Marvel's Iron Lady

The police didn't expect such fierce resistance from Wilson Fisk, and the situation on the ground floor of Fisk Tower quickly became more complicated.

Likewise, Peter Parker, speeding toward the scene, didn't anticipate being interrupted by a phone call.

"Peter, where have you been? We need to run tests on the project before the funding committee arrives—" A soft, but slightly concerned female voice came through the call.

"Uh, sorry, Dr. Olivia, I'm... handling some personal matters," Peter stammered, nearly colliding with a streetlight as he hurried to explain.

Dr. Olivia was his current doctoral advisor and the head of the lab where he worked.

"I'm really sorry, Doctor, but I'll be back at the lab soon, I promise."

Fortunately, Dr. Olivia didn't seem to press the issue and gave him time to deal with his personal matters.

"Doctor seems pretty stressed. I'd better finish up here quickly," Peter muttered, sighing with relief as he leaped to a higher altitude.

It was much easier for Peter to deal with enemies than with people he knew personally.

He had already reached the urban jungle of Manhattan, closing in on the Upper West Side.

As the distance shrank, Peter began to hear the wailing of police sirens and scattered gunfire.

Damn—gunfire! He was too late. Fisk's men were already engaged with the NYPD!

A few minutes later, when the red-suited Spider-Man finally arrived at the scene, he was met with a chaotic sight.

On the ground floor of Fisk Tower, a group of mercenary-looking thugs in tactical gear were taking cover and exchanging fire with the police.

A police car, arriving almost simultaneously with Peter, became an immediate target for Fisk's men.

The officer behind the wheel desperately swerved to avoid the hail of bullets, sending the car crashing into another police vehicle being used as cover.

The collision caused a cloud of smoke to erupt as both cars ignited in a fiery explosion. Had anyone been slower to react, they would have been caught in the blast.

"Damn it! We need more backup! Where's the counter-terror unit?!" shouted Yuriko Watanabe, the officer in charge, her usual composed demeanor shattered as she barked orders into her radio.

Across the way, one of Fisk's mercenaries, a burly bald man with a radio in hand, gave an order to his men. "Stop wasting bullets! Get the big guy in here—time to show these NYPD boys what we're made of."

The situation took a turn for the worse when, just down the block, a massive oil tanker crashed through the police barricades, heading straight for a group of unsuspecting officers.

Peter barely had time to react. Leaping from his vantage point, he fired two webs, catching the truck's rear bumper.

A massive truck like this, however, was no easy thing to stop, especially not with just human strength.

The webs strained under the truck's momentum, and even Peter struggled to maintain his grip.

But he gritted his teeth, digging his heels into the asphalt, trying to slow the tanker before it reached the police.

It was an awe-inspiring sight—one man using two thin strands of web to try and halt the unstoppable force of a massive tanker.

Journalists on the scene were quick to snap photos and record the heroic effort, while the crowd cheered Spider-Man on.

The police, initially stunned, quickly sprang into action as Yuriko Watanabe urged them to evacuate the civilians.

It was only at that moment that the surrounding onlookers realized the danger. As they saw some being killed or injured by stray bullets, they fled in panic

The truck continued its deadly advance, driverless, with its accelerator pinned down by a heavy object.

Thankfully, Spider-Man's intervention bought the officers enough time to act, giving them a chance to clear the area.

Several brave officers rushed to their patrol cars, pushing them together to form a makeshift barricade in front of the oncoming tanker.

Even though Spider-Man's webbing was incredibly strong, it was clear it wouldn't hold much longer against the overwhelming force of the speeding truck.

"Damn it! Get out of the way! I can't stop it!" Peter yelled through gritted teeth, the strain evident in his voice as the webbing stretched to its limit.

A nearby officer, noticing the barricade in place, shouted to Peter, "Spider-Man, let go! We've got the cars blocking it!"

With no other choice, Peter released the webbing just as it snapped, sending the runaway truck crashing into the police barricade.

The collision set off an explosion from the volatile chemicals inside the tanker, shattering hundreds of nearby storefront windows with the force of the blast.

Fortunately, thanks to the police's quick evacuation, no civilians were harmed. The only casualties were a few unfortunate police cars caught in the blast.

Watching the flames rise from the burning wreckage, Peter finally let out a relieved sigh. That was way too close.

The gathered crowd erupted in applause, cheering Spider-Man for his quick actions. New Yorkers had always had a soft spot for their hometown hero.

"He's dead set on resisting us. If we let him get away, we might never catch him again."

A voice suddenly spoke from behind Peter, nearly making the superhero jump.

It was Yuriko Watanabe, the NYPD captain, who had somehow appeared behind him, her face grim as she addressed the situation.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Fisk Tower, Miss Stark was also observing the chaos below.

With her hands still cuffed behind her back, she leaned lazily against the window frame, her tall figure exuding a sense of calm despite the violence below.

"Honestly, it looks like things are heating up down there. Shouldn't you guys go down and lend a hand?" she asked, a few strands of hair falling over her eyes, hiding the amused smile on her lips.

Wilson Fisk's office was filled with various antiques, giving it an air of timeless wealth. Among the most notable items were several suits of Samurai armor displayed against the walls.

For reasons unknown, despite being American, Wilson Fisk had a peculiar fascination with Japanese culture—perhaps due to his dealings with the Triads in Hell's Kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but our orders are to ensure your safety," responded one of Fisk's men, holding a riot shotgun, disguised as a police officer.

Everyone could feel the intense vibrations coming from below, fully aware that the situation was becoming more dire by the second.

Those tasked with guarding Miss Stark were on high alert, well aware of the gravity of the unfolding events.

Miss Stark couldn't quite tell what Wilson Fisk was planning, but it seemed deliberate. As for why he had gone through the trouble of kidnapping the heir to Stark Industries...

If she simply refused to answer any questions, she could easily walk away, throwing in a little chaos for Stark Industries' board of directors.

As for Kingpin, since he had done her a small favor, Miss Stark figured it wouldn't hurt to help him out in return.

Maybe in the future, she could do something for him as a token of appreciation and earn a favor in return.

Meanwhile, back on the ground floor, Peter, relying on his spider-sense, had broken through the mercenaries' line of fire.

A fully armed SWAT team had also arrived on the scene, following in Peter's wake as they charged into the building.

"I'll clear the way. Follow me, and be careful!" Peter called, shooting two webs to disarm a pair of mercenaries, slipping through their defenses effortlessly.

The two stunned gunmen were quickly tackled to the ground by the advancing officers, their weapons now out of reach.

As Spider-Man, much like Batman in the DC Comics universe, Peter Parker had never taken a life.

"Spider-Man, stay out of this! This is our operation!" one of the riot police officers shouted, clearly unimpressed with Peter's assistance.

Why the resentment? It was an open secret, though no one said it aloud.

Superheroes acted outside the law, and their actions were often seen as vigilantism—an unauthorized use of force.

Without legal authority, their actions could easily be seen as private justice, crossing a fine line between right and wrong.

From Miss Stark's perspective, she didn't entirely disagree with the notion of superheroes dispensing justice, even if it involved some degree of force.

After all, the existence of a police force in the first place acknowledged that sometimes force was necessary to uphold the law.

When confronting criminals, sometimes stronger methods were needed to protect the innocent—so long as it didn't cross the line into endangering lives.

In certain cases, acts of self-defense could be justified, and a certain level of force should be permissible, rather than condemned.

Take, for example, the famous detective novels of the 18th century, where Sherlock Holmes, a private investigator, would often assist Scotland Yard's Lestrade in catching criminals.

There were times when Holmes and his partner Watson would physically confront criminals, even carrying handguns when necessary.

Though Scotland Yard officers might have disapproved of Holmes' vigilante methods, they never went so far as to arrest him for overstepping his bounds.

Admittedly, the line between private justice and lawful conviction could easily blur, and it was a subject of ongoing debate.

In modern society, no one had the right to pass judgment on another, even if the crime was blatant.

This raised a question often debated in comic book circles: the relationship between killing and saving.

Many fans of comic books, for instance, argued about whether Batman should kill Gotham's villains, given how often they escape prison and wreak havoc once more.

By sparing his foes, Batman arguably gave them the opportunity to rise again, causing more harm. But would killing them really be considered justice?

Could the people of Gotham still trust Batman if they believed he was indirectly responsible for releasing criminals time and again?

In many ways, Miss Stark agreed with Batman's ideology, though she wasn't as averse to killing—like the Dark Elves she had flung into space.

The line between good and evil was often blurred, and a little excess in the name of justice could lead to a shift toward the other side.

In any case, wherever superheroes operated, law enforcement would inevitably feel some resentment, and that much was clear.

After all, superheroes' efficiency in catching criminals often highlighted the police's own shortcomings.

In a democratic society like the United States, where officials were elected by popular vote, the comparison wasn't flattering.

If a superhero consistently outperformed the police, why would voters continue electing a mayor or governor who seemed ineffective?

Why not elevate the superhero to a position of power, where they could do even more good?

From Miss Stark's perspective, superheroes should serve as symbols—beacons of hope and fear for criminals—not as governing bodies.

The mere sight of a superhero should send villains running in terror and inspire hope in the hearts of good people.

Superheroes should act boldly, not quietly tolerate the police's incompetence.

After all, the longer the authorities took to catch a criminal, the more innocent lives would be at risk.

The fundamental difference in philosophy between superheroes and the police was clear, and it created a natural tension.

But, in the end, a society that needed superheroes to maintain order was a sad one indeed.

Peter Parker had long grown used to the police's disdainful glances and didn't take the officer's words to heart.

He was here to help, and he didn't need their approval—especially when there were still enemies to be dealt with.

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