Rebirth Of the Phantom Web

The morning air was crisp, sunlight barely peeking through the towering skyline of Queens. Peter Parker sat on the ledge of his apartment building, mask rolled up as he absentmindedly chewed on the last bite of a bagel.

It had been a few days since his first meeting with Professor Xavier. The conversation had left him with a lot to think about. The X-Men, their mission, their understanding of people like him—it was all intriguing, but also a little intimidating.

Still, if anyone could help him make sense of this whole Speed Force-meets-Spider-Man thing, it was them.

So today, he was going to visit the school. No fights, no supervillains, just… a normal day with a group of people who might actually get what it was like to be different.

At least, that was the plan.

With a deep breath, Peter pulled his mask down, leapt off the building, and vanished in a streak of red and black lightning.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

The mansion was just as impressive as Peter remembered. Rolling green hills, a massive estate, and an aura of controlled chaos from the students running about.

Peter landed near the front gate, disrupting the air with a static hum as he slowed himself down. Before he could even knock, the doors swung open, revealing Jean Grey.

"Thought I'd find you here," she said, arms crossed but smiling.

Peter scratched his head. "Yeah, uh, hope I'm not barging in or anything."

"Not at all," Jean replied, stepping aside. "The professor figured you'd drop by sooner or later."

Peter wasn't sure whether to be impressed or mildly unnerved at how these people always seemed to know things.

Inside, the mansion was lively. Students walked through the halls, some levitating books, others phasing through walls. Controlled chaos.

"So," Jean said as they walked. "What brings you here?"

Peter exhaled. "Honestly? Just wanted to see what this whole 'team' thing is like. Maybe get some insight on my abilities."

Jean smiled. "You came to the right place."

Meeting the Team

It wasn't long before Peter found himself in the mansion's training facility, standing across from Scott Summers, Logan, Ororo Munroe, and Hank McCoy.

"So," Scott said, arms crossed. "You're here finally."

Peter gave a half-smirk. "What can I say? I missed you guys."

Logan scoffed. "Kid, we met once in a fight."

"Yeah, but it was so memorable."

Ororo—Storm—let out a soft chuckle. "You are an interesting one, Peter Parker."

Hank McCoy, ever the scientist, looked eager. "I must say, Peter, I'm particularly interested in examining how your Speed Force connection interacts with your spider physiology."

Peter sighed. "I knew you would say that as I am also interested I am pretty much a geek. And I am waiting for our scientific discusion"

Hank grinned.

Before Peter could say anything else, alarms blared through the mansion.

Scott immediately pressed a hand to his earpiece. "Mutant activity in the city—low threat level, but worth investigating."

Peter tilted his head. "Low threat? Sounds perfect for me."

Scott exchanged a glance with Xavier, who had just rolled into the room.

"Very well," Xavier said. "Peter, consider this your first real experience with the X-Men."

Peter grinned under his mask.

"Sweet."

Into the Shadows

New York never slept.

Perched on the edge of a rooftop, Peter scanned the streets below, his enhanced senses tingling. The X-Men had split up to investigate, but something about this part of the city felt… off.

Then, he saw it.

A group of armed men unloading crates from an unmarked van.

Peter focused in on the emblem printed on the side—a red dragon.

The Hand.

"Oh, great," Peter muttered. "Ninja drug dealers. Just what I needed."

He crouched lower, listening in as the men passed along cases of high-grade narcotics, some of which were being funneled into black SUVs.

Then, he heard a name.

"Kingpin wants this done tonight. No mistakes."

Peter's hands clenched into fists. Wilson Fisk. Of course.

He exhaled, flexing his fingers as he felt the Speed Force hum beneath his skin. His webs were useful, but tonight? Speed was going to be his greatest weapon.

"Alright, boys," Peter muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Let's dance."

With a flick of his wrist, he launched himself forward—a blur of red and black streaking across the rooftop.

The first thug didn't even see it coming.

Peter landed with a whip-crack impact, slamming his foot into the guy's chest and sending him flying into a stack of crates.

The entire scene exploded into chaos.

The Hand rushed him, swords drawn, but Peter was faster.

Ducking, weaving, he moved between them like a ghost, his reflexes three steps ahead. One ninja lunged—Peter sidestepped and webbed his arm to a van. Another swung—Peter caught the blade mid-swing and shattered it with a well-placed vibrational strike.

"Yeah, see, this is what happens when you try to do crime in my city," Peter quipped. "You get embarrassed. Badly."

Before long, the rest of the X-Men joined the fight. Jean's telekinesis sent ninjas flying, Scott's optic blasts carved through the darkness, and Storm's lightning lit up the night sky.

As the last of the Hand was subdued, Peter dusted off his suit and turned to the team.

"Well," he said. "That was fun."

Scott exhaled. "We need to talk about your definition of 'low threat.'"

Peter grinned. "C'mon, Cyclops. You gotta admit—that was awesome."

Scott didn't respond. But Peter swore he saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

Yeah. He could get used to this.

(End of chapter 15)