The next day at school, everything felt grey. The halls were quiet. Students whispered to each other after hearing the news about Melissa and Uncle Ben. Peter sat alone in the library, his elbow resting on the table while he stared down at a notepad. On the page was a drawing of a red suit. He slowly drew black lines across it, forming web patterns. Then he sketched a spider symbol on the chest.
Peter stared at the drawing. "You were trying to tell me something, Uncle Ben… but I didn't listen." His pencil stopped moving. "Now I understand. This is my way of honoring your memories… and your words." The library door creaked open. Peter glanced up and saw Cindy walk in. Her hood was pulled over her head, hiding most of her face. She walked to the back of the room and sat alone.
Peter stood and walked toward her. "Hey, Cindy. I heard what happened to Melissa… I'm sorry." Cindy slowly looked up and pushed her hood back. She looked exhausted. "Thanks," she said quietly. "I heard what happened to your Uncle Ben. I'm sorry for your loss." Peter nodded. "Thanks. I heard the funerals are tomorrow. Are you going?" Cindy looked down at the table. "I don't know if I have the right to do that." Peter shook his head. "Cindy, trust me. Melissa would want you there." He started walking away before turning back.
"I figured I should honor my Uncle Ben. Maybe you should do the same. You know… send her off the right way." Then he left the library. Cindy sat there thinking. Melissa's final words echoed in her mind. "Cindy… promise me you'll do the right thing." Cindy looked down at her hands. Later in science class, Cindy sat at her desk staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Then suddenly. "That's it!" The whole class turned toward her.
The teacher adjusted his glasses. "Miss Moon… please pay attention." Some students chuckled. Cindy slowly sank back into her seat. After school, Cindy stood inside an abandoned warehouse. Webs stretched across the walls and ceiling like a giant spider nest. She hung upside down from a single strand of web, thinking. "I don't know if I can become a hero, Melissa…" She sighed. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to try." She flipped down and landed lightly on the floor. "I'll put these powers to good use."
Later that evening, Cindy sat in her chair at home spinning in circles. "Spider-Girl?" she muttered. She shook her head. "No… Spider-Woman." She frowned. "Nope. That doesn't sound right." She absentmindedly shot webs from her fingers, forming a small ball of webbing in her hand. "I need something slick…" She stared at the thin strands coming from her fingers. Her eyes widened. "I got it." She quickly wrote something down. "Web Girl nope. Silk…" She smiled.
"Silk sounds good." She pointed to the name proudly. "Yeah. Silk." Her bedroom door opened slightly. "Hey Cindy," her dad called. "I'm making chocolate milk. You want some?" Cindy panicked, quickly kicking a pile of webs under her desk. "No, Dad! I'm good!" He paused. "You doing okay? You still thinking about not going tomorrow?" Cindy hesitated. "Actually… Dad… I'll go." He looked relieved. "I've got some things I need to say." Her dad nodded and walked away. Cindy slowly opened her laptop.
The next day at the cemetery, Cindy knelt in front of Melissa's headstone. The wind blew softly through the trees. "I'll keep your promise, Melissa," Cindy said quietly. "I'll use my powers for good." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know about joining a team or anything…" She laughed a little. "But I came up with a name." She tapped the gravestone gently. "Silk." Nearby, Peter stood in front of Uncle Ben's grave. Cindy noticed him and walked over.
"Hey, Pete." Peter looked up. "Hey." "You still here too?" Peter nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking about something my Uncle Ben used to say." He stared at the headstone. "Every action you make shapes the person you become." Peter sighed. "But I've been thinking about what he was really trying to tell me." He clenched his fists. "With power… comes responsibility." Cindy tilted her head. "Mmm… how about with great power comes great responsibility?" Peter chuckled slightly. "It's a little more cringe…" He nodded. "But yeah. I like it."
"I'll definitely remember that," Peter thought. Cindy looked at Melissa's grave again. "Yeah… me too." "That's something I'll have to keep remembering." Later that night, a small convenience store was being robbed. Four men stood around the safe. "We should've waited for the owner." "And risk getting shot? I just got out of jail." "Can we stop arguing and get the money before some hero shows up?" One of them laughed. "We're in Queens. No hero is showing up."
Above them, Cindy clung to the ceiling. She wore an oversized red hoodie, sweatpants, and sneakers. Her face was half-covered by the hood. "Okay… come on, Cindy." Her hands trembled slightly. "You got this. Just do it." The safe door finally opened. Cindy fired a web. THWIP. The safe slammed shut again, completely webbed over. "What the?!" "Up there!" The robbers pointed at the ceiling. "Who are you?" one demanded. Cindy swallowed. "Silk." She forced confidence into her voice.
"I'm here to take you down… and put you in jail." Her sense suddenly flared. "There it goes again…" One of the men rushed at her. Cindy dodged instinctively, flipping sideways before kicking him straight through the store window. Glass shattered. "Ouch…" Cindy muttered. "Okay… spider strength confirmed." She shot two strands of webbing from her fingers, yanking two more robbers toward her. She flipped backward and kicked both of them into a desk, breaking it in half.
"I suggest turning yourself in," Cindy said. Her sense suddenly screamed again. She froze. "What…?" She looked around. "Is this thing broken?" She aimed her two fingers at the last robber. Suddenly a van crashed through the wall. The impact sent Cindy flying across the room. She smashed through a wall and rolled across the floor. "Let's go!" one of the men shouted. They jumped into the van and sped away. Cindy groaned and sat up.
"Okay… super durability confirmed." She rubbed her head. "My that sense warned me about the van… but way before it happened." She looked down at her clothes. "I'm definitely going to need something more flexible… and durable." She shot a web to the ceiling and swung out of the broken store. Later that night, Cindy hung upside down in her bedroom. A knock came at the door. She quickly dropped down and opened it. A tall young man stood there. "Bro!" Cindy immediately hugged him.
"Hey, little sis." "What are you doing here?" she asked. "What happened with Yale?" "Still going," he said. "I just had some time off. Dad called me after what happened to Melissa." Cindy nodded. "Yeah… but you know me." She sat on her bed. "I'm handling it in my own way." He smiled slightly. "Good. I was worried about you." He crossed his arms. "You keeping up with your studies? You're supposed to be the first Moon to go to a great college." Cindy shrugged. "Yeah, they're good. I'm thinking about Adelphi University… or maybe Brooklyn University."
"What happened to ESU?" Cindy smirked. "It's a good school… just not that good." Her brother yawned. "Alright," Cindy said, pushing him toward the hallway. "Enough brother-sister talk. Go sleep." "Wow," he said, surprised. "Have you been working out?" Cindy easily pushed his 200-pound frame down the hall. "A little." She shoved him into his old room. "Now go." He collapsed onto the bed and instantly fell asleep. Cindy closed the door quietly. A notification buzzed on her phone. She picked it up. Her eyes widened. Baxter High School Program for Exceptional Young Minds Application Status: Accepted. Cindy stared at the screen.
The next morning, Cindy's alarm blared at 5:00 AM. She groaned and rolled over, slamming her hand onto the clock. "Why couldn't that spider give me some kind of super-awake power or something?" She buried her face in the pillow. Suddenly her bedroom door burst open. "Cindy! Hurry up!" her dad shouted while rushing around the house getting ready for work. "I don't want you to miss your interview!" Cindy slowly sat up, rubbing her head.
"I still can't believe you're going to Baxter High School," her dad continued excitedly from the hallway. "You might even meet the Fantastic Four! I heard the Invisible Woman is way hotter in person than in videos." Cindy stared at him. "You're gross." She dragged herself out of bed. "And I probably won't even get in with the competition." Later, Cindy sat in the passenger seat as the car stopped in front of the massive Baxter Building. The tower stretched high into the sky, gleaming in the morning sunlight.
"Alright," her dad said with a smile. "Have a good first day. Love you." "Love you too." Cindy stepped out and waved as he drove away. She walked inside. The lobby was already filled with about ten other students. One girl looked Cindy up and down. "So you got accepted too?" she said smugly. "Guess they let anyone in these days." Before Cindy could respond, another girl stepped forward with a friendly smile. "Don't pay her any mind," she said. "I'm Anya. Nice to meet you."
She held out her hand. "Cindy." They shook hands. Suddenly a voice echoed through the lobby. "Welcome everyone. I'm glad you could all make it." A tall man in a lab coat approached. "My name is Professor Miles Warren, and I'll be the one you'll need to impress if you want to get into this school." The students exchanged nervous looks. "We will only be accepting three candidates." He gestured toward a large elevator. "So work hard." The doors opened with a soft hum. "Now follow me."
The group stepped into a high-tech elevator. Glass panels revealed the inside of the massive building as they rose upward. Moments later the doors opened onto a huge research floor. "This," Warren announced, spreading his arms, "is where all of you will be working." Rows of advanced laboratories filled the room. "You will each design a project that will not only impress me… but possibly change science itself." The students murmured nervously.
"You have three days to present your work." Warren sighed. "Although if it were up to me… you'd have until tomorrow." A voice spoke from behind them. "Oh come on, Miles. You can't rush brilliance." Everyone turned. A tall man with brown hair and a calm smile stood nearby. Cindy's eyes widened. No way… It was Reed Richards. "Whoa… it's Reed Richards," Cindy thought excitedly. Reed gave a polite nod to the students. "I'm looking forward to seeing what each of you creates." Then he smiled. "Good luck."
Soon each student was working inside their own private lab station. Cindy sat at her desk, gripping her hair in frustration. "What the hell…" She stared at the blank board in front of her. "How am I supposed to make something impressive enough for Reed Richards?" She tapped her pencil nervously. Then suddenly. "…Wait." Her eyes lit up. She grabbed a notebook and began writing formulas rapidly. Hours later the students exited the Baxter Building.
Anya stretched her arms. "Well… that was a day." A black-haired boy beside her laughed. "I still can't believe we met Reed Richards. I just wish we could've met the Invisible Woman." The rude girl from earlier smirked. "Too bad you won't be meeting her." Some of the students laughed. Meanwhile, in a dark alley nearby… A massive man walked slowly down the street. His large frame cast a long shadow. It was Aleksei Sytsevich. A voice suddenly stopped him.
"Aleksei Sytsevich. Former Russian gangster. Now scraping by fighting for prize money." Aleksei turned. A thin man with glasses stepped out of the shadows. "I'm actually a fan," the man continued calmly. "I've seen some of your fights." Aleksei narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" The man smiled slightly. "You can call me… Dr. Octavius." He stepped forward. "Otto Octavius." Later… Inside an abandoned warehouse laboratory.
Machines hummed quietly. Aleksei looked around suspiciously. "Why have you brought me here?" Otto gestured toward a large glass chamber. "Because I've been working on something." He walked around the container. "Something designed for someone exactly like you." Aleksei crossed his arms. "What are you talking about?" Otto pressed a button and the chamber doors opened. "Tell me something," Otto said. "Have you ever wanted more power?" Aleksei laughed.
"Of course." He cracked his knuckles. "Why do you think I fight for prize money? Because of Captain America." His face twisted in anger. "And then some freak stole that too…" "Calling himself Spider-Man." Otto sighed. "Yes… fascinating." He pointed inside the container. "Now step in." Aleksei hesitated, then stepped inside. Otto activated the machine. "Now you may feel a slight pinch," Otto said casually. "But it will all be worth it."
The chamber began glowing bright blue. "You'll be stronger… faster…" Electric energy surged through Aleksei's body. "…and nearly indestructible." "AAGHHH!" Aleksei roared as his muscles began expanding. "This is nothing compared to the streets of Russia!" His skin slowly hardened, turning thick grey. His body grew larger. Bigger. Stronger. Then a horn began forming from his forehead. Otto watched the transformation calmly.
Finally the machine powered down. The chamber door opened. Smoke poured out. Heavy footsteps shook the floor. THUD. THUD. THUD. A massive eight-foot creature stepped out. His body resembled a humanoid rhinoceros. Otto adjusted his glasses. "So… how do you feel, Aleksei?" The creature looked down at his new body. Then smiled. "Rhino." He clenched his massive fists. "That's what I'll be called from now on."
The next morning, Cindy's dad walked down the hallway and knocked on her bedroom door. "Cindy?" He slowly opened it. "Hey." He stopped. Cindy was already awake, sitting at her desk with a notebook full of formulas. Papers were scattered everywhere. "Did you get any sleep?" he asked. Cindy turned toward him. Dark bags hung under her eyes. "I can't, Dad," she said, rubbing her face. "I only have until Sunday. I didn't realize yesterday counted as the first day. I need to finish this formula so I can make the serum."
Her dad leaned against the doorframe. "You've got the same habit as your mother," he said with a small smile. "Every time you're stressed, you rub your face like that." Cindy sighed. "You know what used to calm her down?" he continued. "What?" "Chocolate milk." Cindy smiled for the first time that morning. "Yeah… that actually sounds really good." She stood up and followed him downstairs.
While her dad poured a glass of chocolate milk, Cindy leaned against the kitchen counter. "Hey, Dad…" He handed her the cup. "Even if I do get in… are you sure we can afford the tuition?" Her dad waved the concern away. "Don't worry about that," he said confidently. "You just make sure you get in." Later that morning, Cindy walked down the street toward the Baxter Building, yawning. "I really should've gotten some sleep," she muttered. She stretched her arms.
"But at least I finished the formula. Now I just need to make the serum." Suddenly SCREAMS echoed from down the street. Cindy froze. "Oh no…" She ran toward the noise. When she reached the corner, she stopped in shock. A giant humanoid rhinoceros was rampaging through the street, smashing cars like toys. "People will fear the Rhino!" the creature roared. Police cars screeched to a stop nearby. Officers jumped out and opened fire.
Bullets bounced harmlessly off Rhino's thick gray skin. Rhino laughed and grabbed a car, lifting it over his head. The officers closed their eyes as he threw it toward them. But suddenly. THWIP! The car stopped mid-air, caught in a massive web. The officers blinked in confusion. "Huh?" Above them, Cindy stood on top of a lamppost wearing a ripped homemade costume. "Hey… stop what you're doing and put your hands up," she said awkwardly.
One of the officers squinted at her. "…Who are you supposed to be?" Cindy straightened proudly. "Silk. The new hero in town." She jumped down just as Rhino charged at her. Cindy fired webs into his face, blinding him. "Hey! What did you do to my eyes?!" Rhino roared. Silk flipped onto his back as he stumbled forward, crashing through streetlights and cars. "Okay…" Cindy muttered nervously. "How do I stop him now?" Rhino continued running wildly. Suddenly Cindy saw something ahead.
A woman holding a baby frozen in fear. "Move!" Cindy shouted. She leapt off Rhino's back and swung forward, grabbing both of them just as Rhino barreled past. She landed safely. "Are you okay?" Cindy asked. The woman nodded quickly. "Yes thank you!" She ran away with the baby. Cindy's spider-sense suddenly flared. She jumped instinctively But nothing happened. "…Huh?" A split second later. BOOM!Rhino's punch slammed into her, launching her into a car and then through a wall.
Cindy groaned as she stood up. "Okay… I get it now." She rubbed her head. "It warns me seconds before the attack happens." Rhino burst through the wall toward her. "That's gonna take some time to get used to." Cindy quickly ran up the wall and clung to the ceiling as Rhino smashed through the building. Suddenly her phone alarm went off. BEEP BEEP BEEP! Cindy froze. "No… I'm late!" She started to leave. But Rhino ran through another wall, roaring.
"No one can beat the Rhino! Cindy sighed. "Okay, just stay there and let the police arrest you already." She fired webs, wrapping Rhino up tightly. He struggled. Then snapped the webbing apart. "You can't hold the Rhino!" He grabbed a desk and threw it at her. Cindy flipped onto the ceiling to dodge it. "You should've just stayed home, girl!" Rhino yelled. He slammed his fist into the wall. The entire building began shaking.
"You idiot!" Cindy shouted. Rhino laughed. "Let's see if you can web your way out of this!" Then he ran out of the building. Cindy started to chase him. But suddenly she heard a voice. "Help! My leg is stuck!" An old man was trapped under fallen debris. The ceiling above him began to collapse. Cindy rushed over and lifted the heavy rubble over her shoulders. "Okay… gotta use that spider strength," she groaned. With a strained shout, she threw the debris aside.
Then she lifted the old man and ran outside just as the building collapsed behind them. "Thank you!" the man said. Part of Cindy's hood had torn off, so she quickly covered her face. "You're welcome," she said, setting him down. Then she fired a web and swung away. Moments later Cindy ran toward the Baxter Building. Students were already stepping into the elevator. "Wait!" she shouted. The doors closed before she could reach them. "…Great."
She ran toward the stairwell instead. Jumping from rail to rail, she flipped up the stairs at incredible speed. Finally she burst onto the third floor, panting. "Fighting Rhino… and now this?" she muttered. She pushed open the lab door. Everyone turned toward her. Professor Miles Warren frowned. "Miss Moon?" Cindy tried catching her breath. "Yeah… sorry I'm late. There was a disturbance." Miles adjusted his glasses. "If you want to attend this school," he said coldly, "you should have arrived an hour earlier like everyone else." Cindy straightened slightly. "…Yes, sir."
Cindy stood at her lab station, carefully mixing chemicals together. "Okay… I think I got it this time," she muttered. The yellow liquid inside the beaker suddenly began boiling violently. "Uh oh." It overflowed, spilling everywhere. Cindy sighed. "Hmm… I guess my calculations were off." A slow clap came from behind her. "How disappointing, Miss Moon." Cindy turned to see Professor Miles Warren standing behind her.
"Almost all the other students have finished their projects," he continued coldly. "The rest are already in their second stages." He glanced at her messy workstation. "Except you." Then he walked away. Cindy frowned. "What is that guy's problem?" she muttered under her breath. Anya leaned over from the next workstation. "He probably just sees potential in you," she suggested. Cindy snorted. "I don't think that's it." They both chuckled quietly.
A few hours later… Cindy stared intensely at two glass tubes. "If these fuse together… then I'm close." She carefully poured the green liquid into the blue solution. The mixture instantly turned red. Cindy's eyes widened. "Yes!" She pumped her fist. "I did it! Now I just need to stabilize it." She rushed to the computer and began typing rapidly. "If this works… maybe I can make a suit with it." Anya glanced over curiously.
"What are you making anyway?" Cindy looked over. "A serum that bonds with clothing and makes it extremely durable. Fireproof too." She pointed to the formula on the screen. "With this, firefighters or Damage Control workers could survive disasters easier." She smiled. "I call it Polymer Test 12." Anya's eyes widened. "Wow. That's actually really cool." She gestured to her own device. "I'm making a weather-control prototype." Cindy blinked.
"No way. That's way cooler." She laughed. "You're definitely getting in." Cindy stretched slightly and winced, feeling the bruises she got earlier from fighting Rhino. An hour later… Cindy swung through the city as Silk, landing lightly on top of a train heading toward Queens. "I really need an actual suit," she muttered. She looked down at her torn hoodie and sweatpants. "But what could I even make it with?" Later that evening… Cindy rummaged through boxes in her attic. Dust flew everywhere.
"Come on… there has to be something…" She suddenly spotted a box labeled Gymnastics. She opened it. Inside was a white spandex bodysuit. Cindy blinked. "Whoa…" She held it up. "This was Mom's?" She smiled slightly. "She did gymnastics?" An idea sparked in her mind. "If I fuse this with Polymer Test 12, it should absorb some damage." She stretched the material. "That way I can keep fighting without breaking my ribs… or the suit." She tilted her head. "But it needs some color."
Cindy carried the suit to her room. And worked on it all night. The next morning… Cindy ran downstairs. "Dad! I overslept!" Her father rushed down the stairs, still putting on his shirt. "Hurry up!" Soon Cindy arrived in front of the Baxter Building. She jumped out of the car. "I could've web-slung here…" she thought. "But that might raise suspicion." She adjusted her bag. "Gotta keep the secret identity." Inside the lab, Cindy quickly finished stabilizing the serum.
"Finally," she muttered. "After the tenth try… it's stable." The rude girl from before leaned back in her chair smugly. "And about time. I finished my project yesterday." Cindy rolled her eyes. "Would you give it a rest?" Professor Warren stepped forward. "Alright everyone. I hope you've finished your projects." He folded his arms. "Because this is the final day." Suddenly. BOOM. Another explosion echoed outside. Students rushed to the windows. Smoke rose from several blocks away.
Cindy froze. "Rhino…" Her mind raced. "This could be a good chance to test the suit." But she looked at the small vial of Polymer Test 12. "I only have enough for the suit." "If I use it… I won't have enough for the presentation." She clenched her fists. After a moment of hesitation… Cindy quietly slipped away while everyone was distracted. She grabbed the vial and her bag. Then ran into the stairwell. Meanwhile… Rhino rampaged through the streets, smashing police cars aside.
A small girl stood in front of him, shaking nervously. "The Avengers are going to stop you, you bully!" Rhino laughed as he stepped closer. "There is no Avenger that can stop me." He raised his foot. A kick suddenly slammed into his side. Rhino stumbled backward. "How about a spider?" Cindy stood between him and the girl. She now wore a black-and-white bodysuit with a red web pattern across the chest, a red "S" symbol, and a red mask and gloves.
Rhino cracked his neck. "I crush spiders." He charged. Cindy grabbed the girl and leaped away, landing safely on a nearby car. "Run!" she told the girl. The girl ran. Cindy swung forward and kicked Rhino across the face. She grabbed his horn and used it to swing upward, landing a spinning heel kick before flipping back. Rhino barely moved. "That all you got, girl?" He grabbed a dumpster and hurled it at her. Cindy shot webs, catching it mid-air.
Using the momentum, she slung it back. The dumpster slammed into Rhino and knocked him backward. "This won't work," Cindy thought. "I need to stop him from moving." Her eyes landed on a nearby construction site. She smirked. "If you want to squash me," she taunted, "you're gonna have to catch me!" Rhino roared and charged after her. "You play chase with Rhino!" Inside the construction site, Cindy landed on top of a crane beside a massive wrecking ball.
She jumped onto Rhino's back, webbing him up. Rhino immediately broke free. He grabbed Cindy by the neck and slammed her into the ground, then into a stack of cement blocks. "Ouch…" She groaned. "That would've hurt a lot more without the seurm." Her sense flared. Cindy rolled away just as Rhino's fist smashed into the ground. She fired webs at an unstable support beam. Pulling with all her strength. The structure collapsed on top of Rhino.
"I just have to trust the sense," she muttered. Rhino burst out of the rubble. "I'll kill you!" He charged again. Cindy dodged each strike, guiding him toward wet cement. Rhino slowed as his feet sank. Cindy backflipped and kicked him in the chin. Then she swung to the crane. She webbed the wrecking ball and pulled it toward her. At the last second. She let go. The wrecking ball smashed into Rhino and launched him across the site.
He crashed into a pile of steel beams and finally stopped moving. Cindy exhaled. "Finally…" Then she remembered. "My project!" She immediately swung away. Moments later Cindy burst out of the Baxter stairwell. Anya rushed over. "Whoa, Cindy! Are you okay?" She pointed at Cindy's bruised face. "Yeah," Cindy said quickly. "I was trying to find the bathroom." Professor Warren frowned. "Miss Moon." He glanced at her empty station. "I don't see your project." He folded his arms. "So you fail." "Good luck next year."
Cindy lowered her head. Moments later Warren announced the winners. "Anya Corazon. Felicia Hardy. Amadeus Cho." Everyone applauded. Cindy quietly packed her bag. "Great," she thought. "All that work… and nothing went my way." She turned to leave. "Miss Moon." Cindy stopped. Reed Richards stood behind her. "Could you come to my office?" Cindy followed him nervously.
"Mr. Richards," she said quickly, "it was an honor just to try getting into your school. I'm sorry I couldn't finish my project but something happened." Reed turned his monitor toward her.
The screen showed security footage. Cindy entering the stairwell. Then changing into Silk. Her eyes widened. Reed folded his hands calmly. "Something like… stopping the Rhino?" Cindy stared at the screen. She had just been exposed.