8

Peter sat on the ground, stunned, as he witnessed bolts of green energy blasting away at the water creature.

Then he heard what sounded like a sonic boom from behind him. Peter swiveled his head and saw a burst of green smoke appear in the sky. Something suddenly soared through the air on a trail of billowing green smoke toward the water creature.

Squinting his eyes, Peter saw what looked like a person wearing a fancy costume of some kind, with a cape, and what he thought could best be described as a fishbowl on its head. Inside the fishbowl was a swirl of smoke—Peter couldn’t see a face.

The mysterious figure seemed to hang in mid-air before the water creature, with its hands outstretched.

Whoever it was, they had shown up at just the right moment.

Peter cursed the fact that he hadn’t thought to wear his Spider-Man costume beneath his street clothes. How was he going to go into action without blowing his secret identity? Looking around him, he noticed something on the ground that had fallen from a nearby street vendor’s cart.

It was a mask.

Like, a jester’s mask.

It looked ridiculous.

It would have to do.

Peter put on the mask and jumped onto a nearby wall. Clambering up the side, he emerged atop the roof of the bridge, where he saw the mysterious figure blasting away at the water creature.

“Excuse me, sir!” Peter called out from behind the jester’s mask. “I can help! Let me help! I’m really strong and I’m sticky!” Not really the best description of his powers, but the most he could manage at the moment.

“I need to lead it away from the canals!” the mysterious figure insisted, the voice strangely muffled by the weird fishbowl helmet.

Suddenly, the figure zoomed beneath an arch and the water creature followed, smashing through the structure. Peter barely had enough time to leap from the roof of the bridge and land on the other side. He stood, watching helplessly as the water creature chased after this...person...in the cape.

Peter only knew that he couldn’t stand idly by and do nothing. So he jumped from the roof, and started to web-swing through Venice, trying to keep up with the water creature and the mysterious figure.

The creature smashed through the wall of a building, which threatened to collapse on the street and water below. Thinking fast, Peter spun webs all around the falling wall, and swung down, then through a window, webbing everything into place. The webs wouldn’t hold the wall forever, but at least it would give people time to get out of danger.

Then it was time to play catch-up with the creature.

“The Da Vinci Museum!” Mr. Dell was excited to approach their destination as he led a group of students down a flight of steps. “This is why we’re here in Venice!”

Mr. Harrington was busy looking at his map, as Flash selfied his way through the streets.

But when they arrived at the Da Vinci Museum, Mr. Dell received some unwelcome news.

“Well, this is it,” Mr. Harrington said. Unfortunately, he told them, “It’s closed. Huh.”

“Wh-what do you mean, it’s closed?” Mr. Dell questioned, unable to decide if he should be surprised or angry or both. “Till when?” Would they have to come back later or even another day?

“November,” replied one of the students, reading a sign outside the closed museum.

Mr. Dell was fuming. “You didn’t check the website?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Mr. Harrington acknowledged. He wished he’d thought of that. Ahead of time.

Suddenly, a trail of green smoke blasted past the Da Vinci Museum, and the teachers and students from Midtown High scattered in response. They’d been through one too many crazy experiences to pause to consider. The water creature smashed the side of the museum as it pursued the mysterious figure.

Peter followed as the water creature passed by Saint Mark’s bell tower, smashing into its side. The original bell tower had collapsed in 1902, and it took ten years to rebuild—Peter had learned about that when he did some research on the class trip. He wasn’t about to let it be destroyed again.

“Oh, come on!” he muttered as he spun a web, simultaneously swinging and leaping over rooftops to get to the collapsing bell tower. If he had looked down at that moment, he would have seen Mr. Harrington leading his fellow students under the awning of a building. The teacher was trying to keep everyone safe—as if ANYWHERE was safe right now.

At last, Peter reached the bell tower, and went to work. He spun a series of webs along the cracks on the side of the building, and then swung around, pulling the strands of webbing with him. Releasing the webs, he fired more strands, until the side of the building was wrapped up, preventing the tower from collapsing.

Swinging up to the top of the tower, Peter landed on the ledge. He raced under the massive bell, removing his jester’s mask. When he reached the other side, he saw the mysterious figure blasting away at the water creature.

Angered by the attacks, the creature swung a watery arm at the mysterious figure, who ducked the blow. Unfortunately, the swing continued, and it hit the other side of the bell tower.

It was too much for the already stressed tower to take, and it started to topple.

Unsure of what to do, Peter looked around until he saw the top of a nearby building. He moved into position and fired his web-shooters, strands of webbing hitting the other building. Then he fired webs in the opposite direction, hitting another rooftop. Maybe with his spider-strength, he could steady the tower, and prevent it from falling?

It was a big maybe, but Peter had to try.

Sadly, the toppling tower had other ideas, and as it leaned over, Peter was sent skidding toward the bell, which he clocked with his forehead.

Peter saw stars for a moment, and fell to the wooden floor.

Then the tower started to lean even more, sending Peter sliding. He spun webs again, trying to prevent the tower from toppling. But as the building moved, it pulled Peter along, and he hit his head on the bell again.

While the mysterious figure engaged the water creature in the canal below, Peter struggled to keep his senses about him as he braced his feet against the side of a column. He felt like he was being ripped in half and wasn’t sure how much more his body could take.

All Peter was doing was delaying the inevitable. The tower was going down, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. But he could at least make sure that the people below had the time to get to safety.

Wherever that was.

He groaned under the incredible strain, and Peter rode the tower down to the ground as it hit the edge of the canal.

When he landed, he looked out from his perch and saw the mysterious figure alighting on the street.

People were cheering.

Had he defeated the water creature?

Destroyed it?

Whatever happened, the creature was gone.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Peter suddenly remembered something.

MJ’s gift!

He had ditched the golden bag and stuffed the gift box into his pocket. Reaching in, he grabbed the box and opened it.

Inside was the black dahlia. Still intact.

Peter smiled, reassured that something could still go right this trip.