AN: GIMME MORE POWERSTONES 💎💎💎
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[Spider-Man Set] [Later That Day]
The mood on set was different. Like everyone was busy with the rigs, cameras and safety.
This was the day everyone had circled on the schedule in red ink and mild fear.
The swinging scenes.
The moment Spider-Man stopped being a guy who could climb walls and officially became Spider-Man.
Alex stood near the monitors with his arms crossed, his eyes constantly moving. He was tracking every detail like a chess match played at extreme speed and extreme cost, fifty stories above imaginary traffic.
Above the set, the Spydercam system was already active.
Four thick cables stretched across the soundstage and disappeared into motorized rigs mounted high in the truss. At the center, the camera hovered silently, suspended like a mechanical insect waiting to be released.
A technician adjusted settings nearby.
"Spydercam calibrated. Vertical drop test complete. Horizontal sweep ready."
Alex nodded once. "Good. I want speed and clarity with an adjusted blur effect to make it look as realistic as possible."
The operator grinned. "Copy that."
Across the stage, a massive blue screen wrapped around several constructed rooftop sets. Chimneys, vents, and fire escapes were real, textured and scuffed with believable grime. It was the illusion of New York, waiting to be finished later by hundreds of exhausted digital artists fueled by coffee and stubbornness.
Andrew stood nearby in his Spider-Man suit, his mask off for now, with harness straps partially visible beneath the fabric. He rolled his shoulders.
"This is the big one, right?" he asked.
Alex walked over. "Yes. This is where the audience stops thinking about physics and starts screaming."
Andrew laughed nervously. "No pressure."
Alex tapped his shoulder lightly. "Relax. You are not doing the impossible part. My army of animators is."
He gestured toward a large monitor displaying pre-visualization footage of a fully animated Spider-Man soaring between skyscrapers, arcing and twisting as the city rushed past him like a living thing.
"For most of the high-altitude swings," Alex explained, "that version of you does the heavy lifting."
Andrew watched the screen, impressed. "That looks real."
"That is because it almost is," Alex said. "Every building texture comes from real New York photography. Brick patterns, window reflections and graffiti you can barely read. Even the dirt is accurate."
Andrew nodded.
Alex continued, slipping easily into explanation mode. "The trick is grounding it. When everything is digital, people feel the artificiality even if they cannot explain why. So we anchor the swings with real takeoffs and landings."
He pointed toward the rooftop set. "You run and jump. That part is you. The wire rig pulls you just enough to sell the start. Then we hand you over to the digital double in midair."
Andrew grinned. "So I am basically a relay runner."
"Exactly," Alex said. "Just with more spandex."
Nearby, stunt performers were being fitted into harnesses and testing wire tension. One of them bounced lightly as the rig lifted him a foot off the ground.
"Feels good," the stunt coordinator called out. "Clean launch."
Alex turned to the crew. "I want the camera to feel aggressive and intimate with continuous closeups and wide angles."
The Spydercam operator spoke through the headset.
"I can take the camera down the alley, whip left and then drop fast behind him."
Alex smiled. "Perfect. Make it feel like the camera is chasing him and falling behind. So, go over all the cameras once more because I don't want to waste everyone's effort with multiple retakes."
On the opposite side of the set, Chloe and Trixie had arrived and were escorted to a safe viewing area. Trixie stared upward, tracking the suspended camera rig.
"That thing is flying," she whispered.
Chloe nodded. "That is how they make it look like Spider-Man is flying."
"Is Alex flying it?" Trixie asked.
Chloe smiled. "In a way."
Trixie thought about that and looked impressed.
Back on set, Andrew pulled his mask down, the lenses snapping into place. He bounced once on his toes.
"You ready?" Alex asked.
Andrew took a breath. "Yeah. Let's do it."
Alex returned to the monitor and raised his hand.
"Alright," he called out. "This is Swing Sequence A. Practical launch and Spydercam follow. Clean energy and playful momentum. Remember, this is fun."
The set went quiet at once.
"Camera rolling."
The Spydercam hummed to life and glided smoothly into position.
"Scene G7," Alex said. "Take one."
He dropped his hand.
"Action."
Andrew ran.
His feet hit the rooftop hard and fast. He reached the edge, planted and jumped.
The wire rig snapped him upward in a powerful arc, just enough to sell the impossible lift. His body twisted naturally, his arms spreading as if instinct had taken over.
Behind him, the Spydercam dove.
It followed him off the edge, plunging with terrifying speed before whipping sideways through the artificial alley and skimming past fire escapes and brick walls so closely that they blurred.
On the monitor, the shot was electric.Â
Spider-Man flew.
Andrew landed on the next rooftop with a roll, popped to his feet, fired an imaginary web and leapt again. This time he vanished into a blue-screen void where the digital city would later bloom around him.
"Cut!" Alex called.
Silence followed.
Then the set erupted.
Crew members clapped. Someone whooped. The stunt team raised thumbs all around.
Andrew lifted his mask. He was breathing hard and grinning like a kid who had just discovered that he could really do the thing he always dreamed about.
He looked toward Alex. "How was it?"
Alex stared at the monitor for another second, then nodded.
"That," he said, "is how you teach people how to fly."
Trixie bounced on her toes at the edge of the viewing area. "He swung! Go, Spidey!"
Chloe laughed softly, her eyes never leaving the screen. "Yeah. He really did."
Alex turned back to the crew, already resetting the shot in his head.
"Alright," he said. "That was beautiful. Now let's do it again a bit faster. And Andrew, after you land for the first time, run a bit before making the webbing gesture."
Andrew gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it."
The swinging shots wrapped faster than anyone expected.
By the third take, the rhythm was locked in. Andrew moved with confidence now, timing his jumps instinctively. The Spydercam flowed like it was part of him, diving and rising, chasing and losing him on purpose. Alex called cut, made small adjustments, and shot for a few more hours with mid-breaks and adjustments, then finally raised his hand again.
"That's it," he said. "We got it."
Relief rolled through the set. Crew members unclipped headsets. The stunt team loosened the rigs. Someone started passing around water. Andrew took off his mask, sweat on his forehead, still smiling like gravity had personally complimented him.
"Great job, team," Alex clapped.
He then went to the editing rig and watched the scene one last time, satisfied, then turned away.
He spotted Chloe and Trixie right away.
They were still standing near the viewing area. Trixie was bouncing on her heels, replaying the swings in her head at full volume. Chloe had her arms folded, but she was smiling in that quiet way she got when something genuinely impressed her.
Alex walked over.
"So," he said, looking down at Trixie. "You like that?"
Trixie did not hesitate. "That was the coolest thing I have ever seen. He was like whoosh and then WHOOSH and then he flew again."
Alex nodded seriously. "Solid technical review."
Chloe smiled. "She is going to try that off the couch later."
"I will catch her," Alex said. "No worries. But, Trix, don't try this at home."
Trixie looked up at him, eyes shining. "Okay. But can he really do that in real life?"
Alex crouched slightly so he was closer to her height. "In real life, no. In movies, absolutely. That's the magic part."
She thought about that, then nodded like she had just accepted an important truth about the universe.
Alex straightened and looked at Chloe.Â
Chloe said. "You were very calm up there. Don't you get... you know, worried?"
"Yeah, I get worried all the time. It was risky, but I got a solid team," Alex replied as he glanced back for a moment before turning toward her. "I trust them."
There was a small pause. Alex looked back toward the set, then back at them. His expression shifted into that casual tone that usually meant something was coming.
"So," he said. "I was thinking."
Chloe narrowed her eyes just a little. "That sentence always makes me nervous."
Alex smiled. "No explosions. I promise."
He nodded toward the street-level set nearby. A small section dressed with fake storefronts, trash bags, and a dim alley entrance. A few background actors were already walking around in casual clothes.
"We are shooting a quick street sequence next," he said. "Spider-Man drops in, stops a couple of thugs, and swings away before the cops arrive."
Chloe listened carefully.
Alex continued. "I thought it might be fun if you two were in it. It's a simple scene. You're walking and some thugs try to mug you. Spider-Man shows up and beats up the thugs and you thank him. He webbs away."
Chloe blinked. "Wait. You want us in the movie?"
"Yes," Alex said.Â
Trixie's jaw dropped.
"Me?" she asked, pointing at herself. "In the movie?"
Alex nodded. "You. Front row to a superhero rescue."
Chloe shook her head slightly. "Alex, I don't know. The permits and rules and my job."
"I'll handle everything," Alex said easily. "As for acting, you already do it. You just call it interrogating. Besides, you already have real acting experience. All you have to do is say yes."
Trixie grabbed Chloe's hand. "Mom, please. I can stand still. I am very good at standing still. I promise."
Chloe looked down at her, then back at Alex.
Alex hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Please."Â
Chloe sighed. "What exactly would we have to do?"
Alex kissed her once more before stepping back. "Walk, stop, look scared. Then look amazed. Spider-Man does the rest."
Trixie raised her hand like she was in class. "Do I get to wave at him?"
Alex smiled. "Of course you do. And you must say 'Thank you, Spider-Man.'"
'Haaa... He got me good. Alright, I'll get back at you in the morning. Just you wait, Wilson.' Chloe exhaled slowly, then looked at Trixie. "Okay. One scene."
Trixie squealed and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist. "Yes yes yes yes! You are the best mommy."
Alex nodded, clearly pleased. "Great." He then waved his hand at one of the crew. "Hey, Tracy, take them to the makeup room. We'll begin in 40 minutes."
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[6 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers] [No double billing.]
+ [Castle 5 chs Early access]