It wasn't good news for anyone, later on, newsstands there was the headline from Bugle. If you turned on the news, what you would see is a lot of news reports about these enforcers, and as Jonah wanted, many people traced this link between me and these criminals, saying that no one with these powers and abilities could be good. That having such great power brings out the worst in people. But I was happy to know that there were people who still believed in me, and defended what I did. I heard a woman saying “I don't think that giving people too much power corrupts them but brings out what is most intimate and hidden in everyone's heart. I believe in Spider-Man, he never hurt anyone, and that's the truth of who he is."
Aunt May was watching this news. I remember this woman's speech because she seemed particularly happy with her comment, saying that the woman was completely right. “Spider-Man is not an Enforcer,” she said, “He's a protector, and a good boy. Do you remember when he saved Mary Jane?” Ah, Mary Jane... Sometimes I wonder what our lives would be like if I said I was Spider-Man, if I had held her hand at that funeral, if we had talked to Harry... Maybe he wouldn’t be locked up in that mansion. I also asked Aunt May about what happens when good people do bad things, even when they don't mean to. “They need to be honest and humble enough to admit their mistake to those they hurt. Only then can someone like them redeem themselves, which is not difficult in theory, but in practice is very overwhelming.”
Later, a very peculiar thing happened. On my night of patrol, another Enforcer showed up. It was at the city police station, this was one of the bravest criminals I've ever seen. What the hell would a mobster or super criminal do where the cops hang out? I just didn't try to question it and went ahead. It was a tumult in the streets like no other, the police were running from inside to outside and from outside to inside without stopping. I wasted no time, throwing myself inside the doors of the place at the time. There were a lot of gunshots and crashes, but eventually I got to where the third Enforcer was. It was the one in the hat, the Montana. He was mounted on a kind of flying motorcycle, and on his arm, a kind of armor with several devices attached to it.
When he saw me, after throwing a policeman away using some kind of repulsor, he broke into a smile, yelling “Spider!” and speeding towards me. I just had time to jump on top of his strange mount. The two of us grappled atop his little metal horse as we exchanged punches through the walls of the police station, until eventually we were thrown out into the open air of the streets. I was down a block from him, and while he was still getting up, I set up my camera on top of a small building nearby. When I turned around, he was already in the glider.
- Spider-Man! Just who I was looking for.
- Did you come to ask me to a rodeo?
- No, I came to bring your head to the underworld. Soon, Montana will return home as the man who defeated the greatest Superhuman on the planet!
- Just because you rode a super horse? Where did you get that from, by the way? It looks like a badly made copy of the Goblin's glider!
So, he yelled and lunged at me. I jumped over him and stuck a web on his weapon arm. It didn't help much, he managed to pull a knife from inside and cut the web. He was already turning to chase me, and I decided to start running away, dodging his attacks while I fabricated a web around him. I made sure that he would do stunts very close to my camera as well, but shortly after, he realized what I was doing, and stopped in the middle of the chase, and started pulling out some kind of steel cable, like it was some kind of rope, from his armed arm. Since he was still, I tried to attack him with a flying kick in the middle of my swing, but he dodged, and started swinging the lasso in the air and chasing me again. He really was going to try to rope me like an animal. The bit of web I had built had held him back, but soon he started flying through them using the knife to cut them.
He really wasn't letting go of my foot, and was dragging me out of the web zone, so I tried a move, a risky move, did a full loop on one of the light poles and flew towards him. I landed a blow on his shoulder and made him miss the lasso.
- Whoa, sorry about that, Cowboy! I think you missed!
- I never miss… — He sighed at me.
Not even my senses could predict the pole he lassoed in time for it to topple toward me. But I was fast enough for it not to crush me. As I was little dizzy with what happened, this gave him an opening to throw another rope at me, this time not a noose he swung, but a clever rope that wrapped itself around me and my arms before I had time to react. He flew high with me, far beyond the height of the Empire State Building, and dove in, causing the pull of the rope to rip my clothing and dislocate my left shoulder. Afterwards, he tied my rope to the top of another pole, and floated in front of me, standing upright in his glider.
- End of the line, Spider… — He raised the knife to hit me in the throat, but a patrol of policemen arrived just in time and started to open fire on him, not only hitting the knife and making it fall, but grazing one of his thighs — Saved by the bell... You will not survive our next encounter.
And then he flew away. The policemen stopped shooting, and I had to use a lot of strength to break the steel rope he had tied me. Soon, I grabbed my hidden camera and left. I would need at least a full day for my arm to heal from this. After that troubled night, I rested and managed to develop the camera photos, many excellent photos, but one that really caught my attention, something I could certainly use to extract some extra money at the Daily Bugle. Getting there the other day, I ran over to Betty's desk, which was still a mess, but she seemed less busy… Just a little.
- Betty, hi, I… — She held up her finger, asking me to wait a second while she ended the call.
- Yeah, okay… — She hung up — What’s up, Peter.
- You need to let me in, I must show Mr. Jameson something now.
- He's talking to Foswell about the latest Enforcer attack.
- That's about it! Betty, I know where they got all this technology, please!
She didn't even wait for me to continue; she sent me in and warned Jameson on the intercom. I squeezed into the room with Foswell, who broke into a smile when he saw me.
- Peter! How is my van?
- Parker is fixing your van? — Jameson Asked, perplexed.
- I need the money… — I answered — But that is beside the point. Your Jameson, I have an exclusive for you.
- Is this about the Enforcer at the police station? Foswell here was already telling me everything that happened.
- Yeah… More or less. Just look — I pulled the revealing photo — See? It was marked under the chassis of his glider. It's technology from Quest Aerospace.
- My God…— Jonah pulled the photo out of my hand, his eyes wide — Parker, this is the biggest scoop you've ever given me. How did your sources not know about this one, Foswell?
- Well, I… — He looked puzzled, almost nervous, as his face morphed into a smirk — In fact, I covered something that definitely ties in with that! Last week's Quest Heist, remember?
- But of course! In the inventory were stolen military technology.
- Wow, that's… Very convenient — I said, and my tingling started to sound again… It was because of Frederick — Very convenient indeed.
- Sure enough, this theft must have contained Ricochet's armor, Ox's super serum, and Montana's tactical gear! — Frederick continued.
- Wait, what did you call him? — I asked.
- Montana! He's a minor criminal from Montana, a troublemaker like no other, and...
- How do you know it's him?
- Well, I... I did my research, he was a criminal with a cowboy hat, and he wore some kind of mount, lassos, and everything... He's known for that.
- Alright… — My head was throbbing, the buzz I felt after he said that sentence was so loud, I could only hear my heavy breathing. Jameson had to yell my name for me to understand.
- Parker!
- Oh sorry. What was it?
- Are you well?
- Not really, I have a headache...
- Nothing a little money can't fix. There's only like 3 legible photos on there, I'll pay $75 each.
- No, the glider photo is exclusive, Mr. Jameson, I'll charge at least $200 for it.
- So, I'll take just that one. Oh, and one more thing, the exclusive offer on Ricochet has expanded to the rest of the Enforcers, it's your chance.
- Neat — I said, taking the check from Jameson and heading for the exit.
- I hope you can fix my van by tonight, Peter… — Foswell said, and his voice never sounded as heavy as it did this time.
I ran home with the money, and with it I paid this month's dues to Aunt May, although she doesn't quite accept that I'm spending it on her bills rather than saving it for my apartment, but I promised I'd pay half of the bills while I lived there. In the late afternoon, Aunt May, Mary Jane, and I gathered on the sidewalk one last time, only this time, the two had set up a table outside, and as the sun went down, they ate some sandwiches they had prepared and distributed some to the children who pass by playing in the streets.
- Seeing kids like that reminds me of when you two were younger… — Aunt May said, handing one of them a sandwich — Oh, you were so adorable together, running around in the house.
- I spent a lot of good times there at your house… — Mary Jane replied.
- And how is your play, MJ? — I asked.
- Tomorrow are my tests, aaahhh! — She squealed with joy, holding May's hand — Thinking like a truly earnest person is a much harder task than it seems.
- You know, I've been thinking about it lately, and... Well...
- Peter… — Aunt May sighed — I know that tone of voice. What's bothering you?
- I… — Suddenly, I stopped screwing the engine, thinking about its owner— I have a feeling that someone I know is doing something wrong.
- Is it Harry? — Mary Jane asked, concerned. Their faces were closed with worry.
- No, no... It's complicated. It's someone from the service, from the Bugle. I'm afraid, you know… Of being wrong, of angering Jonah.
- You know Peter, this sounds like one of the things I had to study for my character's role in the play. Often, being earnest is not the only important part of a relationship, despite being the biggest. You also need to know when to use it, and that depends on what you really hold in your heart — She approached me, looking into my eyes — What are your intentions, if you know how to communicate them well... This is what differentiates people when they must make an important decision.
- I understand…— I couldn't contain the nervousness of being around her, but the words needed a while to weigh on my mind, so I went back to the engine, and finished screwing in the last piece — All good. Mary Jane, once you're here, get in there and try to start the car.
She did as I asked and started it, which choked on the first couple of tries, but shortly after it began to rumble, but not a screeching noise, but a very smooth start. Aunt May started to clap and Mary Jane gave me a thumbs up from the driver's seat, smiling.
- Looks like you found the missing piece, Peter — Aunt May said.
- Yeah, I think so.
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