Hero Saves Beauty

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions sent tourists fleeing in panic. Under the violent shockwaves, brick walls of surrounding buildings burst and collapsed, glass shards scattered everywhere, and steel-reinforced concrete rained down like hail from above.

The Green Goblin wildly hurled his Pumpkin Bombs, shockwaves blasting out from the buildings. Tremors and explosions rang out incessantly as the crowded masses turned into a chaotic torrent. People screamed in terror, scattering in all directions amid the blazing firelight. Panic spread and infected everyone. Tourists and pedestrians at the carnival looked up at the cackling green demon in the sky and couldn't help but feel despair.

Who will save us?

Sean noticed Peter, who had been snapping photos in the crowd moments ago, had vanished. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Saving New York's citizens was best left to Spider-Man. He watched the Green Goblin fly to the edge of the hotel rooftop and, right in front of Harry and his girlfriend, use Pumpkin Bombs to kill two major shareholders of Osborn Industries. Luckily, Norman hadn't completely lost his mind and didn't harm his own son.

"Watch out!"

Sean had planned to quietly observe the fight without playing the heroic good citizen. But a familiar figure caught his eye. A collapsed stage had pulled loose a fixed steel frame, which was about to crash down on her fragile body.

Letting out a long sigh, Sean pushed off the ground with explosive force, turning into a loosed arrow. At lightning speed, he swept the terrified girl to safety. With a thunderous crash, the steel frame slammed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Feeling the delicate, trembling body in his arms, Sean had no choice but to soothe her softly. "It's okay. You're safe now."

The girl in his arms clutched her savior's hand tightly. Looking up, she was startled to recognize him. "Sean... what are you doing here?"

"A friend invited me. I didn't expect this to happen..." Sean explained. "Gwen, let me get you out of here first."

This girl was Gwen Stacy, a college classmate of Sean's. They worked together as interns in Dr. Connors' lab and were fairly close friends.

"It's dangerous here." Sean looked up. The long-awaited Spider-Man had finally made his entrance. Making his official debut, Peter kept shooting webs, swinging and leaping between skyscrapers.

The Green Goblin seemed to spot this annoying pest too. Letting out a shrill laugh, he steered his glider downward. Having just snuffed out two lives, his inner lust for violence swelled even more. A voice seemed to whisper in his ear, urging him to destroy and ravage with even greater madness.

"Hey, Spider-Man?"

A few Pumpkin Bombs hurtled toward Spider-Man. The violent shockwaves sent Peter flying midair, slamming hard into the wall of a building.

"Like my gift? Hahaha, Spider-Man!"

The Green Goblin activated the micro-machine guns mounted on his glider. A dense storm of metal bullets raked toward Spider-Man, instantly turning the sturdy wall into a honeycomb. Peter kept shooting webs, using floating balloons and streamers in the sky to dodge. Seizing a moment when the Green Goblin wasn't paying attention, he fired a web strand that stuck to the Bat Glider beneath the villain's feet, causing it to lose control and fling the Green Goblin off midair.

"Here, try this!"

Spider-Man pressed his advantage. He shot webs to form a spring, then launched himself like a cannonball, slamming into the Green Goblin. A few quick punches and kicks sent the culprit who had ruined the carnival crashing to the ground.

The Green Goblin tumbled to the ground and refused to back down. He grabbed a massive pillar and swung it, knocking Spider-Man out of the air and sending him crashing heavily into a car. The two fought fiercely, locked in a stalemate. Spider-Man was agile, while the Green Goblin was armed with high-tech gear. Their combat strength was evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand for now.

Sean led the shaken Gwen to a safe area when he suddenly heard a scream. Following the sound, he spotted Harry and Mary Jane trapped on a balcony. They kept calling for help, but no one paid them any mind.

Spider-Man had noticed his secret crush in danger and wanted to rush to her rescue, but the Green Goblin kept him pinned down. Distracted, he let his opponent seize the opportunity, landing a flurry of punches and kicks that quickly put him on the defensive.

Explosions of fire burst from the hotel. The balcony where Harry and Mary Jane stood was on the verge of collapse, ready to break and fall at any moment. They huddled in a corner, praying for someone to come help.

"I'm busier than a superhero..." Sean grumbled silently to himself. Turning to Gwen, he said, "I still have friends over there. Stay here and wait for the police."

Gwen clutched the men's jacket draped over her shoulders, silently watching Sean's retreating figure. Her heart stirred. The carnival grounds were filled with explosions, fire, and smoke. The green demon and Spider-Man were locked in a fierce battle. In such a dangerous moment, this young man still thought of his friends. It was both admirable and touching.

Sean, sprinting at full speed, had no idea that Gwen had already built him up in her mind as a fearless hero. Whether out of self-interest or his own moral bottom line, he couldn't just ignore Harry's life or death. Besides, doing a few good deeds now and then couldn't hurt—call it karma points.

Lost in thought, Sean charged into the chaotic hotel. The elevators were out of service, so he had to sprint up the stairs at full speed. Just as Mindy had said, his physical abilities were extraordinary. In just a few minutes, he had reached the top-floor balcony—yet such intense exertion felt no different from a casual stroll to him.

"Harry! Mary Jane!"

Sean saw how precarious their situation was. Mary Jane, in particular, had half her body dangling in the air. The concrete on the balcony kept crumbling, and the cracks in the wall were widening. They could fall at any moment.

"Here, grab my hand!" Sean pulled Harry up first, then reached out to Mary Jane.

The red-haired girl was trembling, tears streaking her face. She had been terrified by the Green Goblin earlier. Clinging tightly to the warm hand extended to her, she threw herself into Sean's arms.

Having successfully rescued them both, Sean discreetly eased Mary Jane away and led the two down from the hotel, far from the center of the battlefield. Having witnessed the Green Goblin murder the two major shareholders of Osborn Industries, their minds were in shock and needed time to recover.

"It's okay, Harry. It's all over." Sean comforted the unstable Young Master Osborn.

At that moment, Harry seemed to remember something. He quickly pulled out his phone to call his father, but no one answered.

"I need to go home first, Sean. Can you take Mary Jane home?" Harry recalled inviting his father to the carnival. Now that this horrific terrorist attack had occurred, he was worried.

Sean nodded helplessly. He turned to look at Gwen and Mary Jane, silently thinking to himself, "What the hell? One's the Green Goblin II's girlfriend, the other's Spider-Man's first love. Why are they both dumped on me?!"

"What a terrible day!"

With a deep sense of frustration, Sean hailed a taxi and sent the two frightened girls home separately.