The next morning, Aunt May trudged upstairs, looking exhausted from her night shift. She knocked on Kiran's door. "Kiran, wake up! You've got online class today log in!" she called before disappearing into her own room. Kiran groaned, rolling over. His face sank into something warm and soft. "What is this smell? It smells… really good." He didn't realize his nose was buried in Gwen's hair. Still half-asleep, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer without thinking.
Gwen stirred, blinking awake. She froze when she felt Kiran's arms around her. Then… she felt something else pressing against her back. Her eyes widened. "Wait… what is poking me." She shot upright, stretching nervously before glancing back. Her face went crimson. "Ahhh!" she squeaked, tumbling off the bed. Kiran bolted upright, panicked. "Gwen? What happened?!"
But then he caught her expression. She was covering her mouth with both hands, blushing like crazy, her wide eyes staring downward. He followed her gaze… and instantly turned red, whipping around. "Wait, Gwen this is ummm." he stammered, words tripping over themselves. Gwen pressed her hands harder to her face, embarrassed but managing a nervous laugh. "I-it's fine! I get it. You're a boy. It's… natural." Before either could recover, Aunt May's knock rattled the door. "Kiran? Everything okay in there? I heard screaming."
"I'm fine, Aunt! Just uh saw a spider!" Kiran blurted, shooting Gwen a look. She mouthed, "your suit!" He yanked off the top half of his Spider-Man suit in a panic. Gwen ducked into the closet, cheeks burning as she peeked at him. "They're doing school online today," Aunt called. "Make sure you log in." "I will! Just get some sleep, okay?" Kiran said quickly, shutting the closet door once his aunt walked away.
Inside, Gwen tried to calm her racing heart. She cracked the door open just as Kiran stripped off the rest of his suit, now in only his boxers before pulling on a T-shirt and shorts. Her face flamed hotter and she yanked out her phone, desperate for distraction. Then her stomach dropped. 101 missed calls.
All from Dad. Her hands shook. "…this is not good." she whispered.
The closet door swung open, and Kiran stood there, still pulling on his shorts. He froze when he saw her expression.
"What's wrong?" She turned the phone toward him. His eyes went wide.
"Oh crap. If your dad finds out you stayed here… he's gonna kill me. After my aunt kills me first." Gwen quickly cupped his cheeks, forcing him to breathe. "Hey, hey. Calm down. We just need a plan. So use that big brain of yours, Spider-Boy."
Kiran exhaled shakily, nodding.
"Okay, first we get you home. Quietly." "Right. I'll call a friend," Gwen said, already texting. Kiran pushed open his window, checking the street.
"All clear. Let's move." Gwen hesitated.
"Maybe… I should just take the bus. Less obvious." Kiran looked at her uncertainly.
"You sure?" She leaned in, kissing his cheek softly before nodding. "I'm sure." He helped her down carefully, steadying her as her feet hit the sidewalk. "I'll text you," she promised, before hurrying down the block, disappearing around the corner. Kiran stayed at the window, heart pounding, already dreading the fallout.
Herman was pacing back and forth in his room, hands shaking.
"Shit, no… I didn't mean to do that. I hurt Gwen I wasn't trying to no, no, no…" He clawed at his hair, panic rising in his chest. His breathing quickened until he could barely get words out. "What's done is done. I just… I just have to pitch my idea. Get into SGIBY. Make my dream come true. That's all that matters now." He collapsed onto his bed, hyperventilating, trying to convince himself.
Meanwhile, across the city, Kiran swung through the streets in his suit. He landed on a tall apartment building, clinging to the brick and peering through a lit window. "This should be it… Herman's place." The room inside looked trashed blueprints scattered everywhere. Kiran pulled at the window, but it was locked tight. "Does this count as breaking and entering? …Probably." He jammed his fingers under the frame and forced it open. The hinge snapped, glass rattling, but he slipped inside silently.
The room was chaos: sketches of gauntlets, notes scribbled across the walls, pieces of metal and wires everywhere. Kiran crouched, picking up a schematic. "He's planning to pitch to SGIBY? That explains the tech. But if he's using it to hurt people…" Then Kiran froze. A stench hit him rotting, sour, unmistakable. He followed it down the hall, stomach churning, until he reached a closet door buzzing with flies. His hand trembled as he pulled it open. Herman's father slumped inside, lifeless.
Kiran's breath caught. His mask lifted just past his nose as he gagged, forcing himself to inhale slowly. Memories of the dead pilot slammed into him, twisting his gut. His hands shook until he forced them into fists. "I… I have to stop him." He slammed the closet shut and marched back to the room, scanning Herman's notes again. "Vibration dampeners… hydraulic stabilizers… these aren't just metal fists. They're basically miniature earthquakes strapped to his arms."
Kiran stuffed the papers down, pulled his mask back over his face, and quickly dialed the police from the apartment phone. Then he swung out the shattered window, disappearing into the night. Across town, Gwen was facing her dad. "You're grounded," Captain Stacy said firmly, his arms crossed. "You never told me you were staying at your friend's. I was worried sick, Gwen." "I'm sorry, Dad." She hugged him, guilt in her chest.
Later, in her room, Gwen glanced at her phone. A notification popped up Daily Bugle Live. She tapped it. J. Jonah Jameson's face filled the screen.
"Breaking news! Spider-Man yes, that masked menace is now a murderer! Witnesses saw him breaking into an apartment, and when police arrived guess what they found a dead body! Spider-Man's reign of terror continues." "What?!" Gwen's heart stopped. "Has Kiran seen this?" She frantically dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail.
Kiran was already swinging through the city, mind racing. "Those gauntlets… they've got to producing some kind of frequency I can track. And there's only one place I know where I can get the right the equipment to track it." He landed outside Parker Industries and slipped into an air duct, crawling through the vents until he dropped quietly into an office. Peter Parker was at his desk, typing away. He didn't even flinch. "Spider-Man. You know, I really need to get security for the ventilation system." Kiran straightened up, out of breath. "Mr. Parker, I need your help. It's urgent."
Downtown shook as Shocker marched through the street, shockwaves blasting police cars aside. "Get out of my way!" Shocker roared. A pulse erupted from his gauntlets, hurling officers, vehicles, and debris through the air. Buildings rattled. The pavement cracked. High above, Kiran swung toward the chaos, phone in hand as it tracked a signal.
"Alright… I just need to get this thing on Herman's gauntlets. Then they should short-circuit. Or explode. I'm sure it'll work out. Hopefully." he thought. He landed on the side of a building. Below, Shocker flipped a patrol car with a blast and turned toward a cop frozen in fear. Only for the car to stop mid-air. Kiran caught it. "Glad you weren't a cop riding a horse," Kiran quipped, gently flipping the car back onto its wheels.
"Spider-Man, you're under arrest for murder!" one of the cops shouted. "Yeah... yeah... wait, what? What are you talking about?" Kiran said, blinking. Another shockwave tore through the street. "Yeah… we'll circle back to that," Kiran muttered, swinging away.
"Herman! Stop this!" Shocker fired mid-stride. "I thought I killed you, Spider-Man!" His voice crackled through the helmet.
"I've got a real talent for staying alive," Kiran said, dodging mid-air.
"You don't have to do this. Turn yourself in." Tiny drones deployed from Kiran's gauntlets. "I'm starting to hate those things," he muttered. Shocker leapt and punched Kiran square in the chest. The impact launched him through a building wall. Straight into a kid's bedroom.
"SPIDER-MAN! Can I get your autograph?!" the boy shouted. "Yeah just give me a second," Kiran wheezed, clutching his ribs. Outside, bullets pinged uselessly off Shocker's suit. Kiran webbed both wrists, yanked himself free, and burst back into the street. Shocker blasted wildly. A civilian froze. Kiran dove grabbing the man and swinging him clear just as the street exploded behind them.
"He's going to kill someone… and I can't get close enough." "Herman, stop before someone dies!" Kiran shouted. "Why can't you just stay out of this?!" Shocker yelled, firing again. Kiran dodged, webbed the ground beside Herman, and yanked himself forward. Only to get smashed in the ribs and punched in the face. He crashed into another apartment. "Oof. Gonna feel that later," Kiran groaned, standing up.
"Sorry for ruining dinner. Smells good."
He leapt out, clinging to a building. "Alright. Plan didn't work. New plan… as soon as I think of one." Then it hit him. Kiran flipped around Shocker, bouncing off lampposts his left web-shooter snapping off his wrist. "This is gonna suck if it fails." He rewired it quickly, sparks flying, then clenched it in his fist as it vibrated violently. "Okay, Herman!" Kiran shouted. "I'm gonna hit you with everything I've got!"
"I won't lose!" Shocker roared.
"I have to achieve my dream!" Both charged. "WEB FIST!" Kiran screamed. Their punches collided. The shockwave ripped through Kiran's arm muscles screaming as the web-shooter detonated in a burst of webbing, wrapping both their arms together. "Bad move, Spider-Man," Herman snarled, grabbing Kiran's face as energy surged. "I thought you were smarter."
"Me too," Kiran gasped, slamming the dampener onto the gauntlet.
"But I make up for it by being reckless!" The gauntlet spiraled out of control. "That was supposed to turn it off!" Kiran shouted. "I'm running it at full power!" Herman screamed. "It's melting down I can't stop it! You killed us!" Kiran tore free, ignoring the pain in his mangled hand. With effort, he split the gauntlet apart, ripped it off, and web-swung away
The device screaming as it reached critical. "Please make it in time…" He hurled it toward Flushing Bay. The explosion hit the water seconds later sending a massive wave rippling outward. Kiran collapsed onto a rooftop. "Nice one, me," he muttered.
"Really glad that worked." He passed out. The Next Morning Kiran stepped out of his house, his hand in a cast, scrolling through his phone.
"Nice… got photos of the fight. Glad I set that up." At Midtown. "Yo, Kiran!" Michael said, slinging an arm around his neck. "I heard you were in the accident when Herman wrecked the gym. You scared me, man." "Michael don't," Gwen snapped. "He's hurt." "Looks like your girlfriend's here," Michael grinned, backing off.
"And I think I'm about to get one too." He glanced at Liz Allan and walked away. Gwen looked at Kiran's cast. "That was reckless."
"Yeah," Kiran said, showing her the photos. "But worth it." Gwen frowned.
"Kiran… these barely show you. And they don't catch you stopping Herman." Kiran zoomed in. Blur after blur. "…You've gotta be kidding me!" Oscorp Tower. A bald man walked beside Harry Osborn, unease in his eyes. "Are you sure this will cure me?" the man asked. "Don't worry, Gargan," Harry replied calmly. "All you have to do is exactly what I say." They entered a chamber. A tank of green glowing liquid pulsed ominously. PROJECT: SCORPION "And your illness?" Harry smiled. "Gone."