C 56

Leaving Hell's Kitchen with the bottle of whiskey gifted by Batman, Peter Parker's head spun with excitement, his face glowing with happiness. 

He could hardly believe it—he had met his idol, fought alongside him, and even received a gift!

As he opened the door to his home, he was greeted by a stern look from Uncle Ben, sitting in the living room with his eyes locked onto the whiskey in Peter's hand.

"Peter, why did you come back so late?" Ben asked, his expression darkening as he recognized the bottle. Even without wealth, Ben knew his liquor, and he identified it instantly—a rare, Old Malt Cask Laforge 17-year old whiskey, distilled in 1987. 

This was no ordinary bottle. Priceless and nearly extinct on the market, it was something that his nephew should never have been able to acquire.

"Peter, what did you do?" Ben's tone was grave. "Where did this bottle of whiskey come from?"

Peter hesitated, stammering, his mind racing but drawing a blank. He had no easy explanation for how he, a high school student, had ended up with such a rare bottle.

Little did they know, this night in Hell's Kitchen had altered Peter's destiny. 

According to his original fate, Ben should have died that very night, the victim of a senseless shooting. But a single event—a butterfly's flap—had shifted Peter's timeline.

Meanwhile, outside Hell's Kitchen, Anton and Eddie wrapped up their operation. They met Winston, who was waiting for them with a satisfied smile.

"Kingpin's thugs have been taken care of, and Hell's Kitchen is now under our control," Winston reported triumphantly. Despite the signs of gunfire and bullet-riddled walls, the High Table had swiftly secured the area.

"If you need our services in the future, just call," Winston added. "And for the success of this operation, you will always be honored guests at the High Table and the Continental Hotel."

"Sworn by blood?" Anton asked with a smirk.

"Sworn by blood," Winston replied solemnly.

Anton nodded. "Then as a friend to Daredevil, here's a suggestion—Hell's Kitchen doesn't need to return to its old ways. Daredevil won't bother you as long as you enforce order and follow the rules." 

Winston took this seriously, nodding in understanding. Anton and Eddie then departed, heading back to the Daily Bugle.

"Tomorrow's front page will be something special," Eddie grinned, waving his camera. 

"Four heroes—Daredevil, Venom, Batman, and a certain spider-man—teamed up to take down Kingpin. Not a bad headline."

"You're right," Anton replied. "People will love to see New York being cleaned up."

The next day, the front page headline read:

"Kingpin Arrested! Underworld Empire Destroyed! Four Heroes Unite to Clean Up Hell's Kitchen!"

The front page was dominated by a striking color photo: Daredevil, Batman, Venom, and a young, scrawny Spider-Man. 

For most readers, the first two heroes needed no introduction—Batman was practically a legend, and Daredevil was well-known in Hell's Kitchen, often instilling more fear than Batman himself.

Venom was another story. Netizens had pieced together his appearances: he'd been sighted fighting a monster on the Golden Gate Bridge with Batman and was known as Batman's ally. 

Although many initially assumed Venom was a villain, he'd now proven himself a powerful force for good.

Then, there was the "weak" Spider-Man. In the photo, he wore a simple mask, a sweater emblazoned with a spider symbol, and loose sweatpants. 

Without context, most would assume he was a lucky kid saved by the heroes rather than one of them.

"Spider-Man?" people murmured. "Isn't he just a high schooler? What can he do?"

Some joked, "So… he shoots webs? Climbs walls? Doesn't sound too exciting!"

At Midtown High School, Peter could hear his classmates' snickers and comments. His enhanced senses made it impossible not to. 

Despite his pride in the Daily Bugle's portrayal of him as a hero, the ridicule from his peers stung.

"You don't seem happy," a sweet voice said.

Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with Gwen Stacy, Midtown High's most popular student. 

With her blonde hair and warm smile, she was admired by nearly everyone, and her father, George Stacy, was the head of the NYPD—a fact that made her even more untouchable.

"Do you like Spider-Man?" Gwen asked. Noticing Peter's discomfort, she added, "I think he's pretty cool. He might look young, but if Batman trusts him enough to work with him, he must be brave."

Peter's eyes lit up. "You really think so?"

Gwen nodded. From that moment, Peter resolved to prove himself. 

Though Ben had been spared his original tragic fate, Peter still discovered a calling: his powers weren't just about responsibility but about courage and determination. 

His destiny would be different now, and perhaps even greater than before.

Back at the Daily Bugle, Eddie was practically bouncing with excitement. "Today's issue is flying off the shelves, Anton! New York can't get enough of these four heroes working together. The Daily Bugle is reaching new heights!"

Even J. Jonah Jameson, vacationing in Hawaii with a young blonde on his arm, took notice. 

Hearing the news, he couldn't help but smile. Though he had initially worried about Anton's involvement with Kingpin, this outcome confirmed he'd placed his faith in the right successor.

As he relaxed on the beach, Jonah looked over to see John Wick—a former New York legend himself—sitting nearby, content and at peace with his wife, Helen. 

Life had turned out well for the old guard, though Jonah's only regret was his son's absence, who was following his dreams in space.

Meanwhile, Anton was equally satisfied—not just by the Daily Bugle's success but by the notification he'd just received:

[Kingpin Arrested! Reward: 6 Million Justice Points]

[Justice Point Balance: 12 Million]

With these points, he could soon afford the advanced Batman armor he'd been eyeing. Still, he knew he'd need to save more to obtain the armor of his dreams.

….

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