Weeks have passed since Tombstone was incarcerated, a false sense of calm settling over the city. But the night is far from quiet for Kiran, as he finds himself in his Spider-Man suit facing a new menace behind Midtown High. A deafening blast rips through the air, and Kiran is sent hurtling backward, crashing through a school bus, splitting it in two.
"Is that the best you got?" he quips, springing to his feet, narrowly dodging another beam of concentrated sound. "Come on, insect! Let's do this!" the unknown assailant roars, a hulking figure with menacing gauntlets crackling with energy. "I should have gone with Gwen to homecoming," Kiran laments internally, swinging toward the man with renewed determination.
Two Weeks Before Homecoming: Gwen hesitated before knocking on the door of the modest house. "Gwen! Come back to see more of Kiran's baby pictures?" Aunt May teased, opening the door with a warm smile. "Tempting," Gwen chuckled, holding up a composition notebook, "but Kiran left his notebook in class."
"I swear, that boy has been losing things left and right! He's in the garage," Aunt May said. "Thank you," Gwen replied, letting herself inside. She knocked lightly on the garage door, but receiving no response, she opened it. There was Kiran, hunched over a workbench, engrossed in tinkering with a complex-looking device.
"Hey Kiran," Gwen said, her voice soft. Kiran's head snapped up, a surprised look on his face. "Sup, Gwen? What are you doing here?" "Why? Can't I come over now?" she teased. "No… I mean… you can… of course, you can… it's just…" Kiran stammered, a blush creeping up his neck. Gwen burst out laughing.
"I'm playing with you! You left your notebook." She handed him the book. "Oh my gosh, you're a lifesaver!" Kiran exclaimed, kissing Gwen quickly on the cheek before diving back into his work, flipping through the pages. "So, what are you working on?" Gwen asked, leaning closer. "A new gadget," Kiran explained, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"It's gonna send people flying. After beating Tombstone, there's been a lot more crime. Looks like Tombstone was keeping them in check." He finished the last delicate adjustments, then carefully slotted the tiny tube into his webshooters. "Okay, test one!" Kiran announced, aiming and firing. A massive, unwieldy web erupted, sending him crashing backward into a shelf, tools and spare parts scattering everywhere.
"Kiran! Are you okay?" Gwen cried, rushing to his side, pulling the mangled tool off of him as he sat up, rubbing his head. "Note to self: drastically decrease the feedback," Kiran muttered, grinning sheepishly. He looked up at Gwen, a soft smile playing on his lips. "What?" she asked, blushing slightly. "Nothing. I'm just glad you're here," Kiran said quietly.
As they were about to kiss, a crackle erupted from his homemade radio, reporting a building fire downtown. "That's just my luck," Kiran sighed, running to his room to grab his costume, then swinging out the window, disappearing into the night. Gwen watched him go, a mixture of admiration and worry in her eyes.
"Oh crap, I forgot to ask him. I'll do it tomorrow." Gwen sighed, then headed to the nearest bus stop. The Next Day: Gwen sat in class, her gaze fixed on Kiran, who was slumped in his seat, fast asleep, a textbook strategically covering his face. "He's been going out as Spider-Man almost every day.
This can't be good for his health, or his social and school life," Gwen thought, a worried frown creasing her brow. Later, during lunch, Gwen and Kiran were in a secured room, where she was carefully cleaning the cuts and bruises that adorned his face. "Ouch!" Kiran exclaimed.
"I didn't even touch you," Gwen retorted, a hint of playful exasperation in her voice. "I'm just preparing," Kiran said, wincing. "I've been meaning to ask. When people see your face busted up, what do you say?" Gwen questioned, her tone serious. "I'm a nerd who's been bullied since kindergarten. So people don't ask. It's Michael I'm more worried about. I don't like keeping secrets from my best friend, but…" Kiran trailed off, his expression troubled.
"But you told me," Gwen reminded him gently. "Yeah… that night I wasn't thinking about the consequences. I'm sorry, Gwen. I might have put you in danger if my enemies find out who I am," Kiran confessed, his voice low. Gwen cupped his face in her hands, her eyes filled with warmth. "I'm happy that you shared your world with me," she said softly. Kiran blushed, averting his gaze, embarrassed by her sincerity.
"We should get going, I'm starving," Kiran said, embarrassed. He awkwardly stood up, walking out of the room. Gwen giggled, watching him go. Meanwhile, in the cluttered workshop, a boy with glasses was hunched over a thick notebook, furiously scribbling. "If this works, I could get into any school. Or Stark Global Institute for Brilliant Youth (SGIBY). That would be even better!" he thought, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Suddenly, the workshop door swung open, and three football players sauntered in, their voices boisterous. "I'm thinking about asking out Liz Allen. She's got a body," the first boy declared, puffing out his chest. "Nah, definitely the new girl, May Parker. She's got a perfect face," the second boy countered, smirking. "Bro, she's completely out of your league," the third boy said, laughing derisively.
The boy in glasses, tensed, attempting to sidle past them. "Whoa, it's Herman! Hey, thanks for doing my homework, I got a perfect score," the second boy said, slapping him on the back a little too hard. Herman simply nodded, trying to escape. "Wait, where you going? We're friends here, can you spare some money for us?" the second boy said, wrapping his arm possessively around Herman's neck.
"No, I need to save up for my project," Herman stammered, his cheeks flushing. The third boy grabbed Herman's shirt, twisting the fabric in his fist. "Is this how you treat your friends?" he sneered, punching Herman squarely in the gut. Herman doubled over, dropping his notebook.
The first boy snatched it up, throwing it into the nearby sink and turning on the faucet, the pages quickly absorbing water. "Tomorrow, you better have the money," the first boy said menacingly, the three of them swaggering out of the room. "Just you wait. I'll make them all pay," Herman muttered, righting himself and grabbing his dripping notebook, his eyes burning with resentment.
Later, after school, Kiran was walking Gwen to the city bus, accompanied by Michael and May. "I'll see you tomorrow," Gwen said, hugging each of them goodbye. Then, turning to Kiran, she hesitated. "Wait, Kiran… you wanna go to homecoming with me?" "Y… yes," Kiran managed, his voice cracking with nerves.
"Smooth," Michael said, chuckling under his breath. Gwen waved goodbye as she boarded the bus. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm hitting the new skate park. Y'all wanna join?" Michael asked. "I'm in," May responded enthusiastically.
"Me t…," Kiran trailed off, his phone buzzing with a news alert – a building fire. "Sorry, I gotta go… help out my aunt with this thing. Next time, though," Kiran said quickly, already walking away. "Guess it's just us then," Michael said, shrugging as he and May headed towards the skate park.
The bus hissed to a stop, and Gwen hopped off, her fingers flying across her phone. Homecoming buzz was in the air, a constant hum in her group chat. Bump. "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed, looking up. "Herman Schultz, right?" Herman adjusted his glasses, a surprised smile on his face. "Wow, Gwen Stacy, the ace of the track team, remembers me." Gwen blushed, "I don't know about 'ace'."
"Don't be modest," Herman chuckled. "Without you, we would have lost to Brooklyn Visions. I heard their top runner was a state champion." "Please stop," Gwen said, laughing. but Herman was making her feel uncomfortable. "See you later then." Herman watched her disappear into her apartment building, a thoughtful expression on his face.
His phone buzzed, a terse message: Come home. He sighed and trudged in the opposite direction. Minutes later, he entered a small, cramped house. "Finally! Herman, where's the food?" A gruff man snatched the bag, disappearing into a back room with a couple of rough-looking friends. Herman retreated to his room, a chaotic space filled with metal parts, wires, and half-disassembled electronics.
"Finally got the part I needed," he muttered, pulling a sheet off a pair of impressive-looking tech gauntlets. "They're complete. Time for a test run." A glint of ambition sparked in his eyes. He was ready to cause chaos on this town. Kiran perched precariously on the edge of a skyscraper, his mask pulled up just enough to allow him to gasp for air. As black marks were all over his suit. "Wow… I can never understand how people can smoke. I'm dying over here." His phone buzzed. "Hey, Aunt."
"Kiran, I'm going to be home late. Don't stay out all night it's a school night." "Cough. Okay." "You alright?" His aunt sounded worried. "Yeah, just… a lot of smoke nearby. Gotta go, bye Aunt." He winced at the lie. "I wondered what Gwen is doing? Should i call her? Nah, she's probably busy with homework. Like i probably needed to be." He glanced at a notification flashing on his Daily Bulge app. $3,000 for a picture of Spider-Man!
"With that, I could help Aunt with the bills, get some parts to finish my new prototype, and for some web grenades… or I could take Gwen on an actual date." His mind raced. "Wait, first, I gotta get the picture." He sighed, pushing himself to his feet, the promise of money and the potential for a real date fueling his swing into the city.
Some time later, Kiran stood dejectedly in an alley, holding two bags of chips. "Oh, come on! I was gone for one minute!" His backpack, containing all of his homework, was gone. He sighed before walking out. Michael and May sat on a bench at the skate park, watching the skaters. "How long have you known Kiran?" May asked. "Since second grade. We were close ever since, but after starting hight school, he's been busy with something. I don't know what, though."
"Well, he's lucky to have you as a friend," May said, smiling. Across the park, four hulking football players were watching. "Hey, isn't that May?" one said. "You should go talk to her, dude. Ask her to homecoming," another urged. "I got this." The third player, emboldened by his friends, started to swagger towards them. "HEY!" a distorted, tech-enhanced voice yelled.
Everyone turned to see a man in a clunky, all-yellow tech suit and helmet. "Time for some payback!" He raised his arms, his gauntlets vibrating ominously, and unleashed a focused shockwave of sound. The football player was sent flying into a nearby snack bar, scattering food and drinks everywhere. Panic erupted. People screamed and ran, including the man in the yellow suit, who disappeared into the chaos.
Herman wrestled off his helmet, his face flushed with triumph. "I did it! I actually did it! That's the first target down. Three more to go, then I'll finally show those doubters at SGIBY what a genius I am!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. Inside her room, Gwen hunched over her laptop, battling a looming assignment. Her concentration was broken by a text notification from Kiran.
"Gwen wanna hangout tonight?" Kiran texted. "No, it's a school night. And you should be home already 😤," Gwen replied, knowing full well he was likely still on patrol, weaving through the city. "Just real quick. I promise I'll head straight home," Kiran pleaded. Gwen hesitated, then typed, "Fine, but for only 5 minutes." Suddenly, a tap echoed against her window.
Gwen looked up, her eyes widening. It was Kiran, in full costume, minus his mask, perched precariously on the fire escape. As she started to throw off her blanket, she realized with a jolt she was only in her underwear. She frantically gestured for Kiran to turn around. Kiran, his face a mask of sheepish embarrassment, obeyed, turning around while looking down.
A telltale flicker of heat rose to his cheeks. Curiosity, that ever-present temptress, began to tug at him. He subtly craned his neck, inching his gaze back towards the window, but before any sight could be seen. Another text from Gwen popped up: "No peeking pervert." Kiran snapped his head forward, the image of almost seeing Gwen burned on his mind
"Okay, you can come in," Gwen said. "Wait! Actually, Gwen, I was thinking… we could hang out on the roof?" Kiran suggested, extending his hand towards her. "Okay, but remember, five minutes," Gwen said, taking his hand. Kiran pulled her gently, firing a web-line and swinging them both smoothly onto the rooftop. Gwen's eyes widened. There, spread out on a blanket, were juice boxes and bags of chips.
"Aren't you the romantic one," Gwen said before sitting down, Kiran doing the same. "This is nice. But I seriously want you to head home," Gwen said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I will," Kiran mumbled. Gwen lifted her head, fixing him with the look. "What? I promise," Kiran said, reassuring her, but she only glared with the look. "Okay, that's enough," Gwen said, standing up.
"Wait! It hasn't even been five minutes!" Kiran protested. "After your attempt to peek, you lost minutes," Gwen said, giggling as Kiran sighed dramatically at his attempt to peek at heaven. Kiran picked her up, Swinging back down to her room. Gwen kissed him before putting his mask back on. Kiran, now flustered and momentarily lost his grip on his web before Swinging away. "Woohoo!" He yelled.
A/N. Nice try Kiran lol.