Twice in a row, the lizard man's claws swiped at nothing but air. Freshly transformed, his mind was still foggy, and frustration began piling up, rage slowly flickering to life in his reptilian eyes.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, he let out a low, guttural bellow, grabbed Nils' sedan, and hurled it right over the edge of the bridge.
"AAAHHH!" Nils screamed, sheer terror in his voice.
Even inside the car, hitting the water from this height meant certain death. He still had a bright future ahead—he didn't want it to end here.
"Oh-ho-ho~ Guess who? The Spider Express has arrived at your stop!"
A lithe figure dropped from the sky.
It was Peter!
With one graceful swing-kick, he sent the lizard man sprawling to the ground. Then he sprang to the bridge's edge, firing a webline to snag the falling sedan.
Of course, he had no idea who was inside—didn't know Nils, didn't know that half of this disaster was actually Nils' own doing.
Still, Peter would've saved him anyway. That's just who Peter Parker is.
Though… if he had known the full story, maybe he'd have rescued him and gathered evidence to haul him into court for a well-earned sentence.
Since arriving on the bridge, Peter had already saved seven cars. This sedan was number eight. Some had people trapped inside; others were empty. There wasn't time to check—more cars kept flying off the bridge, and his Spider-Sense was thrumming hard.
Something dangerous was still up here.
The culprit revealed itself soon enough—there was the lizard man.
Peter quickly anchored Nils' car by looping his webbing around the bridge supports several times, tightening it, and adding a few more strands for good measure.
Task done, he turned toward the lizard man.
The creature, still dazed from Peter's kick, seemed to regain some awareness. He glanced at Peter, then at the distant bursts of flame and smoke along the bridge. He stepped back, disbelief in his eyes—was this all his doing?
Then pain shot through his hand.
Looking down, he saw his freshly regrown left hand rapidly dissolving.
The serum's effect was wearing off.
Realizing this, he wasted no time—bolted for the bridge's edge, and dove straight into the open sea.
Peter blinked. He'd been ready to throw down with this "mini-Godzilla," and the guy just… left?
Had he been scared off by Spider-Man's overwhelming awesomeness?
Peter grinned smugly at the thought.
"Somebody help! My kid's trapped in the car!" a desperate voice called nearby.
Peter glanced back in the lizard man's direction—his Spider-Sense was fading. The creature wouldn't be coming back soon.
With that confirmed, Peter rushed toward the father's cries.
Dangling from the bridge was another sedan, one the lizard man had tossed earlier—Peter had caught it in time to leave it hanging.
He landed on the trunk, found his spot, and smashed through the rear window with a single punch, ripping it open.
"Daddy! Daddy!" A young boy in the backseat was crying in terror.
"Hey, hey, kid—calm down! You're okay!" Peter called out.
"Go away!" The boy shrank back, startled.
Well, that was partly J. Jonah Jameson's fault. This world's Jameson had been relentless in smearing Spider-Man, and to be fair, this world's Peter had acted on selfish motives more than once. The two together had made his image worse than even Shadow-Spider's.
"Might have to ask Osborn to stick Jonah in a cage… preferably with a tiger," Peter muttered under his breath.
After a brief pause, he pulled off his mask.
"Hey, look. I'm human too. Just a big brother here to help you."
The boy stopped screaming, staring at him in surprise.
Peter smiled warmly. "Not so scary now, huh?"
The boy gave a small nod. Peter's sunshine-like grin had already chased away some of the fear—it was easier to trust a friendly face than a mask.
Peter motioned to the mask in his hand. "Mind holding this for me?"
Curiosity overcame fear. The boy nodded again, taking the mask.
"Put it on, Jack," Peter said, spotting the name on the boy's backpack. "I'll get you out of here."
"Okay." The mask was far too big for him, but its snug darkness blocked out the terrifying surroundings, leaving only Spider-Man in sight.
Once the boy was calmer, Peter slipped inside, unbuckled his seatbelt, and took his hand. They began climbing out—
—and Peter's nose twitched. A sharp, acrid scent.
His Spider-Sense flared again.
"Gasoline!"
The earlier attack must have ruptured the fuel tank. If it ignited, the whole car would go up in flames.
No more time.
The tingling in his head spiked—danger was here.
Without hesitation, Peter pulled the boy into his arms and scrambled upward.
WHOOM!
Flames burst out of the car, scorching the webbing holding it. The strands snapped, and the sedan plummeted.
The boy screamed again—
—but Peter had already reached the broken rear window, vaulted outside, and fired a fresh webline. They swung into open air, hanging safely above the chaos.
"Hey, kid—you're safe now," Peter said gently.
The boy stopped crying and looked up at him.
"Mind putting my mask back on?" Peter dipped his head.
The boy lifted the mask and fit it over Peter's face. "Thank you, big brother."
"You're welcome, Jack," Peter replied. "And for the record—I'm Spider-Man."
"Thank you, Spider-Man big brother."
Peter chuckled, warmth swelling in his chest.
In either world, this was the first time someone he'd saved had thanked him.
Even if it was just a child, it mattered. It meant his efforts weren't for nothing.
This… was the mutual recognition between rescuer and rescued.
And as for which was which—well, who's to say?
—End of chapter—
Author's Note:
Enjoying the story and want to read ahead?
Join my Patreon.com/TenaciousHare and unlock 15-20+ chapters in advance, plus faster updates! ❤️🙏
Also check out my Webnovel Account Tenacious_Hare (4502713104) 🥕
Your support keeps this story alive I truly appreciate it! ❤️🔥🥕
Thank you, everyone! 🗿👍
~ Tenacious Hare 🥕❤️