The Daily Bagel! - Part I

In the bustling metropolis of New York City, an unexpected quiet had settled in. The crime rate had plummeted to an all-time low, leaving the city’s beloved hero, Spiderman, in a bit of a quandary. With his freelance photography gig no longer covering the bills—after all, who wanted pictures of a bored Spiderman lounging on rooftops?—he needed a new source of income.

Enter J. Jonah Jameson, the irascible editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, who had pivoted from newsprint to food delivery during the COVID pandemic with his new venture, "Daily Bagel." It was a surprisingly popular service, and in a moment of inspiration (or perhaps desperation), Spiderman applied for a job.

Hired as a delivery boy specifically for high-rise buildings, Spiderman became an instant hit. His ability to swing between skyscrapers and land perfectly on balconies made him the perfect candidate. Customers were thrilled to get their food delivered by the one and only Spiderman, and the business boomed. Orders skyrocketed, and tips flowed generously as patrons eagerly lined up for selfies with the web-slinger.

Spiderman quickly adapted to his new role. Zipping through the city with pizzas, sushi, and bagels, he found a certain thrill in the rush of it all. His popularity soared, and before he knew it, he was awarded Employee of the Month for the entirety of his probation period—a rarity in the world of human resources, where probation was often a grueling trial of cultural fitment.

But, as with all trends in the age of social media, the novelty began to wear off. People started to find themselves more interesting than Spiderman, preferring AI-generated selfies with their favorite celebrities over the real thing. Daily Bagel orders began to dwindle, and Spiderman’s tips were not as plentiful as before.

One day, as Spiderman waited for his next order, he casually opened his laptop to see if the company was planning any engagement events to reignite interest. He scrolled through emails, skimming through the usual corporate jargon, when an ominous notification popped up: an email from Human Resources.

The subject line read: Performance Review Notification.

His heart skipped a beat. This was the moment every employee dreaded. The time for performance review had arrived, and Spiderman’s mind raced with questions. How would his performance as a delivery boy be evaluated? Did he meet the expectations, or had he fallen short? Would his web-slinging skills translate into the metrics that HR cared about? And most importantly, what would J. Jonah Jameson have to say about his newest employee?

As he closed his laptop, a mix of anxiety and curiosity churned within him. The performance review loomed ahead, and Spiderman couldn’t help but wonder: Would he manage to swing through this challenge, or would he falter under the scrutiny?

To be continued…