luz answered, not technically lying, and sat near her mom.

Luz stood in the middle of her room as she stared at the Spider-Girl costume in her hands. Her mother had gone to sleep in the other room right after taking her medicine. If Camila found out about her alter-ego, it could be too much for her weak heart to handle. Luz glanced at a small wooden chest on the other side of the room, and then back at the costume. She nodded and walked to the chest, placing the suit inside and locking it, before making her way out of the room.

Hexside University.

“Spider-Girl is not dead! I don’t believe it!” Boscha declared in a serious tone of voice as she stood in front of two other teenagers, the three waiting in the classroom for the teacher to arrive. “That Goblin hag wouldn’t have been able to take Spidey down! She’ll be back! You’ll see!”

“Skip it, Boscha!” Edric commented back as he crossed his arms. “Web-Head isn’t worth fighting about!”

“Spider-Girl is a hero! I won’t take any disrespect!” Boscha declared as she tapped her foot. Emira stood near the two, not really paying attention to the conversation, and then glanced at another teenager coming into the classroom.

“Good morning, Luz.” Emira greeted, catching the girl’s attention.

“Oh! If the day couldn’t get any worse! Here comes the world’s biggest Luzer!” Boscha declared in impatience.

“Don’t worry, Boscha, I won’t be staying more than I have to.” Luz declared as she sat down and put her books on her desk.

“Boscha is yelling about Spider-Girl again.” Amira commented, to which Boscha turned to her in anger.

“Amazing…” Luz commented in a disinterested tone of voice, not bothering to turn and look at them.

“Luzer is the last person who can say anything about Spider-Girl!” Boscha declared. “She spent all of last year helping the Bugle slander Spidey!”

“Oh yeah, you do work at the Daily Bugle, don’t you?” Edric commented. “If Spider-Girl really is dead, what pictures are you going to sell now?”

Luz finally looked away from her books, her expression showing slight surprise and realization.

Peerless Paste Company.

Luz was metaphorically slapping herself as she sat in the waiting room of the building. How was she even planning on paying the bills without Spider-Girl? Hopkins would never pay her for anything else. She heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to see a man signing with his head for her to follow. The two made their way into a small office.

“What did you want to show me, kid?” The man asked, to which Luz handed him a small cartridge, which was filled with her web fluid.

“It is a shear-thinning nylon liquid solution that I invented.” Luz explained as she sat down on the other side of the desk. “The long-chain polymer knits when in contact with air, forming a flexible adhesive fiber.”

“You made a new type of glue?” The man asked as he looked at the cartridge. “Hard to believe for someone your age.”

“I’m all up for an exclusive demonstration.” Luz commented as she took the cartridge and opened it. She glued one side of the web to the desk and then threw the other upward, gluing it to the ceiling. The man stared in disbelief as the entire desk was pulled up and hanged above the ground. “The tensile strength of even a single strand is ten times more durable than stainless steel.”

“This is incredible!” The man declared as he looked up at the table in amazement. “This glue is worth a fortune!”

“How about it? Do we have a deal?” Luz asked as she climbed on top of the hanging desk and sat on it with her legs crossed. “The fluid lasts an hour before it dissolves.”

“Wait, it dissolves?” The man asked as his smile dropped. “If it isn’t permanent, then we can’t use it. Who needs a glue that only lasts an hour?”

“What? Really?” Luz asked as she leaped down from the desk, landing on her feet right in front of the man. “Well… I could change the formula! I just need some time to figure out how to make it last longer!”

“Come back when you do figure it out. Until then your paste is worthless.” The man declared. “How could we sell an adhesive that becomes weak after a while?”

Luz sighed and made her way out the door. It would take months of lab work to make her web fluid become permanent without losing its tensile strength.

Manhattan.

“Why does everything have to go wrong?” Luz whispered to herself as she walked down the sidewalk, kicking a small tin can on the ground as she made her way. “Well, at least it can’t get any worse, can it?”

Luz kicked the can once again, which rolled down the sidewalk and onto a small puddle on the ground. Luz raised her eyebrow as she felt her Spider Sense flaring, and noticed the puddle was colored purple. She then gasped as the liquid came to life and raised itself from the ground.

“I just had to open my big mouth, didn’t I?” Luz whispered as the goo took the shape of a familiar body.

“What a beautiful day! No clouds in the sky, no dirt on the road… no Spider-Girl!” Darius commented with a smile as he made his way to a bank on the other side of the street. A speeding car ran him over by accident and the driver floored the brakes in a shock as the man’s body exploded into liquid, only for him to regenerate under the car, throwing it into the air as the bystanders began screaming and running away.

“Damn it!” Luz whispered as she ran into a nearby alley. She hid behind a trashcan and under several pieces of wood and began taking off her shirt, only to stop as she realized she was not wearing her Spider-Girl costume under it. “Oh! Come on!”

She heard the sound of an alarm and ran back out of the alley, to see a gigantic purple scythe slicing right through the doors of the bank as Darius made his way out. The Abomination’s other hand carried several large bags of money. His arm enlarged itself as it melted into slime, and then pulled the bags into inside of his body, before morphing back to normal.

Luz glanced down at her wrists. No Web-Shooters either. She had to do something, but what? Luz heard sirens. She turned to see a large police car speeding into the scene, and turned to the other side to see several bystanders. Luz’s eyes widened as she ran to the bystanders as fast as she could. She heard a loud slamming sound and jumped, pushing the civilians to the ground right on time to avoid the police car that Darius had just thrown into the air with a punch.

Luz glanced at the cop car, which had landed upside down and shattered all of the windows, and then looked down at the bystanders she had just saved.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, to which the two nodded. Luz got up and ran to the destroyed car. She broke open the door and pulled one of the officers out, while another civilian ran to the other side and helped the other cop. The officer Luz had just helped glanced at the door, which he was sure had been locked. He shook his head, figuring it must have busted open during the crash.

Luz turned to see the last little bits of abomination goo melting into a manhole and vanishing into the sewers, and let out a disappointed sigh as she realized the battle was over.

Mystery Shack.

“It would appear that following the death of her partner in crime, Spider-Girl, the Abomination has been going on a rampage that shocked the entire city!” Hopkins declared from the television screen. “As a special attraction, let’s take a look at the last day in the life of Spider-Girl, brought to you by the Daily Bugle, the paper that only tells the truth!”

Mabel groaned in annoyance as she took the remote control and turned the TV off.

“Hey! I was watching that!” Wendy complained. “And by watching it, I mean it was background noise while I’m slacking.”

“I’m not taking any more of that grinning ape Hopkins! I’d rather watch Doctor Doom reading nursery rhymes!” Mabel complained in a voice that showed restrained anger. “There is more to this than meets the eye! Spider-Girl is alive! I know it!”

“Mabel, if you’re going to continue throwing this childish tantrum, I’m just going to fade away.” Wendy declared with a shrug as she turned invisible and disappeared.

“Yeah? You’ll see it! Spider-Girl is alive, and I’m gonna prove it!” Human Torch declared in anger as she ran to the window and jumped off the second floor into a freefall. “Flame on!”

Mabel’s body lit itself ablaze and she flew up into the skies. She began flying in a specific pattern, her flaming trail writing down words into the sky.

“SPIDER- GIRL MEET ME AT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY”

Queens.

Luz stood near the window when she saw a light from the corner of her eye. She looked out to see the flaming words on the skies above. The girl read the words with care as she though over the situation.

“Mija?” Camila asked from the other room. “Do you have my medicine?”

“Hm? Yeah! I got it!” Luz answered as she opened the drawer and pulled out a small bottle of pills, before making her way to her mother’s room.

Statue of Liberty.

Mabel sat onto the torch in the hands of the state, glanding towards the city with attention. She had been waiting there for almost half an hour, but she still hadn’t seen any web swinging action. Even if Spidey hadn’t seen the message, she had to have heard about it.

“If she didn’t show up by now, then she isn’t coming…” Mabel whispered in worry as she hugged her own knees. “I don’t get it! Why didn’t she come? What happened with Spider-Girl?”

Queens.

Luz made her way down the sidewalk with her hands in her pockets. She had seen the message, but she just couldn’t have left her mother alone at that moment. What could the Human Torch need from her? Should she go there now? No, the Torch must have already left. Luz felt a tingle behind her skull and looked up.

“Help! Police! Catch that thief!” An old man declared from the other sidewalk, as a man in a suit ran away from the scene, one of his hands holding a gun, and the other holding the briefcase he had just stolen. Luz ran across the street and prepared the tackle the crook, only to stop as what appeared to be a shooting star came flying from above, dashing around the crook and creating a circle of flames in the air that surrounded the criminal. The thief looked up, and a small blast of fire knocked the gun out of his hands and melted it on the ground.

“I’m just warming up!” Human Torch declared as she flew over the street. Luz looked at the scene in slight surprise.

“There he is!” A police officer declared as he ran in just as the circle of flames around the thief began to dissipate, allowing the cop to arrest the crook. “Thank you, Human Torch!”

“I was making my way back to the Mystery Shack and noticed you guys needed help!” Mabel declared as she landed, just a few meters away from Luz, the flames around her body dissipating. Several of the bystanders ran in all of the sudden, and Luz looked around startled as they all approached Mabel.

“You’re the best, Human Torch! You saved us from a possible gunfight!” A red-haired man declared.

“Thank you so much!” The old man declared as the officer handed back his briefcase.

“Could I have your autograph?” Asked a woman.

“My son would like one too!” Declared a man who was holding hands with a kid.

“One at a time, fellas! One at a time!” Mabel declared with a smile, as she pulled out a pen and a notebook, and began handing out autographs to her fans.

Luz stared at the scene in almost disbelief. Mabel handed a few more papers, and then turned to look right at Luz. Luz’s eyes widened slightly as Mabel took a few steps to her.

“I noticed you hanging around! Too shy to ask for an autograph? Here is one anyway! Don’t bother thanking me, I’m just all heart!” Mabel declared as she handed Luz a piece of paper with her signature in it.

Luz stared at the paper with an annoyed expression. What was she supposed to do with it? Put it under her pillow?

“Thank you! Thank you! I love you all!” Mabel declared, before she lit herself ablaze and once again flew away into the skies.

“Show off.” Luz whispered to herself as she turned around and began to walk away.

“Hey! Did you get an autograph too?” Asked a little boy as he ran near Luz.

“Hm?” Luz asked, and then smiled. “Oh, no! This is Spider-Girl’s autograph! Want to swap?”

“What do you think I am? A nut?” The child asked, and then ran down the street.

Luz shrugged and then walked away from the scene.

Daily Bugle.

“Good evening, Elizabeth!” Hopkins declared as he walked out of his office with a smile on his face.

“That’s not my name.” The new employee declared with a bored expression as she typed on her computer.

“Elizabeth was the one who quit this morning.” Robbie commented from his own table on the other side of the room. “Her name is Angourie.”

“Whatever! They keep getting hired and quitting so fast that I can’t keep up.” Hopkins shrugged.

“Makes me wonder how Masha could stand you for so long.” Robbie whispered with a smile.

“Anyway, has Luz Noceda called?” Hopkins asked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“She left a message saying that her mom just went through surgery and that she might have to take care of her for a few days.” Angourie answered, not taking her focus away from the screen. “I already told you this earlier today. You weren’t paying attention.”

“Alright then.” Hopkins declared, and then straightened his glasses and smiled. “I’ll put up the greenscreen for another live show! Our ratings have doubled since the death of Spider-Girl!”

The two stared at their boss as he made his way back to the office. Ever since Spider-Girl’s battle with the Green Goblin, Hopkins had been acting like the happiest man in town.

“That guy is weird.” Angourie commented.

“I liked him better when he was his old grouchy self.” Robbie added. “He was just as annoying, but at least I understood him that way.”

Queens.

Luz made her way down the sidewalk as the street lights began to turn themselves on. She glanced up to see the sky turning orange due to the sunset. It seemed like even without Spider-Girl, her days were still quite busy. Luz felt her Spider Sense tingle as she went around a corner, and then hid back behind the building as she recognized the figure walking across the street.

“Boscha?” Luz asked as she glanced at her bully, who was wearing a trench coat to cover her Slushy Burgers uniform. What Luz found odd was the large bag she was holding in her hands. “What is she doing out here at this time of day? She should be home by now. Is she is some kind of trouble?”

Boscha made her way into a dark alley. Luz thought the situation over for a few moments, and then climbed over the side of the building, moving so fast that she would appear a blur even if there was any bystander that could see her in that deserted street. Luz walked on the rooftop and looked down upon the alley, to see Boscha putting on a familiar costume.

“Spider-Girl isn’t dead! I’ll prove it! They’ll see!” Boscha declared as she finished putting on her Spider-Girl costume, the same one that had gotten her kidnapped by Doctor Doom the year prior. “If I get in trouble, the real Spider-Girl will show up to save me!”

“Boscha! You idiot!” Luz whispered to herself as her bully ran out of the alley in the super hero costume. “Spider-Girl has enemies all over the place!”

A trio of car thieves stood near a parked vehicle, as one of them tried to pick the lock. The three heard the sound of footsteps, and turned to see the red and blue clad figure standing right before them.

“Stop right there, evil-doers!” Boscha declared.

“Spider-Girl!” One of the thieves declared. “I thought she was dead!”

“Legends never die!” Boscha declared. “Now turn around and go to the police station, or else I’ll drag you there!”

“Let’s rush her!” One of the thieves declared as they ran towards Boscha.

Boscha took a step back in surprise, not really expecting to get this far. She threw a punch and struck one of the criminals, which seemed to have no effect, as the thug punched her right on the chest, sending her trembling back. The two other thieves ran in and began punching Boscha from every direction, making the girl whimper in pain as they knocked her to the ground and began curb stomping her.

“I never thought this would be this easy! We should tackle Daredevil next!” One of the thieves declared with a smile, which dropped as he heard the sound of sirens in the background. “It’s the police! Let’s get out of here!”

The thieves left Boscha on the ground and ran off, just as a police car drove into the scene. A black cop ran out to check on the fake Spider-Girl, while a white cop stayed in the car and drove after the fleeing outlaws. The officer helped Boscha seat back up and pulled off her mask.

“Hey! I know you! You go to the same college as my son! You’re Boscha Thompson!” The officer declared in surprise. “What are you doing in this monkey suit?”

“Did it work?” Boscha asked, her head still spinning from the beating. “Did Spider-Girl show up to save me?”

In the other side of the street, inside a phone booth, Luz Noceda hung up the payphone she had used to call the police and watched over the scene. She let out a sigh of relief. Had the cops taken any longer to arrive, Luz would have had no choice but to intervene even without her Spider-Girl suit, and her secret identity would have been ruined. Luz watched as the officer helped Boscha up and walked away from the scene with her. Luz waited a few more moments before leaving the phone booth and walking off.

Noceda Residence.

Luz stood in her room as she looked out the window, seeing the last rays of sunset as the skies began to turn dark. Teenagers her age were supposed to be worrying about schoolwork or getting a stable job. Why did she have to have such a great responsibility trusted onto her? Luz never asked to be bitten by the spider. She never asked to be Spider-Girl. Was she not supposed to have what she wanted? What she needed? What was she supposed to do?

Luz turned and glanced at the chest on the other side of the room. The entire city believed Spider-Girl was dead. She could just never put on that suit again. Nobody would ever know. It would be a mystery that would never be solved. Would it even make a difference? Would anyone even miss her?

Luz sighed and made her way out of her room. She walked down the stairs, and then gasped at the scene before her. Camila’s wheelchair was empty and the walking cane was right next to it.

“Mama?” Luz asked as she finished going down the stairs in worry. “Mom? Where are you?”

“Over here, mija.” Luz heard, and turned to see her mother walking in from the kitchen. “I figured I’d test my legs today.”

“Mom! The doctor said you shouldn’t be walking around too much!” Luz declared. “You have to rest!”

“Nonsense! I’m feeling better than ever!” Camila declared as she made her way to the wheelchair. Luz was about to help her seat down, but Camila signed for her daughter to stop, and sat down all by herself. “Luz, I’ve noticed you’ve been quite worried about me since the surgery, but I want you to know that I am quite able to take care of myself. I don’t ever want you to see me as a burden, do you understand?”

“Mom, I–”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you… things have been hard ever since your father passed away, for both of us, which is why I want you to know that I am proud of you.” Camila explained. “Never forget that, do you understand?”

Luz stared at her mother for a moment, and then nodded her head.

“You are a hero, Luz. You’re my hero, and no matter what happens, you’ll still be my hero.” Camila explained. “I believe there is a hero within all of us. That keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and… give up the thing we want the most… even our dreams.”

Luz thought over every word she had just heard, and then once again nodded, a confident expression beginning to form on her face.

“I understand.”

Camila nodded.

“You don’t need to stay with me tonight, cariño. I can get on the bed by myself.” Camila explained as she got up from the wheelchair. Luz took a few steps to her and gave her mother a hug. Camila smiled and hugged Luz back.

“Thank you.” Luz whispered.

The two held the hug for another moment, before they split apart and Luz made her way back up the stairs, walking back into her room and closing the curtains.

“Maybe it took mama to teach me something I should already know! Only a weakling quits when things get tough! Sure, I’ve had my fair share of bad breaks! Who hasn’t? I’ve been wasting too much time in self-pity! I’m done with that from now on!” Luz declared as she made her way to the chest and unlocked it. She pulled out the read and blue costume, looking at it as she held it in her hands. “Mom has enough gumption for both of us! I won’t have to worry about her anymore! As for Jacob Hopkins, before I’m through, he’ll be eating his words about me! Fate gave me those terrific super powers, and I realize now that it is my duty to use them… without doubt… without hesitation…”

Luz put on her suit as she stood in the dark part of the room. She stepped into the light, before putting on her mask.

“Spider-Girl is going into action again! I’ll fight as I’ve never fought before! Nothing will stop me now!” Spider-Girl declared in a confident tone of voice. “I know at last that no man can change their destiny… and I was born to be… Spider-Girl!”

To be continued!

Next chapter: Spider-Girl Strikes Back!

Spidey and Human Torch team up!

The Spider’s Web.

“Alright!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped off her web and back flipped, landing right on top of the Empire State building, an American flag waving on the pole behind her. Luz took her mask off and stared at the beautiful sunset. “Guess who’s back, baby! Did you guys miss me? Don’t answer, I know you did! If we count the hits from whatever that Strange Doctor was up to while I wasn’t looking, we’ve just reached 3000 hits! Who would have thought?”

GodzillaMaster: Ooh, season 2 is out. Yay :D

Well, there goes my theory on who the goblin was...

Just who is she?

Have you ever considered suing Hopkins for libel? At some point, you're gonna have to shut down his lies

“I thought about it, but if anything happens to Hopkins, I’m kind of out of a job.” Spider-Girl explained as she scratched the back of her head with a smile. “Plus, I’m the one who sells Hopkins the pictures he uses, so I could end up being considered an accomplice, and at that point it would be Spider-Girl suing Luz Noceda, which would be awkward. Even more awkward would be if Hopkins tried to show evidence of his claim that I’m a dangerous vigilante by calling to the stand one Masha Brant to talk about what happened to their brother. That’s asking for trouble.”

Ri2: Wait...Odalia and the Goblin at the same place and the same time? How can this be? Unless...she's NOT Gobby?!

“That damn Green Goblin! I never did figure out who she is!” Luz declared as she crossed her arms, a worried expression on her face. She got up and began thinking while walking in circles, not on the rooftop, but literally on the side of the building. “She might just be the most dangerous villain I’ve ever faced! Doctor Octopus was a genius, but he sure as hell couldn’t throw a punch like she does!”

Somedud3: Ned and Masha are working at the Daily Globe? Why, I hear that place has some excellent photographers. Hope it won’t be too quiet at the Bugle since Loudmouth Hopkins has 2 less people to yell at.

“They have two excellent journalists now. I can tell you that much.” Luz declared as she crawled back up to the roof and sat down. “I’m just wondering how Hopkins is planning on replacing them. Not everyone has the patience to handle working for that guy.

Shadowsnake89: Well Luz you are batting a thousand unfortunately. Your friends think they can't depend on you and now the city thinks your dead from that fight with this Goblin. Not a great start after defeating the worst criminals in town but I'm sure you'll rebound.

And it looks like Masha and Ned are headed to greener pastures. Good for them.

“Talk about a rebound!” Luz declared with a smile as she cracked her knuckles. “I’ll find the Goblin later! We’ve just hit 3000! Let’s celebrate!”

IDontHaveAFicAcc: Just had some random thoughts while reading:

Will we get Ben Riley, and why would they be replaced by Vee?

I pray that Amity wont share the same fate as Gwen.

Matt becoming the equivalent of Silk feels like a missed opportunity.

“Well, Matt is not dead like we thought he was, so that is a plus. I wonder how he is doing. What happened to him was such a tragedy, specially when you consider his age.” Luz explained, an expression of melancholy on her face as she looked at the sunset. “Amity is that girl that mama wants me to meet, isn’t she? I haven’t had much time to think about girls lately, so I doubt I’ll be going on a date anytime soon.”

Luz got up and put her mask back on. She had a wide smile on her face as she leaped off the building and began swinging through the city.

“It feels good to be back! Thank you all for reading! Thank you all for helping me reach 3000 hits! I couldn’t have done it without you! See ya’ll next time, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved goodbye, and then swung towards the sunset in the horizon. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Spider-Girl Strikes Back.

The loud sound of the bank alarm echoed across the streets of Manhattan, drowning out the screaming of the bystanders as a pair of robbers ran out of the building and into a car, their getaway driver flooring down the street as fast as he could. The three let out wicked smiles as they looked at the large bags of money in their hands, only for a swift blur to fly over their vehicle and catch their attention.

The three looked up as they heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and before they knew it, their car had been tangled up in between two buildings, held above the ground by a massive spider web.

“I can’t believe it!” One of the thieves declared, as they looked up to see a familiar figure sitting on top of one of the buildings. “You’re dead!”

“Imagine what I could do if I wasn’t!” Spider-Girl commented with a smile, as she heard the sound of police sirens in the background. “If anyone asks who caught you, be sure to spell my name right! There is a hyphen in it!”

Luz leaped off the building and swung away, just as the police arrived on the area. She somersaulted and landed on a taller building, taking back the automatic camera she had webbed to one of the gargoyles. Luz took a quick picture of the thieves being arrested, and then swung away from the area.

“Now that’s where the fun really begins!” Spider-Girl commented as she swung in the direction of the Daily Bugle.

Lecture Hall.

“Now for our guest speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Hopkins!” The woman declared as she made way for Hopkins to get on stage, to which the crowd let out loud groans of annoyance.

“Thank you! Thank you! I am very happy to be here, so I can tell you about the life and times of Spider-Girl. I have covered this masked menace throughout her whole career, from the day she first showed up until the day of her death, and if I had to choose a single word to descried Spider-Girl, it would be–” Hopkins stopped speaking as he heard the sound of a ringtone. He reached for his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, holding it close to his ear. His expression changed into one of shock. “Alive?”

Manhattan.

“Extra! Extra! Daily Bugle prints retraction!” Declared a paperboy as he held the newspapers in his hand. “Spider-Girl still lives!”

“Flame on!” The boy heard, and looked up to see what appeared to be a shooting star coming out of a building and watching over the city. Mabel had a smile on her face as she flew across the skies like a fireball. “Spider-Girl gave me quite a scare yesterday! Why didn’t she show up when I called her?”

“Help! Please! Someone!” She heard, and then turned, to see the screams were coming from a dark alley beneath them. Mabel flew downward at high speeds and landed right in the middle of the area, turning off her flames to avoid lighting the place ablaze. Mabel created a small flame from her palm and used it to illuminate the dark area around her, seeing that the place appeared to be empty.

Mabel gasped as she felt something around her ankle, and looked down just in time to see a lasso tripping her to the floor.

“We were expecting a spider, but a little shooting star will have to do!” Katya declared as she stepped out of the shadows, holding the other end of the rope in her hands. Derwin and Amber stepped out by her side, wicked smiles on their faces.

“The Enforcers!” Mabel gasped in surprise. She was quick to light herself ablaze and burn the lasso around her ankle. She then flew a few meters into the air, flying circles over the area. “Let’s light this up, you buffoons!”

Human Torch threw a fireball at the three. Amber jumped and pushed Katya away from the projectile, while Derwin dodged it with a casual movement from his head. Amber pulled out a large object and threw it to Derwin, who grabbed it in midair, and revealed it to be a double barrel shotgun. He opened fired several times, only for Mable to release a small hurricane of flames, vaporizing the pallets in midair. Amber and Katya jumped away at the last second just as the fire struck Derwin. The flames should have reduced him to ashes, but Mabel held back to avoid any fatalities, so instead the flames just burned part of Derwin’s clothes and threw him to the ground.

“Now for my next trick!” Mabel declared as she flew lower and prepared to fire more fireballs. A large shadow came out of the ground and towered over the Human Torch, and she turned around just in time to see the Abomination grabbing her. Mabel couldn’t react in time, as Darius’ goo body expanded and engulfed her tiny form, trapping her inside a large sphere of goo.

“Fire needs oxygen to burn. If I cut off your air, I also cut off your flame.” Darius declared as he held Mabel inside the air-tight ball of goo for several seconds. He could feel the teenager struggling to escape from the inside, until she eventually began moving slower and slower, and then stopped completely. Darius released the ball, which melted into liquid to reveal an unconscious Mabel inside. “And without your flames, you are nothing more than a little brat.”

“Remind me to never mess with you, Abomination!” Amber declared as she got up and helped Katya back to her feet. The two turned to Derwin and took a step to help him, but he signed for them to stop and got back up by himself. “What now? Do we just repeat the trap until we get Spider-Girl?”

“Oh, no.” Darius declared, as his large Abomination form shrunk back and took the shape of his human body. “We have a hostage now.”

Hexside Academy.

Luz had a smile on her face as she made her way to the academy. Her mom was recovering, she had just gotten her latest paycheck, and she got to wipe that grim out of Hopkins’ face. Fitting enough, Luz felt quite alive.

She heard the sound of a car near her, and turned to see two familiar faces coming out of the vehicle they had just parked.

“Hey, Willow.” Luz greeted as she approached a girl with glasses. “I just wanted to say, sorry for not showing up at Halloween. Something came up.”

“It’s okay.” Willow answered with a shrug. “Just warn us before leaving next time.”

Lu nodded and then turned to the man who had just walked out of the driver seat.

“Good evening, Mr. Park. Where is your husband?”

“Gilbert couldn’t come.” Harvey explained. “He’s having a busy day in the police station.”

“Is this about Spider-Girl?” Luz asked while faking ignorance. “I took a few pictures of her for the Bugle earlier today.”

“Oh no.” Willow interrupted as she shook her head. “It was about the Human Torch.”

Luz stared at her in slight confusion, not really sure what she was referring to, only for Harvey to break the silence before Luz could say anything else.

“Anyway, I better get going. Severine is going to kill me if I’m late again.” Harvey commented, before he gave Willow a quick hug and a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you, Willow.”

“I love you too, dad.” Willow answered with a smile, before Harvey got back in the car and drove away. Willow waved her dad goodbye, and then the two teens turned around and began walking towards the academy.

“So, what was that about the Human Torch?” Luz asked, trying not to let it show that she was somewhat worried. Willow opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sudden sound of laughter from the other side of the hallway.

“I knew it! I was right all along! Spider-Girl is the best!” Boscha declared in a loud voice, as the rest of the football team followed her down the hall. Boscha glanced to the side to see Luz standing by. “Guess you and your Bugle will be singing a different tune, hm? Spidey’s back, greater than ever!”

“Congratulations for that, but I don’t really care.” Luz commented in slight annoyance, ignoring that Boscha’s loud fog-horn voice was almost making her ears ring.

“Oh yeah? How about you chew on a knuckle sandwich? Bet you’d care about that!” Boscha threatened.

“I’ve already heard you blabbing like that enough times I can almost recite it by heart.” Luz shrugged.

“Ladies, you’re both beautiful. Can you please go bug someone else?” Willow asked, to which Boscha rolled her eyes and began walking away.

“You’re lucky four-eyes was there to save you, Luzer!” Boscha declared as she walked away. “Doesn’t matter! Spidey is still the best! Much better than that overrated dork, the Human Torch, who couldn’t even handle fighting the Enforcers!”

“Wait, what?” Luz asked in shock at the last thing Boscha had said.

Unknown location.

“The word must have already gotten to Spider-Girl that you have the Human Torch.” Darius declared as he sat on one of the chairs in the dark room, playing poker with the Enforcers. “She must be coming after you right now, but she doesn’t know I’m involved. This gives us an advantage.”

“Perfect hidden weapon, and perfect bait! This time we will not lose!” Katya declared as she placed one of her cards on the table. “Spider-Girl won’t be able to resist coming to rescue her old pal!”

“We’re not pals, you buffoon!” They heard, and glanced to the other side of the room, where Mabel Pines sat down inside a small nigh-airtight glass container.

“Shut your mouth!” Darius declared, sounding more annoyed than angry and not bothering to turn and look at their prisoners. “There is nothing you can do without your flame, so you better calm down and not waste your oxygen.”

Mabel stared at Darius through the glass, anger visible in her eyes. The prison was a claustrophobic nightmare, it was barely small enough to fit her inside. She lit up her finger and prepared to burn through the glass, only for her to feel herself suffocating as her flame died out. The glass prison was almost airtight, meaning it barely had enough air for Mabel to breathe. If she tried to use her powers, her flames would burn the little oxygen inside, and she would begin to suffocate, which would then result in her flame vanishing. It was the perfect trap, as any attempt she made of activating her powers would put her in a situation where she could not use them.

“Ugh! That’s not good enough!” Mabel whispered in between heavy breaths as a small amount of air once again entered the prison. “The rest of the Fantastic Four doesn’t know enough about the Enforcers to find me in time! Damn it! It is all up to Spider-Girl now!”

New York docs.

“How did the Enforcers even manage to defeat Hot Head Pines over there? Her powers are super strong!” Spider-Girl commented as she swung over the small buildings, stopping on a rooftop and looking around. “The Enforcers worked for the Big Man before the Green Goblin showed up! That gang is seen wondering around this area all the time! It’s the best place to start searching!”

Luz looked around for a few moments, when she felt her Spider Sense give a gentle tingle, and she looked down to see a suspicious looking man in a purple suit walking into one of the warehouses.

“What have we here?” Spidey whispered as she swung towards the warehouse, landing on the ceiling and listening to the conversation inside.

“Great! First this Green Goblin woman shows up, then this Crime Master guy takes the Big Man’s spot as our leader, and now Spider-Girl turns out to still be alive!” One of the many crooks commented as they sat around a table in the dark room. “Things just can’t get any worse, for us, can they?”

“Very poor choice of words!” They heard, followed by the sound of glass breaking, as Spider-Girl jumped down from the ceiling and landed on the table right in the middle of them.

“Spider-Girl!” One of the criminals yelled as they pulled out their guns, only for Luz to web the weapons and pull them all out of their hands, like a blur, throwing them to the other side of the room before any of the criminals could react.

“Who did you expect? Daredevil?” Spidey asked in a mocking tone of voice. One of the criminals ran and kicked the table to the ground to try knocking Luz off, but the hero backflipped off the table and over the man’s head at the last second, landing on her feet right behind him. “There is the hard way and there is the easy way! It’s either one or the other! Take your choice!”

Several of the criminals ran to Spider-Girl from every direction, only for Luz to somersault away at the last second and land on a wooden pillar, making the criminals run right onto each other, only for Spidey to tied them up with a net of webs. Luz leaped off the pillar and over another criminal’s head, before striking two others with quick punches that knocked them out.

Another criminal ran in and punched Spider-Girl on the face, Luz rolling with the punch to avoid breaking the attacker’s wrist, and then throwing a casual kick to his face, knocking him out. Luz turned to the last bandit, who was running towards the exit, and fired a net of webbing, gluing the criminal to the ground.

“What do you want?” The criminal begged in desperation as Luz jumped and landed on a wall near him.

“I’m searching for the Enforcers!” Spider-Girl declared, putting in the most serious voice she could muster, trying not to let him noticed how worried she was about Mabel’s safety. “You better say something worth my time!”

“We don’t know where they are! After what happened with the Green Goblin, they just left the gang and went off by themselves!”

“Do you know anywhere they could be hiding?” Spider-Girl demanded. “Any hiding spot from back when they worked for the Big Man?”

“I’m not allowed to know stuff like that!” The man responded in an intimidated tone of voice. “You’d have to ask this guy named Rocky Roberts! His job is to inform us about those things!”

“Alright then.” Luz declared, and then fired a web that glue the criminal’s lips together, before crawling to the ceiling and jumping out of the building.

“Rocky Roberts? Never heard of this guy before…” Luz whispered as she swung away. “But I know exactly where to go next!”

Daily Bugle.

“Rocky Roberts…” Luz whispered as she typed the name on the computer, and began going over the archives. “Arrested for multiple instances of petty theft and shoplifting, bailed out by an anonymous source… It must have been the Big Man!”

“Excuse me.” Declared a woman as she walked past the desk where Luz had been sitting.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Mae, the new employee.” She explained.

“What happened to Angourie?” Luz asked in slight confusion.

“Hopkins annoyed her so much that she quit after the first day.” Mae explained, to which Luz nodded.

“Shut up! Go away!” The two heard, and then turned to see Hopkins walking into the room with an angry expression, Robbie following him with a sheet of papers in his hands.

“I just need to know if you’d mind if I–”

“Yes, I’d mind!” Hopkins declared, interrupting Robbie, and then stormed to his office.

“By the way, Hopkins, I have some new pictures.” Luz commented and reach for her pocket, only for Hopkins to slam the door closed before she could say anything.

“Hopkins has been crankier than usual since Spider-Girl came back.” Robbie commented.

“I didn’t even know it was possible for him to get even crankier.” Luz commented, and then turned back to the computer. She continued to read the article, until a smile formed on her face. “Gotcha!”

Manhattan.

“The article mentioned this Rocky guy works as a financial advisor in this exact building.” Spider-Girl commented as she stood on a rooftop and looked over a skyscraper. “I just have to wait here until he comes out.”

Luz felt a light tingle on the back of her head and looked down to where her Spider Sense was pointing. Right on cue, a tall man wearing a yellow suit walked out of the entrance of the building and began making his way down the sidewalk. Rocky walked down a few city blocks, arriving at an empty street, and then heard a ‘thwip’ sound before being pulled upwards and glued to the side of a building.

“What is the meaning of this?” Rocky asked, when he noticed the teenager hanging upside down from a web right in front of him. “You’re that freak I see in the newspaper! I demand you put me down!”

“Drop the act, Roberts! I know you worked for the Big Man!” Spider-Girl declared. “I have to find the Enforcers, and you’re my best lead, so start talking, you weasel!”

“The Big Man is old news, Web-Head!” Rocky declared in a confident voice. “Now put me down! Nobody respects you after you got beaten up by the Green Goblin!”

“If that’s what you think, then so be it.” Luz declared as she fired a web onto the man’s eyes, covering his vision, and then climbed up the web she had been hanging from. Rocky struggled trying to pull the blindfold out of his eyes, as he heard several ‘thwip’ sounds coming from above him.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it isn’t going to work!” Rocky declared, when a swift web glued itself to the blindfolds and pulled them out of his face. Rocky gasped at the scene before his eyes, as right above him stood a massive dark spider, crawling down towards him with its eight legs. “What is this thing?”

“You’re in the spider’s web, Rocky!” Luz’s voice echoed from above the building.

“Spider-Girl! Keep this thing away from me!” Rocky pleaded in desperation as the spider continued to move closer. “Call it back! I’ll do anything!”

“My pet is hungry! I was planning on having it eat the Enforcers, but if you won’t talk, then you’ll have to do for a meal!”

“The Enforcers usually hid inside an old warehouse at 15 Oak Street!” Rocky declared as he closed his eyes in fear of the massive spider. “That’s all I know! I swear! Call your monster back!”

Luz stood on the side of the building, holding several small web threads with her fingers, which she was using to puppeteer the large spider dummy she had created with her webbing.

“Nice to make business with you.” Spider-Girl declared in a sarcastic tone of voice.

15 Oak Street.

A small car stood still in the middle of the street as the driver looked up at the red light. A swift shadow flew by above the vehicle, and the driver looked around in confusion, glancing at the warehouse on the other side of the street, but seeing nothing unusual. The light turned green and the vehicle drove away, allowing Spider-Girl to crawl out of the shadow where she had been hiding. Luz opened a small window and climbed inside the building, walking up to the ceiling and being as silent as she could.

Spidey heard the sound of a television and glanced at that direction, seeing the three Enforcers sitting down on an old dirty couch and looking at a small TV screen. Luz looked around the area, and noticed a small glass compartment several meters away. Her eyes widened as she noticed none other than Mabel Pines stuck inside of it. Luz lowered herself upside down on a web, knowing it would be a breeze to smash the glass with her spider strength.

Luz’s eyes widened as her Spider Sense tingled, but it was too late, as a purple puddle that she could not see on the dark ground had already come to life and grabbed her in the form of a massive purple hand. Spider-Girl and Human Torch both gasped as Darius’ body took form, just as the three Enforcers got up and revealed they had their weapons ready under the couch this whole time.

“Abomination!” Spidey yelled in shock as she struggled to free herself from the slime hand that held her in place.

“What? Did you really think those three could have caught the Human Torch all by themselves?” Darius asked as he made his other hand grow in size and then threw a punch, sending Luz flying onto a wall on the other side of the warehouse. “Go get her, boys!”

“Spider-Girl, look out!” Mabel yelled just as Katya’s lasso flew in and tangled itself around Luz’s arms and waist, tying her up. Luz just couldn’t ever avoid that stupid lasso.

“A little too late of a warning, don’t you think?” Spidey yelled as Amber ran in and threw a flurry of strikes that hit Luz’s pressure points, just as Derwin threw a mighty punch to the hero’s face, the two attacks combined being enough to make Luz almost fall to the ground, Katya using it as an opportunity to pull the rope and send Spidey rolling across the floor. Spider-Girl was disoriented for a moment, but was quick to recover and jump up, striking Katya with a quick headbutt that made her let go of the rope. Luz freed her arms and felt her Spider Sense tingle, just as Darius ran in and struck her with a hammer made of hard slime.

“Don’t forget about me, insect!” Darius declared as he struck Luz several more times.

“I couldn’t forget your ugly face if I wanted to!” Spidey declared as she blocked another strike from Darius’ hammer shaped hands, and then fired a blast of webbing onto the villain’s face, distracting him just for a moment. She prepared to attack, but Amber ran in and grabbed her from behind, throwing her into the air. Katya fired her lasso, aiming for Luz’s neck, only for the teen to fire a web at the ceiling and pull herself away from the lasso at the last second. “Ugh! Even with my Spider Sense, it’s hard to focus on all of them at once!”

 Spider-Girl landed on her feet and felt her Spider Sense tingle as Derwin ran to her. She prepared to block his punch, only for Darius to strike her on the back, the surprise breaking her concentration just in time for Derwin to striker her with a mighty blow, the two attacks sending Luz rolling across the ground, but the hero was quick to recover and somersault away from their next attacks. Luz fired a pair of webs that glued themselves to Derwin’s shoulders. She pulled the Enforcer away from Darius and threw him to the other side of the room.

“Let’s see how well you do without your little friend!” Spider-Girl declared as she ran to Derwin, who threw a powerful punch. Spidey grabbed his fist with one hand, following it with a quick punch to the chest that knocked the air out of his lungs, and finishing it with a punch to the face that sent him to the ground. Spider Sense flared up and Luz leaped away, just in time to avoid Katya’s lasso, before Katya ran to check on Derwin. “Speaking of little friends…”

Luz fired a web at the ceiling and swung as fast as she could, before letting go and flinging herself downward at incredible speeds. The sound of glass breaking echoed across the warehouse, and the Enforcers gasped in shock at the scene before them.

“You sure took your sweet time!” Mabel complained as she walked out of the glass prison that Spider-Girl had just shattered, the two heroes standing side by side. “You’re lucky none of those glass shards hit my eyes!”

“I can lock you up again if you want, you hot head!” Luz declared in a tone of teasing annoyance. “Next time you get kidnapped, I’ll let you handle it!”

The two glanced at each other, and then smiled.

“Flame on!”

Derwin and Katya ran to attack Spider-Girl, only to be block by a pair of fireballs from above. Luz back flipped over the two and struck Amber with a punch that knocked her out. She turned to see the Abomination about to grab Mabel in midair, and then dashed and struck Darius with a kick that send him rolling across the ground. Darius groaned as he looked down at his clothes, which were now filled with dirt.

“Pick on someone your own size, slime boy!” Spider-Girl declared as she fired several nets of webbing, which Darius avoided at the last second by liquifying his body. The Abomination ran to Spider-Girl and swung his slime scythes several times, the teenager avoiding them with quick back hops, and following it with a blast of webs to Darius’ eyes.

“I’m just warming up!” Mabel declared as she flew circles around Derwin and Katya, creating a ring of fire that surrounded the two. The two pulled out firearms and opened fire, only for the Human Torch to vaporize the bullets in midair and then fire a pair of fireballs, which melted the guns out of the criminals’ hands. “How do ya’ll like my firework show?”

“Now for the main attraction!” Luz declared as she somersaulted over the flames and struck the two remaining Enforcers with a pair of punches, knocking the two out just as the fire dissipated.

“Damn you!” Darius declared as he returned to his humanoid form and began running to the exit. “I’ll get you next time! Both of you!”

“He’s getting away!” Luz and Mabel declared in unison as they both dashed at the same time, Spider-Girl firing her web and Human Torch throwing a fireball.

The web struck Mabel as she flew and the surprise made her miss the fireball, which she was aiming at Darius’ feet, but instead struck his back, creating a small explosion that sent him flying right through the wall of the building and rolling across the street. Darius screamed in desperation as his entire body was set ablaze, and he was quick to liquify himself, using his own abomination goo to put out the fire.

“Get this damn web off me, you clumsy clown!” Mabel complained as she began flying around, which only made the web line continue to stretch out of Luz’s web shooters, since she still held her middle and ring finger pressing the button on her palm. “You chowderhead!”

“I was aiming at him! You jumped on the way like an idiot!” Luz complained, and Mabel’s flying began to make the web tangle around the two of them and tie them up. “Stop flying around, you’re tangling the web up, you lamebrain!”

The two found themselves completely tied up by the web, and then tripped and fell to the ground like two stooges, Mabel turning off her flame on instinct as the two struggled to get back up.

“Ugh! We have to go after Darius!” Luz groaned in annoyance as the two crawled towards the exit in an awkward manner, and looked up to see the Abomination getting back to his feet and reforming his body into his human form, before shaking his head in confusion. They heard sirens and turned to see a police car arriving at the scene.

“Put your hands up! You’re under arrest!” The officers declared as they pointed their weapons at Darius.

Darius’ head was spinning. The thermal shock of being set on fire and then putting it out at such a quick rate had given him a splitting headache, and he could barely understand what was happening. Darius shook his head once again, and then fell to the ground, unconscious. The officers stared at him in confusion.

“Well, seems like the police got this covered.” Mabel commented, and then turned to the webbing that was still tangling the two up. “Now get us out of here! You got us all tied up!”

“Don’t look at me, Hothead!” Luz complained. “This is all your fault!”

“No, it’s your fault!”

“It’s your fault!”

Ace Picture Company.

A man stood in his office with a newspaper in his hands and a pipe in his mouth, when he heard the sound of knocking from the window. He turned to see a teenager in a red and blue costume glued to the wall outside.

“You’re Spider-Girl!”

“Can I come in?” Luz asked, to which the man nodded. She crawled inside and took a few steps towards the man’s desk. “Are you the guys who make trading cards with sport stars in them?”

“Yes. Why do you want to know?”

“I have a big offer for you, fella! How about a super hero trading card? You give me 50% of the payment, and I’ll give you an exclusive contract on Spider-Girl trading cards!” Luz declared with confidence. “Kids would eat up pictures of me doing this!”

Spider-Girl backflipped and landed on the ceiling with a pose, before leaping and sticking to the wall with another pose, and finishing it with a somersault and another pose as she landed on the floor.

“That’s a million sales, easily!” Spidey declared.

“Not interested.”

“What? Why?” Luz asked as she got back up.

“I’ve read all about you on the Daily Bugle.” The man declared as he showed the newspaper he had been reading. Luz’s expression changed into one of annoyance, as she recognized the picture she had just sold to Hopkins of Human Torch and herself both tangled up while the police arrested the Abomination. “You’re washed up. You’re a has been. I couldn’t give away cards of you. Would you please get out of my office now?”

The man opened his mouth and blew some of the smoke of his pipe onto Luz’s face. She waved it away with her hand, before groaning in annoyance and jumping off the window.

“Noceda luck strikes again!” Luz complained as she swung away from the area. The man stared at Spider-Girl as she left, and then smirked.

“What a stupid idea! Who in their right minds would pay money for Spider-Girl merchandizing?” The man asked and went back to smoking his pipe.

Spider-Girl swung for a few more minutes, and then landed in the middle of a dark alley. Luz Noceda walked out wearing her civilian clothing and crossed the street, making her way down a busy sidewalk. The crowd stopped as they waited for the signal to open, and Luz’s eyes widened as she felt a sudden powerful tingle on the back of her skull. It was her Spider Sense, there was an enemy nearby, she knew it.

Luz looked around, trying not to seem too alarmed. Most of the people were not looking to her general direction, meaning she could not see their faces, and even the ones she could see were ones she did not recognize. What could that mean? What danger was standing near her on that crowd? The signal turned green, and the people made their way across the street, the crowd dispersing as they all walked into their own directions, leaving Luz alone in the middle of the sidewalk.

“One of my enemies just walked past me… but who could it be?” Luz whispered to herself.

Why should Luz recognize the dangerous woman who was right next to her in that crowd? After all, Luz had never seen what that woman’s face looked like without it being covered by the Green Goblin mask.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Menace of the Molten Man!

The Spider’s Web.

GodzillaMaster: Too bad crime never took the time off while Spider-Girl was taking a break. Hopefully she can do better at handling school, her job, and superheroing better this time around

“It wasn’t exactly a great start, but that’s to be expected with my Noceda luck.” Luz commented as she climbed to the top of the Empire State building, and then changed the cartridges on her web shooters. “Well, at least I managed to save Matchstick Mabel over there, so it worked out at the end. Plus, I got to show Hopkins at thing or two.”

Luz got up and put her mask back on, before stretching her arms and hearing a quiet crack.

“All that web swinging does something to my back. I’ll tell you that.” Spidey commented with a smile, and then began swinging towards the sunset. “Thank you all for reading! I hope you can all join me next chapter, for more amazing fantasies! See ya’ll there, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Menace of the Molten Man.

It was a beautiful day in New York city, the sun shining up in the skies. Luz Noceda ran out of a dark alley, hiding a pair of red gloves on the pocket of her shirt, which itself was covering a red and blue bodysuit. She made her way across the street, making sure to not move at her full speed to avoid showcasing her super powers, and then arrived at the college grounds of Hexside Academy.

“I did it!” Luz declared with a smile as she stood straight with her hands on her hips.

“Luz Noceda showing up on time? Pitch me, I must be dreaming.” Luz heard, and then turned to see Gus approaching.

“Rarer than a four-leaf clover.” Luz commented with a smile and gave Gus a fist bump.

“Speaking of leaves, have you seen Willow?” Gus asked as he reached for his bag and pulled out a book on botany. “She let me borrow this book to help with homework, and I let her borrow one of mine.”

“I haven’t. I just arrived.” Luz commented as she shook her head.

“I’m here!” They heard, and then turned to see Willow running into the college grounds. Willow stopped and took a few moments to breathe.

“Willow showing up later than Luz?” Gus asked in surprise. “What is this? Cats and dogs living together?”

“Dad is busy at the police station with the paperwork after everything that went on with the Abomination last week, and dad got called to the laboratory in a hurry, so neither of them could drive me here. I had to come running.” Willow explained as she straightened her glasses.

“Thanks for letting me borrow this.” Gus commented as he handed the book to Willow. The girl smiled as she took it, and then began searching her bag, only for her smile to be replaced by an expression of confusion as she pulled out a book on mechanical engineering.

“This is my dad’s book!” Willow explained. “We left the house in such a hurry that I think we swapped books by accident!”

“It’s okay. You can bring my book tomorrow.” Gus commented.

“It’s not just that! All of my dad’s notes are here! He won’t be able to work without it!” Willow declared in worry. “I’ll have to go all the way to the lab and take it to him!”

“I can take it.” Luz interrupted, and the two turned to her. “I already show up late almost every day, so one more won’t make a difference. Plus, I also owe you guys one after last Halloween.”

Willow thought over the situation for a few moments, before nodding and handing Luz the book.

“Be careful with this book, okay?” Willow warned, to which Luz nodded, and then ran to the other side of the street.

Gus and Willow heard the sound of the bell ringing, and then made their way inside the school building, just barely missing the red and blue figure swinging right across the street.

The Tinkerer’s Lab.

Severine held an angry expression on her face as she took the equipment from her desk and placed it inside a small cardboard box, being as careful as she could. The Tinkerer closed the box right on time to heard the sound of knocking. Harvey prepared to put down his own box, but Severine signed for him to stop and made her way towards the door. Harvey nodded and continued to put away the equipment.

“We’re closed.” Severine declared as she opened the door, and her expression changed into a surprised one as she recognized their visitor. “You’re that girl from the Daily Bugle, aren’t you?”

“Her name is Luz.” Harvey declared from inside the lab.

“The one and only.” Luz commented with a smile.

“If this is about the Spider-Slayer, I haven’t had the time to make any improvements.” Severine declared and tried to closed the door, only for Luz to hold it open.

“Actually, I’m here to speak with your assistant.” Luz commented as she showed the book in her hands. “Hey, Harvey, Willow took your book by accident.”

“Thanks. Can you just leave it on the table?” Harvey asked. Severine nodded and opened the door.

Luz entered the lab and put the book down. She took a moment to look around, and her expression showed confusion as she noticed all of the machinery and equipment seemed to be in the process of being put away.

“What is going on here?” She asked as she looked around.

“We’re in the process of moving.” Severine declared with an annoyed tone of voice, going back to her equipment and not even bothering to turn and look at Luz. “We’re short on money, so we’re downsizing and moving everything to a smaller building on the other side of the town.”

“Could you please not tell Willow about this?” Harvey asked, making Luz turn to look at him. “My salary will be way lower from now on. Her father and I want to explain this to her ourselves.”

Luz nodded.

“By the way, tell Hopkins that I won’t be able to work on another Spider-Slayer for a while.” Severine declared and pointed at something behind Luz. The teenager turned around, and gasped as she saw none other than the same robot that had come close to killing her the year prior. “I made an exact duplicate after the first one exploded, but I still haven’t added any upgrades or improvements. I also haven’t figured out what caused that glitch that made the robot attack you at the Bugle, so try not to get too close, or it could activate automatically.”

Luz nodded and took a few steps away from the robotic menace.

“Why are you guys having money troubles now out of nowhere?” Luz asked.

“Because of Blight!” Severine declared, anger beginning to rise in her voice.

“Doctor Octopus?” Luz asked.

“No, she means Doc Ock’s wife.” Harvey explained.

“Odalia Blight! She’s a snake, I tell you!” Severine declared as she finally turned away from her equipment and turned to the two, an expression of pure hatred on her face. “She stole my designs! She hired me just so she could take credit for my work, and then she threw me away like a used toy! Months of work have gone down the drain! I can’t even sell anything I built while working for her, she has my designs all patented as Blight technology! I didn’t get a cent!”

Luz stared at Severine for a few moments, her expression showing both shock and sympathy, when she heard the sound of struggling and turned to see Harvey trying to lift a large jar filled with a strange golden liquid.

“That gold-metal alloy is worth millions, so be careful.” Severine declared.

“I know… it’s just… so heavy…” Harvey whispered as he struggled to move, taking a few steps and standing near what appeared to be a large laser beam.

“I’ll help.” Luz declared as she took a single step towards Harvey, not realizing that she was now standing right in front of the Spider-Slayer. Spider Sense flared up as the robot came to life and attacked with its tendrils, Luz somersaulting away on instinct and landing right next to a control panel, her elbow hitting a small button.

“What have you done?” Severine yelled as Luz’s eyes widened in shock, and she noticed a golden light coming from the machine right next to Harvey, who screamed as the golden laser struck him with a direct blast of radiation, shattering the large jar in his hands and soaking his body with the super-heated liquid metal. “My alloy! That was the only batch! I’ll have to start from scratch!”

Luz ignored Severine’s angry yells and turned to the control panel, pressing the same button and turning the laser off. She turned to Harvey in worry, seeing Willow’s father was still on the ground, covered in liquid gold, as smoke trails came out of his body.

“Harvey!” Luz yelled in worry as she ran towards the man, noticing his beard seemed to have been vaporized. She stopped just short of trying to touch him, as she noticed a strange heat radiating from his body.

“I’m never going to financially recover from this!” Severine declared with her hands on her head, which Luz ignored as she noticed Harvey whispering something and beginning to get back up.

“Harvey! Can you hear me?” Luz asked in worry, and her eyes widened in shock as Harvey began getting back up. Luz now realized that Harvey’s skin was not soaked in the golden liquid, but it had instead become golden. The radiation must have fused the metal alloy to his skin somehow.

“My head is spinning… my chest feels empty… I can’t breathe…” Harvey whispered as he got up to his knees and held his chest in pain. “My body… it’s burning… I’m burning!”

“Harvey! Listen to me! You’re on a state of shock! We don’t know what effects the radiation had on your brain!” Luz pleaded in worry. Harvey turned to her, and saw a glance of Severine standing behind Luz.

“You!” Harvey declared as his expression changed into one of anger, and what appeared to have been years of abusive work conditions flooded his mind all at once. Luz felt her Spider Sense burn, and she jumped in front of Severine at the last second, being hit by a punch from Harvey that sent both Luz herself and Severine flying to the other side of the room.

“Smythe! Are you okay?” Luz asked as she picked Severine up in her arms. The Tinkerer was unconscious, but she was still breathing, which would not have been the case if Luz hadn’t jumped in front of the punch.

Luz heard Harvey mumbling something, and turned to see the golden man shattering the laboratory door with a kick and walking out, leaving burned footprints as he left.

“Oh! Not again!” Luz declared as she ran to the other direction, climbing out of the lab through a window and landing in the middle of a dark alley.

Harvey stepped out of the sidewalk and made his way across the street. He brought his hand to his forehead and shook his head at a slow pace. Harvey’s entire body felt like it was going to ignite into flames. He heard the sound of tires and pushed away a car on instinct, sending it flying away while spinning. A swift blur swung over the burning man, and a massive spider web caught the vehicle in midair.

“Harvey! You have to go back to the lab!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed on the other side of the street from the golden man. He heard the sound of another car, but was too distracted to react, as the vehicle ran him over. It was like the car had struck a concrete wall, as the front of the vehicle smashed upon impact and the driver flew right through the windshield. Luz dashed and caught the driver in midair, placing him on the ground safe and sound.

Luz smelled gasoline, and turned to see the flammable liquid flowing out of the destroyed car. Spidey dashed forward, but it was too late, as Harvey took a step, his foot touching the gasoline, which then ignited and the entire car exploded into a massive fireball. Luz gasped in shock at the size of the explosion, and then gasped once again as Harvey walked out of the flames, not even a scratch on his body, which seemed to be burning even hotter than the fire.

“What is that thing?” The bystander who Luz had just saved yelled in desperation, as he got up and ran away, alongside the two civilians inside the car Luz had webbed up, and all of the other bystanders in the area. “It’s a molten man!”

“Alright, Harvey! Time to chill!” Spider-Girl declared as she fired her webbing at the Molten Man, tying him up to the ground after a few swift seconds. “Let’s go back to the laboratory! We have to find a way to cure you!”

“Let… me… GO!” Molten Man screamed from the top of his lungs, and Luz’s eyes widened as his body heat burned right through the webbing. Spider Sense flared as Harvey picked up a parked empty car and threw it at Spidey, who avoided it at the last second by jumping over the flying vehicle.

Luz felt her Spider Sense flare once again, and raised her arms right on time to catch another car that had been thrown, and then threw it back. Molten Man ran right through the car, making it explode as he ran through the fireball, and then threw a punch at Spidey, who somersaulted away at the last second, his fist melting part of the asphalt upon impact.

“As if having to deal with Mabel wasn’t enough heat!” Spidey complained, still in midair from the somersault. Luz landed on the side of a building just as Molten Man pulled up stones from the melted asphalt. Harvey set the black stones ablaze with his hands and threw them. Luz prepared to dodge, but heard screaming coming from inside the building. Instead of dodging, Spidey jumped right at the pair of projectiles and caught the two stones with her webs. She used the fraction of a second that she had before the webs burned to throw the burning stones back at Harvey, who deflected them with his arms. The flaming stones struck the nearby parked cars, blowing them up. “Harvey! You have to stop! You’ll burn down the entire street!”

Molten Man looked around at the large fires they had created during their battle. Harvey had an expression of anguish as he brought his hands to his head. It was way too much heat, and it just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter. He just couldn’t stand it. Molten Man looked at Spider-Girl and screamed in anger.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

Molten Man dashed towards Luz at incredible speeds. Luz somersaulted over his punch, only for Harvey to grab her leg in midair, the heat making Luz scream in pain. Molten Man slammed her against the ground several times, and then punched her right on the chest. Luz whimpered in agony as she felt the absurd heat invading her internal organs, unable to even scream as the punch knocked the air out of her lungs.

Spider-Girl rolled on the asphalt, landing right next to the large fires created by the burning wreckage of the cars. Luz looked up, to see Molten Man towering over her. Spidey tried to get back up, but felt down as she felt the pain from the severe burns around her body. Her Spider Sense was going insane as Molten Man prepared to throw a punch, only for Harvey to snap back to reality as he heard sirens in the background.

Harvey held his skull in pain and shook his head, before turning around and running away. Luz tried to stand back up and chase after, but then felt the intense pain and fell back to her knees. She looked up, to see Harvey had already left the area.

“He’s gone… but I know where he is going!” Luz declared as she forced herself back to her feet and fired a web onto a building, swinging away just as the fire truck arrived at the scene. The firemen looked up at the blur swinging above them, but then ignored it and began to put out the flames. “I know the pain of losing a father! I can’t let Willow go through that!”

Hexside University.

“Principal?” Willow asked as she opened the door to the principal’s office and walked in. Principal Bump’s first reaction was to stare at the girl with a worried expression. Willow had always been a well-behaved student, so it was a strange situation for her to be called into this office. She closed the door behind herself and approached the desk. “Have I done something wrong?”

“Willow, we’ve just got a call from the laboratory where your father works.” Bump explained, his voice trying to sound as calming as it possibly could in that situation. Willow stared at him in confusion for a few moments, which then changed into slight worry as she realized the implications. “You’ll be getting the day off. Your other father is coming to pick you up… There has been an accident…”

Park Residence.

The sun was beginning to set itself in the horizon, painting the skies in orange light as the small car drove down the street and parked itself in front of the humble home. Gilbert stopped his vehicle and took a moment to breathe. He glanced in the mirror, remembering the news had been so sudden that he hadn’t even had the time to take off his police uniform, before turning to his daughter, noticing the worried expression on Willow’s face.

“Willow, I’m going to need you to stay home and wait for me, okay?” Gilbert commented, hesitating a little as he spoke. “I am going out to find your father, okay?”

“Is dad going to be okay?” Willow asked, her voice being blunt but also showing a mix of worry and slight sadness as she turned to her father.

Gilbert thought over his answer for several seconds. Nobody had any idea what had happened to his husband. The only person they found in the scene of the crime was an unconscious Severine, who wasn’t of much help either, as she would just continue screaming about being attacked by the Molten Man. Gilbert felt his grip weakening around the steering wheel as the worries began to fill his mind, and he then shook his head.

“Just wait inside, Willow. Please.” Gilbert almost begged, and his daughter could notice the worry in his eyes. Willow nodded and the two left the car.

The two made their way to the entrance and Gilbert pulled out his keys to unlock the door, only to stop as he felt a strange heat emanating from the end of the street. He heard Willow gasping and saw an orange light from the corner of his eyes, before turning to see a man with golden skin stepping out from a nearby alley. Gilbert gasped and pulled his daughter behind him, before drawing his handgun and pointing it at the strange man.

“You’re the one who attacked the lab!” Gilbert declared in a serious voice, which made the Molten Man stop and take a few steps back in surprise. Gilbert pointed his gun straight at the golden man’s head, and glanced back just for a moment to see his daughter staring at the scene in shock and confusion. “Where is my husband? What have you done to Harvey? Tell me!”

“Gilbert…” The Molten Man whispered, his voice weak, almost as if it was painful for him to speak. The anger in Gilbert’s expression seemed to be replaced with confusion as he recognized the voice coming from the golden man before him.

“That voice…” Willow whispered as she stepped out from behind her father, staring at her other father in disbelief. “Dad?”

“It’s me…” Harvey whispered as he took a single step towards the two. Gilbert held his gun in place for a moment, doubt visible in his eyes. “Gilbert… it’s still me…”

“Harvey?” Gilbert asked, not sure what to believe in as the Molten Man took a few steps forward.

“Remember what we said at our wedding?” Harvey whispered, walking forward as slowly as he could. “We’re in this together…”

“No matter what…” Gilbert completed with a whispered. He put his gun down at a slow pace, and took a single step towards his husband. “Harvey… what happened?”

“There was an accident…” Harvey whispered as Gilbert took a few steps toward his husband and the two put forward their hands, touching palms in a gentle manner, just like they had done in their wedding day.

Gilbert’s eyes widened as he felt an intense heat, and pulled his hand back with a scream, smoke coming out of his burning palm.

“Dad!” Willow screamed as she ran to Gilbert, who had fallen to his knees after going into shock due to the pain. Harvey’s eyes widened in terror as he took several steps back, staring at the scene with a horrified expression.

“No… no… no…” Molten Man whispered as he looked down at his own hands. The smoke from burning Gilbert’s palm still coming out. Tears began flowing from Harvey’s eyes, only for them to evaporate in a second due to his intense body heat. Willow stared at Harvey in worry as he felt his headache returning. Molten Man held his skull in agony as his body began to glow higher and higher. “THIS IS NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO!”

Willow heard a ‘thwip’ sound and a pair of webs flew in, pulling both herself and Gilbert away just as a wave of intense heat flew out from the Molten Man’s body, creating a large smoking crater around himself. Willow stared at the scene in shock, realizing she would have just been vaporized had the webbing not pulled her to safety. A blur swung over the two, and then landed right in front of the Molten Man.

“Spider-Girl!” Gilbert declared in surprise. He got up and prepared to run towards the two superhumans, but was stopped as he felt Willow holding his hand. He turned to his daughter, who shook her head in worry.

“You’ll save us a lot of trouble if you turn yourself in.” Luz declared as she looked up at the large burning man.

“You… IT’S ALWAYS YOU!” Molten Man yelled in anger from the top of his lungs, the air around him becoming hotter by the second.

Molten Man dashed and threw a mighty punch, which Spidey avoided with a swift back hop, before the golden man put both of his fists up and swung them down, Spider-girl leaping away as the impact left large cracks on the asphalt. Willow and Gilbert ran out of the sidewalk and hid behind their car, not daring to take their eyes away from the battle.

“I just want to talk!” Spider-Girl declared.

“TALK TO THIS!” Molten Man declared as he reached for one of the light poles on the sidewalk and pulled it out of the ground. He threw it at Spider-Girl, who leaped over it and webbed it in midair, throwing it back, only for it to melt in contact with Harvey’s body heat. Willow gasped in shock as Spider-Girl landed right in front of her father and threw a punch to his face. Harvey flew back and hit the side of a building, cracking the wall, and Spidey screamed as she held her smoking fist in pain.

“This felt like putting my hand in fire!” Luz declared as her Spider Sense tingled, and she looked up just in time to be struck by a punch to the face from the Molten Man, which sent her flying all the way across the street, cracking the sidewalk where she landed. Gilbert could do nothing but stare at the scene in pure shock as Spider-Girl got back to her feet and held her smoking cheek in pain. Molten Man began walking towards her, and Spidey fired her webbing towards him in return, only for the webs to be vaporized in contact with his skin. “Even getting close to this guy is like approaching an active volcano!”

Luz gasped as Molten Man dashed towards her like a fireball and threw a flurry of punches, each of them striking like a sledgehammer and burning like a fireball. Spidey gasped in pain, having difficulty to breathe the burning air around her, and tried to fire a web at a building to distance herself from her opponent. Molten Man grabbed the web before she could swing on it, burning it in his palm, and then struck Luz on the face, knocking her to the ground.

Luz began getting back up, but it was too late, as Molten Man had already grabbed her by the throat, the heat making her scream, and then pinned her against the wall with one hand.

“I don’t feel so good…” Luz whispered as Molten Man prepared to crush her skull with his other fist.

“Stop!”

Harvey froze in place upon hearing the cry, and his expression changed into one of shock, almost as if he had woken up from a nightmare. He heard the sound of sobbing, and turned to see Willow standing in the middle of the street, tears flowing out of her eyes.

“Dad! Please stop!” Willow almost begged as she continued to cry, and Gilbert ran out from behind the car, standing right beside their daughter while staring at his husband. Gilbert’s face showed a mixture of shock, confusion, and sadness.

Harvey felt his hands trembling, and he released his grip on Spider-Girl’s neck, before taking a few steps back in shock and fear. Luz struggled on the ground, letting out heavy breaths, and then looked up at where Harvey had been standing, her eyes narrowing. She fired a web, striking the side of a fire hydrant, and then pulled it, tearing right through the metal and releasing a powerful jet of water right onto Molten Man. The entire street was filled in a massive mist of steam, as Harvey felt his body beginning to cool down. Harvey fell to his knees, and noticed Spider-Girl walking right up to him.

“Do it…” Harvey whispered. Luz nodded and threw a mighty punch to his face. She felt her knuckles cracking as the impact created a large shockwave, and she then held her wrist in slight pain as Harvey fell to the ground, unconscious. Spidey turned around and fired several webs, covering up the fire hydrant and stopping the water jet, before she swung away just as the steam began to dissipate.

“Dad!” Willow screamed as she ran through the wet street, Gilbert right after her, and the two kneeled around the unconscious body of Harvey. Willow hugged her father as she cried, and Gilbert stared at his husband, an expression of worry in his eyes as tears began to flow.

Later.

Gilbert and Willow stood on the sidewalk as they watched the officers take Harvey to the back of the police car. Harvey glanced at his family for a moment, a sad and regretful expression on his face. The two stared back at him in worry, before the officers closed the back door of the car. Gilbert put his hand on Willow’s shoulder as the car drove away, and Willow once again began to cry. Her father got to his knees and hugged his daughter. He glanced up, seeing a figure dressed in red and blue, who had been watching over the scene from the top of the building.

Luz walked to the other side of the rooftop, away from Gilbert’s line of sight. She took off her mask and pulled out several pictures. Luz glanced over the pictures of her battle with the Molten Man. She sighed and shook her head, before ripping up the pictures. Luz put her mask back on and swung away from the scene.

Noceda Residence.

Luz groaned in slight annoyance as she entered the house through the front door, the moon illuminating the night skies above alongside the stars. She had in a single day ruined Willow’s life, created one of her most powerful enemies yet, and she wouldn’t even get any money from the Bugle. The teen sat down on the sofa and let out an exhausted sigh. At least it couldn’t get any worse.

The lights of the living room turned on as Luz heard a familiar voice.

“The principal called, young lady.” Camila declared in a serious tone of voice, as Luz’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you show up to class today?”

“I… um…” Luz stuttered in a nervous tone of voice.

Noceda luck strikes again.

The Tinkerer’s Lab.

“Damn you!” Severine declared as she sat at her workbench, a screwdriver in her hands as she put together a small device. “You think you can take everything from me and just walk away? You have something else coming!”

Severine finished closing the remote control, and then pressed the power button, to which a strange green machine with metal tentacles responded by lighting up and coming to life.

“I hate to brag, but…” The Tinkerer whispered as a wicked smile formed on her face. “This one is a doozy!”

To be continued.

Next chapter: Once Upon a Robot.

The Spider’s Web.

“Seems like I messed everything up again.” Luz whispered as she sat on a small chair in her dark room, looking out of the window into the starry skies outside. She just hoped Willow and her father would be okay. “Why does disaster always follow me wherever I go? Why is it that everyone who approaches me ends up meeting nothing but ruin?”

GodzillaMaster: Oof, bad luck at the end there. Hopefully the guy will change his mind about the Spider-Girl merch

“After everything that happened today, I’m starting to think he dodged a bullet.” Luz commented, and let out a weak sigh.

Lostai: I rarely leave comments on this site but I just have to tell you:

Words can't describe how much I love this fic! Your writing is amazing and it's so easy to forget that I'm reading and not actually watching a movie or something

Also Spider-Girl and Mabel's dynamic is so funny I love them

“Wow! Thank you so much.” Luz commented, letting out a weak smile. “This means a lot to me, it really does. Thank you.”

Luz shook her head and closed the window, getting out of the chair and sitting on her bed.

“Not a lot to respond today, hm? Perhaps it is for the best. I do need some time for myself right now.” Luz commented as she laid down, exhausted. “Thank you all for reading. I hope you’ll stay with me until next chapter, true believers... Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Once Upon a Robot.

The Tinkerer sat on an armchair in the middle of a dark room and held a small controller in her hands. Severine pressed a button, and a strange spherical machine lit itself up and came to life, releasing several green tentacles and beginning to walk around the room as its creator input the orders on the controller. Her mouth formed the shape of a wicked smile as her creation approached her, the green light illuminating her face.

“This one will be a blockbuster!” The Tinkerer declared, letting out a wicked laugh as her brown eyes reflected the green light.

Manhattan.

It was another beautiful day in New York, the blue skies shining as the bright light from the sun reflected from the windows of the skyscrapers. A swift blur swung in between the buildings, before back flipping and landing on a rooftop, revealing itself to be none other than the spectacular Spider-Girl.

“Alright! Brand new day! Brand new chances!” Luz declared with a smile as she looked over the neighborhood. “Let’s see what is up!”

“I bring you great news, my fellow New Yorkers!” Spidey heard a familiar voice, and then turned to a small electronics store, seeing the face of Jacob Hopkins playing on the TVs that were on display.

“Hey, look! It’s the ol’ jolly fink himself! What’s he blabbing about this time?” Luz asked as she somersaulted off the top of the skyscraper, landing on the side of a smaller building.

“The youth of this nation shall finally learn what a real hero looks like! Unlike that masked menace Spider-Girl! That hero is my son, the astronaut!” Hopkins declared in an excited voice as a picture of a young man appeared on the screen. “John Jameson Hopkins, the pilot who will be in charge of the first crewed mission to Jupiter! This country will soon be as proud of my son as I am proud to be a father!”

“Does Hopkins reproduce asexually? ‘Cause I have a hard time believing any woman ever got together with him.” Luz commented, before letting out a small giggle and swinging away. Spidey looked around for a few more minutes, when she felt her Spider Sense give a gentle tingle, and looked down to see a recognizable figure walking down the sidewalk and making his way to a small jewelry. “Aleksei Wrath? This guy was Darius’ partner, before he became the Abomination. What’s he up to now?”

Wrath approached the entrance of the jewel store and reached for his pocket, only for a web to fly in and throw away the gun he was about to pull out. Wrath looked up to see a blur, and before he knew it, his arms were tied up by white webs and a teenager in a spandex costume had landed right in front of him.

“Spider-Girl!” Wrath declared in anger.

“It’s not the American Dragon, I can tell you that much!” Luz declared.

“What the hell is going on in here?” The two heard, and turned to see a police officer approaching the area.

“Spider-Girl attacked me for no reason!”

“He was going to rob that jewelry!”

“You have no evidence!” Wrath yelled back. “I didn’t break any crime!”

“Was I supposed to wait for you to shoot someone?” Spidey asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

“Alright! You two quiet down!” The officer declared. “I’m going to file a police report! I need your addresses and names!”

“Oh! Screw this!” Spider-Girl declared, before she leaped into the air and began swinging away from the scene with her webs, ignoring the officer’s yells for her to come back. “Does this ever happen to other super heroes, or am I just hitting rock bottom? Whatever! I stopped Wrath from robbing the store, and that’s all that matters!”

Daily Bugle.

The elevator doors slid open, and Luz walked in, wearing her civilian clothing. She glanced at Robbie and waved, to which the black teenager waved back from his desk. Luz turned, and her expression changed into one of slight surprise as she saw a woman who she did not recognize sitting behind one of the other desks.

“Who are you?” Luz asked.

“My name is Mimi. I’m the new employee.” The woman answered. “Hopkins yelled at Mae so much that she quit, so now I’m replacing her.”

Luz nodded and then heard the sound of a door opening. She turned to see Hopkins walking out of his office.

“Hey, boss. I’ve got some new Spider-Girl pictures.” Luz commented as she pulled the items out of her pocket and handed them to the older man. Hopkins looked over the pictures and then nodded.

“Attacking a bystander and running from the police. Typical for that bug.”

“Arachnid.” Luz corrected.

“Whatever!” Hopkins answered in annoyance. “I can give you $400 for each.”

“That’s half the usual.” Luz complained, her face showing a mix of confusion and annoyance.

“Your pictures usually go in the first page! This time they’re going on page two!” Hopkins declared in a tone of anger. “The first page is exclusive for a real hero! My son, the astronaut!”

Hopkins pulled a small check out of his pocket, handing it to Luz and walking past her before she could say anything else. Luz stared at her employer in annoyance as he approached Robbie’s desk.

“What are you doing there? You better not be slacking!” Hopkins asked in a loud voice. Robbie just glanced at him with a calm expression, and then handed him one of the files from his desk. “A Blight Industries employee hasn’t been seen in three days?”

“His name is Roy Curry. Odalia Blight promoted him to lead engineer as a replacement for Severine Smythe.” Robbie explained.

“The Tinkerer?” Luz asked, recognizing the name. “Where was the missing person last seen?”

“That’s none of your business! You take pictures, not write stories!” Hopkins declared in annoyance as he waved his hand, signing for Luz to leave. She rolled her eyes and made her way to the elevator.

Hexside Academy.

The day had just started and Luz had already been humiliated by Wrath and pretty much robbed by Hopkins. She sighed as she went through the doors into the university, wondering if this day could somehow get any worse. Luz stopped walking as she noticed none other than Willow Park taking a few books from one of the lockers. Luz scratched her head in an awkward manner, as she realized it could indeed get much worse.

“Hey, Willow.” Luz commented as she approached the girl. Willow turned to Luz in surprise, having only now realized she was there.

“Luz? You’re here early.” Willow commented, her tone making it clear she was not interested in the conversation.

“The Bugle is all focusing in that space mission that NASA is doing, so they don’t have much se for me right now.” Luz explained, which was followed by a few seconds of awkward silence. “I heard what happened with your dad. Are you doing okay?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” Willow answered a little too fast as she closed her locker. “Don’t you have a science class to attend right now?”

“Sorry.” Luz commented. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

Willow stared at Luz in annoyance for a few moments, and then sighed.

“Just… give me a minute, okay?” Willow whispered. “I don’t want to see anyone right now.”

Luz nodded, to which Willow nodded back, and then walked away down the hall. Luz stared as her friend left, and made no effort to go after her. She felt a light tingle on the back of her skull, and rolled her eyes.

“Hi, Boscha.” Luz commented in a tone of sarcasm as she turned around, allowing her bully to hit her with a light push.

“Haven’t seen you alone in a while, Luzer.” Boscha commented. “Did Willow finally get tired of your ugly face?”

“It’s just your eyes, darling.” Luz commented in a tone of clear sarcasm. “Your eyes that are ugly, that is.”

“I’ll make you eat those words!” Boscha declared as she held her fists up like a boxer. “Come on! Hand to hand!”

“Sorry, Boscha. If I let you damage my profile, all of my crushes here at Hexside will be heartbroken.” Luz explained and then let out a smile as she turned around and began walking away.

“Go back to the egg factory, you chicken!” Boscha declared in a tone of annoyance. “You’re always running away from me!”

“Yeah, ‘cause your stupidity might be catching.” Luz explained as she went around a corner and left Boscha’s line of sight.

Manhattan.

“Why is everything just disappearing around here lately?” Declared one of the men in the elevator. “First a guy vanishes, and now our stuff is vanishing too.”

“Are you sure you searched everywhere? You better not have misplaced it.” The other man declared in an annoyed tone of voice. “Every single one of those pieces of equipment is worth millions. Now it is up to me to tell the boss that they are being misplaced.”

“Knowing the boss, I think she already knows.” The other one declared as the elevator doors slid open. The two walked out and took a few steps towards the small staircase in the other side of the hall, before stopping as they noticed a strange green glow from the corner of their eyes. The two turned, and gasped as they noticed what appeared to be a glowing sphere of green metal with long metallic tentacles. “What the hell is that?”

The men both pulled out handguns and opened fire, the bullets striking the robot and bouncing off its hard shell. Before the two could react, the robots swung its tentacle, sending them flying onto the wall and knocking them unconscious. The robot wasted no time, climbing to the top of the stairs and breaking through a pair of double doors, arriving at an empty office. The robot looked around, quite surprised to see nobody was there.

The robot lifted the desk over its body and threw it through the glass window, sending it on a free fall that lasted several seconds, before it struck the sidewalk outside and shattered to pieces, making the bystanders scream in surprise.

“What is going on over there?” Spider-Girl asked from a nearby rooftop as she glanced at the skyscraper. She was quick to swing to the side of the building and began climbing it, hearing the sound of something breaking as she approached the last floor. Luz glanced in through the broken window, to see the massive green robot seemed to be breaking things around the office for no apparent reason. “What’s with my villains and metal tentacles?”

Spider-Girl jumped into the room and kicked the robot, sending it slamming against the wall. The robot got back up and turned to the arachnid-themed superhero, who was cracking her knuckles.

“Alright, big cabbage! Time to send you rolling back to where you came!” Luz declared as she fired a pair of webs onto the robot. The robot grabbed the webs and pulled them, surprising Spidey as the robot threw her to the ground. Before Luz could react, the robot grabbed her by the wrist and began throwing her around like a rag doll, sending her crashing against the ceiling and walls, each hit making large cracks around the room. “Ugh! This thing is strong!”

Luz positioned herself mid-attack and landed with her soles on the ceiling, gluing them to it. The robot tried to pull her down, unable to move her. Spidey grabbed the tentacle and pulled it, bringing the robot flying up and hitting it with a straight punch. The robot, who did not feel pain, didn’t even flinch, and was quick to tangle Spider-Girl with its many tentacles.

“This thing is tying me up! I can’t move!” Spider-Girl declared, having slight flashbacks to her battle against the Spider-Slayer. “Who built this robot? It is like it has no weak points!”

Luz struggled helpless for several more seconds as the robot’s tentacles reached for her head, grabbing it from both sides and beginning to push, trying to crush her skull. Luz screamed in a mix of pain and anger, and then flung her body forwards, slamming the robot against the ceiling. She heard the sound of metal breaking as the robot cracked open, wires and pieces of hardware flying all around the room, as the robot’s tentacles lost all of their strength, and it fell helpless to the ground.

“Not a minute too soon!” Luz declared as she stood on the ceiling for a moment, and then jumped down to check on the broken machinery. The design was a piece of art, surely the work of a genius, but Spider-Girl had seen such workmanship once before. “Tinkerer!”

Luz heard the sound of footsteps, and leaped off the window, swinging away right before two security guards ran in.

“What happened here?” one of the guards declared as he looked around the destroyed room. “Seems like there has been a fight!”

“Who in their right minds would be crazy enough to have a fight here of all places?” The other guard asked. “Right here in the office of the one and only Odalia Blight!”

The Tinkerer’s Lab.

“I was just hanging around to see what I could find about that employee who disappeared, and now I’m going after robots. Why can’t even one day of my life ever be normal?” Luz commented as she landed on the ceiling of the small laboratory. Spider-Girl broke open a small air vent and crawled inside. She kept going until she reached another vent cover, looking inside to see the place seemed to be empty.

Spidey broke open the cover and jumped down. She looked around to see the place was still busted from the Molten Man incident, with burned marks all over the ground, but there was no sign of life. All of the machinery, including the Spider-Slayer, were all gone. Luz looked around for a few moments, and then glanced at the workbench in the other side of the room. She picked up a file on it, seeing that there weren’t any papers inside. The Tinkerer must have left in a hurry. Luz glanced at the title of the file.

“Robot Master?”

Unknown Location.

“Hey!” Roy Curry yelled from the other side of the room, where the Tinkerer stood in front of her workbench and molded together several pieces of metal, using a small tool that released sparkles and lit up part of the room. Severine took off her protection goggles and turned around to glance at the man, who was tied up to a chair. “You already got the equipment you wanted! Now let me go!”

“Shut your mouth, you walking pile of garbage.” Severine declared in a dismissing tone of voice, and then turned around to once again focus on her creation. “Even if I wanted to release you now, you’d just call the police, and I don’t want Spider-Girl eavesdropping the location of my secret laboratory. Besides, this was your fault for taking my job.”

“I didn’t take your job! Mrs. Blight offered it to me!”

“I said shut your mouth!” Severine declared in anger as she once again turned to her hostage. Curry seemed to shrink in fear, before the Tinkerer once again turned back to her craft. “It was quite strange that Blight was not in her office when my first robot attacked. She escaped by luck, but it will do her no good. My new robot will be far deadlier!”

Blight Industries.

Truth be told, Edric was quite worried as he stood on the elevator. The doors slid open and he walked as fast as he could across the hall. Walked, not ran, as his mother hated people running in her building. He made his way up the stairs and walked through the destroyed double doors, before almost letting out a sigh of relief as he saw his mother standing in the middle of the destroyed room, as she watched over the officers examining the scene of the crime.

“Mother?” Edric asked, which made Odalia glance at him for a moment, before she once again focused on the officers. “We got a call in the university saying you’ve been attacked.”

“You’ll take any excuse you can get to skip your studies, won’t you?” Odalia asked in a disinterested tone of voice as she looked around the room. “The cameras were damaged during the incident. We’ll have to identify the attacker in some other way.”

Odalia took a few steps, not even bothering to look at Edric, and then approached a small white liquid on the ground, which appeared to be in the process of dissolving.

“It’s a web!” Edric gasped in shock. “It must have been Spider-Girl!”

“You really think we didn’t consider this possibility already, young man? Witnesses say Spider-Girl only arrived after the attack had already begun.” Odalia declared in a dismissive tone of voice, with traces of irritation. She glanced to the side, seeing the officers removing the destroyed robot.

“What was Spider-Girl even doing here?” Edric asked.

“Ed, would you be a gentleman and please remain quiet? The adults are talking.” Odalia commented, not bothering to look at her son. She heard the sound of footsteps, and turned her had to see none other than her old acquaintance, Jacob Hopkins, entering the room. “What are you doing here?”

“My job.” The newsman declared as he wrote on a small notebook in his hands and looked around the destroyed office. “Spider-Girl really went to town in this place. But don’t worry, she won’t get away with this. I’ll make sure of it.”

“We haven’t identified the attacker yet, Hopkins.” Odalia declared. Edric was about to say something, but Odalia noticed it from the corner of her eye and signed with her hand for him to remain quiet.

“You might not be sure, but me? I’m always sure.” Hopkins declared. “Speaking of not being sure, I assume your insurance can cover the damages?”

“If the attacks continue, I’m afraid they won’t renew the insurance.” Odalia declared in a calm and serious tone of voice.

“How about a statement for the headline?” Hopkins asked.

“Whoever you are that tried to kill me…” Odalia whispered in a serious tone. “Take your best shot.”

Manhattan.

“Odalia Blight. Doctor Octopus’ wife. I’ve sure been hearing a lot about her since Doc Ock went to jail.” Spider-Girl commented as she sat on the vertical side of a building, glancing at the Blight Industry skyscraper in the distance. “She must have been the target of the Tinkerer. It was lucky that she was not there during the attack, but now I’ll have to stick around in case another robot shows up.”

Luz looked around with a bored expression, only for it to change into one of surprise as she noticed a familiar person approaching the entrance of the building.

“Wait… that is–”

“Roy Curry?” The doorman asked in surprise. “Where have you been all these days? We thought you had died, or something.”

“I’d prefer to explain myself to Mrs. Blight directly.” Curry explained.

“Are you sure? She’ll be furious!” The doorman warned, to which Curry shrugged. “Your funeral.”

The doorman opened the entrance and allowed the man to enter. Curry made his way across the hall and got into the elevator. The doors slid closed and the metal box began to raise itself up the shaft. Curry’s mouth morphed into an evil grin, his eyes changing color to bright orange as his skin seemed to melt into nanomachines, which then took the shape of a large humanoid robot.

“The disguise feature works! I knew it! It even mimicked his voice and speech patterns!” The Tinkerer’s voice came from the Robot Master’s speakers. “Blight did not believe in it! She is going to pay!”

The elevator reached the top floor, and the Robot Master fired a blast of orange plasma from her eyes, blowing right through the elevator doors instead of waiting for them to open. Several security guards ran into the hall and opened fire with their handguns, the bullets simply bouncing off the robot’s metal skin. The Robot Master fired several plasma blasts, blowing the guns right out of the guard’s hands.

“This robot might be even more dangerous than the last one!” One of the guards declared as he ran to the other side of the room, just as the Robot Master threw away several other guards as if they were ragdolls. He turned to another guard near him. “Blight gave us orders in case this happened!”

The other guard nodded and reached for his earpiece.

“Close the entire building! Complete lockdown! Nobody comes in and nobody goes out!” The guard ordered to his earpiece.

The Robot Master ignored the guard who were not blocking her path and made her way up the stairs, entering the destroyed office. She looked around the empty room for a few moments, before turning to a wall and firing a plasma blast, which blew it right open to reveal a hidden panic room, the surprise making Odalia get up from her chair.

“I knew I had detected an air current!” The Robot Master declared as she walked into the room. “You’ve ruined my life! Now I shall end yours!”

“I’ve ruined your life?” Odalia asked as she stared at the large killer robot. “Could you be more specific? This narrows it down very little.”

The Robot Master’s eyes lit up in orange and he fired a blast of plasma, striking the desk right in front of Odalia and blowing it up. Odalia seemed to not even react.

“Even if you kill me here, the building is on lockdown, Smythe.” Odalia declared. “The police will find you.”

“Why would I care what the police does to a robot?” Severine asked as the Robot Master stepped towards Odalia. “Now you’ll plead for mercy!”

The two heard a strange sound coming from above, and looked up just in time to see a swift figure jumped down from the air vents and striking the Robot Master on the head with a downwards kick.

“Spider-Girl!” Odalia gasped in surprise.

“Good thing your little lockdown didn’t involve the vents! You almost locked me outside!” Luz declared as she struck the robot with another kick, sending it flying against the wall.

“You bothersome arachnid!” Robot Master declared as he took a few steps towards Spidey, his eyes glowing in orange.

“Look! This one can talk!” Luz commented as she felt her Spider Sense tingle, and jumped just in time to avoid an orange blast of plasma.

“Damn that Spider-Girl… she is going to ruin my plan…” Odalia whispered to herself. “I can’t let her defeat that robot…”

Robot Master fired another plasma blast, which Luz avoided with a quick hop to the ceiling, before jumping off it and towards the robot. Spidey used the momentum to slam the robot against the ground, breaking right through it and falling to the floor beneath.

“Everybody, please remain calm!” Spider-Girl declared as the bystanders screamed and began running away.

The Robot Master prepared another plasma blast, which would hit the bystanders behind Luz if she tried to dodge, so instead she fired a quick web at the robot’s forehead and pulled it, making the Robot Master look down at the last second, his blast hitting nothing but the floor. The last bystanders left the room just as the robot burned off the webbing with her plasma, and then fired several more blasts, which Luz avoided by jumping and sticking to the walls.

If Luz had to be honest, moments like this made her wish someone else had been bitten by that radioactive spider.

“You seem tired! Why don’t you take a seat?” Spidey asked as she picked up an armchair and threw it at the Robot Master.

The robot blew the chair up with a bolt of plasma, creating a small smoke screen. Spider-Girl dashed through the smoke at blitzing speeds and struck the robot with a mighty punch, the building shaking as her fist punched in part of the metallic outer shell of the robot and knocked it to the ground.

“Let’s put you in a junkyard!” Spider-Girl declared as she pulled her fist back for another punch, but then stopped as she felt her Spider Sense flare up. She didn’t have time to react as a fist struck her on the back of the head. Luz fell to the ground, holding her head in pain, and didn’t even notice Odalia Blight running towards the exit door.

“If that blow didn’t finish her off, I’ll get the robot to do the job.” Odalia whispered as she ran off, glancing back to see the Robot Master getting back to her feet.

“Blight!” Robot Master declared in anger. Luz began getting back to her feet, only for the robot to fire a plasma blast at the ceiling, collapsing part of it onto the super hero’s head. The Robot Master turned to the door Odalia had escaped through, and began chasing after her as fast as she could. “Could she be going to… No! I can’t let her get to that place!”

The Robot Master ran down a hallway and through another door, before leaping down several flights of stairs, landing on its feet, and then running to another room. Just as she expected, she found Odalia, standing straight with her back on a wall.

“Take your shot, Smythe.” Odalia declared in a calm tone of voice.

The robot’s eyes lit up in orange and he fired a blast at Odalia, who simply moved her head to the side slightly, the blast striking the wall behind her and blowing it up to reveal a secret room hidden on the other side.

“Damn you!” Severine declared in between coughs, as the smoke from the explosion invaded her hidden laboratory. She held the remote control of the Robot Master with one hand and picked up a handgun with the other, before running to the tied-up Roy Curry and pointing it at his head. The hostage tried to yell, only for his screams to be muffled by the tape on his mouth. Severine looked at the smoke, to see Odalia walking into the room with a bored expression. “How did you find me? I even sent my robot outside before attacking!”

“It was quite obvious you were hidden in the building. I found it hard to believe you’d be able to kidnap one of my workers, steal my equipment, and then get out without being noticed.” Odalia declared as she looked around the laboratory, holding back an expression of disgust. “I just equipped my panic room with a few sensors to track down what part of the building that piece of junk of yours was being controlled from.”

“Don’t take another step!” Severine declared as she placed the barrel of her gun on her hostage’s head. “Come any closer and I’ll shoot!”

Severine stared at Odalia’s face in anger, only to be taken back as she saw a calm and disinterested expression.

The two heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and Severine gasped as none other than Spider-Girl swung in and knocked the robot to the ground. Smythe leg go of the gun and held the control with both hands, as the Robot Master began wresting with the arachnid.

“You again!” Severine declared in anger.

“I’m like a boomerang! You throw me away, and I just come back!” Spider-Girl declared as she struggled against the robot for a few moments, before firing a web at the robot’s leg and tripping it. The Robot Master prepared another plasma blast, only for Spider-Girl to grab it by the leg and begin to slam it against the ground. The plasma from the robot’s eyes struck the wall, blowing it up and opening a passage to the room behind it, which had windows showing the blue skies outside. Luz slammed the robot down one final time, breaking it to pieces. “I get stronger every time you knock me down!”

“Strong…” Odalia whispered in slight curiosity as Spider-Girl made her way to Severine.

Smythe reached for the ground and picked up the destroyed head of the Robot Master, pointing it at Spider-Girl and using the controller in her other hand to fire a blast. Luz avoided it with a quick duck, before webbing the robot head and pulling it out of Severine’s hands. The head rolled towards Spidey, who crushed it under his feet.

“Good game, Tinkerer!” Luz declared as she fired another web, gluing Severine’s hands together.

Spider-Girl heard the sound of footsteps, and turned to see several security guards running into the room and pointing their guns at her.

“Spider-Girl! I knew you were behind this!” The guards declared as Spidey prepared to dodge their shots.

“Hold your fire.” The guards heard, and then turned to see Odalia Blight approaching Spider-Girl. Luz stared at the old woman in slight confusion as she felt Odalia putting a hand on her shoulder. “This woman is a hero!”

“You will pay for this! Do you hear me? Both of you!” Severine declared in anger as the security guards took her and began to move her out of the room.

Spider-Girl stared as they took the Tinkerer towards the door, and her Spider Sense flared with intensity.

“Watch out!” Spider-Girl yelled as she dashed and pushed Severine to the ground, just in time to save her from a high-speed bullet that had just flown in through the window of the other room. The guards looked around in surprise, just as Luz somersaulted to the broken window and looked around. “The shooter must be in one of the other buildings! There is no way we’ll be able to find him in time!”

“Hey! Where are you running off to?” Severine yelled in anger as Spider-Girl climbed through the broken window and glued herself to the outside of the building.

“I’ll check the other buildings to see if I can find any trace the shooter! You guys take the Tinkerer away from here!” Spider-Girl declared and then leaped off without saying another word, swinging away.

The other figures in the building stared as the hero left the scene, and a small smirk formed on Odalia’s lips.

Blight Industries.

“I guess we can now safely say you made the right decision in firing that crook.” Hopkins commented as he sat in front of Odalia, the two on armchairs as her employees cleaned up the destroyed office around them. “I’ve worked with the Tinkerer before myself, and she wasn’t much help for me either.”

“That poor devil. I hope she sees the error of her ways.” Odalia declared, putting on an act. “Our company was forced to part ways with her when I noticed some signs of her bad behavior, but I never imagined it would get this far.”

“Some people can just never be reformed, like that blasted Spider-Girl, for example.” Hopkins explained. Odalia nodded, and then got up from the chair.

“I should be going now. I have a meeting scheduled with a business partner of mine.” Odalia commented. Hopkins nodded and got up from his chair. “Thank you for letting me give you this exclusive interview. I appreciate that you’re helping me get my word out.”

“You know me, I’m all heart.” Hopkins commented as he made his way to the elevator. Odalia gave him a friendly smile, which dropped the moment he was out of sight.

Unknown location.

“You missed.” Odalia declared with a serious expression and her arms crossed, as she sat at a table in a dark room, staring at a crook who sat on the other side. “I can see the services of your group haven’t improved much since the Big Man left us.”

“The Big Man is old news. We follow the Crime Master now.” The hitman declared, and glanced at the sniper rifle on the table. “I would have blown her brains out if Spider-Girl hadn’t gotten in the way. I could try another hit, but the Tinkerer is being held in a high security prison now, so that might be a bit harder.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Odalia declared as she uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her knees, hiding them under the table. “Not disposing of Smythe was a mistake, but I will make sure to not let it happen again. I will leave no traces from now on, I promise.”

The sniper heard the sound of a gunshot, and his eyes widened as he reached for his own heart, feeling blood beginning to flow out. He looked at Odalia in despair, as she revealed the handgun she had been holding under the table.

“I always keep my promises.” Odalia declared as she pulled the trigger.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Thrill of the Hunt.

It is hunting season for Eberwolf the Huntsman! Nuff said!

The Spider’s Web:

Spider-Girl swung with her web, before back flipping upwards and landing right on the side of the flag pole at the top of the Empire State building, an American flag flowing near her. Luz took off her mask, her other hand still gluing her to the pole, and then glanced at you, the reader.

“I couldn’t find the shooter anywhere.” Luz commented. “Guess I have no other choice but to wait and see what happens. The Tinkerer is in a high security prison now, so I’m sure she’ll be safe from any snipers.”

GodzillaMaster: This is... Yikes....

It's one thing to have bad luck, but it's like Luz is cursed or something. It's like she can't even get a bagel without accidentally creating another supervillain

Let's hope that Willow doesn't resent her like Masha does :(

“Willow is going through a lot right now, Master. It is best to give her some time to process it.” Luz commented, trying to sound sure, although her expression showed clear doubt. “I won’t blame her for whatever conclusion she comes to. That is up for her to decide.”

BestCanBe: It’s almost impressive how bad Luz’s luck is, how did the day go so wrong?!

“At this point I’m thinking about adding my luck as one of my super villains. It’s like everything around me is just bound to go haywire.” Luz commented as she crawled to the top of the flag pole, standing on it and looking to the sunset. “But I believe better days will come eventually. There is always a dark night before the sunrise, isn’t there?”

Lostai: Oh man.. those were lots of unfortunate events, hopefully things will turn out better for Willow (and that she doesn't ends up hating Luz)

Spider-Girl has many enemies, but Luz's greatest enemy is the Noceda luck :(

“I’m worried about Willow as well, Lostai. I hope she ends up okay.” Luz commented, before letting out a sigh. “Unfortunately, there is not much I can do to help her now. She asked for some time to think, and I gave it to her. It is the best I can really do.”

Luz put her mask back on, and then jumped off the highest point in the building. Spider-Girl allowed herself to free fall for a few moments, before she fired a web and began to swing to the sunset.

“Thank you all for reading, true believers! See you all next chapter!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved at you. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Thrill of the Hunt.

It was a dark and stormy night, the heavy raindrops hitting the glass window, as the rage of a thunder illuminated the large trophy room, even if just for a moment. The heads of animals decorated the walls, including a warthog, a bear, a jaguar, a panther, a crocodile, an elephant, a rhino, a tiger, an anaconda, and a pair of lions. The deadliest among all of those beasts, however, was sitting on a leather armchair right in the middle of the room, another bolt of lightning illuminating the serious expression of the predator.

Eberwolf almost growled as he got up from the chair and made his way to an empty spot on the wall. He stared at it in anger and clenched his fist so hard that his hand vibrated. He turned around and made his way to a pair of double doors, kicking them open and walking out to his dark garden in the back of the mansion. The swift raindrops fell upon his long tied up hair as he hid behind the bushes and trees.

The sound of footsteps was almost drowned by the rain as a large lion made its way across the garden. The feline saw a blur and looked to its right, only to hear a whistle as the hunter dashed in from the left and grabbed it by the neck with his bare hands. The lion let out an almost desperate roar as it tried to escape, the two predators wrestling for a few seconds, only for Eberwolf to roar as he flipped the lion to the ground, and a loud crack echoed across the garden, being drowned out by the thunder raging across the night sky, as the huntsman snapped the animal’s neck.

Eberwolf stood straight in the rain and let out heavy breaths as he looked down at the body of his defeated opponent, his hands moving like claws and his eyes showing blood lust, as the smile of a predator formed on his face.

“This time I cannot lose!”

Hexside University.

Luz ran down the hallways as fast as a girl her age theoretically could, since her full speed was faster than a speeding car and would be sure to draw attention. She made her way around a corner and ran to the door to a classroom, reaching for the doorknob and finding it locked.

“Hey!” Luz called in frustration. She heard the sound of the door unlocking, and the teacher opened it just enough for him to stick his head out.

“Late again, Luz?” The teacher asked. “This is the third time this week.”

“I got stuck on traffic!” Luz insisted.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses. Nobody is allowed to come in once the doors are closed, and that is final.” The teacher declared, to which an irritated expression formed on Luz’s face. The teacher reached for his pocket and pulled out a small paper, writing a few words on it and then giving it to Luz.

“Detention?” Luz asked in surprise.

“That’s for missing so many classes.” The teacher declared. “Hopefully, you will be here tomorrow.”

The teacher closed the door before Luz could get another word in, and she heard the sound of locking. Luz sighed as she heard the teacher’s voice continuing the lesson, and she stomped her way to the detention room across the hall.

Detention.

“I’m Captain America, and I’m here to talk to you about one of the best traits any soldier or student must have, and that is patience.” The video recording of Anne Boonchuy declared from the old TV screen. “Sometimes patience is the key to victory, and sometimes it leads to very little. It makes you wonder why you waited so long for something so disappointing.”

Luz stared at the screen with a bored expression as she tapped her pencil on the small desk. She glanced at the teacher, seeing he was more interested in reading the magazine in his hands than he was in actually watching over the students.

“Let’s say you met Iron Man, Spider-Girl, and Daredevil.” Luz heard, and then turned back, to see none other than Emira Blight sitting on the desk right behind her. “You have to kiss one, marry one, and kill one. Who do you choose?”

“Emira?” Luz asked in surprise. “You got detention too?”

“Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Emira declared. “Hey, are you busy this evening?”

Luz’s eyes almost widened in slight shock at the question, and she felt herself almost blushing.

“Yes… uh… I mean no! No!” Luz stuttered and scratched the back of her head. “Why?”

“You’re the smartest girl in class, sugar. I was wondering if you wouldn’t like to go to my house and help me with homework.” Emira commented with a confident smile.

“Um... yeah! Yeah! Sure! I can do that!” Luz declared, to which Emira nodded. Luz turned back to the screen, a small smiled forming on her face.

Unknown location.

The small figure kicked open the wooden door and walked into the abandoned building. Eberwolf lit up a lighter and looked around the dirty room filled with old wardrobes and spider webs. The windows had all been blocked by pieces of wood, and there were mannequins of different shapes and sizes scattered around. The hunter turned off the lighter and closed the door behind him.

He ripped apart the casual clothes he had been wearing with his bare hands, revealing the huntsman outfit underneath. Eberwolf looked around, allowing his eyes to adapt to the surrounding darkness. He sniffed the air, and an expression of disgust formed across his face.

“This is the Inspector’s old hideout? He might as well have been living in a dumpster, that dirty animal.” Eberwolf growled in annoyance and made his way to one of the wardrobes. He broke the lock as if it was made of tissue paper and looked inside, a wide smile forming on his lips. “Time for the greatest hunt to once again begin!”

Manhattan.

Jacob Hopkins made his way out of the Daily Bugle building, holding a briefcase in his hand. He looked around for a few moments, until he noticed a small yellow car in the distance.

“Taxi! I said taxi!” Hopkins yelled in a tone of anger. “You better listen when I call! I’m one of the most important people in this city!”

The small yellow car stopped in front of Hopkins, who opened the backdoor to get inside, only for his eyes to widen as a swift blur flew over his head, and a familiar figure landed right on top of the car.

“Spider-Girl?” Hopkins asked in shock as he took a few steps back at the figure before him. The figure dashed forward at high speed and took the briefcase from his hands, before somersaulting away and climbing a building by jumping from window frame to window frame, reaching the rooftop and disappearing before Hopkins could even react. “Help! Police! Spider-Girl stole my money! I always knew she was a thief!”

Blight Manor.

Luz ringed the doorbell and took a few steps back as she waited. She glanced up, and couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer size of the mansion. She had seen it from afar while web swinging, but seeing it from up close was a whole new perspective. It was at the very least twenty-three times bigger than her house. She heard the sound of the doorknob turning, and glanced to see a butler opening the entrance.

“Oh! Hey! I’m here to see Emira.” Luz explained. “We go to the same college, and she asked me to–”

“Yes, we’ve been expecting you.” The butler declared with a bored tone of voice and signed for Luz to come in.

Luz glanced at him for a moment due to his bluntness, and then walked into the mansion. The butler closed the door and walked ahead, Luz following him close behind. She looked around and whistled in slight amazement, seeing the large rooms, and the walls adorned with expansive looking paintings.

“Master Amity and Master Edric are not home right now, so you’ll only have Master Emira to keep you company.” The butler declared. Luz nodded, and thought for a few moments as she recognized the first name he had mentioned, but couldn’t figure out where she had heard it from. Luz shook her head, figuring it wasn’t important, and continued to look around.

“This place smells a lot better than my house.” Luz commented as they walked into a large hall with a staircase leading to the second floor. Luz stopped as she heard the sound of struggling, and turned to see a woman trying to use what appeared to be a printer. “Are you okay in there?”

Luz’s voice caught the attention of both the woman and the butler, who both stopped to look at her.

“This is just one of Mrs. Blight’s assistants.” The butler explained. “She will sometimes do her paperwork at home instead of in her office.”

“Mrs. Blight asked me to make a few copies of those documents, but the printer isn’t working.” The assistant explained as she continued to press the buttons. “This isn’t like any printer I’ve ever used before.”

“If you’ve damaged Blight family property, there will be financial consequences.” The butler warned.

“It wasn’t me! It was broken before I showed up!” The assistant defended.

Luz glanced at the two for a few seconds, and then took a few steps towards the assistant.

“Let me see it.” Luz commented as she approached the printer and opened it to see the inside workings. She was a little taking back by how complex the machinery was, and she could definitely understand why the assistant had such a difficulty using it. Luz could recognize Alador Blight’s designing. Doc Ock was so extra with everything he built that you’d probably need three different degrees just to figure out what was even wrong with it. Luz reached for the assistant’s pocket and pulled out a pen, using it to fiddle with the device for a moment, before closing the device. “A few of the internal wires were unplugged. They probably fell off by itself due to constant usage. Might be better to have someone do a total checkup of the device every six months or so.”

The two stared at Luz in suspicion, before the assistant pressed the button, and their expression changed into disbelief as the printer began to work as intended.

Luz put her hands on her thighs, closed her eyes, and nodded with a smile on her face. She heard the sound of slow clapping and opened her eyes in surprise, noticing the entire room seemed to have frozen, before looking up the stairs to the source of the sound, and seeing none other than Odalia Blight herself.

“You…” Luz whispered in slight surprise, only to realize the two weren’t supposed to have met yet, and her mind began to rush for an excuse. “You’re Emira’s mom!”

“Yes, that is correct, dear, and I am also quite impressed.” Odalia declared with a smile as she made her way down the staircase in a casual pace. “After my husband designed this machine, it took a whole team of scientist almost a week to figure out how to build it properly, and you fixed it with a pen.”

“Well, I have some experience with mechanics.” Luz commented and scratched the back of her head, as many images crossed her mind, from her web shooters, to her spider signal, to the spider tracers, to even the magnetic disruptor to shut down the Bat Queen’s flight suit.

“You know my daughter from college, don’t you?” Odalia asked as she signed for the others to leave the room, which they were quick to do. “What was your name again? Luz… Palmer?”

“Noceda. Luz Noceda.” She corrected, to which Odalia nodded. “Sorry I messed with the printer.”

“Don’t you dare apologize, honey.” Odalia declared. “I never apologize.”

“Luz?” The two heard, and turned to see Emira walking into the room. “I was told you had arrived.”

“Yes! Of course!” Luz declared, and then turned back to Odalia. “I’ll get out of your way now.”

Odalia nodded, and Luz sprinted to near Emira, the two making her way to the girl’s room. Odalia glanced at Luz as she left, a smile forming on her face, before she turned around and entered a small meeting room.

“You’re late.” Katya declared as Odalia entered the dark room. The Enforcers were sitting down around a roundtable, not even bothering with proper etiquette, Katya having her legs crossed over the table, Derwin having his elbow on it as he held the side of his head with his hand, and Amber sitting in a slouched manner and not even paying attention to the green haired businesswoman. “How did you even get our number.”

“Let us say I had a fair share of partnerships with your former boss, prior to his unfortunate end.” Odalia declared, a small smile forming on her face as she remembered seeing the life leaving Foswell’s eyes the moment she pulled the trigger. “He told me you’re his best agents.”

“He told you right.” Katya declared. “Which means you better not be wasting our time, or else you’ll be seeing the Big Man again real soon.”

“Don’t worry, gentlemen. You will be paid fairly, and I believe this is a job you will quite enjoy.” Odalia declared with a smile. “Your mission is quite simple… kill Spider-Girl.”

Daily Bugle.

The elevator doors slid open and Luz stepped into the office, which was illuminated in orange due to the light of the sunset outside, coming face to face with a woman she did not recognize.

“New employee?” Luz asked.

“Yes. My name is Sharon.” The woman explained.

“Let me guess, Mimi couldn’t stand Hopkins any longer and quit?” Luz asked, to which Sharon nodded. “Typical.”

“I’ve got her this time!” Hopkins yelled from the other side of the room, which make the two turn to see their boss coming out of his office with an angry expression. “I want this plastered in every front page! Domestic terrorist Spider-Girl attacks courageous publisher Jacob Hopkins!”

“What?” Luz asked in surprise. “Spider-Girl attacked you?”

“And where have you been all day? You better get going and bring me those pictures!” Hopkins declared in annoyance. “If Spider-Girl decided to show her true face, then let her hang around! By writing about her crimes, I’ll be selling more papers than ever before!”

Luz stared at Hopkins in confusion, as she was sure she had not pulled a prank on him that day. Could it be that the Inspector was back in town? Her wondering was interrupted as a powerful red light invaded the room through the window, and Hopkins ran to it and looked out to see who appeared to be Spider-Girl, standing at the top of the next building and shining her spider signal onto the Bugle.

“There she is!” Hopkins declared as the figure turned around and began running. “Noceda, take the pictures! Noceda? Where is that girl?”

The figure turned off the red flashlight and jumped across the rooftops, dashing from building to building, until arriving at what appeared to be an abandoned factory. The figure noticed a blur swinging over his head, before Spider-Girl landed right in front of him, blocking his path.

“Wow! You’re Spider-Girl! I’m you biggest fan! You have to give me your autograph!” Spidey declared in a sarcastic tone of voice as she approached the impostor. Luz felt her Spider Sense tingle, but the impostor caught her by surprise, throwing a small sphere to the ground at incredible speeds, which exploded into a cloud of green smoke. Spider-Girl began coughing as she inhaled the strange fumes. “What the… what was that?”

“Jungle scent!” Spider-Girl heard a recognizable voice, followed by the sound of clothes being ripped, as the smoke dissipates to reveal Eberwolf the Huntsman tearing apart the fake Spider-Girl costume around his body. “The smell that announces the hunt has begun!”

“Eberwolf! It was you!” Luz declared in between coughs. “You’re just a glutton for punishment!”

“I’m used to the fumes enough to not be affected, but a normal person would be agonizing on the ground right now. It should at least be enough to cancel out your accursed Spider Sense, at least for a few minutes!” Eberwolf declared as he pulled out a small hunting knife from the side of his belt. “That is all the time I will need!”

Eberwolf dashed at inhuman speeds and swung his blade several times, Spider-Girl responding by jumping back with a series of precise back-hops to avoid it, the blade coming close to hitting her several times. Luz heard a ‘click’ sound, and jumped into the air immediately, avoiding the bear trap she had just stepped on by a fraction of a second. Luz glanced back at Eberwolf, to see the dwarf running down the staircase leading to inside the abandoned building.

“I can’t let him escape, or else he’ll keep framing me!” Spider-girl declared as she ran after the hunter. Unknown to both of them, however, was that their battle was being watched from afar through a pair of binoculars.

“I’ve located the target.” Amber declared to a walkie-talkie, as she climbed down a letter from the rooftop she was laying on, before getting into a motorcycle and beginning to drive towards the abandoned building.

Luz ran down the stairs into the dark room, and began walking at a slow pace, keeping herself at high alert. Spider-Girl had gotten used to relying on her Spider Sense, so she felt as blind as a bat. She heard a sound from the darkness and ducked immediately, avoiding three arrows that struck the wall behind her. Luz heard the same sound dozens of times in half a second, and was quick to fire her webbing, creating a large protective shield of webs that stopped a massive barrage of arrows.

If Spidey didn’t know better, she would not have believed that all of those arrows had been fired by a single man. Luz heard a sound from the dark and jumped away, avoiding a trust from a spear and then breaking right through a window, before gluing herself to the side of the building.

“Eberwolf must have prepared the fifth floor to his advantage! Better move the fight somewhere else!” Luz declared as she crawled all the way down to the first floor and got inside through a window.

Spider-Girl heard the sound of footsteps, following by a door being kicked down. Luz turned around to see sparks of gunshots, and back flipped immediately, avoiding many pallets that struck the wall behind her, followed by the loud sound of several shotguns. This couldn’t have been Eberwolf, he was too old fashioned to use guns, at least as far as Spidey knew him, and the trajectory of the pallets meant they could only have been fired from three different spots. Luz landed, and her suspicions were confirmed as a swift lasso flew in and tied her legs together.

“Enforcers!” Luz declared in surprise, just as Derwin ran in and grabbed her from behind. Amber loaded her shotgun just as Katya continued to hold onto the rope. Spidey acted fast, firing a web into the dark and pulling a wooden chair, which struck Derwin on the side and made him lessen his grip due to the pain, which Luz replied by flipping the large black man over her shoulder. Amber was about to pull the trigger, but stopped in the fear of the pallets hitting her friend, which gave Spidey the chance to throw Derwin right onto her, knocking the two to the ground.

“Derwin! Amber!” Katya yelled in worry, the distraction allowing Luz to shoot a blast of webbing onto her eyes. Katya let to of the lasso and struggled to get the webbing out of her face, which gave Luz the time go free her legs and jumped to the ceiling, quickly webbing the three to the ground before crawling out of the window. “Ugh! Are you guys okay?”

“I’m gonna squish that damn spider!” Derwin declared in anger.

“Great! Eberwolf in the fifth floor, and the Wet Bandits over there decided to show up in the first floor! I better not find the Scorpion over here!” Spider-Girl whispered as she crawled through a window into the second floor.

Luz gasped in shock as a hand grabbed her and flipped her to the ground. Eberwolf jumped on top of Spider-Girl, using his legs to immobilize her arms, and trusted his spear right to her neck, only for Luz to manage to free one of her hands at the last moment and grab the spear, stopping it mere centimeters away from her throat.

The two struggled for several seconds, Spider-Girl feeling as if her hand would explode with the amount of force she was applying, until Luz let out a furious yell and broke the spear in two, tossing the spearhead away before punching Eberwolf right on the face, making the hunter flinch just enough for the hero to free her other arm.

Spider-Girl prepared to throw another punch, but Eberwolf recovered faster than she anticipated, pulling out a hunting knife and preparing to stab her right on the face. Luz fired a blast of webbing at Eberwolf’s face, the huntsman using his other hand to block it from hitting his eyes, but the distraction was enough for Spidey to move her head to the side as fast as she could, the knife striking the wooden floor and becoming stuck in it.

The Enforcers, who were just cutting their way out of the webbing using a tiny switchblade, looked up in shock at the blade that had just pieced the ceiling.

Luz punched Eberwolf on the chest, trying to send him flying to the other side of the room to get some distance so she could use her webbing, but Eberwolf grabbed her wrist mid-strike, pulling Spider-Girl with him as the two flew and struck the wall, creating large cracks on the wood. The two fell to the ground, but jumped back up almost immediately. Eberwolf threw a punch, which Spider-Girl avoided and punched him back, only for Eberwolf to recover nigh-instantly and grab Luz by the throat, slamming her head against the wall, the impact making dust fall from the ceiling.

Eberwolf pinned Luz against the wall and prepared another punch, only for Spidey to kick him right on the stomach, making him flinch just long enough for Spider-Girl to grab him and slam him against the wall, breaking right through him and sending Eberwolf flying to another room. Eberwolf jumped back to his feet, cleaning the blood that was coming out of his nose.

“I know you’re used to fighting animals, but did you have to smell like them as well?” Spider-Girl whispered in between gasps for air, trying to not make it obvious that she was reaching her limit. Luz fired several webs, which Eberwolf avoided with swift movements, stopping on all fours like a furious lion.

“Quip while you can, Wall Crawler! The same strength that can stop the charge of a bull elephant will still your voice forever!” Eberwolf declared as he dashed towards Luz on his hands and feet, Spider-Girl jumping out of the way at the last second as the hunter scratched the air as if his nails were sharp claws.

Spider-Girl prepared to fire another web, when she heard the sound of the door opening and the Enforcers ran inside. Luz’s eyes widened as Katya fired at her with a shotgun, Web-Head being quick to dodge the shot with a back flip and fire a web at the firearm, pulling it out of Katya’s hands and slamming it against the wall, shattering the weapon.

“Katya!” Derwin yelled as Spider-Girl fired a web at Katya’s chest just as she was about to pull out her lasso. Luz pulled the web, sending Katya rolling across the room. The other Enforcers stared at Spidey in anger and aimed their shotguns, only to turn in shock upon hearing what appeared to be a wild roar.

“She’s mine!” Eberwolf declared in savage fury as he dashed towards the Enforcers like a beast.

“Who is that guy?” Derwin asked in shock as they opened fire, Eberwolf easily dodging the shot and dashing at them.

“Wait!” Spider-girl yelled and tried to run to the Enforcer’s rescue, but it was too late.

Eberwolf dashed to Amber and slammed her on the face with the barrel of her own shotgun, before pulling it out of her hands and smacking her on the head with it, the force being enough to break the firearm, sending Amber to the ground. Derwin screamed in worry and ran to Eberwolf, throwing a punch that the hunter blocked, before he grabbed Derwin by the back of the neck and slammed his face against the ground with enough strength to make cracks. This had all happened so fast that Spider-Girl didn’t even have time to fire her webbing.

“Amber! Derwin!” Katya screamed in shock as she prepared to pull out her lasso, only for Spider-girl to run in and grab her, her switchblade falling out of her pocket in the process, before jumping out of the window, back flipping as they fell and landing on the sidewalk with Katya in her arms. “Let me go! If they get hurt, I’ll have your head!”

“Chill out, cowboy!” Spider-Girl declared as she threw Katya to the ground and then tied her up with several blasts of webbing. “Now I have two damsels in distress to save!”

Spider-Girl jumped onto the wall and crawled to the second floor. She looked inside to see the two unconscious Enforcers were still there, but where in Blazes did Eberwolf run off to? She crawled up to the third floor, seeing it was empty. She crawled higher and reached the fourth floor, also empty. Luz crawled to the fourth floor and was about to look in through the window, when a piece of the ledge fell from above her.

Luz gasped and looked up, to see Eberwolf had just jumped off the rooftop right onto her. The hunter grabbed Luz by the side, holding her arm and leg as they fell. Spidey tried to fire a web, only to hear a ‘click’ from her shooters. Spider-Girl spun through the air in desperation and glued her other hand to the wall, changing their falling trajectory and sending the two of them flying right through the window of the first floor.

Spider-Girl rolled across the floor, and didn’t even have time to recover before Eberwolf jumped on her and pinned her down while strangling her with both of his hands. Luz struggled to free herself from the Hunter’s arms, and looked up to see Eberwolf staring at her with a wide smile and the furious eyes of a predator. Luz looked around in desperation and felt her head becoming lighter due to the lack of air, before her expression changed into one of anger and she punched Eberwolf right on the neck, making him cough and let go of her throat.

Spider-Girl jumped up with a loud roar, adrenaline pumping through her veins, and slammed Eberwolf to the ground, before delivering a mighty punch to his face, followed by another punch, and another, and another, before finishing it off with one final strike that shook the entire building, making small pieces of the roof break off. Luz gasped for air and held her wrist in pain as she looked over the unconscious Eberwolf, before turning around and taking a few steps to the wall, putting her back against it and sitting down on the floor.

“The hunt is over…” Spider-Girl whispered in between heavy breaths.

Half an hour later.

“It was me! I threatened Jacob Hopkins in a Spider-Girl costume! The real Spider-Girl is innocent!” The exhausted Eberwolf declared in anger as the police officers placed him on the back of the police car.

“Why are you telling us this?” One of the officers asked.

“I am a man of honor!” Eberwolf declared, as the officers closed the door and the car drove off.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Katya asked, handcuffed as the officers put her on the back of a vehicle. “You two got me worried.”

“We’re made of sturdier stuff.” Derwin declared with a smile, also handcuffed. “We’ll get the spider next time, don’t worry.”

“Just remind us to avoid that weird jungle guy from now on.” Amber commented, also handcuffed, to which the three laughed, just as the officer closed the back of the vehicle and it drove off.

Spider-Girl sat down at the top of a close building, taking pictures of the scene with a camera in her hands. Luz took a moment to breathe, and then looked up at the stars above. She was exhausted, but her Spider Sense was working again at last.

Daily Bugle.

“Spider-Girl is vindicated! No! I can’t believe it! I won’t believe it!” Hopkins declared in annoyance as he walked in circles behind his desk.

“You can believe whatever you want, but you’ll still have to pay for the pictures.” Luz declared, clearly too tired to hear Hopkins’ whining at that moment.

“Alright! Alright! $800 each!” Hopkins declared in an angry tone of voice as he sat down on his desk and began writing down a check. Hopkins glanced at Luz, and slight worry became noticeable in his eyes. “There are marks on your neck. Did anyone hurt you?”

“Wha–” Luz whispered as she reached for her neck, touching the exact spot Eberwolf had grabbed when he tried to strangle her. “Oh, this… uh… don’t worry! I just tripped while going home from college! It’s not important!”

Hopkin stared at her in worry for a moment, only to shrug and finish signing the check.

“Just making sure. It wouldn’t be the first time someone goes after my employees.” Hopkins commented as he handed Luz the check. “Just let me know if you need any help, okay?”

Luz nodded, and then got up and left the office.

Hexside University.

Luz’s wounds were still hurting from the battle the night before. It was like Eberwolf got more violent every time he showed up. She took a few books out of her locker and closed it, only to see an unexpected person approaching her.

“Willow?”

“Hey…” Willow commented, giving Luz a small smile.

“How are… things?” Luz asked, a little bit awkward.

“I went to visit dad in prison yesterday.” Willow commented, her voice sounding weak but also slightly hopeful. “He’s doing well. They still haven’t found a cure for his… condition… but he’s no longer overheating as long as he remains calm. They said that as long as he keeps up the good behavior, he might be out sooner rather than later.”

“That’s good.” Luz commented, only to mentally slap herself as she realized she had just stated the obvious.

“I’m so happy that I have you as a friend.” Willow explained with a weird smile. “Sorry that I was mean to you. I was going through some… stuff.”

“Oh! Don’t worry about it.” Luz explained, trying to ignore the awkwardness of that conversation. “I’d probably have done the same if someone tried to talk to me when my dad passed away.”

Willow nodded, and the two stared at each other for a few moments, not sure what they should say to break the ice.

“So… wanna go to the cafeteria?” Willow asked, to which Luz smiled and nodded.

Willow let out a small smile as the two walked together for a few moments.

“Hey, Luz.” The two heard and stopped walking, turning to see Emir Blight approaching them. “Oh, hey Willow.”

The two greeted the green haired girl as she approached them. Emira then reached for her pocket and pulled out stack of nine bills of a hundred dollars each, handing them to Luz.

“What’s this?” Luz asked in surprise, while Willow stared at the money in her hands, equally surprise.

“Mom sent those for fixing the printer.” Emira explained, Luz’s expression showing even more surprise. “She says that you should always pay big for a job well done.”

Emira shrugged and gave the two a quick nod, before walking past them.

“Wow! That’s very nice of her part!” Willow commented with a smile.

“Yeah… it really is…” Luz commented as she stared at the money.

Maybe Odalia Blight wasn’t all that bad after all.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Doctor Will See You Now!

The Spider’s Web:

Spider-Girl back flipped in midair and landed on the side of the Empire State building. She ran at a quick pace, reaching the top like a blur, and then back flipped and landed right in front of the flag pole, an American flag waving behind her.

“Alright! My Spider Sense is fully charged and ready for action!” Luz commented in a happy tone of voice as she took off her mask. “How have you guys been doing?”

GodzillaMaster: Just what is Odalia up to?

And Hopkins wouldn't know a real hero if Captain America gave him a gut punch

“Odalia Blight is a weird person, Master. I just never know what to make of her.” Luz commented as she looked at the sunset in the horizon. “She has this weird demeanor that makes her seem intimidating, but sometimes she can do a complete 180 and become overly friendly. Although she doesn’t seem like an evil person, at least from what I’ve seen.”

Ri2: Robot Master? Does Dr. Wily know about this?

“Y’know, Ri, I actually never thought about that, but the Tinkerer does act a lot like Dr. Wily.” Luz commented with a quick giggle. “I love Capcom games. Don’t you guys think would be cool if there was a game where the other heroes and I get to fight against the Capcom characters? That would be one clash of super heroes, if I say so myself!”

BestCanBe: No matter how my day goes, I can always count on one of Luz’s adventures to make my day better :)

“Wow, thanks!” Luz declared with a smile. “This legitimately makes me very happy! I glad my amazing fantasies could help you out, even if for just a few minutes! It means a lot to me!”

Luz nodded and put her mask back on before jumping off the building and swinging away into the sunset.

“Thank you all for reading!” Luz declared as she waved goodbye. “Se you all next time, true believers, with more amazing fantasies! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Doctor Will See You Now.

It was a beautiful day in New York city, the sun shining in the blue clear skies, the cars dashing through the streets below, and a pair of figures flying above the buildings, which was surprisingly not out of the ordinary for that city.

“You damn insect!” The Bat Queen yelled in anger as she tried to strike Spider-Girl with her bladed wings, the hero avoiding each slash with incredible precision as she continued to web swing.

“It’s arachnid, you bird brain!” Luz commented as she jumped off her web, back flipping and landing right on the back of her flying opponent. Spidey began crawling around the armor of the Bat Queen at incredible speeds, appearing to be a blur as she tied up the villain with several webs. The Bat Queen yelled in anger and sliced right through the webbing with her wings, only to look around and realize Spider-Girl was nowhere to be seen. “Over here, you blind bat!”

The Bat Queen gasped as she realized Luz was standing on the blind spot, on top of her back. The Bat Queen tried to strike her with the wings, but she could not reach that spot. She tried spinning to knock Spider-Girl away, but Luz’s feet were glued to the back of her armor. Spider-Girl giggled and struck the back of the armor pulling out a piece of the machinery.

The Bat Queen began falling as her suit malfunctioned, only for Spider-Girl to glue a web to her back and fire it at a flag pole on the side of a building, safely hanging the Bat Queen from the skyscraper, before tying that same web around her arms.

“Sure, you can cut right through this web, but are you gonna?” Luz asked as she jumped off the Bat Queen and landed on the side of the building. The Bat Queen looked up, realizing the same web that was tying her in place was the only thing that prevented her from falling 20 stories.

“You bothersome insect!” The Bat Queen declared in anger.

“Arachnid.” Luz corrected, before jumping off the building and swinging away. Spider-Girl swung away from the scene, and then landed on a small building, picking up the small automatic camera she had glued to the side of the ceiling. She pulled out the pictures of the battle and smiled. “Oh! Those look neat!”

Spider-Girl somersaulted away from the building and swung into the distance, unaware that she had actually been standing on top of the one and only Sanctum Sanctorum.

“A spider themed superhero?” Molly McGee Strange commented as she looked out of the window from inside the Sanctum, and took a sip of the cup of coffee in her hands. “That’s… a little bit disgusting… but also really cool!”

“Aren’t you an arachnophobe?” Libby reminded.

“I am, but she doesn’t actually look like a spider. She’s just a girl in a costume.” Molly explained, and then her smile dropped, replaced by an expression of worry. “Wait… what if she’s like a spider person under the mask? Oh, dear God!”

“How did she even manage to land on the roof?” Libby asked as she approached Molly, holding a handbag. “You did put up the force field, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I changed the spell a little bit.” Molly explained, before she drunk up the rest of her coffee, and the mug transformed into butterflies that flew away. “Instead of repelling all living beings, it now just blocks out the evil ones. This means either Spider-Girl is not evil, or she is not alive.”

“I’ve been a sorcerer for long enough to not be sure which one of those is the most likely.” Libby commented, to which the two laughed for a moment. Libby waved her hand, and blue portal opened up in the middle of the room. “I’ll go visit my dad and be back in six days. Don’t forget to feed my turtles, and don’t leave a portal to Siberia open again. Another blizzard might blast through.”

“That only happened last time because I was busy stopping Mordo from stealing the Book of Cagliostro and taking over all of existence.”

“Don’t burn the building down, Molly.” Libby declared in a half joking tone of voice. The two waved goodbye to each other and Libby went through the portal, which closed behind her.

Molly nodded and then opened a portal of her own, using her Cloak of Levitation to fly through it, which lead her to the library in the first floor of the Sanctum. Molly closed the portal behind her and searched the shelves for a few moments, before smiling and waving her hand, two of the books flying out and floating right in front of her.

Molly looked over the two books, one having a white cover and the other having a black cover. There was nothing in between, so she had to pick one. Molly thought for a moment and sent the black book flying back to the shelf with her telekinesis, as she sat down on literal nothing and the white book opened itself for her to read it.

Manhattan.

The alley behind the Sanctum Sanctorum was dark and silent, illuminated only by the green light of a portal, from which a lonesome figure stepped out, shadows obscuring her true identity. She took a step towards the building, only to stop as she realized a strange forced seemed to push her back. It was a warning, like a rattlesnake hissing at its attacker, but the invader knew that if she took another step, she would be repelled into a faraway dimension.

“The place is protected and sealed…” The figure declared, as a wicked smile formed on her face. “How about I get creative?”

The figure turned around and created another portal, walking through it and coming out a few blocks away, in the middle of Manhattan. She glanced at the building behind her.

“Ditko Movies. Now airing: Mr. A.” She read, before shaking her head and looking around. She was sure she had detected violent emotions coming from this general area. The figure heard the sound of glass breaking, and turned to see a chair had just been thrown right through the window of a bar on the other side of the street. The figure’s lips formed a wicked smile and she made her way towards the brawl.

“When we said we could lick anyone in this place, we meant it!” A tall muscular man declared as he slammed a chair onto a smaller man’s head with enough strength to break the furniture to pieces, before grabbing his victim’s head and beginning to slam it against the balcony with all of his strength.

“Just like my brother said!” Another tall muscular man declared as he grabbed a shorter man and placed his head on the doorframe leading to the bathroom, before slamming the door against it several times, following it by grabbing the man and throwing him out through a glass window. “We’ve both spent years as professional boxers, until we got fired when they found out we’ve been throwing fights for money! Fighting us is like fighting tigers!”

The first tall man threw a mighty punch, knocking out the last of their opponents. The two looked around the large piles of unconscious bodies on the ground with pride in their eyes, until they heard the sound of the entrance door opening, and turned to see the mysterious figure walking into the bar.

“What a rush!” The figure declared in a calm voice as she walked over the unconscious victims, stepping over the head of one of them in the process, and approached the two former boxers.

“You better crawl back into the woodwork.” One of the boxers declared in slight anger, as the figure approached the balcony and sat down on it, crossing her legs. “Didn’t you hear us? Get lost!”

“Such an aggressive soul… Delicious!” The figure declared as she got up, standing over the balcony and looking down upon the two. “Come on! You two work for me now! Let’s get crazy!”

“I don’t know who you think you are, pub, but we don’t take orders from–”

“I am Harriet Amadeus Mordo, and I am supreme here!” The figure declared in a powerful and terrifying voice as her eyes glowed, as if filled by green flames, and the two boxers suddenly had an expression of pain in their faces.

The two screamed as what appeared to be green flames, but were instead their very hateful souls, were drained out of their bodies, taking the shape of two small orbs of green fire in Mordo’s hands. Baron Mordo smiled wickedly as she stared at the souls in her palms, and turned around, creating a portal that took her to the top of a building.

“And for my first order…” Mordo declared with a smile as she fired the two orbs into two gargoyle statues. The statues began cracking, shedding a layer of stone to reveal demonic beings inside, their eyes glowing like green flames. “Live, my children! Live!”

Sanctum Sanctorum.

“Alright, guys! You’re all set!” Molly declared with a smile as she gently placed the turtles inside their glass tanks and sat down in front of them. She stared at the turtles for a few moments in awkward silence. “You guys look so bored… although you’re turtles, so I guess that’s just how you naturally look like.”

Doctor Strange heard a loud banging sound and jumped into high alert, getting up and running through a portal that led her to the entrance of the Sanctum, just in time to see a pair of large green gargoyles kicking the door right open.

“I can sense magic not of this dimension! How did those creatures get past the barrier?” Molly asked herself, and was quick to cast a spell, her hand movements resembling Spider-Girl’s gestures upon shooting webs. “Walk out of this building and never come back!”

The two gargoyles seemed to ignore the spell, while Molly stared at them in slight confusion.

“My mind control is not working! They don’t have minds of their own!” Doctor Strange declared in shock. “Those are not living beings, they are–”

“Statues! My own little army of toy soldiers!” Mordo’s voice came from one of the demons, while the other laughed with the same voice. “I would like to visit you in person, Strange, but that pesky barrier of yours got in the way!’

“Baron Mordo! I should have known it was you!” Molly declared as she prepared to cast another spell. “Vishanti!”

Strange’s limbs multiplied, resembling a many-armed entity, and the demons attacked her with their green fire breath, but it was too late, as she suddenly split herself into and entire army of Molly McGees, which flew around the creatures at high speeds, the symbol of Agamotto appearing in the shaking hands of each of them, before they fired massive blasts of orange magic from every direction, about to strike the demons, who were protected by a green force field at the last second.

“A transmutation spell? Trying to turn my soldiers into little puppies, eh?” Mordo asked through the demons as her laughter echoed across the room. The demons made that same hand gesture, firing their own transmutation spell, which transformed the blasts of orange magic Molly had fired into massive skull shaped spirits with black snake bodies, which flew to every direction, aiming at the many clones of Molly, only for each of the clones of Doctor Strange to retaliate with an explosive spell, the blast blowing up the intangible spirits into nothingness, but also striking the clones and forcing them back into a single Molly McGee. “Now, Molly… come to Mordo! Hehehe!”

One of the demons waved their hands and telekinetically dragged Molly from the ground and into their hands, before punching her soul out, quite literally, as the blow to her stomach sent her orange ghost flying out of her body. Strange tried to fly back to her physical form as fast as she could, but it was too late, as one of the demons teleported on top of her wraith and struck her with a blast of green lightning. Doctor Strange screamed as her ghost form fell to the ground, unconscious, and the other demons threw her body on top of it, the two once again merging into a single unconscious Doctor Strange.

“Now for the big break in!” Mordo declared as the gargoyles approached a small cabinet and broke it open, pulling out a thick hard cover book. “At long last, the Book of Cagliostro! Passages from the Darkhold, notes from the Sorcerer Supreme of the 31st century named Sise-Neg, and even Cagliostro’s vast mystical knowledge! Wielding this book’s power, I, Baron Mordo, shall be the one true God!”

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl sat on top of a small building while eating a donut in her hands. Excluding her quick encounter with the Bat Queen that morning, the city was actually quite calm that weekend. Luz could probably have stayed home reading a good book, or even a bad one. Spider-Girl’s Spider Sense flared all of the sudden, and she looked down to see what appeared to be two gargoyles coming out from a nearby building. Luz rolled her eyes and covered her mouth with her mask, before jumping off the building and landing right in front of the two monsters.

“Stay where you are, folks!” Spider-Girl declared. “I’m in the mood for a summit conference!”

“Go back to where you crawled out from, child!” Mordo spoke through the living gargoyles. “Before I tear you apart limb by limb!”

“I guess you wanna be able to brag to your grandchildren that you were once knocked down by Spider-Girl, so here is your chance!” Luz declared as she dashed towards the two.

Spider-Girl threw a punch, only for her to go right through the monsters as if they were ghosts. She turned around in confusion and leaped away just in time to avoid their fire breath, before dashing and throwing a punch. Luz’s fist struck an invisible force field, which then expanded rapidly and struck her on the face, sending her flying onto the side of a building, making cracks on the spot she landed.

“What the hell? This felt like a normal person being hit by a stone wall!” Spider-Girl declared as she jumped back to her feet and fired several nets of webbing at the monsters as they approached her, tying them up. “A quick dose of sticky webbing has got to slow you down!”

“I don’t want your web fluid! I want your blood!” Mordo declared as the monsters teleported out of the webbing. Luz’s Spider Sense was going crazy as the two monsters teleported to her and struck her with a flurry of blows, their arms multiplying as they punched her against the wall. The monsters threw one final punch as Mordo laughed, knocking Luz to the ground. “You’re no concern to me, child!”

The two gargoyles turned around and created a portal, unaware that Luz was still conscious behind them. Luz reached for her utility belt and pulled out a small spider tracer, which she threw at the monsters. The little device glued itself to the leg of one of the gargoyles, just as they crossed the portal and it vanished behind them.

“Get ready for round two!” Spider-Girl whispered as she got back up and began web swinging as fast as she could.

A few blocks away.

The two demons came out through the portal in front of a small abandoned building. They opened the door to reveal the inside was much bigger than the outside, being instead a massive palace, with none other than Baron Mordo sitting on a large throne in the center. Mordo’s lips formed an evil grin as she flew down the staircase leading to throne, using her green flames to project herself into the air, and approached her soldiers.

“None shall stand in my way! At last!” Mordo declared as she took the book in her hands, feeling the mystic energy from the book radiating around her body. “The universe shall be mine to command! Mine to control!”

Mordo waved her hand, and several portals opened around the room, leading to strange realms. A dimension of strange colors and shapes. A dimension of small planets and tiny stars. A dimension made entirely of infinite staircases. A dimension composed entirely of gigantic germs with black hair. A dimension where everything in the universe is made of paper. Mordo laughed as her power began spreading and filling those dimensions with her evil aura.

“Now I shall be the real Sorcerer Supreme!” Mordo declared with a smile, being so overconfident that she didn’t even realize when a web flew in and pulled the book out of her hands. All of the portals closed immediately, and Mordo turned to the invader in anger. “Spider-Girl!”

“Congratulations! You’ve said the magic word!” Spider-Girl declared. “Will you look at that! A real witch! You’re way uglier than Azura though.”

“Your game is over, child!” Mordo declared as the two gargoyles teleported near her and they all fired a pair of energy blasts each.

Luz jumped out of the way at the last moment, but one of the blasts grazed her arm, making her drop the book on the ground. The three prepared to cast a spell, when Spidey fired several blasts of impact webbing that struck their hands, the slight change in their gestures altering the spell, and making so instead of turning Spider-Girl into dust, their magic filled the room with snow, making the palace look more like a winter wonderland.

“You bothersome brat! Fly to another dimension!” Mordo ordered and casted a spell, creating a portal right behind Spider-Girl. Luz felt the portal beginning to suck her like a black hole, and thought quickly by gluing her feet to the ground, but it did her no good, as the piece of the ground simply broke off and flew into the portal with her. “You shall never interfere with my plans again!”

“Wanna bet?” Spider-Girl asked as she fired a web, using it to pull the Book of Cagliostro from the ground and into the portal with her.

“No!” Mordo yelled in anger and surprise as she tried to cast another spell, but it was too late, as her portal had already closed. “If I don’t act, the Book of Cagliostro will be lost in an unknown dimension forever! I must find Spider-Girl!”

Sanctum Sanctorum.

“Ugh… what…” Molly whispered as she began waking up. Doctor Strange brought her hand to her hair and shook her head, only for her eyes to widen as she remembered the events that had knocked her out. “Mordo!”

Molly jumped back to her feet and flew upwards with her Cloak of Levitation, phasing right through the ceiling like a ghost and beginning to cast a tracking spell all over the city.

“My magic must guide me to the one I seek” Molly declared as she flew over the buildings, the city shining in orange due to the sunset in the horizon. “I must find Mordo at once!”

Multiverse.

“It’s gonna take more than 15 cents to get back to New York!” Luz complained as she held the strange book in one hand, while swimming through what appeared to be a bottomless and infinite ball pit, filled with plastic balls of different shapes and sizes. Spider-Girl looked up to see even the clouds in the sky were made of colorful spheres. Luz climbed onto a larger sphere and looked around. “Okay! What now?”

“Now you die!” Luz heard, and turned to see a green portal opening, and the same two gargoyles coming out of it. Spider-Girl fired her webbing, only for them to be blocked by a forcefield as the demons casted their spells.

Nothing happened.

“My magic isn’t working!” Mordo yelled as Luz began jumping across the larger spheres in the infinite ball pit, the book still in her hands. “The Book of Cagliostro must be protecting her! I’ll have to do this the old fashion way!”

One of the monsters flew to Spider-Girl and attack with the green fire breath, Luz jumping out of the way at the last second as the sphere was struck by the flames and exploded into a large green fireball, the shockwave sending Spidey flying. The other demon tried to grab the book from Luz’s hands in midair, but Spider-Girl threw a punch, the power of the book allowing her fist to bypass the forcefield and strike the monster on the face, making the gargoyle whimper in pain.

The impact seemed to awaken the book, which glowed and teleported them all to yet another universe. Spider-Girl back flipped and landed in the middle of a forest. She looked up, but instead of a sky, she saw even more forest above her, and realized she was standing in an inside out planet that did a complete 360-degree spin.

The two demons flew in from both sides, only for Luz to back flip above them, before firing a pair of webs at their heads and slamming the two together. Spider-girl landed in front of the two and struck them with a flying kick before they could recover, the book once again activating and taking them to another universe.

Spider-Girl screamed in shock as she fell into an ocean, however, instead of ending up underwater, she came out on the surface of another ocean, where the water was just a foot deep, and looking up Luz saw a black sky with millions of glowing stars. Luz turned around to see what appeared to be a miniature version of the planet Saturn, about as big as the Statue of Liberty, just floating in the waves.

The two demons flew in towards Luz and fired blasts of green electricity, Spider-Girl somersaulting over them to dodge, before striking the two with swift kicks that sent them rolling across the ground. The book once again activated and took them to another universe.

Luz fell into a sea of lava, which had several jets of flames flying out into the skies. Spider-Girl got up after being submerged in the boiling orange lava, realizing that, despite the steam and smoke flowing out of the river of magma, it was not hot, but instead freezing cold. Spidey reached for the jets of fire in curiosity, and upon touching them she realized the flames, despite visually looking like regular fire, were actually solid, and seemed to be made of a material resembling hair. Spider Sense tingled and she turned around to see the two gargoyles approaching her.

“Alright! Seems like we’ll be here for a while!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed to the two.

Mordo’s Palace.

“That little brat! I’ll get this book back even if I have to rob it from your corpse!” Mordo declared in anger as she controlled her two soldiers. She saw an orange light from the corner of her eyes, and turned to see none other than Doctor Strange coming out through an orange portal. “You again? Came back for another whomping, McGee?”

“You will never be supreme, Mordo! Not as long as Doctor Strange lives!” Molly declared as she prepared her hands, the shining symbol of Agamotto appearing on her palms.

Mordo’s magic aura took the shape of a lion and flew towards Molly, only for Strange’s energy to take the shape of a soldier with a sword and stab right through the animal, which exploded into energy, only for the energy to morph into the shape of a giant bird and swallow Molly’s soldier. The bird suddenly exploded from the inside, being reduced to mist, as the soldier had morphed into a massive dragon that flew towards Mordo, only for the green mist to come together into the shape of a tiger. The dragon and the tiger clashed, creating a powerful explosion in between the two sorcerers that shook the entire palace.

“You think you’ve got what it takes to beat me? I am eternal!” Mordo declared in anger as she fired a blast of magic, Molly responding with her own blast, the two lasers clashing in between them. Mordo and Molly both struggled as the two blasts were perfectly match. An expression of anger formed on the Baron’s face. She couldn’t overcome Strange by herself. “Come to me, my soldiers!”

A powerful blast of light appeared in between them interrupting their beam struggle, but to Mordo’s surprise, both of the gargoyles were on the ground defeated, with Spider-Girl standing over them.

“Expecting something else?” Luz asked with a sarcastic smile as two spheres of green flames flew out of the demon’s mouths and out of the windows, the two souls flying back to their proper owners as the two gargoyles turned to stone and then shattered to dust.

“Spider-Girl?” Molly asked.

“The one and only!” Luz declared with a smile. “You are?”

“Doctor Molly McGee Strange. At your service.” Strange explained, to which Luz nodded and the two turned to Mordo.

“Strange, you insignificant bastard!” Mordo declared. “You are nothing but an obstacle! My real enemy is your master, the Ancient One! Once I take this book, I will be able to overcome him and take his place as Sorcerer Supreme! I will use my powers to create a better world! A world where nobody is wronged like I was when they banned me from my home town in Transylvania due to a crime I did not commit! I can right all wrongs, fix all that was broken! I can fix your hands, Strange, I can bring back your brother! I can give you whatever your heart desires!”

“The duty of the Ancient One is to protect the world, not rule over it.” Doctor Strange declared in response, her expression one of seriousness. “Every man should have the freedom to make their own choices, have their own thoughts, even if those thoughts are ones of evil. If you were to take that freedom away, then you would be the only evil person in the world.”

“Oh, spare me! The definitions of justice will change as time goes on! This is something history has proven!” Mordo declared in a mocking tone of voice. “You might think my plans are diabolical, but once I am in power, I shall be justice! The wrong can become the right! If you lose, then you shall become the unjust! Do you understand, Master of Black Magic? I am in the right side of history!”

“You’re a fool.” Doctor Strange declared in a blunt tone of voice. Mordo’s smile seemed to drop immediately upon seeing the gaze of the doctor before her. “Injustice never becomes justice. Everything that exists has a specific nature. Each entity exists as something in particular and has characteristics that are part of what it is. A will never stop being a, and your evil will never stop being exactly that. There is good, there is evil, and there is nothing in between.”

“Are you two going to keep blabbing, or are we going to fight?” Spider-Girl asked in a sarcastic tone of voice.

“You won’t compromise even in the face of Armageddon, Strange? Then so be it…” Mordo declared as an expression of anger and hatred took over her face. “I shall be your Armageddon!”

Spider-Girl and Doctor Strange both dashed towards Baron Mordo, who teleported behind them at the last second and tried to cast a spell, but Molly was protected by a forcefield and Luz was protected by the aura resonating from the book in her hands. Strange fired a magical blast, which Mordo blocked by creating a shield out of thin air, only for Spider-Girl to jump over it and fire her webbing at Mordo’s face, blocking her eyes.

“You annoying little insect!” Mordo yelled in anger and began firing several bolts of lightning from her hands which began striking blindly around the room. Strange created another forcefield around herself to block the blasts of magic, while Spider-Girl somersaulted to avoid the strikes with incredible precision.

“Arachnid!” Spider-Girl corrected as she fired her webbing and tied up Mordo’s feet, before pulling the webbing and sending her to the ground. Mordo prepared another spell, only for mystic chains to immobilize his hands, as he looked up to see Strange flying above her. Molly used both of her hands to draw a circle in the air, which took the shape of a massive symbol of Agamotto. Mordo’s eyes widened in desperation.

“Dormammu!” Mordo cried for help into the void, and before either of the heroes could react, a powerful wave of darkness surrounded the body of the villain, which then exploded and filled the room with black smoke.

Spider-Girl and Doctor Strange both coughed as the smoke dissipated, and they looked around to see both Mordo and his palace had vanished, transforming the location back into a regular abandoned building.

“Where is she?” Luz asked.

“Gone… into a Dark Dimension beyond my reach.” Molly explained. “We’ve won the battle, but Mordo lives to fight another day.”

“Well, we better get rid of this before she shows up again, don’t you think?” Spider-Girl commented as she held up the Book of Cagliostro.

“You’re right. I realize it now that this book is way too powerful for me to ever let it fall into the wrong hands. Nobody should have the power to take away the sanctity of an individual. No man is ever meant to wield such absolute power.” Doctor Strange declared as she took the Book of Cagliostro from Luz’s hands, and with a hand gesture casted a fire spell that burned the book to worthless ashes. Molly nodded, and then turned to Luz. “Thanks for helping me tonight! You have me as an ally now, which is not something many can say!”

“Thanks, doc.” Luz answered as she shook Molly’s hand. “After tonight, I sure as hell wouldn’t want you as my enemy.”

Manhattan.

“I believe that the place of magic in the world is to transform metaphysical ideas into physical and understandable form.” Molly explained as she sat atop a building, Spider-Girl sitting near her, each one holding a half-eaten donut in their hands. “To this end, I tend to insist that my feats should speak for themselves. That’s why I try to stay out of the spotlight.”

“That explains why I had barely ever heard of you. Everybody knows the X-Men and the Avengers, but almost nobody ever heard of Doctor Strange.” Luz commented, to which Molly just shrugged, not interested in any form of fame. “Well, I’m happy that I’ve met you now.”

“The feeling is mutual, Web-Head!” Molly commented. “I’m especially happy to know you’re not some giant spider under the suit, because that would be a deal breaker.”

“Speaking of which, you know this hand gesture you do when you cast your spells?” Spider-Girl asked. Molly did the hand gesture, to which Luz nodded. “Yeah, that. I noticed it kind of looks like the hand gesture I do when I shoot my webs.”

Spidey did the hand gesture, and the two placed their hands near each other, realizing the gesture did indeed look like an upside-down version of the other.

“That is actually really cool.” Molly commented, to which the two smiled.

Molly nodded and jumped out of the balcony, being caught by her Cloak of Levitation, and waved goodbye to Spider-Girl. “May the Vishanti watch over thee!”

“May your amulet never tickle.” Luz answered in a joking tone, to which Molly laughed and flew away. Luz finished her donut and covered her mouth with her mask, before jumping off the building and beginning to swing away. “The only thing wrong with this evening is that, when I wake up tomorrow, I won’t believe a word of it!”

To be continued.

Chapter dedicated to the amazing Steve Ditko.

Next chapter: Tales of the Spider-Girl.

SPECIAL CHAPTER! 10000+ WORD GIANT!!!

The Spider’s Web.

Spider-Girl, just a few minutes after saying goodbye to Strange, leaped off her web and back flipped, landing on the side of the Empire State building. She climbed up the side of the building and sat on the rooftop, before taking off her mask and smiling at you, the readers.

GodzillaMaster: Just how was Eberwolf able to disguise himself as Spider-Girl with how different their figures are?

Hopkins actually caring about Luz's health? I'm shocked

Also glad to see that the enforcers are okay, got a little worried there when Eber attacked them

“Eberwolf is a dwarf, so our height is actually not that different despite the difference in age. He is actually a little bit shorter.” Luz explained with a shrug as she looked up at the full moon in the skies. “It looked quite obvious to me that he was an impostor, Master, but most of the general public never got a chance to take a good look at Spider-Girl from up close, and my costume hides most of my features anyway, so I guess it was believable enough.”

LuminicentOwl: Hi, I just wanted to ask a question. or maybe more have a recommendation. don't you want to add this fic into the Marvel fandom as well?

Make it a crossover. the name clearly displays it as one. but since it's only in the Toh fandom by tags. only those looking for Toh will see it.

Just a suggestion, hope you have a good time writing and good luck.

“I’m actually kind of on the fence on this one. I’m not totally sure how many comic book fans also watch cartoons, so I can’t tell if they’d be interested in my adventures, and I don’t want to be a bother for them with stories they might not like.” Luz commented as she got up and began walking back and forth on the side of the building. “I guess I’ll have to think it over a little bit more. What do you guys think?”

BestCanBe: Luz was able to help Emira with her Homework AND take down Eberwolf? An actual good ending? Huh…

“Seems like it, Best.” Luz commented as she got on a sitting position on the wall and glued her back to the side of the building. “I don’t get a lot of those, so I guess I should enjoy it while I can.”

Luz shrugged and put her mask back on, before leaping off the side of the building and beginning to swing away into the horizon.

“Thank you all for reading! See you next time, true believers!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved at you. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Tales of the Spider-Girl

The orange sunset illuminated the streets of downtown New York, as the bell rang from inside the small elementary school. Several children exited the building, walking up to different directions, all smiling and giggling as they finished another school day. A small group of four young teenagers made their way out of the small crowd, following along the sidewalk at a casual pace while holding their backpacks and lunch bags.

“Anyone want to come over at my house?” Shozo, the Asian boy, asked in a casual tone of voice. “I bought Epic Mickey.”

“The first one or the second one?” Tom, the boy with the combed black hair, asked as he turned to his friend. The four stopped walking as they heard the sound of a jet engine, and looked up to see a humanoid figure flying above them at high speeds and disappearing in the distance, their previous conversation instantly forgotten. “That was Iron Man! He just flew past us! This is the best day ever!”

“Iron Man is so cool!” Peter, the chubby boy of the group, commented with an excited tone.

“Not as cool as the X-Men!” David, the skinny boy, commented with a smile as the four continued to walk. “Did you know I actually got an autograph from Marvel Girl? She’s so cool!”

“The Fantastic Four are cool as well!” Tom commented. “My uncle actually once took a picture with the Thing and the Human Torch.”

“Guys, what about Spider-Girl?” Shozo asked, and they all stopped walking. They all turned to each other, as expressions of excitement formed on their faces.

“Spider-Girl is the greatest ever! She always arrives just in time, like a streak of light!”

“I heard she’s got radioactive spider blood!”

“She’s always swinging from the highest ledges and jumping over our heads! It’s spectacular!”

“My cousin Jun actually got to see Spider-Girl in action one time.” Shozo commented, to which the other three turned to him in amazement.

“No way! You have to tell us all about it!” David declared with almost stars in his eyes.

“Alright! Alright!” Shozo declared as he began telling his tale. “Let me tell you the tale of the girl with the enchanted blood of a dying alien from Planet Spider!”

Emissary from Hell.

It was a dark night when a skeleton in a lab coat was driving a large van down an empty street. He was not someone in a costume, but a real skeleton, and nobody was around to hear the screams of sheer panic from the children in the back of the van. The skeleton parked the vehicle in front of a large factory, which seemed to have been abandoned for a long time, and several men wearing grey full body costumes approached the skeleton.

The skeleton opened the back of the van, and the kidnapped children all screamed in terror as the men took them away one by one. The skeleton turned to the last child in the van, about to drag her into the factory also, but stopped at the sight before him.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” The little girl asked in confusion, her eyes hidden behind her black shades as she gently tapped her walking cane around. “I have to go back to the hospital! My dad will pick me up there!”

The skeleton stared at the girl in silence for several seconds, his emotions being unreadable behind his frozen expression. The silence was broken by the sound of a church bell in the distance, and the skeleton was quick to close the van and get back into the driver seat, driving the girl away from the factory as fast as he could.

Hours later.

“Good morning, doctor.” One of the nurses commented as she approached the sidewalk in front of the hospital, where her co-worker was waiting with a worried expression on his face. “What are you standing there for?”

“It’s about the incident yesterday. Interpol is sending someone to investigate the kidnapped patients.”

“I’ve heard about it. The Iron Cross Army will go as far as kidnapping children! They should be ashamed of themselves!” The nurse declared. “I hope Interpol sends their best agent to deal with this!”

“Look!” The doctor declared as the sound of an engine echoed across the area, and the two turned to see a girl in a motorcycle driving down the street at high speeds, parking right in front of the hospital with a motorcycle slide across the asphalt, leaving three trails of smoke. The two stared at the girl as she stepped out of the motorcycle and took off her helmet, revealing herself to be an Asian teenager wearing a leather jacket. “You are…”

“Hikari Yamashiro!” The girl declared with a smile. “At your service!”

Hospital.

“Twenty-two patients were taken in total, but she was the only one who was brought back. Her name is Jun Uehara, 12 years old.” The doctor explained as he led Hikari down the hallways. “She lost her sight in a car accident. She and her father were returning from visiting her mother’s grave, when an out-of-control truck struck their car. After her father recovered, he promised that he would come back once he got enough money for a surgery that would let her see once again. He did send the money, and the surgery will be later today, but the man himself never showed up again.”

“Poor girl.” Hikari commented with a tone of worry as they arrived at the entrance to the hospital room. The two walked inside, to see Jun was laying on bed with her eyes closed. The girl turned her ear to the door as she heard it open.

“Did papa come back?” Jun asked in expectation.

“Not yet, but there is someone I want you to meet.” The doctor explained. “Her name is Hikari. She wants to ask you a few questions about yesterday. Is that okay?”

Jun nodded, and Hikari approached the girl at a slow pace, kneeling to look at the girl on eye level, despite the girl not being able to see it.

“Jun, could you tell me what happened to you yesterday?” Hikari asked, trying not to sound too intrusive.

“I was in the ward with some other kids, when I heard screaming and the footsteps of a bunch of people. Then someone picked me up, threw me on the back of a van, and took me somewhere else.” Jun explained.

“Is there anything you can reference to tell me where they took you?” Hikari asked, and to her surprise, the young girl nodded.

Church.

“These must have been the bells you heard.” Hikari commented on her parked motorcycle as she looked up at the church bells, Jun holding onto her as she sat on the back of the vehicle.

“The sound was further away last night, so the actual place might have been at the end of the street.” Jun explained as she signed with her head. Hikari nodded and drove to that direction, before stopping in front of an abandoned factory.

“This must be the place!” Hikari declared as she got out of the motorcycle and turned to Jun. “I need you to wait here, okay? If you hear anything strange approaching you, scream for help and I’ll come.”

“Miss Hikari…” Jun whispered. “Do you think my dad will actually come back?”

Hikari stared at the girl in slight surprise, not expecting that question now of all times. Hikari thought over for a few moments with an unsure expression on her face, and then finally spoke up.

“You will see him again.” Hikari declared. “I promise.”

Jun nodded, before Hikari ran to the factory and jumped over the metal fence, sneaking into the building. Hikari looked around, making sure nobody was watching, and then pulled up the sleeve of her jacket to reveal a metal bracelet around her wrist.

“Spider Protector!” Hikari yelled as the bracelet opened and released the red and blue suit, which automatically wrapped itself around her body, transforming her into Spider-Girl in a matter of seconds.

Spider-Girl somersaulted and glued to the side of a wall, climbing it and crawling inside the air vents of the factory. Hikari sneaked around for several seconds, before reaching the exit of the vent and looking over the inside of the abandoned building.

“Foolish skeleton!” A figure declared from the shadows as he swung his staff, sending the skeleton creature rolling across the floor. The skeleton looked up in fear as the figure stepped out of the shadows, the light reflecting on the metal side of his face. The face of Professor Monster. “You freed one of the hostages yesterday! I will need all of the human blood I can get to bring me back to the full power I have 400 years ago! What if Spider-Girl finds out about our hideout! Get out of my sight before I get you executed for treason!”

The skeleton forced himself back up and limped away from the scene, holding his arm in pain from Professor Monster’s strike. The skeleton stepped out of the factory through a metal door and walked into a small open area, only to gasp in surprise as a figure in red and blue jumped down from the ceiling right in front of him. The skeleton reached for his lab coat and pulled out a knife, about to throw it at Spider-Girl, only to stop as the arachnid themed super hero pulled out a piece of paper.

“Look!” Spider-Girl ordered as she held up a picture of Jun, the skeleton staring at it with an unreadable expression. “Your name is Keichi Uehara! In order to raise money for your daughter’s surgery, you joined the Iron Cross Army and allowed yourself to be transformed into a Machine Bem!”

The two heard a sudden scream, and turned to see none other than Professor Monster stepping out of the factory, holding a crying Jun in one of his hands.

“I knew you’d show up sooner or later, Wall Crawler! Try to make a move and the girl is toast!” Professor Monster declared, a wicked smile on his face as he ignored the girl’s cries. “Skeleton, kill Spider-Girl!”

“Papa! Papa, please help me!” Jun cried, only for Monster to grab her by the throat, silencing the girl as she struggled for air.

The skeleton turned to Spider-Girl with his blade in hands, his facial expression unchanged throughout the entire scene. Spider-Girl had a serious expression as she stared at the skeleton before her for several seconds, only for Keichi to turn around and throw his blade at Professor Monster, striking his arm and making him drop the little girl. Spider-Girl dashed forward at inhuman speeds, catching Jun before she could even hit the ground and running away from the scene.

“Why you… Skeleton!” Professor Monster declared in anger as he turned to Keichi, who began running away to the other direction as fast as his legs would allow him. Monster aimed and threw his staff, piercing right through Keichi’s back and coming out on the other side.

“Keichi!” Spider-Girl screamed from afar, as Professor Monster approached the skeleton, pulling his staff out as the creature fell to the floor.

Keichi struggled to move on the ground, using all of the strength he had left to turn his body, and stare at his daughter in the other side of the factory. Tears began flowing out of his empty eye sockets, and his skull struck the ground, lifeless at last.

Spider-Girl stared at the scene in anger, taking a few steps towards Professor Monster.

“Jun… please stand back…” Spider-Girl declared in a tone of restrained fury. Jun nodded and obeyed, retreating until her back was on the wall. “I’m taking this guy for the ride of his life, and he won’t be getting a kick out of it!”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Professor Monster asked in anger.

“An emissary from hell!” Hikari declared as she struck several poses, changing in between them as the camera jump cut to different angles, her theme song beginning to play in the background. “Spider-Girl!”

“Nindens!” Professor Monster declared, as several of the men in grey ran out of the factory and dashed to Spider-Girl while wielding swords.

The Nindens swung their weapons, which Spidey avoided by somersaulting over them, knocking one of them down with a quick punch. She back hopped to avoid more sword swings, and then dashed forwards, knocking several other Nindens down with a series of quick strikes, followed by a flying kick. Spider-Girl turned to see several more Nindens dashing to her, and then brought her bracelet near her face.

“Spider Machine GP-7!” Spider-Girl declared, and a super car came out of nowhere breaking through the walls, Spider-Girl jumping on the driver seat and pressing a button. Parts of the car opened to reveal machine guns, which opened fire around the Nindens, sending them all running away in fear. Spider-Girl back flipped out of the car and landed in front of Professor Monster. “It’s just me and you!”

“This is the end for you, Spider-Girl!” Professor Monster declared in anger.

Spidey dashed forward and threw a punch, which Monster blocked with his staff, before trusting it at Spider-Girl’s chest, the hero avoiding it with a swift back hop. Monster swung the staff, Spidey dodging it with a back flip over his head, only for Monster to swing the weapon another time, sending Spider-Girl flying onto a wall. Monster let out a maniacal laugh, as he attacked once again, only for Spider-Girl to avoid it by jumping away, ending up on her feet.

“Spider String!” She declared as she fired a web from her bracelet, using it to pull the staff out of Monster’s hands. Spider-Girl held the staff in her hands and snapped it in a half, before dashing at super speed and punching Monster right on the face, sending him rolling across the ground.

“Damn you, Spider-Girl!” Monster declared as he got back to his feet, and suddenly grew in size until he reached the height of a building. “Big Monster!”

Monster tried to step on Spidey, who jumped out of the way at the last second and ran to her car while yelling at her bracelet.

“Marveller!” Spider-Girl yelled, before jumping into the car, which flew away and got inside a large spaceship. The fight seemed to have been suddenly teleported to a mountainous area without any form of civilization in the surrounding area, for no apparent reason. “Fire Cannons!”

Marveller revealed several large cannons and opened fire, striking Professor Monster with several explosive projectiles, which made sparks fly out of his body. Monster groaned and fired a laser from his eyes, striking Marveller and making sparks fly out of the ship.

“Marveller! Change Leopardon!” Spider-Girl ordered as the ship morphed into the shape of a giant robot. Leopardon stepped towards Monster, creating a shield of energy to block his lasers. “Arm Rockets!”

Leopardon aimed and fired its fists, which flew towards Monster at high speeds, only for the professor to shoot them down in midair. Spider-Girl held a serious expression as the fists flew back and attached to the robot’s arms once again.

“I won’t lose to you! Arc Turn!” Spider-Girl declared as Leopardon aimed its arms forward, and the yellow piece of its head flew out at high speeds like a spinning boomerang, only for Monster to block its strike with his cape, the boomerang flying back and attaching to the robot’s head once again.

“It’s no use, Spider-Girl! The Iron Cross Army is invincible!” Professor Monster declared with a wicked laugh.

“Leopardon! Sword Vigor!” Spider-Girl ordered as Leopardon pulled out a large sword. Leopardon aimed and threw the blade into the air, the sword flying at incredible speeds and striking Monster as he screamed in terror. Leopardon turned around and struck a pose as Monster fell to the ground defeated, his body exploding into a massive show of sparks. “Iron Cross killer! Spider-Girl!”

Abandoned factory.

“Where is papa?” Jun asked as Hikari held her by the hand, taking her out of the factory, just like the many police officers around them were taking the other kidnapped children in their arms. “Is he coming with us? You promised!”

Hikari stared at Jun for a few moments with an unsure expression, and then got on her knees to speak with the girl at an eyes level.

“Listen carefully, Jun. Your father has gone on a faraway journey. You are going to meet up with hm again someday… but it will take a while.” Hikari explained. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to keep waiting for him, okay? Just focus on being able to see again, and I’m sure you’ll understand it eventually.”

Jun thought over Hikari’s words for a few moments, and then nodded.

“The doctor is waiting for you at the hospital. Let’s get those eyes of yours fixed.” Hikari commented, to which Jun nodded and the two walked away from the abandoned factory. Hikari made a promise to herself that day, the promise to never stop fighting, so that no one would have to suffer this kind of sorrow ever again.

The end.

New York City.

“A giant robot?” David asked in a doubtful tone of voice as the kids continued to walk down the sidewalk. “Really?”

“Why wouldn’t she have a giant robot? She’s Spider-Girl!” Shozo declared.

“Why did she yell ‘Spider String’ when she shot her web? Would be kind of awkward to web swing if she had to yell it every time.” Peter asked in slight confusion. “I’m also pretty sure you just made her a Power Ranger.”

“Hey! It’s not Spider-Girl who looks like a Power Ranger! It’s the Power Rangers who look like super heroes!” Shozo declared defensively.

“I’m fine with the robot and the string, but… why didn’t she joke around more?” Tom asked, making the others turn to him. “Don’t you guys know it? Spider-Girl is funny.”

“When did you become the Spider-Girl expert around here?” Peter asked.

“When my dad met Spider-Girl while working as a security guard.” Tom commented, showing his tongue. The others gasped and turned to him.

“Why didn’t you mention that before? Spit it up!”

“Okay! I’ll tell you! I’m about to blow your minds right now! I’ll change your perceptions of Spider-Girl forever!” Tom declared in an overconfident voice as he crossed his arms. “First of all… she’s a squirrel!”

Spider-Squirrel.

“Gee! It sure is boring around here!” The little cute anthropomorphic squirrel commented with her voice that sounded like a young Russi Taylor, as she laid at the top of a building, looking around with a disinterested expression. “Been swinging around all day and the only crimes I’ve seen were parking violations and litterbug.”

Spider-Squirrel leaped off and swung for a few seconds, landing on top of another building. She looked around and a smile formed on her face as she noticed a large gated area in the distance.

“The new amusement park! Perfect way to kill some time!” Spidey declared as she leaped off the building and swung to the end of the street. She landed on the asphalt and took a few steps towards the entrance, only to stop as she noticed a small crowd forming on the sidewalk. Several anthropomorphic animals began chanting and holding up signs. “What is up with those docs?”

“The board games your company produces have orcs as raiders and pillagers!” Declared a grey rat holding a sign that read ‘Ban Creatures and Caverns!’ “This is essentialism!”

“Your card games are culturally insensitive menaces!” Declared a blue cat holding a sign that read ‘Ban Ducky MoGo!’ “Why does Jinxer have to be purple?”

“You made that new video game despite the author’s controversial statements!” Declared a purple skunk holding a sign that read ‘Ban Azura Legacy!’ “Your gaming division is spineless!”

“Your action figures are a harassment campaign!” Declared a grey coyote holding a sign that read ‘Ban Robot Toad!’ “You have no place in the toy industry!”

“Alright, everybody! Show’s over!” Declared a voice, and they all turned to see a black and white cat dressed in stars and stripes approaching them, a round shield on her back.

“Holy cow! It’s the one and only Anne Boonchew!” Declared the coyote in surprise. “Captain Americat!”

“You’re disrupting public peace. Please leave the area.” Captain Americat declared, to which the protesters groaned and began walking away. As the crowd left, they opened the way for Spider-Squirrel to walk in.

“Spidey! As I live and breathe!” Cap commented. “What brings you here, my rodent friend?”

“Just here to check out the new park.” Spidey commented with a smile as she walked past Cap, giving her a high five. Cap waved her goodbye and made her way out of the area, none of the two aware of the shadow who watched the scene from afar.

“Dang those super heroes! When one leaves, the other shows up! They’ll ruin my entire plan!” The masked figure declared. “Worry not! I have a way to handle that squirrel!”

Amusement Park.

“This place is cool! It is way better than the old park from when I was younger!” Spider-Squirrel commented as she ate a piece of cotton candy that was weirdly shaped like a nut. “Nothing could ruin this day for me!”

Spidey heard the sound of screaming, and turned in surprise as she saw civilians running away in fear. She rolled her eyes and ran to the source of the panic, a gasp escaping her lips as she stared at the scene before her.

“I can’t believe it! It’s the American Bunny!” Spidey declared, as the large red bunny turned dragon hybrid turned to her in anger, wearing what appeared to be a mind control device on his head.

“Nothing can escape bunny! BUNNY SMASH!” The American Bunny declared as he ran towards Spider-Squirrel.

“Oh, dear jiminy!” Spidey declared as she turned around and ran, her legs appearing to become circles as she dashed out of the scene like a blur. Bunny chased after her, the background clearly just repeating itself in circles. A door to a bathroom stall suddenly opened, hitting Bunny in the face. Spider-Squirrel stepped out of the stall wearing a pair of glasses with a fake nose and a mustache, as well as holding a smoking cigar in her hands. She closed the door, revealing Bunny was standing there with a stupid expression and little stars spinning around his head. “May I help you, sir?”

Bunny shook his head, making the stars disappear, and stared at the stranger with an expression of suspicion.

“Where’s Spider-Squirrel?” Bunny asked in anger.

“Spider-Squirrel?” She asked in slight confusion. “You mean a squirrel who wears a red mask?”

“Yes!”

“Does she wear a spider symbol on her chest?”

“Yes!”

“Does she go around doing this?” Spidey asked as she back flipped and struck one of her poses, shooting several webs into the air. “Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!”

“Yes! That’s the one!” Bunny declared in excitement.

“Never heard of her.” Spidey declared with a shrug as she threw her cigar into the Bunny’s hands and walked away. Bunny stared at the item from a few moments, when the exploding cigar suddenly detonated into a large fireball, the smoke dispersing to reveal bunny all covered in black ashes. Bunny pulled out a sign that read ‘Ouch!’, when he heard laughter and turned to see Spider-Squirrel taking off her disguise. “Guess who? Ha ha ha HA ha, ha ha ha HA ha, ha ha ha HA ha, hehehehehehehe!”

Bunny shook off the ashes and stared at the squirrel in anger, just as Spidey once again ran away as fast as she could.

“Damn that Squirrel!” The masked figure declared as he sat on an armchair in the middle of an empty room, controlling the Bunny with a remote controller, while watching the chase on a TV screen. The screen showed the American Bunny and Spider-Squirrel in a pixelated style, jumping from location to location across the amusement park as if it was the level select screen of a video game. “Throughout all of my years in this vital industry, this is the first time this ever happened to me!”

Spidey and Bunny continued to run through the repeating background, only for Bunny to suddenly stop and turn around, catching Spider-Squirrel as she left through one side of the screen and reappeared on the other.

“Game’s over, squirrel!” Bunny declared.

“Says who?” Spidey asked.

“Says Bunny! The strongest one there is!” Bunny declared.

“You’re all bark, no bite!” Spidey declared as she pointed at the Ferris wheel near them. “If you’re so strong, how about you lift that?”

Bunny, up for the challenge, let go of Spider-Squirrel and made his way to the wheel, picking it up with one hand and holding it over his head.

“Impressive!” Spidey nodded, and then pointed at the carousel. “How about that one?”

Bunny nodded and put the wheel back, before making his way to the large carousel and lifting the entire thing over his head with one arm, using the other arm to flex while smiling to the camera with a confident expression.

“Great! Great! How about that?” Spider-Squirrel asked as she pointed at a large billboard that was advertising a firework store. Bunny nodded and put down the carousel, making his way to the billboard and lifting it easily. Spidey stared at the scene with an impressed expression, before she jumped to the top of the billboard and lit up a match, using it to reach into the picture of the fireworks in the billboard and light them up. “Now that’s comedy!”

Bunny stared at the scene in surprise as Spider-Squirrel dashed away, and the pictures of fireworks all exploded as if they were actual fireworks, the massive explosions sending Bunny flying upwards, before he exploded again and wrote the word ‘Ouch!’ in the skies. Spidey nodded as she stared at the vanishing word, before Bunny landed on his face right in front of her, little birds flying around his head as he sat up, shaking them off and once again running after Spidey.

Spider-Squirrel leaped and fired a web, swinging over several attractions and running to the entrance of the roller-coaster, only for the Bunny to come jumping and land on top of her, flatting Spidey on the ground like she was a paper cutout. American Bunny grabbed Spider-Squirrel and pulled her up, her body returning to normal, and then punched her on the face several times at a quick pace, like a large dog beating up an unlucky grey cat. Spidey reached for her pocket and pulled out a stop sign, making the Bunny stop punching.

“Before you take me down for good, can I at least get one final picture?” Spidey asked as she pulled out a camera. Bunny took the camera and let go of Spider-Squirrel, who cleaned some of the dirt of her costume and struck a pose. “You’re too close. Take a few steps back.”

Bunny nodded and walked back a few steps.

“A little more…” Spidey declared, which the Bunny obeyed. “A little more… There! Perfect!”

Bunny pointed the camera at Spider-Squirrel and took the picture, only for the roller-coaster car to strike him at that exact moment, since he had just moonwalked right onto the tracks. The camera flew out of the Bunny’s hands as the impact sent him flying to the horizon. Spidey grabbed the camera in midair and checked the picture, seeing it was just the image of the word ‘Ouch!’

Bunny suddenly came flying from the opposite direction he had flown into, holding a suitcase with several stickers on it, which read ‘Paris’, ‘London’, ‘Cairo’, ‘Hollywood’, ‘Bombay’, and many others. Bunny had little Spider-Squirrels with angel wings flying around his head, as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Spidey walked to him and took out the mind control device, before pulling a large mallet out of hammerspace and smashing the device on the ground.

“This can’t be happening! That squirrel defeated the American Bunny!” The masked figure declared in shock as he stared at the victorious squirrel in the TV screen. “This is crazy!”

“What did you expect?” Spider-Squirrel asked as the image of her in the TV turned to the masked enemy. She fired a web upwards, which stuck to seemingly nothing, and swung towards the screen, breaking right through it and landing right in front of the mysterious enemy. “Everybody thinks I’m crazy!”

“Why, you…” The masked figure declared as he reached for his gun holster, but Spider-Squirrel signed for him to stop.

“There is no point in trying to shoot me! I’ll draw faster!” Spidey declared.

“Oh, yeah?” The masked figure asked as he pulled his gun out, only for Spidey to pull out a piece of paper and draw on it as super speed with a pen. Spidey showed the paper to the masked figure, revealing it to be a drawing of a cannon. The cannon then fired itself, the cannonball sending the masked figure through the wall, revealing that he was actually hidden inside a small cabin in the middle of the park. “You’re despicable!”

“Ain’t I a stinker?” Spidey asked as she fired several of her webs, tying up the figure in place.

“Hey! Spider-Squirrel!” She heard, and turned to see a cat in a security guard outfit running to her. “I heard the American Bunny was rampaging! Who is that?”

“Let’s find out!” Spider-Squirrel declared as she reached for the figure’s mask and pulled it out, revealing the face of a green duck.

“Quancy Quackers!” The guard declared in surprise. “He’s the owner of the old amusement part in the other side of the town!”

“This park was driving me out of business, so I tricked those protestants into rallying against the park to scare away customers, despite my own park doing most of the same things they were protesting against. I even hired Doctor Octopussycat to build a mind control device in could put on the American Bunny, just I case one of you super heroes showed up!” Quackers declared in anger, still unable to break free from the webbing. “And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for this meddling squirrel and that nosy dog!”

“Dog? What dog?” Spidey asked, when she heard a bark, and turned to see the cat guard had climbed a tree, and was looking down in fear of a little puppy. Spider-Squirrel let out an innocent laugh as the screen gave us a bird-eye view of the scene, before fading into black and cutting to several red and blue rings with a black circle in the center, a merry melody playing in the background. Spider-Squirrel came out of the black circle and waved goodbye. “That’s all, folks!”

The end.

New York city.

“Really? A squirrel?” Shozo asked in slight annoyance.

“At first I thought she was a pig, but I figured a squirrel had a better rhyme.” Tom explained with a smile and a shrug.

“That story didn’t even make any sense! You think there would just be a bunch of anthropomorphic animals walking around, and nobody would notice it?” David asked. “What do you think this is? Archive of Our Own?”

“Spider-Girl is supposed to be funny! I wanna see you tell me one better!” Tom declared as he showed his tongue.

“I do have one better. My next-door neighbor actually saw Spider-Girl in action, and she sure didn’t look like she came straight out of the Disney Channel.” Peter declared, to which the others turned to him. “You want to hear the story? Alright then… It all began in the year 2099!”

Edge of Time.

It was quite a lively night in New York city, the cyberpunk empire that never slept, with the swift flying cars dashing near the massive skyscrapers. The doors to the futuristic elevator opened, and a Latina girl teenager walked out, making her way down a hallway and approaching a specific door. She placed her palm on the scanner, before the door lit up and slid open.

“Welcome home, Michele O’Hara.” Declared a robotic voice as the teen walked inside, the lights of the room turning themselves on automatically as the door slid closed behind her. Michele sat on her sofa, took off her sunglasses, and let out a tired sigh. The life of a scientist was a tiresome one, especially for a scientist who no longer worked for Alchemax. She pointed her arm at the TV, making a holographic controller appear on her hand, and then turned it on, the device projecting a holographic screen as wide as the room would allow it.

“Nuts! Wouldn’t you know it! Nothing but a bunch of late, late shows on TV!” Michele commented as she began flipping the channel, ending up not finding anything that caught her interest. Michele turned off the TV and the holograms all vanished, before she closed her eyes for a few moments to rest.

Her eyes flung open as she smelled burning, and she then noticed small sparks coming out of the television screen. Michele got up and dashed to the window at inhuman speeds, jumping off it and diving down at high speeds, the building so tall she couldn’t even see the ground. Michele looked back to see her apartment exploding in a large blast of energy. Her teeth morphed into fangs as she gently tapped her own chest, and a nanofiber black suit with red details formed around her body. Spider-Girl fired a web, produced organically from her own body, and swung to the side of a nearby building, using her tiny claws coming out of her fingertips of stick to the wall.

“Good afternoon, Michele.” Lyra greeted as the HUD of Spider-Girl’s suit began scanning the leftover energy of the explosion. “I’ve already took the liberty to hack into all of the cameras that caught you carelessly putting on the suit in public and then deleted the videos. How else can I help you tonight?”

“Someone tried to kill me.” Michele explained to the artificial intelligence.

“Nothing out of the ordinary so far.”

“Not me as in Spider-Girl! Me as in Michele O’Hara! Someone tried to kill me!” Spidey clarified as her suit gave her the results of the analysis. “Someone overcharged the electronics in my apartment to explode. Let’s start with the place my building gets its electricity from.”

“The same place 92% of the city gets their electricity from.” Lyra commented as Michele leaped off the side of the building and used her web-like light byte cape to glide through the air, before she began swinging in between the massive buildings and jumping over the high-speed flying cars. “Alchemax it is!”

Alchemax.

“Motion detectors turned off. I’ve shut down as many security protocols as I could, but be careful, this place is highly advanced.” Lyra declared, to which Spidey responded by swinging and sticking the to the side of the Alchemax building with her claws. Michele crawled up several floors, before using her claws to break into a small air vent. “You’d think the largest tech developer in the world could afford to carpet their air ducts for extra comfort.”

“Scan the building. Find whatever they used to blow my apartment up and shut it down.” Michele commented as she sneaked through the large ventilation system of the massive skyscraper, a map of the building appearing in her HUD as she headed to the last floor. “I’ll pay a visit to mister CEO himself.”

“Scanning 299 stories could take a while.” Lyra commented as she began the process.

Michele glanced down through the small openings in the vents, seeing the massive factory of Sentinels in the floor beneath. The cybernetic division had sure kept themselves busy ever since Michele left her job as a geneticist. She continued to crawl up through the vents, and glanced at the next floor to see a familiar genetics lab. Michele still remembered the accident that gave her the spider powers, and she would be sure that no other would even be turned into an inhuman abomination like she was. Michele had to destroy her own research, and make sure nobody else would suffer in the hands of Alchemax.

Michele reached the final floor and glanced down through the vents, seeing what appeared to be a large office. The door slid open for a blonde man to walk in, sitting right behind the desk and beginning to type on a holographic computer.

“Tyler Stone, CEO of Alchemax.” Spidey commented as he looked down upon the businessman. Michele squinted her eyes, keeping her serious expression. “Hack into Stone’s files. Find out what he’s been up to.”

“Stone? You’d think we’d be in a first name basis by now, Spider-Girl.” Tyler declared and pressed a button. Michele gasped as she heard the sound of beeping, and a small explosion sent her crashing out of the air vent. Spidey recovered in midair and back flipped, landing on her feet right on top of Tyler’s desk, breaking the hologram projector with her feet. She grabbed the man by the neck with one hand and threatened him with the claws on the other. “Classy.”

“Your daughter!” Spider-Girl declared in a threatening tone. “Michele O’Hara!”

“Not my proudest one-night stand, but she was quite useful as a geneticist.” Tyler asked in a calm tone of voice.

“You tried to kill her!” Michele accused.

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic.” Tyler commented with an eye-roll. “My daughter is quite brilliant, but she served her purpose. I needed her to create a Spider-Girl, and so she did. If I want to mass produce you, I can’t let her go around creating super soldiers for other companies, can I? There can only be one man above it all, and you are looking at him.”

“You’re an idiot! If you killed Michele, how would you even create more of me?” Spider-Girl asked.

“Might require some extensive dissection, but it can be done.” Tyler commented.

“Michele! It’s an emergency!” Lyra exclaimed from within Spider-Girl’s costume, her voice inaudible to anyone else in the room. “I’ve found the electrical discharge that caused the explosion! It is in the room with you right now!”

Spidey’s eyes widened as she was suddenly hit by a blast of electricity, sending her flying away from Tyler and onto a wall. Spider-Girl was quick to get back to her feet, seeing large sparks of electricity flying around the room, which then came together into the form of a humanoid robot.

“This android was a construction worker who got involved in a generator accident. It fried his obedience chip and gave him electric powers. I was happy to offer him a job.” Tyle commented as he got up from his desk. “Spider-Girl, meet Electro.”

“Let’s dance, girl in black!” Electro declared as he fired a blast of electricity, Spider-Girl back flipping out of the way at the very last second.

Electro fired another lightning, which Spider-Girl dodged by leaping and landing on the wall, before jumping off it and dashing towards Electro in midair. Spider-Girl suddenly multiplied into what appeared to be a whole army of Spider-Girls all heading towards Electro at high speeds. The android was confused for a moment, until he grinned and fired several lightning bolts from his fingertips, which spread at incredible speeds and went through each of the holograms, before electro turned around and fired a bolt at the real Spider-Girl, knocking her away from Tyler. Michele began getting back up, only for Electro to teleport on top of her and pin her to the ground with his foot.

“Neat magic trick you got there! Scared me for a moment!” Electro declared with a laugh, only for Spider-Girl to stab his mechanical foot with her claws. Electro screamed in surprise as Spider-Girl flipped him to the ground, breaking open a large hole on the floor as the two fell to the story beneath it.

“Could you please cancel my appointments?” Tyler asked to his cell phone. “Something came up.”

Michele avoided the lightning bolts in midair by gliding with her cape, before firing a pair of webs at Electro’s shoulders and pulling him close, before scratching him several times with her claws, finishing it with a downwards kick that send Electro crashing right in the middle of the genetics lab. Michele’s former coworkers screamed in surprise and began exiting the room at the sight of the robot, all of them having left by the time Spider-Girl landed on her feet.

“One advantage I have in this fight is that you are not a human. As long as your head is intact, you can be rebuilt.” Spider-Girl declared as she opened a small fridge and pulled out two bottles of chemicals, mixing them together as Electro got back to his feet. “I don’t have to hold back!”

“I’m the one with the catchphrases around here!” Electro yelled and fired his lightning, Spidey dodging at the last second and holding the bottle in front of it. The chemical combination changed color as it began to boil due to the heat of the lightning strike, and Michele threw it, the bottle exploding as it hit Electro, and the impact making a large hole on the ground that sent the two crashing to the floor beneath, the cybernetic division.

“Oh my God! You’re Spider-Girl!” Declared one of the workers as Michele landed right in front of them with a pose. “My neighbor’s kid is like your biggest fan!”

“Take everyone away from here! I don’t want any bystanders!” Spider-Girl ordered, to which the worker nodded and ran to press the fire alarm. Spidey turned to Electro, who was still moving despite large pieces of his metal body beginning to melt and burn off.

“You’re quite a bright one… but nobody shines brighter than me!” Electro declared as his sparks began to fly around the room. Spider-Girl leaped and began swinging around with her webs to avoid the large bolts of electricity. Michele leaped off the web and back flipped, landing right on top of one of the many large Sentinel robots around the room. The Sentinel’s eyes suddenly lit up, and Spider-Girl gasped as it began moving.

“Hacking completed.” Lyra declared as the Sentinels began making their way towards Electro, firing their lasers at the robot and making parts of his metal arms begin to melt off. “An army of robots just for you. Consider it an early birthday gift.”

Electro yelled in anger as he began firing several massive lightning bolts at the Sentinels. Spider-Girl somersaulted away from the robots as the lightning began to fry their circuits. Electro smiled in confidence, which was replaced by an expression of shock as the Sentinels began melting and fell right on top of him, exploding into a massive fireball that shook the entire laboratory. Michele stared at the explosion from a far, Electro’s head flying out of the fireball and rolling towards her, Spidey pinning the head to the floor with her foot.

“You might have won, but I’m still ahead!” Electro commented. “Get it? Ahead? Hehe… Okay, I’ll shut up now.”

Michele shook her head and turned, only to see the barrel of a gun pointed right at her forehead, held by none other than Tyler Stone.

“Your powers are not bad, for a first draft.” Tyler declared. “I’ll study your corpse so I can provide a much-needed rewrite.”

“I don’t have powers! I have a curse!” Spider-Girl declared in response. “The last thing the world needs is more ungodly abominations like me, especially if they’re obeying you!”

“I guess we will have to agree to disagree. This discussion is over.” Tyler declared. Spider-Girl stared at him in silence, her restrained anger noticeable through her stance and slight movements. “Don’t make this personal, child. Even if you could defeat me here, you have no evidence against me. I would just get acquitted.”

Michele stared at her father in silence for a few more moments, and then signed to the side with her head. Tyler glanced to that direction, seeing a small TV screen on the wall, which suddenly turned itself on to play a familiar video, which appeared to have been recorded from Spider-Girl’s point of view.

“My daughter is quite brilliant, but she served her purpose. I needed her to create a Spider-Girl, and so she did. If I want to mass produce you, I can’t let her go around creating super soldiers for other companies, can I? There can only be one man above it all, and you are looking at him.” Declared the video on the screen. Tyler’s eyes widened in shock, which morphed into anger as he turned back to Spider-Girl.

“Now playing on every TV screen in New York! Brought to you by a quick hack to the signal!” Lyra declared in a joyful voice. “Told ya’ recording everything you see would come in handy someday!”

Tyler pulled the trigger, but before the bullet could leave the barrel, Spider-Girl struck it with her claws, slicing the metal to pieces. She retreated her claws and grabbed Tyler by the neck before slamming him to the floor and tying him up with her webbing.

“It’s over for you, father!” Spider-Girl declared.

“Father?” Tyler asked in confusion, his expression morphing into one of surprise as he understood it.

“I am the monster you’ve created! I am the punishment for all of your misdeeds! Birthed by the woman you abandoned and mutated by your lust for power!” Spider-Girl declared as she reached for her mask and pulled it off, revealing her expression to be a mixture of anger and sorrow, small tears flowing from her eyes. “I am Michele O’Hara!”

Tyler looked at the face of his daughter, almost paralyzed with an expression of fear in his eyes. Michele heard the sound of footsteps, and put her mask back on, before dashing to the window and breaking right through it, diving down for several dozen seconds, before beginning to swing away.

New York city.

“Aren’t you worried about your father knowing your identity?” Lyra asked, as Spider-Girl stood at the top of a building and watched the police officers putting Tyler on the back of the cop car.

“He won’t tell anyone. It’s not his style.” Michele explained. “Knowledge of my identity would lose value if everyone knew about it.”

“He is going to come back and try to kill you again.” Lyra commented. “You know that, right?”

“When he does, I’ll still be here, ready to take him down once again.” Michele declared in a decided tone of voice. “This is who I must be. This is my gift, my curse. I am Spider-Girl!”

Spidey leaped off the building, before swinging away into the city that never sleeps, dashing in between the massive skyscrapers and the flying cars that surrounded her. She was Michele O’Hara, the Spider-Girl of 2099!

The end.

New York city.

“Why was her costume black?” Tom asked as the three continued to walk down the sidewalk. “It’s supposed to be blue and red.”

“It is black and red! It just appears blue because of the reflection of the city lights!” Peter explained.

“Why was the setting cyberpunk?” Shozo asked.

“Come on! Spider-Girl has always been known for her cool gadgets!” Peter insisted.

“I like that you gave her a more serious side.” David commented. “Although I’ve heard Spider-Girl is a little bit different from that.”

“Oh yeah? Heard from who?” Peter asked.

“My big sister has actually been saved by Spider-Girl! I can tell you all about it if you want!” David explained, and the others glanced at him expectedly. “Alright, let’s make one thing clear: Spider-Girl wears black. Not black and red, she wears all black. Another thing: She uses guns!”

The Avenging World of Noir.

“Graine’s journal, January 23, 1931. It’s been three weeks since it began to snow in New York, and there is no relief in sight. Winter seasons were always the hardest. Looking around I see broken men and women. Snot-nosed kids in rags. I could see the light dying in their eyes with each passing second. My mother gave another lecture yesterday as we all gathered around a burning barrel, and I can say it was quite a speech. There have been some accounts of the Enforcers showing up in this side of town. I should just lock the windows of my house and stay away, but I’ve never been one to take the easy path. Back when I found my father’s body all those years ago, the moment when I lost my optimism and arrogance, I believed they had killed my father and fed him to dogs. I now realize one thing: It wasn’t dogs who tore my father to pieces. It wasn’t dogs.”

Roxy Graine closed her journal and hid it in the pocket of her black shirt upon hearing a loud noise that broke the silence of the cold night. She had been in the business for long enough to know when her house was being broken into. Graine opened her wardrobe and pressed a small hidden button, revealing a secret compartment inside.

She strapped the black gun holster to her chest and pulled out a pitch-black mask, featuring a pair of expressionless reflective bug eyes. Calling it a mask was likely a misnomer, as Graine did not wear it to hide her identity. The dark face she put on was a frozen declaration of the distain she felt towards the corrupt burglars and looters. Graine put on the pitch-black overcoat and fedora hat, before unlocking the window and glancing down into the dark night from her second floor. She jumped without fear, landing on her feet in the surrounding darkness.

“Cold night we have, isn’t that right, officer?” One of the Enforcers declared as he approached the cop who had been standing on the corner of the street, guarding the neighborhood with his watchful eyes. The Enforcer pulled out a small pack of cigarettes, opening it to reveal several hundred-dollar bills inside. “Want a light?”

The cop smirked and took the pack in his hands, before looking to the other direction and walking away from that street, making his way to the other side of the block.

The crowbar broke open the lock to the wooden door and the other two Enforcers walked inside. The place was dark and cold, the silence being almost deafening.

“We know you can hear us, Graine!” One of the Enforcers declared as they looked around in the dark. “The Vulture isn’t exactly fond of those news stories you’ve been writing. We can pay for your silence, or you can pay for your hospital bills. You decide.”

The two looked around for a few more moments, when they heard the sound of the door being kicked open from the outside. One of the enemies opened fire with his pistol, only for the figure in black to dodge it with a quick head movement and kick a small wooden chair, which struck the shooter and knocked him to the ground. The shadow dashed towards the other Enforcer, who tried to strike the figure with the crowbar, only for the figure to halt the attack by grabbing the criminal’s hand, before quickly pulling out a pistol and shooting the Enforcer. The man fell to the ground, holding his back in pain.

“You just crippled him!” The other Enforcer declared as he jumped back to his feet.

“He’s young. He’ll walk again.” The dark figure declared as she turned to the Enforcer, his expression of fear reflected in the mirrored lenses. “He’ll never forget this night.”

The Enforcer tried to once again open fire, only for the figure to shoot a jet of black webbing from the web shooters on her wrist, the black webs tangling the Enforcer’s face and arms. The figure dashed at high speeds and grabbed the Enforcer by the neck, before pinning him to the ground. The figure took the gun from the thug’s hands, and then crushed it in front of the man’s eyes.

“You’re… the Spider-Girl…” The Enforcer whispered in fear. “But you’re… only a myth!”

The third Enforcer sat outside on the driver seat of the getaway car. She glanced at Graine’s house on the other side of the snowy street. The others were sure taking their time dealing with the reporter. She reached to turn on the heater, only to hear the sound of a heavy object crashing into a dumpster near her. She turned to it in surprise and was about to get out of the car, when another large object crashed, this time landing right on top of her vehicle and cracking the glass.

She pulled out her gun and left the car, stepping into the snowy sidewalk, only to see none other than her fellow Enforcer laying on top of the vehicle, struggling to even speak. She glanced at the dumpster, seeing the third Enforcer with a bleeding wound on his chest.

“The… Spider… Girl…” The Enforcer whispered and struggled to point up. She turned, to see a figure in all black wearing a trench coat was standing on top of the building, staring down upon her. She cursed under her breath and ran away from the scene, the black shadow watching her as she fled.

Daily Bugle.

“Graine’s journal, January 24, 1931. Fools will tell you there can be no honest person, that there are no good and evil, only neutral. That is nonsensical, as for there to be a grey, there has to be a black and a white. Once you know what is good and what is evil, there can be no excuse for choosing any part of evil. Those who do so choose are not neutral, but evil, and must be treated accordingly. Justice is recognizing what something is objectively and treating it as such. A is A. A thing is what it is. Acknowledging what evil is and treating it as the evil it is, that is justice.”

Graine heard the phone of her office ringing. She put the journal down on her desk and picked up the call, hearing a familiar voice.

“Graine! You have to help me!” Declared the voice of the last Enforcer, the woman Spider-Girl had allowed to escape the night before.

“Ms. Baggot. Long time no see.” Graine commented in a tone of faked ignorance. “Changed your mind about being my informant?”

“You have to get me out of here! I’m in trouble!” Baggot almost pleaded. “I’ll give you whatever information you want for your story! Just help me out, man!”

“Nice to make business with you.” Graine declared.

“Meet me at the Webbs pier at 9! If you can protect me, I’ll give you whatever leak you want!” Baggot declared and then hung up.

“Lead or trap? It could be either…” Graine whispered to herself as she hung up the phone and glanced at the snow falling into the glass of the window. “It is way to dangerous for Roxy Graine to go in there… but it should be no problem for Spider-Girl!”

Webbs Pier.

The place was dark and reeked of fish and rotten flesh. Graine wondered how many bodies or pieces of evidence were sleeping under the freezing water. Spider-Girl made her way through the alleys between the buildings, avoiding open areas, until she saw Baggot in the distance. She was looking around with a nervous expression. Spider-Girl stepped towards the informant, only for Graine to gasp as Baggot fell to the ground, the sound of a gunshot echoing across the pier.

Spider-Girl dashed at high speeds and kneeled before the dead body of her informant, seeing the bullet wound on the side of her head. Early as she was, Graine was still too late. Spider-Girl heard the sound of laughter, and looked up to see what appeared to be a massive swift bird leaving the area. She had heard a lot about the Vulture, but she didn’t expect him to take the fight into the skies.

“Cleaning evidence of the assassination attempt on Graine. This explains why Baggot was so distressed.” The Spider-Girl commented, and then looked down at the bullet wound. “Vulture’s attempts to escape his fate are exactly what will lead him to it.”

Manhattan.

“Graine’s journal, January 25, 1931. My philosophy is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral pursuit of his life, productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. Justice is objectively identifying a thing for what it is and treating it accordingly. No one gets the unearned. The innocent is not penalized, the guilty is not rewarded.”

The Spider-Girl put her journal back into her pocket as she walked through the dark corners of the street and looked down at the plastic evidence bag in her hands. The bullet could only have been fired by a Colt Detective Special, a double action six shot revolver. The gun itself must already have been at the bottom of a river somewhere, but what mattered was where the Vulture had gotten it from. It was likely not through legal means, and Graine only knew one person who could sell this form of weaponry.

“.357 Magnum caliber Colt Python.” The tall red-haired man declared as he showed the firearm to the other thug, the two standing in the middle of a dark alley. “Carries up to six bullets at a time and never jams.”

The thug nodded and gave the man several hundred-dollar bills. The man gave the revolver to the thug and counted the money as he left. The red-haired man waited a few moments, and then walked out of the alley himself, preparing to call a taxi, when he felt a black gloved hand holding his shoulder from behind with a stern grip.

“Mr. Roden.” The Spider-Girl whispered.

Before Roden could react, Spider-Girl threw him back into the alley, slamming him onto several trash cans. Roden screamed and held his arm in pain, as he looked up to the black figure approaching him.

“You’ll have a hard time convincing the garbage men that you don’t belong where you are.” Spider-Girl declared. Roden pulled out a gun, only for the Spider-Girl to pull it out of his hands with a web, pulling the weapon to the ground and crushing it under her feet. Graine grabbed Roden by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up, the two staring at each other on eye level. “You sold a Colt to the Vulture! Where did you meet him?”

“Vulture? I don’t know who you’re talking about!” Roden lied, to which the Spider-Girl flipped him and threw him to the ground.

Roden closed his eyes in fear. Spider-Girl could force the truth out of him. She could beat him. She could torture him. He’d deserve it. Roden opened his eyes, to see the black figure was nowhere to be seen. Roden got back to his feet and ran out of the alley in fear, unaware of the living shadow following him from the rooftops.

“Let’s see where the Vulture made his nest!” Graine declared as he pursuit Roden from afar.

Black Cat Club.

The place was not a very expensive bar. In fact, it was quite average, which helped to keep up appearances. The Black Cat was closed, with just a handful of employees inside, cleaning the dishes and sweeping the floor. It was then the red-haired man came running through the door.

“I must speak with the Vulture, immediately!” Roden declared in shock. “The Spider-Girl is real! She is coming after us!”

“Really?” Roden heard, and turned his head to see a bald long nosed figure stepping out of the shadows, wearing a black wingsuit. The figure had an expression of anger, showing his sharp teeth that resembled the fangs of a canine. “Why did you bring her right to us? You stupid bastard!”

The glass ceiling above them suddenly shattered, and a figure in black landed right in the middle of the bar. One of the employees threw a glass bottle at the Spider-Girl, only for her to grab it in midair and throw it back, the glass shattering upon hitting the man’s face. Graine turned around and kicked up a wooden table, which flew onto another employee and shattered to pieces. She pulled out her gun and shot the final employee on the knees right as he was about to pull out a knife to attack her, the employee falling to the ground in pain.

Vulture dashed at high speeds and bit Spider-Girl right on the shoulder, making the dark shadow scream as she fell to the ground. Roden reached for one of the unconscious employees, took their gun, and ran away from the bar, just as the Vulture flew upwards and escaped through the same hole Spider-Girl had made on the ceiling. Grained reached for the bite wound on his shoulder. He got back up and glanced at the blood in his hands.

“It wasn’t dogs who tore my father to pieces…” Graine declared as he picked up his gun and chased after the two. “It wasn’t dogs!”

The Spider-Girl heard a scream as she stepped out into the street, and turned to see Roden holding a bystander hostage, the gun pointed right at her head.

“Please! Don’t shoot! I have a family! I have a little brother!” The woman insisted.

“Shut your mouth!” Roden yelled and stared at Spider-Girl. “Come even one step closer, and I’ll blow her brains off!”

“Will you, Roden?” Graine asked in a serious voice. Roden’s hands were trembling, he was sweating, his breathing was off. “You’ve never killed a person before. I can tell. Are you willing to make that jump?”

Roden stood still for a few moments as he contemplated his options. He glanced at the Spider-Girl, seeing his own face reflected in her immovable eyes. Roden closed his eyes, tears flowing out of them, as he dropped the gun to the snow and let go of the hostage, Graine pulling her away. Roden fell to the ground crying, and Spider-Girl fired a net of black webbing, tying him up.

“Run.” Graine ordered the victim, who nodded and ran away from the area as fast as she could. The Spider-Girl saw a swift shadow above her, looking up to see the Vulture had landed on a nearby building. Grained fired her web and pulled herself up, sticking to the side of the building and crawling to the top, her father’s killer standing before her. “I’ve got you now, you piece of trash!”

“I am going to eat your heart!” Vulture threatened with a wide smile, as Graine felt her Spider Sense flaming in red.

Vulture flew forwards at high speeds and pushed the Spider-Girl to knock her off the building, only for Graine to glue her feet to the rooftop, stopping the Vulture midflight by grabbing his wings. The Vulture tried to bite Spider-Girl’s neck, but Graine gave him a headbutt that knocked him back a few inches, following it with several punches. Vulture swung his wings and stabbed the Spider-Girl on the sides, making Graine scream, but he recovered in a split second and clapped Vulture on the ears, making the villain step back as he heard ringing.

Vulture looked up and screamed as the Spider-Girl punched him straight on the jaw, knocking off many of his fangs. Vulture fell to the ground, and Graine pulled out her gun, unloading as many bullets as he could onto the back of Vulture’s suit, making a trail of smoke come out. Vulture opened his wings and tried to fly away, only for more smoke to begin flying out of his suit. Vulture fell off mid-flight, hanging onto a flagpole at the last moment.

“Spider-Girl! Help me!” Vulture pleaded in desperation as he looked down at the massive drop, and then up at the black shadow looking down upon him from the rooftop. “I’ll give you control over 20% of my gang! 30%! 40%? 50%! We’ll be equal partners! Ugh! I’ll give you the whole gang if you want, just don’t let me fall!”

Vulture’s eyes widened in shock as he heard a bloodcurdling laugh echoing across the night skies, the terrifying chuckles seeming to spread across the darkness like the sound of vengeance itself given form.

“What are you laughing at?” Vulture asked in pure and utter terror.

“Without the spur of retribution your crime becomes mundane, your evil intent an uncontrolled inconsideration gliding toward the salavic pool of insipid casual pastime, a sort of breathing puppet gesture with no effort of personal involvement, while you cry that you are owed a living by the world. The crime of your crime becomes insult in addition to injury. The unasked question I take as mine to answer.” The shadow declared, looking down upon the vile criminal beneath. “As you fall through the night my laughter follows...I will laugh behind you for the ones you gracelessly pillaged of their belief in hope! Would you tell me now of your self-loathing, your bile, your illness of spirit and substance, of your inner betrayal, your inner affliction? As if I didn’t know? In my laughter you will hear my final judgement! Tell it to the worms!”

Vulture heard a snap, the flagpole shattering to his weight, and he screamed in terror as he fell into the darkness beneath. The Spider-Girl turned around, looking around the snow filled metropolis with a neutral expression on her face, seeing clearly through the veil of darkness that engulfed the night sky. Acknowledging what evil is and treating it as the evil it is, that is justice.

Graine took off his mask and reached for his trench coat. She pulled out a pocket watch, seeing it had just been past midnight. Graine pulled out her journal and began to write.

“Graine’s journal, January 26, 1931. It’s been four weeks since it began to snow in New York, and there is no relief in sight. Winter seasons were always the hardest. Looking around I see broken men and women. Snot-nosed kids in rags. I could see the light dying in their eyes with each passing second. I have defeated one of the evils that poisons this city, but there is still work to be done. The monsters are always with us, but I will still fight, even if it saves just one person, because that is my responsibility. If those in great power can’t be trusted, it is the responsibility of the people to remove them.”

The end.

New York city.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Dave…” Shozo commented. “That was the weirdest one so far!”

“Look who is talking, mister giant spider robot.” Tom added.

“Tom, yours was a cartoon squirrel.” Peter added.

“Yours was in the future.” David commented. “How would Spider-Girl even still exist in 2099?”

“How would she exist back in the 1930s?” Peter asked, to which the four began laughing.

“Alright! Alright! Let’s go home already. Our parents must be worried.” Shozo added, to which the other three nodded and they continued to head down the sidewalk.

The four suddenly heard a strange noise coming from a nearby building, which made them stop walking and turn to it in suspicion. The ground beneath them shook slightly, and the children screamed as four metallic tentacles broke through the brick wall near them. The kids ran away as Doctor Octopus threw Spider-Girl to the ground, the two superhumans not even seeming to notice the kids.

“It’s Spider-Girl!” David whispered as the three hid behind a parked car, watching from afar as Spidey avoided several of Alador’s tentacle attacks. “The real one!”

Luz fired a pair of webs, which Alador blocked with one of his metallic arms, before pulling her closed and grabbing her arms and feet with the four tentacles, Spider-Girl struggling to break free.

“Spider-Girl is in trouble!” Peter whispered in shock.

“I’ll crush you once and for all, arachnid!” Doc Ock declared in restrained anger.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the tentacles or your annoying voice!” Luz quipped as she tried to overpower the metal arms.

Doctor Octopus prepared to once again attack, only to noticed something approaching him from behind. His arms defended themselves on instinct, grabbing the four rocks that had been thrown at him. Alador glanced at the four children as they ran away from the area, and then glanced back just in time to see Luz punching him right on the face, knocking him out. Spidey fired her webs to tie the bad doctor up, and then turned to the direction the kids had ran off to.

The four children continued to run for several more city blocks, before they stopped and began letting out heavy breaths.

“That was so cool! Did you see what we did?” Tom asked as he threw a few excited punches in the air.

“I saw it.” The four heard, and then looked up to see Spider-Girl landing right in front of the four. “Thanks for the help back there. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Spider-Girl!” The four screamed in excited voices as they stared at the hero with almost stars in their eyes.

“Big fans, hm?” Luz commented. “How about I swing you kids back home as a thank you for having helped me back there?”

“Yay!” The four kids all cheered in excited voices as they began running around. Spider-Girl laughed for a moment and then let the kids climb on her back, making them stick to it for a safe measure, and then began swinging in between the buildings, the children gasping in excitement.

Those four kids would tell many tales of that night in the years to come. Tales of the Spider-Girl!

To be continued.

Chapter dedicated to Shozo Uehara, Tom DeFalco, Mark Armstrong, Peter David, Rick Leonardi, David Hine, Marko Djurdjevic.

Next chapter: The Molten Man Regrets

The Spider’s Web:

“Bye!” The last of the kids waved as Spider-Girl swung away from the front of his house. Luz waved back, and then swung away from the area, making her way out of the district and approaching a tall building in the distance. She sat on the roof and then glanced at you, the reader.

“I didn’t get a lot to do today, but I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless.” Spidey explained with a smile. “So, how have things been going?”

GodzillaMaster: Oh cool, superhero team up, and they parted as actual friends this time instead of what goes on between Luz and Mabel

Ooh, has Luz considered learning magic?

“I would love to learn magic in my free time, if I had any free time, that is.” Spidey commented with a quick giggle. “I guess my spider powers will have to do.”

Ri2: Darryl is DEAD?

“You mean Doctor Strange’s brother? I’m not sure what goes on in her personal life, you’d have to ask Molly herself.” Spidey explained. “Luckily, I’m pretty sure Molly has told her strange tales for you all to read, just as I do here. It is even in the same series as my own stories, so I’d suggest you check that out if you’re interested in learning more about Doctor Strange.”

Spider-Girl nodded and jumped off the building, continuing to swing away into the night.

“Thank you all for reading! This chapter was very special for me! I’ve been planning it for a long time!” Spider-Girl commented as she swung away. “See ya’ll next chapter, true believers! Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Molten Man Regrets.

“I’ve never been the sharpest tool in the shed. Severine was always tinkering with some weird machinery that would take her two years to explain, and I’d just be standing to the side carrying boxes and handing her whatever she asked. It was simple, and it worked… until it didn’t.” Harvey commented as he sat across the table from his therapist. “I haven’t been given the best cards, but I’m doing what I know. That’s what I’ve always done.”

The woman straightened her glasses as she looked over her patient. Harvey’s golden skin under the prison outfit was reflective, but no longer glowing, and small hairs were beginning to grow out of his face, signaling the start of a new beard. His muscles had grown slightly due to the community service he had been performing the last few weeks, although it was hard to notice just by looking, since Harvey had always been a muscular man. The golden man held his arms crossed with a calm and thoughtful expression on his face.

“You haven’t had an incident in five weeks. You’re one of the most well-behaved inmates.” The therapist commented as she stared at Harvey. “I can tell you really want to go home. What is there for you out there?”

“My daughter and my husband.” Harvey admitted. “I just want to see my family.”

The therapist nodded and wrote his words down on her paper. She heard the sound of a ringtone and glanced at her phone.

“Seems like our time is up.” The therapist commented as the two got up and she walked Harvey to the door. “You’ve been recovering well. Keep up the good work, and you’ll be out in no time.”

Harvey nodded as he walked out through the door, closing it behind him. A pair of guards approached the golden man, who nodded and let them handcuff him, before they began escorting him through the dark halls of the prison.

Harvey had a calm expression as his eyes looked around aimlessly, only for him to stop walking as he noticed something on the ceiling. It was a small web, with a little spider hanging from it. The Molten Man’s expression changed into one of fury as his skin lit up for just the fraction of a second, burning off the traces of hair from his face into little trails of smoke.

“Hey, Park! Keep walking!” One of the guards ordered.

Harvey shook his head, a confused expression forming on his face. The golden man blinked a few times, and then continued to follow the guards towards his cell.

Daily Bugle.

“Only $400?” Luz asked in surprise as she looked at the check in her hands, and then back at Hopkins on the other side of the desk.

“$800 for first page, $400 otherwise. That’s our deal.” Hopkins declared, barely paying attention to Luz as he lit up a cigar in his mouth.

“I got pictures of Spider-Girl fighting Doctor Octopus!” Luz insisted in annoyance. “How does that not get first page?”

“The first page is going to a real hero.” Hopkins commented as he pointed at a large framed picture he had hung on the wall. It was a tall, pale, brunette man in an astronaut suit, holding the space helmet in his hands and a smile on his face. “My son the astronaut! John Hopkins, preparing for his trip to Jupiter!”

“I can barely pay rent, and you’re giving the first page to your son?” Luz asked in a surprised tone of voice.

Hopkins stared at her with an annoyed expression and brought his desk phone to his ear.

“Miss Oliver, get me a violin.” Hopkins declared and then hung up. Luz rolled her eyes and got up from the chair, leaving Hopkins’ office while whispering complains under her breath.

Blight Industries.

Odalia Blight stood in her office with her back to the door and looked out the window, a disinterested expression on her face as she looked down upon the city from the top of her tower. The sunlight coming through the glass illuminated most of her body, but the shadow of the window frame covered her emotionless eyes. She heard the sound of knocking, and did not bother to turn around as one of her assistants entered the office.

“Mrs. Blight, there is a police officer.” The assistant commented. “His name is Captain Park.”

Odalia’s expression morphed into a serious one for a moment.

“Tell him to come in.”

The assistant nodded and left the office. Odalia sighed in annoyance and made her way to her desk, sitting down with a calm expression on her face. She opened a small sheet of papers and pretended to be writing something as Gilbert walked in, closing the door behind him.

“You should have made an appointment.” Odalia declared as she closed the sheet before Gilbert could realize it wasn’t actually anything important. She signed for the captain to seat down on the other side of her desk.

“I’m here to talk about the assassination attempt on Severine Smythe.” Hilbert explained as he sat on the chair. “We’ve managed to locate the exact rifle we believe to have been used in the shooting.”

Odalia kept her poker face, hiding the slight surprise she felt, and signed with her head for Hilbert to continue.

“I just want to ask you a few basic questions.” Hilbert explained. “Upon tracking down the rifle, we found out it had been smuggled into the country and illegally acquired by a man named Terry Georgeson. Did you know him?”

“Hm…” Odalia whispered as she put on an expression of fake confusion and shook her head. “I can’t recall anybody by that name.”

“The cross examination of the fingerprints leads us to believe that Georgeson was the shooter, although he hasn’t been seen since that day.” Gilbert explained. “Could you tell where you were the night after the shooting?”

“I spent a few hours being interviewed as a witness for Smythe’s arrest, then I went home and slept.” Odalia lied with a calm expression and a monotone voice.

“A few witnesses claim that they saw a green Corvette driving in the general direction of the pier, just a few hours after the shooting. Some street cameras also caught Georgeson walking around the area at the same time, and it is the last sighting before he vanished.” Gilbert explained. “Don’t you drive a green Corvette, Mrs. Blight?”

“Yes, and so do half a dozen other citizens in this city.” Odalia commented, maintaining her calm expression.

Gilbert nodded.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have to finish those papers.” Odalia explained in a calm voice, to which Gilbert nodded and stood up.

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Blight. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.” Gilbert declared as Odalia got up and took him to the door. Odalia had a smile on her face as the two shook hands, and Gilbert left the room. Odalia held her joyful smile as she closed the door, only for her to turn around and her smile to drop back into her emotionless poker face.

“They found the rifle…” Odalia whispered, her calm voice showing traces of slight anger.

Bronx.

Harvey had a smile on his face as one of the guards helped him out of the small ship, which had just crossed the East River to bring Harvey back from Ryker's Island. The golden man was wearing a red suit, and the guard handed him a large suitcase with his belongings inside.

“We’re all very proud of you, Harvey.” The guard commented. “You’re one of the few ones who is actually trying to turn your life around.”

“Thank you.” Harvey commented as he nodded.

“Remember, you’re on parole, so be very careful what you do out here. If you do as much as litter or jaywalk, you’ll be back behind bars.” The guard warned as he walked back into the boat, to which the golden man nodded. Harvey waved the boat goodbye as it made its way back through the river.

Harvey turned and looked around for a few moments, until a smile formed on his face as he recognized a familiar car arriving down the street. The golden man ran to it, just as his husband got out from the driver seat.

“Harvey!” Gilbert exclaimed as the two hugged, giving each other a quick kiss on the lips. “I missed you so much.”

“Sorry if I don’t look my best.” Harvey commented as he stared into his husband’s loving eyes. “I was so nervous about getting out that I’m feeling a little bit… yellow.”

The two giggled for a moment, keeping their faces close to each other.

“Don’t forget about me.” Harvey heard and glanced at the car, to see his daughter stepping out of the back seat.

“Willow!” Harvey declared in a happy tone as he took the teenager in his arms and hugged her.

“I’m so happy you’re back, papa.” Willow commented in a hopeful tone of voice as the three hugged.

“Let’s go home. Willow has homework to do.” Gilbert commented as he took his husband’s suitcase and put it on the back seat.

Harvey nodded and made his way to the passenger seat, opening the door, only to hear the sound of metal bending, and look down to see he had just crushed the handle of the door in his hands. The golden man looked down upon the piece of metal with an expression of worry.

“Dad? Is everything okay?” Willow asked from the back seat, just as Gilbert got on the driver seat.

“No, nothing. Don’t worry.” Harvey commented, trying to hide his nervousness, as he got on the passenger seat. “Let’s go home.”

Gilbert nodded as he turned on the engine and drove away from the river.

Queens.

Luz had an annoyed expression on her face as she walked into the small drug store. She approached the cashier and pointed to one of the boxes of medicine behind him.

“Can I have the Anticoagulants?” Luz asked in a clearly tired tone of voice. She still remembered back when her mother had her first heart attack. It had been one of the most terrifying moments of her life, which was saying something, considering who Luz was. The cashier picked up the small box of medicine.

“That will be $166.”

“What?” Luz asked in surprise. “It costed $85 last week!”

The cashier just shrugged. Luz rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat as she reached for her pocket and handed over the money, before taking the medicine in her hands. She stepped out of the store with a tired expression on her face, only to be struck on the side of the head by a newspaper flowing in the wind. Luz groaned and took the newspaper to read it.

“Spider-Girl and Doctor Octopus destroy building.” Luz read, and then groaned in annoyance as she crunched the paper and threw it into a trash can. Luz looked up to the skies for a few moments as she breathed in silence, and then her expression changed into a decisive one. “That’s it! I’m getting a new job!”

Park residence.

Harvey had a troubled expression as he stood in the bathroom and looked into the mirror. He brought his fingers to his golden chin, feeling his skin was metallic to the touch. He would avoid looking into mirrors as much as he could back when he was in jail, because he had never gotten used to his golden skin, and the whole situation made him so anxious. It seemed like changing back into his everyday clothes had not improved that feeling.

Harvey closed his eyes and began breathing at a slow pace. He had to remind himself that he was home. He was not in danger. He did not need to fight or escape. No more Severine. No more police officers. No more Spider-G… Harvey opened his eyes in anger as his skin glowed in golden, heating up the room. He could see his eyes glowing in orange in the bathroom mirror, only for it all to stop as he heard the sound of cracking.

Harvey looked down to see he had just gripped the bathroom sink with such strength that large cracks appeared on the side. He let out fast breaths as he looked back to the mirror, an expression of fear and slight panic on his face.

“Dad?” Harvey heard Willow’s voice coming from outside as she knocked on the door. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah…” Harvey whispered, still holding a worried expression on his face. “I’m fine, peanut. Don’t worry.”

“Dad asked me to tell you that dinner is ready.”

“Okay… I’ll be going, just give me a moment.” Harvey whispered, trying to hide the worried tone of his voice. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Willow answered, and Harvey heard the sound of her footsteps walking away from the bathroom.

Harvey looked at himself in the mirror once again, breathing for a few more minutes, before he shook his head and walked out of the bathroom. He walked down the steps at a slow pace and turned to walk into the kitchen, only to stop in the middle of the short hallway as he noticed a small note on a tiny table. Harvey walked into the kitchen, only for Willow to run in and hug him. He glanced down at his daughter, who gave him a smile of genuine happiness. Harvey smiled back and they all sat down.

“Our rent is late?” Harvey asked as Gilbert handed him a plate of food. “I saw the note. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh… that… Sorry that I didn’t mention it. You’re still going to therapy, and I didn’t want to worry you.” Gilbert explained, to which Harvey nodded in understanding. Gilbert nodded back and continued to speak. “After you got arrested, the money from the lab stopped coming in, and we’ve been having to make due with just my salary.”

“I wanted to get a job to help, but dad said I should just focus on my studies and not worry about it.” Willow commented, a little bit embarrassed.

“He’s right.” Harvey added.

“Look, I spoke with our landlord. He’ll overlook it for a few more weeks.” Gilbert explained as he began cutting a piece of meat. “I’ll sort this out, okay? You’ve been through a lot, Harvey. You have to focus on recovering.”

“No, no, I… I want to help.” Harvey decided as he began to also cut a piece of his food. “I can’t work on the lab anymore, but I can get another job.”

“Are you sure?” Gilbert asked in worry. “You’re still on parole, you haven’t finished all of your therapy sessions, and we haven’t found away to fix your skin.”

“If I say that I can do it, this means I can–”

Harvey was interrupted by the sound of cracking, and he looked down to see he had just split the plate in two and bent the kitchen knife. Harvey put everything down and brought his hand to his forehead, letting out a loud sigh.

“Dad, is there something wrong?”

“I just…” Harvey whispered, letting out another sigh. “I just want everything to go back to normal.”

Gilbert thought over the scene for a few moments, before he got up and went around the table, putting his hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“Okay… I’ll help you look for a job… I have a friend who owns a convenience store, and he could use some extra help… but you have to promise me that you will be careful, do you understand? Can you do that for me?” Gilbert asked in a sincere tone. Harvey stared at him and hesitated for a moment, unsure, before he nodded at a slow pace. Gilbert nodded back and smiled, hugging his husband.

Hexside University.

Luz held the small pamphlet in her hands as she stepped out of the classroom and made her way through the crowded hallways. The job offer wasn’t anything amazing, just a basic employee on a convenience store, but it was a good start. She’d probably still have to give Hopkins her pictures on the side, but it would help a lot to have another source of income. Luz just wondered how she’d find time to be Spider-Girl.

She stepped out of the university through the double doors and made her way down the steps, preparing to run out of the school ground so she could hide and get changed, only to hear a familiar voice coming from behind her.

“Hey, Noceda!” Emira called, and Luz turned around to face the green haired girl. “I’ve been searching for you all over the place.”

“I hope you don’t want the money back.” Luz commented in a half-joking manner.

“It is from my mom, so you got that right.” Emira commented as she handed Luz a small piece of paper. It appeared to be a business card, but it had a date written on it. “Mom wants to see you. Please show up to her office in Blight Industries in this exact date and time. You better not miss it. Mom doesn’t send those to many people.”

“What does she want to see me for?” Luz asked, her voice showing a mix of confusion and worry. “Have I done something wrong.”

“She didn’t tell me.” Emira commented with a shrug. “You’ll have to ask her.”

Luz stared at the card for a few more moments, and then nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be there.” Luz declared and then gave Emira a quick wave, before running to the other side of the street. Emira smirked and turned around right before Luz got into an alley, and Emira then looked up in surprise as a red and blue blur swung over the street. The green haired teen looked around for a few moments, seeing the blur had already swung away before she could notice it, and then shook her head and began walking away, figuring it was nothing important.

Manhattan.

The place was quite an expensive home. Nothing compared to Blight Manor, but it was still obvious this house did not belong to a working-class citizen. Ryan Williams was quite a short man, although his hair was kept straight and he’d always wear expensive clothing. The man walked down one of the hallways of his house, when he heard a familiar melody coming from one of the rooms. Ryan stared at the door for a few moments, and then stepped inside, turning the lights on.

“Introitus Requiem Aeternam.” Declared the figure in the room, before she turned around and looked through the man with her blue eyes. She reached for the small radio, turning it off without taking her eyes away from her business partner. “You’ve always hated Mozart.”

“What are you doing in my house, Blight?” Ryan asked in slight confusion as he closed the door behind himself.

“I’m already a killer, might as well add breaking and entering to the mix.” Odalia explained in a calm and professional voice as she took a few steps towards the man, before stopping with her face less than a meter away from his. “It would be quite a pity if the police ever found out about those crimes. It would be an even bigger pity if they found one of the weapons that I’ve tasked you with hiding.”

“Come on, Blight, we’ve been working together for years!” Ryan commented as he took a few awkward steps back, until his back touched the door behind him. “You’re the one who gave me my all the money I have! Why would I snitch on you now of all times?”

Odalia stared at the man in silence for several seconds.

“Look, I don’t know how they found that rifle, but I swear to all that is holy, I threw that thing into the river!” Ryan declared. Odalia moved her eyebrows for a moment, but was quick to revert back to her calm expression. “There was nobody around when I threw it! There weren’t any cameras! I did not tell anyone else! I promise you!”

Odalia stared at the man for a few more moments, her face emotionless and serene. She reached for the man with her hands, and then began to straighten the tie around his neck.

“I’m going to explain this to you as clearly as I possibly can.” Odalia declared in a calm voice, her eyes focused on the tie, which she had been straightening with her slow and precise fingers as she spoke. “If I have any reason to believe you’re betraying me, and I mean even the smallest reason, the slightest hint of suspicion… then you will be joining those weapons in the bottom of the river.”

Odalia finished with the tie and then placed her hands behind her back, keeping her spine straight as she stared right through the man’s eyes.

“Was that clear?” Odalia asked in a calm voice, to which Ryan nodded in reluctancy. Odalia smiled. “Perfect.”

Odalia reached for the light switch and turned it off, shrouding the room with darkness. Ryan stood still for a few seconds in silence, hesitating, until he finally reached for the switch and turned the lights on. Odalia was nowhere to be seen.

Ryan was frozen for a few moments as he let out heavy breaths, and then heard the sound of a baby screaming in the background.

“Honey, Alex woke up.” The voice of a woman called in the background.

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll handle it.” Ryan answered, trying to hide the fear in his voice, as he walked out of the room and made his way to the room of his newborn.

Manhattan, The next day.

“The store is right there around the corner.” Gilbert commented as he stopped the car, to which Harvey nodded and got out of the vehicle. Gilbert looks out of the window to his husband, seeing the sunlight reflecting on his metallic golden skin. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? I’ll have to go to work now, so you’ll need to take the bus back home.”

“I’ll be fine. Anything is better than staying home all day. I’ve spent enough time locked up.” Harvey declared, his own words definitely bringing back some bad memories, which Gilbert could tell by the look in his husband’s eyes. “You can go home relaxed, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too.” Gilbert declared with a nod, and then drove away as Harvey waved him goodbye.

Harvey was still watching the car driving away when he heard a ‘thwip’ and a blur swung above him. The Molten Man’s eyes widened as he began to glow and he looked around for several seconds, the sound immediately triggering his fight or flight response. The golden man began to breathe at a fast pace as he closed his eyes and brought his hands to his head. It took Harvey several seconds to focus until he once again opened his eyes. Harvey looked to the top of the buildings just to make sure, and then shook his head and began making his way towards the store.

Harvey stopped before he went around the corner and brought his hand to his chest, still letting out heavy breaths. He was afraid all of the sudden, but he didn’t know why. He heard the sound of a door opening, and went around the corner just in time to see a Hispanic girl walking into the store. Harvey once again shook his head and made his way to the door, only to stop as he heard a voice from inside.

“I’m Luz Noceda. I’m here for that job application.”

Harvey once again began to breathe heavily as he felt as if there was a hole where his heart was supposed to be. It was not the words that had gotten to him, in fact, he was having such a breakdown that he didn’t even make out any of the words. It was the voice. The Molten Man had a furious expression on his face as his body began to glow in an intense golden light, the air around him starting to heat up at a fast pace. Harvey recognized that voice.

Luz stood in front of the cashier as the two of them spoke, when her Spider Sense let out an intense tingle, and she saw a golden light from the corner of her eye. Luz suddenly grabbed the old man and jumped with him to the back of the store, just in time to avoid a massive wave of flames that blew up the front of the building. Luz looked at the man, who had fainted due to the shock. She put her fingers on the side of his neck, and let out a sigh of relief as she felt a pulse.

“What is it this time?” Luz asked as she turned to the front of the store, seeing none other than the Molten Man, wearing only his underwear as the rest of his clothes had been incinerated. The golden man was screaming in anger and striking the sidewalk, each strike making flames fly out of his fists. “Harvey?”

Luz stared at the scene in surprise for a moment, and then ran into one of the rooms in the back of the store. The Molten Man held his head with both hands and screamed in fury, only for a blur to swing over him and Spider-Girl to land on the side of a building. Harvey stared at her as his eyes glowed with pure hatred.

“Harvey! Calm down!” Spider-Girl pleaded. “You have to tell me what is going on!”

“You!” Molten Man declared in anger as he picked up a car and threw it at Luz, who caught the vehicle by gluing her hands to it, and then jumped down, putting the car on the ground.

“Will you calm down?” Luz asked as the Molten Man dashed towards her like a fireball.

Molten Man threw a mighty punch, Spider-Girl countering it with her own strike, the two fists clashing and making a small shockwave. Luz pulled her fist back in pain, and the Molten Man struck her with a punch to the face, Spidey feeling the heat from each strike, only for her to recover in a split second and strike the golden man with a pair of punches to the face, only for the burning man to catch her third fist in his palm before delivering a powerful punch, sending Luz flying onto the side of a building and making large cracks appear on the wall behind her.

“He’s even stronger than before…” Spider-Girl whispered as she got back to her feet. “It’s like being hit by burning metal!”

The Molten Man dashed while roaring and grabbed Luz by her neck, the girl screaming as the man’s metallic skin overheated her throat. Spider-Girl fought through the pain and fired a pair of webs to the ledge at the top of the building, using it to flip herself and the Molten Man, sending him to the ground. The Molten Man flinched, and Spider-Girl freed herself from his grip with a mighty kick and webbed him to the sidewalk.

“Hold that pose!” Spider-Girl declared in a half joking tone, only for her Spider Sense to flare as she jumped away, just in time to avoid a blast of flames that burned right through the webbing. “I have to find a way to cool you down!”

“Shut your mouth!” The Molten Man yelled as he picked up a large parked car and set it ablaze in his hands, before throwing it at Spider-Girl. Luz ducked under the burning vehicle and then fired a web at it, using it to swing the car in midair and send it flying right back at the Molten Man, creating a massive fireball.

“Ah! Sorry! Sorry! I just did it on instinct!” Luz declared, legitimately shocked by how huge that explosion had been.

The Molten Man stepped out of the flames, seeming to be unscratched by the fireball. Luz breathed a sigh of relief, which didn’t last long, as the Molten Man dashed at high speeds and struck her with a punch right to the chest, knocking all of the air out of her lungs as Luz rolled across the ground. He dashed and threw another punch, only for Spider-Girl to somersault away, landing right next to a street light pole.

“Alright! New plan!” Spider-Girl declared as she pulled the light pole right out of the ground.

The Molten Man dashed towards her and threw another burning punch, Luz avoiding it at the last second before placing the light pole against his chest and bending it, using the metal to wrap around his body as if it was a rope. The Molten Man screamed in anger as Spider-Girl tripped him to the ground.

“Don’t move an inch! I’ll be right back!” Spider-girl declared as she swung to the top of the building, the Molten Man screaming in anger.

“Spider-Girl! Damn you!” The Molten Man screamed, his tone showing a mixture of fury and hatred.

A large shadow appeared above him, and he glanced up to see Spider-Girl throwing a large water tank on top of him. The tank exploded on the Molten Man, water flying all over the street and putting out the fires. A massive cloud of stream engulfed the entire area, and Spider-Girl approached the center of the street, breathing relieved as she saw an unconscious Harvey, his skin no longer glowing.

“Harvey… How did you even end up here?” Spider-Girl whispered.

The sound of sirens echoed in the background, Spider-Girl seeing red and blue lights approached through the cloud of steam. Luz looked down at Harvey, who even when unconscious seemed to have an expression of pain and panic on his face. The police officers arrived at the scene, and the cloud of steam dispersed, revealing an empty street.

“What happened around here?” One of the cops asked.

Spider-Girl glanced over the police from the top of the building, and then at the unconscious golden man in her arms. Nobody could ever know who started the fire. Nobody would ever know who destroyed the cars. Spider-Girl swung away from the scene with Harvey under her arm, leaving behind a mystery that would never be solved.

Airport, Hours later.

“Next stop, Seattle.” Ryan explained as he sat down on a small armchair inside the tiny private jet, just as it began to take flight. He glanced at his wife, who had been holding a small newborn in her hands, while looking out of the window with a worried expression on her face. “Are you upset?”

“I’ve never even been to Seattle before.” The woman explained as she looked to the sunset over the streets of New York.

“It was the best place the police could find.” Ryan explained. “It’s a witness protection program. We’re going to be alright.”

“You should never have gotten involved with the mafia to begin with.” She declared, careful not to wake up the baby.

“I know, I know… I’ve made mistakes… but I have to make due.” Ryan explained, trying to hide the worry in his own voice. “We have a child now. I can’t keep doing this. I have to protect the two of you, and if this means selling out my former boss, then so be it. I haven’t told them her name yet to make sure they’ll keep their end of the deal, but as soon as we get to our new home, I’m telling them everything.”

His wife nodded and once again looked out through the window, still keeping an unsure and worried expression on her face. Ryan stared for a few moments and closed his eyes. He tried to keep his composure, despite being just as anxious as his wife. Ryan sighed while keeping his eyes closed, and noticed a strange melody in the background. He turned to a small table and saw a tiny radio, which was playing Introitus Requiem Aeternam at a low volume.

Ryan rolled his eyes and pressed the off button, only for the three to all hear the echo of a small click, before a bomb inside the radio exploded, tearing the entire plane apart in a massive fireball. The small aircraft burned down from the skies and crashed in the middle of one of New York’s rivers, sinking to the bottom and landing near several discarded firearms.

A massive cloud of black smoke flew upwards from the crash, being visible from all over the city as the sound of sirens echoed around the area. Odalia Blight stood by herself on the balcony of her mansion, staring at the smoke in the far distance with a neutral expression on her face.

“I never told you it was a rifle, Ryan.” Odalia whispered as she made her way out of the balcony, closing the door behind her.

Park residence.

“We’ve lost our witness!” The officer declared from the phone. “Williams was our only lead on this case!”

“Look… I… ugh… I’ll handle it, okay? I’m dealing with another case right now.” Gilbert explained as he walked in circles with the phone to his ear. “Just give me a few hours. I’ll be there.”

Gilbert turned off his phone, and then turned to Harvey, who had been sitting on their bed, Willow sitting near him and holding his hand.

“I don’t know what happened…” Harvey whispered. “I just… freaked out… I was so scared… I felt in danger…”

“None of us can mention this to anyone, do you understand?” Gilbert explained in a worried voice as he approached his husband and put his hand on Harvey’s shoulder. “Nobody, not even your therapist. That goes for you too, Willow.”

The three nodded at a slow pace. Harvey glanced at the ground, feeling ashamed.

“Sorry, I just… I…” Harvey whispered, tears beginning to come out of his eyes. “I didn’t mean to…”

Harvey began to cry. Gilbert and Willow both hugged him.

They were in this together, no matter what.

Blight Industries, The next day.

Luz sat in the waiting room in front of Odalia’s office. Last time she had been there, she was fighting a killer robot, so it was quite jarring to just be sitting on a chair and waiting, although Luz was a little nervous about whatever Odalia wanted with her. She sure hoped Odalia wasn’t planning on asking back the money she had given to Luz. The job application the day before had gone to blazes, and the Bugle barely gave her enough to pay rent. The sound of the door opening broke Luz from her train of thought, and she turned to see one of Odalia’s assistants stepping out.

“Mrs. Blight will see you now.” The assistant declared in a professional tone as he made his way to the elevator. Luz hesitated for a moment, before she got up and walked into the meeting room. Luz stepped inside, quite surprised to see Odalia sitting behind her desk alongside two men in suits, both holding clipboards.

“Hello, dear. Please take a seat.” Odalia declared with a smile. Luz hesitated for a moment and then made her way across the large office, sitting on one of the chairs in the other side of the desk. Luz glanced at the two men, to which Odalia giggled for a moment. “Oh, don’t mind them, dear. They’re just a few members of our board of directors.”

Luz looked around in an awkward manner and then finally spoke up.

“Um… Mrs. Blight… why am I here, exactly?” Luz asked.

Odalia glanced at her for a moment, and then reached down and opened one of her drawers, pulling out a small phone and handing it to Luz.

“It is missing the mini-SD card.” Luz explained as she held the phone in her hands. The two board members raised their eyebrows.

“You haven’t even flipped it open.” Odalia commented with a smile, her voice sounding impressed and knowledgeable. Luz glanced at her, somewhat timid, and then continued to speak.

“The weight is off for this specific model.” Luz commented as she shook the phone around in a gentle manner. “I ran through every piece in my head to see what could be missing, and there is only one with this exact weight.”

Luz put the phone down on the table and stared at the adults with an innocent expression. Odalia had a confident smile on her face, while the other board members began writing something down. Luz stared at Odalia in slight confusion.

“What is going on here?” Luz asked.

“Ms. Noceda…” Odalia whispered with a smirk. “Would you be interested in a job at Blight Industries?”

To be continued.

Next chapter: Just a Guy Named Joe.

The Spider’s Web:

GodzillaMaster: Giant robots, silly cartoon animals, distant future, and 1930s noir?

Where did these kids get their stories?

“I have no idea, but I do admit they are kind of cool.” Spider-Girl commented as she sat on top of the Blight Industries building, glancing at the orange sunset in the distance. “I doubt you’ll ever catch me doing any of those things, but they are still pretty fun to think about as imaginary stories… Well, aren’t they all?”

Ri2: I remember that episode of Batman

“I used to love Batman. Jeremy Shada foes a great job playing that guy in the cartoon.” Spider-Girl commented with a smile. “I’ve barely have had any time to keep up with comics lately, honestly. Everything has been so busy… but I’m happy with the chances I’ve been given regardless.”

Spider-Girl stretched for a few moments and then jumped off the building with a confident expression, before beginning to swing away towards the sunset.

“Thank you all for reading! We’ve just hit a hundred comments, and that means a lot to me! See you next time, true believers, with more amazing fantasies!” Spider-Girl declared as she waved you goodbye. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

Just a Guy Named Joe.

The ringing of the golden bell echoed across the boxing ring as the mighty gloved fist struck Joe Smith right across the face, sending the ginger man trembling back and falling onto the ropes around the ring. The referee ran in and took the hand of Joe’s opponent, holding it up.

“Technical knockout! The winner is Crusher Hogan!” The referee declared as the small crowd around them began to cheer. Joe sighed and laid on the ground, holding the side of his face in pain.

Backroom.

“You couldn’t even last ten minutes!” The boss declared in annoyance as he stood in front of Joe, who was sitting in a small bench.

“Sorry, I just–”

“Joe, don’t answer anything.” The two heard, and turned to see a short man in a business suit walking in. He walked up to the boss and handed him a business card. “Tommy Smith. I’m my brother’s manager. You speak to me, not to him.”

“Your brother is the worst boxer I’ve ever seen!” The boss declared in annoyance as he threw the card over his shoulder. “This man doesn’t even know how to throw a punch properly!”

“He’s been training for months!” Tommy insisted, while Joe stared at the ground with an expression of disappointment. “He’ll do better in the next fight! Even Battling Buttowski lost his first matches!”

“There won’t be another fight! You’re both fired!”

“Come on, Bruce, have a heart!” Tommy insisted.

“Good, bad, I’m the guy with the money.” The man declared and then walked away from the room without saying another word. Tommy sighed in disappointment and sat down on the bench across the corridor, staring at his brother.

“I really screwed this one up.” Joe commented in a disappointed tone of voice.

“It’s okay, Joe. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.” Tommy explained, to which Joe nodded and continued to stare at the floor in disappointment.

“What are we going to do now?” Joe whispered.

Tommy thought over for a few moments.

“There is one thing…” Tommy whispered.

Cosmos Productions.

“How did you even get this job?” Joe asked as he put on the metal prop suit, glancing at the actors around him as they prepared to start filming. Joe glanced at his costume, which had been designed to resemble an alien armor, with yellow and green parts.

“I know a guy who knows a guy.” Tommy explained as he stood near his brother. “You don’t really need any acting practice. Just put on the suit, knock stuff over, and chase after the main stars for a few scenes.”

“This suit is ridiculous.” Joe whispered as he put on the gloves and then the golden helmet, covering his face completely. He turned to his brother with his expressionless golden mask, and spoke in a muffled voice. “How do I look?”

“Like a champ.” Tommy answered with a warm smile.

“We’re ready for the monster!” B.J. declared from the director’s chair. Joe glanced at Tommy, who nodded, and then Joe made his way into the set. “Scene eleven! Take one!”

Joe walked into like a juggernaut, making it appear as if his plastic armor was actually heavy, and threw a mighty punch like a slugger, breaking right through a machine-like prop, releasing a strange golden liquid that spilled all over the set and the costume. Pieces of the prob flew across the background and struck one of the lights above the studio, which fell off and shattered against the wet floor, one of the wires striking it and releasing a powerful electrical shock all over the set.

Joe screamed in agony as the sparks of electricity flew from within his suit.

“Joe!” Tommy screamed in shock.

“Cut! Cut!” B.J. yelled as Tommy ran to the control panel and turn off the lights, making the electrical shock stop as Joe fell on his back. “You two ruined the scene!”

“Go get a doctor!” Tommy declared and ran to his brother on the ground, taking the golden mask off. “Joe! Can you hear me? Joe!”

“Ugh…” Joe whispered as he sat up, shaking his head and struggling to keep his eyes open. “I feel like I’ve just been kicked on the head by a mule! Everything is spinning!”

“My brother needs medical assistance!” Tommy declared as a pair of nurses ran in with a stretcher.

“What kind of performance was that?” B.J.  yelled in anger. “You two damaged my equipment!”

“It was an accident, okay?” Tommy declared. “Just give him another chance! He’ll do it right as soon as he recovers!”

“Hm?” Joe mumbled as the nurses tried to put him on the stretcher, and then got back to his feet. “I’m… fine? I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Tommy asked in surprise. “You’ve just been electrocuted!”

“Yeah… I don’t feel any pain.” Joe explained.

“Great, great, then do the scene again!” B.J. declared as he sat down. “Do it right this time!”

Joe nodded as the assistants began to replace the props on set for new ones.

Blight Industries.

The place was quite bigger than Luz remembered, or perhaps she was just feeling smaller due to her nervousness. This was the first time she was given a job opportunity such as this. It paid almost twice as much as the Bugle, so she just couldn’t mess this up. Luz glanced down at her outfit, which wasn’t anything mind blowing, but it was the fanciest thing she owned. She had to give a good first impression. Luz tried to disguise how nervous she felt as she approached the receptionist.

“Excuse me… I’m Luz Noceda. I was just hired to work here last week?”

“Yes, you’re on the list.” The woman explained, not bothering to look at Luz, and then pointed at a door at the end of the corridor without taking her eyes away from the computer screen.

Luz nodded and headed in that direction. She just couldn’t help but look around as the people in business suits passed by without even noticing her. This place was sure much busier than the Daily Bugle. Luz blushed, figuring she must have looked like a tourist. She walked into the room, seeing it was filled to the brim with complex machinery and people working on them. A man in a lab coat turned to Luz and signed for her to come close.

“Mrs. Blight told us that you’d be arriving, kid.” The engineer commented as he signed for Luz to follow him around the room. Luz glanced at the large pieces of technology they were walking past, holding back an impressed gasp as she noticed how advanced everything was. “I was going to assign you to a simpler job since it is your first day, but Mrs. Blight insisted that you’d be put to work on this.”

The engineer approached a small table, and Luz gasped as she noticed the device in front of her.

“This is the Goblin Glider!” Luz whispered as she thought back to her battle against the Green Goblin. Out of all of her enemies, the Goblin had been the only one she had never been able to beat.

“It is a different model. The first one was stolen over a year ago, we believe by this fugitive who calls herself the Green Goblin, and we had to make a new one from scratch.” The engineer explained, to which Luz nodded. “The Green Goblin has actually been stealing many pieces of Blight technology. She also stole the bombs and electrical gloves from us, although it seems like she has made her own alterations to many of them. Mrs. Blight has been improving the security due to the recent incident, so I find it unlikely the Goblin will be stealing anything else. You can work on this without worry.”

“So… what do you want me to do with the glider?” Luz asked, still somewhat worried to be in the presence of this glider model.

“Blight wants us to improve the design so that it can fly without making any noise. A stealth function, that’s what she’s asking.” The engineer explained in a professional voice. Luz nodded and began looking around the sinister vehicle. “We’ve already assigned twelve different engineers from overseas to work on this project, but none of them were able to apply it without compromising another function the glide already features. Most of them couldn’t even understand Alador Blight’s complex design. For your first day I want you to assist the other mechanics and I as we study the blueprints and try to come up with new potential advancements. If you do your job just right, we might be able to apply the desired upgrade in a few months or–”

“Done.” Luz interrupted as she closed the engine of the Goblin Glider using a screwdriver.

“What?” The engineer asked in surprise. “What do you mean ‘Done’? What did you do?”

“I applied the upgrade.” Luz explained in a calm and natural voice. She reached for a small remote control and pressed one of the buttons, making the glide hover over the table for a few seconds, not making any sound, before landing back where it had been.

“Wha- But- How? What did you do?” The engineer asked in a shocked tone of voice.

“I made some corrections to the wiring, improved the machinations, although I could probably replace the machinations entirely if you give me more time, I moved the cogs around a big to improve the response time and the equilibrium, I moved some pieces around to allow the air to fly through it more easily, that way dirt won’t get stuck inside, and I also did some final corrections to the engine to stop it from overheating.” Luz explained with a shrug, while the engineer continued to stare at her with a dumbfounded expression. “What other job do you have for me?”

“That was… all we had for you today…” The engineer whispered as he stared at the girl in disbelief.

“Okay then.” Luz commented as she began making her way to the exit. “Call me if you need anything else.”

The engineer stared at Luz as she left, his expression showing nothing but astonishment.

Luz made her way through the waiting room of the building, heading towards the exit, only to stop as she heard a familiar name. She glanced to a small television on the wall, which had been showing a live news coverage.

“John Hopkins is in position and about to launch the very first manned mission to the planet Jupiter. Ten seconds and counting. I’d like to personally thank the Fantastic Four for all of their assistance in the construction of this advanced rocket.” Declared a voice as the video showed live footage of a large spacecraft, with a small timer in the lower half of the screen. The ignition sequence began as the rocket thrusters were activated, and the rocket flew up into the skies at high speed. “We have a liftoff! This is another giant leap for mankind! We can only imagine what our heroes will find in that desolate planet!”

Luz nodded with an excited smile, and then made her way to the elevator.

Cosmos Productions.

“You’re doing great, Joe.” Tommy explained as he stood near his brother. Joe had a somewhat confused expression on his face and the full plastic costume around his body, staring into space and letting out slow breaths. “Is everything okay?”

“Hm?” Joe asked, almost as if he had just realized Tommy was there. He shook his head and held his forehead for a moment. “Sorry, sorry… I’m just feeling… weird...”

“Are you sure you can do this?” Tommy asked. “I can call the nurses again if you’re not feeling well.”

“No, no, I can do this.” Joe declared with a nod as he put on his golden helmet.

“Scene sixteen! Take one!” B.J. exclaimed from the other side of the room.

Joe nodded at his brother and made his way into the set. A group of stuntmen in uniforms ran towards the man in the alien costume, and Joe looked around them in a mixture of anger and confusion. Joe prepared his fists as the stuntman ran to him, and he knocked two of them away with a pair of punches, the stuntmen rolling with the strikes and throwing themselves to the ground. Joe felt his head beginning to spin and his body beginning to warm up. He let out heavy breaths as he threw another punch, sending many of the stuntmen flying.

They said Joe would never be someone. They said Joe was not built to be a boxer. Nobody would ever say that again. One of the stuntmen screamed in shock as Joe grabbed him and flipped him through the air, tossing him against the wall.

“He’s hurting me for real!” The stuntman yelled, as Tommy stared at the scene in worry.

“Cut! This isn’t in the script!” B.J. ordered, which Joe ignored as the stuntmen ran away from him. Joe looked around in anger, his expression hidden behind the golden mask, before he turned around and ran right through the studio’s wall, leading him to the street outside.

“Joe! Come back!” Tommy yelled as he ran after his brother.

The civilians began to scream and run away as Joe walked down the street. A car sped towards the costumed menace, only for Joe to grab it with his bare hands and throw it away. A shadow flew above him and he heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and before he knew it a massive web had caught the car in midair. The driver crawled out and ran away, just as a figured in a red and blue costume jumped down from a building and landed on the webbed-up automobile.

“What are you? A refugee from a Halloween party?” Spider-Girl asked, to which Joe ran to her in anger. Luz back flipped away from the strike as Joe slammed the car with his fists. Spidey expected the enemy to turn around and face her, but Joe instead continued to hit the car and break it to pieces, as if he had forgotten Spider-Girl was there. Luz glanced at the large figure in confusion, and then fired her webbing, tying up the enemy’s arms. Joe yelled and struggled for a few moments, before he turned to Spider-Girl and screamed in anger, tearing right through the webbing with his muscles. “Hey! Web fluid doesn’t come in cheap!”

The two dashed to each other, their fists about to crash, when Luz fired a quick web onto Joe’s eyes at the last moment, the distraction allowing her to dodge the punch and then strike the masked man on the face. Joe roared and swung his arms blindly, striking Spider-Girl and sending her flying onto a parked car, the impact shattering all of the glass. Joe ripped the webbing from his face and reached for a fire hydrant, pulling it out of the ground and throwing it at Luz, who grabbed it and threw it back, the hydrant bouncing off Joe’s head.

“You must have figured that if you can’t beat me in a fight, you’ll bore me to death with your silence!” Spider-Girl declared as she dashed towards Joe and threw a punch to his face, only for Joe to recover and punch Spider-Girl right on the chest. Luz gasped as she felt the air being knocked out of her lungs. Joe grabbed Spider-Girl before she could recover and threw her across the street, where she was run over by a speeding truck before her body could even hit the ground.

“Ugh!” Joe groaned as he held his head and began bumbling around in confusion. “Where am I?”

“Joe!” He heard, and then turned to see Tommy calling him from the other side of the street. “Let’s get out of here!”

Joe nodded and ran to his brother, the two fleeing the scene as fast as they could.

“What happened? I don’t remember anything!” Joe asked as they ran.

“We’ll worry about that later! When we’re out of this jam!” Tommy declared as the two escaped the scene.

The truck driver got out and ran to Spider-Girl, who signed for him to stay away. Luz jumped back to her feet and somersaulted to the top of the truck. She looked around, to see her enemy was nowhere to be seen.

“First time I’ve ever owned a fella some whacks without even knowing what he calls himself.” Luz commented as she jumped up and began swinging away from the scene without saying another word. “Who even is that guy?”

Hexside University.

Luz heard the sound of chanting in the distance as she arrived at the school grounds, and saw a large group of students holding signs and blocking the entrance. It was a student protest. She glanced to a student who was passing by while reading a book, poking him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“What is going on here?” Luz asked as the student looked up from the book for just a moment.

“They’re protesting yesterday’s protest.” The student explained and then went back to reading his book.

“Figgers.” Luz commented as she rolled her eyes and made her way towards the entrance, walking through the protesting students in a gentle manner.

“Hey! Noceda!” Luz heard, and then turned to see Edric Blight approaching her, holding a sign. “We could use another pair of hands! C’mon! Join the march!”

“Nah. I ain’t got nothing to protest about.” Luz answered in a dismissive tone.

“What are you? Some kind of religious fanatic?” Luz heard and turned to see none other than Boscha approaching her with a sign in her hands. “It’s an excuse to cut class! We might even get a picture in the school paper!”

“Come on! Join our protest and we can join one of yours sometime!” Edric commented, to which Luz handwaved him away and began making her way to the entrance of the university. “If you have nothing to protest about, don’t worry, that won’t stop us!”

“Forget it.” Luz declared and made her way through the double doors.

“Go back to Squareville, Luzer!” Boscha yelled.

Luz glanced back in restrained anger, but then shook her head and made her way to one of the classrooms. Luz better cut out before she gave them something to protest about.

Queens.

Tommy sat on a small chair inside their tiny apartment, looking at his brother on the bed, who was holding his forehead and had an expression of anguish on his face.

“I don’t know what happened. It’s like something just came over me.” Joe whispered.

“We’ll figure that out later. Just try to rest for now.” Tommy explained with a worried and serious expression on his face. “Do you want to take off the costume?”

“I’m too tired to even move…” Joe whispered, to which Tommy nodded. “Thanks for helping me out, Tom.”

“Joe, you’re my brother.” Tommy explained with a nod. “I’m with you to the end.”

Joe nodded and once again laid his head on the pillow. He glanced at the wall, seeing a small poster for a boxing match. Joe remembered that night, it had been his first fight. Joe’s expression changed into one of slight anger as he remembered his humiliating defeat.

“Joe?” Tommy asked as his brother got up from the bed and approached the poster on the wall. “Joe, you should stay in bed.”

Joe stared at the poster as anger began to rise on his face, except for his eyes, which seemed to be glazed and confused. He should have been the champion. Joe Smith, boxing champion. Everything seemed to spin around him and become blurry as Joe threw a mighty punch, destroying the poster and the wall behind him, before walking right through the hole he had made, stepping onto the sidewalk.

“Joe! Wait!” Tommy yelled as he ran after his brother and grabbed Joe’s arm with both of his hands, only for the man in the alien costume to toss him away with a quick movement, throwing Tommy like a ragdoll. Tommy groaned and sat up on the ground, watching as his brother ran off. “He’s heading back to the boxing ring!”

Boxing Ring.

The many boxers stood around, lifting weights, jumping ropes, and striking punching bags. One of the boxers had a smile as he pulled his arms back and threw a punch, a massive slamming sound echoing across the room at the exact same moment he struck the back. The boxers all turned, to see the metal doors had been knocked down to the ground. Joe Smith stepped inside, an expression of anger on his face.

“What are you wearing? Some poor excuse for a Marvin the Martian costume?” One of the boxers asked.

“Hey, buddy, this isn’t a costume party, you’ve come to the wrong place.” Declared another one of the boxers, only for Joe to casually walk towards him and throw a mighty punch, knocking the boxer all the way to one of the walls.

“What the hell?” Another one of the boxers asked as they all ran towards Joe, who stared at them with a furious expression.

Queens.

Spider-Girl swung across the rooftops and landed on top of one of the buildings. Her house was not far away from there, so Luz was about to hide in an alley to change into her civilian clothing, when she heard the sound of glass breaking, and turned to see a large boxer had just been nocked through the window of one of the neighboring small buildings.

“What gives?” Spider-Girl asked as she swung into the scene. She back flipped through the wall and landed right in the middle of the room, seeing Joe Smith knocking out the last of the boxers with a punch. “You again? Don’t you ever stop fighting?”

Joe dashed to Spider-Girl, but Luz moved faster and struck Joe with a swift punch, only for Joe to recover from it faster than she had expected, striking Spidey with a pair of blows. Spider-Girl recovered from the strikes, but it was too late, as Joe grabbed her with both hands and flipped her to the ground, the two beginning to wrestle.

“I can tell you don’t have all of your marbles!” Luz declared as she threw a punch to Joe’s face, the pain making Joe let go of his grip, before Spider-Girl flipped him over her head, throwing him onto a punching bag, the impact breaking the chain that held up the bag and sending it rolling across the ground. Joe got back to his feet and Spider-Girl dashed to him and threw a punch only for Joe to grab her fist in his palm, and then strike her with a pair of strikes. He threw two more jabs, but Luz avoided them and then struck Joe with three of her own blows.

Spider-Girl tripped Joe and knocked him to the ground, before punching him down on the face, and then doing it again, and again, and again, and again, finishing it with a powerful blow that shook the entire building.

“Ugh! Hm? What?” Joe asked as he looked around in confusion.

“Had enough, fella?” Spidey asked, still holding her fists up.

“I can think straight again!” Joe declared as he stared at Spider-Girl in disbelief, realizing she had just hit him so hard that she knocked him out of his dazed state.

Luz heard the sound of sirens, and the two turned to see police cars parking in front of the building. Spider-Girl jumped and swung up to the skylight, crawling away from the room without saying another word. Joe stared at Spidey as she left, and then turned to see a pair of police officers running in.

“Put your hands up!” The officer demanded as he pointed his gun at Joe.

“I… I…”

“Joe, don’t answer anything.” They heard, and then turned to see the short man running in. He walked up to one of the officers and handed him a business card. “Tommy Smith. I’m the one who called the police. You speak to me, not to him.”

“This man has been running around the town wrecking things all day like a human bulldozer!” The officer declared.

“My brother didn’t have control over his actions! I called the nurses of the studio, and they are sure an electrical shock has affected his cognitive abilities! This falls under the insanity plea!” Tommy declared to the police officers while putting his hands on his pockets, before turning to his brother.

“Yeah… Yeah…” Joe explained as he nodded. “I couldn’t tell what was happening. It was just a bunch of glowing spots. It only stopped after Spider-Girl knocked me out for a moment.”

The officers nodded and then put their guns away.

“You haven’t heard the best! I know a guy who knows a guy who managed to send some of your movie footage to a big Hollywood producer, and she loved it!” Tommy explained. “She wants to hire you full time as a suit actor for their monster movies! It will pay big bucks! It will get an international release!”

“I’m… I’m gonna be somebody! At least! Joe Smith, the actor!” Joe declared with a hopeful expression, and then pulled Tommy into a hug. “Of course, I’m going to bring my manager with me!”

“Hey, Joe!” They heard, and then turned to see the boxers who the man in the alien suit had knocked down. They were getting back up, but instead of anger their faces seemed to only show excitement.

“I didn’t know you could fight that well!”

“You gotta teach us how to throw that punch you used!”

“That was terrific! I want a rematch!”

The boxers all laughed as they approached Joe, who simply scratched the back of his head in an awkward manner.

“I guess everything worked out.” Spider-Girl commented as she watched the scene from above, before jumping and web-swinging away. “I guess he wasn’t a bad guy after all.”

Noceda Residence.

Luz unlocked the door and walked into the dark living room. Was her mom asleep already? She turned on the light.

“Surprise!” Camila explained as she stood near a small cake on a table in the middle of the room.

“What’s happening?” Luz asked as she approached her mother, who gave her a gentle hug.

“We’re celebrating your first day on the job!” Camila declared. “I’m so proud of you! This is the first step on your career to become a scientist, just like you always wanted!”

“Thanks.” Luz commented as she hugged her mother back. “It means a lot.”

“Come on! I bet you’ll love this cake.” Camila commented as the two sat around the table. “I made it with that girl I told you about, Amity. You’ve just missed her. She was here just five minutes ago.”

“Today has been so busy that I don’t think any girl would want to meet me right now.” Luz commented, to which the two laughed for a moment.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Horns of the Rhino!

The Spider’s Web:

GodzillaMaster: That was a bit heartbreaking, all Harvey wanted was to go back to a normal life only to have to deal with this. Thankfully things ended well for him, for now at least...

And Odalia....yikes....

I'm very worried what she might do next

“I really screwed up with Harvey, didn’t I? What happened to him was my fault. It’s like no matter what I do, I keep on hurting the people around me.” Luz asked as she sat on the roof of her home, glancing at the shining stars above. “Well, I guess I have no choice but to move forward and work for a better future.”

Shadowsnake89: Well, on the bright side, you won't have to work for Hopkins anymore and you can use your talents that don't involve fighting super powered beings.

“Mrs. Blight really helped me a lot on this one. My new job pays way better than the Daily Bugle.” Luz explained. “Odalia might be a weird person, but I guess she isn’t really all that bad.”

Luz nodded and crawled back through her window, landing on the ground of her bedroom. She turned back to the window and looked at you, the reader, with a smile.

“Thank you for reading! Thank you all for helping us hit 4000 hits! Hope you’ll join me next time, true believers!” Luz declared as she closed the window. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Horns of the Rhino.

The days in Blight Industries could get quite busy, with whole crowds of employees walking by the hallways and speaking with each other, the conversations all mashing together and sounding like white noise in the background. The elevator doors slid open and Luz Noceda walked out, holding a large pile of papers in her hands as she avoided bumping into any of the other employees. The girl got distracted by the noises in the background and didn’t notice the tingle of her Spider Sense, as she bumped onto a tall figure and fell to the ground, the papers scattered across the floor.

“Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Luz whispered in a slight panic as she began picking the papers up in a frenetic manner. The girl was taken back as a second pair of hands began taking the papers, and she looked up to see she had just bumped on none other than Odalia Blight, who had now gotten to her knees to help Luz. “Mrs. Blight?”

“Be more careful in those halls, dear. You could have gotten hurt.” Odalia commented as she finished picking up the papers and handed them to Luz, who was just staring at her with a surprised expression. Odalia got back to her feet and gave Luz her hand, which the girl took, as her new boss helped her back up. “I’ve been keeping track of the projects you’ve completed since I chose to hire you. I can tell you’ve been enjoying the job, seeing how much work you got done in your first week alone. Your talent is quite incredible.”

“Oh, that’s nothing…” Luz commented in an awkward tone of voice, her cheeks blushing for a moment. Odalia held back a smirk as she watched over her employee. “Thank you for the job, Mrs. Blight. The extra payment is really helping a lot.”

“Don’t worry that much about formalities, dear.” Her employer commented as she put her gentle hand on Luz’s shoulder. “You can call me Odalia.”

“Thanks… Odalia.” Luz nodded.

“You’re welcome, Luz.” Odalia answered as she nodded back and began making her way to the elevator. Luz smiled as she continued making her way through the hallway. Odalia’s smile dropped the moment Luz went around the corner, being replaced by her true emotionless expression as the elevator doors slid closed.

Daily Bugle.

“Pay you in advance? Who do you think I am? Santa Claus?” Jacob Hopkins asked in annoyance to his phone, sitting behind his desk with a cigar in his other hand. He slammed the phone back on the hook and brought the cigar to his mouth, crossing his legs on the desk, when he heard the sound of knocking on the door. “I’m not seeing anyone right now! Buzz off!”

“Does that go for family as well?” Asked a recognizable voice, and Hopkins’ expression changed into a surprised one. He got up from the desk and made his way to the door, his lips forming a smile as he opened it. “Hey, dad.”

“John!” Hopkins declared with a smile as he saw the tall astronaut. “I wasn’t expecting a visit!”

“I know how to make a surprise.” John commented as he walked into the office. He turned back to the door, and Hopkins noticed two tall men in suits had been standing behind his son. “It’s okay, guys. I’ll be fine in here.”

The two mysterious men nodded and stood by the door as Hopkins closed it.

“Government agents?” Hopkins asked as he made his way to the desk and sat down, John sitting on the other side. “Something to do with your job at NASA, I presume.”

“It’s a long story. I’m just happy to be back in New York.” John commented with a shrug as he relaxed on the chair. “How have things going around here?”

“My main photographer got a day job.” Hopkins commented in a casual tone. “She’s the one who brought me pictures of Spider-Girl.”

“Spider-Girl?” John commented with a smile.

“That masked menace!” Hopkins complained under his breath.

“I still don’t get what you have against her, dad.” John commented in a casual tone of voice. “She helps a lot of people. You’re never fair to her.”

“Oh, please! She probably just takes all the credit for what the real heroes do, like our police officers or firefighters! They’re the real heroes!” Hopkins declared as he crossed his arms, to which John just rolled his eyes. “Speaking of heroes, how was the mission to Jupiter?”

“The launch was smooth, and the flight was calm. It was only when we landed that the situation got…” John explained, thinking over each word with care. “Strange.”

“What do you mean?” Hopkins asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We got hit by a storm while studying the surface. My two teammates were still inside the ship, so the strange dirt didn’t hit them, but I was outside gathering data. I ran back to the ship immediately, but some of the dust landed on my space suit. Some weird alien microbes managed to somehow phase through the uniform and hit my skin.”

“What? Why wasn’t I notified about this?” Hopkins asked in slight worry.

“The information was classified for the first days while they were analyzing my body. The only reason I’m telling it right now is because it was declassified after I was released from the facility.” John explained in a professional tone of voice. “We came to the conclusion that the microbes are not contagious, and they also don’t seem to be of any harm to my health, so NASA allowed me to leave the facility, but they decided to have a few agents protect me until second order.”

“Protect you from who, exactly?” Hopkins asked in curiosity.

“The data we got from the microbes in my body is very rare. It may give the United States a huge boost in the technology race.” John explained with a professional voice and a serious expression. “There are some countries would there that would level a city just to get to me.”

US Navy Reserve.

The loud ringing of the emergency alarm echoed across the military base, occasionally accompanied by the sound of automatic gunfire and screams. The commander felt the ground beneath his feet shake as he ran through the corridor, and then flung open the door into the command room.

“Report!” The commander ordered.

“Our soldiers are being push back! The intruder is charging right through all of our defenses!” The soldier declared in an unhinged voice as he typed on the keyboard. “We can’t hold much longer!”

“How many enemies in the invading team?” The commander asked.

“It is not a team, sir!” The soldier declared in fear. “It is just one man!”

The entire room shook with a loud slamming sound, and the two turned in surprise to see the wall near them had been smashed to tiny pieces. A massive figure stood in the shadows and stared at them in silence, as the commander pulled out a handgun and opened fire, the bullets bouncing off as if striking hard concrete. The gigantic figure stepped forward, his footsteps seeming to make the ground shake, and the commander gasped at the enemy who stepped into the light, revealing himself to be a humongous human wearing what appeared to be a rhinoceros suit.

“What in tarnation?” The commander asked in surprise, which the Rhino ignored as he tapped the ground with his foot and then charge forward at high speeds, aiming at the two with his horn. The military men screamed as they jumped out of the way, and Rhino broke right through all of the computers in the control room, also breaking through a pillar and through another wall. The entire room began to shake, pieces of the ceiling falling off, as the two soldiers screamed.

“This was just a demonstration.” Rhino declared in a tone of restrained anger, his voice sounding deep and powerful, as he stepped back into the room, each of his footsteps shaking it and making the ceiling collapse even faster. The two army men tried to get up and run away, but it did no good, as the Rhino grabbed the two in his mighty arms, his huge fingers being thicker than their arms and going all the way around their chests, and held them over his head. “Where is John Hopkins from the Jupiter mission?”

The Rhino tightened his grip around their bodies, making the two victims scream in pain.

“He’s in New York!” The soldier screamed in terror. “That is all I know! I swear!”

Rhino smirked and slammed his feet on the ground, making the room once again shake. The military men both screamed as the entire ceiling collapsed above them at once, and the entire military building fell apart, reduced to rubble. The dirt settled around the destroyed remains, and a man in a rhinoceros costume that appeared to be made of concrete stepped out from the rubble, not a scratch on his body.

“New York? Haven’t been to that place ever since the experiment last month.” Rhino declared with a wicked smile. “I wonder how Spider-Girl will react when she sees what became of her old pal Wrath!”

Manhattan.

Luz walked into the small Chinese restaurant. Her days were always quite busy, especially now that she had a full-time job, but she still had to find some time to stop the web swinging and eat something. Luz stood in front of the cashier and reached for her pocket, pulling out a few dollar bills.

“Noodles.” Two voices declared in unison, and Luz turned her head to see a familiar face right next to her.

“Masha?” She asked in disbelief.

“Luz Noceda, as I live and breathe!” Masha Brant greeted in surprise as they also handed the cashier a few dollars, and a smile formed on Luz’s face. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“I gotta eat somewhere, I guess.” Luz commented in an awkward manner and the two giggled for a moment.

“You look well.” Masha commented. “I can tell you’ve been getting more sleep than when we last spoke.”

“You see right through me, don’t you?” Luz commented, blushing slightly, and then pointed at one of the tables. “Wanna sit down?”

Masha nodded and the two sat.

“How’s work?” Luz asked with a smile. “Is the Globe better than the Bugle?”

“Just not having to hear Hopkins screaming already makes it ten times better.” Masha answered, to which the two laughed. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s recovering very well. She doesn’t even need the wheelchair or the cane anymore.” Luz explained in a calm voice, tapping on the table with her finger. “I got a new job. Blight Industries.”

“Really?” Masha asked in surprise. “I heard that place pays very well.”

“I’m not becoming a millionaire any time soon, but I’ll at least be sure the bills are paid every month.” Luz explained with a shrug. “Hey, look, the food is coming.”

The two nodded as the waitress placed two small cups of noodles on their table and then walked away without saying a word. The two nodded at each other and began eating.

“How is Ned?” Luz asked, which caught Masha’s attention.

“Oh, Ned is such a dream!” Masha declared with a smile, her body language immediately becoming livelier. “I can’t tell you how happy he makes me feel! I think about him so often!”

Luz nodded, trying to disguise her awkward expression. Luz looked around to avoid eye contact with Masha as they spoke about their boyfriend, and her eyes caught a small television screen in the background, which showed the image of a collapsed building. Luz’s expression changed into one of slight worry as she focused on the voice of the news anchor.

“Only eight of the victims have been recovered alive so far, and the search through the debris still continues. The witnesses claim they were attacked by a giant unstoppable rhinoceros monster.” The news anchor declared. “A creature that appears to fit the description was seen hours later breaking through a roadblock kilometers away, and it appears to be heading towards New York.”

“Luz? Luz!” Masha called, catching her attention once again. “Did you even listen to what I said?”

“Um… Yeah!” Luz nodded and changed her sitting position. “So… Nice weather we’re having, hm?”

A few minutes later.

Luz waved goodbye to Masha as the two walked to their separate ways. She still remembered back when she thought Masha would be the one, that the two could spend the rest of their lives together, but they had gone in such separate directions. Luz glanced back to get a final glimpse of Masha as they went around the corner, and then turned back just in time to see she had almost bumped into yet another recognizable face.

“Noceda! The hell are you doing here?” Hopkins yelled in annoyance, as Luz noticed he was standing in front of a fancy large car, near a tall man and two others in black business suits.

“Walking.” Luz asked in a nonchalant manner.

“Are we having any trouble here?” One of the men in black asked as he stared at Luz, his expression hidden by his black shades.

“Don’t worry, she’s just my dumb photographer.” Hopkins answered.

“Are you the girl who takes pictures of Spider-Girl?” John asked. Luz looked up at the astronaut. His voice was quite calming for someone of his size, he really seemed to be some type of gentle giant. Luz nodded, to which John smiled. “Next time you see her, give her some thanks in my name. She does a good job protecting the city.”

Luz nodded once again. John got into the back of the car, before the two agents got on the front seats and the vehicle drove away.

“Who were these people?” Luz asked.

“My son, the astronaut, and the federal agents who were protecting him.” Hopkins answered, and then looked at Luz in impatience. “What are you standing there for? Go photograph birds, or something.”

“That’s a relief, I was afraid you’d ask for something hard.” Luz commented with a sarcastic smile as Hopkins began to walk away.

Noceda residence.

Luz closed the door behind her as she walked into the living room, seeing her mother sitting on the sofa. She was about to greet her, but Camila signed for Luz to wait with one hand and held the phone to her ear with the other.

“Yes, of course. Thank you, dear. I’ll see you later, goodbye.” Camila commented, before hanging up the call and turning to Luz with a smile. “It was Amity.”

“It’s always Amity with you.” Luz commented with a smile.

“She’s been helping me out a lot lately.” Camila commented as she stood up. “How was work today?”

“It was…” Luz whispered as she thought over all of the words she could use. Strange, awkward, worrisome, unexpected. “Nice.”

“Thank goodness.” Camila commented, to which Luz nodded and made her way up the stairs.

Luz made her way into her room and locked the door behind her. She sat down and turned on her table lamp, opening a notebook and holding a pencil. Luz wished she could just go for some web swinging for stress relief, but she needed to catch up on her studies. She tried to focus, as many thoughts began crossing her mind. Could she trust Odalia Blight? Why were those agents protecting Hopkins’ son? How could she ever think Masha was the right person for her? What was that rhinoceros monster and what would happen once it reached New York?

“Ugh…” Luz whispered as she put the pencil down and stared at the blank page. “What am I going to do?”

Railroad Yard.

“This card right here, officer.” The conductor commented as he led the cop to one of the cars of his train. “It felt heavy the entire trip, and I’m sure I heard something moving inside.”

“It is probably a homeless person or some animal.” The officer commented as he made his way to the door and prepared to slide it open, only for a powerful force to send the door flying from inside. The conductor screamed and ran away, and the cop’s face showed a desperate expression as he looked up at the massive Rhino who stepped out of the shadows. The officer drew his gun and opened fire, to no effect, as the bullets simply bounced off the brute’s concrete-like armor. Rhino struck the officer with a casual smack, sending him flying several meters and knocking him unconscious.

“New York at last! It is good to be back!” Rhino declared with a confident smile. “Now to catch that astronaut!”

Noceda residence.

“Warning! The Rhino is rampaging through the west side of New York! I repeat, the Rhino is rampaging!” Declared a voice from the radio. “All major roads have been blocked and civilians are advised to stay inside!”

“Rhino? That’s what they’re calling this monster now?” Luz asked as she got up from her chair and took her civilian clothes off, revealing the Spider-Girl outfit inside. She reached for the pocket of her pants and pulled out her gloves and shoes, putting them on before she pulled the mask out of the other pocket. “If there was ever a time for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl to make an entrance, this is it!”

Spider-Girl put on her mask, and then crawled out through the window, swinging from building to building.

Hotel.

“Is there something wrong, dad?” John asked as he held the phone to his ear.

“There is a creep running around the city and breaking everything. They’re calling him the Rhino. I’ve been trying to call Noceda to take some pictures, but she’s not answering.” Hopkins explained. “Look, the route this guy is taking will have him pass by the hotel you’re staying. I just want you to stay safe in there, okay?”

“You don’t have to worry, dad, I have my security guards in case anything happens.” John explained.

The sound of gunfire echoed across the building, and John took his ear away from the phone and turned to the door, the sounds seeming to come from outside. John heard the sound of screaming and stomping, before the two security guards were thrown through the wooden door of his hotel room, breaking it right open. The Rhino stared at John with a serious expression and walked inside, breaking right through the doorframe with his casual step.

“John! What is going on in there? John!” Hopkins’ voice asked from the phone, which was hanging from the table as the Rhino carried the unconscious astronaut over his shoulder.

Manhattan.

The sound of police cars echoed across the streets, accompanied by the Rhino’s heavy footsteps as he made his way through the dark alleys. John regained his consciousness at a slow pace and shook his head, his eyes widened as he realized the massive armored man who was carrying him.

“Hey! Let me go!” John complained as he struggled to move, not even being able to stagger the Rhino’s mighty grip.

“Shut your mouth, Armstrong!” Rhino declared in a menacing tone of voice as he pulled the astronaut away from his shoulder and held him close to his face. “Russia is offering big money if I take you there alive, but they said dead could work too!”

John stared at the Rhino in fear, only for his attention to be taken by a swift blur flying in behind his captor, as Spider-Girl struck the opponent with both of her feet while swinging from a web. Rhino didn’t even move, but the surprise made him lessen his grip, which John used to slide away from the giant’s hand and run away from the alley as fast as he could. Rhino tapped the ground with his foot and prepared to charge towards John, only for a massive web to block his path right as he was about to start running.

“Hey, you! Is that a rhinoceros horn or are you just happy to see…” Spidey declared with a smile, which dropped as the massive armored monster turned to her in anger, his figure towering over her as his shadow covered her entire body. “I’m so scared I can’t even finish my lame joke!”

“I was wondering when you’d show up, insect!” The Rhino declared in anger as his mighty voice echoed across the dark alley.

“That voice…” Luz whispered in recognition. “Wrath?”

“I’m new and improved!” Rhino declared with a smile as he charged towards Spider-Girl. Spider Sense flared with intensity as Luz fired webbing onto Wrath’s eyes and back flipped over the massive man in desperation, the Rhino’s horn breaking right through the wall, and then through another, and another, until he came out on the other side of the building. The bystanders inside screamed and began running away, as the Rhino ripped the webbing out of his face and turned back to look at Spider-Girl. If Luz got hit by that charge, it was over, she was sure of it.

Spider-Girl fired a pair of webbing onto the wall around the hole the Rhino had made, and then ran back as much as she could, using the webbing to send herself flying like a slingshot and striking the Rhino with both of her feet. Wrath took a few steps back upon impact, not even a scratch onto his concrete-like armor. Rhino looked down upon Spidey, the hit only seeming to have made him more stressed.

“Your armor is almost as thick as your skull!” Spider-Girl quipped as the Rhino threw several mighty punches at her, the heroine avoiding them with swift back-hops, Rhino’s fist striking the sidewalk and making the cars around them bounce as large cracks appeared on the concrete.

“I’ll show you what I’ll do with your skull!” Wrath declared as he threw another punch, Spidey avoiding it by jumping and landing on top of his huge arm. Luz’s expression changed into a serious one as she pulled her arm back. She struck Wrath right on the face with the same punch she had once used on the American Dragon.

Luz’s face contorted into one of pain as she pulled her fist back, and her Spider Sense seemed to go crazy as the Rhino struck her with a punch, sending her flying all of the way across the block and breaking through the wall of a building. The bystanders inside screamed as Spidey laid on the ground for a few moments, groaning in pain, and then forced herself back to her feet and came back out of the building, the Rhino staring at her in anger.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re anti-social?” Spidey asked, trying to distract herself from the pain around her body. Luz almost lost her balance, leaning onto a phone booth on the sidewalk.

The Rhino swiped some of the sweat from his forehead, tapped the ground, and charged at full speed. Luz’s Spider Sense flared in desperation, but she couldn’t simply dodge, or else it could hurt the people in the building behind her. Spidey grabbed the phone booth with her bare hands and tore it right out of the ground, throwing it at Wrath with all of her strength. Rhino broke right through it, closing his eyes to protect them from the glass shards, which gave Spidey the chance to jump on top of his head and pull his horn to the side with all of her might.

Luz held her breath as a sharp pain spread across her arms, and she felt as it they were about to snap from the sheer amount of effort she had to apply, which ended up being just barely enough to force the Rhino to turn mid-charge. Spidey back flipped away at the last second just as the Rhino crashed onto a large utility pole. The entire street turned dark as the pole crashed on top of the Rhino’s head, only for Wrath to casually walk out of the wreckage, not a scratch on his armor.

Spider-Girl and the Rhino stared at each other, both letting out heavy breaths of exhaustion as Luz held her arms in pain. She stared at Wrath for several more seconds, and her eyes widened in realization.

“I’m about to knock you into the middle of next week!” Spider-Girl declared with a smile.

Rhino charge towards Spider-Girl at full speed, which Luz avoided at the last second by jumping onto another pole and using it to spin, striking the Rhino on the back of the legs mid-charge, the impact not being enough to hurt him, but still making him lose his balance and roll across the asphalt. Rhino jumped back to his feet, sweat flowing across his face and an expression of stress and anger in his eyes.

“Toro! Toro!” Spider-Girl mocked, still glued to the side of the pole, as she signed with her finger for Rhino to approach her. Wrath roared in anger and once again charged, only for Luz to fired a blast of webbing onto his feet, tying them together and tripping him. Spidey leaped away from the pole at the last second, as the Rhino crashed right through it and it all collapsed onto him. Rhino screamed in anger as he jumped back to his feet.

Wrath shook his head in exhaustion and made his way to a small fire hydrant, breaking it open with his bare hands and throwing it at Spider-Girl. Luz felt her Spider Sense tingle, but it was too late, as the hydrant struck her right on the face, sending her flying onto a parked car and shattering all of the glass, as she held the side of her head in pain. Luz looked up, to see Rhino letting out heavy breaths as he stood in the middle of the jet of water from the hydrant.

“Must be hard for you to run around in this heavy and hot armor, ain’t that right, you dehydrated turtle?” Luz whispered under her breath as she got back to her feet, almost losing her balance as she let out heavy breaths. Rhino stepped out of the water jet, just barely being able to stand as he breathed in desperation, feeling as if he was about to suffocate. The two heard the sound of police sirens in the distance, and stared at each other with purpose in their eyes.

Rhino screamed with fury and used all of the strength he had left for one last charge, just as Spider-Girl ran towards him as fast as she still could, her entire body aching with each movement. The two were about to clash, when Spider-Girl suddenly leaped and landed on top of the Rhino, wrapping her legs around his neck to immobilize his head, and then struck him with her most powerful punch, hearing a crack as agonizing pain spread around her fist, and the Rhino’s face struck the ground. Luz leaped away at the last second as Wrath rolled across the asphalt with the combined impact of his own charge and Spider-Girl’s last punch.

Luz landed on her feet and then fell to her knees, letting out a scream as she held her fist in pain, which was muffled by the sound of the Rhino crashing onto the sidewalk and making a large crater. Luz remained on the ground for a few moments as she let out heavy breaths, and her eyes widened in surprise and desperation as she heard footsteps, and turned around to see the Rhino had gotten back up, her expression showing terror and confusion.

“I’m gonna be honest… if that didn’t take you out… then it might be time for me to find a new hobby…” Luz whispered, barely being able to speak in between her heavy breathing as she forced herself up to her feet, not even being able to get into a battle position as her entire body hurt and her legs barely held her up.

Rhino stared at Luz with an expression of anger, before he let out a weak breath and fell to the ground, fainting from the exhaustion. Spidey let out a sigh of relief as she fell down, taking a few moments to breathe on the asphalt as the police cars drove into the scene.

“Spider-Girl!” One of the officers declared as they pointed their weapons at Luz. “You were the one behind this!”

“Hold your fire!” They heard, and glanced to the side to see none other than John Hopkins running into the scene. “That woman is a hero! She saved my life! She also probably saved your lives by taking the Rhino down before you showed up!”

Spider-Girl groaned as she got back to her feet and stumbled towards John in a drunken manner. Luz pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to the astronaut, before firing a web at the top of a building and beginning to swing away.

“Wait! We’re not done with you!” One of the officers declared as they pointed their weapons at Spider-Girl, but it was too late, as the heroine had already left the scene through the rooftops.

John looked down at the piece of paper in his hands.

“Courtesy, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl.”

“John! John!” They heard, and John turned to see none other than Jacob Hopkins running into the scene. Before he could say anything, Hopkins embraced his son with a tight hug, his voice showing a mixture of worry and relief. “Thank God you’re alright, my boy! I was worried sick!”

“I’m okay, dad.” John answered. “Spider-Girl showed up and–”

“Forget Spider-Girl! Let’s take you to a hospital!” Hopkins declared as he walked away from the scene with his son.

“Wait… something is wrong…” One of the police officers declared as they approached the unconscious Rhino. “I can’t get this suit off him! It’s like it is part of his body!”

“We’ll have to lock him up while he’s wearing it…” The other officer commented in a tone of worry. “How are we even going to hold this guy? He’s going to break right through the walls when he wakes up!”

A few blocks away, Spider-Girl laid on a rooftop, letting out heavy breaths of exhaustion as she held her fist in pain.

“What the hell happened to Wrath? Last time I saw him, he was just a bank robber…” Spidey whispered to herself, not being able to shake the worry that this would not be the last time she would be seeing the Rhino. “If I at least knew how he got his powers… Ugh! Next time he’ll be even harder to handle!”

Noceda Residence.

Luz still felt her muscles hurting as she prepared to unlock the door, only to see it had already been unlocked. She sighed in exhaustion as she walked into the living room, and her expression changed into one of surprise as she saw a familiar person sitting on the sofa.

“Why, hello dear.” Odalia commented as she took a sip from the mug in her hands. “I’ll have to say, Camila, you just make the best coffee.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Camila answered with a smile. “Luz, Mrs. Blight was telling me all about how much you’ve been helping her with your new job.”

“Odalia? What are you doing here?” Luz asked in surprise.

“I figure my best employee deserved a personal visit.” Odalia commented as she finished drinking her coffee and put the mug down in a gentle manner. She got up and approached Luz, who looked up at her with an expression of slight confusion. “The work you’ve been doing for me, kid, it is phenomenal. Absolutely amazing. I figured you deserved some compensation.”

Odalia moved her head to the side, and Luz glanced to that direction, gasping as she noticed a bicycle leaning on the wall. She made her way to the small vehicle, and just by touching it she could tell it wasn’t just any random bicycle. This thing was luxurious, probably costed more than almost everything else in the house. The design was modern and well produced, top of the line mechanics. It was just perfect.

“I noticed you’re always arriving late and tired, so I figured some wheels would help you out.”  Odalia explained as she took a few steps towards Luz.

“Wow… I don’t even know what to say…” Luz whispered as she turned Odalia with a smile. “Thanks.”

Odalia lowered herself to look at Luz eye to eye and put a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Luz, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while… I feel like you’re the first real friend I have had in a long time.” Odalia commented with a smile. Luz glanced at her for a moment, and an innocent smile formed on her own face. “I just wanted you to know that. I trust you, and I hope we can continue to work together for many years to come.”

“Yeah… I hope so too.” Luz answered with a smile.

Odalia nodded and got back up. She turned to Camila and gave her a quick nod, before making her way out through the door.

“She’s very nice.” Camila commented.

“Yeah… She really is…” Luz whispered.

Maybe she could trust Odalia Blight after all.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Birth of a Super Hero.

The Spider’s Web:

CharizardXY2023: Making that device fly silently is gonna come back and bite her in the butt, isn’t it?

“Well, Odalia is sure that the Green Goblin won’t be able to steal any more of their technology, so we should be in the clear.” Luz commented as she sat in her room, finishing her homework while looking out the window. “I’m just happy that I have a stable job now. It has really been helping me a lot.”

GodzillaMaster: Hopefully Luz will be able to remember what she learned when she looked over that glider, for the next time she fights the Green Goblin

And damn, she missed Amity again

“I haven’t seen the Green Goblin in a while, now that you mentioned it. She’s probably still somewhere out there.” Luz commented as she once again glanced out the window, seeing the starry skies outside. “She’s the only villain that I’ve never been able to beat. I wonder what she is planning.”

Luz shook her head and got up, making her way to the window, and glancing at you, the reader.

“Thank you al for reading. I hope to see you all next time, true believers.” Luz commented with a smile as she closed the window. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Birth of a Super Hero.

Luz tied up her bicycle to a small pole in front of the Blight Industries building and turned to the entrance. Another day of work about to start, she thought, when she stopped upon feeling her Spider Sense flare, and turned to a large bank at the end of the street, just as a loud alarm began ringing.

“Really? Right now?” Luz whispered to herself under her breath as she rolled her eyes and ran into a dark alley.

“Nobody moves!” One of the thugs declared as he pointed his rifle at the disarmed security guards, who were all laying on the ground with terrified expressions. He signed for another criminal, who nodded and placed a small time-bomb on the door of the safe. The two took a few steps away from the safe as the ticking of the clock began echoing across the bank, only to suddenly be accompanied by a ‘thwip’ sound, as several webs flew in and tied the two robbers to the walls, pulling the rifles away from their hands.

“Look! It’s Spider-Girl!” One of the guards gasped in amazement as Spidey threw the rifles to them, the guards catching it in their hands. Without saying another word, Luz fired a web at the time bomb and pulled it into her hands, before running out of the building while holding it.

“Gotta run! Gotta run!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she swung to the top of the buildings and dashed away from the bystanders as fast as she could. Luz glanced at the bomb in her hands and looked around as she ran and the ticking became quicker, noticing a small horizontal flag pole on the side of a building. Spidey jumped to the pole and glued to it with a web, before spinning around it several times to gain speed, and letting go, flinging herself upwards like a catapult.

She threw the bomb upwards with her spider strength, sending it flying even higher into the skies, where it harmlessly exploded away from everyone. Spider-Girl free fell for a few moments until she got in range of the buildings, and then fired another web to start swinging.

“I’m gonna be late for work!” Spider-Girl whispered as she swung to the Blight Industries building.

Airport.

“I enjoyed your visit, son.” Hopkins commented as he helped John with his luggage, the two making their way to the airplane entrance. “Where are you off to now?”

“That’s classified.” John explained. He took a moment to breathe in and out at a slow pace. “The officials aren’t sure for how long they can keep the Rhino locked up, so they want to house me in a secure location, at least until the spores leave my system.”

“Those weird spores are nothing but trouble.” Hopkins commented as he continued walking, only to stop as he noticed his son was now standing in place, holding his forehead in distress. “John? Is everything okay?”

“It’s getting so… hot all of the sudden…” John whispered as he lost his balance and almost fell, leaning against a small metal pillar.

“Maybe it’s the flu! I’ll call a doctor!” Hopkins exclaimed.

“Just… give me a moment… to breathe…” John whispered as he closed his eyes, only to open them again upon hearing a loud noise, and gasp at seeing he had just bent the metal pillar with his bare hands. Hopkins stared at the scene in shock, as his son jumped back in surprise, the amazing strength of his legs sending him flying right through the concrete wall, making it collapse as all of the bystanders turned to look at them.

“John! John! Are you okay?” Hopkins asked as he approached his son, who was quick to get back to his feet, his clothes ripped, but not a single scratch on his body. They heard footsteps, and turned to see several federal agents running towards them.

“Dad… what is going on?” John asked in slight confusion.

“It must have been the spores!” One of the federal agents declared. “Some form of delayed reaction!”

“We have to get my son back to the hospital right now!”

“The hospital can’t do anything about this!” One of the agents declared. “We must head to the nearest government research facility!”

John nodded.

Research facility.

“There is no doubt about it. The spores have begun to multiply.” The researcher explained as he looked over the tiny blood sample through the microscope. “Jupiter has a greater gravitational pull than that of Earth, and as such, they’ve mutated your body to withstand those conditions. Enhanced strength and durability.”

“My body feels weightless.” John explained in a tone of slight confusion as he sat on the small table. “It’s like I’m on the moon again.”

“This is serious! The spores are still multiplying as we speak! Your body is still mutating further!” The researcher explained. “We have no idea what side effects or mutations this might bring! We can’t risk moving you to another city while in this state!”

“Well, I hope the X-Men have a spot for me.” John joked, trying to add some levity to the situation.

“Doctor, stop blabbing and just tell us how you can cure my son!” Hopkins declared in a tone of impatience.

“The only thing so far that has had any success against the spores were electrical shocks, but the effects were minimum. We could try a higher voltage to further harm the spores, but this would run a risk of killing the host as well.”

“I’d rather live, thank you very much.” John commented.

“Your instincts are still not used to your enhanced strength. You could end up hurting those around you by accident. We must design a special suit that will at least slow you down.” The researcher declared as he approached a small phone and brought it to his ear. “Could you please contact Phineas Flynn?”

Five hours later.

“You’re telling me a 15-year-old built this thing in a matter of hours?” Hopkins asked as john put on the mechanical suit. The outfit resembled an astronaut’s space suit, being mostly yellow with green details, such as gloves or boots. The green necklace released green tubes that linked to the green belt.

“Latest trend on Jupiter.” John commented as he looked at his body, moving his arms at a slow pace. “I feel like I’m being weighted down.”

“Good. It should prevent you from jumping through walls by accident, at least until your body mutates further.” The researcher commented. “The extra weight makes up for your extra strength. It allows you to move normally. You must wear the suit until further notice, and you will also remain under extreme surveillance.”

“It’s like I’m one of those super heroes.” John commented, trying to distract himself from the worry he felt. “How does Colonel Jupiter sound?”

“We are preparing to move you to a more secure location.” The researcher explained.

“I’ll stay with my son no matter where he goes!” Hopkins declared.

The researcher nodded in understanding.

Manhattan.

“This car is quite fancy.” Hopkins commented, trying to distract himself as the two sat on the back of the government vehicle. John nodded, his expression showing clear distress. “They’ll probably put us in some secret hotel room, or something.”

“Thanks for coming with, dad. I really didn’t want to be alone right now.” John whispered, and then looked out the one-way mirror window. “What did I do to deserve this.”

“You got sick, John. You’re going to get better.” Hopkins commented in a hopeful tone as he also looked out the window. The two heard a ‘thwip’ sound, and noticed a quick red and blue blur swinging above them for a moment, only to disappear above the buildings. “Ugh! That damn Spider-Girl! I don’t have time for her right now!”

“Watch your blood pressure, dad.” John commented in a tone of slight worry.

“I can’t believe the people of this city look up to that masked menace instead of real heroes like you…” Hopkins explained as he crossed his arms, only to uncross them as his expression changed into one of realization. “Wait! I know! You can be this city’s hero!”

“Excuse me?” John asked in surprise.

“Look at you, my boy! You have the costume, the powers, you even have a name! Colonel Jupiter, wasn’t it?” Hopkins asked in a tone of excitement.

“B-but dad! You hate super heroes!” John commented in surprise.

“I hate those fake heroes, like Spider-Girl! She’s a terrible example for our youth!” Hopkins declared as he crossed his arms. “You’re an astronaut! You’re already a hero we can all look up to! John, you can be a hero that can truly inspire this city!”

“I… um…” John whispered, an unsure expression on his face. “I’ll think about it…”

Rikers Island.

“We have to find a way to take this costume off!” One of the doctors commented as they injected the Rhino’s face with the tranquilizers, the needle piercing through one of the only spots in Wrath’s body that was not protected by the rhinoceros suit. He pulled out the syringe, and then took a step back in surprise as the Rhino struggled for a few moments, only to once again fall asleep. “This is the third tranquilizer he takes in a roll! If it keeps going like this, his body will grow resistant to it!”

“We’ve tried everything! It’s like the suit is a part of him! We can’t even scratch it!” The other doctor commented. “We need to figure something out before he wakes up! He’s just going to break right through the walls!”

“How is he even supposed to stand trial like this?” The other doctor asked.

Court.

“You will be representing Mr. Wrath Sytsevich?” The judge asked.

“Yes, your honor. My name is Gunther Magnuson, from the Magnuson and Buttowski Law Office.” Gunther explained in a calm voice.

“Yes, I’ve read about your business. You’re among the only lawyers in this city who will take cases involving superhumans.” The judge explained as he looked over the papers. “I can see here that you’re often accompanied by your partner, Clarence Buttowski.”

“Yes, but he is out of town at the moment for reasons he did not disclose.” Gunther explained, to which the judge nodded.

“You will be able to consult your client as soon as he awakens in cell block B.”

Manhattan.

Spider-Girl swung in between the buildings, feeling the wind flowing around her at high speeds, as she back flipped in midair and landed at the top of a small building.

“Nothing like some web swinging to clear away the cobwebs in a calm night!” Luz commented with a smile, when she heard the sound of sirens, and looked down to see a large fire truck driving down the street at high speeds, and she glanced at that direction to see a trail of smoke beginning to form in the distance, coming from what appeared to be a burning building. “Maybe not all that calm!”

The truck stopped in front of the building and the firemen began charging out. One of the men pulled out a wrench and began heading to a fire hydrant, only for a swift blur to fly in and strike the hydrant with a kick, opening it much faster. Spider-Girl back flipped off the top of the hydrant and landed on the fire truck, jumping again and going right into the building through one of the windows.

“Isn’t that girl an outlaw?” One of the firemen asked.

“There’s no time! Just get moving!” The other firemen declared, to which they all nodded and got into action.

Hotel room.

John stood on the balcony at the top floor of the building, glancing at the skyline in the horizon. He had a worried expression on his face as he glanced at his hands, seeing the gloves of his uniform, and then sighed and once again looked down at the lights from the metropolis around him. John had felt the outfit becoming lighter in the hours since he first put it on, or perhaps it was he who got stronger in the meantime. John noticed a trail of smoke beginning to form in the distance, and his expression changed into a serious one.

“I have to call help!” John commented as he turned to the hotel room, seeing his father sleeping on one of the beds. John stood there in deep thought for a few moments, and then turned to the trail of smoke once again. “Maybe… I can be help…”

John stared at his gloved hand once again, closing it into a fist, before he dashed and jumped off the balcony, the strength of his legs sending him flying at incredible speeds all the way across the block and onto another rooftop.

“This looks like a job for Colonel Jupiter!” John declared with a smile as he once again leaped over the tall buildings.

Burning building.

“I hope ya’ll aren’t afraid of heights!” Spider-Girl commented as she jumped over the flames and picked up two civilians. She kicked a small table to break open the window and then threw the two off the side of the building. They screamed as Luz fired her webbing at their backs, making a pair of web parachutes that made the two bystanders float to the ground in safety.

Spidey nodded and continued to search over the building. The visibility was awful, but she could still hear screams, which meant she still had work to do. The entire building seemed to shake all of the sudden, as if a heavy object had just landed on top of it, and Luz jumped on instinct as she felt her Spider Sense flare, just barely avoiding a piece of the ceiling that would have crushed her if she was even a moment too late.

Luz looked up and gasped as a tall man in an astronaut costume jumped right through the ceiling, once again making the entire structure shake. Spidey jumped back to her feet and approached the intruder, only to gasp as she looked at his recognizable face.

“You’re John Hopkins!” Spider-Girl declared in a shocked tone of voice. “I saved you from the Rhino just yesterday!”

“You can call me Colonel Jupiter, wall crawler!” John declared, and then dashed right through a large wall of fire, which seemed to do no damage to his body, as he grabbed a pair of screaming civilians and jumped right through the window while holding them. Colonel Jupiter landed on the sidewalk, his feet making large cracks on the ground, and then put the civilians down with care.

“Thank you, young man!” The old lady whispered as she ran to the firemen.

Colonel Jupiter ran back into the building, just as several firemen ran out while holding more bystanders. A woman with a baby in her hands ran down a set of stairs, only for it to suddenly collapse beneath her. She screamed as she fell, only for Colonel Jupiter to run in and grab her in his hands, running back out of the building while carrying the two. Jonh placed them right next to several firemen who were holding a safety net, and several people jumped out of the second-floor window, the net cushioning their fall.

“Is there anyone else in here?” Spider-Girl asked as she ran on the wall inside a corridor, avoiding the burning floor.

“Get lost!” Luz heard, and then swung into one of the rooms with her web.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, mister… parrot?” Spidey asked as she noticed the voice had actually come from a colorful bird inside a small cage. Luz shrugged and grabbed the bird, before jumping out the window and swinging down to the sidewalk.

“Get lost! Get lost!” The bird yelled as Luz handed him to a short old man.

“That was everyone!” One of the firefighters declared, to which Spider-Girl nodded, as the other firefighters began to put out the fire.

“Thanks for the help back there.” Spider-Girl commented as she approached Colonel Jupiter.

“Doing the right thing is its own reward.” Jupiter declared as he put his fists on his thighs.

“Why don’t we make this a regular thing? Each one takes care of two mechanical arms. The Sinister Six divided into the Manageable Three. Think of the possibilities.” Luz commented with a smile, which dropped as soon as she heard the sound of police sirens. “Oops! Gotta take swing!”

“Leaving the scene so soon?” John asked as Luz fired a web at the side of a building and was about to swing on it, only to stop and turn to the Colonel.

“If the police see me here, they’re gonna want to arrest me.” Spidey explained. “Y’know? Vigilante and all?”

“I’m sure I can help you talk this out.” Jupiter declared.

“Yeah, I bet they’ll have some easy questions for me, like what my name is.” Luz declared as she began swinging away. “See ya’!”

Colonel Jupiter suddenly jumped, the super strength of his legs sending him flying towards Luz at high speeds as he grabbed her from behind with both hands.

“I can’t let you leave the crime scene!” John declared in a serious tone of voice as the two continued to hang from the web in Luz’s hand.

“You’re fighting for truth, justice, and mom’s apple pie to the end, aren’t ya’?” Luz asked as she aimed her other wrist and fired a blast of webbing, covering Jupiter’s eyes.

John groaned and reached for his face with one of his arms on instinct, which allowed Luz to squeeze her way out of his mighty arm and jump off the web, sending John flying to the ground, cracks appearing on the asphalt where he landed. Jupiter pulled the webbing out of his face and looked up in anger to see Spider-Girl swinging away.

“Let’s do the team up again sometimes!” Spider-Girl commented as she left the area.

“Damn you…” Jupiter whispered as his expression changed into one of pure hatred. “Spider-Girl!”

Rikers Island.

“We’ve been keeping your client under for the entire duration of his imprisonment.” The guard declared as he led Gunther through the corridors of the prison, the young lawyer nodding and ignoring the screams and yells coming from the surrounding cells. “If we could at least get that rhino suit off, we’d be able to house him with the other inmates, but while the suit is still on, we simply have no other way to imprison him.”

“This shouldn’t take too long. I just want to speak with him.” Gunther explained as they approached the cell block, only to hear a loud scream and see one of the doctors being thrown right through the glass cells, his body becoming immobile upon hitting the ground. “Sweet Jesus!”

“He’s awake! I repeat! The Rhino is awake!” One of the guards declared as he opened fire upon Wrath, the bullets simply bouncing off his unbreakable suit. Gunther ran into the room right as the Rhino picked up the bed he had been laying on and threw it at the guard, Gunther running in and pushing the guard to the ground at the last moment, the bed striking the wall behind them and making it collapse. “He must have grown resistant to the tranquilizers!”

Gunther looked around in desperation, seeing what appeared to be a small tank in the corner of the room. He glanced to the Rhino, who was kicking the ground and preparing to charge. The lawyer jumped to his feet and grabbed the tank, spraying the gas inside it at the Rhino just as it began to charge. The Rhino breathed in the fumes and began to slow down mid-charge, before stopping completely and falling to the ground unconscious.

“Spray tranquilizers. Different chemistry.” Gunther explained as he closed the tank and handed it to the guard. “Although it is only a matter of time before he grows resistant to this one as well.”

“What a mess! I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose to leave the case!”

“No, no, I’m staying. If I can’t defend someone this stupid, then who else will?” Gunther explained in a calm voice as he looked over his unconscious client. “If only we knew where this idiot came from. Then maybe it would be easier to take this costume off him.”

Hotel.

John walked from side to side in an anxious manner, his fists clenched and his breathing heavy as he kept an angry expression on his face. The government agents stood to the side as he watched over the colonel, his bored expression hidden behind his black shades.

“She made a monkey out of me! She made me look like a joke in front of everybody!” John whispered, more to him than to the agent, who just rolled his eye in slight annoyance. The colonel hadn’t shut up about Spider-Girl ever since he had woken up, and it was not the agent’s job to be his therapist. The agent heard the sound of ringing, and turned to the phone on the wall, picking up the call. John turned to him, clearly annoyed by his presence, and then headed to the balcony.

“This is from the research facility! It is an emergency!” Declared the voice on the phone.

“What? What happened?” The agent asked.

“The spores in the blood sample we got from John Hopkins! Their mutation rate has sped up exponentially over time! They are multiplying much faster!” The researcher declared in a tone of worry. “They have mutated to the point where they’re not only amplifying physical strength! They are also affecting the brain to amplify aggression!”

“What are you saying?” The agent asked in slight worry.

“There’s no time to explain! You must bring Hopkins back to the lab immediately! It is too dangerous!”

“Calm down, I’ll just–”

The agent was cut off as he turned to the balcony, and took off his shades to reveal his widened eyes as he realized john was nowhere to be seen. He ran to the balcony in desperation and looked down, seeing a large crater had been formed on the sidewalk beneath, as if a heavy object had landed on it.

“God, have mercy…” The agent whispered.

Police department.

“You have one second to explain why that spider menace isn’t behind bars after she assaulted my son!” Hopkins yelled in anger as he slammed his fist onto Gilbert’s desk, who stared back at him with an annoyed expression.

“Pleasure to see you too, Jacob.” Gilbert commented as he took a sip of coffee.

“If you won’t catch that masked criminal, then at least let us catch her.” Hopkins declared as he crossed his arms. “Have you heard of the new hero in town? Colonel Jupiter? He single-handedly rescued a billion people from a fire covering ninety city blocks!”

“I don’t want to think about fires right now, but I’m glad you’re proud of your son.” Gilbert declared with a disinterest expression.

“Deputize him and let him work with the police! He’ll have Spider-Girl and every other super villain in town behind bars by the end of the week!”

Gilbert did not answer, instead just staring at Hopkins with a clearly tired and annoyed expression.

“Great! I’ll call him right now!” Hopkins declared with a smiled as he pulled out his phone. “John! I’ve got great news! Gilbert agreed to–”

“Where is Spider-Girl?” John demanded in a tone of restrained anger. “Tell me, where is she?”

“Calm down, son.” Hopkins commented. “You can’t just run after her by yourself, you’ll need the police to back you up.”

“No!” He yelled in anger. “I own that freak a few things after she humiliated me yesterday, and I’m going to pay her back… in spades!”

“John, you need to–”

“My name is Colonel Jupiter, and I already know what I need!” He yelled back in a fury. Hopkins heard a sound that appeared to be asphalt cracking, followed by the sound of wind blowing, as if the phone was moving through the air at high speed. “I’m the super hero here! I am Colonel Jupiter! I am stronger than anybody, and nobody is going to push me around! Nobody!”

“John! John!” Hopkins yelled as the call crashed. It was not ended normally by John hanging up, but instead brought to an end abruptly, as if the other phone had been smashed. Hopkins turned to Gilbert with a terrified expression.

“Jacob… what did you do?” Gilbert asked in a serious tone of voice.

Manhattan.

“You go that way, and then you turn left.” Spidey explained to a guy in the driver seat of a car.

“Thanks, Spider-Girl.” The man commented as he drove off. Luz gave him a thumbs up and then swung upwards with her webbing, somersaulting and landing right on the roof of a small planetarium. She glanced at the horizon, seeing the sky begin to turn orange due to the sunset. “I better go get my bike and head home. Mama must be worried.”

She prepared to fire a web to swing away, but stopped as she felt her Spider Sense tingling, her body going straight into high alert. She glanced to the side and her expression changed into one of confusion as she recognized the figure dashing towards her in midair.

“Colonel?” Luz asked, only for Jupiter to punch her right through the wall, sending her flying into the empty planetarium. Spider-Girl struck the ground, making large cracks on the metal, and then looked up to see Jupiter landing right in front of her, the building shaking beneath his feet, as the darkness hid most of his features save for his furious eyes.

“Did you get up on the wrong side of your spaceship this morning?” Spider-Girl asked as she back flipped to her feet, avoiding a stomp from Jupiter at the last moment. Jupiter threw a punch, which Luz avoided by somersaulting and gluing to a ‘high voltage’ sign on the wall.

“This city is not big enough for the two of us!” Colonel Jupiter declared in a tone of hatred.

“I’m not that fat!” Luz quipped, to which Jupiter threw a mighty punch, Spidey back flipping away at the last moment as the strike collapsed the wall and shook the entire building. Spider Sense flared as Luz looked up to see the massive fake planets hanging from the ceiling beginning to break off, and she jumped away a the last second to avoid them as they began to roll around. The Earth globe broke off and fell right on top of Jupiter, who caught it in his hands and held the globe over his head.

“I am the hero here! Me!” Jupiter declared in anger as he threw the globe onto a shocked Spider-Girl, who avoided it by swinging from a web on the ceiling. “Faster than a speeding bullet!”

Jupiter grabbed the massive globe of Jupiter and threw it at Luz, who gasped and ran up the wall as fast as she could, jumping away at the last second as the globe broke right through the concrete. Spider Sense flared, but Luz didn’t have time to react as Colonel Jupiter grabbed her by the throat and slammed her to the ground.

“More powerful than a locomotive!” Jupiter declared as he threw several punches at Luz, making her groan in pain as cracks formed on the ground beneath her. Spidey tried to fire her webbing onto Jupiter’s eyes, but he grabbed her wrist and crushed one of the web shooters in his hand, making Luz scream in pain. “Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!”

He lifted Spider-Girl up by the neck and punched her, the impact sending her flying right through a wall.

“I am Colonel Jupiter!” He yelled in a tone of uncontrolled anger.

Spider-Girl held her chest in pain as she got back up, and then leaped on instinct upon feeling the tingle of her Spider Sense, avoiding Jupiter’s punch as he broke right through another wall. Luz groaned as she thought over her options. This guy was much stronger than yesterday. Unknown to her, the spores in John’s body were mutating faster and faster each second. It was like his strength doubled with every step he took, and as his strength increased, so did his aggression. Luz had a serious expression on her face as Jupiter pulled his fist out of the wall. She couldn’t outfight this guy, she had to find a weakness.

Jupiter hesitated to close his fist for a moment, and then clenched it as he prepared to throw another punch. A normal person wouldn’t have realized it, but Luz had been forced to hide the pain she felt enough times to recognize this motion, Jupiter’s fist was hurting and he didn’t want to show it. Spidey glanced at the hole he had made on the wall, seeing small sparks of electricity coming from the broken wires inside. Luz gave a quick nod to herself, figuring it was worth a try.

“I’m going to kill you!” Jupiter yelled in anger, his expression contorting with fury.

“What a brilliant idea! Why didn’t anyone think of that before?” Luz asked in sarcasm as she turned around and began swinging away. Jupiter roared as he dashed to her at super speed, striking her with another punch and knocking all of the air out of her lungs, before sending her flying through another wall. Luz coughed and gasped for air as she tried to get back up, only for Jupiter to dash to her at blur speeds and strike her with a fist to the face, sending her back down. “I can tell… you’re getting denser each second…”

“Now you’ll learn the true meaning of power!” Jupiter declared with a wicked smile as he pulled his fist back, about to smash Spidey’s skull.

“Try two million volts!” Luz declared as she fired a web to the side and pulled a small lever. Jupiter saw a flash of light and looked up to see he was standing in between a pair of massive Van de Graaff generators. Spider-Girl and Colonel Jupiter both screamed in pain as the electricity struck their body, sparks flying for several seconds, before the two generators exploded, creating a massive cloud of smoke around the area. Luz coughed and struggled to breathe for several seconds as the smoke began to clear, and she gasped in shock upon seeing John Hopkins on the ground. Luz got up and ran to him, putting her finger on the side of his neck and feeling no pulse. “No! No! No!”

Spider-Girl got on top of him and put both of her hands over his heart, keeping her arms straight, and using the weight of her body to deliver chest compressions as fast as she could. Luz heard the sound of one of John’s ribs cracking, but didn’t stop the compressions until she manually pumped his heart thirty times. Luz pulled her mask up just enough to reveal her mouth and then breathed as much air into John’s own mouth as she could. She waited just enough for the air to reach his lungs and once again began the compressions, doing thirty more as fast as she could, and then breathing more air into John’s mouth.

Luz would have to keep doing this non-stop until either John’s heart started beating again, or an ambulance showed up to treat him properly. She could very well have to continued doing CPR for hours upon hours non-stop. Luz continued the process of thirty compressions, oxygen, and repeat for several minutes, until John coughed loudly and Luz felt his heart beginning to beat again. Luz let out a sigh of relief and got out of John, laying on the ground in exhaustion.

Luz heard the sound of sirens, and put her mask back on, before forcing herself up and swinging away through the same hole Jupiter had made on the ceiling. The police flung open the door and ran inside. They pointed their weapons around as Gilbert turned on the lights, and they noticed John on the ground, unconscious.

“Let me through! He’s my son!” They heard as Hopkins ran inside in desperation, a pair of paramedics running in right after him. “John!”

Hopkins ran to his kid and took his hand, just as the two paramedics approached the unconscious astronaut.

“Pulse is normalized… blood pressure is normalized… He will live, but only if we take him to the hospital now!” One of the medics declared, to which Hopkins nodded and the two placed him on a stretcher. “He must have been stuck by electricity! It must have destroyed the space spores in his system!”

“The feds will be glad to hear that! They were convinced the entire world was in danger as long as those spores lived!” Another paramedic declared as they took John away.

“John…” Hopkins whispered in anxiety as he watched his unconscious son being placed on the back of the ambulance, which drove away with the siren turned on. Hopkins tapped his foot on the ground, crossing and uncrossing his arms without being sure what to do with them. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a cigar, lighting it in his mouth to distract himself, when he felt a gentle hand touching his shoulder.

“Hopkins… you might not believe me, but I understand what you are feeling.” Gilbert explained, as thoughts of his husband came to his mind. “This isn’t your fault. I just want you to remember that.”

Hopkins glanced at Gilbert for a moment, the journalist’s face showing anger, replaced by sadness, then by understanding, which was then hidden by a serious façade, all of that in the span of half a second, before Hopkins nodded.

“Yeah… you’re right…” Hopkins whispered. “It was Spider-Girl! She tormented my son and tried to kill him! But I know John will get through it! He is brave, strong, and smart! John is a chip of the old block! He is going to be alright… I know he will!”

Gilbert nodded, and then accompanied Hopkins away from the planetarium as the other officers began analyzing the crime scene.

Noceda residence.

“Alright! I can finally just lay here and relax.” Luz commented as she basically collapsed onto her bed with a smile. “Tomorrow is Saturday, and I can’t wait to stay in bed until high noon!”

“Hey, Mija.” Camila commented as she entered Luz’s room, making her daughter look to her in slight curiosity. “I forgot to tell you, but we’ll be having a visitor for dinner. Get dressed.”

“Really? Right now?” Luz asked in annoyance, to which Camila nodded and left the room.

Luz rolled her eyes, got up, and opened her closet. She didn’t want anything too fancy, so she put on her white and purple cat hoodie, her jean shorts with legging underneath, and a pair of white loafers. Luz glanced to the mirror, and then shrugged, figuring it was good enough. She left her bedroom and made her way down the stairs, seeing her mother putting three plates on the dinner table.

“Where is the guest?” Luz wondered.

“She should be arriving soon.” Camila explained with a smile, when they heard the sound of knocking coming from the door. “Oh, that should be her. Could you answer that, Cariño.”

Luz nodded and made her way to the door, as Camila continued to prepare the table.

She opened the door. Her eyes widened in astonishment and her jaw dropped in a gasp of amazement as she stared at the green-haired beauty before her.

“Face it, tiger, you just hit the jackpot!” Amity Blight declared with a smile.

To be continued.

Next chapter: Rhino Charges Forward.

The Spider’s Web:

Luz was somewhat flustered as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She glanced into the mirror to see her cheeks were blushing pink, which only made them blush even more and become red. Why was it so hot all of the sudden? Luz shook her head. She just needed to distract herself from the fact that the most beautiful girl she had ever seen was standing right outside in her kitchen. Luz glanced around, and then looked at you, the readers.

“Hey, guys…” Luz commented in a somewhat awkward voice. “What’s up?”

GodzillaMaster: It's good to know that Jacob's jacobness isn't hereditary

And nooooo, absolutely not. Odalia is not someone who can be trusted under any circumstances

“John is a good person. He must have been in some kind of trouble. I’ll call Robbie later to see if he knows what is up.” Luz whispered as she turned on the water tap and began washing her hands. “I hope he recovers well. I still remember when I lost my dad, and I can only imagine what Hopkins would feel like if he lost his son.”

Luz turned off the tap and dried up her hands on a towel, trying to keep her thoughts straight.

“Mija, are you coming?”

“Yes, mama, I’m on my way.” Luz commented as she held the doorknob, and then turned to you. “Thank you all for reading. See you next chapter, true believers. Excelsior!”

Luz nodded and left the bathroom, making her way back to the kitchen.

Chapter Text

Rhino Charges Forward.

A loud alarm echoed across Ryker’s Island as the entire prison seemed to shake. Many of the prisoners looked to the side to see the guards running past their cells and dashing down the corridors with rifles in their hands. Many steel doors locked themselves automatically, only for a massive bulking monster to break through them as if they were made of paper, as a terrified voice echoed from the speakers.

“All units alert! This is not a drill! The Rhino is escaping capture!” Declared the anxious voice, just as Wrath broke right through another wall, making it collapse and crushing the speaker under the debris. Several doctors ran to the Rhino and sprayed him with gas tranquilizers, only for the brute to walk right through it and send them all flying with a slap.

“We’ve kept him under for so long that he grew resistant!” One of the many soldiers declared as they ran into the room and began opening fire with their rifles, the bullets bouncing off the Rhino’s grey suit as he walked through the gunfire.

Wrath kicked the ground and made it shake, to which the guards jumped out of the way in fear, as the Rhino charged forward and broke right through another wall, ending up on the outside yard. Wrath didn’t even bother to stop as he continued charging at inhuman speeds, breaking right through the outer walls of the prison and dashing through the trees on the outside.

“First I’m going to crush that little brat who put me in here!” Wrath declared in fury. “Spider-Girl!”

Hospital.

“Hopkins?” Robbie commented as he entered the room in a calm manner, making as little noise as he could. He glanced at the bed, to see a still unconscious John laying on it, and Hopkins Sr sitting on the armchair near the bed, also asleep. Robbie had never seen Jacob Hopkins so exhausted, which was saying something, seeing as his boss was always stressed and angry. He hesitated for a moment, and then shook Hopkins in a gentle manner to wake him up. “Hopkins? Are you alive?”

“Hm?... What?” Jacob whispered as he opened his eyes. It took him a moment to remember where he was, to which he immediately turned to his son, and his face melted into disappointment upon seeing he was still unconscious. Hopkins sighed and straightened his glasses as he turned to Robbie. “What do you want?”

“The Rhino escaped from Ryker’s Island.” Robbie explained in a calm tone of voice, trying to avoid glancing at John as he spoke. “Should I go cover the story?”

“Hm? Yeah, yeah.” Hopkins commented as he took off his glasses and brought his hand to his eyes, clearly too exhausted to even get as mad as he always did. “Get moving, get on the ball, get the story, get the pictures, get out of here, get whatever you want…”

Robbie nodded and began making his way to the door. He opened it and then stopped, glancing back to see Hopkins holding his son’s hand, looking at him with an expression of worry.

“John is a strong man. He will get through this. I’m sure of it.” Robbie declared. Hopkins glanced at him and gave a nod in response, to which Robbie nodded back and left the room.

Noceda residence.

Luz was not really eating dinner, as much as she was toying with the fort on the plate while her eyes stared dreamingly at the green haired girl on the other side of the table. It was hard for Luz to even believe this was the girl she didn’t want to meet for all of those past few months. Amity took a sip of tea and then glanced at Luz with her confident golden eyes.

“You’re Luz Noceda?” Amity asked in an almost charming tone of voice, as Luz felt her cheeks heating up. “You’ve been avoiding me for so long that I almost thought you were imaginary.”

“Could you pass me the butter, mija?”

“Um? Oh, sure!” Luz commented as she turned to Camila. “Um… pass you what again?”

“That is a lovely bicycle you have outside.” Amity commented, once again drawing all of Luz’s attention. “You could take me for a ride one of these days. Fill me in on your life story during the red lights.”

Amity let out the cutest giggled Luz had ever heard, to which Camila laughed as well, while Luz simply stared at the visitor with an awkward and amazed expression, not really sure what to do with her face. Camila and Amity finished their dishes, which made Luz look down to realize she hadn’t even touched her own.

“I’ll take care of it. You just sit down.” Amity told Camila, to which the older woman nodded and sat back at the table, while the green haired teenager took the dishes to the sink and began washing them. “You really need to rest after all of those surgeries, Mrs. Noceda.”

“I’m already recovered, thank you very much.” Camila commented with a confident smile. “How are your acting lessons going?”

“You plan to be an actress?” Luz asked, finally finding an excuse to get a word in. Amity giggled as she finished with the dishes and turned to Luz, putting er hands on her thighs.

“Correction, Luzura, I am an actress.” Amity declared in confidence as she made her way to a small radio to turn it on, and her expression changed into one of excitement as she recognized the music coming out of the small device. “Grom Dance! My favorite!”

Luz held back a gasp of amazement as Amity began to dance calmly in the middle of their living room to the sound of the enchanting fright of a background music. Amity was like a living doll. She was so carefree, charming, and beautiful. She made the most casual moments feel like a party. Luz felt like she was staring at little miss perfect herself.

“We interrupt this boss-beat bandstand to bring you a special bulletin!” Declared a voice from the radio as the music stopped, drawing the attention of everybody in the room.

“Hey! I was jamming here!” Amity complained in a half-joking tone.

“The Rhino has broken out of prison and is rampaging at large through the city! Citizens are warned to stay inside and avoid all major roads!”

Luz held back a gasp as she got up and made her way to the radio to turn it off. If the Rhino was at large, this meant Spider-Girl had to face him once again, but how was Luz supposed to leave without drawing suspicion? She had to stay calm and think of an excuse.

“Hey, Luz, how about we go for that bicycle ride?” Amity asked with a smile, which made Luz turn to her in surprise.

“Wait, you mean, like, right now?” Luz asked, trying to hide the astounded tone in her voice.

“Why not? It is a great night out.” Amity declared with a shrug as she crossed her arms with a smile.

“Are you sure, dear?” Camila asked. “This Rhino fella is out there. It might be dangerous.”

“Oh! No, no! Amity is right! Now is the perfect time!” Luz declared as she got up and reached for a small letterman jacket, putting it on and zipping it up. She made her way to Camila and gave her a quick kiss to the cheek. “Don’t worry, mama. We’re just going for a spin. Your dinner was delish.”

“But you didn’t even eat anything.” Camila commented as Luz and Amity made their way to the door.

“I love you, mama.” Luz commented as they left.

“You’re utterly ma-a-ad, tiger.” Amity commented with a smile as the two got on the bicycle and Luz began peddling it down the street.

Police station.

“I work all night to get Wrath a good plea deal, just for him to make this bonehead escape!” Gunther declared in annoyance as he put is papers into his briefcase, before closing it. “I wish Kick was here to represent this idiot instead of me!”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, Magnuson. This wasn’t your fault.” Gilbert explained as he hung up the phone after giving a few orders to his men, and then turned to pick up his gun and equipment. “Why did the Rhino have to escape now of all times? John Hopkins went on a rampage just a few hours ago. We’re all exhausted!”

“Be careful out there, Captain Park.” Gunther commented. “Spider-Girl fought Sytsevich once before, she’ll probably try to tackle him again. You don’t have to put yourself in the line of fire.”

“You’re right, I know Spider-Girl will want to get involved, but I have to do what I can. If the Rhino injures anyone because I was not there to help, then it will be on me.” Gilbert explained. “As the police captain, I was given a great power. This comes with a great responsibility.”

Gunther thought over Gilbert’s words for a few moments, and then nodded in understanding just as the captain left the room.

“I remember when I graduated law school and thought the weirdest thing that would happen to me would be some juicy tax case.” Gunther whispered as he got up and made his way to the exit with his briefcase in his hands.

Manhattan.

The Rhino stepped out of a dark alley and casually struck a parked car with a slap, sending it flying to the other side of the room. Wrath looked around with an expression of anger, hoping to see a swinging arachnid dashing towards him at any moment.

“Spider-Girl will be here sooner or later… and this time our meeting will be different!” Wrath declared as he continued to stomp down the street, his feet breaking footprints into the solid asphalt. “If it wasn’t for that blasted wall crawler, I would never have left New York to go rob banks in other states, and those Russians would have never gotten notice of my skills!”

Weeks earlier, Unknown location.

“You want to use me as a guinea pig?” Wrath asked as he sat down before the two scientists and read the papers on the table.

“Our associates were quite impressed by your skills.” One of the scientists declared in a thick Russian accent, his expression showing a calm interest as he stared at the bank robber. “Six successful raids on enemy bases over the course of only a few weeks is nothing to scoff at. You alone brought us more American intel than most of our other agents put together.”

“The experiment will grant you enhanced physical characteristics. You will have the proportional strength of a rhinoceros.” The other scientist explained in a much more professional and disinterested tone. “The suit will be the most important part. The molecular adhesive will glue to your body like a second skin, more durable than concrete.”

“What happens to me if it goes wrong?” Wrath demanded.

“Think of what happens once it goes right. You will be the strongest man alive.” The scientist explained with a smile as he got up and walked to the side of the table, putting his hand on it and looking down upon Wrath with a confident expression. “Nobody will be able to stand up to you, not even Spider-Girl.”

Wrath’s expression changed into one of seriousness. That was all he had to hear.

One day later.

They had told Wrath that he should not move a muscle, although they had not warned him that it would be this painful. The bank robber grinded his teeth as he laid tied to the operating table, and the pain of what felt like jumping into boiling oil spread around his body as the suit took form. Wrath clenched his fist in a mixture of agony and anger as the grey rhinoceros suit molded itself into its final shape, and the molecular adhesive was cooled down just as fast as it had been heated up. Wrath laid on the operating table, letting out exhausted breaths with his eyes closed.

“Is he alive?” One of the scientists asked.

“His heart is still beating, but I doubt he is conscious. Nobody could withstand that much pain, not even with the serum we gave him.” The other scientist explained. “We have our most skilled agent wielding inhuman strength and wearing our most powerful armor. Only one thing is left until he is the perfect Russian weapon, and that is absolute obedience.”

“That one is easy to fix.” The other scientist declared with an evil smile. “Prepared the chemicals, we’ll erase his memory.”

Wrath opened his eyes, his enhanced senses hearing the words, and then jumped into action, groaning in pain as he broke right through the bonds that held him to the table. The scientists gasped as the Rhino stood up, glaring upon them with his furious eyes.

“He’s still conscious! How can this be possible? His willpower exceeds even the strength of the serum!” One of the doctors declared in shock, as the Rhino tore the metal table from the ground with a casual motion and threw it, the two scientists jumping to the ground at the last second as the super-heavy projectile shattered the reinforced glass as if it was made of porcelain.

The two got back to their feet and prepared to run away, only to hear the sound of the Rhino stomping the ground. They turned to the colossal man, freezing in front of him like a deer before headlights, only to snap out of it as the Rhino charged, but it was too late, as the massive grey giant dashed ahead faster than a bullet, obliterating everything in his path. Rhino continued to charge forwards through the heavy and thick walls of the laboratory, before coming out on the outside of the building, the entire structure collapsing behind him as he stood strong.

Rhino heard a sound that appeared to be clapping, and turned to the side, seeing a man in a military outfit coming out of an army jeep and approaching him. Several other Russian soldiers jumped out of the vehicle and pointed their weapons at Wrath, only for the commander to sign for them to put their weapons down.

“There would be no point in shooting, the bullets would just bounce off.” The commander declared as he approached Wrath and took his glasses off, Rhino looking down upon him in suspicion while the commander smiled. “Look at you! The ultimate soldier I’ve been promised! You’re even better than I had imagined!”

“Your nerds tried to brainwash me!” Rhino declared in an accusatory tone.

“They did, which was quite foolish of their part.” The Russian commander declared with an overconfident smile. “Why try to control you when we can just make you rich, and also give you the chance to take revenge on a certain arachnid?”

“Keep talking.” Rhino declared as a smile formed on his face.

“Ever heard of a man named John Hopkins?”

Manhattan, Current events.

“Stop! You can’t go any further!” Gilbert explained as the police officers blocked the road, and Luz stopped peddling on the bike as the two teens stared at the scene.

“Mr. Park? Is this about the Rhino?” Luz asked.

“You know the police chief?” Amity commented as she gently held Luz’s shoulders from behind. “You’re one crazy bookworm.”

“I’m a captain.” Gilbert corrected and then shook his head. “We’re closing all of the main streets in case the Rhino tries to pass through them. You’ll have to go back.”

Amity rolled her eyes and let out quiet giggles, as Luz nodded and turned the bicycle. She peddled to the end of the street and went around the corner, away from the view of the police, and then stopped the vehicle.

“Well, it was nice having some time to catch up.” Amity commented with a smile, to which Luz blushed.

“So… um… Can you watch the cycle for a moment? I have to go to the bathroom.” Luz commented.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Amity explained with a calm tone of voice, to which Luz nodded and ran off. Amity glanced to the bike, just barely missing a swift red and blue blur swinging overhead.

“I can’t take too long! Amity will get suspicious!” Spider-Girl whispered to herself as she swung over the police blockade and landed on top of a building, looking around for a few moments. “Missing the Rhino is like missing a nuclear bomb. I couldn’t ignore horn-head if I tried.”

Spidey heard the sound of heavy stomping, and looked down to see the massive rhinoceros man making his way down the street.

“Speedy he isn’t!” Spidey commented as she fired a pair of webs onto the building’s balcony. Luz was about to use her slingshot maneuver, only to not feel one of her web shooters, and remember Colonel Jupiter had broken it just a few hours earlier. Luz took a few steps up the side of the building and then dashed towards the Rhino as fast as she could, only for Wrath to suddenly turn around and hit her with a slap, sending her flying onto several trash cans. “Okay… maybe a little speedier…”

“I knew you’d come!” Rhino declared as he pointed at Luz in anger.

“If you need help finding your way back to jail, I’ll be glad to put you on track, horn man!” Spidey declared as she jumped back to her feet, shaking her head in slight dizziness.

“You tired me out with your speed and tricks, but this time it won’t work! I know how to handle you now!” Rhino declared as he kicked the ground and charged towards Spidey, whose Spider Sense flared and made her leap on instinct, back flipping over the Rhino as he broke right through the wall and into the dark warehouse.

“Ugh! My head is still ringing from that last hit!” Luz whispered as she once again shook her skull and turned back to see Rhino walking out of the empty warehouse, a furious expression on his face. “Alright, lead-head! Let’s dance!”

“It doesn’t matter how many times I miss you! If I can hit you once, you’re dead, Spider-Girl!” The Rhino declared as he kicked the ground and once again charged forward, only for Luz to fire a web to the side with her single shooter, pulling a trash can into her hands and shoving it right onto Rhino’s head mid-charge, obstructing his vision and sending him crashing through another wall as she jumped away.

“I will never understand why so many people want to end my capricious career! I’m the most lovable hero in town! How about that thing to keep your drafts in case it gets chilly?” Spidey declared as she landed with a pose, to which Wrath yelled in anger and torn the trash can to pieces with his arms.

“Your luck will run out soon enough, insect!” Rhino declared in anger.

“Luck? I must have broken every mirror in town!” Luz answered in a mocking tone as the Rhino threw the broken pieces of the trash can at her, the girl dodging them with quick head movements.

“If I can’t catch you, then I’ll just have to make you come to me!” Rhino declared in anger as he kicked the ground once again, but instead of charging towards Spidey, he turned around and dashed through one of the walls. Luz’s eyes widened, as she realized the Rhino was heading straight to the police blockade on the other street. She fired a web upwards and swung to the top of the building, crossing the rooftop just in time to see Wrath coming out on the other side of the building and heading towards the cops.

“Clear the area! Get all bystanders back!” Gilbert ordered one of the other officers as he pulled out his gun and opened fire onto Wrath, the bullets bouncing off as if they were cork guns.

Many of the other officers ran to the bystanders on the street and began moving them away from the area, just as a teenager with green hair peeked from around the corner, standing near a small bicycle. Amity glanced up, and then pointed in surprise.

“Look! It’s Spider-Girl!”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, playmate!” Spider-Girl declared as she landed right on the Rhino’s back and glued her hands to his horn. Wrath began spinning and bucking around like a bull as he tried to knock Spidey off, making Luz gasp as his surprising speed and aggressiveness, as she felt her body being rag-dolled around as if she was a toy. It was like riding the world’s most violent mechanical bull.

Rhino eventually swung his head down, slamming Luz onto the asphalt with enough strength to make a small crater. Spidey felt the air being knocked out of her lungs as she flinched and let go of the horn, rolling around on the ground as pain spread around her body. She looked up to see Wrath was once again preparing to charge, appearing to not even be winded following the experience.

The sound of gunshots echoed across the street as several officers opened fire onto the Rhino, the bullets simply bouncing off harmlessly. Wrath turned to them in anger and stomped onto the ground, shaking the street and sending the officers onto the asphalt.

“Stay back, fools! This is between the spider and me!” Rhino declared. He once again stomped the ground several times as he prepared to charge. Luz tried to jump away, only to feel the sharp pain on her chest from the last hit, and fall to her knees in agony. She looked up at the Rhino as he dashed, her Spider Sense flaring intensively, when a pair of hands grabbed Luz by the arm and pulled her out of the way at the last second.

“I got you!” Gilbert declared as he ran away from the Rhino while holding Spider-Girl in his arms, to which the rhinoceros man simply continued to charge, breaking right through the police barricade and then through a large building, making the entire structure collapse as Wrath left the scene. “Are you hurt?”

“Not as hurt as I’d have been if you hadn’t pulled me out.” Spider-Girl whispered as she struggled for a few moments, and then managed to force herself back to her feet. “Guess I’m gonna be a bluecoat booster from now on.”

“That will be one hell of a report!” Gilbert commented as he glanced at the collapsed building, and then looked back as Spider-Girl, to see the hero had already run off, only catching a final glimpse of her as she swung over one of the buildings. “Ugh! I hate when she does that!”

“I better get moving before Amity gets suspicious!” Luz declared as she changed back to her civilian clothing inside the same dark alley where she had fought the Rhino. She was about to run out, when she noticed what appeared to be a small pebble on the ground, and picked it up to see it was made of a familiar strange material. “It’s a small piece of the Rhino’s suit! It must have fallen off during the fight!”

Luz put the pebble on her pocket and made her way out of the alley, only to be surprised by none other than Amity Blight standing near the entrance, the bicycle right next to her.

“Amity! Didn’t I tell you to wait back there?” Luz commented in a somewhat nervous tone of voice.

“Yeah, but the police told me to leave, so I figured I’d come check on you.” Amity explained in a calm voice as she handed the bicycle back to Luz. “I actually got to see Spider-Girl! She’s just the dreamiest!”

“Really?” Luz asked in slight excitement, which she quickly hid. “So… I think I should take you home right now.”

Amity nodded and the two got on the bicycle.

“Where would that be?” Luz asked.

“Blight Manor.” Amity answered.

“Wait, what?”

Clawthorne residence.

“Eda? Sorry to bother you, but I need some help.” Spider-Girl commented as she crawled in through the window of the small laboratory. It was a bright new day outside, although the room itself was almost pitch black in darkness. Luz switched on the lights to see Eda asleep on her desk, with an almost exhausted expression on her face. Spidey hesitated for a moment, and then approached Eda, shaking her awake. “Mr. Clawthorne?”

“Hm… What?” Eda asked in a tired voice as she looked around in slight confusion, only for her eyes to widen and for her to open a small drawer, pulling out a small glowing orange potion and drinking it all in one gulp.

“Are you okay?” Spider-Girl asked as she took off her mask. “You look exhausted.”

“I’ll be fine…” Eda whispered as she stood up from the desk. She stretched her back and heard a loud crack, before turning to Luz. “I’m sure you’re not here just for a casual visit. What is up?”

“There is this new super villain in town. He has this armor that I just can’t break through.” Luz explained and showed Eda the small pebble. “Do you think you can figure out a way to break this? If it’s not a bother.”

“Girl, you saved my life! You could never be a bother!” Eda commented as she gently took the pebble in her hands.

80 minutes later.

“Thanks for letting me use these tools.” Luz commented as she closed her web shooter with a screwdriver, and then placed the tool back into the small tool box.

“How did you break one of your web shooters anyway?” Eda asked as she finished mixing the chemicals inside the small test tubes.

“My wrist got crushed by Hopkins’ son who was wearing an astronaut costume and had gained super powers because of a virus from the planet Jupiter.” Luz explained, to which Eda glanced at her with a confused expression, only to shake her head and close the small test tube, handing Luz the bottle of silver liquid. “This should melt the Rhino’s armor, but remember, it takes about a minute to take effect. Even after you get it on him, it won’t melt immediately, you’ll still have to survive for a while. It will be dangerous.”

“If I ever let danger stop me, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl would be out of business.” Luz explained with a smile as she put her mask back on. “Y’know, I really have a lot to thank you. You’re the one who got me interested in science, so if there is a slump in superheroing, I have something else to fall back on.”

Eda and Luz both chuckled at the joke, although Luz did often wonder how much of a future she would have in spending half of her life under that read mask.

“Take care of your family.” Luz commented, to which Eda nodded as Spider-Girl jumped out of the window. “Now I just have to find Wrath. Lucky for me, I know where he is going!”

Hospital.

“Mr. Hopkins, you have to get out of here.” One of the security guards declared as they entered the first-floor room, the orange light of the sunset invading the room through the windows. Hopkins looked up from his son, still holding his hand. “We have a suspicion the Rhino might target Colonel Hopkins once again.”

“What?” Hopkins asked as he stood up from the chair. “The doctors said the spores are gone from John’s body!”

“The Rhino doesn’t know that.” The guard declared. “You have to leave the area. It is dangerous.”

“I won’t be leaving my son’s side.” Jacob declared in a voice of purpose. It was clear he was not asking or suggesting.

“We might have to remove you by force.” The guard declared.

“It will have to be kicking and screaming.” Jacob declared as the two stared at each other, only for them to gasp as they heard a loud slamming sound followed by screams, and turned to see the Rhino charging right through the door, knocking down the whole wall.

“Where is he?” Wrath demanded in anger. The guards pulled out their firearms and began shooting the Rhino, just as Jacob ran to the hospital bed, standing near his son.

“The spores are gone from John’s body! He’s no use for you now!” Hopkins yelled in desperation as the Rhino walked towards them, each footstep shaking the room as the bullets bounced off his armor. Wrath sent the security guards flying with a slap, slamming them onto the walls and knocking them out. Hopkins gasped in horror and froze for a moment, only to glance at his unconscious son.

Hopkins grabbed John in desperation and pulled him out of the bed, placing the astronaut over his shoulder and heading to the window as fast as he could. Rhino stomped on the ground and prepared to charge, only for a swift blur to swing in through the window and land right in between Wrath and his targets.

“Spider-Girl?” Hopkins asked in shock, as Spidey fired her webbing at the walls on both sides of the Rhino and walked back a few steps, before using the webbing to project herself like a slingshot, slamming onto the Rhino with both of her feet and just barely making him retreat slightly. Hopkins shook his head and jumped out of the window while carrying his son, moving away from the fight as fast as he could.

“You shouldn’t have come back!” Rhino declared as he grabbed Luz and threw her to the side, leaving large cracks on the wall where she landed. “This time I’ll be sure to put you away for keeps!”

Luz got up and cracked her neck, before replacing the web cartridges in her web shooters, almost as if reloading a pistol, the two staring at each other for a few moments like a Western stand-off. Rhino kicked the ground as he prepared to charge, and Spidey waited for the perfect moment. Wrath dashed, and Luz’s expression changed into a serious one as she pulled out the half-empty bottle and threw it, only for Wrath to tear of a piece off the ground and use it as a shield without stopping, Spidey gasping in shock as the chemical spilled all over the stone, not even touching Rhino’s armor.

Spider-Girl gasped and leaped, gluing to the ceiling as the Rhino ran right through the wall, Luz having just barely avoided certain death from the ferocious charge. Spidey jumped down to the ground and turned to the Rhino, who was walking back towards her. Luz had a serious expression on her face as she began firing her webbing at Wrath, which quickly covered him up like a cocoon.

“That plan went to waste, so I’ll have to improvise!” Luz declared as she continued firing her webbing, only for the Rhino to tear right through it with his bare hands.

“I can rip this webbing as if it was paper!” Wrath declared in anger.

“You’re a champion paper shredder! Congrats on that!” Spider-Girl commented in a sarcastic voice as she dodged several punches, before leaping back into the now empty hospital room. She picked up the bed and threw it, only for the Rhino to easily break through it with a punch.

“Your spider strength is useless against me! I could tear you apart with my bare hands!” Rhino declared in anger as he once again kicked the ground and charged. Spidey fired a blast of webbing onto his eyes, which he shielded with one of his hands, blocking his vision for a split second as he continued to dash, giving Luz the chance to leap away, only for Wrath to grab her by the foot at the last second, the two breaking through the wall and ending up outside.

Spider-Girl struck Wrath on the face with as much strength as she could muster, phasing him just barely enough for the armored man to let go of her foot, and she held her fist in pain as the two rolled across the grass for a few moments, before jumping back to their feet and staring at each other in anger, both letting out heavy breaths of exhaustion. Even an indirect hit from the Rhino’s charge already had Spidey holding parts of her body in pain, and if she kept punching the Rhino, she was sure her knuckles would break way before the grey armor.

“Oh, Jiminy Cricket!” Hopkins commented with a shocked tone of voice as he struggled to move his much taller son away from the scene, seeing the two superhumans battling from a distance. Luz glanced at them and then went back to focusing on the Rhino. Good thing she was just annoying enough for Wrath to direct all of his attention towards her.

“This is the amazing Spider-Girl? Ha! One more charge and you’ll be squashed like a bug!” Rhino declared as he began kicking the ground. Luz stared at Wrath in worry, only for a smile to form as she noticed small trails of smoke coming out of the Rhino’s grey armor. Wrath stopped kicking the ground in surprise and looked down at his body. “I feel warm? Hot! It’s burning!”

“I suspected that dunking the bottle of chemical on you wouldn’t be easy, so I took half of it and mixed it with my webbing.” Luz declared in a confident tone of voice as Wrath’s horn and helmet fell off, and the rest of his rhinoceros suit began to melt into a form of bubbling liquid. “No wonder you went around in a costume! Beauty contest winner you aren’t!”

“You damn insect!” Wrath declared as he charged towards Spider-Girl, despite the lack of a suit. Luz charged back at full speed and the two struck each other on the face with their fists, the clash releasing a small shockwave that sent Hopkins to the ground. The impact sent the two flying and rolling across the ground. The two let out exhausted breaths as they got back to their feet and faced each other in anger, before Wrath let out a weak whimper and fell to the soil, unconscious.

“That’s one way to let out some frustration…” Luz whispered as she took a moment to just breathe.

Spider-Girl glanced to the side, seeing Hopkins staring at her from a distance, his expression seeming to still be shocked from the whole situation. Luz heard the sound of police sirens in the distance, and then began to wing away. Hopkins stared at the heroine as she left, the journalist still in a shocked state, only to be broken by the sound of coughing coming from the person in his eyes.

“Um… Dad?” John whispered as he began to open his eyes.

“John!” Hopkins whispered, as his shock began to melt into happiness and he hugged his son.

“Dad… what happened?” John asked, his voice still weak and confused. “I was helping Spider-Girl in that burning building, and then… I can’t remember…”

“It doesn’t matter! Let’s just get you back to the hospital! Your safety comes first!” Hopkins declared as he helped his son up and the two slowly began moving back to the building, Hopkins glancing to the side to see the officers taking in the unconscious Wrath.

“Someone must have found a way to remove his armor.” The cop declared as he handcuffed the former bank robber. “We won’t have issue keeping him locked up now.”

Queens.

“For once I’m happy that Hopkins turned out alright. I guess even fate has a sense of humor.” Spider-Girl commented to herself as she swung through the night, sticking to the side of a building. She heard a ringtone and pulled out her phone. “Hello, mama.”

“Luz, I was wondering if you could buy my Anticoagulants on your way back?” Camila commented from the phone. “I noticed we’re almost out.”

“Sure, mama. Don’t worry.” Spider-Girl commented as she let go of the building and landed right in the middle of a dark alley. “I love you, bye-bye.”

Luz hung up and changed into her civilian clothing, stepping out of the alley and beginning to make her way down the sidewalk, only to bump into a familiar face.

“Get out of my way, you d– Oh, it’s you.” Boscha commented while rolling her eyes.

“As if seeing your ugly face in university wasn’t enough.” Luz commented in slight annoyance. “Y’know, Willow really wants us to bury the hatchet.”

“Bury it? I doubt you could even lift it.” Boscha answered, to which Luz rolled her eyes and the two began walking away from each other. Boscha walked a few more blocks in a calm pace, and then made her way up a few steps and into a large building. She approached a man who was sitting behind a desk, who stared back at her with a serious expression. “Hello, I’m from Hexside University. I’d like to apply.”

“Very well.” The man declared in a calm voice as he handed her a small pen and a paper. “The JROTC program will replace one of your classes. Your parents will also have to be informed. You will also have to go through regular physical exams before being accepted.”

“I did my research.” Boscha commented as she signed her name on the paper and handed it to the man, who read it and smiled.

“Very well.” The man declared as he shook Boscha’s hand. “Welcome to the United States Armed Forces, Ms. Thompson.”

Drug store.

Luz held her mother’s medicine in her hands as she approached the cashier. She heard the sound of the door opening behind her, but didn’t bother to turn around and just handed the small bottle to the cashier.

“That will be $166.” The cashier explained with a bored expression. Luz rolled her eyes and reached for her pocket, only for a hand to come from behind her and place a small credit card on the counter.

“I’ll be paying for it, dear.” Odalia Blight explained, to which Luz turned to her in surprise.

“Mrs. Odalia? What are you doing here?” Luz asked, legitimately not expecting to see her boss in a place like that.

“I have actually been searching for you, Luz.” Odalia explained as she gave Luz some gentle taps on the shoulder. “My daughter told me all about how well you treated her yesterday.”

Luz stared at Odalia in confusion, until she remembered an important detail.

“You are Amity’s mom!” Luz whispered to which Odalia smiled and nodded.

“That’s right, dear. After you treated my daughter so well, I knew for sure you deserved a reward.” Odalia explained and then turned to the cashier with a smile. “Could you please be a darling and tell the owner of this establishment to just send any bill from Luz into my account? Thank you.”

“You’ll be paying for mom’s medicine?” Luz asked, her voice showing a tone of serendipity as she looked up at the green haired woman.

“Of course, dear.” Odalia explained as she kneeled to look at Luz on eye level. “Your mother is important to you… which means she is also important to me… because you are important to me. Sometimes… I feel like you are the only one who truly understands me. Never forget that, Luz.”

Luz stared at Odalia in a mix of surprise and amazement, before nodding with a smile.

“Thank you, Mrs. Odalia.” Luz whispered back. “You are important to me as well.”

Odalia nodded and got back up, taking her credit card and waving Luz goodbye as she left.

Luz’s life could be quite hard and bleak, but she could always count on Mrs. Odalia to be one of the bright spots.

To be continued.

Next chapter: The Man Behind the Mask.

The laughter of the Green Goblin echoes across the skies.

The Spider’s Web:

“What’s up, guys?” Luz asked as she entered her small bed room, closing the door behind her. “It seems like for once things are looking up for me, don’t you think?”

GodzillaMaster: Well, that sucked. Hopefully John can get better, physically and mentally

And yay, Amity has finally arrived. Hope Luz enjoys her date

“John is going to be… Okay, hopefully? I stopped the Rhino, so now the rest will be up to him.” Luz commented with an expression of slight worry, which morphed into one of happiness as she remembered Amity. “If I knew she was such a great gal, I’d have tried to meet her months ago! She just makes me melt like sweet potato…”

Luz scratched the back of her head in an awkward manner as he blushed, before shaking her head and snapping back on topic.

“Anyway! Thank you all for reading! See you all next time, true believers!” Luz declared with a smile as she closed the window. “Excelsior!”

Chapter Text

The Man Behind the Mask.

It was a dark and foggy night in the New York docs, the gentle movement of the waves being the only sound in the silent darkness as a mysterious figure stepped through the mist. The man’s features were hard to notice through the thick darkness, his silhouette being of a man in a brown business suit and a fedora hat. He was quite short and skinny, likely a teenager or young adult. The most noticeable detail was the mask, the emotionless black and white shapes revealing nothing but his serious eyes staring into the darkness.

“Good news, low life! The city’s gone green!” The man heard as he glanced up to the sound of deranged laughter, to see a woman in a goblin costume hovering over the area on top of a glider. “Will you look at that! The little prince who thinks he is a king! But you’ll soon learn the Green Goblin is above all others!”

“You’re late.” The Crime Master declared, to which the Green Goblin laughed in a sarcastic manner as she laid on her glider in a relaxed position. “You’ve been blowing up my buildings.”

“I have always been a big fan of fireworks!” The Goblin commented as she scratched her chin in an over-the-top manner.

“Jest while you can, clown.” The young man threatened in a serious voice, not taken back by the Goblin’s nonsense. “I am the new kingpin of crime in this city. New York is my empire. I’ve been giving you a pass because you’ve presented no threat, but I am not going to have my gang terrorized by a clown in a goblin costume.”

“What if I rain down fire and brimstone on top of you and everything you love? What if I tear off your heart and feed it to the dogs? What will you do then, you brat?” The Goblin declared with a wicked smiled as she got back to her feet and stared down the gang leader with her yellow eyes.

“I’ll tell everybody who the Green Goblin is behind the mask.” The Crime Master responded in a calm voice, to which the Green Goblin’s smile dropped, replace by a serious expression.

“You fool! I know your true identity as well!” The Green Goblin threatened, to which the Crime Master stared at her in silence. “You think you’re the only one who can paint the mailbox black? You wouldn’t last a week with the number of enemies you have, not when they know your true face!”

“Seems like we’re at a stalemate here. We both have everything to gain, and just as much to lose.” The Crime Master decided. “I have an advice for you, circus freak: Stay away from my business. I am not afraid to push that button.”

“You have made a more terrifying enemy than you can possibly imagine, child.” The Green Goblin declared with a serious and menacing voice, before a wicked grin formed on her face, and she flew away with her glider as her laughter filled the silence of the night.

“One enemy down.” The Crime Master commented as he took off his hat and wiped off some of the dirt that had fallen on it due to the smoke of the glider, before putting it back on, his eyes visible under the shadow. “Now for the rest of them.”

Manhattan.

“The tank is full and ready to roll.” Katya declared as she sat on the drive seat of their purple 1959 Cadillac, Amber standing on the sidewalk and leaning on the car with a serious expression as she looked around. Amber glanced up to one of the windows, giving it a stern look, to which the person inside closed the curtains and turned off the lights. “We can’t afford to stay in the same place for too long, at least not until the Goblin stops blowing up buildings.”

“The Green Goblin and the Crime Master are like the criminal world’s own localized Cold War. If those two decide to fight for the empty throne that was left when the Big Man got clipped, the entire city will be burning by the end of the week. The last thing we want is to get caught in the crossfire.” Amber commented, and then glanced at Katya, who seemed to barely been paying attention. “Where are we going?”

“We’ll decide it on the way.” Katya declared, her calm outer façade hiding the slight worry she felt. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful that we left the Big Man to go out on our own.”

“I’m almost done here.” Derwin commented as he left the small apartment, holing large suitcases in his hands. Katya nodded and turned on the engine as Amber opened the trunk on the back of the car. Derwin tripped on a small pebble on the floor and fell to the ground, their luggage dropping on the sidewalk.

Amber walked away from the vehicle to help Derwin up, and Katya got out of the car to help pick up their luggage.

The three saw an orange light from the corner of their eyes and heard a loud boom, before turning in shock to see their car had just exploded into a massive fireball. The Enforcers took a few steps back in shock, their breathing heavy as the wreckage of their vehicles crashed back down on the street near the sidewalk, all of the nearby windows lighting up to the sudden noise. The Enforcers were frozen for a moment, before Katya’s expression morphed into a serious one.

“Let’s get out of here!” She ordered, to which the others nodded and ran out of the scene with their luggage in their hands.

A short man in a business suit stood several blocks away, his face hidden by the shadow of the tree he was leaning against. He looked up at the trail of smoke visible above the buildings, and heard the sirens of the cop cars and fire trucks as they rushed through the street before him as fast as they could.

“This should send the right message.” The Crime Master commented with a serious expression, only his eyes visible through the dark of the night.

Noceda Residence.

It was a bright new day in the suburbs of New York, as Luz Noceda made her way down the steps, to find her mother sweeping the floor with a small broom. Camila turned to her daughter and gave her a quick nod with a smile.

“Good morning.” Luz greeted as she stepped onto the living room. “Is it cleaning day already? I lost track.”

“That’s no issue, dear, I know your life has been busy with your new job.” Camila responded as she stopped sweeping to speak with her daughter.

“It’s like living a whole other life.” Luz commented with a smile. “I still have an hour before I have to go to work. I can help with the cleaning.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You already have enough work to do as it is.” Camila commented. “I need something to pass the time. Plus, ever since your father left us, you’ve been our main breadwinner, so I have to make myself useful somehow.”

“You’ll always be useful to me, mama.” Luz commented as she approached Camila and gave her a quick hug, to which Camila hugged her back.

“Alright. Now go have your breakfast. I don’t want you working with an empty stomach.” Camila commented, to which her daughter nodded and began making her way to the kitchen. “I’m so happy you found this new job. It is so much safe than working at the Daily Bugle.”

Manhattan.

“I’m Robbie Robertson with the Daily Bugle.” The black and skinny teenager asked as he approached one of the witnesses standing on the sidewalk, who turned away from the crisped remains of the vehicle, which were being towed away by authorities following the explosion from the night before, and turned to look at the young reporter who was holding a small clip book in one hand and a small briefcase in the other. “Could you give me a description of what you’ve saw during the incident? Your identity will remain anonymous.”

“I didn’t get a good look.” The bystander explained. “I just heard a loud noise, and when I opened the curtain, the car was already on fire.”

Robbie nodded and then turned to other bystanders.

“I didn’t see anyone in the area. Kind of hard the focus on anything else when a car just exploded on your front door.”

“The only thing I saw were my own bed sheets when I hid under the covers.”

“How would I know who those three were? I just saw three shadows running away.”

“Thank you for your comment.” Robbie declared as he finished the interview with the last bystander and closed his clip book, placing it in his pocket and beginning to make his way out of the scene with the briefcase in his hands.

It seemed like everybody around the block had gone blind during the explosions, which Robbie was already expecting. Old school gangs would kill witnesses and send flowers to their families, while the modern gangs killed the families also. Robbie walked a few more blocks away from the crime scene, glanced around the empty street, and then walked into a dark alley, the scene obscured by the shadows. Robbie placed his briefcase on the ground and opened it.

“Now to put on my business suit.” Robbie whispered as he took a mask from the briefcase and put it on his face.

Blight Industries.

“Amity was incredible! Her personality, her enthusiasm, her liveliness!” Luz explained in an excited voice as she sat at a table and put together a small device in her hands. “She was just perfect!”

“I can’t understand a word you are saying.” Another scientist, his expression being tired and overworked, whispered in response. “Could you please focus on the job.”

“Oh! Sorry!” Luz commented as she showed the small device. “What I did is that I built an algorithm that loops through the vectors of every instance of a target and for every instance calculates the average distance from the starting nucleus to all other targets in the overall vicinity, and then divides that distance vector by the total number of targets to figure out an average distance vector to all nearby entities, then applies that expending force into the nucleus to find the exact effect area required for maximizing the energy output of the detonation up to a five meter radius.”

“I… still can’t understand a word you are saying.”

“I made the bomb better.” Luz explained as she placed the small object on the table.

Luz got up and began making her way to the other side of the lab, when she noticed the voice of a news caster, and turned to see one of the designers with a remote control in his hands, testing their high-definition smart TV.

“We are speaking to you from Manhattan, where we have a bank robbery in progress! The police are doing their best to keep the situation under control!” The voice declared as the camera filmed the entrance to the bank. A bulletproof black car drove in from down the street at high speeds, breaking through the small barricade the officers were still in the process of putting up, and parked right in front of the bank to the loud sound of grinding tires. A short man wearing a business suit and a mask stepped out from the back seat, and the police officers aimed at him, only to hold their fire upon seeing another thug coming out of the car. He was wearing an eye patch and held a hostage in his hands. “Just in! It appears the mysterious mob boss known as the Crime Master is on location! I repeat, the Crime Master is on location!”

Luz turned around with a serious expression and bumped onto another scientist, who stared at her in an awkward manner.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” Luz came up with an excuse, and then ran into the private room. She closed the door, before jumping to the ceiling and crawling into the ventilation.

Manhattan.

“Go! Go! Go! Go!” One of the bank robbers declared as they ran into the bulletproof car, he held the screaming hostage with one hand and pointed the gun to her head with the other. The vehicle dashed away from the area at full speed, the cop cars chasing after. One of the officers shot at the tires of the vehicle, seeming to have no effect.

“Bulletproof tires?” The officer whispered in shock, and then gasped when they saw a swift blur swinging above them.

The robbers looked up upon hearing a ‘thwip’ sound, seeing their car was now stuck on a massive spider web. Spider-Girl landed on top of the vehicle, ripped the roof off with her bare hands, and then fired a series of swift web blasts, tying the robbers all up before they could even aim their weapons.

“Next time you want this much of an intense ride, try an amusement park.” Spidey declared as she took the hostage in her arms and jumped down to the street below. Luz turned to see the cop cars parking near the scene and the officers coming out. Spidey placed the hostage on her feet in a gentle manner. “Gotta swing!”

“Wait!” The hostage screamed, making both Spider-Girl and the police focus on her instead of each other. “The Crime Master!”

“What? Which one of them is he?” Luz asked in slight worry.

“He’s not there!” The woman warned. They all heard the sound of tires, and turned to see a second getaway car, which had arrived while they were distracted, was speeding away from the bank.

Spider-Girl was quick to fire her web shooter, throwing a small Spider Tracer that glued itself to the back of the car. Luz began swinging after the vehicle, just as the officers got back into their cars and drove after. The getaway car went into a small tunnel, to which the cop cars followed, and Luz back flipped over a building to catch them on the other side, only to see the police cars coming out, the getaway car seeming to have disappeared.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the car has left the building.” Luz commented in slight confusion as she watched the scene from the side of a building. She used a web to swing to the rooftop and look around, not being able to find that vehicle anywhere. “This guy thinks he’s clever… but I have a trick he didn’t expect!”

Luz had a serious expression on her face and she glanced at one of her Spider Trackers.

Ten minutes later.

“The tunnel lights were all turned off? Pitch black?” Gilbert asked as he approached the crime scene, the officers on the barricade signing for the cars to go around the tunnel. The officer near Captain Park nodded in response. “The light systems of the entire city are fully automated, so they could have been hacked, although meddling with the lights to this extent should have drawn some attention. Unless someone was hiding it, that is. Call the city hall, tell them to run a check on anyone who could have been involved. Someone in there must have been bribed.”

“I don’t understand why the Crime Master bothered to take hostages and start a bank robbery, only to not take any of the money.” The officer commented, to which Gilbert stopped walking and turned to him in slight confusion. “He didn’t take a single dollar. He went in, took hostages, and then got out.”

Gilbert had a suspicious expression as he thought over the situation. He reached for his radio.

“This is Captain Park. Did you get the serial numbers of the bills?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Could you please compare them with our database of stolen bills?” Gilbert asked, and then waited a few moments.

“Sir, it would appear more than 80% of the bills are exact matches.”

“Stolen money. That bank must have been used by some smaller rival gangs that were formed after the death of the Big Man.” Gilbert explained in slight worry. “The robbery was just to bring our attention. The Crime Master knows we’re going to confiscate this money, and now many of his competitors won’t have access to their funds.”

“This also gives us a lead... Now that we know the corrupt bank staff was helping those gangs, we could interrogate them... We can also track where the money circulated to find the gang members...” The other officer explained in realization. “The Crime Master is using us to get his competition out of circulation!”

“Wipe the slate clean, that way only one gang can rule New York.” Gilbert commented as the two approached a large hole on the wall of the tunnel, leading directly to the sewers beneath them. “This tunnel has been here for over a week? Must have taken a lot of bribes to keep it hidden. Investigate anyone who worked in this tunnel or in the nearby area. I want a list with the names of anyone who could possibly be aware of this.”

“Yes, sir. It was hidden behind a fake wall that they broke through with the car. They already had their entire escape prepared.” The officer commented. “They could be anywhere. What should we do now?”

“As much as I hate it, we’ll do exactly what the Crime Master expected us to do.” Gilbert commented as he turned to the other officer. “But we are going to get that guy someday. Mark my words.”

Suburbs.

“I’ve heard about this Crime Master guy before, although I didn’t expect him to have such a humble home.” Spider-Girl commented as she crawled on the side of the small two-story building. She glanced down, to see a car parked in the middle of the dark alley beneath her. The tires, license plate, and color were all different, but she could still feel the signal from her Spider Tracer, which meant whoever altered the car did not notice the tiny gizmo she had planted.

She glanced around the windows. Most of them showed at least some sign of life, except for one dark room. Luz crawled to it in silence, breaking open the lock with a quick movement of her finger and crawling inside. Her Spider Sense was silent and peaceful, and she waited a few moments for her eyes to get used to the darkness, before beginning to look around the small room.

Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary about the apartment, in fact, she could easily believe this was just the home of a working-class fellow if she didn’t know better. Luz glanced to the side, seeing a small calendar surrounded by small framed newspaper clippings. She recognized the pictures and approached the clippings in slight suspicion, seeing all of them seemed to come from the Daily Bugle. It appeared that Jacob Hopkins had a fan.

Luz continued to glance around, noticing a small trash can filled with plastic bags with the logo of the small convenience store down the street. The can was near a small desk with a laptop closed on it. Spider-Girl approached the small wardrobe and opened it.

She was expecting to see a bunch of business suits, but instead she found a bunch of casual outfits, which seemed fitting for someone her age. Now that she thought about it, the Crime Master did seem like a young person when she saw him on TV. She searched for a moment and then pulled out a small purple t-shirt, turning it inside out and reading the name on the sticker inside.

“Wait…” Luz whispered to herself in almost disbelief as she recognized the name. “Robbie?”

Spider Sense flared and she jumped on instinct, sticking to the floor right on time to avoid a bullet that came flying through the open window and pierced right through the purple shirt. Spider-Girl jumped to the window and saw a short figure on the roof of the other building reloading a sniper rifle. The figure began running away, only for Spidey to jump out of the window, swing to the roof with a web, and land just a few meters away from the figure.

“What are ya’ going, buddy? Don’t you wanna give Spidey a hug?” She asked as the figure turned to her, and her eyes widened as she recognized the black and white mask that covered the man’s face. “You?”

The Crime Master fired another shot, Spider-Girl jumping away at the last moment and hiding behind a large water tank as the mob boss reloaded.

“Those bullets are faster than a normal sniper! This is military grade weaponry!” Luz whispered as she crawled to the top of the tank and fired her webbing at the Crime Master’s face, who avoided it with a quick head movement and opened fire, Spidey leaping away and landing on the top of another building as the Crime Master reloaded. “I might as well be a moving target! I have to get closer!”

Spider-Girl swung with a web directly towards the Crime Master, who fired another shot, Luz avoiding it by leaping off the web and back flipping towards the mob boss, who avoided it with a side step and tried to run for cover while reloading, only for Spidey to fire a quick web and pull the rifle out of his hand, pulling it to her palm and smashing it on the ground, before dashing and pinning the Crime Master on the wall.

“Let’s see your ugly face!” Luz commented as she reached for his mask, only for the Crime Master to pull out a small device in a split second, which appeared to be a small pen, and press the button to release a strange cloud of gas onto Spider-Girl’s face. The costumed crusader coughed and took a few steps back in surprise, her head beginning to spin. The fumes were clinging to her mask and suffocating her. She needed air.

Her Spider Sense flared and she felt a sharp object piercing her on the side of the chest, before she heard a gunshot and tripped on the balcony of the building. Luz took off her mask in desperation and breathed once again, before firing a web to the side of the building on instinct, the web being too long to halt her fall as she fell on top of the same car that had led her there, shattering the glass on the vehicle to shards.

“Ugh!” Luz whispered in pain as she reached for the gunshot wound on her chest. She breathed heavily as he stood up, her quick movement making the bullet slide off as the wound began to bleed, Luz firing a blast of her webbing to cover it. She glanced up, to see the Crime Master was nowhere to be seen. “Damn it, Robbie!”

Spider-Girl put her mask back on and swung right towards Robbie’s window, dashing into his apartment and turning on the lights. She made her way to Robbie’s desk and opened the laptop, turning it on. The first thing she saw was a document full of notes. She read through them, many of which seemed to list the preparation for the bank robbery, until she stopped at the last one.

“Meeting at the docs?” Luz whispered with a serious expression.

Spider-Girl jumped out of the small building and began swinging away, the crimson crimefighter unaware of the second colorful figure watching over her. That figure who had viewed the entire battle from a distance, while hovering on a silent glider.

“The itsy-bitsy spider putting her nose where it doesn’t belong once again?” The Green Goblin whispered to herself as she let out quiet chuckles. “Now this is where the fun really begins!”

New York Docs.

The Crime Master stood in the shadows right outside of one of the large warehouses as he watched over his men walking in. It seemed like they had all brought some extra muscle with them.

“What’s the delay?” Asked one of the gangsters. “Is the Crime Master not here yet?”

“The Crime Master arrives whenever he pleases.” Declared the man with the eyepatch as the thugs continued to step inside. “You sit there and wait, unless you want a demonstration on how I lost my eye.”

The Crime Master continued to watch the scene from afar. That warehouse was full to the brim with bandits, many of which had broken off from his very gang after the Big Man got his brains blown out and he took it over. The Crime Master has just cut their funding and arrested their leaders, so depending on how that meeting went, he could end the night with a bunch of new members to his gang, or with a pile of corpses to vanish.

“Tuff crowd, hm?” The Crime Master heard, and pulled out his handgun to point at the Goblin behind him. “Oh, stop it, dear. You know the bullet will just bounce off my helmet.”

“Maybe a normal bullet would, but my weaponry is different.” The Crime Master warned.

“Those smugglers armed you well…” The Goblin commented, and then fired an electric blast from her finger, melting the gun on the Crime Master’s hands, who threw it away at the last second. “Still, you are decades away from beating me!”

The Crime Master threw a small device to the ground, which exploded into a cloud of gas, the Green Goblin being unaffected due to her mask. She pulled out a pumpkin bomb and turned around, holding the bomb right next to the Crime Master’s face, just as the mob boss pointed another pistol to her forehead.

“We’re both walking arsenals, are we not?” Green Goblin asked with a wide grin. “Beware, king nothing! If you waste all of your weapons on me, you won’t have any left for when the gangsters in that meeting try to rip right through you!”

“They won’t challenge me if they value the air they breathe.”

“They won’t challenge you if you make an example. I know back stabbers when I see them, and those guys? Ohohohoho! The only way they will ever be loyal to you is if they fear you! If the mere mention of your name makes them tremble! If you do something they never could!” The Green Goblin chuckled. “Kill Spider-Girl as they all watch! None of them will even dare to look at you the wrong way ever again!”

“I did fight the insect earlier today–”

“Arachnid.” The Goblin corrected with a wicked smile, to which the Crime Master stared at her in anger.

“I could barely get away. Spider-Girl is clever, she thinks fast, she is slippery and hard to catch.” The Crime Master declared. “How do you expect me to defeat her?”

“How egocentric. You immediately think this is about you.” Green Goblin whispered with a quiet chuckle as she signed to her face with her free hand.

“What do you get out of it?” The Crime Master asked in suspicion.

 “Half.” She answered in a somewhat mocking tone as she signed with her head to the warehouse.

“Is this a joke?”

“Look into my eyes and tell me if I’m joking!” The Green Goblin declared in a tone of slight anger as her smile dropped. She let go of the pumpkin bomb and cracked her neck with her hand, the Crime Master staring at her in hesitancy. “The only thing standing between you and complete annihilation… is me!”

The Crime Master stared at her in silence for a few seconds.

“You’re one crazy douche.” The Crime Master declared as he put down his weapon. “Now go crush that spider!”

The Goblin’s terrible smile widened.

Five minutes later.