Inside the banquet hall of the Osborne Building, crystal chandeliers cast dazzling reflections, and the crisp clink of champagne glasses echoed through the air.
Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy stood in a quiet corner by the floor-to-ceiling windows, heads close together, discussing topics decidedly not suitable for children.
Peter blushed furiously under Gwen's steady gaze and stammered:
"Therefore… I believe cells repair double-strand breaks via non-homologous end joining or homologous recombination. The former often causes indel mutations, while the latter allows precise editing—if you've got a donor template…"
"No, no, no—listen!" Gwen cut in, eyes alight. "Off-target effects are still the biggest bottleneck. Optimizing sgRNA design and using high-fidelity variants like HiFi Cas9 or Cas12a can partially mitigate that…"
Peter opened his mouth to retort—but froze.
A sudden chill shot down his spine. His pupils contracted. Every hair on his body stood on end.
"Careful!"
He yanked Gwen behind him, voice tight with tension:
"Everyone—back up!"
The guests turned, confused. A few waiters snickered.
Then—the world exploded.
BOOM—!!!
After a piercing whistle, the entire wall of glass shattered inward with a deafening roar. The shockwave flipped the banquet table, sending crystal flutes and silverware flying like shrapnel.
In the last millisecond, Peter threw Gwen behind a marble pillar—and flicked his wrist.
Whoosh!
A strand of webbing lashed out, wrapping around Harry Osborn's waist and yanking him clear of the blast zone.
BOOM—!
Almost instantly, a green streak tore through the shattered glass dome above, diving down on a whirring glider that screamed like a banshee.
"Gagaga—!"
The Green Goblin hovered midair, his metallic mask curled into a predatory grin.
"Let's add some fireworks to liven things up!"
He lobbed three pumpkin bombs in rapid succession:
One arced toward the panicked crowd.
One landed atop the champagne tower.
The last shot straight for the carnival square below.
Peter's heart lurched. Seizing the chaos, he snapped his wrist three times—
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Three strands of webbing snagged the grenades mid-flight. With a swift twist of his arm, he hurled them skyward with inhuman strength.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!
The triple explosion lit up the night, and the shockwave shattered every remaining window within a hundred meters.
Amid swirling sparks and falling confetti, the Goblin cackled, banking his glider.
"Interesting! Let's see who you—"
He never finished.
Upside-down at the edge of the ruined ceiling, a red-and-blue figure dangled by one web-line.
"Hey! Big cucumber!" Peter called out cheerfully. "Looking for a jar to pickle yourself in? Good luck finding one your size. Maybe try the discount bin?"
He paused, then added with mock sincerity:
"You know, the NYPD's got great accommodations! Twenty-four-hour personal protection, a sleek silver bracelet, very fashionable striped pajamas, plus free meal planning by a certified nutritionist! All you gotta do is turn yourself in!"
The Goblin's glider spun violently midair. Seeing the spider emblem on Peter's chest, a guttural growl rasped from behind the mask:
"Just… a little bug…"
Peter fired a glob of webbing that slapped onto the Goblin's mask.
"Wrong! Arthropods! Dude, you failed biology! Want me to tutor you—?"
"SHUT UP, YOU NOISY INSECT!"
The glider's engine shrieked as the Goblin banked hard and dove straight at Peter, wing blades glinting like scythes.
"Hey, be fair!" Peter backflipped out of the way, firing a web-line to the chandelier and swinging upward. "Your grades aren't my fault! Killing me won't get you extra credit—unless your teacher's into resurrection!"
"SHUT UP!!"
With a snarl, the Goblin slammed a lever. Twin machine guns unfolded from the glider's wings—click!—and erupted in fire.
Da-da-da-da—!!!
Bullets rained down. Peter's spider-sense screamed. He twisted midair, bullets searing past his suit and punching holes in the wall behind him.
"Watch your aim!" he yelled over the gunfire. "This venue's rented! If you wreck it, you're paying for the renovation—or I'll bill you in web-fluid!"
He dropped, using his momentum to kick the Goblin square in the jaw.
BANG!
The impact sent the Goblin reeling. His glider wobbled, spiraling downward in a cloud of smoke.
"We're even now!" Peter quipped.
But the Goblin rolled to his feet instantly—unharmed, grinning.
Before Peter could react, the villain lunged, faster than the glider itself. They collided with a heavy thud.
BANG—!
The Goblin's strength was monstrous—far beyond human. His punch slammed into Peter's ribs. Peter blocked it, but the force still knocked him back three steps.
He barely steadied himself when a knee drove toward his gut—
BANG!
—and as Peter doubled over, an elbow crashed into his spine, slamming him face-first into the marble floor.
"Cough—!"
Blood flecked Peter's lips. He tried to rise—but a heavy boot pressed down on his back, pinning him.
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