The sun was already nearing the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and orange as Arthur and Jean walked through the entrance of Central Park. The breeze carried the distant sound of music, blending with the soft scent of trees and freshly cut grass.
Families, couples, and groups of friends were scattered across the lawn—some seated on blankets, others standing, all trying to catch a glimpse of the stage set up at the center. There, Gwen and her band were in the middle of their performance.
She was on the drums, her whole body moving with the rhythm. The sticks danced between her fingers with an almost hypnotic precision, alternating between rapid strikes and perfectly timed pauses. Each hit rang like a sharp gunshot, while the lights flashed in sync with the music, reflecting against the white hoodie with pink and blue details that she wore. The collar was slightly open, revealing a shimmer of sweat glistening under the heat of the spotlights. The hood rested on her shoulders, and her face—initially focused—lit up with smiles after each flawless fill.
Arthur stopped in the middle of the crowd, his eyes locked on her.
Beside him, Jean let out a low whistle.
"She's good. Really good," Jean said, tilting her head slightly.
"Yeah…" Arthur replied with a smile, not once looking away.
The music swelled, vibrant and intense. Gwen unleashed a flurry of drum fills, every strike echoing through the park as if trying to set the sunset's tempo itself. The crowd erupted in excitement.
And then, something unexpected happened.
A deafening blast tore through the air, coming from a bench just a few blocks away, at the end of the street. A dark cloud of smoke rose, violently clashing with the orange sky.
The sound drowned out the cheers, replacing them with screams and alarmed murmurs. People stood, craning their necks, trying to understand what had just happened.
Gwen frowned, her smile vanishing instantly. Her gaze locked onto the rising smoke.
"Girls, pack up our stuff and run. I need to find a friend," Gwen ordered firmly.
"Gwen, be careful!" one of the band members replied, but she was already moving.
With a swift leap, Gwen left the stage. Under normal circumstances it would've drawn attention, but with panic spreading, no one seemed to care about the abrupt way she disappeared. Survival had taken priority.
Arthur and Jean turned toward the explosion. Jean's expression hardened.
Gwen reappeared near them, walking briskly.
"Jean, we can't expose your identity as a mutant. Let me handle this."
"She's right. Let our little spider take care of it," Arthur added with a smile.
Before they could say anything else, a winged figure emerged from the smoke. Beating his mechanical wings hard, he rose into the air, clutching a half-open bag. Dollar bills slipped free, fluttering like leaves in the wind.
"Is that the guy who did this?" Arthur asked, already pulling out his phone.
"Ruby, who is this man?"
[That man's name is Adrian Toomes. He is an electronics engineer.]
"Electronics engineer?" Arthur repeated, frowning.
Jean and Gwen leaned in to look at the screen.
"Electronics engineers do this now?" Jean quipped dryly.
Ruby continued:
[According to my data, he once asked a business partner for financial support for his research. But the businessman betrayed him, leading to his arrest. He escaped recently and completed his flight device.]
[Not long ago, he killed that businessman. I believe this robbery is to fund further research.]
Arthur raised his eyebrows.
(The Vulture, huh?) he thought, recognizing the name.
Gwen's eyes narrowed.
"How dare he interrupt my show?!" she exclaimed, indignant.
"I'll beat him so badly he'll never forget it. Jean, Arthur, find somewhere safe. I don't want you caught in the middle of this."
Jean opened her mouth to protest, but Gwen's serious glare silenced her.
"No arguments. If you use your powers here, it'll draw the wrong kind of attention. Same goes for you, Arthur—I don't want people snooping around our home!"
"Our… home?" Arthur muttered under his breath.
Jean, meanwhile, took a deep breath and nodded.
Gwen darted into an alley, disappearing for a few seconds before reemerging—this time clad in her Spider-Woman suit—swinging on webs straight toward the Vulture, who still hadn't noticed her approach.
She closed in quickly, soaring from web to web.
The Vulture, distracted by his getaway, glanced back with a smug grin.
"How about that, huh? Did you like my bomb?" he shouted to no one in particular, as though expecting applause.
"Not even a trace of it left," Spider-Woman retorted, her voice laced with irony, appearing behind him.
The man spun in the air, startled.
"You look way too old to be playing with explosives. Shouldn't you be retired in a nursing home by now?" she added, taunting him.
"Spider-Woman…" he growled.
"Ha! You're just a meddling brat!"
The Vulture wasted no time. He pulled two metallic spheres from his belt and hurled them at her.
Gwen's Spider-Sense screamed like an alarm. With a swift flick, she shot webs to snatch the bombs midair and sling them away. They exploded above, painting the sky with a fiery orange flash.
"Nice toy," Gwen mocked.
"How much to take one home?"
"Cut the jokes! You came to catch me? Too bad for you—I can fly!" the Vulture roared, flapping his wings harder and climbing higher.
He knew the sky was his advantage. If things got ugly, all he had to do was fly away.
Spider-Woman tracked his ascent carefully.
"Let's see how long you keep that arrogance…" she muttered.
The villain accelerated, widening the gap.
"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily!" she fired another web, but the distance was too great.
[Quick, Gwen. You can bring him down using the Spider-Drone.]
"Spider-Drone? Since when do I have that?" she asked, confused.
She glanced at her wrists and noticed two small spheres with spider emblems. She had thought they were just decorations. But as soon as the command was given, the spheres came to life, detaching and zipping toward the Vulture at incredible speed.
He looked back at the last second, stunned.
"What the…?!"
The drones fired bursts of webbing, striking the joints of his mechanical wings.
Immediately, the system malfunctioned, spreading wide and uncontrollably. His flight faltered, and the villain plummeted.
The wind howled in his ears as the ground rushed closer. Survival instinct kicked in.
"N-No! Wait! HELP!" he screamed, panic replacing arrogance.
Just before he hit the ground, a web snapped onto his legs, halting his fall and swinging him violently. He gasped for breath.
"Ugh… thanks, Spider-Woman."
"You're welcome. Now try not to do bad things again, okay?"
"Of course…"
He feigned compliance but quickly reached into his pocket for another bomb, hoping to catch her off guard. Gwen, however, was ready.
An electric current surged through the web restraining him, shocking him into unconsciousness.
"Don't try any dirty tricks," she said coldly.
On the ground, George was directing civilians to safety. When he looked at Spider-Woman, his expression wasn't quite as hostile as before.
"We worked together to take down another criminal, Captain Stacy. Don't you think a thank you is in order?" Gwen teased with a hint of sarcasm.
"Thank you, Spider-Woman. But next time, try being a little more polite," he replied, grudgingly.
Even though the man had just robbed a bank, he was still an old man.
George glanced at the unconscious Vulture and sighed with relief that he was alive.
"And I was polite enough to save his life. Doesn't look like he appreciated it," Gwen remarked.
From her wrists, she projected a holographic recording of the scene, showing the moment he had tried to attack her after being rescued.
The crowd reacted with outrage.
Irritated, George stepped forward and slapped the villain awake.
"On your feet, Adrian Toomes!"
The blow was so harsh that even Gwen winced beneath her mask.
But it worked—the Vulture opened his eyes, dazed, only to find himself surrounded by officers.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you this time," one of the agents said with a smile that made the villain shudder.
"You… what are you going to do to me?" he stammered nervously.
When villains bare their fangs, it's easy to predict their limits. But when good men show their teeth… all that remains is fear.
Gwen watched as they took him away, giving a small wave.
"Bye-bye…"
Farther back, Arthur and Jean exchanged a smile as the scene came to an end.
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."