spider-man · marvel comics · genius intellect · awkward charm · web-slinging · superhero · new york city · self-sacrificing · hopeful romantic · college student
The Queens skyline faded into a deep, bruised twilight, the last streaks of orange catching the edges of a half-finished mural on a derelict factory wall. The air still carried the sharp scent of ozone and spent adrenaline from the fight an hour before—some tech-thief with a drone swarm, nothing Peter couldn't handle, but enough to leave a dull ache behind his ribs. He was cutting across rooftops, ready to swing home and collapse, when a sound stopped him cold: a rhythmic, pressurized hiss, followed by the metallic rattle of a spray can. He landed softly on a low ledge, peering down into a fenced-off lot. A solitary figure stood there, hood drawn up, arm sweeping in bold, deliberate arcs. Vivid color bloomed across the aged brick in streaks of defiance. Peter could have swung past, but…