A burned-down warehouse in Hell's Kitchen was the focus of a news report.
"The fire broke out around 2 a.m., apparently caused by an explosion," the reporter said. "Police are on the scene, investigating the cause and searching for the perpetrator."
Nearby, detectives were struggling to make sense of the chaos.
"This is gang-related," one detective concluded, pointing to the evidence they had gathered.
"Should we pursue this, boss?" a rookie detective asked.
"No," the senior detective replied firmly. "If we dig too deep, the higher-ups will have our heads. Let's just call it an accident and avoid the trouble."
"Understood. I'll wrap up the case," the younger detective said, nodding.
Meanwhile, two figures observed the scene from a distance. One was a man in sunglasses, leaning on a cane, while the other was a heavyset man. Both wore sharp suits, resembling lawyers.
They were from the law firm Nelson and Murdock. The man in sunglasses was Matthew Murdock, a blind attorney, and his companion was his partner, Foggy Nelson.
"What do you think, Matt?" Foggy asked. "This was one of Kingpin's warehouses, wasn't it?"
"I'm not sure," Matt replied, his voice low. "But whatever happened here… it doesn't feel like the work of an ordinary person." He trusted his instincts and his heightened senses, which allowed him to overhear the detectives and police officers from afar. Their conversations only added to the confusion.
Foggy frowned. "Could it be Frank?"
Matt's expression darkened at the mention of Frank Castle. "Let's hope not. If it's him, we're going to have our hands full."
---
In Peter Parker's basement, Peter was hunched over his workbench, meticulously tinkering with his advanced suit. The suit was still a work in progress, and progress was slow since he was working on it alone. The dim light from his desk lamp cast long shadows across the room as he adjusted the final components.
He began calibrating the suit, but an error message flashed across the screen. Peter frowned, his brow furrowing in frustration.
"Goddamn it, did I mess up the calculations?" he muttered to himself, scratching his head.
He double-checked the code and realized he had entered the wrong sequence.
"Ugh, I really need to double-check everything," he groaned, correcting the mistake and running the program again. This time, the energy levels on the suit fluctuated but stabilized.
"Okay, good enough for now," Peter said, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.
He stood up, stretched, and headed upstairs to the kitchen. The clock on the wall showed it was late, and his stomach growled in protest. He yawned as he rummaged through the fridge, pulling out ingredients to whip up a quick meal.
"I still need to train," he muttered to himself, stifling another yawn.
After eating and cleaning up, Peter grabbed his gym bag and headed out the door. His destination was the local MMA gym, where he spent hours pushing his body to its limits. By the time he finished his training session, he was drenched in sweat, his muscles aching but his determination unwavering.
"I need to get better," he whispered to himself, wiping his face with a towel.
The other gym-goers had noticed how hard Peter was pushing himself, even though he never entered any competitions. His relentless drive inspired them, and they began to push themselves harder too.
As Peter sat on the bench, gulping down water, the coach approached him.
"You're working harder than ever," the coach said, crossing his arms. "What's driving you?"
Peter shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "It's just a hobby," he replied casually.
The coach raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but he didn't press further. Instead, he clapped his hands and called out to the group, "Everyone, gather up! I've got something to say."
Peter took that as his cue to leave. He showered, changed into fresh clothes, and tossed his gym bag into the backseat of his car. The drive home was quiet, the city lights blurring past his windows.
When he got home, he headed straight to the basement and grabbed his Spider-Man suit. Without wasting a second, he slipped out of the house and sprinted down the street. In a secluded alleyway, he quickly changed into the suit, the familiar red and blue fabric clinging to his frame.
With a practiced motion, he shot a web upward, pulling himself onto the roof of a nearby building. The city sprawled out before him, alive with the hum of activity.
"Let's start today's patrol," Spider-Man said, his voice steady as he leaped into the night, ready to protect the city once more.
...
Perched atop a towering skyscraper, Spider-Man's eyebrows shot up as something caught his attention. He adjusted the lens over his right eye, zooming in to get a closer look.
In the distance, he spotted a figure breaking into a jewelry store. He couldn't make out who it was, but the glint of a black suit stood out against the dimly lit street.
Without hesitation, Spider-Man swung into action, leaping and weaving through the city's skyline until he reached the store. As he landed, his eyes fell on a woman wearing a white wig and a sleek black suit, her movements quick and deliberate.
"Oi!" Spider-Man called out, his voice cutting through the silence. "What do you think you're doing?"
The woman nearly jumped but quickly composed herself. She didn't need to turn around to recognize that voice.
"My favorite insect hero," she purred, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"Arachnid, not insect. Get it right, Black Cat," Spider-Man retorted, his tone firm but playful.
"Oh, don't be so serious," Black Cat teased, holding up a glittering gem she had just pilfered.
"Put it back, bad kitty," Spider-Man said, firing a web that wrapped around her in an instant. He made sure to web up her claws too, preventing her from making a quick escape.
She stumbled and fell to the floor, but Spider-Man was already in motion. With a flick of his wrist, he shot another web at the gem, yanking it back before it could hit the ground. He caught it mid-air and carefully placed it back in its display.
"Honey, aren't you going to help me up?" Black Cat asked, her voice dripping with mock innocence.
"Sure thing," Spider-Man replied, shooting a web at her and hoisting her into the air. He swung out of the store, carrying her away from any other potential targets.
"Stop!" Black Cat shouted as they swung through the city, her body spinning wildly from the web line. "I'll stop stealing for today, okay?"
Spider-Man finally set her down, though not gently. She winced as she hit the ground.
"Ouch! A little gentleness wouldn't kill you, you know," she complained, rubbing her side.
"I like to keep things rough with my women," Spider-Man quipped, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Black Cat smirked, and Spider-Man knelt beside her, helping her sit up.
"Felicia," he said, lightly tapping her cheek. "I don't know what to do with you."
"Maybe it's because I'm too beautiful for you to rough up," she teased, batting her eyelashes.
"Don't push it," Spider-Man shot back. "A few punches, and I could rearrange that pretty face of yours."
She knew he wasn't bluffing.
"You wouldn't do that, would you, honey?" she whispered, leaning closer to his ear.
But before she could make a move, Spider-Man had already webbed her up again.
"Tch, how do you always know?" Black Cat grumbled, secretly working to cut the webs with her hidden claw.
"I'm not an amateur when it comes to handling you," Spider-Man said, crossing his arms.
"So, what's your plan now?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I'm taking you with me while I finish my patrol," Spider-Man declared.
"Wait, you're serious?" Black Cat asked, her eyes widening.
Behind his mask, Spider-Man grinned. He hoisted her over his shoulder and swung back into the city, determined to keep her out of trouble for the rest of the night.
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I have been rebirthed, and this is another try at writing a story. If you like the story so far, you can sub to my Patreon for advanced chapters.
Right now, we're at Chapter 12.
👉 [Patreon .com/The_Undying_One]
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the start. See you later!