The next morning, the sun shone brightly over Midtown High. The campus was filled with its usual youthful clamor—students rushing through hallways, debating last night's game, or worrying about upcoming exams.
No one noticed the shadow of a colossal crisis creeping over them.
BOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion tore through the air above the school. The Green Goblin descended from the sky on his glider, his pumpkin bombs carving two massive craters into the athletic field.
Before the students could even register what was happening, he streaked toward the main building with a manic shriek.
"Peter Parker! Come out, come out, dear boy! Where are you?"
Simultaneously, a beastly roar erupted from the restrooms. Dr. Connors, having spent a night in the sewers, burst forth as the Lizard. The two villains began a rampage, cornering terrified students and snarling the same question: "Where is Peter Parker?"
In the chemistry lab, Peter watched the Goblin soar past the window. His brain experienced a momentary short circuit.
What is that? A bird? A cloud? No, that's the freaking Green Goblin!
He had seen a lot in his life (or lives), but this? This was new. Wait a minute! The plan was to deal with the Lizard. Where did the Goblin come from? It was a harsh lesson for Peter: from this day forward, he would never trust a "villain timeline" again.
"Peter! You have to run!"
Felicia, who had been in gym class, sprinted up to the window, breathless. "There's a freak outside looking to kidnap you!"
"Damn it!" At the same moment, Gwen realized the severity of the situation. Looking at the "dazed and confused" Peter and the panicked students, she made a snap decision. "Peter! Follow me! It's too dangerous here!"
"No!" Peter pulled his hand back, his face solemn. "You heard him—that guy is after me. If I stay here, the rest of you will be safer. Gwen, go! Call the police. As long as they get here fast, I'll be fine."
Gwen hesitated, but she realized he was right. "Hide well!" she urged before bolting out of the lab. She needed to change into her suit immediately; it was the only way to save him.
Less than a minute after she left, the Goblin smashed through the lab wall. "Aha! Found you, my boy!"
Peter didn't hesitate. He snatched a beaker filled with volatile chemicals and hurled it. CRASH! The beaker shattered against the wall next to the Goblin. The sudden chemical reaction caused a sharp explosion that nearly knocked the villain off his glider.
"Impressive chemistry grades, I see~" the Goblin taunted, clearly unfazed by the "little trick."
But just as he prepared to seize Peter, a black-and-white figure swung in. Ghost-Spider slammed her feet into the Goblin's back, sending him tumbling off his glider. She landed in front of Peter. "Leave this to me! Run!"
Her "cool hero" moment lasted exactly three seconds. A thick, scaly tail smashed through the opposite wall, catching her off guard and sending her tumbling across the room. The Lizard roared as he stepped into the lab.
The Goblin hopped back onto his glider, cackling. "Pest! Your time is up!"
Hiss—! Gwen winced, feeling the claw wounds from the night before start to seep blood. But she couldn't stop. To give Peter a chance to escape, she fired a web at a heavy metal cabinet.
Grabbing the line with both hands, she swung the cabinet like a morning star, slamming it into both villains and knocking them back.
"Friendly tip: pests and spiders are two different species~"
"Tch. I hope your moves are as sharp as your tongue!" The Goblin sneered, launching a volley of razor-bats.
Gwen dodged with her Spider-Sense, but before she could catch her breath, the Lizard lunged. The "evil" two-on-one assault began to overwhelm her, sending the injured girl spinning like a top.
While the villains were occupied with Ghost-Spider, Peter took advantage of the distraction. Instead of running downstairs, he calmly ducked into a nearby men's room.
The moment the door closed, his "panic" vanished, replaced by a cold, detached focus.
"The process was unexpected, but the outcome is still within my grasp. Time to put things back on track."
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Outside, Gwen was struggling. Between her existing injuries and her status as a rookie, she was being battered by the villains' relentless offense.
Her slight frame was knocked down repeatedly, scorched by pumpkin bomb embers, and bruised by the Lizard's raw power. Her resolve began to flicker. This is too much... I can't handle both of them!
Just as despair began to set in, a sudden, inexplicable chill ran down the spines of both the Lizard and the Goblin.
A calm, steady voice echoed through the hallway: "Rookie. It looks like you need a hand."
To Gwen, that voice was like heavenly music. She turned to see the familiar black-and-red tactical suit. The Arbiter had arrived.
"Where did this one come from?" The Goblin, who didn't follow street-level news, glanced at the Lizard. But the Lizard was beyond speech; he simply let out a primal roar and charged at Peter.
Peter didn't move. He simply looked at Gwen and smiled behind his mask. "Rookie, I'll leave the clown to you for a moment. Give me one minute. After sixty seconds, I'll come support you."
Gwen, the Goblin, and the Lizard all stared at him as if he were insane. A one-minute timer? Against a three-meter-tall monster that could tear down a building?
ROAR!
Incensed by being belittled, the Lizard raised his claws to shred the "tiny human." But in the next second, something happened that defied belief.
One hand.
The Arbiter, using only his right hand, caught the Lizard's massive claw mid-air. Then...
BOOM!
In one fluid motion—a perfect over-the-shoulder throw—he slammed the massive beast into the floor with earth-shattering force!
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.