Rebirth Of the Phantom Web

The city was quiet beneath the moonlight, the occasional sound of traffic or a barking dog breaking the silence. From his perch on a rooftop, Peter—masked and suited up as Spider-Man—watched the streets below. His patrols had become less frantic over the last few weeks. Crime never slept, but he had made a noticeable impact. The same couldn't be said about the chaos brewing in his personal life.

He sighed and leaned back against the brick ledge. FortBlox and CraftWorld were becoming household names among gamers. Streamers and influencers were showing off their creations and battles, and downloads were skyrocketing every day. The success should've been exhilarating, but instead, Peter felt the pressure mounting. Between school, Spider-Man, and the games, it was only a matter of time before something slipped.

An Unexpected Visitor

The next morning, Peter barely made it to school on time, his exhaustion clear to anyone who cared to look. He slumped into his seat in chemistry class, letting out a long sigh. Gwen, sitting next to him, raised an eyebrow.

"Late night, Parker?" she asked, scribbling something in her notebook.

"You have no idea," he muttered, stifling a yawn.

Gwen smirked. "I'm starting to think you've got a double life. Are you secretly a superhero or something?"

Peter tensed, the comment hitting far too close to home. He forced a laugh, trying to play it off. "Yeah, sure. That's it. I'm out saving the world every night."

"Uh-huh," Gwen said, giving him a skeptical look. "You've been acting weird for weeks. If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me."

Peter appreciated her concern, but there was no way he could explain everything to her—not yet, at least.

After school, Peter returned home to find MJ sitting on the steps of his porch. She waved as he approached, her ever-present smirk firmly in place.

"What's up, Watson?" Peter asked, dropping his backpack by the door.

"Just thought I'd swing by and see how my favorite neighbor's doing," MJ said, standing and stretching. "You've been hard to track down lately."

"Busy," Peter said simply, unlocking the door. "Come on in."

Inside, MJ looked around, her eyes lingering on the newly renovated interior. "The place looks amazing. Did you win the lottery or something?"

"Something like that," Peter said, grabbing a couple of sodas from the fridge. He handed one to MJ and sat down at the kitchen table. "What about you? How's the drama club?"

MJ rolled her eyes. "It's fine. Aunt Anna's thrilled, so I'm sticking with it. But let's not talk about me. You're the one with secrets."

Peter stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Parker," MJ said, leaning forward. "You've been dodging questions, disappearing at random times, and now your house looks like it belongs in a magazine. What gives?"

Peter hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn't tell her the whole truth, but maybe he could give her a glimpse. "I've been working on something," he said carefully. "A project. It's… kind of a big deal."

MJ's eyes lit up. "Oh? Do tell."

Peter pulled out his laptop, loading up CraftWorld and FortBlox. He handed the laptop to MJ, letting her explore the games. Her jaw dropped as she clicked through the menus and watched gameplay videos.

"Wait, you made these?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "Peter, these are huge! Everyone's talking about them."

"Yeah," Peter said, scratching the back of his neck. "It started as a hobby, but it kind of blew up. And now… well, here we are."

MJ looked at him, her expression a mix of awe and disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? This is incredible."

Peter shrugged. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

MJ laughed. "Not a big deal? Parker, you're sitting on a goldmine."

Money and May

Later that evening, Peter sat with Aunt May at the dining room table, going over the latest set of bills. Most of them were already paid off, but there were still a few lingering expenses—things he hadn't gotten to yet.

"Peter," Aunt May said, her voice soft. "You've done so much already. I don't know how you managed it, but I'm so proud of you."

Peter smiled, but the guilt gnawed at him. "You don't have to work anymore, Aunt May. I mean it. I've got everything under control."

She hesitated, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "But Peter, I don't want you to feel like you have to carry all this by yourself. You're still so young."

Peter shook his head. "I can handle it. You've done enough for me. It's time I took care of you."

Aunt May reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "You've got a good heart, Peter. Just promise me you won't lose sight of what's important."

"I promise," Artur said, his voice steady.

A Growing Storm

Despite the progress Pete had made, the weight of his responsibilities was starting to take its toll. Managing the success of his games was a full-time job in itself, and balancing that with school and his duties as Spider-Man was pushing him to his limits.

One night, as he swung through the city, he found himself distracted, his mind racing with thoughts of updates, deadlines, and player feedback. He didn't notice the armed robbery in progress below until his spider-sense flared, jolting him back to reality.

He dropped down into the alley, quickly dispatching the robbers with a series of well-placed webs and punches. But as he stood over the unconscious men, his chest heaving, he realized just how close he had come to missing it.

"This is getting out of hand," he muttered, leaning against the wall. "I can't keep splitting myself in three directions."

A New Plan

Back at home, Artur sat at his desk, staring at his laptop. If he was going to keep everything under control, he needed help. He couldn't do it all on his own—not anymore.

He started drafting a plan, outlining ways to scale his game development without sacrificing quality. He thought about hiring a small team, people who could help him manage updates and expansions. But then he thought.I am Peter Parker I am a literary a genius.

As he worked, he glanced at the photo on his desk—a picture of Uncle Ben and Aunt May, smiling together. With great power comes great responsibility. The words echoed in his mind, a reminder of the path he had chosen.

Artur took a deep breath, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Alright," he said to himself. "Let's do this."

(End of Chapter 7)