The Devouring Spider

[DragonsEye]

"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does what a spider can!"

Peter Parker, better known to the world as the vigilante Spider-Man, hummed cheerfully as he swung beneath the New York night sky, the city's endless forest of skyscrapers stretching out below him.

And why shouldn't he be in a good mood? For the first time in what felt like literal years, life was going well for Peter Parker.

He had landed a solid job as an assistant professor at Empire State University. On top of that, New York's crime rate had dropped to its lowest point in decades, making his nightly patrols far easier as well as quieter than they used to be.

"Spider-Man is a Menace!"

A sudden harsh voice sounded in Peter's ears, shattering his pleasant thoughts without any prior warning.

"The mayor should never have granted him such a great honor. That recognition belongs solely to the brave officers of the NYPD. A mere vigilante does not deserve to share it with them."

"And just like that," Peter muttered with a sigh as he landed on a nearby rooftop, "my day is ruined."

A massive billboard in front of him blared the Daily Bugle's evening broadcast. Front and center, as always, was J. Jonah Jameson, passionately criticizing a statement the mayor had made at an event the previous day.

"While the NYPD certainly deserves immense credit for New York's reduced crime rate," the mayor had said, "I believe part of that credit also belongs to Spider-Man, the man who has stopped countless crimes in this city since his debut several years ago."

Needless to say, this statement had not been well accepted by Jameson who had been criticising Spider-Man since his very debut.

"Seriously," Peter grumbled, folding his arms as he watched the broadcast. "When will Jameson ever learn?"

"I've fought alongside the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, even the X-Men. Tony Stark and Captain America personally named me an honorary Avenger. People trust me now. Those days when everyone pointed their fingers at me just by hearing his voice are long gone."

'Hopefully, the day he learns his lesson comes soon', Peter thought. 'My ears have started to hurt from hearing the same rant year after year.'

With a flick of his wrist, Peter fired a web line and launched himself back into the air, eager to finish his patrol and call it a night.

Ring!

He wouldn't have been swinging for more than a few minutes when his Spider-Sense suddenly screamed in warning. Peter reacted instantly, dropping onto another rooftop as adrenaline surged through his veins.

He scanned his surroundings, muscles tense, eyes sharp. Yet, he found nothing.

No gunshots. No attackers. No immediate danger.

And yet, his Spider-Sense refused to stop.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The warning grew more erratic, louder, almost frantic, as though reacting to something he couldn't see—or understand.

Then it happened.

Peter felt something pass through him. Not an impact, not pain—more like a wave, rippling through his very being. Something had changed. He was certain of it, though he couldn't explain how or why.

Just as suddenly as it had arrived, the sensation vanished.

His Spider-Sense fell silent.

As if whatever had triggered it… had already moved on.

Peter straightened, unease crawling up his spine.

Unfortunately for him, the real danger was only just beginning.

Crack!

His ears suddenly heard sound of cracking from above, causing him to look upwards.

And what Peter saw made his blood run cold.

The sky was cracking.

Splintering like glass.

Thin fractures spread across the night sky, widening rapidly—until, with a deafening shatter, the heavens tore open. A massive hole of absolute darkness yawned overhead, swallowing the stars around it.

"What the hell is happening?" Peter cursed as he saw the horrifying sight. "Where's Doctor Strange when you actually need him?"

He pulled out his phone, dialing the number of Earth's foremost expert on interdimensional matters.

But before the call could connect, something fell from the dark rift above.

It slammed into the city several blocks away, the impact shaking the ground beneath Peter's feet.

ROAR!!

The sound that followed was deep, guttural, and unmistakably inhuman.

Peter didn't hesitate. He immediately ended the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Because he knew that if he wasted even a second now, people would die.

Firing his web-shooters, Peter swung at full speed toward the crash site, heart pounding as he prepared to confront whatever nightmare had just arrived in New York.

***********************************

The first thing Peter saw when he reached the scene was…… tentacles.

Many, many tentacles.

"What the hell is that thing?" Peter muttered.

Massive tentacles, dark green—almost black in colour extended from a gigantic, eyeless sphere of flesh. Its only defining feature was a grotesquely huge mouth, lined with rows of serrated teeth.

The creature, currently thrashing wildly, with some of its tentacles even hitting the nearby buildings, was the living representation of an eldritch monster, capable of giving nightmares to adult men with its mere appearance.

If there was one small mercy, it was that the monster was badly injured.

Deep gashes covered its body, oozing an unsettling green blood. It's current rampage was likely because of these very injuries.

Fortunately, it had landed on a street lined with office buildings, most of them empty at this hour. The few pedestrians present were already fleeing in panic, desperate to escape the creature's reach.

As Peter was analysing the entire scene, his eyes fell upon a certain young man who despite running as fast as possible was still dangerously close to the monster's flailing tentacles.

Immediately, Peter fired a web line and swung towards the man. Upon arrival at his location, he immediately grabbed the man in his arms and swung away just as a tentacle slammed through the spot where the man had been seconds earlier.

Peter landed a safe distance away and gently set the man down.

"Thank you," the man gasped. "Thank you so much, Spider-Man. You're a real hero. I—I was stupid to ever believe Jameson."

It seems that this man was one of those rare people who had fallen for Jameson's words and had considered Spider-Man a menace.

"It's alright," Peter said, already turning back toward the chaos. "You can think about who's right later—"

"Aaah!"

A scream echoed through the street, cutting him off.

Peter motioned for the man to run and spun toward the source of the sound, finding it to be a nearby building which had been pierced by a massive tentacle.

Thankfully, when the appendage pulled free, there was no blood staining it. A sign that no casualty had occurred because of the monster's attack.

"Looks like I can't wait any longer," Peter muttered, eyes narrowing as he saw the interdimensional monster's flailing tentacles continuously damaging the buildings.

He had hoped to wait for an Avenger or a Sorcerer from Kamar-Taj to arrive so that he could team up with him to deal with this monster. With a giant hole in the sky and an otherworldly monster tearing through the streets of Manhattan, it was only a matter of time before someone arrived to deal with it.

But now, it was clear to Peter that if he stalled any longer, casualties could occur!

"Well," he said to himself, forcing a familiar grin beneath his mask, "I've dealt with Doctor Octopus's tentacles before. These tentacles can't be that different, right?"

With these words, Spider-Man fired his web-shooters straight at the monster and leapt into battle.

*********************************

I am back!

First of all, I am really sorry for suddenly abandoning my Naruto fanfic. I had made the story too complicated and then suddenly lost the motivation to continue the story.

This time however, I am completely serious. I promise all of you that I have no plans to abandon the story before it hits 100 chapters. And if I ever stop writing this story, it will only be when I have a new story ready to take its place.

If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or just support me, please visit: p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m/DragonsEye

Also, if you have any suggestions for me, visit my discord at: https://discord.gg/XksjFyyg8