"WHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Green Goblin stood triumphantly on his glider, hovering above the chaos of the Queensboro Bridge. His mechanical laughter grated against the night air.
He saw the police setting up a barricade at the bridge's entrance. Without a word, he launched a micro-missile from his glider.
BOOM!
A brilliant fireball illuminated the New York skyline. The deafening explosion sent a shockwave rippling outward. Cars on the bridge swerved in panic, colliding into a twisted snarl of metal and glass. Traffic was instantly gridlocked.
Screams erupted from the trapped civilians. People abandoned their vehicles, fleeing on foot as the police struggled to navigate the wreckage.
Light, Gwen, and Gali stood near the pedestrian walkway, watching the nightmare unfold.
"The police can't get through," Gwen said, her voice trembling. "They're too late."
"This is New York," Light said calmly, squeezing her hand. "Our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is never late."
Thwip!
As if summoned, a web line latched onto the bridge tower. Spider-Man swung through the air, landing in a crouch on the suspension cables.
"Oh, look! It's the hero!" The Goblin cackled, holding Mary Jane by the ankle in one hand and clutching the snapped cable of the school bus in the other.
"Let them go, Goblin!" Spider-Man shouted.
"We are who we choose to be!" Goblin roared, his voice distorted by his helmet. "Now, choose! save the woman you love... or the innocent children? Make your choice, Spider-Man!"
"No! You can't do this!" Spider-Man begged, his lenses widening in distress. He couldn't abandon either side.
"Then I'll choose for you!"
The Goblin didn't give him time to think. He released his grip on both simultaneously.
"NO!"
With a terrified scream, Mary Jane plummeted toward the river. The school bus groaned and tipped, falling into the abyss.
"Oh my god!" Gwen covered her eyes. The crowd on the bridge gasped in collective horror.
But Spider-Man didn't hesitate. He dove.
His body became a red-and-blue streak. He shot a web line, snagging Mary Jane in mid-air and pulling her into his arms. With his free hand, he shot another line, thick and desperate, catching the bumper of the falling bus just feet above the water.
His muscles strained, the fibers of his suit stretching to their limit as he held the immense weight, anchoring himself to the bridge.
"Impressive!" Goblin sneered. "But now... you're a stationary target."
The glider's blades extended. The Goblin dove toward the immobilized hero.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out. Captain Stacy and his officers had climbed the maintenance ladders and opened fire on the Goblin, forcing him to veer off course.
"Spider-Man! Let go! The barge has them!" Captain Stacy shouted.
Below, a passing garbage scow had positioned itself under the bus. Spider-Man gently lowered the vehicle onto the heap of trash, ensuring the kids were safe.
With his burdens gone, Spider-Man vaulted back up to the bridge, fury radiating from his posture. He engaged the Goblin, and their fight spilled away from the bridge, crashing into a nearby abandoned industrial district.
On the Bridge
"Gwen! Why are you here?!"
Captain George Stacy, looking frazzled, spotted his daughter in the crowd.
"Dad!" Gwen ran to him, hugging him tightly.
George sighed in relief, but then his eyes narrowed. He saw the young man standing next to her. He recognized him from the carnival incident. More importantly, he saw their interlaced fingers.
"Boy," George grunted, glaring at Light. "Every time I see you, trouble seems to follow."
"Dad! That's not fair," Gwen protested, shaking his arm. "He kept me safe."
"Captain Stacy," Light said smoothly, not letting go of Gwen's hand, his voice calm and assured. "It just means that whenever there's trouble, you can rest easy knowing I'm right here with Gwen, protecting her."
George stared at him. The boy had guts. Most teenagers would have crumbled under the 'Police Captain Glare.'
"You kid. You have a sharp tongue," George muttered, his expression softening slightly.
This was America; he couldn't stop them from dating. And honestly, Light had remained calm in two terrorist attacks. He was wealthy, successful, and seemingly level-headed. George could do worse for a potential son-in-law. But he wasn't going to make it easy.
"Get her home safe," George ordered, turning back to his squad. "I have a super-freak to catch."
Light watched him go. "Your dad likes me."
Gwen rolled her eyes, smiling. "Keep telling yourself that."
They turned to leave the bridge... and realized something was missing.
"Wait. Where's Gali?" Gwen asked, looking around anxiously.
Light scanned the crowd. The gluttonous little entity was gone.
"Don't worry," Light said, knowing Gali's priorities. "She probably saw food and wandered off. No criminal in New York is stupid enough to mess with her."
Or rather, no criminal would survive messing with her.
A Few Blocks Away
Gali stood in front of a bakery window, drooling over a display of strawberry shortcakes. She patted her pockets. Empty.
She looked around. In a nearby alley, a group of punk teenagers were smoking.
Gali blinked her large violet eyes and walked over.
Two minutes later, Gali walked out of the alley, happily munching on a shortcake. Behind her, the punks lay groaning on the ground, stripped of their wallets.
As she ate, a blur of motion caught her eye.
Above her, Spider-Man swung past, crashing into an old warehouse. But trailing behind the Goblin was something else—a small figure swinging on silver wires.
Gali paused mid-bite.
"That gear..."
She recognized the distinct gas-powered mechanism. The girl swinging through the air was using the 3D Maneuver Gear from Attack on Titan.
'Is it a cosplayer?' Gali wondered. 'Or did Light's trash come to life?'
Intrigued, and having finished her cake, Gali decided to investigate.
The Abandoned Warehouse
CRASH!
Spider-Man smashed through the skylight, hitting the concrete floor hard. Before he could recover, a pumpkin bomb bounced next to him.
BOOM!
The explosion threw him against a brick wall like a ragdoll. Rubble rained down, burying his legs.
The Green Goblin landed, retracting his glider. He walked toward the broken hero, malice dripping from every step.
"Hahaha! Where is your strength now, Spider-Man? Where are your quips?"
The Goblin stomped on Spider-Man's chest, pinning him. He reached down and ripped the tattered mask off Peter Parker's face.
"Peter," Norman Osborn hissed, his face twisted in hate. "You treacherous insect. Harry treated you like a brother. And you... you steal his father's attention? You steal his girl?"
Peter, bleeding and concussed, looked up at the nightmarish face of his best friend's father.
"Mr. Osborn...?" Peter whispered, horrified. "You're the Goblin?"
"I am the truth!" Norman screamed. He pulled three pumpkin bombs from his satchel and armed them. The lights blinked ominously. "Goodbye, Peter Parker."
He tossed the bombs.
Peter stared at the glowing death. He couldn't move. His body was broken.
'Is this it?' Peter thought bitterly. 'Is this how a hero dies?'
He thought of Uncle Ben. He thought of One Punch Man. He wasn't Saitama. He didn't have the power to end it in one punch. He was just a kid from Queens who tried too hard.
'Damn it, Light,' Peter thought deliriously. 'You draw so slowly. I'll never see the ending of OPM. Burn a copy for me in the afterlife, will you?'
He closed his eyes, waiting for the end.
Clang!
A metallic ring echoed through the warehouse.
The pumpkin bombs didn't explode. Something had deflected them mid-air.
The Goblin's eyes widened. He dove backward, rolling away just as the bombs detonated harmlessly against a far wall.
BOOM!
The firelight illuminated a petite figure standing on a rafter.
She wore a purple wig, a black leather jacket, and a plaid skirt. A domino mask covered her eyes. In her hands, she held two razor-sharp blades connected to the bulky gear at her waist.
"Hey! You're Spider-Man!" the girl chirped, her voice young and excited. "Being a superhero looks super fun!"
Mindy Macready, aka Hit-Girl, smiled beneath her mask. She had found the gear in a dumpster, figured out how it worked (she was a weapon prodigy, after all), and decided to take it for a test drive.
Who knew Attack on Titan tech was real?
The Goblin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you supposed to be? A lost trick-or-treater?"
"I'm a superhero," Mindy announced, striking a pose. "I'm... Titan Girl! Or maybe Slash-Girl. I'm working on the name."
"Run!" Peter shouted weakly. "He's dangerous!"
"Dangerous?" The Goblin snarled. "I am a god!"
He threw a pumpkin bomb at her.
Mindy didn't flinch. She pressed the trigger on her hilt.
PSSSHHH!
Gas hissed from the tanks. The grappling hooks shot out, embedding into the concrete wall. The turbine spun, reeling her in with violent speed.
She swung sideways, dodging the explosion with the grace of an acrobat, her blades glinting in the firelight.