Rebirth Of the Phantom Web

The night after the Harlem battle, Peter Parker sat in his small apartment, a pile of textbooks on one side and his web-shooters on the other. His mask hung from the corner of his desk lamp, a silent reminder of the double life he was barely holding together.

The city was quiet now, but Peter's mind wasn't. The fight with Abomination had rattled him more than he let on. Sure, the Avengers had shown up to clean house, but seeing Hulk—one of the strongest beings on Earth—struggle against a monster like that had planted a seed of doubt in Peter.

"Next time," he muttered to himself, "what happens if the Avengers aren't there?"

His phone buzzed, breaking his thoughts. It was a message in the Avengers group chat.

Tony Stark: Team meeting at the tower tomorrow. Debrief on Harlem. Banner's bringing cookies.

Natasha Romanoff: Banner doesn't bake.

Thor Odinson: If the cookies are subpar, I shall smite him.

Peter Parker: Can confirm cookies don't exist. Hulk ate them all.

Tony Stark: Kid, you're hilarious. Also, don't be late this time.

Peter smirked, typing a quick thumbs-up emoji before tossing his phone onto the desk. As chaotic as the Avengers could be, moments like this made him feel like he belonged.

The next day, Peter zipped into Avengers Tower with seconds to spare. The debrief room was already buzzing. Tony was standing in front of a holographic display of Harlem, gesturing animatedly, while Bruce Banner sat in the corner, sipping tea and looking tired. Natasha leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Thor inspected a plate of cookies suspiciously.

"Parker," Tony said without looking up, "you're almost late. Speedster irony, I assume?"

Peter slid into a chair, raising his hands. "Traffic was brutal. You ever try running through Midtown at rush hour?"

"Not lately," Tony said dryly. "Alright, everyone, let's talk about Harlem. Hulk did a great job smashing things, Thor brought the thunder, Natasha kept us on track, and the kid… didn't die. Solid B-plus performance all around."

"Thanks for the glowing review," Peter said, leaning back. "But can we talk about the big guy we fought? Abomination wasn't exactly your run-of-the-mill bad guy."

Bruce set his tea down, his expression darkening. "Abomination—Emil Blonsky—was part of a failed attempt to replicate the Super Soldier Serum. He was enhanced with gamma radiation, similar to how I became… the Hulk."

Peter frowned. "So he's basically Hulk 2.0 but evil?"

"Pretty much," Bruce said with a sigh. "He's been in containment for years. The fact that he was out in Harlem means someone let him loose."

"Let me guess," Natasha said, her tone sharp. "Oscorp."

The room fell silent.

Peter straightened, his mind racing. Oscorp was at the center of so much chaos in his life. Their experiments had created monsters, and now it seemed they were escalating.

Tony tapped the holographic display, pulling up files. "Oscorp's been on our radar for a while. Their CEO, Norman Osborn, has been doubling down on his 'superhuman enhancement' programs. Rumor has it they're experimenting with something new—something dangerous."

Peter's jaw tightened. "And now they're using guys like Abomination to test it?"

"Possibly," Tony said. "We don't have solid proof yet, but Oscorp's fingerprints are all over this mess. The question is, what's their endgame?"

Thor slammed his fist on the table, causing the cookies to jump. "If this Osborn is unleashing monsters upon Midgard, then we shall confront him directly!"

"Easy there, big guy," Natasha said. "We need a plan, not a declaration of war."

Bruce nodded. "Agreed. Oscorp is dangerous, but they're not stupid. If we go in without evidence, we risk exposing ourselves."

Peter clenched his fists. "Then let me find it. Oscorp's been a thorn in my side since day one. I know their tactics, their tech. I can get in and figure out what they're up to."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Kid, Oscorp's not some corner-store villain lair. They're a fortress of corporate security. You're fast, but you're not invisible."

"Actually," Peter said, leaning forward, "I can be pretty close to invisible. Speed Force lets me vibrate my molecules so I'm practically untraceable. Give me a chance, and I can get what we need."

The room was quiet as the Avengers exchanged glances. Finally, Natasha nodded. "He's got a point. If anyone can slip in undetected, it's Parker."

Tony sighed. "Fine. But you're not going in alone. Natasha, you're running overwatch. Thor, you're backup in case things go sideways."

"And if Oscorp's hiding something," Natasha added, "we'll expose them."

Peter nodded, his determination burning brighter than ever.

That night, Peter stood on a rooftop overlooking Oscorp Tower. The neon lights of the city reflected off the sleek, glass facade of the building, giving it an almost ominous glow.

"Parker, you in position?" Natasha's voice came through his earpiece.

Peter adjusted his web-shooters and grinned. "Ready and raring to go. Let's see what secrets Oscorp's hiding."

With a burst of Speed Force energy, he vanished into the night.

(End of Chapter 13)