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Spider-Man: The Shadow in the City

Prompt

spider-man:%20The%20Shadow%20in%20the%20City%0AA%20City%20in%20Trouble%0AThe%20city%20of%20New%20York%20never%20really%20slept.%20Cars%20honked,%20lights%20glowed,%20and%20people%20bustled%20along%20the%20busy%20streets.%20High%20above%20them%20all,%20swinging%20from%20one%20skyscraper%20to%20another,%20was%20a%20figure%20in%20red%20and%20blue%3A%20Spider-Man.%0ABehind%20the%20mask%20was%20Peter%20Parker,%20a%20young%20man%20who%20carried%20the%20weight%20of%20two%20lives%E2%80%94one%20as%20a%20regular%20student,%20and%20one%20as%20a%20superhero.%20And%20though%20he%20often%20joked,%20deep%20inside%20he%20remembered%20the%20words%20of%20his%20Uncle%20Ben%3A%0A%E2%80%9CWith%20great%20power%20comes%20great%20responsibility.%E2%80%9D%0AThat%20night,%20the%20city%20seemed%20restless.%20The%20police%20sirens%20wailed%20too%20often,%20and%20whispers%20spread%20of%20a%20mysterious%20villain%20lurking%20in%20the%20shadows.%20Spider-Man%20perched%20on%20a%20tall%20building,%20scanning%20the%20streets%20below.%0AA%20Strange%20Encounter%0AAs%20he%20swung%20down%20toward%20Times%20Square,%20Spider-Man%20noticed%20people%20running%20in%20panic.%20%E2%80%9COkay,%E2%80%9D%20he%20muttered,%20%E2%80%9Cthat%E2%80%99s%20never%20a%20good%20sign.%E2%80%9D%0AIn%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20street%20stood%20a%20figure%20cloaked%20in%20black%20smoke.%20Wherever%20he%20stepped,%20lights%20flickered%20and%20car%20alarms%20wailed.%20His%20eyes%20glowed%20an%20eerie%20green.%0A%E2%80%9CWho%20are%20you%20supposed%20to%20be?%20Smoke%20Machine%20Guy?%E2%80%9D%20Spider-Man%20quipped,%20landing%20gracefully.%0AThe%20figure%20hissed,%20%E2%80%9CI%20am%20Umbra.%20I%20will%20plunge%20this%20city%20into%20darkness.%E2%80%9D%0ASpider-Man%20tilted%20his%20head.%20%E2%80%9CUmbra,%20huh?%20What,%20did%20Shadow%20Man%20sound%20too%20dramatic?%E2%80%9D%0ABut%20as%20he%20leapt%20forward,%20a%20wave%20of%20dark%20energy%20pushed%20him%20back.%20The%20air%20grew%20cold,%20and%20Spider-Man%20realized%20this%20villain%20was%20no%20joke.%0AThe%20First%20Battle%0ASpider-Man%20shot%20webs,%20trying%20to%20trap%20Umbra%E2%80%99s%20feet.%20But%20the%20shadowy%20figure%20dissolved%20into%20smoke,%20slipping%20free.%20In%20a%20blink,%20Umbra%20reappeared%20behind%20him,%20striking%20with%20a%20blast%20of%20darkness.%0A%E2%80%9CWhoa!%E2%80%9D%20Spider-Man%20tumbled%20across%20the%20pavement,%20barely%20catching%20himself%20with%20a%20webline.%20He%20swung%20upward%20to%20a%20lamppost.%20%E2%80%9COkay,%20note%20to%20self:%20jokes%20don%E2%80%99t%20work%20on%20shadow%20monsters.%E2%80%9D%0APeople%20screamed%20as%20Umbra%20spread%20his%20darkness,%20draining%20the%20streetlights.%20The%20city%20square%20turned%20pitch-black.%0ASpider-Man%20thought%20fast.%20He%20feeds%20on%20darkness.%20If%20I%20can%20bring%20more%20light,%20maybe%20I%20can%20weaken%20him.%0ASeeking%20Help%0ABut%20Spider-Man%20couldn%E2%80%99t%20do%20it%20alone.%20As%20he%20swung%20away%20to%20regroup,%20he%20spotted%20a%20familiar%20face%E2%80%94his%20best%20friend,%20Ned,%20who%20was%20fiddling%20with%20some%20gadgets.%0A%E2%80%9CNed!%20Buddy!%20Please%20tell%20me%20you%20invented%20a%20portable%20flashlight%20the%20size%20of%20the%20sun.%E2%80%9D%0ANed%20blinked.%20%E2%80%9CUh%E2%80%A6%20not%20exactly.%20But%20I%E2%80%99ve%20been%20working%20on%20these%20high-frequency%20light%20drones%20for%20science%20club.%E2%80%9D%0A%E2%80%9CThat%E2%80%99s%20perfect!%E2%80%9D%20Spider-Man%20said,%20grabbing%20the%20prototypes.%20%E2%80%9CLet%E2%80%99s%20hope%20they%20work,%20or%20this%20city%E2%80%99s%20about%20to%20have%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20creepiest%20blackout.%E2%80%9D%0AThe%20Plan%0AThat%20night,%20Spider-Man%20lured%20Umbra%20to%20Central%20Park.%20The%20villain%20arrived%20in%20a%20swirl%20of%20smoke,%20filling%20the%20park%20with%20shadows.%0A%E2%80%9CYou%20cannot%20stop%20the%20night,%E2%80%9D%20Umbra%20boomed.%0ASpider-Man%20shot%20webs%20at%20nearby%20trees,%20swinging%20circles%20around%20him%20to%20distract.%20At%20the%20same%20time,%20he%20pressed%20a%20button%20on%20Ned%E2%80%99s%20drones.%20Bright%20orbs%20of%20light%20shot%20into%20the%20sky,%20glowing%20like%20artificial%20stars.%0AUmbra%20screeched%20as%20the%20light%20pierced%20his%20shadow%20form.%20%E2%80%9CWhat%20trickery%20is%20this?%E2%80%9D%0ASpider-Man%20leapt%20forward,%20punching%20hard.%20%E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s%20called%20teamwork.%20Ever%20heard%20of%20it?%E2%80%9D%0AThe%20Final%20Showdown%0AThe%20battle%20raged.%20Umbra%20lashed%20out%20with%20blasts%20of%20darkness,%20but%20the%20glowing%20drones%20kept%20weakening%20him.%20Spider-Man%20dodged,%20flipped,%20and%20struck%20whenever%20he%20found%20an%20opening.%0AFinally,%20with%20one%20last%20web%20shot,%20Spider-Man%20pulled%20down%20a%20drone%20directly%20above%20Umbra.%20The%20powerful%20beam%20of%20light%20trapped%20him,%20dissolving%20the%20shadows%20until%20only%20a%20weak,%20ordinary%20man%20remained.%0ACollapsing%20to%20his%20knees,%20the%20man%20whispered,%20%E2%80%9CI%E2%80%A6%20I%20only%20wanted%20power%E2%80%A6%20so%20no%20one%20could%20hurt%20me%20again.%E2%80%9D%0ASpider-Man%20looked%20at%20him%20sadly.%20%E2%80%9CPower%20isn%E2%80%99t%20about%20scaring%20people.%20It%E2%80%99s%20about%20protecting%20them.%E2%80%9D%0AA%20Hero%E2%80%99s%20Heart%0AThe%20police%20arrived,%20taking%20the%20man%20into%20custody.%20The%20city%E2%80%99s%20lights%20slowly%20flickered%20back%20on,%20and%20people%20cheered.%0ASpider-Man%20perched%20on%20a%20lamppost,%20watching.%20He%20knew%20victories%20like%20these%20didn%E2%80%99t%20end%20the%20struggles%20of%20the%20city.%20There%20would%20always%20be%20another%20villain,%20another%20danger.%20But%20as%20long%20as%20he%20wore%20the%20mask,%20he%20would%20keep%20swinging,%20keep%20protecting.%0AAbove%20all,%20he%20remembered%20his%20uncle%E2%80%99s%20words.%20Responsibility%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20easy,%20but%20it%20was%20the%20heart%20of%20being%20Spider-Man.%0AWith%20a%20deep%20breath,%20he%20whispered%20to%20himself:%0A%E2%80%9CNew%20York%20is%20safe%E2%80%94for%20tonight.%E2%80%9D%0AThen,%20with%20a%20graceful%20leap,%20he%20vanished%20into%20the%20city%20skyline.%0A%E2%9C%A8%20Moral%20for%20Students/Children:%20True%20strength%20isn%E2%80%99t%20about%20being%20feared%E2%80%94it%E2%80%99s%20about%20using%20your%20abilities%20to%20help%20and%20protect%20others.

Style

Classic Horror

horror, fiction, cultural or historical

Characters

Ken

Mateo