Spider-Man: Home Run

Chapter 7: The Hunter

Spidey's spider sense buzzed and he barely managed to dodge an arrow flying at his head!

"What the?!" He landed on a rooftop, then someone landed a few feet away from him and swung a dagger at him!

Spidey dodged and weaved around, then flipped over the man's head. He finally got a good look at his attacker; he was tall and muscular, had short black hair with a mustache and goatee. His outfit looked like he came from the jungle.

"And just who might you be, my tall, rugged friend?" Spidey asked in his usual overconfident quipster tone.

"Call me Kraven the Hunter," The man responded in a deep voice with a thick Russian accent.

"Hunter? Don't you know they outlawed hunting Spider-Men?! We're an endangered species!" Spidey remarked.

"Then I will make it my job to bring about your extinction," Kraven responded, unsheathing a VERY large knife from his side.

He rushed towards Spider-Man, swinging the knife with vigor. Spidey managed to stay one step ahead of him as he did, but only by a small amount. The man was precise, not just swinging wildly around like he was used to. After several dodges, Spidey finally got an opening, kicking Kraven in his stomach, sending him flying back, though he managed to steady himself when landing. Spidey fired a web at his foe, but the man jumped out of the way just before it reached him. He fired another and another, but Kraven dodged them too, getting close to him once again. This time, the blade managed to catch Spidey in the arm. Thankfully it only nicked him, but it tore clean through a small section of his costume!

"Ah, jeez!" Spider grunted before he attempted to tie Kraven up in webs, again, but Kraven managed to cut through them!

Spidey braced himself as his adversary lunged for him again, this time managing to disarm him of the knife when it came.

"Aha!" the hero cheered, which turned out to be premature as Kraven grabbed him and wrapped him into a bear hug, squeezing him tightly. Spidey felt as though his insides were being crushed together, but after a forceful struggle, he broke free of Kraven's grip, elbowing the man in the neck before immediately spinning back and connecting with a punch square to his face. This sent Kraven flying back and landing hard against the edge of the roof.

"Incredible," Kraven marveled. "I have never hunted something that could break my grip before." He smiled a menacing smile that sent shivers down Peter's spine. Was the man really enjoying all of this?

"Listen Tarzan," Spidey spoke up. "It was all fun and games at first, but what do you say we finish this?"

"I fully intend to. You are truly a worthy prey, Spider," Kraven said, apparently commending him. "However, it will have to be another time."

With that, he dropped a smoke grenade on the roof, which filled the air when it went off. Spidey lunged forward to catch his foe before he could make a quick getaway, but all he connected with was air, flying off the roof in the process. He fired a web back towards the roof, pulling himself back onto it, but it was too late. Kraven was gone.

Peter spent the next thirty minutes trying to pick up the man's trail, but it was no use. His mask's tracking technology couldn't even pick up anything; it was as if the man had just vanished into thin air.

Suddenly, he heard his phone ring.

"Oh, man, MJ," he muttered before he picked it up.

"Peter, where are you?" asked MJ. "You said you were on your way."

"I am, but someone came after me," he responded.

"Are you okay?" she asked, with obvious concern.