Am I Peter Parker?

Chapter 13: Tarantula

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Peter breathed heavily as he moved nimbly across the rooftops, dodging the relentless attacks of the man known as Tarantula. Every move of his opponent was lethal, each strike charged with almost supernatural precision. The black webs and dark energy he fired were not only fast, but also seemed to disintegrate any surface they touched.

"Tarantula, huh? Let me guess," Peter said as he dodged another blast of energy. "Kingpin has a zoo theme now? What's next? A rhino? Oh wait, I think he already has one."

The taunt made no dent in Tarantula, who merely threw out another dark web. Peter leapt to the side, but this time, the attack grazed him, leaving a burning trail on his arm.

"Ow, that burns!" —Peter shouted, looking at the small hole the web had left in his suit. —"Great. Now they have not only deadly weapons, but corrosive ones as well. Perfect!"

From below, in the streets, the chaos was beginning to escalate. The noise of the fight had attracted civilians, some recording with their phones while others ran in terror. Police patrols were approaching, but Peter knew they were no match for an enemy like this.

—"This is out of control," —he thought as he tried to formulate a plan—. "I need an advantage. Something to buy me time."

The young man with his gloves launched a flurry of webs towards a nearby water tank, intentionally breaking it. The water began to flow with force, creating a waterfall that bathed the roof and adjacent walls. The sudden deluge surprised Tarantula, who stopped his attacks for a moment to assess the situation.

"I'm not a fan of public showers," Peter joked as he rocked into a new position, "but anything to cool you down, buddy."

Tarantula wasn't that easy to distract, though. He regained his composure quickly, his red eyes glowing brighter. Peter watched as the dark energy emanating from his suit seemed to repel water, creating a barrier around his body.

"Cool, it's got a built-in anti-rain system, too," Peter muttered. "I should ask him where he bought it."

Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the direction of the police station. Peter whipped his head around, his spider-sense buzzing with unbearable intensity. Something was wrong, very wrong. The hooded figure he'd left there was gone, and in his place, a plume of black smoke rose into the night sky.

"Don't tell me they let him get away," Paker lamented. "Doesn't anyone know how to deal with super-powered criminals in this city?"

Tarantula took advantage of the moment of distraction and launched himself at the vigilante with overwhelming speed. Before he could react, he caught him in one of his black webs, pinning him against a wall. Peter struggled to free himself, but the material was much sturdier than he expected.

"I'll admit you're good," Tarantula said as he slowly approached, his voice cold and calculating. "But this ends here."

Peter, still trapped, couldn't allow himself to give up. Concentrating, he used the strength of his legs to propel himself backwards, breaking part of the wall and freeing himself just as Tarantula was about to strike.

"Here? I don't think so," Peter replied as he fell towards the street, shooting webs towards nearby buildings to slow his descent. "I still have plans for the evening."

Tarantula followed, falling with disturbing agility. The two landed in a dark alley, far from the crowd, but the confrontation didn't end there. Peter knew that the tight space limited his movements, but it could also be an advantage.

"You know what? I'm tired of this game," Peter said as he took a defensive stance. "Why don't you just tell me what Kingpin is up to? I promise I'll make the cell more comfortable for you."

Tarantula didn't respond. Instead, his body began to emit an even more intense dark glow, as if he was building up energy for a final blow. Peter sensed the impending danger, but he didn't back down.

"Okay, plan B," he muttered as he fired a volley of webs directly at his enemy's face, temporarily blinding him.

With Tarantula disoriented, Peter took the opportunity to pounce on him, delivering a series of quick, accurate blows. Although some of them hit, Peter noticed that his opponent's suit absorbed much of the damage.

"This suit is a problem," he thought. "I need to find a way to neutralize it."

At that moment, he remembered something he had noticed before: every time Tarantula used his dark energy, the suit seemed to consume more strength, as if it were relying on a limited supply.

"Interesting," Peter said as he dodged another attack. "Maybe I just need to make you use up all your energy."

With a strategy in mind, Peter began to move faster, forcing Tarantula to attack him repeatedly. Each time he dodged, he threw out small webs to keep him busy, seeking to exhaust his enemy.

Eventually, Tarantula began to show signs of fatigue. His speed slowed, and the dark energy surrounding him began to fade.

"Tired already?" the brunette asked with a mocking smile. "Don't worry, there's still a lot of me left for you."

Before Tarantula could react, Peter launched a decisive attack, enveloping him in a web of reinforced webs. With the enemy immobilized, Peter breathed a sigh of relief.

"One down," he said as he called the police. "Now, let's see what the hell is going on at the police station."

The night was not over yet, and young Parker knew that this was just the beginning of something much bigger.

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