Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man

Words : 1178 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man Peter Parker had been living a contented life lately. Ever since he was bitten by that spider, he had gained unparalleled superhuman abilities. No longer was he the powerless nerd; he had transformed into a force to be reckoned with, agile and incredibly strong. For a high school student, this was a dream come true. However, not everything in Peter's life was sunshine and rainbows. The doctor he had been chatting with online had arranged a comprehensive medical examination for his entire family, and the results were far from ideal. Peter himself was in perfect health, and the hospital's machines couldn't detect anything unusual about him. The real concern lay with his uncle and aunt, Ben and May Parker. Given their age, it was expected that they would have some health issues, but what the doctor found was unsettling. Uncle Ben had a shadow on his lungs, which was far from good news. Any reasonably informed person knew that the next words after hearing about a "shadow" on the lungs usually meant either cancer or a tumor. The doctor recommended a thorough examination of Ben Parker's lungs, but the cost was substantial. Considering the possibility of a later biopsy, the Parker family couldn't afford the surgery. While medical expenses could be reimbursed, the cost of this particular examination wasn't covered, and no insurance company would take responsibility. If the doctor Peter had met online still worked at this hospital, there might have been hope for assistance. Even if this hospital couldn't help, there were more affordable options elsewhere. The Parker family had always lived frugally. Peter rarely had new clothes, but he knew that Uncle Ben and Aunt May had done their best to provide him with the best life possible, given their meager earnings. Uncle Ben would never accept ill-gotten gains, and with his paltry salary, supporting Peter's education left no room for savings. Ben Parker was optimistic, assuring Peter that the lung shadow might not necessarily be cancer or a tumor. It could be a minor inflammation that would heal on its own. Ben tried to comfort Peter, suggesting that the big hospital might just be overreacting. However, Peter was deeply troubled by the news. He couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. Flash Thompson, who had always bullied him at school, owned a pair of shoes worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, while his family couldn't even afford a few hundred dollars for medical tests. But Peter realized that his situation had changed. With his newfound superpowers, he could earn money in ways he never could before. Peter was exceptionally bright and quickly devised a plan to make money as quickly as possible: underground boxing matches. Although gambling at a casino might be faster, Peter knew that his spider-sense was unreliable. If he couldn't control it properly, he could not only fail to make money but also lose some. However, underground boxing was different. His superhuman strength could easily defeat any ordinary opponent, regardless of their fierceness. With an absolute physical advantage, victory was assured. The underground boxing scene thrived in Hell's Kitchen, New York's most prosperous district for such events. But as a diligent student who had always focused on his studies, Peter hesitated to approach such a chaotic place. Perhaps out of fear or caution, he wandered around Hell's Kitchen for several days without making a move. Finally, one day, when Peter was returning home from school, he learned that his aunt had injured her back and couldn't afford medicine. She had to rest in bed with no other recourse. Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, Peter's frustration turned into anger, and he longed to take action. The owner of the underground gambling pit offered Peter a cut, but Peter wasn't too keen. Firstly, he felt he had already earned enough money. Tens of thousands of dollars were enough for his uncle's full medical check-up, and even if Aunt May needed major surgery, this money would suffice. Moreover, Peter was just a high school student, and his maturity level wasn't there yet. The thrill of consecutive victories was addicting, and for a teenager, intentionally losing to his opponents was unthinkable. Peter had finally found some confidence, and he wasn't going to give it up. The owner of the underground fighting pit didn't say much, and Peter naively believed that the owner had no recourse against him. After all, he possessed incredible strength that an ordinary person couldn't match. All of this was being closely observed by Daredevil, Matt. He had infiltrated the place earlier, posing as a drunkard and slumping in the audience seats. His extraordinary hearing allowed him to catch every word of the conversation between the underground fighting pit owner and Peter. The next day, during the match, Matt was present. When Peter entered the arena, there was still a thunderous applause from the audience. Peter raised both hands to acknowledge them, prepared to face his next defeated opponent. Approaching him was a sturdy African-American boxer. Peter looked at him, his face revealing a hint of cunning. He didn't understand what was happening. At first, when the boxing match began, Peter felt fine. He nearly sent the opponent flying with a single punch. However, the opponent didn't engage him head-on but kept evading, seemingly buying time. Soon, Peter began to feel something was off. His stomach started to cramp, his legs weakened, and his vision blurred. Just as his consciousness began to fade, the African-American boxer landed a punch on his cheek. Peter staggered backward, dizzy. The opponent seized the opportunity and continued to attack. In that moment, Peter's Spider-Sense tingled, sensing something heavy, perhaps lead, concealed within the opponent's boxing gloves. If that punch landed, Peter's brain might have splattered. Peter bent down, barely avoiding the blow. The audience below started to jeer. Spider-Man had never been one to dodge in previous matches. Peter couldn't afford to think too much. He was in excruciating pain, almost unable to catch his breath. The opponent landed another punch, and Peter collapsed to the ground. This wasn't a regular match with a proper referee. After falling, the opponent's fists continued to rain down on him mercilessly, with no one to intervene. Peter could only hold onto his head, but the lead-weighted gloves were causing his internal organs to feel as if they were shifting. Finally, unable to endure any longer, he vomited on the ground. The audience below erupted in a chorus of curses. Peter had never heard such profanities in his life, but now they were all directed at Spider-Man. Before passing out, Peter saw a figure leaping from the audience seats. With a cane cutting through the air, it struck the opponent's neck, putting an end to the brutal assault. But Peter couldn't hold on any longer and lost consciousness.

Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man

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