No sooner had Peter recovered than he threw himself back into action as Spider-Man, determined to dismantle Kingpin's operations.
He hadn't even checked his phone, not that he could, since his old one had been destroyed, and the new one remained untouched. The thought of his family's worry barely crossed his mind, drowned out by his singular focus.
Now, perched high above the city in his Advanced Suit, he scanned the skyline, his mask's HUD flickering as it pinpointed Kingpin's next asset. The suit's systems whirred to life, analyzing data, narrowing down the target.
Then, without warning, a shot rang out from behind.
It was too fast for a normal bullet. Spider-Man barely jerked his head aside in time, feeling the heat of the projectile graze his mask. His spider-sense flared again multiple shots, streaking toward him. Instinct took over. He fired a web-line, yanking himself toward a nearby building wall, landing with a silent stick.
As he spun around, his eyes locked onto the shooter: a stunningly tall woman with long, flowing black hair. She wore a crimson jacket over a sleek black bodysuit, her tight black pants accentuating her lethal grace.
(Image Here)
'Who is she?'
No time to ponder. She fired again this time, energy bullets searing through the air. Spider-Man sprinted along the wall, dodging in a frantic zigzag. At the edge, he backflipped just as another volley shot upward, barely missing him.
Quick as lightning, he shot a web to the ledge above her and swung down, landing hard on the rooftop. Without hesitation, he lunged.
But she holstered her guns and raised her hands.
A feint.
His right hook came in fast, but she deflected it effortlessly, countering with a sharp elbow strike. He twisted aside, planted his left hand on the ground, and launched into a cartwheel kick.
Only for her to catch his leg mid-air and hurl him off the building.
'Damn, she's strong!'
As he plummeted, he saw her draw her guns again, taking aim. He fired a web-line to the nearest building, yanking himself out of the line of fire just as energy bullets exploded where he'd been.
Spider-Man swung away, faster than ever, the wind whipping past him.
'Who the hell was that woman?'
Behind him, the bounty hunter soared through the air, her thruster boots roaring as she closed the distance. Bullets streaked past Spider-Man's head, each shot barely missing as he swung between buildings, his movements almost precognitive.
"Don't run, Spider-Boy!" she taunted, her voice laced with amusement.
But Spider-Man wasn't just dodging he was predicting. Every shot, every angle, as if he could *feel* the bullets coming.
Then she adjusted her aim *not at him, but at his web.*
The line snapped.
"Motherf—!" His curse tore through the air as he plummeted, twisting mid-fall to face her. The hunter smirked, but her amusement vanished when his wrist flicked *thwip!* a web line struck her stomach, and with a sharp yank, he reeled her toward him.
Mid-air, he flipped their positions, slamming her beneath him as they crashed into the street. The impact cratered the asphalt, sending debris flying. Before she could react, Spider-Man's fist shot toward her face only for her hand to snap up, catching it with a grunt.
"Quite strong for a man," she sneered.
Her leg whipped up in a flash, but Spider-Man arched backward, flipping over the kick except she never let go of his fist. With a sharp twist, she reversed their positions again, slamming him down as she wrenched his arm into a brutal armbar.
*Crack.*
The sickening sound of bone straining filled the air, but before the joint could fully give way, Spider-Man slammed his right foot down, using the momentum to launch them both upright. His arm throbbed, barely saved from being snapped in half.
Desperate, he drove his free fist into the ground, forcing her grip to loosen but she was faster. In one fluid motion, she shifted her weight, locking her legs around his neck in a crushing triangle choke while yanking his arm backward.
*SNAP.*
A scream tore from his throat as white-hot pain exploded through his shoulder. His vision blurred with tears, his right arm now hanging limp, the joint dislocated, the bone fractured.
Nearby citizens recoiled at the bloodcurdling sound, their faces pale with horror.
Gritting his teeth, Spider-Man stumbled back, his spider-sense screaming at him to *move*. He couldn't fight like this not with one arm useless. So he ran.
"He can still swing?" The woman's eyes narrowed in disbelief. She had assumed crippling his arm would ground him.
Activating her thruster boots, she shot after him, firing rounds from her gauntlets. But even injured, Spider-Man twisted midair, dodging the shots with desperate agility.
"System, scan my injuries!" he hissed.
The AI responded instantly. "Severe fractures and dislocation. Immediate reset not advised."
Swearing under his breath, he fired a web-line with his good arm, swinging one-handed. Mid-flight, he hastily webbed a makeshift cast around his ruined shoulder, stabilizing the limb just enough to keep moving.
"System, ID that woman, now!"
"Processing."
Data flickered through his mask's display security footage, blurred sightings, a brief clash with the Fantastic Four.
"No confirmed identity. Minimal records suggest enhanced combatant, unknown affiliation."
"Damn it!" Spider-Man growled. "Next time we run into someone, pull their file before I get my arm ripped off!"
"Directive logged."
He wanted to rage at the oversight, but he'd been just as careless. Now, with his attacker closing in, he had one question burning in his mind:
'How the hell do I lose her?'
Spider-Man's mind raced. He needed answers, fast.
"System, request access to the Fantastic Four's database emergency clearance!"
A second later, his mask's display flickered as a video call connected. The familiar high-tech interior of the Baxter Building filled the screen, and Susan Storm-Richards' worried face appeared.
"Peter?" Her voice was sharp with concern.
"Yeah, it's me. Sue, I need access to your files." He winced as another energy blast whizzed past his head.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Someone's hunting me. She's fought you guys before I need intel!"
Sue hesitated only for a second before nodding. "Granted."
The A.I. instantly scoured the database, cross-referencing combat records, sightings of anything tied to his attacker.
Sue's eyes flicked to the data stream. "Bounty's hunting you?"
Peter gritted out, dodging another shot. The system pulled up fragmented files "Bounty", an interdimensional mercenary. But the details were sparse.
Then Sue's breath hitched. "Peter… do you realize there's a billion-dollar hit on you?"
"What?!" His voice cracked. "System, verify!"
The confirmation flashed across his HUD. This has Kingpin written all over it.
"Get to the Baxter Building *now*," Sue urged, watching through his suit's feed as Bounty closed in. Her grip tightened on the console. "You're in no shape to fight her alone."
"Already on my way," he grunted, swinging hard toward Midtown.
Sue bit her lip. She wanted to suit up, to help but Valeria was upstairs, and the rest of the team was off-world. She couldn't leave her daughter.
Not again.
🕸️🕸️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕸️🕸️
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 28.
👉 [Patreon .com/The_Undying_One]
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the start. See you later!