"Spider-Man!"
The shout had barely risen from the playground when the man on the steps pressed the detonator.
Peter's Spider-Sense erupted.
His webs were faster than thought.
One strand stuck to the man's wrist, while another wrapped around the detonator. Peter twisted in midair and yanked hard.
The detonator flew out of the man's hand.
The man roared and pulled a Modified Nail Gun from under his work jacket.
Bang!
A steel nail grazed Peter's waist and embedded itself in the school building's outer wall.
Peter landed on the stair railing.
"Sir, I completely understand wanting to smash something when life isn't going your way."
The man swung the gun toward him.
"Shut up!"
"But blowing up a school really goes beyond any reasonable definition of smashing things!"
The nail gun fired repeatedly.
Peter sprang off the railing, his body bending in midair at an angle that would have made an ordinary orthopedic surgeon want to start writing up the paperwork in advance. Several steel nails flew past his suit, but the webs Peter fired had already sealed the muzzle.
The man pulled the trigger.
The nail gun exploded in his hands.
The man screamed, his palm numbed by the blast.
Peter landed and was just about to approach when a red light suddenly came on atop the metal box beside the steps.
A twisted smile appeared on the man's face.
"Too late."
Peter's Spider-Sense screamed again.
The side of the metal box sprang open, revealing homemade explosives and steel ball bearings packed inside.
Peter lunged toward the metal box.
But a blue figure vaulted over the perimeter wall.
Patriot raised his round shield and planted himself in front of the metal box.
The explosion made even the ground of the playground tremble.
Flames and steel ball bearings slammed into