Chapter 17

Ed POV

I woke up a few hours ago, and right now, I'm in the workshop with Nooroo and Marlize.

Those two have gotten really close over the past few months—so much so that I even gave Marlize the Miraculous of Nooroo. It just made sense. I only ever used it once, just to test it, so there was no real reason for me to keep it.

She's working on her own project while I'm designing suits for Marco and Lorna. They're not finished yet, but I'm close.

Suddenly, my phone rings.

That's… odd. Not many people have my number.

I pull it out of my pocket and check the screen. Peter.

I answer. "Peter? Need help?"

"Yes, I do!" He sounds panicked. "I found someone who has spider powers—just like me!"

That catches me off guard. Which Spider-Person did he find? Gwen Stacy? Miles Morales?

"Okay, calm down. Who is it?" I ask.

"She's a girl from my school—her name is Cindy Moon."

...Cindy Moon?

Well, that's unexpected.

"Peter, did you feel anything strange when you were near her?" I ask.

"Yeah, my Spider-Sense went off. I think hers did too."

I expected that. From what I've seen in the movies and comics, Spider-People's senses tend to react when they first meet each other.

"Anything else?"

"No, that's all I felt."

That's a relief. At least they're not fully like their comic counterparts.

"Okay. What does she know? Does she know you're Spider-Man?"

"No… but I might have implied that I know Spider-Man," Peter admits.

I sigh. "How?"

"The whole conversation was basically me panicking. I didn't think about what I was going to say. I told her I knew people who could help her control her abilities… and that's when she guessed Spider-Man."

Classic Parker.

"Alright. We'll meet at your apartment after school. I'll be there as Arsenal, and you'll just be Peter Parker. I want to see if she actually wants to be a hero. If she does, then you can tell her your identity, and I might consider letting her join Sanctuary."

"And if she doesn't want to be a hero?"

"Then we'll still help her control her powers, but we won't reveal our identities at all."

"Got it. She's coming over after school."

"Alright. Just text me once you're inside the house."

"Okay."

I hang up, shaking my head.

I have a feeling Peter's going to keep finding more Spider-People.

Gotta love that Parker luck.

"Is everything alright?" Marlize asks.

"Yeah, just a little problem—I have to help Peter later. Spider-Person just showed up," I say.

"Really? How is that possible? I talked to him, and he said the spider that bit him died."

"It did die, but I later found out there were more spiders. Right now, there should be about five left."

"Who made these spiders? And why?"

"The one behind it was Norman Osborn. He was trying to create a super-soldier. There were seven spiders in total… and they all escaped."

Marlize raises an eyebrow. "They escaped? A competent scientist would make sure they were locked down. How the hell did they just get out?"

"I have a couple of theories. One, a magical being connected to the Web of Life saw the future and helped them escape. Two, one of Osborn's scientists tried to sell them, but things got out of control. Or… three, some dumbass just messed up."

Marlize shakes her head. "Are you going to try to find the spiders?"

"Trying to find a tiny spider in New York City? That's like finding a needle in a haystack. I wouldn't even know where to start. My best bet is to wait until they bite their victims and hope the person isn't a complete psycho."

"I suppose you're right."

"You could just use me," Nooroo suddenly speaks up.

Both Marlize and I turn to him in confusion.

Then it clicks—he can grant powers as long as they don't interfere with the other Miraculouses.

Why the hell didn't I think of that before?!

"You can give me the power to find the spiders or the people who've been bitten?"

"Exactly," Nooroo confirms.

I grin. "Nooroo, you're a genius."

"Thanks! You learn a lot when you've been alive for a few centuries," he says with a little bow.

I turn to Marlize. "I need you to transform using Nooroo's Miraculous and give me the power to track the other Spider-People."

"Okay. Didn't expect to use the Miraculous so soon… How does it work again?"

"It's simple. Say, 'Light Wings, Rise' to transform, and 'Light Wings, Fall' to change back."

"Got it. Nooroo, Light Wings, Rise!"

Instead of a bright flash, white butterflies appear out of nowhere and surround Marlize. Nooroo vanishes into the Miraculous, and after a few seconds, the transformation is complete.

And… wow.

She looks nothing like Hawk Moth.

Her suit is white, with no gloves, and large wings spread out behind her—almost angelic. A white mask with purple eyes covers her forehead and upper face, leaving her mouth exposed. But what really stands out is her hair—it's no longer black; it's now pure white. She also holds a small staff in her hand.

image here

"Wow… you look amazing. Way better than I did when I used the Miraculous."

Marlize stretches her arms, testing the suit. "I feel amazing. Like I could run a mile and not even break a sweat."

"That's the power of a Miraculous. It doesn't just grant abilities—it enhances your physical stats too."

She glances at a mirror nearby. "And I gotta say… I do look amazing. But I'm surprised my hair changed color."

"Probably a built-in disguise feature. Helps hide your identity better."

"Yeah, that makes sense… But that brings up an interesting question—what did you look like when you used Nooroo?"

I pause. Yeah, I really don't want to answer that.

I didn't look elegant like her—I looked like an armored moth ready for war.

"Not important. What is important is that you give me the power to find the spiders and the people they've bitten."

Marlize smirks. "You're dodging the question. I'll just ask Nooroo later."

"Yay… can't wait," I reply, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"So, how do I do this?"

"There should be a butterfly inside your staff. Find it."

She examines the staff, finds a compartment, and opens it. A small white butterfly flutters out and lands on her hand.

"Now, think about the power you want to give me, then cover the butterfly with your hands and pour your energy into it. Once it transforms, it'll come to me."

Before she does, I look around for something to use for the butterfly to possess, so I can gain the power. I grab one of my prototype hero masks and then put it on.

"Alright, now you can do it."

Marlize follows my instructions, and the glowing butterfly flies straight into my mask.

I feel a surge of energy as I transform. It only lasts a few seconds, but once it's done, I turn to the mirror.

And damn.

I look awesome.

My entire suit is white, with a cape and hood. It looks high-tech, sleek, and futuristic. My mask is full-faced, meaning no one could ever recognize me in this.

"Damn… I look badass."

image here

"I guess I should call myself Spider Hunter," I say.

Marlize raises an eyebrow. "Do you even need a name? You're probably not going to use this form again."

"Probably not, but everyone should have a name. Anyway, it looks like I can still use my own powers in this form, good, now let's find these spiders."

I focus on my new ability. The good news, all the spiders are still in New York. Bad news, all but one have already bitten their victims.

I need to act fast.

Looking around the workshop, I spot a small container. I grab it and immediately teleport to the location of the last unclaimed spider.

I appear inside a house—luckily, no one's home. The spider clings to the ceiling in the corner of the room. Without hesitation, I walk over, scoop it up, and place it in the jar. I twist the lid shut tightly before teleporting back to my lab.

Sitting at a table, I grab a sharp tool and poke holes in the lid.

I observe the spider carefully. So this is a radioactive spider… I expected it to be bigger, maybe even glowing, but instead, it looks like an ordinary spider, just with an unusual color pattern.

"Well, looks can be deceiving. I'll run some tests on it later, but for now, I need to track down the other Spider-People."

I teleport high above New York, floating above the clouds. The weather works in my favor—it's a cloudy day, and my white suit blends perfectly.

I focus on my ability, searching for the other Spider-People.

Got them.

There are four left, all spread across New York.

The closest one… is at a police station.

I already have a good idea of who that is.

I fly toward the location, reaching it in about 1 minute. After hovering for a while, I finally spot her stepping out of the building—Gwen Stacy.

And surprisingly, this Gwen doesn't look like Emma Stone. Instead, she looks like Grace Van Dien.

I wait for her to be alone, still hidden above the clouds. She's most likely heading home after visiting her father at the station. Watching her walk, I estimate that she's probably a year older than Peter.

Once she reaches her house, I take my chance.

I teleport into her backyard instead of floating down—less risk of being seen. Peering through the small window on the back door, I teleport inside.

I can hear her upstairs. Moving silently, I make my way toward her room.

Her door is slightly open. I glance inside.

she's lying on her bed, not facing the door, wearing headphones, absorbed in a book. The music is loud—she doesn't even notice me.

Man, I feel like a creep doing this… but I already know she's going to scream her lungs out.

I walk up behind her and gently pull off her headphones.

"Mom, I didn't think you'd be home so ear—"

She turns, sees me, and freezes.

Before she can scream, I quickly say, "Please don't scream—I can explain everything."

She doesn't scream.

Instead, she immediately jumps up onto her bed and swings a punch.

I dodge easily, I back up while dodging, and she keeps trying to hit me while moving toward me.

She keeps throwing punches and kicks—I can tell she's trained in boxing, maybe some karate, but that's about it.

I finally catch one of her punches with ease.

She looks shocked—she's probably never met anyone who could match her new enhanced strength.

"Please, I don't want to fight. I just want to talk," I say.

She takes a deep breath.

"Fine. You have one minute. If I don't like what I hear, I'll scream, and all my neighbors will hear me."

"That's fair," I say.

"First, I already know you have spider-like powers, just like Spider-Man. You got them after being bitten by a spider, right?"

"Yes…" she answers hesitantly.

"That spider wasn't normal—it was genetically engineered as part of a super-soldier project. And you're not the only one who got bitten."

Her posture tenses. "What do you mean?"

"I mean right now, I'm tracking down the other people who were bitten. I want to talk to all of you at once—about your future."

"My future? What does that mean?"

"I want to know if you want to be a hero or not."

"What?"

"I'm part of a superhero team. Our mission is to protect the world. We're called The Vanguard Initiative."

"First, I've never heard of you. Second… that's your team name?"

I ignore the second comment.

"As of now, we're still low-key, but you must have heard of some of our members—All Might, Starlight, A-Train, Silent, Green Ghost… and Arsenal."

Her eyes widen.

"Arsenal is on your team?!" she says excitedly.

Ah. I see. Favorite hero confirmed.

"Yes, he's actually the leader of the group."

"No way! That's amazing!" she shouts.

"Okay, calm down," I say.

She takes a breath, still clearly excited.

"Look, I still need to talk to the others, and I'd rather do it all at once. I can teleport you somewhere safe while I gather the rest. Are you willing to go with me? If not, I understand."

She stays silent, thinking it over.

"Okay… I'll go. But I can't take too long—my mom will be home from work in a couple of hours."

"I promise this won't take long."

I place a hand on her shoulder and teleport us to an abandoned warehouse—well, semi-abandoned.

The place isn't empty—it's stocked with high-tech gear and furniture. One of the backup bases I made for members I don't fully trust on my island.

There are three of these in New York and five in Gotham. I'm currently building one in Central City as well.

"Wait here while I gather the others," I say.

"Alright," she nods.

I teleport away, floating over New York once again.

Then—

I immediately teleport back to the warehouse.

"Don't touch anything."

"Okay?" she says, a bit surprised.

I nod and teleport away once more.

Time to find the next Spider-Person.

I focused my ability once again, searching for the closest target. It didn't take long before I found myself in El Barrio—essentially the Mexican part of Harlem.

Okay, I know who this is going to be. One of my favorite Spider-Men.

I honed in on his location and saw that he was in an alleyway. Flying over, I spotted him spray-painting a mural on the wall. This version of Miles looked a lot like Miles Brown.

image here

I teleported down behind him, landing silently. He hadn't noticed me yet.

"I gotta say, this is really impressive," I said.

His artwork was nice—vibrant and full of energy.

Miles quickly turned around, startled. His eyes widened in fear as he dropped his spray cans and raised his hands.

"Hey, man, I don't want any trouble. This isn't a serious crime," he said cautiously.

I frowned in confusion. Why was he so scared? I guess it made sense—I had just appeared out of nowhere without making a sound, and I was wearing a fully white suit. With his heightened senses, nobody should've been able to sneak up on him.

Then it hit me.

I glanced down at my suit. A fully white outfit. In a Black and Mexican neighborhood. Alone in an alleyway with a mixed kid.

"Oh, God. Please tell me you don't think I'm part of that group."

"If by 'that group,' you mean the KKK—then yeah," Miles said bluntly.

I quickly waved my hands in front of me. "I'm not!"

Miles gave me a look. "Dude, you're in a fully white suit, wearing a white mask, in the hood. What do you think I'm gonna assume?"

"Okay, first off, come on—my suit looks nothing like those assholes. Second, it's not even pure white! It's got some gray in it, and it's high-tech."

"Yeah, you got a point there. But then again, you appeared in an alleyway, behind a teenager, without warning—so, you know, not exactly giving me safe vibes."

I sighed and rubbed the back of my head. "Okay, that's fair. But wait, we're getting off track. I'm here to talk about your powers."

That made him freeze. His expression shifted from wary to outright alarmed.

Before I could say another word, he vanished. Not physically—he had activated his camouflage and started running.

I teleported in front of him before he could exit the alley.

"Wait! I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

He took a step back, clearly surprised. "How did you see me when I was invisible?"

"First, you weren't really invisible—it's more like camouflage. Second, I have heightened senses. That's how I tracked you. Now, please, just listen to what I have to say for a minute. If you don't like it, you can walk away."

He hesitated before nodding. "Okay, you got a minute. By the way, my dad's a cop. If I go missing, he will find you."

"Good to know," I said dryly. "Anyway, I know you have Spider-powers like Spider-Man, but it looks like you're… upgraded."

"Yeah, I can climb walls, I'm super strong, but I can't control my invisibility yet—it only happens when I'm scared. And I can't shoot webs out of my hands either."

"The web-shooting isn't really a power, but we'll talk about that later. The point is, you're not the only one with these abilities. I'm gathering all of you in one place to talk about your futures—whether you want to be heroes or not."

Miles crossed his arms. "And what if I don't want to be a hero? What then?"

"Then I can offer you training. You're going to need it if you want to control your powers. I can explain more if you decide to come with me."

He was silent for a few seconds, studying me.

"Alright, I'll go with you. But if anything shady happens, I'm kicking your ass."

"That's fair."

I grabbed him and teleported us to the warehouse.

As soon as we arrived, I gestured toward the couch. "Miles, meet Gwen Stacy. She's just like you."

Gwen smiled. "Hi, nice to meet you."

Miles, still a little overwhelmed, rubbed the back of his neck. "Nice to meet you, too."

I could already see it—he had a little crush on her.

"I'll be right back. I need to gather the others. Don't touch anything."

I teleported back to my base. By now, Peter should be out of school. As for Gwen and Miles… well, they were skipping.

I appeared in the workshop, where Marlize was still in her hero outfit, working on a project. She looked up as I arrived.

"Oh, you're back. I thought it'd take you longer."

"Still gathering them, but I came back to check something."

I called out, "Church, did Peter text me at all?"

Church, responded. "Yes, he texted you a minute ago. He's at his apartment with Cindy."

"Okay, tell him I'm on my way. The plan has changed—I won't be Arsenal. I'll be in a new suit, and I'm taking him to one of our throwaway bases."

"Understood. Message sent."

"Thanks, Church."

I teleported to Peter's apartment, appearing in his living room. Cindy screamed.

"It's okay! He's a friend," Peter reassured her.

Cindy eyed me warily. "Like, another one of Spider-Man's friends?"

"Something like that. I'm here to take you both to a secret base—with others like you."

Cindy's eyes widened. "Wait… others like me? With Spider-powers?"

"Exactly. I want to talk to all of you."

"About what?"

"About whether you want to be heroes or not—and about training."

Cindy's expression lit up. "Wait, you think I can be a hero?"

"Yes. But I'll explain everything once I gather the rest."

She turned to Peter. "Can he come too?"

"Yes. I think he should." I smirked. "After all, he is a 'friend of Spider-Man.'"

Peter looked away, embarrassed.

I grabbed them both and teleported to the warehouse. Gwen and Miles were already chatting, clearly getting along.

"Good to see you guys making friends already. Cindy, Peter—meet Miles and Gwen. Cindy is like you guys, but Peter is a… 'friend of Spider-Man.'"

"Cool! You know Spider-Man?" they both said.

Peter hesitated. "Yeah, uh… kind of?"

I clapped a hand on his back. "Don't be so modest, Peter! He's Spider-Man's best friend—they've known each other for years."

Peter shot me a look of pure betrayal. I ignored him.

The others, meanwhile, looked amazed. I could already tell Peter was about to be bombarded with questions.

"Well, I gotta go. Two more to find. See you soon."

I teleported high above New York once again. You might think what I did earlier was messed up, but come on, you have to admit it was a little funny.

Focusing my power, I searched for the last two Spider-People. Looks like they're close to each other—same building even. That's convenient, but also tricky. Unlike the others, they weren't alone. The rest had been in places where I could approach them easily, but now I had to enter an apartment complex filled with people. A lot of eyes could be on me. I sighed. This would've been so much easier if I could turn invisible.

Then an idea popped into my head. I might not have invisibility, but I know someone who does.

I teleported back to base but didn't appear in the workshop. Instead, I arrived in another room.

"Church, is Green Ghost in Central City right now?" I asked.

"Yes. She just finished taking down two metahumans," Church responded.

"Good. Tell her I need her. Open the Ground Bridge to her."

"It'll take a few minutes for her to get here."

"That's fine. I'll wait."

I sat down, thinking about what I was going to do with these Spider-People. I wanted them to be part of the Vanguard Initiative, but they were underage. Vanguard wasn't just about saving people—we were hunting Hydra and preparing for war. A real war. It wouldn't be smart to associate these kids with us just yet. People couldn't link me and the Spiders together.

Maybe the best move was to form a separate team for them. They could handle the friendly neighborhood stuff while we focused on the bigger threats, they all live in New York, so wouldn't make sense to pull them out of the city, I should probably take Starlight out of New York a lot of heroes there already.

I smirked. Maybe I could send her to Gotham at night. Give Batman some backup. And gets him a little paranoid, probably not a good idea to do that, but it will be kind of funny especially when we cure Clayface.

A few minutes later, Green Ghost arrived.

"Hey, Ed? Is that you?" she asked, looking at my suit in confusion.

"Yeah, it's a long story. But I need your help getting into a building unseen so I can talk to two people."

She shrugged. "Okay."

I got up, grabbed her arm, and teleported us above the building where my targets were. She turned us invisible, and I whispered where we needed to go. We phased through the walls and entered an apartment. It was mostly empty, except for the girl I was looking for.

She was sitting on the couch, watching TV. Looked like Isabela Merced. If that was the case, this had to be Anya Corazon.

image here

I whispered to Green Ghost to make us visible again. As soon as we reappeared, I spoke.

"Hey, please don't scream."

Anya's eyes widened in fear, but when she saw Green Ghost, her expression shifted to cautious curiosity. She stood up slowly.

"You're Green Ghost," she said.

"I am. What's your name?" Green Ghost asked.

"Anya Corazon."

"Nice to meet you, Anya. My friend here wanted to talk to you about something."

Anya turned to me. "Okay… What do you want?"

"I'm here to talk about your powers."

Her expression turned to shock. "How do you know I have powers?"

"It's complicated. What I can tell you is that I know you got them from a spider, and you have abilities similar to Spider-Man. And you're not the only one. I've been gathering others like you, bringing them together to talk about your futures—whether you want to be heroes or not. If you don't, that's fine. But I'd still offer you training."

"There are others like me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded. "Yes. In fact, there's another person like you in this very building."

Her eyes widened even further. "No way."

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Just come with us, and I'll explain everything."

She hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Okay. I'll go."

"Thanks. Now, we just need to make one more stop."

Green Ghost grabbed both of us and turned us invisible again. We phased through the ceiling, moving up two floors to another apartment. Unlike before, this one was occupied. A whole family—mom, dad, and two little boys—was sitting in the living room, watching TV.

We stayed silent, phasing through a wall to reach a bedroom. Inside, a blonde girl was lying on her bed, reading a book. She looked like Sydney Sweeney.

image here

This was the tricky part. If she screamed, she'd alert the whole family. I had an idea, but it was a risky one.

I whispered to Green Ghost. "Float over to her."

Once we were close enough, I reached out, touched her shoulder—

And teleported.

We landed in the warehouse.

The girl blinked in confusion, then screamed.

Yeah, I expected that.

Everyone in the room jumped at the sudden outburst, the other Spider-People looking over from the couch.

"Okay, I expected that," I said quickly, holding up my hands. "Please stop screaming. I can explain everything."

She stared at me, then at Green Ghost. Her breathing slowed slightly. Having a recognizable hero with me definitely helped.

She stood up. "What the hell is going on? Why did you bring me here?"

I sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. Technically, this was kinda-sorta a kidnapping. But we had to do it this way—if we just appeared in your room, you'd probably scream and alert your family. We didn't want that. I just wanted to talk to you about your powers."

Her eyes flicked around the room, and I saw it happen.

The realization.

Like a chain reaction, her eyes widened just like everyone else's.

Their Spider-Senses were going off.

Even Peter's. Though he was trying way too hard to play it cool, to keep his identity hidden from Cindy.

I should've thought about that.

Why was it happening now? It should've gone off when they first met, right? But it didn't until they were all in one place.

Two possibilities

Anansi, the Spider God, had something to do with this, or Madam Web did something to delay their Spider-Senses.

Either way, it was weird.

The girl finally spoke. "All of you… you're like me?"

I nodded. "Yeah. What's your name?"

She hesitated, then said, "Julia Cornwall."

"Nice to meet you, Julia. Like I said, I want to talk to all of you about your powers. And your futures."