CHAPTER 1: SPIDER-MAN’S SURPRISE

 

  THWIP!

  Strands of webbing burst forth from a trio of nozzles, braiding together into a thick rope and attaching to a nearby rooftop. Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, wrapped the fibers tightly around his palm and swung in an arc over the city.

  “WA-HOOOO!” Miles cheered as he released the webbing and sailed high into the air, landing on the ledge of a tall building.

 

   

 

Miles pulled his mask from his face and took a deep breath. The city was brimming with life, and Miles had a perfect view of it. This was a familiar spot for him. His dad had grown up on the street below and had taken Miles here to see it many times. Now Miles was working on a digital painting of the entire street for his father’s birthday.

  But Miles couldn’t linger any longer. No matter how beautiful the skyline over Brooklyn looked this time of day, his art class at the Stark Center in New York City would start with or without him there.

  Once he was in Manhattan, Miles quickly threw his clothes on over his Spider-Man suit. Sliding down a fire escape, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and stepped out into the crosswalk. The Stark Center was a community center in the heart of the city, built by the one-and-only Tony Stark and open to any and all kids with a passion for arts, sports, or academics. Miles loved going there. All the equipment was high-tech, state-of-the-art, and top-of-the-line.

   

   

  Miles rushed through the Stark Center, humming along to the music blaring through his headphones. He quickly rounded a corner and collided with someone. Miles dropped his backpack. Its contents spilled across the floor. He scrambled to pick everything up and reached for the other person’s drumsticks.

   

  “You okay, Miles?” she asked.

  “Hey, Gwen!” Miles replied.

  Gwen Stacy held out a photo that had fallen out of his bag. Miles took it gently, handing her the drumsticks in return.

  “Thanks,” said Miles. “This is a photo of my dad’s childhood street. I thought it might be a nice birthday gift if I made a digital painting of it for him.”

  “Cool. I’d love to see your work sometime,” Gwen said.

  “I’ve actually got the street scene here,” Miles exclaimed, eager to show off his painting. “Come into the art room for a moment. I still prefer to paint by hand, but I can’t knock Tony Stark’s taste in computer programs.”

  “Look here,” Miles said. Gwen peered down at his monitor.

   

  “Uh-oh. I don’t know how this happened,” Miles said, clicking on different folders.

  “What’s wrong?” Gwen asked.

  “This sort of looks like my painting,” Miles said. “But it’s a copy… it’s not quite right. Oh wait… here’s my painting.” Miles tried to open up a file, but when he did, both paintings—his original work and the copy—disappeared! “This computer must have some kind of virus. Or it was hacked!” He frantically searched through all his files, then rebooted the computer. “I can’t believe this.”

   

   

  “That is no fun,” Gwen sympathized. “But you have a backup, right?”

   

  “No!” Miles said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I realized the other day I hadn’t made a backup and was planning to do that today.”

  “Oh, Miles, I’m so sorry,” Gwen said. “That’s horrible. But I’ve got to head to my music class now or I’ll be late.”

  “What are you doing in music class?” Miles asked as he waited for the computer to boot back up.

  “I’m going to perform a drum solo!” Gwen replied. “One of my friends in class wrote an original song, and she thought it could use a little of my pizzazz. I’ll see you soon. I hope you find your files.”