Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

New York — Fisk Tower — Evening

Night had now fallen over New York. At the top of Fisk Tower, an almost oppressive silence filled the various offices of the building. Only one room was an exception: Wilson Fisk’s enormous office. Inside, several figures were still present. Silver Sable, Hammerhead, Tombstone... and Wilson Fisk himself.

Comfortably seated in his massive chair, the Kingpin dominated the room with his imposing stature. Behind him, like two sentinels standing watch over their leader, Tombstone and Hammerhead remained perfectly still, attentive to the slightest movement.

— ”So, now that the mission is complete... what are you planning to do?”

Already certain of her answer, Silver Sable calmly straightened up before replying with the professionalism that defined her.

— ”Considering the amount you paid me... I’m going to take a break from my activities. But if you ever need my services again, you know how to reach me.”

Wilson Fisk gave a faint smile, clearly pleased with her answer.

— ”Of course.”

— ”My team is waiting for me at your private airport. I’ll be taking my leave.”

Before leaving the room, she gave a simple nod to Hammerhead and Tombstone, then turned away from the group.

— ”Until next time... Fisk.”

But just as she had barely taken a few steps toward the exit, a voice suddenly rose from the darkness.

— ”There won’t be a next time. Not for any of you.”

In an instant, the entire room froze.

— ”What?”

— ”Who’s there?!”

A strange tension immediately settled over the room. They all felt a subtle pressure wash over them as their eyes swept across every corner of the office. They could hear the voice perfectly... but none of them could identify its owner.

Wilson Fisk slowly rose from his chair while Tombstone and Hammerhead instinctively stepped forward, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of danger.

— ”Whoever you are... show yourself.”

A deep silence settled over the office. For several long seconds, no one uttered a single word, and no movement disturbed the oppressive stillness.

Then, in a movement of almost unreal fluidity, a figure slowly descended from the ceiling before landing perfectly on the floor without making the slightest sound.

He stood about ten meters away from the group of criminals, close enough for each of them to clearly make out his face... or rather, his mask.

Spider-Man was still alive.

At the mere sight of him, their eyes widened in shock. Some of them were even completely frozen in disbelief.

— ”You’re not dead?! But how?!”

— ”Spiders always come back. Don’t forget that. Well... even if it won’t be for much longer.”

At those words, the criminals exchanged several puzzled glances, unable to truly understand what Spider-Man meant.

— ”What do you mean by that?”

— ”What do I mean? I mean that every single one of you standing here...”

As he spoke, his gaze slowly drifted over each of the criminals present. It settled first on Silver Sable, then on Hammerhead, before lingering for a few moments on Wilson Fisk.

Finally, it ended on Tombstone, whom he stared at with a very different intensity. Without even needing to say it, everyone understood that these final words were aimed above all at him.

— ”You’re going to die.”

A heavy silence fell over the office once again. For several long seconds, no one reacted. Some continued staring at Spider-Man, trying to determine whether he was actually serious, while others, like Wilson Fisk, seemed genuinely stunned.

The Kingpin kept his eyes wide open, incapable of uttering a single word, as though his mind still refused to believe what he had just heard.

Then, without the slightest warning, his face suddenly twisted before he burst into booming laughter that echoed throughout the room. Beside him, Tombstone and Hammerhead also let faint amused smiles appear, while Silver Sable simply watched the scene in silence.

Only after several long seconds did Wilson Fisk’s laughter gradually fade away.

— ”Don’t you think you should take care of your family first before coming here to threaten us? I wonder how you’ll react when you—”

— ”I’ve already killed your mercenary.”

In a calm, icy voice, Spider-Man cut Wilson Fisk off before he could finish his sentence. At those words, a deep silence fell over the office. Everyone looked puzzled, but no one seemed as shaken as Silver Sable.

— ”What?!”

— ”You’re bluffing.”

Behind his mask, a faint smile appeared on Peter’s face. Watching them convince themselves he was lying when he was actually telling the truth was strangely ironic... and, in a way, amusing.

— ”You think so?”

At that moment, Silver Sable felt doubt begin to creep into her mind. She found it hard to believe that Spider-Man had truly eliminated one of her mercenaries. And yet, one detail continued to bother her: she still hadn’t received any news from her teammate.

It made no sense. It was only a simple house occupied by a woman and a young girl. The mission should have been over long ago. So why the silence?

— ”I was told this guy never kills anyone... so what the hell is this?”

As those thoughts crossed her mind, her expression hardened.

— ”Alright... I’ll admit you’re different from the last times we fought. That’s true. But there’s one thing I have a hard time believing: You? Kill us?”

Tombstone couldn’t help letting out a quiet laugh. He had known Spider-Man since the very beginning, and to him, the mere idea of hearing him talk about killing someone was almost absurd. Despite all his powers, Peter Parker was still, in his eyes, just a kid incapable of crossing that line.

While Tombstone laughed openly and Hammerhead silently seemed to share his amusement, Wilson Fisk and Silver Sable continued watching Spider-Man without taking their eyes off him. The young hero then let out a faint laugh of his own before his expression quickly turned serious again.

— ”Well... there’s a first time for everything.”

Then his face immediately regained all its seriousness.

— ”Whether you’re a small-time criminal or a major one, I’ve always held back my punches. Again... and again... and again. But this time... I’ll fight with only one intention: to finish what I start. Permanently.”

This time, no one laughed anymore. They might have mocked his intention to kill them, but the idea that he had held back during every one of their previous confrontations was far more difficult to ignore.

None of them wanted to believe it, and yet... if it were true, it would explain a great many things. Worse still, it would mean they had already struggled immensely against him even though he hadn’t been fighting at full strength.

The moment he finished speaking, Spider-Man slowly assumed a fighting stance without ever taking his eyes off his enemies. Watching him, Silver Sable discreetly clenched her fists.

She had hoped to leave and enjoy the payment Fisk had just given her, but it was now obvious that this confrontation had become inevitable.

— ”...I’m not feeling this.”

Wilson Fisk let out a deep sigh.

— ”Let’s stop this nonsense.”

Clearly tired of the entire situation, the Kingpin finally spoke in an annoyed tone before slightly turning his head toward his two right-hand men.

— ”Hammerhead, Tombstone... kill him. And this time, for real.”

TO BE CONTINUED.