Am I Peter Parker?

Chapter 9: Man... Part 2

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The ice was spreading rapidly across the street, covering the buildings, the sidewalks, and anything in its path. Peter Parker, still dressed in his makeshift Bag Man suit, felt the biting chill in the air as he swung between the buildings. He knew he was in a delicate situation; the chill emanating from the hooded stranger was unnatural. It was dangerous and lethal.

The stranger continued to watch from the center of the street, his hands still glowing with the icy glow. Peter watched him intently, calculating his next move. He knew that a single mistake could be fatal.

"You have no idea what's coming, Bag Man," the hooded man said, his voice echoing with an eerie calm. "The Kingpin has been gathering allies with powers beyond what you can imagine. People like you… and me."

Peter felt a chill run down his spine, but not from the cold. The threat in the hooded man's voice was real, and what he said about Kingpin was even more disturbing. If Kingpin was working with people with such powerful abilities, that meant the city was in far more danger than he had imagined.

"What did Kingpin do to you? Why do you follow him?" Peter asked, trying to buy time as he analyzed his surroundings.

The hooded man laughed, but there was no joy in his laughter. It was an empty laugh, devoid of any human emotion.

"He gave me purpose, something you would never understand. Weaklings like you always try to resist, but in the end, everyone falls under his control. And you will be no exception."

Peter clenched his fists. He knew he couldn't let this guy distract him. He needed a strategy. His spider-sense was still pulsing, telling him that danger was closer than it seemed.

The hooded man raised both hands again, and ice began to swirl around him, creating razor-sharp figures that floated in the air. Peter knew what was coming.

"You don't have to do this!" Peter shouted, leaping from building to building to avoid the ice blades that were hurtling towards him with deadly speed. "You can choose. There is always another choice."

"Choosing is an illusion," the hooded man replied, his voice cold and distant. "The only reality is power. And now, I will prove it to you."

With a sudden movement, the ice blades launched themselves towards Peter like an uncontrollable storm. The young hero dodged them with agility, but the cutting cold grazed his skin, even through his suit.

Peter Parker knew he couldn't dodge these attacks for long. He needed to find a way to neutralize the enemy, but with the ground completely covered in ice, his options were limited. As he calculated his moves, an idea crossed his mind.

"There is only one way to stop this," Peter thought.

With one last leap, he landed on a lamppost a safe distance away from the hooded man. The enemy watched him with cold, empty eyes, as if he knew Peter was at his wits' end.

"You said the Kingpin gave you a purpose," Peter said, trying to keep the conversation going as he prepared for his next move. "What kind of purpose is that? Killing innocent people? Freezing the city to fulfill a criminal's wishes?"

The hooded man paused, as if he was considering Peter's words, but his expression didn't change.

"You don't understand anything, Bag Man. The true purpose is to survive. And in the new order that is coming, only the strong will survive."

Peter frowned. He knew there was no way to reason with someone who was so caught in the Kingpin's web. The only option was to fight.

With a swift movement, Peter shot a web towards one of the larger ice structures the hooded man had created. Using all his strength, he pulled on it, causing the structure to collapse on its creator.

The hooded man raised his hands to defend himself, but the weight of the ice fell on him with impressive force, temporarily burying him under his own creation.

—"It's not enough!" —Peter shouted, as he launched himself forward, ready to take advantage of the opportunity.

But before he could reach the hooded man, an explosion of ice and energy stopped him. The enemy had broken free.

—"You're more stubborn than I thought," —the hooded man said, his face cold as ever—. "But this time... you won't escape."

The ice began to concentrate in his hands, creating a sphere of icy energy. Peter knew that this attack would be devastating if it reached him.

—"Come on, Peter... think," —he said to himself as the hooded man prepared his final attack.

With a speed that surprised even Peter, he launched a web towards the enemy's face, temporarily blinding him. The hooded man hesitated, and Peter took advantage of that second of hesitation to launch himself at him, striking him with all his might.

The impact was enough to destabilize the hooded man, and the sphere of icy energy dissipated into the air, leaving only a trail of cold vapor.

Peter stood his ground, breathing heavily. He had managed to stop the attack, but he knew that this was only the beginning. The Kingpin was up to something big, and this hooded man was just one of the first pieces in his deadly game.

"I won't let the Kingpin destroy this city," Peter muttered to himself as he prepared for what was to come.

The chill in the air slowly began to dissipate, but danger still lurked.

The ice on the street began to slowly melt, forming small puddles that reflected the lights of the city. Peter Parker, still recovering from the battle, watched intently as the hooded figure lay unconscious among the frozen rubble. His mind was restless. Although he had managed to defeat this mysterious enemy, the words about Kingpin and his allies echoed loudly in his head. Something big was about to happen, and this encounter was just the first warning.

As Peter tried to regulate his breathing, his spider-sense activated again, sending him a warning he couldn't ignore. The hooded figure, though weakened, began to move slightly. A faint blue glow emerged from his hands, barely perceptible, but enough to make Peter prepare for a new attack.

"You're not done yet," the hooded figure said hoarsely, as his hands once again emitted an icy glow. "Kingpin has much bigger plans than you can imagine. You won't be able to stop him. No one will."

Peter knew he couldn't waste any more time with empty threats. He had to act before things got out of hand again. With a quick movement, he threw out a new web, enveloping the hooded man and ensuring that he couldn't use his power anymore.

"Sorry, buddy, but I don't have time for villain speeches," Peter said as he tied him up tighter. "I'm taking you to the authorities. We'll see if you keep up the same speech when you're behind bars."

With the hooded man immobilized, Peter felt that the immediate danger had passed. However, the stranger's words still weighed on his mind. He would have to investigate further and find out exactly what he was planning.