The new Spider-Man

Chapter 8: Chapter 8



In the dead of night, Kiran's hushed voice crackled through the phone, "So, you're grounded too?" Gwen sighed, the sound muffled by her blanket. "Yeah. School called Dad." "For how long? I got two weeks," Kiran replied, his voice laced with a mix of commiseration and teenage defiance. "Three weeks for me," Gwen groaned. "Lucky you, he didn't find out I skipped with you." A beat of silence hung between them before Kiran asked, "Wait, does your dad even know about me?" Gwen's voice softened, a hint of nervousness creeping in.

"Of course he knows. And… I've been wanting to tell you since we're officially together… I want you to meet him." Kiran's breath hitched. "Oh, okay." He sounded apprehensive. Gwen chuckled, sensing his anxiety. "Don't worry, it's not like he's going to shoot you or anything. But he is the Chief of Police, so you better have that 'spider-sense' ready!" Kiran's nervous laughter was a thin mask for his true feelings.

"I'm kidding…mostly. Just don't blow your cover. You're kind of…wanted." "Wait, what? Since when?" Kiran's voice was laced with confusion. "Well, you know that guy from the Daily Bugle? He put out a reward for your picture." "Really? How much?" Kiran's voice rose, barely contained excitement edging into his tone. Gwen scrolled through her phone.

"Two thousand dollars." A loud THUMP echoed through the phone, followed by Kiran's yell, "What!" He was clinging to his ceiling, a desperate, spidery scramble audible through the receiver. "Kiran! Are you okay?" His aunt's voice cut through the night, her footsteps climbing the stairs. Kiran struggled against the unseen force holding him aloft.

"Come on, stupid powers! I've had you for half of two months, and this is what I get?" he muttered in frustration, his grip failing. As his aunt's hand neared the doorknob, he tumbled to the floor with a thump just as the door swung open. "Kiran? What are you doing?" his aunt asked, finding him sprawled on the carpet. "Nothing…just doing some push-ups," Kiran blurted out, the first thing that came to mind.

"Okay, well keep it down. I'm on the phone," she said, closing the door behind her. "Kiran? Are you still there?" Gwen's voice was laced with concern. "Yeah, sorry, got caught off guard. You said…two thousand dollars?" "Yeah," Gwen confirmed. "Wow. Think of what I can do with that money!" A new laptop danced in his mind.

"How do you even expect to get your picture taken? You don't have a camera, and taking it yourself would be suspicious," Gwen pointed out. "You're right. I'll have to be cautious. Anyways, Gwen, how are you doing? I know your dad grounded you too." "Yeah, but unlike you, I only got three weeks, and…my dad wants to meet you too." Gwen's words hung in the air. Kiran gulped.

"Don't worry. He just wants to meet you. And you should know, he's the Chief of Police," Gwen said reassuringly. "Well, I guess I could buy a bulletproof vest," Kiran quipped nervously. "Don't worry! I wouldn't let him shoot you," Gwen giggled. "I'm only telling you so you don't blow your cover." "Yeah, I'll be careful," Kiran mumbled, yawning widely.

"Hey, Kiran, before you go to sleep…think you can help me study?" Gwen asked, wanting to prolong the conversation. "Sure. What subject?" "Plane Geometry," Gwen replied. After some time, Kiran's tutoring session ended abruptly. "Thanks, Kiran…Kiran?" Gwen said, confused, only to realize he'd fallen asleep mid-sentence. She left the phone beside her on the bed as she drifted off to sleep.

Parker Industries was buzzing with its usual energy—until it wasn't. Within moments, chaos erupted as the notorious Tombstone crew crashed through the entrance in an armored truck, triggering alarms that echoed through the building. "Move quickly! We need to find room 788!" Tombstone barked, his voice steady despite the panic that ensued. Security guards rushed to intercept, gunfire slicing through the air like a dangerous symphony.

Tombstone, unfazed, hurled rubble at the guards, a grin creeping across his face as the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off him. His men followed suit, the scene transforming into a chaotic ballet of violence and desperation. "Hmmmm. I was hoping for the freak to show up. But whatever," Tombstone mused, a hint of irritation creeping into his thoughts as one of his men called out, "Boss, I think I found it!" With renewed determination, Tombstone charged downstairs, his men providing cover fire as they approached a vault door that loomed ominously.

The crew quickly set up lasers, intending to cut through the vault's defenses while a few battled against the onslaught of guards. Outside, a news van parked, reporters scrambling to capture the unfolding drama. "It seems the notorious Tombstone group has broken into the building. The police are having trouble trying to control the situation. There seems to be one man to stop them, but he hasn't shown. I'm thinking what everyone's thinking right now—where is Spiderman?" the news anchor reported, urgency evident in her tone. Meanwhile, the following morning in a modest apartment, Kiran reluctantly stirred from his dreams, his aunt's voice breaking the spell of sleep.

"Kiran, get up before you're late for school!" she shouted from downstairs. Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, Kiran's mind raced—he had fallen asleep on the phone with Gwen, and the embarrassment washed over him like a cold wave. "Oh my god, I slept on the phone!" he thought, panic rising. "So you're finally up, Kiran? Wow, you're quite the snore, huh?" Gwen teased, her voice light and playful, but Kiran felt like shrinking into his pillow. He could feel the flush creeping up his cheeks, wishing he could disappear.

A few minutes pass Just as he stepped out of his front door, he spotted Peter Parker hurriedly parking his car, his face etched with worry. "Hey Mr. Parker! Is everything alright?" Kiran called out, concern knitting his brows together. But Peter barely had time to respond, "Sorry, Kiran. Can't talk right now," before he sped off, leaving Kiran standing there, puzzled. Moments later, May emerged from the house, her expression serious.

"Did you hear? Someone broke into Mr. Parker's building last night and stole something important. I overheard my dad talking about it," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. Kiran's heart sank. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him—he had been asleep during a time when he should have been on patrol, protecting the city he had sworn to defend. "What? And I was asleep. I should've been there. I call myself a hero, yet I keep making the same mistakes," he scolded himself internally.

"Are you okay, Kiran?" May's voice snapped him back to reality, noticing the storm brewing on his face. "Yeah, sorry, I was lost in thought," he replied quickly, masking his turmoil. "You go ahead. I'll catch up. I just forgot something in my room." As May walked away, Kiran felt the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him. Once inside, he knew what he had to do.

"Okay, I'm just gonna investigate and figure out who broke into Mr. Parker's building, then head back to school before second period," he resolved. With determination fueling him, he stripped off his clothes, revealing the iconic red and blue Spider-Man suit underneath. He quickly grabbed a spherical prototype weapon from his desk—a web grenade designed for portability, its textured grip fitting snugly in his palm.

The alloy was durable yet lightweight. The black web-like patterns blended seamlessly with his suit, making it a perfect complement to his already formidable arsenal. "I guess I should take the prototype web grenade just in case," he murmured to himself, slipping the device into his utility belt. In a flash, he leaped out of his bedroom window, swinging into action.

In the chaotic corridors of Parker Industries, tension hung thick in the air as Peter Parker and Dr. Hayes, a fellow scientist, quickened their pace. Their urgent footsteps echoed against the sterile walls. "What exactly did they take?" Peter's brow furrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. "They took Project 46, Mr. Parker," Hayes replied, panic etching lines across his forehead. Peter's heart sank.

"No… if they use that… everyone could die." Just then, a figure descended from above, landing gracefully beside them. "What is Project 46?" Kiran asked. "Spider-Man? What are you doing here? Were you a part of this?" Hayes stammered, the disbelief evident in his tone. "So that guy from the Daily Bugle was right about you."

"What? So I rob the place and then come back to the scene of the crime? I'm just here to help," Kiran retorted, crossing his arms defiantly. Peter interjected, "We should let him help. We can't have that weapon on the streets." Hayes sighed, realizing the urgency of the situation. "Okay. They took a bio-enhancement serum we were working on. It's untested and unpredictable."

"What do you mean?" Kiran asked, alarmed. "It could make anyone stronger than even a gorilla," Hayes explained, his voice trembling. "But it has the potential to mutate into a virus that could wipe out humanity." "Why on earth would you be working on something like that?" Kiran exclaimed, anger lacing his words.

"We wouldn't have been working on it if Harry Osborn hadn't been threatening us with closure," Hayes replied, desperation hanging in his voice. "I thought you and Harry Osborn were partners, Mr. Parker?" Kiran questioned, turning to Peter. "We were until Harry became obsessed with weapons and the pursuit of human potential.

He forgot we were supposed to help people," Peter spoke, his disappointment palpable. As the weight of the situation settled in, Kiran's resolve hardened. "I need to find Tombstone and that serum before more people get hurt." With that, he propelled himself into action, swinging out of the building.

Kiran swung through the buildings of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Doing doing some flips before landing on a rooftop. "Okay, Kiran, how are you going to find Tombstone?" he muttered to himself, glancing at the city below. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his suit, breaking his concentration.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice a mix of excitement and dread. "Kiran, where are you now?" It was Gwen, her tone sharp with concern. "Just heading to school," he replied nonchalantly, trying to keep his cool. "Oh really? So you're running right now? Because you should be, considering you're late," she shot back, her frustration palpable. "Right... uhhh. Gwen... I... should... be..." Kiran stammered, feigning a bad connection before hanging up.

A smirk crept across his face as he thought, "She's going to be so mad. But once I tell her I was doing important Spider business, I should be off the hook... I hope. I still haven't met anyone scarier than Gwen when she's mad." With a quick pull, he adjusted his mask, covering his face once more as he prepared for the next adventure.

Meanwhile, back in Midtown high, Gwen gripped her phone tightly, her worry turning to annoyance. "He's definitely doing Spider business. He'll get more grounded if he's not careful. He better be prepared when I see him." As Kiran leaped from building to building, he spotted trouble brewing in Harlem.

Four thugs were menacingly robbing a man and his young son. "Hand over everything!" one thug barked, shoving a gun toward the terrified man. In a flash, Kiran shot a line of web that snagged the gun, yanking it away effortlessly. "Playing with guns is dangerous, you know. I think there's a law against that," he quipped, landing gracefully before the thugs. Without hesitation, he swept one thug's legs out from under him and followed up with a swift roundhouse kick, webbing two others in place.

"You're dead, bug!" one thug yelled, brandishing a switchblade. Kiran grinned, ready for a showdown. "I guess we have a standoff," he replied, striking a dramatic western gun duel pose, even though he was empty-handed. With lightning speed, he fired a web line, ensnaring the thug's hand before delivering a punch that sent him reeling back.

"I'm not even gonna try. Just take me to jail," the last thug said, clearly outmatched and defeated. After a few thrilling minutes, Kiran swung back toward Midtown, pondering his next move. "Well, I can't get any information right now, so I'll just wait until something comes up," he thought, landing softly on a rooftop. He took off his mask and rummaged through his spare backpack, retrieving some fresh clothes.

He dashed through the bustling school halls, finally stopping in front of his classroom door. as he slowly opened it, sneaking inside and plopping down in his seat. "Mr. Walker! Glad to see you! How about you stay after class?" the teacher said, a knowing smile on his face. Kiran sighed, his head hitting the desk with a soft thud.

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