Outside Lansher Bank, a police cruiser screeched to a stop behind the barricades.
George Stacy stepped out of the car, his expression dark enough to rival a thundercloud.
Only an hour earlier, he had been standing at a press conference explaining the robbery from two days ago.
And now—
Another bank robbery.
In the middle of the conference.
If irony had a sense of humor, it was clearly working overtime.
Beyond the police tape, the street was packed with reporters and spectators. Camera crews crowded together while news helicopters circled above the building, broadcasting the standoff live.
George ignored the chaos behind him and turned to the officer managing the scene.
"What's the situation inside? Has the negotiation team arrived yet?"
The officer checked his notes.
"Seven suspects inside. One person already killed during an attempted resistance. There are more than twenty hostages still trapped inside."
George's jaw tightened.
"And the negotiators?"
"Still on the way."
George exhaled slowly.
"We need to establish communication immediately. Have we tried the bank's internal line?"
"Yes, sir. They said they'd call us back."
Almost on cue, the nearby phone rang.
An officer grabbed the receiver and turned toward George.
"Commissioner, they're calling from inside."
George stepped forward.
"I'll take it."
He lifted the receiver.
A calm male voice came through the line.
"Hello. Is this the police? You should probably get someone with authority to talk."
"This is Commissioner George Stacy of the NYPD," George replied evenly. "The building is completely surrounded. If you surrender peacefully, we can discuss reduced charges."
"I'm a hostage," the voice replied flatly.
George blinked.
"Oh."
"I'll open the front door so we can talk," the voice continued. "But just so you know—there are several guns pointed at my back right now. If anything suspicious happens, they'll shoot me immediately."
Inside the bank, Noah Vale stood near the entrance.
Several rifles were aimed directly at him.
His expression looked relaxed, but his body was coiled with tension. Every muscle was ready to move if necessary.
At his current level, bullets were still dangerous.
But that didn't mean he was helpless.
If things went truly wrong, he could still rely on his attribute points to recover—assuming he survived the initial hit.
"Go out there and tell them our demands," the robber leader ordered harshly.
"If you try anything stupid, you die."
Noah nodded calmly.
Inside, however, his patience was starting to wear thin.
He had half a mind to knock all of them unconscious and end the situation himself.
But with this many police, reporters, and cameras outside, that would cause far more trouble than it solved.
So instead, Noah pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Immediately, dozens of cameras turned toward him.
Reporters leaned forward eagerly, hoping to capture the identity of the first person emerging from the building.
What they saw surprised them.
Instead of a terrified hostage, a strikingly handsome young man walked calmly into the sunlight.
The reaction was immediate.
Several people instinctively gasped.
Noah's natural appearance was already striking, and his enhanced charisma only amplified that effect.
Even George Stacy was momentarily caught off guard.
Through the phone, he continued speaking with Noah.
But one detail suddenly stood out.
George frowned slightly.
"Wait… you're a student, aren't you? Isn't today Wednesday?"
Noah shrugged.
"Yeah. I skipped school."
George paused, momentarily speechless.
Noah sighed.
"Can we focus on the hostage situation instead?"
George cleared his throat.
"What are their demands?"
"They want a van," Noah said. "You provide the vehicle, they leave with the cash, and no one follows them."
"That's… something we'll have to consider," George replied cautiously.
"Sure," Noah said. "But they're giving you one hour."
"If you fail, they'll start executing hostages every five minutes."
He paused.
"And apparently I'm first."
The words were delivered in such a calm tone that several nearby reporters exchanged confused looks.
George rubbed his forehead.
"Understood. Please tell them we're willing to negotiate, but we'll need additional time. It would also help if we could communicate directly."
"Got it," Noah said. "I'll pass the message along. Whether they listen or not isn't really my problem."
He started heading back toward the bank.
George hesitated.
"One more thing," he said.
"You don't seem very scared."
Noah glanced over his shoulder.
"What's the point?"
He shrugged.
"As long as you meet their demands, I'll be fine."
With that, he walked back inside the bank.
Meanwhile, across the city, a group of students from Midtown High School toured the research facilities at Oscorp.
Under the guidance of Mr. James and several company staff members, they moved through a series of laboratories and demonstration rooms.
As the tour continued, Mr. James's phone suddenly rang.
He stepped aside and answered.
"Yes, this is Mr. James."
The voice on the other end belonged to the school principal.
"Is Noah Vale with your group?" the principal asked immediately.
Mr. James frowned.
"No. He skipped class today. Why?"
There was a short pause.
Then the principal spoke again.
"Because he's currently involved in a hostage situation at a bank."
Mr. James froze.
"What?!"
His voice rose so loudly that several students turned to look at him.
Realizing this, he quickly forced a smile.
"Everyone continue following the guide," he said. "I need to handle something."
Then he hurried away.
Among the students watching him leave was Peter Parker.
Peter frowned slightly, confused by his teacher's sudden panic.
At that exact moment, something small dropped from the ceiling above him.
A red-and-blue spider descended on a thin thread of silk.
It landed gently on the back of Peter's neck.
Then—
It bit him.
"Ah—!"
Peter slapped his neck instinctively.
When he looked at his hand, the crushed body of the spider lay in his palm.
Back inside Oscorp, Mr. James rushed to a computer terminal and opened a news site.
The front page filled the screen.
Every major media outlet carried the same headline.
The image attached to the article showed a young man in a black-and-white striped shirt standing outside a bank, surrounded by police.
Mr. James stared.
Because the face in the photo—
Was unmistakably his student.
He clicked another video.
The live broadcast showed the same scene from multiple angles, including footage from a hovering news helicopter.
Mr. James leaned back slowly.
At this point, he genuinely didn't know whether he should panic…
Or start preparing paperwork for the most bizarre school incident report in history.